Thursday 31 December 2015

Rosie's Soap & Glory Bargain at Boots

Disclaimer: I haven't been paid to promote any products, just wanted to share my latest bargain x

Hi honeys
I'm all excited :) Like lots of other ladies who adore the Soap and Glory range of products I wait all year for their wonderful Christmas bag :) You can find detail of this year's bag here honeys.  So having already added additional yummy S &G supplies to my bathroom cabinet from the Christmas bag, while shopping this week I popped into Boots and was thrilled to find this...
Rosies Soap & Glory Bargain at Boots
Isn't it pretty honeys?  It's in the Boots after Christmas sale reduced from £18 to £9.  Shall we take a closer look at this set and it's contents?

Wednesday 30 December 2015

Wondering What To Do With Left Over Candy Canes?

Hi Honeys
Has everyone started the great tidy up after Christmas?  Christmas might be fun but good grief it does make a mess of a lassie's house :) No matter how much we tidy up and try to keep on top of clearing away the wrapping paper and packaging and all of the other assorted litter of the holidays, it's never enough to make the house tidy again and you know what? That's fine!  It's the holidays :)

Are you nuts Rosie? I hear you ask, If I don't stay on top of it the house will be in chaos! Know what honeys? Maybe a wee bit of chaos is a good thing? Just a wee bit mind :) There'll be time for housework later, the house (or the housework) isn't going anywhere :) What about, just for today, you make time for you?

What To Do With Left Over Candy Canes...

Still have candy canes lying around?  Have a look, there might be a couple still on the tree...  OK, having found a candy cane, off we pop to the kitchen to gather the following supplies...

Tuesday 29 December 2015

It's A Great Time To Be A Fan Girl (or Guy)

Disclaimer: I have not been paid to promote any products, I just wanted to share some fan girl smiles x

Hi Honeys
If you saw my last post you'll know I got very excited because of a lovely Star Wars top I'd seen in Primark :)  Primark is in fact positively full to the brim with fan pleasing goodies...
Its a great time to be a fan girl
There are t shirts, PJs, socks, all manner of fan girl (or boy) pleasing items :) Shall we have a closer look?

Sunday 27 December 2015

Star Wars Smiles At Primark :)

Hi Honeys
I hope you're enjoying the holidays :) Just wanted to share a quick smile before I dash off to work this morning...
Star Wars Cuteness At Primark
Isn't it adorable?  I spotted this sweet top in Primark yesterday and I have to admit it made my inner nerd girl squeal with it's cuteness :)
Star Wars Top At Primark
It's a very good time to be a sci fi & fantasy fan at the moment honeys, it's almost fashionable! The buzz surrounding the new Star Wars movie is fabulous and reminds me of a time long ago (and not quite so far away) when I stood in the rain in a queue (which went clean around the building and met the front again!) outside the Odeon Cinema waiting to see A New Hope all those years ago :)

I snapped a few other pics of fan girl wonders yesterday and will share those tomorrow when I have the day off, when I'll also catch up on your lovely comments too xx
Till then, have fun dear ones,
huggles always xxx

Friday 25 December 2015

Happy Holidays Honeys!

Hi Honeys,
Just wanted to wish you a wonderful weekend, with the help of one of my latest reindeer friends Martin Moose :)  What? He looks like a Martin, it seems to suit him, don't you think :)
Happy Holidays Honeys
Lets all make some happy, smiley memories dear ones, till next time, be happy, smile and hug lots and have a fabulous, fun filled weekend, huggles always xxx 

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Reindeer Invading The Bedroom - Christmas Bedding Is Super Cute!

Disclaimer: I haven't been paid to promote any products just wanted to share my latest smiles x

Hi Honeys :)
It's starting to look a little like Christmas around here :)
Rosies New Christmas Bedding
So, I decided I needed some cheering up, it really has been an exhausting few weeks so I set about changing our master bedroom so that I could finally add the adorable reindeer cushions Hubby brought me home.  Do you remember them honeys? They look like this...
Reindeer cushion
I seriously can't help but smile every time I look at this adorable reindeer :)  Focus, Rosie! lol :) Sorry :) So, anyway...

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Printable Christmas Menu To Download..

Hi honeys
I hope you're having a fabulous week and looking forward to the holidays this weekend :)

I had fun this morning creating a little Christmas menu printable and I thought I'd share...
Printable Christmas Menu To Download
I'm going to print it off and, just for the day, replace my weekly menu (which lives in a pretty frame in our hallway) with this one :)  Do you remember my dinner menu boards? There are two versions and they look like this...
If you missed them honeys you can download them here.

