Halloween Ghost Cupcakes!

I found this cute cupcake decorating idea in my Betty Crocker Big Book of Cupcakes.  They look a lot more impressive than they really are to make - they are actually deceptively easy to do, especially with a few optional shortcuts ;)

To start out with, you will need a basic chocolate cupcake recipe. You could use a box if you like or bake them from scratch (which I did - the recipe is in my Betty Crocker book but you can use whichever's your favourite!).  Instead of using muffin cases, I used short ice-cream cones which you can buy at Tesco or in any supermarket. I filled them until they were about 1/4 of the way full and baked in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius.    

The book gives you a recipe to follow for the icing but I just bought some roll-out Regal Ice by Dr. Oetker.  I rolled 1 and 1/2 inch balls onto a surface with lots of icing sugar so it wouldn't stick.  To make the ghosts, I rolled them out until they were thin sheets about 5 inches in length/width and then carefully draped them onto the upside down ice-cream cone cupcakes. I then slightly wet the front and stuck three chocolate chips on to make a little ghost face.  And that's it!

Let me know if you try these yourselves...tweet/send me your pictures or tag me! I would love to see what you come up with :)

xoxo

Anna

October Favourites 2013

These are my favourite products of the month!  

Elemis Japanese Camellia Oil Blend

My spa therapist used this on my hands & feet when I got my mani/pedi done on the cruise ship. I love the smell - it's not too strong or overpowering but still luxurious. It feels amazing on the skin and makes it super soft. I use this on my belly & feet. It is also recommended to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy!

Elemis S.O.S. Tea Tree Spray

My manicurist used this as a treatment on my nails which were very stained from constantly wearing nail polish and the results were amazing! I can't tell you how impressed I was. She just sprayed and left it to do its job...after a few minutes my nails were clear & white. I couldn't believe the results!

The Body Shop White Musk Smoky Rose 

I was totally surprised by this perfume as I did not think I would like it. It is actually a very fruity, light and quite sweet scent which I love. I've been wearing it everyday since I got it!

HD Brows Bronzer (2)

I received this bronzing powder in a recent Glossybox and loved it. I have been using it as a contour as it's matte and really warms up my face without looking patchy or muddy. It is highly pigmented as most HD Brows products are though, so a light hand is definitely necessary when applying it to the face!

Be A Bombshell Onyx Eyeliner

This was another Glossybox discovery and I'm so glad I found it! I am so picky when it comes to eyeliner but this ticks all the right boxes. It doesn't budge once applied, even if wet (I do a lot of crying in my pregnant hormonal state!!). As it is a felt tip liner, I find it super easy and foolproof to apply.

Dior Earth Reflection Eyeshadow Palette

I purchased this in duty-free at the airport on my way to Barcelona and it has become a staple in my makeup bag ever since. It features all my favourite shades - champagne, frosty pink, dark brown, gold and taupe/light brown. All of these are shimmery, very pigmented and have no fall-out. A big thumbs up from me!

Essie Island Hopping Nail Polish

I would describe this as a smoky purple or dusky lavender. It's a more unique choice of nail colour for autumn but works extremely well with a lot of greys or neutral tones which I tend to wear in the colder months. Like all Essie polishes it lasts a long time (almost a week, depending on how careful you are) and doesn't chip easily.

Maybelline Forever Strong Nail Polish in Dark Denim

This isn't a new purchase but more of a rediscovered favourite. I don't usually tend to wear such dark colours on my nails but I really like this one for autumn! It's a deep navy blue and lasts about 1 week.

Yankee Candle Candy Corn

Finally for my non-beauty favourite, I had to recommend my newest Yankee Candle! This has been burning in our house pretty much all month long and I am obsessed! It makes the entire house smell sweet and yummy :) 

xoxo

Anna

18 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2!

How far along? 18 weeks!  

Total weight gain: 14lbs total!  I weighed in at 129lbs this morning -- which is up 3lbs from two weeks ago! Gah! The weight feels like it's just piling on this time around!

Maternity clothes? All the time! 

Stretch marks? No new ones.

