Is There Anybody There? - Life Lately And Moving Forward

I've tried several times over the last few months to take some time out for myself, to sit down somewhere quiet and write this post but something has always stopped me, so much so that I actually felt like hitting the delete button and bringing this little chapter of my life to an end but something stopped me from doing that as well.

So where have I been? Well if you follow me elsewhere on the old socials then you'll know that yet again life kicked me right where it hurts, and over the last few months life in LouLouLand has been to put it mildly poop!

After losing my Godmother in September I really thought that 2025 couldn't get any worse, but then it did - my mam was taken into hospital in late November with yet another infection, cue lots of confusion, and delirium, a fall from her bed that left her very bruised and battered, and a 2 and half week stay in hospital. Thankfully the infection was treated, the confusion passed, the bruises started to fade, and two weeks before Christmas she was thankfully allowed home.

With her instructing my every move I decorated, cooked and cleaned, and although it was always going to be strange without my Godmother we had a nice but quiet Christmas and New Year. The gifts were meaningful, the food was plentiful, and sharing it with my mam was the only gift that I ever needed or wanted.

Unlike her previous hospital stays though, this time she didn't bounce back to normal, she's really struggling with her mobility, using frames around the house, and she's been unable to get out and about or get back in the car. It's been frustrating and a learning curve for both of us, and at times there's almost being a role reversal with me taking on the parental role doing the adult things that she hasn't been able to do, which has taken a bit of adjustment on both sides.

Thankfully as time has progressed she's been able to do more around the house (she's currently tidying her room!), and more physically and last week after a conversation with her GP she eventually had a therapist come out to the house to assess her, see what she can do, what they can help her with and what they provide for her. It may be 4 months too late but we're both feeling a bit more positive now, they are sending a physio out to work with her to improve her mobility and they may be able to provide her with some walking aids or maybe a chair so she can get out safely again especially with the weather hopefully improving.

It's been a lot to deal with, the stress of her being admitted, visiting her and not quite knowing at times what I was going to find, dealing with everything once she came home and all that entailed, all whilst trying to navigate grief, and chronic illness. I'm not ashamed to say that my mental health really took a nosedive,  I've cried myself into a panic attack on more than one occasion, I've had more sleepless nights than you can imagine and I've completely neglected myself and my surroundings. You know those depression room Tik Tok's, yeah I get that, I've been so concerned about keeping the rest of the house tidy, my room looks like a messy storage unit. I've worn make up twice in 5 months, and I haven't had my hair cut since September / October time. I've probably only left the house 5 or 6 times since my mam was released from hospital, and we've probably met every Tesco delivery driver in the North East.

I've had the odd day where I've craved normality, I went to the Metro Centre for a couple of hours last month to buy Mothers Day goodies, and I had a lovely coffee date, and Home Bargains, and Farm Foods trip with one of my besties, which did me the world of good but other than that I've been trying to dig my way out of a large dark hole, some days are good, I'm productive, I can cross things off my to do list, and other days, I just want to pull a blanket over my head and shut everything else out just to try and protect myself.

I know it's been hard for her too and I know she feels some guilt, but my mam really has been my biggest supporter and reason for being - she keeps telling me I'm stronger than what I think, and whilst at times I still struggle to believe that, I know she's right - you learn from every knock and it really does make you stronger but having even a small support system is everything and I'm forever grateful for the people I have in my life that are there when I need to vent.

I know it will pass and eventually I'll start to have more good days, I just don't deal with change very well anymore, and over the last few months I've had to deal with a lot of it. There are some positive things on the horizon but again they are going to involve periods of change, acceptance and lots of adulting so I'm trying to put on my big girl shoes and make the best of it. 

I guess that's really why I'm sitting in my cluttered, hoarder esq bedroom typing words onto a screen. As I say I wasn't sure how or even whether to come back here, times have moved on short form media is king, and any place I had in this world now seems long gone (especially when I look at all the spam comments!), but with the rise of substack and some people I know returning to the blogging sphere maybe there is hope for us who like to use our words. Blogging always used to be an outlet for me and whilst it used to be about numbers, blog awards and PR, maybe now I can go back to what it always was my place, my place to talk about things I love, things that troubled me, good things in my life and the bad, and maybe that's something that I need in my life again, a focus, an outlet.

