Blog Everyday in June Day 30

Welcome to the final day of Blog Everday in June, sadly I didn't manage to stick to the schedule of blogging everyday but nevermind!!

The theme for today is an Instagram round up of this months pictures so please enjoy!

As I am not feeling very well at the moment- trust me to get a cold just as the heatwave hits I shall be taking a mini break from the blog but I will be back soon with some new outfit posts!

Silent Sunday/My Sunday Photo

Blog Everyday Day in June Day 27

Hello and welcome to day 27 of Blog Everyday in June and theme for today is goals for the next six months.

1. Save Money
I am terrible when it comes to money but now that we are living off just my salary I really have to budget and think about every purchase. The one downside of being a blogger and reading other blogs is wanting to then buy all the make up and clothes! To be fair my wardrobe is full of stuff I have plenty of make up so I really don't need anything! I am thinking about going on a spending ban and only allowing myself to purchase what I consider essential items.

2. More outfit posts
I seem to have lost my mojo just lately when it comes to outfit posts so I want to dig deep in my wardrobe and get some OOTD posts on the blog as I do have a few pieces that haven't been featured yet.

3. Learn to do winged eyeliner!
I long for the day when I actually apply winged eyeliner without it looking like a five year old has done it! I have watched countless tutorials on Youtube which make it look so simple yet I still can't manage it!!!

4. Embrace my age
So I am now 40 and it still feels weird to say it but I want to make this the decade where I finally let go of all my hang ups and just enjoy being me!

5. Increase my followers on Social Media
This is really my main blogging goal for the next six months I would love to get to 1000 followers on Instagram by Christmas (I am currently at 955) so if you don't already you can pop over and follow me here.

6.Be more organised
I am well known for always beings late and I need to get better organised! Every year I promise myself I will start buying Christmas presents early but I never do so this year I want to try and put things away as I see them!

What are your goals?

Blog EveryDay in June Day 26

Hello and welcome to Day 26 of Blog Everday in June and the theme for today is Selfie!

I love a good selfie (Something I am sure you will know if you follow me on Instagram!!).

This one was taken a few days ago whilst I was hiding from the homework drama that was taking place in the living room!!

OMCZ- Shorts

Hello and welcome to this months OMCZ post and the theme for this month is....shorts!

Now I will admit that I was going to sit this one out as I don't own a single pair of shorts as I struggle to get on with them! (The pair I blogged last year have been given to charity as I didn't wear them).
Steph who organises the challenge said get creative it can be anything short and then Leah mentioned comfort shorts and I thought aha I have a pair of those!!

 I bought them a few months ago from Taking Shape and they are the Easy Breezy Short which at the time were on offer for £8 but are normally £10 a pair.

Since the weather finally started to warm up I have dug them out to keep the dreaded chub rub at bay and so far so good! They are essentially short leggings as they are made from the same material but they don't ride up and stay put whilst walking.

Here is what I wore to work yesterday my old faithful Lady Vintage London Estella Dress complete with comfort shorts underneath!!

Don't forget to check out the other lovely ladies to see their take on the theme!

Steph http://www.seeingspots.co.uk/

Sarah http://plussizeproud.wordpress.com/

Becky Brown www.doesmyblogmakemelookfat.com

Nikki http://www.nattynikki.com

Leah www.justmeleah.co.uk

Natalie www.awheelbarrowfullofstyle.com

Gillian www.readysteadyfile.co.uk

Mary www.marysbigcloset.com

Hollie Http://www.prettybigbutterflies.com

Becca http://thegirlwiththeplait.blogspot.co.uk/

Sam http://fattyboomtatty.blogspot.co.uk/ 
Sharon http://www.radfatfeminist.com/
Lottie http://adiaryofacurvygirly.blogspot.co.uk/

Kaye http://polishedcurves.com
Katt www.acurvycupcake.com
Kathryn: http://murderofgoths.com
Mookie: http://www.mookieslife.com/

Blog Everyday in June Day 25

I am starting off this post with yet another sorry I have been useless and not kept up with the schedule as life got in the way again!!

The theme for today is sharing some life lessons!