Best moment this week: This week was pretty stressful because of all the travelling we did. Not only am I pregnant but travelling with a toddler is hard work! Especially when we were working, filming, editing, etc. everyday and we managed to pack visiting 4 different countries into a very small space of time. So although it was definitely a cool experience, under the circumstances I found it quite stressful and was so happy when we got home! 

Miss anything? I do miss feeling like a normal person...I kind of wish these hormones would settle down soon!

Movement: Still nothing, but I was pretty late feeling anything with Emilia too so I'm not really that surprised.

Food cravings: No...how boring!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Gender: We find out NEXT WEEK! I can't wait :)

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Cramping/stomach pains -- exactly how it was this time last pregnancy! My face is still breaking out a lot around my chin/jawline which I know is hormonal. And I have been feeling very emotional! Literally the smallest thing can set me off and make me cry!

Belly button in or out? In!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Moody/emotional! 

Looking forward to: Finding out what we're having! 

Check out my 18 week bump update from my first pregnancy here!

xoxo

Anna

Formal Night on the Cruise Ship!

Last night was formal night on the Liberty of the Seas cruise ship...and here's what happened when I try to take mommy/daughter outfit of the day pictures, ha ha ha! Life with a toddler is pretty exhausting, I feel like I'm getting a full workout just running around after her. I used to think people were being ridiculous when they'd say "oh I don't have a workout routine, I just run around after my kids", well now I understand what they mean!! 

I wore my one fancy maternity dress that I own! I bought this when I was pregnant with Emilia for my cousin's wedding. It's a pink tulip dress from ASOS.  My shoes (though you can't really see them here) are patent nude peep toe sling-backs from Carvela (surprisingly comfortable with a 3 inch heel). 

Here's a better look at Emilia's dress! She is wearing a Billieblush peach tulle dress which she also wore at her birthday party. Her grey bow & ballet pink headband are from Layniebug Designs and her shoes don't match at all but they are the only pair of proper walking shoes she has and as she grows out of them in 6 weeks, I only got one pair :( They are from Clark's. 

Here's a rather dark family photo of us at dinner! Jonathan is wearing a navy blue suit from Zara. Poor Emilia is still teething - she had a rough evening, hence the finger in her mouth! Her bottom molars are just coming through. 

We are docked in Nice, France today so I am looking forward to touring Monaco/Monte Carlo later this afternoon! I will let you guys know how it goes :)

xoxo

Anna

17 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2!

I am 17 weeks pregnant! And no, I did not move house...but the setting is very different! That's because we are on a cruise ship right now! I was actually just leaving Barcelona, Spain when we took these bump shots :) I am so excited to share more from my trip with you guys, but for now here is my 17 week pregnancy update!

How far along? 17 weeks!

Total weight gain: No idea as obviously there's no scale on the ship ;)

Maternity clothes? Packing for this trip was really difficult...it was kind of a last minute thing so I wasn't prepared at all in terms of maternity wear being that I just bought a whole new autumn/winter wardrobe but none of those items are really appropriate for the destinations we'll be travelling to on this cruise! So I ended up taking a mish-mash of different things but now that we're here I'm realising just how badly I did...ha ha. It's hard packing for different weather in various country but especially when pregnant!

Stretch marks? No new ones.

Sleep: Good :)

Best moment this week: Going on a cruise was pretty epic! 

Miss anything? Not right now!

Movement: No :( I have thought I felt something at times but I don't know...then I stop to feel and realise it's nothing.

Food cravings: None this week!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Gender: We find out in about two weeks!!  

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Cramping/stomach pains - and I literally just read on my last 17 week pregnancy update that I was suffering from the same thing! So that makes me feel a lot better. My boobs have also gotten huge again and I'm back into my maternity bras...boo! :(   

Belly button in or out? In!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy but verrrrry emotional!

Looking forward to: Enjoying my first cruise! :)

Check out my 17 week bump update from my last pregnancy here!

xoxo

Anna

Halloween Decor 2013!

Seasonal table in our living/dining room.  All candles and holders are from Yankee Candle, pumpkins are from the Farmers' Market, felt bats are from Lidl a few years ago and black/purple roses are from Hanley's Seasonal Shop.