So where do I go from here? Well I open up my Macbook and I tap those keys and see what comes out at the other end - Obviously I have to get up to date on those empties posts, I have some nail posts in draft, and some half edited ones that I will post in due course, I've also got a few Tik Tok bits to share but other than that I have no real plans on what to post. I'm not the same person I was when I started this blog and whilst I still love fashion, beauty, nails, and food, maybe my content needs to grow with me - in what direction? who knows but I hope beyond hope, that there are a least some of you out there who will stick with me, and whilst I'm no longer about stats and follower counts, I'm eternally grateful for any of you that are still out there, so Happy New Year, Happy Christmas, Happy Easter, and every other holiday that I've missed, thanks for being here and I'll see you soon with another post x 

Nails Of The Day - Barry M Holochrome Holographic Effect Vegan Nail Paint - Pixie Pink*

There is nothing that I love beauty wise than a holographic nail polish. The way they change colour and sparkle when the light changes just soothes my soul, and makes me happy.

It's fair to say that over the last 12 months I've been on a bit of a journey with my finger nails - from outright destruction and damage central in January and February, to health and length and then back to just a bit healthier - it's certainly been a case of two steps forward and 3 steps back at times, but I'm on the right track again, and I've found a few products that given regular use, time and patience can really make a difference.

Something that definitely helps is painting them and keeping polish on at all times - I'm yet to brave gels again so normal polish it is, Despite several half hearted attempts to weed my own personal polish mountain, I've still got way too many bottles of nail colour - I have been good though and I have pretty much stopped buying new polishes but earlier this year I saw that Barry M had a released a new nail polish range and it really was love at first sight.

Although Barry M has changed a lot since I first started buying from the brand (and the prices have gone up!) one of their mainstays is still their nail polish in those familiar square bottles. Colours and finishes have came and gone over the years but I can'r honestly remember them ever producing a holographic polish before, so I guess the release of their Holochrome Holographic Effect range was long overdue.

The range comprises of four polishes and yes  you've guessed it, I bought every single one of them, the four shades are - a silver, a lilac, an aqua blue / green and of course a pink named Pixie Pink.

This polish comes with a nice wide brush which curves to the cuticle perfectly making it a really easy polish to paint.

The coverage is excellent - with careful application you could probably get away with one coat but for the full on sparkly, rich finish I went for two.

Now as you can see I've taken some photos with the flash and some without, and some even ever so slightly out of focus, so you can get a real idea of both the colour and finish, and just how this beautiful polish reacts to the light.

It's a lovely warm pink crammed full of holographic rainbow sparkle, that reacts to movement and the light and creates flashes of every shade you can think from gold to blue, to purple .

As I say application itself was a breeze and I didn't need to do any real touch ups, and if you're impatient or you can't sit still it also dried pretty quickly.

As much as I love a holographic polishes they do have a bit of a reputation for poor wear time - in fact if you remember the original holographic polish GOSH Holographic, they eventually used to label it 24 hour wear! Thankfully I didn't need to change this polish the next day, I applied it on top of two coats of a nail growth treatment and I added a coat on top and I easily managed a week with only minimal chipping and even then it was pretty easy to fix with another coat of polish ;)

 

I honestly don't think that any of these pictures do this polish justice, it so pretty I'm actually wearing it at the moment and watching the colour change and as I'm moving my fingers is actually really distracting lol.

If you're fan of sparkle this holiday season or even like me all year round, but you aren't a fan of the rough finish that you can often get from glitter polishes, then holographic polishes are the way to go. Barry M Holochrome Holographic Effect Vegan Nail Paint in Pixie Pink retails at £4.49 and is available from Superdrug, and direct from Barry M.

Are you a fan of holographic polishes? Let me know in the comments and I'll see you soon with another catch up empties post x 

*This Post Contains An Added Affiliate Link

Operation Get Back On Track - A Very Late Trimming My Stash - April To December 2023 - Monthly Empties, And A 2023 Summary

Hey everyone I'm back, and before we go any further I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone that commented or sent me a message anywhere on social media after my last post x To say that I'm still numb is an understatement I really don't think it's sunk in yet - life has been pretty full on since and to be honest I think I'm just in protection mode, where I'm just numb to anything good and bad - it's a strange feeling and I don't think things are going to get better anytime soon so I'm just trying to make the best of it and just get on with things, and find a few distractions here and there.