1.Comparison is the thief of joy 
It is very easy to get carried away looking at what other people have and not realise your own value and potential and with social media it is all too easy to get drawn in. That perfect Instagram selfie or on trend OOTD is just a 5 second snapshot of someone's life it doesn't show what goes on behind closed doors. I think most of us present the best version of ourselves to the world and keep other parts hidden away and things aren't always as they appear.

2. Appreciate all that you have no matter how little it may be
We live in a fast paced throwaway society where we are all clambering to get the latest designer handbag or 4k television as we are told this will make us happy. Does it really make us happy to be surrounded by lots of material possessions? After all when you have shuffled off this mortal coil will the fact that you owned a Hermes bag be the thing that people remember about you? Having seen my husband survive redundancy and now living on just my salary you really learn to appreciate all that you have and you truly understand what is important.

3. Don't sweat the small stuff
As I have gotten older there are some things that I worry about less as I have come to realise that I cannot worry about what I can't change. You realise that not everyone will like you and that is ok and the older I get the thicker my skin grows!

4. Pick your battles
As a parent I have come to realise that there are some battles you will never win and some that just aren't worth the stress and upset they will cause. Life is about compromise and whilst I believe in certain rules for my son there are times when I know to let things go!!

NattyNikki Turns 40- The Presents

I'm sure by now you all know I turned 40 over the weekend and I thought I would share with you what I got given for my birthday.

I have done a quick video on YouTube which I hope you will all enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Fat, Forty and Fabulous

Yes it's official as I type these words I am now 40 years of age and having a fabulous birthday.

Thank you to everyone who has wished me a Happy Birthday via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc it has been lovely to receive so many messages and I apologise for not being able to reply to everyone individually.

When people think of the age 40 you always seem to hear I don't want to be fat and forty, and 10 years ago when I was 30 neither did I or so I thought. After spending the last 20 years yo-yo dieting and being thoroughly miserable for most of it I stopped and learnt to love myself. So I sit here now aged 40 at the biggest I have ever been but also the most comfortable in my skin I have ever been.

I am more than happy to say I am fat, forty and fabulous and long may it continue!!

In case you were wondering here is what 40 looks like!! (with an instagram filter of course!!!)

PS 40 really doesn't feel much different to 39!!!

Blog Everday in June Day 18

Sorry sorry sorry I have managed to go awol for a few days but I am back today with day 18 of Blog EveryDay in June!!!

Today is a throwback Thursday post so I have dug out my old photos and taken a trip down memory lane!!

Me and my mum!

So there you go a quick look back at my old photos!! As I am turning 40 on Sunday it is quite nice to look back. I should also give a shout out to my lovely mum who is 70 on Monday!! Happy Birhthday Mum love you loads!!

Blog Everyday in June Day 15

So we are on day 15 of blog everyday in June which also marks the halfway point of this challenge and hopefully you are all still with me!!

The theme for today is a day in my life and I have to admit I am cheating slightly with this one as I recently did a vlog where I shared a week in my life.

Rather than film yet more footage I am going to re-share my previous blog, so if you haven't already seen it please sit back and enjoy!

Blog Everyday in June day 14

Hello and welcome to Day 14 of blog everyday in June and I am trying to get back on schedule with my posts!!

The theme for today is to choose my favourite photo of myself, and I knew straight away which one it had to be!

This is the first babydoll I have ever owned in my size so I am very grateful to Curvy Kate for making one I can wear! I love my cheeky smile in this photo and on days when I feel down or if my confidence is taking a hit this photo always cheers me up!!

Silent Sunday/My Sunday Photo

Doctor Who Experience

Hello and happy Friday!! I must admit I am failing a bit on the whole blog everyday in June as I missed yesterday and today was supposed to be an OOTD post the weather has gone haywire and taken my plans with it!!

So instead I thought I would share with you my visit to the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff which I did at the end of last month.

I have been desperate to go for ages and as it is my 40th Birthday soon this was an early birthday present to myself!!

We travelled down early on the Tuesday morning as we have booked to go in between 11-11.30 (you choose a timed slot when booking), parked the car and headed off. Be advised that the car park right by the actual venue is tiny so we found a multi storey in Cardiff Bay and parked there instead. It is signposted with these signs....