Our dinner table

Love this candy cane scented candle from Yankee Candle! The other one I got was Trick or Treat. I smelled another one while in the shop called Happy Halloween and didn't like it. These two are very sweet & dessert-like which I love :) They make the house smell yummy!

Laundry room door - the wreath is from Hanley's (2-3 years ago) and the felt pumpkin decoration is from Lidl.

Hall/entry way - I can't remember where I got the felt witchy bunting from...maybe a craft shop? And the pumpkin lantern & decorations are from my mom a few years ago.

This creepy welcome sign lights up and is from Hanley's (last year). We used to hang it on our front door but now we keep it inside as it likes to blow away when it gets too windy!

Trick or Treat sign on our downstairs bathroom door (right at the front entrance). I bought this at Hanley's this year.

Our Halloween wreath (this lights up too) also from Hanley's Seasonal Shop, bought this year.

Spot the cute baby! Ha ha ha! :) Emilia is obsessed with the Halloween decorations - everytime I put a new one up she gets excited and wants to touch it or say hello. Holidays are so much more fun with children :)

xoxo

Anna

Grey on Grey Outfit of the Day!

This outfit features two of the items I got from ASOS maternity - the grey acid wash jeans and the striped jumper. I'm also wearing my charcoal grey Dune biker boots from about 3-4 years ago. I really like how relaxed & comfortable this outfit is, although the jeans are skintight so do not put them on after applying body lotion...let's just say it won't be an easy task!!  

xoxo

Anna

What My Toddler Eats

I've been asked quite a few times to do a post on what Emilia eats in a typical day, so yesterday I took pictures of everything she had (bar one mini Milky Way Celebration that her dad snuck in that afternoon when I wasn't looking!).  Here's what she had!

Breakfast

Emilia almost always either has porridge or Weetabix for breakfast.  I give her Flahavans Organic Quick Oats with organic whole milk, blueberries, cinnamon and 1/2 a banana cut lengthways. (She finds them easier to pick up this way!)  In her sippy cup she normally gets either water or orange juice, if we have it.

Lunch

For lunch I usually make her a sandwich of some kind.  One of her favourites is a wholegrain tuna bagel with mayo, cucumber and cherry tomatoes.  Sometimes she'll have a Babybel cheese too.  She usually eats about half of this...maybe a little more.  She likes to take off the top and eat the bottom half of the bagel with all the filling on!  To drink she either gets water or whole milk - today it was water.

Dinner

For dinner Emilia normally has whatever we're eating.  Tonight it was chicken korma with green beans, peppers & onion.  She had hers with chopped up naan bread which she loves!  To drink she had some whole milk.  

Snacks

For dessert Emilia had some grapes cut in half with a baby yoghurt. Her favourite are the Glenisk fromage frais which come in a few different flavours.  She usually has one of these and a piece of fruit for dessert.

I also normally give her another piece of fruit like an apple and these Ella's Kitchen organic cheese & tomato puffits for an afternoon snack but she didn't have one today.  

Like I've said before, I don't claim to be perfect and neither Emilia nor I eat 100% healthy all of the time. I try to give her healthy & nutritious snacks/meals during the week but if we go out or visit my family at the weekends she definitely has dessert or sweets, just in reasonable portions. No food is off-limits, everything is allowed but in moderation :)

I hope this helped answer some of your questions and maybe even gave you guys some meals/snack ideas for your little ones!  

xoxo

Anna

Fall Makeup Routine!

One of my most popular requests has always been how I do my everyday makeup. I will be the first to say that it very rarely changes which is why I don't do a lot of these posts but I have switched up quite a few products this season so here is an update on my look.  I usually go for neutral warm tones, a soft smokey eye and a nude lip.