It goes without saying that the blog has been on the back burner for most of 2025 but in the last couple of months of the year I'm going to try and get back on track, starting with what will be the first of the three Trimming My Stash catch up posts

I last posted a proper Trimming My Stash post was back in 2024, and even that was a catch up covering the first 3 months of 2023, and whilst I haven't been publishing posts, I have been diligently updating my empties lists and collecting all of my empty packets, tubes, and bottles but enough is enough - I have two cardboard boxes and a bag or two that are full of empties that are now just taking up space.

I've thought and thought about what I can do, and the simplest way would be to just fill up my recycling bin, and call it quits on the whole empties thing but since I've been adding every finished product to my sidebar and saving them for over two years now I've came to the conclusion that would be a bit of a waste. So instead I'm going to share all of those empties, and monthly totals with you, all be it in most cases without individual pictures, and in all cases without any reviews. I'm angry at myself for not doing proper posts but I really need to put this to bed so to speak x 

So lets take a trip back to 2023 - my last empties post covered January, February and March, so we're starting from April and taking a little trip, right through to the 31st December x 

 

Sooo Cocoa! Cocoa Butter Salt Scrub - 270g
AVON Nutra Effects Matte Micellar Water - 400ml
Bean Body Coffee Scrub - Manuka Honey - 220g
Bath & Body Works Snowy Peach Berry Shower Gel - 295ml

Total - 4 Items

1. Sooo Cocoa! Cocoa Butter Salt Scrub - 270g

2. AVON Nutra Effects Matte Micellar Water - 400ml

3. Bean Body Coffee Scrub - Manuka Honey - 220g

4. Bath & Body Works Snowy Peach Berry Shower Gel - 295ml

O'Keeffes For Healthy Feet Foot Cream - 91g
Beauty Formulas Vitamin E Wax Strips - Legs & Body - 40 Strips
Nair Wax Strips Face - 12 Wax Strips
L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml
Boozi Cheeky Woo Woo Body Wash - 50ml
Bath & Body Works Snowy Peach Berry 24 Hr Moisture Ultra Rich Shea Body Cream - 226g

Total - 6 Items

1. O'Keeffes For Healthy Feet Foot Cream - 91g

2. Beauty Formulas Vitamin E Wax Strips - Legs & Body - 40 Strips

3. Nair Wax Strips Face - 12 Wax Strips

4. L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml

5. Boozi Cheeky Woo Woo Body Wash - 50ml

6. Bath & Body Works Snowy Peach Berry 24 Hr Moisture Ultra Rich Shea Body Cream - 226g

That's it for the pictures, now just words and numbers and a couple of pretty indents that I hope you'll appreciate ;)

June 2023

Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Friends X Revolution Pumpkin Spice Body Scrub - 260g
John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Shampoo - 250ml
Sensationail Gel Cleanser 14.6ml
Bath & Body Works Peach Bellini Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml

July 2023

Nivea Q10 Multi Power 5 In 1 Firming + Cellulite Gel - 200ml
Tresemme Heat Defence Styling Spray - 300ml
Cuccio Naturale Professional Manicure Cuticle Revitalizing Oil With White Limetta & Aloe Vera - 75ml

August 2023

Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Revolution Pro Hygiene Sanitising Solid Brush Cleaner - 100ml
Stericlens Sterile Saline Spray - 240ml
Vita Coco Coconut Shampoo Scalp Coconut & Guava - 400ml

September 2023

Moksha Advanced Salicylic Avid & Sulphur Scrub Soap Bar - 100g
Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Aloe + Vitamin E Shower Gel - 295ml
Dead Sea Collection Himalayan Salt Scrub With Natural Dead Sea Minerals - 660g
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
111 Skin Harley Street London Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask - 1 x 30ml Sheet Mask