Onward then to the Christmas version...
Printable A4 Christmas Menu With reindeer
 I know that not everyone adores reindeer as much as I do though so I've also made a version without the reindeer (and Santa) at the top and it looks like this...
Printable A4 Christmas Menu
What do you think honeys? I hope you like them as much as I do :) I especially love the little smiling gingerbread man, he made me smile too :)

You can download the first version, with the reindeer, here.

You can download the second version, without reindeer, here.

I would be so thrilled if you like either of them enough to make them a part of your holiday celebrations :) Why not pop one on the fridge door and make notes or jot down reminders for the big day such as what time to start the Turkey cooking, any extras you need or even just a running order of what to cook and when?

They might look cute in a frame with your dinner menu on show so your guests know what yummy treats are in store for them :)

Whatever you're doing dear ones, I hope you're having fun, smiling lots and hugging even more :) Till next time, huggles xxx

Friday 18 December 2015

Printable Name Badge For The Elf In Your Life :)

Hi Honeys
Only a week to go till Christmas is here :) Everywhere is so busy and everyone is smiling :) We've all been wearing Christmas jumpers at work which has been a lot of fun and today I'm wearing my elf tshirt & hat :) Hubby has one too and is wearing his to the office today :) Which brings me to today's post...
Printable name badge for the elf in your life
 I thought it might be fun to add a little name badge to my hat :) "Why Rosie?" I hear you ask. Well, why not :) So yesterday I was messing about trying to come up with a badge design and managed this...
Elf Badge Green
It's still making me smile :)  I've printed out the green version above for Hubby and for myself I printed out a version in red and here it is honeys...
Elf Badge Red
I've printed these out on paper and then laminated them. Once that was done I then added a safety pin to the back of the badges using a little sticky tape. They could then easily be attached to the Elf hats :) 
Rosies Elf Badge
If you don't want to laminate your badges you could print the designs out on card stock, again adding a safety pin to the back?  Please remember though that if you'd like to print these for younger children it might be safer to print them onto stickers.   

Would your little elves rather be Santa's helpers? 
Printable Santas Helper Badge Green
Here it is again in red....
Printable Santas Helper Badge Red
If you'd like to join in the fun, just hover your mouse/cursor over the design you'd like and right click on your mouse and choose "save picture as" from the options and save  :)

I hope you have a fabulous weekend honeys.  I know it's a busy time, with so many last minute things to do, wrapping, last minute cards to write, baking and planning for Christmas day itself, but whatever you're doing this weekend, try not to stress too much and find time to smile lots and hug even more :) 

Till next time dear ones, huggles always xxx     

Tuesday 15 December 2015

Rosie's Reindeer Smiles :)

Hi Honeys,
I'm typing this while grinning :) I have a little reindeer dancing in front of me right now and he's making me grin :)  "OK, Rosie, how long have you been seeing dancing reindeer?" you might ask....

Well, it all started a few days ago when my dear BiL (who you might remember had come up on holiday) got back to the house after having gone into town with Hubby on a shopping trip before he headed back home and brought me these cuties....
Rosies Reindeer Ramble
Even if I didn't have a wee reindeer standing in front of me dancing away I'd still be grinning from looking at this photo :)

I know I ramble on occasionally way too often :) about my love for all things reindeer dear ones but I'm grinning from ear to ear and just wanted to share a smile (or lots)
Rosie Still Rambling On About Reindeer
Starting at the left hand side of the above photo there is a little sparkly reindeer with a jaunty green scarf who just stole my heart at first glance :) He was actually a gift from Hubby (thank you sweetheart, love him xx) He lights up and sparkles and twinkles and is beyond adorable :)

Next along is the most ridiculous and yet at the same time completely fabulous bobbling headband I've ever seen :) I soooooo can't wait to wear this to work this weekend! Best. Hairband. Ever. The little reindeer heads are on springs so that they bobble about the whole time :) Such fun!