Here are the products I use everyday:

Concealer - Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Concealer in Medium Light

Foundation - Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Ivory Beige

Eyeshadow Primer - Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden

Powder - Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparent

Contour - HD Brows Bronzer

Blush - Nars Orgasm

Highlight - LA Creative Illuminating Powder in Stardust

Brows - HD Brows Kit in Vamp (a mix of Medium Brown & Dark Brown)

Eyeshadow - (From Smashbox Studio Pop Palette) Bliss on browbone & inner corner, Cinnamon Toast on lid, Doe & Rapture in crease, lower & upper lashline

Eyeliner - Be a Bombshell in Onyx & Urban Decay 24/7 Perversion

Mascara - CoverGirl Lashblast Fusion

Lipstick - Rimmel Airy Fairy Lipstick

My eyebrows badly need to be plucked but I think one of the puppies stole my tweezers...no joke!!  It's the second one that's gone missing! :(  

Anyway, I hope this clears up any questions you guys may have had about how I do my makeup. To watch the tutorial, check out my YouTube channel!

xoxo

Anna

16 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2!

How far along? 16 weeks!

Total weight gain: 11lbs - stayed the same since last week which puts me at 126.

Maternity clothes? Loving my new ASOS stuff :)

Stretch marks? No new ones.

Sleep: I can't complain...I even quite enjoy the crazy prego dreams! It's like watching a movie everytime I go to sleep! 

Best moment this week: Getting my new car & driving. I love it so much now...there is truly no comparison to driving manual! Automatic is the best thing ever!!

Miss anything? Not really.

Movement: No :( I was hoping to feel something this week but so far, nothing. At one point I did think I felt the baby but it turned out to be just indigestion...ha ha ha!

Food cravings: I didn't really have any this week!  

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.

Gender: We still don't know! We find out soon though :)

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Like I said last week I have my energy back which is wonderful! My skin is breaking out like crazy though...I feel like everytime I wake up there's a new spot. Not fun. I have been getting a touch of heartburn here & there but nothing too bad. And the last two days I've had horrible bouts of nausea all of a sudden in the mornings (always at the same time) which is weird because I thought my morning sickness had gone! But it turns out it was just because I changed my prenatals and I take them in the morning with my breakfast (which you probably shouldn't do but I am always afraid I'll forget later!). So it was those taken on a not-full-enough stomach that were making me feel sick. 

Belly button in or out? In!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Err...I'm going to say happy!

Looking forward to: Something special happening next week ;)

Want to compare this bump with the last one? Check out my 16 week bump update here! 

xoxo

Anna

ASOS Fall Fashion Picks!

Here's what I picked up from ASOS for the upcoming autumn/winter season!  Three pairs of skinny jeans - ASOS Maternity Skinny Jeans in Dark Vintage Wash £30, ASOS Maternity Black Slim Fit Jeans £28, ASOS Maternity Ridley Ultra Skinny Jean in Grey £15. I got these all in a size W26 L30. (I am 5'4")

Ravel Lace Up Shoe Boot with Leopard Heel (Size 5) £42.

Blink Cuban Heel Boot with Studs (Size 5) £40.

New Look Maternity Love Heart Jumper (Size 8) £19.99.

ASOS Maternity Exclusive Jumper with Crochet Collar (Size 8) £32. 

New Look Maternity Eyelash Knit Jumper (Size 8) £16.99.

ASOS Maternity Jumper in Stripe (Size 6) £15.

ASOS Maternity Exclusive Wrap Cardigan in Neppi (Size 8) £28.

New Look Maternity Lace Shoulder Jumper (Size 8) £21.99.

Hope you enjoyed my picks!  Let me know which is your favourite!  I think mine are the leopard boots or the eyelash knit cardigan (so soft and cuddly!).

xoxo

Anna

What I Ate Wednesday!

Here are today's eats!  

Breakfast

Weetabix with almond milk and a handful of almonds (we had no bananas :( )

Emilia has the same except with regular cow's milk instead of almond & heated up :)  Oh, and check out her shiner! :(  She got this yesterday when she slipped and fell while walking in the living room.  I still have no idea what caused such a bruise! It seems she gets them everyday now that she's toddling around the place!

Lunch

We went to Costa for lunch as it's across the road from where I picked up my new car.  This is my all-time favourite lunch choice - the chicken fajita wrap.  It's made with chicken, cheese, peppers and fajita sauce plus they toast it for you which makes it even yummier.  I also ordered a medium decaf coffee.

Dinner

We spent almost the entire day out so I had no snacks today!  Dinner was chicken chow mein made by Jonathan with wholewheat noodles and peppers...actually kind of similar to lunch now that I think of it!  But so good!