October 2023

PIXI Glow Tonic Glow Tonic 5% Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Toner - 100ml
Derma V10 Deep Moisturising Hand Pack Argan Oil - 1 x Treatment
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Beauty Pie Renewed Density Anti Hair-Loss Ampules - 14 x 8ml
Bath & Body Works White Barn Cranberry Peach Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml
Vitamasques VO Charcoal Gommage Peeling Gel - 20ml
Garnier Ultimate Blends Glowing Lengths Pineapple Hair Drink - 200ml

November 2023 

Veet Easy Gel Wax Strips - Sensitive Skin Bikini & Underarm - 30 x Wax Strips And 3 Perfect Finish Wipes
Sauvasine Tumeric Scrub For Face & Body - 150g
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Victoria's Secret PINK Mango Scrub Nourishing Body Scrub - 283g
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Eau De Toilette - 50ml

December 2023

Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Sence Pre Treated Facial Sheet Mask - Moisturise And Refresh - 1 x 23ml Sheet Mask
Bath & Body Works Champagne Toast Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml
T.J. Morris Ltd. Sleigh Bells Santa Printed Sheet Mask - Hydrating & Cooling - 1 x Sheet Mask
Skin Techniques Penguin Moisturising Foot Mask - Honey & Almond - 1 x 28ml Pair Of Booties

January - 5 Items
February - 4 Items
March - 5 Items
April - 4 Items
May - 6 Items
June - 6 Items
July - 3 Items
August - 4 Items
September - 5 Items
October - 7 Items
November - 5 Items
December - 5 Items

Total - 59 Items 

After all of that wait and hype 2023 turned out to be a bit of a damp squib. I managed to finish just 59 items, which made this my worst year since I started this whole thing way back when, in fact I was managed to finish 8 less products than I did in 2022 which was my joint previous worse year. Never mind my recycling bin is a bit fuller and I probably created a few little spaces in the cupboards and drawers of my beauty stash, which to be honest I've probably filled back up again lol. I am definitely buying less than I used to but I seem to be using things up at a much slower pace, and my make up use at the moment is pretty much non existent - in fact I wore a full face of make up at my Godmothers funeral for the first time in ages, and the foundation that I used to be honest was probably off - not great, but I didn't finish it so I can't class it as an empty ho hum.

Anyways it goes without saying that I continued to trim my stash in 2024 and of course well into 2025, and in the next week or so I'll be sharing my 2024 totals in this same format and then at the beginning of January I'll be sharing my 2025 totals ahead of a new start in 2026 - Don't forget you can keep up to date with all my empties updates by checking out the lists in the sidebar x 

If empties catch up's aren't your thing don't worry I've got some more varied beauty content coming soon including some budget friendly nail posts, all shot and ready to go, and a little Primark beauty haul that you won't want to miss x 

Thanks again for sticking with me and if you haven't already, I'd love it if you'd subscribe or follow my blog, and my other social media channels all of which you can find in the sidebar, including my new Tik Tok page, and don't forget if you have any questions on any of the products that I've mentioned then please leave me a comment, send me an email or just say hey on social media x 

Heartbroken 💔

 
Exactly one week ago, my heart literally broke in two, when my beautiful Godmother passed peacefully away at home.

For some people Godparents are a title only, but mine really were a part of my family. Families are complicated but my Auntie Gladys was in its simplest terms my dads cousin. Although 14 years older than my dad they were brought up together, and she became my aunt and other than my mam the person that I was closest to.

How can I describe her to a stranger? She was a small woman, but she was probably one of the strongest people that I've ever met. She survived several bouts of cancer, undergoing numerous surgeries, as well as several broken bones, and other health issues over that last few years, as well as coping with the loss of her husband for over 60 years, 9 years ago.

She loved teddy bears, baking in her kitchen (her cheese scones, and Welsh cakes, or griddle scones as we call them up north, were chefs kiss!), knitting, crocheting, and embroidering tapestries, holidays (she went to Disney Florida for the first time in her 70's), and shopping!

My Godmother was the stereotypical shopaholic nothing made her happy then going round a shop - be it a shopping centre, a garden centre or a gift shop she was never happier than when she was in a shop. She loved her Boundary Mills visits, and our trips there together with her friend, will now be some of my most cherished memories.

