Happy Christmas!

I just wanted to do a quick post today as I won't really have the chance to post tomorrow...being Christmas and all!

I can't believe it's Christmas Eve already. This year has flown by. I keep thinking how crazy it is that this time last year I was pregnant, I had no idea if I was having a boy or girl and my life seemed totally different. It's been an eventful and wonderful year and I am very excited to see what 2014 has in store.

I'm going to be spending today with my hubby and Elijah and Christmas day is going to be with both mine and Darren's family, which will be fun - especially as there will be two babies experiencing their first Christmas, complete with lots of presents and wrapping paper - every baby's favourite thing. Boxing Day will be spent in my onesie and then with my whole family (about 25 of us) at my auntie and uncle's house.

I can't wait and I will definitely not be counting Points for a couple of days...we're doing Nigella's turkey recipe, so the diet is on hold for 72 hours.

Whatever you are doing, I hope you have a wonderful day and that Santa brings you everything you wish for.

Happy Christmas from the Belle of the Ball family to yours xx

Dr Bronner's Magic Soap

You know when you hear about those products that you always want to try out but never get around to actually buying?

Well the amount of amazing things I have heard about Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap has always made me want to try it, and amazingly, I was offered to be sent some of the samples to try out myself. Cue squeal of delight.

Now this soap has been heralded as a little miracle. It is described as; "A combination of organic extra virgin coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils, together with pure essential oils, creates a unique soap that cleans effectively without being aggressive and produces a velvety-lather that leaves the skin silky-smooth and refreshed." 

This basically means that it can be used for anything and everything - skin, hair, teeth(!!), clothes, as a massage oil, to clean make up brushes...apparently it has 18 uses in one. Bargain. I was sent two of the liquid soaps - the lavender one and the green tea and hemp one and then two of the soap bars, the peppermint and the baby mild one.

So far, I have used them to clean my hands, my face and my make up brushes (amazing, the make up literally dissolves off of the brushes). The smell of the soaps, in particular the lavender one, is gorgeous. As they are made from oils, they feel and smell beautiful. They even recommend using them as a massage oil. I actually massaged a tiny bit into my temples at bed time and I slept like a baby!

Speaking of babies, I have used the baby mild soap bar on Elijah, who has quite sensitive skin, even for a 9 month old, and it caused no reaction and left him skin soft and smelling even lovelier than normal.

I have a way to go to make my way through the rest of the 18 uses, but so far, I am a Dr. Bronner Magic Soap lover!

Have you tried the Magic Soap? Enjoy x

Christmas Onesie

Yay, I've jumped on the onesie bandwagon...I am such a sell out!

I was out with my sister in law the other day and we popped into New Look and lo and behold, they were having a 30% off event off of their onesies. Now, my sis loves her onesies...she lives in them and she has been trying to convince me to get one for a while. I've always looked at them and gone...meh. I get why people love them and why they are appealing but I've never gone for it.

Well, with a £15 New Look credit burning a hole in my purse and with 30% off, this festive beauty cost pennies, so I decided to give it a whirl.

And am I glad I did! I bought this on Friday, I am writing this on Sunday morning and I have barely taken it off. It is soooooooo cosy and comfy. I love the print and the colour. We've already decided that we will be wearing our onesies all of Christmas morning...and probably Boxing Day...and let's face it, the whole of the Xmas period!

Here are some snaps of the onesie, and Elijah decided that he had to join me in the pics. What a poser...wonder where he gets that from.

What do you think of onesies? Are you a fan? Enjoy x

#Christmasjumperday

This was meant to be posted on Friday...I don't know why it didn't go up...must have been a glitch with Blogger. Oh well,better late than never!

So Friday was sort of an unofficial Christmas Jumper Day! People in offices and at home everywhere donned their gorgeously tacky Christmas jumpers in order to spread a little festive cheer and raise money for charity.

Not wanting to miss out on the fun, here is a little pic of Elijah and I wearing our Christmas jumpers - both from Primark don't you know? I bought myself and Darren matching Santa Claus versions from Primark last year, so Darren wore his to work, but...a new year, a near jumper for me! Plus I had to get one for the newest addition to our family. My jumper was £12 and Eli's was £8. Total bargains.

Did you wear your Christmas jumpers on Friday? I'll be rocking mine on the big day itself too! Enjoy x

A Bag Fit For A Claire Belle

Ok, I have not blogged for a very long time...I am very naughty and I am sorry. The only excuse I have is that the little one is taking up a lot of my time and I have been doing quite a bit on writing and trying to sort out work for the new year...so those are my excuses. They're poor really. Soz!

ANYWAY...

