Friday 28 August 2015

August Music

Hey everyone :)

It's that time again ... PAY DAY and AUGUST MUSIC DAY!

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I'm trying to expand my music tastes and so I've been forcing myself to listen to different things so my music posts are varied.



Marvin Gaye (feat Meghan Trainor) - Charlie Push
I'll admit - I hated this song when it first came out - but now I think it's really catchy!



Black Magic - Little Mix
I really like the video for this - if you've seen the film 'The Craft' then you'll notice the similarities in this music video. A very upbeat and pop'ish song.



Fight Song - Rachel Platten
A very catchy song - it's been playing non-stop on all the radio stations. I believe it premiered (or she started singing it first) during Taylor Swift's opening acts at her concerts. Very inspirational and moving message in the lyrics - I think that's why its so popular.



El Taxi - Pitbull, Sensato, Osmani Garcia
So I heard this song on holiday at one of the Spanish bars and I love it. It's so catchy and you just can't stop listening to it. I instantly downloaded it when I got back to our villa and then proceeded to play it non-stop on the loudspeakers. Everyone hated it at first as its mostly Spanish and you can barely understand it but after a while they were all humming along and attempting to sing some of the lyrics.



Playlist: Disney
I found this playlist when I was searching for a Disney song and it's basically a mixture of all songs from Disney films - Aladdin, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella etc ... Some great songs in this playlist - defo work a listen!

That's all for this month with music - let me know what you've been listening to!



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Wednesday 26 August 2015

iJustine Book Review

Hey everyone :)

Sorry I've been absent - lots of books I ordered arrived and so I've been busy reading them, working and playing Destiny (as it's less than one month until the next part of the game is released). I also started re-reading all the Famous Five books so really enjoying that!

This will be a short and sweet post. I've recently started reading iJustine's new book: An Analog Memoir.

ijustine

This book is great and really gives an insight into how she got to where she is. From that one video about the 300-odd page AT&T iPhone bill to now.

I really enjoyed reading something about her that she wrote herself - as anyone who follows her will know that she is very technical (is that the right word?!) - everything is YouTube, iPhone, Twitter - all that jazz! (not that I'm saying that's bad as that's what I'm all for at the moment).

I've been watching iJustine for years now - she was my second subscription when I opened my YouTube account as Shane Dawson was my first and I loved her videos - her music videos were great, the cheeseburger video (anyone who is a regular will know what I'm talking about) was so funny and she does lots of product reviews on products that I want to buy. I bought my AppleWatch after watching her review. I also love the Tech Tuesday series she does. She recently reviewed the new GoPro which was good however I won't be buying it as I'm supposed to be saving and Dave will kill me.

Sorry, I digress we're supposed to be talking about the book not her YouTube channel.

As I say with every book I have bought - I love that you get glimpses into the YouTuber's past so you can see how they grew up and what happened. It's unbelievable that she had her first website when she was so young or that some boy got upset because she posted something about him and thought she was a bully. I obviously don't want to spoil the rest of the book for you so I will stop with the spoilers.

I did enjoy the book immensely and it's a great little addition to my bookshelf. If your a follower of iJustine and haven't bought it yet then order it on Amazon or go to your book shop and get it.

Let me know in the comments if you've read the book and what you thought.



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Thursday 20 August 2015

Netflix: Suggestions

Hey everyone :)

So a month or so ago I did a ... 'what I'm watching on Netflix' post which was very popular. You can check it out HERE incase you missed it.

netflix logo shoutjohn

Since I posted that post most of the programmes are on break or I have caught up and watched them all and since then I have started watching and re-watching some old shows I've watched before.

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Big School
The programme is about a secondary school and the teachers. It has people like Catherine Tate and David Walliams so its very comedic. The teachers are all crazy and rude and it's just really funny. It's something to laugh at.