She was a very feminine woman who very, very rarely wore trousers, I think she would have preferred it if I was more of a frilly dress fan, but she was always excited to see what I'd been buying, even if she wasn't a fan of all my ear piercings.

She would have been 95 next month and whilst her passing came as no great surprise, it doesn't make it any easier. Her biggest wish was to die at home and thankfully the NHS, along with Marie Curie, and some amazing family member allowed that happen.

Due to circumstances beyond out control we were unable to see her straight away when she came out of hospital but we managed to see her last Tuesday. There was no recognition or communication from her, she was sleeping and peaceful but I really do hope that she could hear us or at least feel our presence. There were other people there so I didn't get to spend anytime alone with her but I kissed my fingers and placed them gently on her cheek and whispered sweet dreams to her, and then we left.

A few hours later we got the call to say she'd gone, peacefully at home exactly as she'd wanted. I think we were the last of the northern based family members to see her, so I really think she'd waited for us to say goodbye.

I'll miss her more than I think even she'd realise, she had such a warm, giving generous personality, someone that I knew I could rely on for anything, she might not have always understood me but she was always there no matter what.

She's now reunited with her beloved husband, as well as my dad and my grandmas, and I hope wherever she is they have a few clothes shops for her to enjoy x 

Losing 3 family members, and 2 much loved pets in 3 years has been so tough on my mental and physical  health, my mam has also been unwell so everything really has been a bit of a struggle bus. Thank you to everyone who has commented on.my update on any of my other social media posts, I really do appreciate every single one of them - it's friends and family that have really kept me sane lately.

I have stuff to do and obviously stuff going on, but I really need a distraction so I'm hopefully going to be posting a few bits here and then mainly catch up's and updates but if you can be patient with me I would really appreciate it at the moment. I know 2025 has been rubbish blogging wise but I'm not giving up just yet xx Thanks again for your support x 

Life Lately - A Birthday, A Piercing, Some Outfits, A Couple Of Shopping Trips And Silly Buys, And A Whole Load Of Meh*

It's been a while guys but I'm back with another post x It's safe to say things have been pretty crappy over the last few months and alas at the moment it doesn't look as though things are going to get better any time soon. Not great I know but sometimes you have to put on your big girl shoes and make the best of it. So trying to focus on the positives, today I thought I'd share a little, all be it an un-edited photo heavy update post, focusing on some of the good things that have happened over the last few months x

May was the month when things started to go down hill but on the 15th I completed another trip around the sun and celebrated a birthday, it was a super quite one and I got some money and some lovely presents including this little beauty!

I got the Medium Longchamp Le Pliage in Navy for Christmas and it really was a game changer for me. As much as I love a nice leather handbag, they do have a tendency to be heavy before you've even put anything in them, and since my arm, and shoulder pain has been on the increase, I wanted a lighter alternative, and the Le Pliage is just that. The Le Pliage looks good, and even with the leather handles, and stuffed to the brim it still doesn't feel anywhere near as heavy as some of my leather bags.

You should know by now with me though, if I like something I want it in every colour, and so I asked for the black version for my birthday. I went for the large this time and whilst it isn't a lot bigger, it is a bit roomier and I could easily fit my Macbook or even a pair of shoes into it! The Large Le Pliage especially would make a great college or uni bag, or if you're like me and you carry a lot of stuff around, it makes a great everyday bag. I use a bag insert in both of mine to keep it more organised and to help them keep their shape. Love, love these bags  and I really can't believe that I didn't get one sooner. They come in loads of different colours and sizes, and the British Green is next on my list.

Since I mainly got money for my birthday and I still had Christmas money left over, my aim was to go shopping in some real shops either in my birthday week or in the week after but yeah life got in the way and I didn't actually make it the Metro Centre till nearly the end of June! Never mind I got there in the end and celebrated with an outfit pic!

What I Wore

Short Sleeve Silky Paisley Top - TEMU

Navy Blue Tie Waist Trousers - Saloos Via eBay

Adidas Court 2.0 Trainers - Navy / White

Medium Longchamp Le Pliage - Navy

Whilst the ultimate aim was to scour the shops and buy whatever I fancied, there was an itch that needed to be scratched and there was only one shop that could could fulfil that need and that was Doc Black Ink

Yes, I decided to get myself another piercing and i decided to match my conches up and I decided to get my left conch pierced.

