Monday 21 November 2011

Nightshade Contest - Winner

The winner for the signed book of Poison Diaries: Nightshade by Maryrose Wood is:

Jessica L. Mclaughlin

Congratulations to you, please fill out this form to receive your prize :)

Thank you to all who entered!

Thursday 10 November 2011

Nightshade Contest

If you are a fan of The Poison Diaries you will be happy to know that the second book (Poison Diaries: Nightshade) has been realised here in the UK as well as in USA.
I have just received my book, I am extremely happy about this and can not wait to get stuck in and find out more, of course after I have finished I will be posting a review of this book.

The author of this book, Maryrose Wood has teamed up with an online PR company and they are doing a giveaway. So one lucky winner will receive the book Poison Diaries: Nightshade, but not just that - it will be signed by Maryrose Wood.

This contest will last for just a week (7 days) and after that I will announce on here who the lucky winner is.
Now this sounds all very good and very tempting, but how do you enter? Well there are 3 ways of entering and they are:

Facebook:
Go to the Poison Diaries facebook page and leave a message on their wall saying you would like to win the signed book and that ShortStuffBlogs sent you.

Twitter:
Follow Poison Diaries on Twitter and send them a message saying you wish to win the signed book and that ShortStuffBlogs sent you.

Website:
Enter through the Poison Diaries website and find the plant Arum Maculstum add it to the "my poison diary" and share it through twitter, including ShortStuffBlogs in the Tweet.

Good luck to all who enter!

Monday 7 November 2011

Makeup Buying Ban Week 60

I can not believe it has been over a year since I first started this challenge, I have managed to finish one item completely and there is 2 items which is almost finished.
Not really that happy that I have only managed to use up only 1 item through a year.
I think this is just because I am starting to really want to buy makeup now.

But there is no way that I am going to quit this challenge now, I am determined to get most of my makeup used up.

The item that I managed to finish was Maybelline Dream Mousse, 04 Heavenly Blue.
I was so disappointed with this as it was not what I was expecting. When I first saw this I thought it was going to have this lovely pigment, wouldn't have that heavy feeling on the eyes and would be smooth to apply. While it was not heavy on the eyes, the pigment was hardly there, it would take about 3 swipes to actually get some sort of colour and even then it wasn't really that flattering as it had some shimmer to it and so with each layer I was adding to try and get colour I was adding more shimmer to my eyes, which I didn't really like.
I couldn't apply it with a brush and my adding it with my fingers wasn't working either. Plus it didn't apply that smoothly for me.
I am just glad that I had bought this when it was only a £1, I would never have payed the full price for it and I would never buy this again to be honest.
The only good thing about this is that at the end you can keep the empty jar and adding some other product to it.

1 Swipe of Maybelline Dream Mousse

2 Swipes of Maybelline Dream Mousse



As I was search through my makeup bag to see what eyeshadows I had to start using, I found some Face UK eyeshadows, I had to throw these out as they were over 5 year old and when I was trying to do swatches of them, it was going clumpy and I didn't want to take a chance of applying that to my eyes.
I am trying to hold back on using my ELF eyeshadows as I want to save them to last, just because I love them.

So the eyeshadows that I am now starting to use are Go Cosmetics and W7 Cosmetics.


(L-R) Go Cosmetics -05 & 14. W7 - 03 Toffee, 06 Bamboo



(L-R) Go Cosmetics -05 & 14. W7 - 03 Toffee, 06 Bamboo
From the first look at these swatches it doesn't really seem like they are going to be that pigmented, but the two more neutral colours would probably be good for a highlight. I did swatch 06 Bamboo a few times but it wasn't really changing with each layer.
Go Cosmetics 14 would probably be a good duplicate for the Maybelline Dream Mousse.

For the rest of the face I am using; ELF Natural Radiance Blusher in Glow, Collection 2000 3 in 1 foundation, Avon Lipstick and Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara (couldn't seem to find a name for the colours on the foundation and lipstick)

Fitness Challenge: Week 5

These past few weeks have started to get rocky for me, things are starting to make me not concentrate as much on this fitness challenge as much I was at the beginning. This is where the hard work really starts and I am realising this was my problem in past attempts to lose weight.
I just to get side tracked or just get bored with it and go back to the old way of eating with hardly any exercise.
I am really trying to stay focused and I am always pleased with myself for not giving in to have huge amounts on my plate or having a lot of treats. To be honest I have been nibbling on the treats all this week, sometimes I have more than one..But it was my fault considering I made some chocolate fudge, to see if I could make it and see if it would be good enough for a present for my father. Having it in the fridge and seeing it all the time my mind keeps telling me its ok, you can have one small piece it wont hurt. But that seems to be happening every single day at this moment.
Normally these sort of treats would probably be gone in 1/2 maybe 3 days, at the moment they have lasted a couple of weeks which is pretty awesome.

I haven't been doing that much exercise, the cold weather is starting to come in and there is ice covering the paths and so I am a little bit worried of leaving the house, but I have been taking the dog out most days so I have been making sure I am doing a little bit of exercise. This is where I know that the DVD workouts will come in use more often now.

I haven't been able to do the mini challenge for week 5, but I will be hopefully doing that for week 6 along with the new mini challenge...Although my fruit and veg intake has increased and I am starting to enjoy the stuff as well :)

So here are my results for Week 5:
Fluid intake - 1/2 cups
Chest - 51" (+0.06")
Waist - 51.12" (+1.01")
Hips - 58" (-0.10")
Weight - 19st 0lbs (no loss)

Really not happy with my fluid intake and really need to make sure that I start to drink more again. I am really pleased to see that I have not gained anything this week within my weight. I know it isn't all about the number of the scales but for me I really need to get that number down and safe as possible as it shows that I am way over what someone my height and age should be, and I could be in a danger zone.
This time with this challenge I will get to the goal I have aimed for or at least learn and become more healthy so I can continue on with this to lose more, so I am in better health and shape.

Thursday 3 November 2011

Fitness Challenge: Week 3 & 4

These past two weeks have been a bit difficult for me to do any exercise, as my medication for my joint problems had ran out and I had to wait a week to get some more, so my body was all over the place and I tried to check in for week 3 but half way through writing I just couldn't type anymore and didn't feel up to it.
I did weigh and measure myself.

Week 3 results
Fluid intake - 3 cups
Chest - 51.12" (-0.4")
Waist - 52" (+1")
Hips - 58.5" (-0.3")
Weight - 19st 1lbs (-1lbs)

And for Week 4 results
Fluid intake - 2/3 cups
Chest - 50.10" (-1.2")
Waist - 50.13" (-1.3")
Hips - 58.10" (+0.5")
Weight - 19st 0lbs (-1lbs)

As this week has been a bit iffy due to my health as well as it being my time of month. I am very surprised I haven't put that much on, when normally it all piles on.

There hasn't been a huge change in what I eat, except for having more fruit and veg, making sure how much is on my plate and keeping an eye on how many treats I have do have.
The big change is changing our weekly treat of a take away to monthly. We both have noticed a difference, in how we are as well as our money. Plus I know that I have earned it and don't feel as bad than what I did do when having it weekly.

How do I involve my spirituality into this fitness challenge?
The main thing that I do is when I go for a walk, I look out for any signs or messages and just take in what what is going on at that moment with the seasons.
That is pretty much all I do, I am trying to think of more things but this is the one thing that I have always done even before this challenge.