The Better It Looks, The Better It Tastes.

All food and dips bought from Tesco.

I love having dinner parties and enjoy to cook but sometimes trying to cater for a large group of people with only one cooker can be a nightmare! Especially if the food all needs to be kept warm. Also the hot flustered look isn't always that attractive! All I can say is thank goodness for platters and dips.

So my idea for this was an antipasto board and the fact I've been craving salami all week, however I've never been one to stick to the exact rules of what foods go together.. I just love flavour! Plus you have to supply a variety of foods to meet everybody's tastes. For this meal the only thing I had to do was slice some cheese and put some bread/tortillas and the camembert in the oven, easy peasy. Oh I also made an olive oil dip which everyone loved except me.

So here's what I bought to create this delicious meal for 6:
- 1 Pack of the Italian Salami Selection - 1 Pack of Spanish Smoked Paprika and Garlic Chorizo - 1/4 Large Block of Extra Mature Cheddar - 1 Smoked Cheese - 1 Small Block of Cheese with Chives - 1 Pack of Full Fat Cheeses (Italian Flavours) - Camembert (cooked) - 3 Baguettes - 2 Ciabattas - 1 Tomato & Garlic Flat Bread -1 Bag of Nachos - Onion Chutney - Salsa - Selection of Cream Dips - 6 Mini Tortilla Wraps (grilled).

And the Olive Oil Dip - 2 Parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 Part Balsamic Vinegar & a Small Sprinkle of Chilli Flakes.

We all really enjoyed this dinner and were able to talk and take our time without the food going cold. Plus we were all sharing different food combinations for one another to try, here are some of our favourites:

Tomato flatbread with a chunk of the cheese and chive - baguette slice with Camembert and onion chutney - grilled tortilla with salami, smoked cheese and choice of cream dip - cheddar wrapped in chorizo - smoked cheese and onion chutney wrapped in salami.

What are your favourite food combinations?

Oh My Manuka Doctor.

My skin has never felt so soft.. Wow!

As I mentioned in my all about me, I am super scared of getting wrinkles! I've always had a fuller face that has never shown laugh lines or lines on my forehead etc and I intend to keep it like that. For as long as possible anyway.

I have never been a fan of facemasks as I feel they dry out my skin and can cause outbreaks, but being a sucker for all things natural and after reading about this product from their apinourish range I thought it was worth the shot and believe me it really was.

So about the product. It's called Manuka Doctor Rejuvenating Bee Venom Face Mask and you get a 50ml jar for £49.99. It is amazing! If you've never heard of the Manuka Doctor range before they are a selection of skincare products that use natural ingredients to help protect and refresh your skin, their main ingredients are Purified Bee Venom and Manuka Honey.

In the past I have used their Lip Enhancer, £13.99 from the ApiRefine range. This is simply a tingly sort of lipgloss that's helps keep lips looking fuller, but I'll do a post about that product at a later date. Right now I want to tell you about this super, duper, incredibly amazing face mask they do. Yes I think it's that good. 

So, I asked for this off Santa now that I'm getting near to that old age of 22 haha and was lucky enough to get it! But I wanted to wait and use it on a day when I could finally relax and do nothing, that night finally came.

I had my shower, got into my pjs and took off the lid. The smell isn't the greatest but you can only really smell it if you put your nose right to the jar. It's quite a bit thicker than I expected but it goes on really nicely, however at first I was a bit worried. As I put it on to my skin I couldn't see it and thought I would have to use loads and that for the price it wouldn't last very long, but actually you don't need a really thick layer because it works by soaking into the skin.

I applied to my face and neck and left it for 30 minutes as directed (can be taken off after 15mins). As I layed there listening to music I could feel it very slightly tingling my skin and unlike other face masks my face wasn't all tight and itchy!

30 minutes was up, much to my disappointment. I took a wet cloth and was able to easily and gently remove the creamy mask and as I did I could tell immediately that my face felt softer. I patted my face dry with a towel and went down stairs to tell my mum how pleased I was with the mask she looked at my skin and said how fresh it looked, pores and blotches were all less visible.

I am also pleased to say that I woke up this morning to skin that still felt soft! And no spots! You definitely need to check out their products, I know I'll be buying lots more!

What facemasks do you use? Have you heard of Manuka Doctor?

I Don't "Snow" What To Wear.

Ok ok, not that funny.. But how often do we get to crack snow jokes in Britain? My point exactly. It's not very often we get snow in England and when we do, everybody goes into a panic! It's cold, it's icy..  We want to go out without falling over and freezing but what do we wear? We can't buy new clothes just to be worn 3 days of the year, so here are my top tips on what to wear when "walking in a winter wonderland."

Scarves. I love them! They complete an outfit, adding that perfect pop of colour and guess what? They keep you warm aswell! This gorgeous purple and navy scarf was a Christmas preset off my wonderful boyfriend from Dorothy Perkins, £16 in Black Friday sale, but I have seen similar ones in primark and tesco recently which are probably abit cheaper.