Behind the little bobbling headband is an inflatable 18 inches tall reindeer :) Every home should have one and I'm so looking forward to inflating him on Christmas day :) There might even be a few photo opportunities with our furbaby Jade, although I'm sure she'll expect him to squeak like her toys or come to life and be a play friend :)

Last but by no means least, is this little cutie....  
Cutest Ever Dancing Reindeer
Isn't he adorable honeys? The little red stand he's on has a mini solar panel on it and this powers him so that he dances happily and makes me grin till my face aches :) He's sooooo cute!!  His packaging is sort of like a bubble around him allowing him space to wag his arms and antlers up and down. Mountains of hugs to my dear BiL for knowing me so well and understanding my "reindeer thing" :)

What's making you smile this week honeys?  Why not share in the comments section below? Till next time dear ones, stay warm and safe, and smile & hugs lots :) huggles always xx  

Monday 14 December 2015

Soap And Glory: The Whole She-Bang

Disclaimer: I haven't been paid to promote any of these products just wanted to share a smile and offer my opinions xx

Hi Honeys
I hope you're staying warm and having fun.  Everywhere is so busy now, you'd think it was nearly Christmas....
Soap And Glory The Whole She-Bang
Since we had my lovely BiL visiting last week Hubby and I had both booked the week off work.  It was a lovely week and it was wonderful to have a little quiet oasis of calm in the midst of what is the busiest time in retail.

Having gotten an email from the lovely folks at Soap And Glory warning me that their "It's The Whole She-Bang" gift set would go on sale for half price this week, Hubby, bless him, was off out the door before 8am on Friday morning heading into town to beat the rush in Boots (thank you sweetheart! Love you xx)

The first thing you can't help but notice is the bag......
Soap And Glory The Whole She-Bang Rodnik Bag
As always, it's a huge bag.  The design, by pop Art artist Phillip Colbert,  is beautiful and certainly very striking to look at but I have to admit to missing the more retro look of their previous bags with that gorgeous shade of vintage pink as a background.  While this bag is very pretty, it's just a little too "busy" for my tastes. What drew me to the Soap And Glory range, before I'd even tried any of them, was the design of their gorgeous vintage packaging.

Saturday 12 December 2015

Photos, Memories & Believing In Yourself

Hi honeys
As a part of our (on-going) home organization project I've been gathering photos together into one place, as opposed to scattered around our home as they seem to have been.  Little packets of photos I've had developed over the years and never gotten around to framing or putting into albums. 
Say No To Bullies

Each time I find a small packet of these photographs, long since forgotten, in boxes, in drawers and cupboards, I have no idea what I'm going to see when I open the pack.  Memories certainly, some happy, some now tinged with a terrible sadness.  Photographs of lost loved ones are the most painful.
Have you ever looked at an image and wished so desperately to be able to step into it honeys?  I'll always miss my loved ones taken from us too soon, till my last breath I'll miss them but I'm choosing to see finding these long forgotten images as a blessing.

A reminder of happier times when I could lift the phone and hear their voices.  These precious photographs are tiny bubbles of time, perfectly preserved.  I know that looking at them is only painful because I haven't processed so many losses yet and I also know that when I am able to work through all of the grief I carry with me every day the pain will lessen and I'll be able to smile instead. Feel happy when I look at those treasured images instead of sadness.  

I've discovered something else honeys. I have very, very few photographs of myself. If I could turn the clock back maybe I might have tried to avoid the camera a bit less I think.  I would have tried to work through issues, a consequence of being told repeatedly how ugly I was for many, many years by two (very) toxic friends.  Even now, on this blog, there isn't a single photo of me.  Nor will there be anytime soon honeys.

I'm actually far more comfortable in my own skin than I was a few years ago. This was helped I think by the removal of those toxic friends from my life and by the passing of time.  The absence of the drip drip of well aimed, downright nasty comments has allowed the countless compliments from my dear Hubby (thank you sweetheart x) to, if not be entirely believed, to at least not be entirely drowned out.

Do I think I'm pretty? Absolutely not! Do I think I'm the most hideous, troll beast who ever crawled out from under a bridge? Well, less so than I used to... and I'm working on it honeys. Which brings me to the point of this post.

The very second that someone, anyone, tells you that you are less than, that is the second they become less than themselves. Less than a decent human being and less than worth your time or effort. No matter who this person is, whether it's a "friend" (no real friend would ever hurt you) or a relative (all through my childhood I had an aunt who would constantly, and loudly, announce that I carried my own sofa with me to sit on) or a boyfriend (immediately kick THAT to the kerb!) NO MATTER who it is who does this to you honeys, get it out of your life and if you can't do that (we can't choose our family for instance) it needs to be dealt with.