Dessert

Oh.My.God. I was not expecting to fall so deeply in love with this cake!  My mom offered me a slice of this zucchini cake that my sister Emma baked over the weekend.  I am not a fussy eater and will try anything but I definitely did not think that zucchini could be involved in the making of such a delicious sweet treat!  I would describe this as very similar to carrot cake in terms of texture & taste, and the cream cheese frosting was to die-for!!  If I could have eaten 50 slices I would!  

xoxo

Anna

Feeling Better!

Today Emilia was finally feeling a little better (still not 100% but definitely better!).  Her appetite is coming back and she was not as clingy today but she is sleeping a lot and we have been giving her little pea-sized amounts of teething gel to help reduce the pain.  

Here is her outfit of the day!  She's wearing a beautiful dress from Zara Baby which my mom got her, white tights and dark pink shoes from Boots Miniclub a sage green Layniebug Designs bow.  When we went out she wore a rust coloured cardigan to match her dress.  I am in love with this outfit!  I think I want to get some darker tights for the autumn though...the warm cable knit ones are so pretty!

In other news the dogs got groomed today so they are all lovely and sweet-smelling.  I am picking up my new car tomorrow - it took a while longer to get it ready as I opted for this water resistant seat protection stuff (I can't for the life of me remember the name of it!!) to be put on the leather so it would be safe from any spillages made by babies/puppies/etc. ;)  I sold my Beetle yesterday and was a bit sad to see it go as it was my first car and the one I learned to drive in!  But I know it's off to a good home :)

xoxo

Anna

15 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2!

Poor Emilia has a back tooth coming up (I can feel it with my finger now) and she woke up crying and in lots of pain twice last night, then ended up falling asleep in bed with mommy.  The poor little thing has not been herself all day - acting super clingy and upset, wanting to be held by me all the time, barely eating and rarely smiling or laughing (so unlike her).  So it was very difficult to peel myself away from her for ten minutes to film and then by the time I got to take pictures it was almost dark so the lighting sucks...and as you can tell she would not leave my side :(  I really hope she gets better soon!  

How far along? 15 weeks!

Total weight gain: 11lbs - I weigh 126lbs as of this morning, gained 3lbs in the last 2 weeks!

Maternity clothes? Did some major damage on ASOS this week so expect some maternity haulage in the next few days!

Stretch marks? No new ones.

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty well and the crazy pregnancy dreams have started...last night I dreamt I was devouring a huge piece of meat, ha ha ha!! It sounds gross but meat is my craving right now so it was actually pretty heavenly!

Best moment this week: Buying my new car :)  I get it tomorrow, I think.  I can't wait!

Miss anything? I actually wrote this in my last 15 week update too but I miss my clear skin!  It is breaking out big time right now and during the summer it got so nice & clear :(  I wish it would have stayed like that just a little while longer!

Movement: All the baby books/apps/etc. tell me that now is the time to start feeling some movement, especially if it's my second pregnancy.  But I haven't felt anything yet!

Food cravings: Savoury stuff, salty snacks, meat.  

Anything making you queasy or sick: I wouldn't say this is making me queasy or sick but I've been really turned off biscuits lately...there are so many unopened packets of Oreos & Caramel Digestives in our cupboard right now, normally these kinds of things don't last long in our house!  But for some reason the thought of biscuits makes my mouth feel dry & scratchy...it's weird!

Gender: No idea but a part of me still thinks girl!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: I am definitely feeling a lot better this week and a lot more energetic.  I think stopping the breastfeeding has helped and I'm beginning to feel more like myself and 2nd trimester-ish! I've started working out again and don't get so exhausted during the day...it's very nice!  I'm still very emotional but maybe not as bad as last week.  Hormonal acne is going strong, as I mentioned before.  And I have had 1 or 2 episodes of heartburn but I'm not sure if this is pregnancy related or not yet!  I did have it pretty bad in my last pregnancy so I'm not looking forward to that!

Belly button in or out? In!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: A mixture of both :)  

Looking forward to: Getting my new car!

Snuggling with daddy <3 

Look at that sad face :( 

xoxo

Anna