I wanted to share this amazing birthday present that I got from one of my loveliest friends, Sophie. This is a girl that knows me very well and we have a lot of the same interests and love the same things. Glee, kitschy homeware, Primark and the Poundshop to name a few! Anywhoo, Sophie presented me with an ultra fabulous present over a sushi catch up, and here it is:

It's my very own Claire Belle make up bag. I love it so much. It was designed by Lisa Bea bespoke bags and is a hot pink leather exterior, with a leopard print interior and a glitter "Claire Belle" and heart design on the front.

I obviously squealed with delight when I opened it as, firstly, I needed a new make up bag and secondly, IT HAS MY NAME ON IT!

A personalised gift like this makes such a great present and I'll definitely be looking into them for a few pressies in the future.

What do you think of my Claire Belle bag? Do you have any personalised goodies? Enjoy x

Discovery Club from The Fragrance Shop

I received an email from The Fragrance Shop about their new venture, Discovery Club and was offered the opportunity to try out a box to review.

If you're not familiar with Discovery Club, think of it as a perfume version of Glossybox or Birchbox. The Fragrance Shop Send out the Discovery Club box quarterly with an annual subscription costing £25. 5p from every subscription and subsequent transactions at The Fragrance Shop is donated to Rays of Sunshine children's charity and so far over £100,000 has been donated!

I was sent the 4th edition of the box, which contains 6 new fragrances and vouchers to purchase the fragrances £10 off!

Upon receiving the box, it was presented really nicely in a smart black box, with the samples and voucher booklet wrapped up in chic tissue paper. This edition contains Si by Armani, Jour by Boss, Untold by Elizabeth Arden, Aura by Loewe, La Vie Est Belle Eau Legere by Lancome and Made to Measure by Gucci (for men). I actually received Si by Armani for my birthday and I love it! It's a very elegant scent with pretty floral tones and almost a pink grapefruit smell. So pretty and I will definitely be using the £10 voucher to repurchase this one.

Jour by Boss is a crisp fragrance with a blend of white flowers and citrus. It's very pretty and perfect to wear during the day. Untold by Elizabeth Arden is gorgeous! So pretty and feminine; it's floral and fruity and has the kind of scent, which will keep heads turning all day. Aura by Loewe is my least favourite. It's floral but slightly too woody and spicy for me. It smells a bit too grown up for my taste. La Vie...by Lancome smells like femininity in a bottle! Very fruity with a touch of jasmine and vanilla. So pretty! Made to Measure by Gucci is the only men's eau de toilette in the box and it is fronted by the gorgeous James Franco, so I'm sold. Very masculine with notes of lavender, bergamot, nutmeg and leather. I spritzed it on Darren and it smells goooooooooood!

If you're interested in trying out the Discovery Club box by The Fragrance Shop then click here.

Would you try out the Discovery Club? Enjoy x


*the Discovery Club box was sent to me as a PR sample. All opinions are my own and honest.

Cambridge Satchel Company

I have always been a fan of niche brand The Cambridge Satchel Company, ever since their launch a few years ago.

The humble satchel has become a fashionista's bag of choice. Chic, fun, stylish and understated. Designer labels such as Mulberry have created their own interpretation of the satchel, but brand The Cambridge Satchel Company have dominated the style all on their own.

Needless to say, I have wanted one for a while. I have never taken the plunge and bought one, but have sat and drooled over images online and in store many times. I was never sure whether to opt for a simple brown leather version, timeless and classic, or a block bright colour, or a fun print. The company have created new colours and prints each season, and the choice is amazing.

On the August Bank Holiday, myself, Darren, Elijah and a few good friends decided to take a day trip to Cambridge. While walking around the shops, we stumbled (obvs) onto a Cambridge Satchel Company boutique. Naturally, all the girls stopped and started pointing out the various colours and styles and choosing which one we would go for. Sadly, at £130 a pop, we walked away empty handed, but the thought of them lingered.

I was extremely touched when, 6 weeks later, I was presented with a gift from said very good friends at my birthday party (how babyish do I sound?!) I opened the wrapping paper and was faced with a dustbag. I flipped the dustbag over and there were the words "The Cambridge Satchel Company." Needless to say, I squealed with excitement, whipped open the bag and pulled out a stunning sunshine yellow satchel.

I LOVE it!

A beautiful, buttercup, sunshine yellow. The perfect colour to cheer you up on a grey winter's day and to compliment the sun on a hot summer's day. The satchel is sturdy and stylish and will be perfect for slinging over my shoulder and carrying around all day.

What wonderful friends I have with wonderful taste!

What do you think of the Cambridge Satchel Company? Have you got one of their renowned satchels? Enjoy x

Here is the satchel in three different light's, just so you get an idea of the colour in natural and artificial light.

with flash

without flash

in daylight