We headed off and booked ourselves in and were handed landyards with a crystal in which are your passport to Gallifrey. Now I don't want to give away what happens inside the actual experience (spoilers!!) but I will say that it was awesome and actually a little bit scary. If like me you are a fan of Doctor Who then you will love it.

You aren't allowed to film or take photos inside the experience as they don't want to give away what happens but once you get into the exhibition hall you are free to take as many photos as you like.

So here are some snaps from the day.

I was just in geek heaven, the tardis interiors are truly a magnificent sight and you can get quite close to the tardis interior from the 9th and 10th Doctors. There is every costume you could ever want to see, all the villains are there including all the different types of Dalek. It actually made me feel quite emotional at times as music was playing from the 10th Doctors episodes and I was just overwhelmed at how much was on display.

Once you get through the display you come to the gift shop which sells everything you could ever want and had something for all budgets. I came home with a Tardis canvas tote bag and umbrella, whilst Oliver bought a t-shirt, badges and a print of the current Doctor. I have never seen so much merchandise and if I had the money I could have shopped up such a storm!!

After we finished we strolled back through Cardiff Bay which is an area that I love we were so lucky with the weather. Of course we had to visit Torchwood HQ or what is supposed to be Torchwood HQ but sadly there was no sign of Captain Jack!!

Oliver did however have great fun running through the water and got totally soaked in the process!!

I also love the Welsh Assembly building in Cardiff Bay so of course I had to take a photo!

We also found a fab Wetherspoons called The Mount Stuart so we had to go (my hubby is called Stuart) and we sat out on the balcony and had the most amazing view. I also loved that they had telescopes you could look through so that kept Oliver entertained whilst we had a quick cool drink!

So yes if like me you are a Doctor Who fan or someone you love is then you need to go!!! My son loved it and spent the next week talking about it and for me it is a day that shall be long remembered and never forget to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow!

Blog Everyday in June Day Ten

Hello and welcome to Day 10 of blog everyday in June and theme today is to share five beauty secrets.

Now I am the first to admit that when it comes to beauty and make up I am far from an expert in these matters but I do have some tips!!

1. Moisturiser
So we all know that moisturiser is good for our skin but what I didn't realise until a few years ago is that it is recommended to not apply your foundation too soon after putting on your moisturiser. I have now developed a routine in the morning which means I clean and moisturise my face and then dry and straighten my hair before applying my foundation.

2. Primer
OK so for years I thought primer was something you put on underneath paint I had no idea such a thing existed for your face! I came across the  fabulous Nspa Instant Blur Primer when it came in a goody bag from a blogging event last year and I was sold!! It makes my skin feel all silky smooth and make up then glides on. It took me ages before I discovered it was sold in ASDA so when the one I had ran out I dashed out and got me some more!!!

3. Purple Shampoo
I have been dyeing my hair blonde for quite some time now (I am naturally blonde but it has started to go darker as I have gotten older) but I have always suffered with brassiness in my hair. I can't remember how I discovered it but I found Bleach London Purple Shampoo to be my saviour. It really does take a lot of the yellow tones out and makes my hair whiter. There is also a Touch of Silver which is a more budget friendly option and you can pick it up quite cheaply in Home Bargains.

4. Lip Liner
I had steered clear of lip liner for many years, I think I was still scarred from the Jodie Marsh trend of dark lip liner and light lipstick but I have been persuaded to try it! The lovely Leah from Leah XL mentioned it was a good way to get lipstick to last, so I tried a cheap one from MUA and wore it under a similar colour lipstick and it did indeed give me a longer lasting lip colour!

5. Budget make up
I would be lying if I said I didn't drool over things like the Urban Decay Naked Palettes but too often they are out of my price range. With brands like Make Up Revolution and MUA (especially their Luxe Range) I don't think there has ever been a better time to try more budget friendly brands. When I was younger some of the budget brands were truly awful so I often felt forced to spend more money but there so many affordable dupes on the market now I no longer feel the need to spend what I can't afford. I think I now own more make up than I have ever done so before due to the availability of good affordable cosmetics!

What are your beauty secrets?