Boots. I'm not one for having my feet covered but at this time of year it is a must! These were £20ish from Tesco last year and they're so comfy and great quality. Plus the colour and style means they're not just for snow, these can be worn all year round when our British summer isn't so sunny!

Layers. Now I love a great big faux fur coat and own a couple, but they're not that cheap and I'm the type of person who likes to whip off my coat and carry it if I get too hot! No one wants to be carrying a huge coat in their arms whilst they're walking! So to beat that winter chill I went back to those days as a child and wore a vest! Not a scruffy old fashioned one but just a normal vest! Then I layered up with a long sleeve tee, my cream knitted jumper, £25 H&M, and this lightweight all year round faux leather jacket also H&M. 

Last but not least what to do with your hair when it's damp, windy and you've hit snooze one to many times on that alarm clock?! Lucky for us tucked in hair is all the rage so give it a brush, wrap around that scarf and you're ready to go! Or go for a slicked back look which is also in fashion, I opted for a French plait on the way home which my cousin ever so kindly did for me.

Hope you're all enjoying winter and I'd love to Snow what you think ;)

Freshen up with nspa.

7am, snow on the ground, lots of walking and cleaning to do, I need to be woken up!

In winter it can be so hard to wake up, it's cold, it's dark.. You want your duvet! But unfortunately the day calls and you've got to answer! The solution? For me it's a hot shower with raspberry, mint, lime or cherry scented shower gels to get my senses working in those early hours! These fragrances are also perfect for when you want to freshen up after a workout!

This gift set by nspa is in "fresh, sweet raspberry" according to the bottle and I'll tell you now, the bottle does not lie! So sweet, so fresh. I am extremely excited to have this product again as I used to use it all the time after Aqua Fit as it got rid of that awful chlorine smell brilliantly and I am pleased to say the product is still as good, my shower smelt amazing and I definitely feel more awake! This product lathers up well and a small bit goes a long way, the only downside? You can't smell it much afterwards, but bring in the body butter, problem solved! I now smell nice and fruity (if you smell me that is, I won't knock you out just from entering the room). My only niggle with the body butter is that it's very thick and doesn't spread that far, but I do feel soft!

500ml versions of this shower gel and 200ml body butters are available for just £3 at Asda.

Have you used any nspa products before? I'd love to know!

Festive Fragrances.

Christmas is my favourite holiday and this year I asked for two particular fragrances, one an old favourite and the other something new, I was lucky enough to get both, plus a few extra goodies!

Ok, so I'll start with my old favourite CK One Shock, this is what I like to call My fragrance as I wear it the most often. It smells incredible and is also affordable at only £28 for 100ml. It's a juicy and floriental scent that lasts the day.

The other perfume I asked for was Versace Crystal Noir, at £49.50 for 50ml this perfume is slightly more expensive but my oh my does it smell good! With it's oriental floral scent I find it's the perfect evening fragrance and I was lucky enough to get an adorable handbag sized 30ml bottle as well as a body lotion.

The other two presents were surprises, both of which I am very happy with. I have used both Marc Jacobs Daisy perfumes in the past and love their floral smells, however I had never tried Marc Jacobs Honey and I must say I'm surprised I've not! It's a lovely smell and the base note of honey is just right! At £49.50 for 50ml it isn't the cheapest but it is quite strong so you wouldn't need a lot! 

Finally is Lady GaGa Fame at £31 for 50ml. I was pleasantly surprised having expected an unusual and eccentric scent based on both Lady Gaga herself and the fact that the liquid is black!! But this fragrance is very lady like and subtle and when smelling it I couldn't help but to be reminded of my childhood favourite Charlie Red, £6 for 100ml.

All prices found at boots.com

Have you used any of these fragrances or can suggest any to try?

Me & My Blog.

Hi Everyone xo

So first of all, a bit about myself.

I really am Just That Everyday Girl. I wasn't blessed with perfect hair, skin and nails, I'm small, like 5ft2 small, so I do have to make sure I stay fit, I'm so scared of getting wrinkles (maybe a bit too much but never mind), I work hard so I am able to buy nice things and go to nice places and I am always rushing to get everything done so that I have time to just relax with the people that matter most to me.

So here is what I love...

Fashion - Jewellery - Beauty Products - Perfumes - Lotions & Potions - Shopping - Cooking - Baking - Films & TV Shows - Restaurants - Travelling - Exercising - Long Showers - Country Walks - Photography - My Family, Friends & Boyfriend.

With all these interests I find that Money and Time is something the EVERYDAY GIRL never has enough of, so I decided to create this lifestyle blog to help that everyday girl make the most of her time and money by sharing my opinions and reviews on trends, products, places and activities.

I hope you enjoy my blog.