No one. No one. Has the right to make you feel badly about yourself dear ones. Ever.  You are a wonderful, original, perfect you.  There's no one else on this earth who is you. You're more special, more beautiful than you could ever imagine and anyone who ever tells you otherwise, calls you names or ever tries to hurt you is completely unworthy of you.
You are perfect

Your task for this weekend then honeys is this. Do something, anything, just for you. Something that makes you smile so much your face aches and leaves you feeling fabulous. Something that makes you feel like the wonderful, amazing person you are.  Doesn't have to be anything huge, it just has to make you smile.  Today I'm going to wear make up and put on one of my "going out" dresses even though I haven't gone out in an age and the farthest I'm likely to go is grocery shopping :) Do something for you honeys and have a fabulous weekend, stay warm and safe, smile lots and hug more :)  huggles always dear ones xx

Friday 11 December 2015

Christmas Questionaire Tag :)

Hi Honeys
Today's post has been such fun to write! I've been tagged in a fabulous Christmas questionaire by lovely Heidi of Heidnspeak  Thank you so much for thinking of me Heidi xxx
Christmas Questionaire
Without further ado then honeys off we go.....

Wednesday 9 December 2015

Rosie's Fun & Fabulous Ikea Visit Part 2

Disclaimer: I haven't been paid to promote any products, I just wanted to share our latest visit and some smiles :) hugs x

Hi Honeys
Back again with the last part of (this latest) trip to Ikea :) If you missed part one you can find it here. I really do love Ikea visits. They're around half an hour away from us (by car) though so we only manage to visit a couple of times a year. This is why each rare visit is planned down to the tiniest detail. I blogged about how we plan our visits here honeys.

Off we go then honeys, off to Ikea....  
Rosies fun & fabulous Ikea visit part 2
If you read the last post you might remember I mentioned a chair used in one of the bedroom displays?  This is the chair in a gorgeous shade of green  :)

Tuesday 8 December 2015

Rosie's Fun & Fabulous Ikea Visit Pt1

Hi Honeys
How are you today? I hope you're having a fabulous week with lots of smiles :) Do you remember I told you about the busy day Hubby, our furbaby Jade and I had on Thursday? You can read about it here.  Well honeys, part of our day out was a trip to one of my happy places... Ikea :)
Roses Fun & Fabulous Ikea Visit
As promised I took lots of photos so i could share the smiles :) I think I might have to split this post into two because even then it would be incredibly photo heavy.  OK then, shall we take a look?

Friday 4 December 2015

Friday Smile: The Moose With The Moustache & The Monocle :)

Hi Honeys
I hope you're staying warm and safe with the weird weather we're having. It's still raining outside and I'm starting to forget what the sun looks like :/  Forget about the weather though because this weeks Friday smile just has to be about the cutest, sweetest, most adorable wee thing :)
The moose with the moustache and the monocle
Yep, you read that right honeys :) You might have noticed my love of all things reindeer dotted around this blog, so this time of year I find myself smiling a lot :) It sometimes feels as if every time I turn around there's another reindeer :)  Reindeer are everywhere and I love it! 

Tuesday 1 December 2015

For The Love Of Books....

Hi honeys
I'm sorry I've been missing for a few days. Work is keeping me really busy right now and I'm feeling exhausted by the time I get home.  I hate to sound like a Grinch but I'll be so happy when the Holidays are over for another year.  I'm just not a Winter person. I dislike the cold and the damp because they make my body ache terribly and make me afraid whenever I have to go outside in case I fall. 

Oddly enough the season of "goodwill to all men" tends (from the perspective of a person who works in retail) to make some (thankfully very few) people even more rude, impatient and bad tempered than they are throughout the rest of the year :/ Don't believe me? I was yelled at for saying "bless you" to a customer who had sneezed! What's to do honeys? I waited till he was finished yelling at me and said "you're welcome."  The man then swore at me and stormed off. Is it any wonder I want to hibernate every year? People get stressed and yell at wee Rosies!
For the love of books
So, what have being really busy, putting up with bad tempered gentlemen (!) and chilly weather got to do with books I hear you ask?  Well, they certainly all leave me in desperate need of smiles.  After a very busy weekend and feeling incredibly drained I decided to rest yesterday, hug our furbaby Jade on the sofa and catch up on reading my favourite blogs only to discover I had been tagged in a reading habits quiz by the lovely Heather from Icing On The Cake.  Thank you honey! I love this x  Thank you also to our lovely Helen of I Will Bloom for starting this fun tag, thank you honey xx  Let's get started then shall we?