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Charmed
An oldie but a goodie! I watched this years ago and loved it - I recently restarted watching it from the beginning and am getting back into it! Such a great storyline and really interesting characters! It's about 3 sister witches who battle demons of evil.

h2o just add water

H2O: Just Add Water
When all my programmes finished for the Summer - I found this on Netflix - yes it might be targeted at six year old girls but still it's a good show and there was a couple of spin offs. It's about 3 girls who, after a full moon become mermaids whenever they touch water - it's really good!

heroes shoutjohn

Heroes
I watched this years ago now and at first I couldn't get into it ... then I gave it a couple of months then started watching it again and I watched it all. It's about people with superhuman abilities. However there is a bad guy who kills and steals the peoples powers. Each episode normally focuses on a different person and their struggles with their powers. I'm re-watching this because a new series: Heroes: Reborn is starting soon and I want to refresh my memory.

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Prison Break
I remember when this was on Channel 5 for the first season and then they moved it to Sky and at the time my parents (where I was staying) didn't have Sky so we stopped watching it. But then years later I managed to watch it all and I really enjoyed it and the story. So I've been re-watching this now too. There is talk of a new season or a reboot or something similar to Heroes Reborn but I think its just talk at the moment - nothing has been confirmed.

That's all for now - I've got my plate full watching all these ... so I'll be busy hopefully until the Autumn/Winter months when all my programmes start again after their Summer break.

Let me know if you watch any of the above or if you recommend anything.



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Wednesday 19 August 2015

Spain & Food!

Hey everyone :)

So I got back from Spain a couple of days ago and I had lots and lots of pictures to sort through and most of them were pictures of the food we ate so I thought I'd put together a food post on what we ate ... cos who doesn't love a good food post!

Like they say ... a picture speaks a thousand words :D

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Lots of food ... Let me know what you think.

It was a great holiday!


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Tuesday 18 August 2015

Life with a Sprinkle of Glitter

Hey everyone :)

I’ve always have a soft spot for one of the YouTubers I watch - Louise Pentland - I don’t know why or how … she is lovable, fun, bubbly, energetic and her daughter is the daughter every parent wants (I’m sure if she ever read this she’d disagree haha). For those of you who don’t know who Louise is - she is the face of ‘A Sprinkle of Glitter’ a blog and YouTube channel from the UK (Northampton).

I’ve been slowly buying a few YouTubers books as they release them - only the ones I’m genuinely interested in and when Louise announced she was releasing one that she had been working on for the last year I was really excited.

life with a sprinkle of glitter shoutjohn

The book is very different to other YouTuber books that I’ve bought and reviewed so far which makes a change - a good change though. Firstly if you have watched Louise of YouTube or read her blog then you’ll know she is a very positive person despite her anxiety which causes lots of problems however she manages to still overcome that and look at life with a positive attitude. She then oozes (what a great word!) that positively out and onto anyone watching her channel or reading her blog. So when her book was released I knew that it would have the same effect.

I thought the book was similar to ‘The Glam Guide’ you can check that review out HERE. In terms of the chapters … maybe Louise meant for the book to be read from start to finish however I felt like I could pick it up and then flick to a chapter and read that and it would still make sense and I wouldn’t feel lost or confused which is what I did with ‘The Glam Guide’ book I read a few months ago. Secondly like ‘The Glam Guide’ the book (I think) is aimed at girls more than boys - but that didn’t stop me buying and reading it.

I don’t want this to be a long review - for 2 reasons - the more I type (talk) the longer this post gets and then you get bored and secondly I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone thinking about buying it … so I’ll choose a few points I enjoyed about the book and then the rest you can read when you buy it!

The artwork I thought was amazing - she used a mixture of different fonts, layouts and texts and displayed them all differently throughout the book. I also enjoyed the quotes throughout the book - again they were displayed differently through the book and merged well with the artwork and page decoration and boarders. I loved that Louise used her own experiences and put her positive spin on it which made the book personal. She also shared her tips and tricks for dealing with body image and anxiety attacks.