Before

After

I honestly can't say enough good things about this place, everyone is always super friendly, and my piercer Bear made me feel so relaxed and comfortable. It’s been nearly 2 months now since I had it done an bar the first week when it was swollen and a bit tender, it's been great, I'm still getting crusties but the swelling has gone right down, and I haven't experienced any pain or bleeding since day 1 so fingers crossed it stays that way.

After that I headed into Primark and to be honest it was a bit mehhhh again, the size range was pretty much non existent in a lot of items, and just not that much appealed so I bought myself some burgundy boyfriend pjs, a candle and a couple of pairs of sandals, and that was about it. and what's with having to pay for the paper bags now?

Next up Sephora, I'd already claimed my birthday gift online (I bought the Color Wow Dream Cocktail Kale Infusion after a recommendation from my hairdresser and the REM Beauty Sweet Dreams Eyeshadow) , but nothing can beat looking at make up and skincare in the flesh. 

I only bought of a couple of all be it quite spendy things - first something I'd had on my wishlist for a while the Glow Recipe Dewy Babies Kit, which contains 5 travel sized mini products including the Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum, the Watermelon Pink Juice Oil-Free Moisturiser. the Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops Sun Glow Serum, the Watermelon Glow Dewy Flush and the Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist. A little spendy for minis but it's definitely a good way to try out a some products from the range without having to shell out for the full sizes.

The other item that I got was much more of an impulse buy but I'm so pleased I picked it up - it's the Sol De Janiero 87 Rio Radiance Perfume Mist. OMG this scent just screams summer, you get a bit of warmth, and sweetness, and almost coconut notes, alongside some tropical heady white flower notes - I think the sun creams have a similar scent but alas nothing else in the Sol De Janeiro range seems to share this scent :(

That was pretty much for my in store shopping- a few bits, and a new piecring and I went home exhausted with some money still burning a hole in my pocket, and we all know what that means - yes online shopping!

After trying a sample I did intend to treat myself to a Charlotte Tilbury foundation when I was in Sephora but then I realised that Metro Centre Sephora doesn't have a Charlotte Tilbury counter duhhh I could have gone to Harrods Beauty but I wanted my Sephora points so as soon as I got home I placed a little order online.

I picked up a tube of the Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation, I liked it because it didn't feel too heavy , again it was pricey but I'm not wearing a lot of make up at the moment so hopefully it should last me a while. I also impulsively bought the Morphe Chroma Plus 6-Pan Eyeshadow Palette in Rich Glitch, and for an impulse buy I'm so so happy with it, the shadows are soft and buttery and the metallic shades especially are incredible!

Now I don't go to the Metro Centre or Newcastle that often now but exactly one week after my Metro Centre trip I was getting ready and getting on a bus to head into Newcaslte, again outfit recorded for posterity..

What I Wore

Blue Denim Jacket - NEXT

Black T-Shirt - SHEIN Curve

Animal Print Side Split Skirt - SHEIN Curve

Adidas Breaknet Sleek Suede Trainers - Black / White

Large Longchamp Le Pliage - Black

I was headed into town to meet up with my bestie Helen, she was staying up north for a few days, and I was super happy to see her and spend time with one of oldest and bestest friends. We pottered around the shops for a bit before heading to St James' Stack Powered By Sela for some drinks and some lunch.

I know some people have some issues with it but I love it. with loads of food and drink options and live entertainment on most days , it's the perfect place to meet friends, just be careful sitting on the benches if you're wearing a skirt IYKYK ;)

This time round we went to Acropolis a real north east institution, with restaurants in both the Grainger Market, and in the Metro Centre, as well as regular pop ups at markets, attractions, and even in random car parks across the region and beyond, if you like Greek street food then a trip to Acropolis is a must.