Her book also covers a wide range of topics like education, body image, bullying, DIY, baking, dating and lots more.

Overall I really enjoyed reading her book and it’s definitely one I would recommend to anyone looking for a book that gives positive vibes.

life with a sprinkle of glitter shoutjohn

Let me know what you think in the comments if you have read the book before or if you plan to buy it.



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Sunday 16 August 2015

Slimming Solutions: Teatox Review

Hey everyone :)

A couple of months ago I was contacted by the people at Slimming Solutions and asked if I wanted to review their ‘Teatox’ product.

I have been very interested in products like these and had yet to try one so I immediately said ‘Yes!’ A few days later the product arrived in the post and I started it the following week.

slimming solutions teatox

There are different lengths and courses available - from what I can see there is the 14 day course and the 28 day course of the product I was sent. But you can check out their website for all that they offer HERE

I received the 14 day course which includes:

> 14 daytime blend teabags
> 7 evening blend teabags

All my views are based around the 14 day course.

The ‘Teatox' offers many benefits including:

> cleansing effect
> helps with constipation and bloating
> helps cleanse the body
> increase energy levels

Daytime Blend

slimming solutions teatox

The daytime blend is to be consumed every morning just after waking (if possible) for the full 14 days. I made mine just before I got to my desk at work. The instructions are simple - add one teabag to a cup and add hot water (not boiling) and leave to infuse 2 - 3 minutes before drinking. I actually added some cold water so I could drink it straight away. I didn’t want to burn my tongue. You can also flavour the tea with honey or lemon but I drank it as it was.

The ingredients in the daytime blend are:

Chinese Oolong tea (38%), Siberian Ginseng (20%), Fennel (10%), Lemongrass (10%), Nettle leaves (8%), Ginger root (5%), Dandelion leaf (5%), Ginseng root (2%), Salvia miltiorrhiza (2%). Naturally sugar free with no artificial additives.

I was pleasantly surprised with the daytime blend. I had horrible suspicions that it would taste horrible as I’m not a fan of herbal or flavoured teas. But it was actually okay. I preferred it once it had cooled down. I don’t know if its okay to drink this way but that was my preference. I honestly can’t say I noticed much of a difference the first week or so. But the second week I did feel more alive and energetic maybe because all the junk food and crap in my body was being detoxed out of me.

Evening Blend

slimming solutions teatox

The evening blend is to be drank every other evening just before going to bed or 30 minutes after your last meal of the day. I had mine just before I went to bed at around 9pm. The website does warn about a side effect which I can confirm - is that the product may cause a mild laxative effect for the first few days. The instructions are exactly the same as the daytime blend. Add 1 teabag to a cup and add hot water (no boiling) and let infuse for 2 - 3 minutes and drink. Again I preferred it cold so I either added some hot water or I made it and then went for a shower so it had a chance to cool down. 

The ingredients in the evening blend are: 

Senna leaves (20%), Hawthorn leaves (20%), Lotus leaves (14%), Fenugreek seeds (12%), Burdock root (14%), Peppermint (8%), Psyllium seeds (8%), Valerian root (2%), Liquorice root (2%). Naturally sugar free with no artificial additives.

Firstly I’ll address the ‘laxative effect’ - for me I was in the toilet nearly every morning like clockwork and I spent a good 10 - 15 minutes in the bathroom. However I have read other people’s reviews on the product and they said that they didn’t experience the laxative effect at all. So it does depend on the person if you are thinking about trying it. I suppose a person with a high fibre diet may not have any trouble. Secondly the flavour was very different compared to the daytime blend. I actually struggled slightly the first couple of times I had it. However I persevered and drank it all. 

slimming solutions teatox

slimming solutions teatox

Overall I think its a great product if you’re looking for a detox or ‘clean-out’. I definitely felt more energetic and cleaned-out. I also noticed I was going to the toilet more regular and wasn’t suffering from constipation as I regularly get that as my diet is not high in fibre (I’m working on that) and I don’t eat properly anyway. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn’t tried it and is looking for a detox.