I went for the Halloumi and Roasted Vegetable wrap which was so good, slices of halloumi, roasted vegetables, salad, chips, and Acropolis' signature sauce, all stuffed into a giant wrap - incredibly difficult to eat, but it was so worth it and we had such a laugh as bits of wrap contents flew everywhere. Maybe not a first date food but arm yourself with a bestie and plenty of napkins, and you'll experience the true taste of Greece in the heart of Newcastle.

I washed my wrap down with a lemon Fanta and a pint of coke whilst we enjoyed the sun and the live music as we put the world to rights. As I say I love the whole atmosphere of the stack yes it's pricey but go during the day and obviously not on a match day and it has a really chilled, family and dog friendly vibe.

After an hour or so we headed back to the city centre and I resumed my mission of the day which was to find the Jellycat Amuseables Mozzarealla. It was love at first sight with this one - a cute ball of fresh cheese, with a tomato beret, and a basil leaf in his hand, he was just too cute, I only have a few Jellycats (I love them but they are way too expensive!!) but I knew i needed to add this one to my collection, the only trouble was I couldn't find him.

There are now no Jellycat stockists in the Metro Centre, and both Fenwick's and one of the independent stockists in Newcastle were sold out. John Lewis was my last hope and to be honest it didn't look promising I couldn't even find their Jellycat stand and then all of a sudden Helen spotted a tiny little display in the gift department with less than a dozen Jellycat's and guess who was front and centre - he was the last one, and now he's mine. Totally overpriced for what he is but I love him, he's so cute and so well made. A nice keepsake for a lovely day with a lovely friend x 

I'm almost embarrassed as to where this post is now headed but believe me over the last few months I've needed something to make me smile and spending money on stupid stuff seems to be the way forward.

Like most people these days I often find myself mindlessly scrolling Tik Tok late at night, some of the content pees me off beyond belief but about a month or so ago I found myself being drawn into Labubu tok. Initially I was not impressed they were quite frankly a bit scary and evil looking, and my bigest question was why? Gradually though the worm turned and after watching some hilarious lafufu (fake labubus) unboxings I wanted to join in so I bought a few from SHEIN and TEMU two of which you can see on the left and right below,  not great but at least they weren't bald lol eventually though good luck looked down on me and I managed to get a real Labubu x Pronounce Wings Of Fortune from Pop Mart online which you can see in the middle. She's lovely and much better quality than my fake ones but they are a lot more fun, so much so in fact that I've ordered another two from SHEIN...

I'm addicted but I think what I'm more addicted to is the blind / mystery box aspect and the surprise element. I've bought a few other Sanrio collectable blind boxes, and a few Sanrio stationary mystery boxes from SHEIN (you can see some unboxings of those on my Tik Tok here and here ) and I also recently picked up of these blind box plushes from the Sanrio Latte Series, so cute and great if you like the idea of a plush bag charm but you aren't that keen on labubus. Yes I know I'm an adult but it's all about what makes you happy and whether that's a blind big, a white cat in a bear suit or a scary looking rabbit demon hybrid, you do you!

I have one more buy to share with you and again it was a spendy birthday money buy - As a Newcastle fan last season was the best one in my memory eventually breaking the trophy drought and seemingly with everything to look forward to but then this summer happened and whilst we've made some quality signings a Swedish inspired cloud now hangs over us grrrr why cant we ever have nice things? Anyways I debated whether or not to buy a new season shirt but I saw these instead and I thought I'd probably get more wear out of them than I would a shirt. These are the official Adidas Newcastle United Sambas and I love them the branding is actually pretty discreet with the crest on the tongue and the word Newcastle gold on the side of the left shoe, so it's not that in your face which should make them easier to wear. I didn't own any Samba's so it really was a no brainer. 

So that's where I'm at, existing, stumbling on at times, and just trying to bring a little bit of joy into my life. I'm going to try and get back into blogging and social media again, and I've got a few drafts in progress so I'm going to be posting a little bit more regularly, next up will be the start of an epic empties catch up, I'm also working on some nail posts, and even more empties posts x I'm also hopefully meeting up with Helen's mam who is up north this week, so I may have another teeny tiny Metro Centre haul to share with you soon as well x Till then though thanks for sticking with me and if you have any questions on anything that I've mentioned in this post then please leave me a comment xx 

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