If you want to find out any more information about this product you can check it out HERE on Slimming Solutions’ webpage. 

Let me know in the comments if you have used this product or something similar and what your experience was like.




Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, however I did receive a sample for my review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.
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Wednesday 12 August 2015

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB)

I’m currently laying next to a crystal blue pool in sunny Menorca in Spain. I have a glass of Sangria in one hand and I can hear ‘El Taxi by Pitbull’ in the distance - I can barely understand it as it’s in Spanish but its still quite catchy!

I really enjoy doing fashion posts on my blog and piecing together different outfits that I like from different retailers. So when ‘I Sunk Your Battleship’ contacted me and asked if I wanted to feature a piece of their clothing I was really excited. 

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[Image: ISYB]

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB)
[Image: ISYB]

‘I Sunk Your Battleship’ was established in 2013 and is an independent menswear company in North East of England. Yes I said ‘menswear’ and not the board game you played when you were 10 - very easy to get the two mixed up. I’ve been side-tracked and started searching for the game on eBay. 

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: ISYB]

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: ISYB]

The company pride themselves on the ‘Built in Britain’ approach which means - where possible the designers, creators, artisans and suppliers are all from our shores so when the product is finished they have a product to be proud of. They have also spent a long time searching for high quality fabric for the products they create, high quality printing and manufacturing so the end product is something that will last and not fall apart or fade a few weeks later.

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: ISYB]

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: ISYB]

Every item produced by ‘I Sunk Your Battleship’ features a flagman mascot which makes use of forgotten naval iconography. This is known as semaphore. Which is a flag-based system that allows sailors, boy scouts and people far away from each other to communicate with each other over long distances with just their arms and 2 flags. If I had to compare it to anything I would say morse code but with flags instead of blinking lights. I’ll pop a picture down below of what means what.

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: ISYB]

They also use another type of signalling called ‘maritime flag signalling’ which is simply different coloured flags that represent letters and numbers. So ships would string different coloured flags together and then ships in the distance or people on land could read the message the ship was sending out. There are more than version of the maritime flag signals but ISYB use the WW2 Royal Navy version. Again I’ll pop the picture below.

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: ISYB]

As I mentioned above I received a piece clothing to feature with my post and I got the ‘Cancel Pocket T-Shirt’ which you can see pictured below. The t-shirt is 100% cotton and feels great. It’s comfortable when on and you can tell high quality material has been used to create it. I was impressed that it felt so good as I’m picky with my clothes when it comes to quality. I asked for a small size and as you can see from the pictures it fits really well. 

The ‘Cancel Pocket T-Shirt’ as you can probably guess focuses on the semaphore signal on the pocket which means ‘cancel’ and looks very stylish. On the back we have a printed flagman and on the bottom we have a woven label. Nothing has been skimped out on and everything on the t-shirt is very high quality. Another thing I noticed was that the instructions for washing was not on some horrible white sewn label but printed on the neck area of the t-shirt - which is great because those labels are annoying and itchy and I always end up ripping them off and tearing the t-shirt when I do it.

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: David Thompson]

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: David Thompson]

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: David Thompson]

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: David Thompson]

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: David Thompson]

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: David Thompson]

I Sunk Your Battleship (ISYB) shoutjohn
[Image: David Thompson]

The company doesn't just do t-shirts though - they also have beanie hats, hoodies, premium and graphic t-shirts, snapbacks and lots more.

Overall I am very impressed with the t-shirt and I have wore it out on a couple of nights out when we went for meals on holiday. It’s high quality and you pay for what you get. If I could change anything I would enjoy a white t-shirt design but that’s purely because I’m on holiday and lighter colours work better with the sun as darker colours absorb heat and make you warmer (so not their fault). In England this t-shirt would be perfect :)

Let me know in the comments if you have ever bought anything from I Sunk Your Battleship and let me know what.



Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, however I did receive a sample for my review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.
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