Written by Tracey Tripp

Why family is so important

There is that saying “you can’t choose your family but you can choose your friends” This is so true. During my teenage years, I wanted a “normal family” It wasn’t until I reached my late teens that I realised that there is no such thing.

I am blessed with friends and have great work colleagues but I know no matter what I have the backing of a great family. Now, obviously, not all family members get on. I have an amazing relationship with my Mum and with my only Daughter, but I want to talk about my relationship with my sister.

My sister’s name is Jasmine and you cannot find two people which are more different. We are most definitely chalk and cheese. I work in Sales, love being creative and if there’s a party I am probably one of the last to leave, I could be chatting to someone for hours with absolutely no concept of time at all. Jasmine works in payroll, on a night out, will ask the bartender if she can have a cup of tea and cannot wait to get home.

My sister Jasmine.

However that being said, My sister is one of my best friends. We have such a strong bond. On average I reckon I speak to Jasmine once a day. Even though we live about 20 miles from each other, we find time for other. We have grown up supporting each other through thick and thin. In fact Jasmine is always supportive of me, her enthusiasm for anything that I do gives me a warm glow. I actually have 2 sisters, Hannah is my other sister and is just 16 years old so naturally I am closer to Jasmine.

We have the strangest fallings out. We can argue badly at each other and if you were an outsider looking at us. You would think that any friendship would be damaged forever. Not us, we have had the biggest blow ups. We can literally scream at each other down the phone until one of us hangs up, I will shout something along the lines of “your never welcome in my home again” then within 30 minutes she lets herself in to my home, puts the kettle on and turns to me asking if I want a drink! It’s just so cheeky that it’s laughable which is what I do. 5 minutes later were nattering away like nothing has happened.

Although Jasmine and myself do not share the same fashion trends and are different on so many levels. We do share the same morals and we both have a taste for nice restaurants and places. One of Jasmine’s favourite things to do is to have a high tea. I am not much of a cake type person myself and avoid cream but we always end up in nice places. We both have such appreciation for our surroundings.

Picture of when I treated Jasmine to the Orient express – British Pullman London – Paris.

Jasmine has the kindest heart and is such a grounded person. Over the years, Jasmine has joined my Daughter and myself on many holidays, day trips, meals or just to chill out.

There is no way I could have been so successful at work without her help. In fact without her help I would have really struggled. When my daughter was younger, little things like being stuck on the motorway and not being able to get to the nursery to pick up my Daughter in time involved a call to Jasmine to ask if she could pick up my gorgeous girl. If my work load was so bad, my sister was kind enough to come round and give a hand with dinner and it was just nice for someone to make a cuppa whilst getting things done. For any single parent mum with a career, it is so nice to have that support.

I definitely do not take my relationship with her for granted. We all work hard but having quality time with family is so important. We have so many stories which we can both laugh at and sometimes cry. I have learnt over the years that the work, life balance is so important.

I completely dedicate this blog to my sister, (aka my best friend, supporter)

Below is a picture of us, taken many moons ago. Jasmine on the left and I am on the right in the gorgeous green tights.

I saw this cup and one of the sayings it had printed on it “sisters are different flowers from the same garden” If you are looking for a gift for your sister, click on the image below.

Thank you for reading

Tracey xx

Food & Drink

Gousto Home cooking – What’s in my box

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I have recently ordered the Gousto food in a box, I took advantage of the special offer they are running. I prefer buying fresh foods and adding vegetables, which my Daughter tells me spoils the food. I thought this would be a great idea as life is very busy. If I can take away another chore of food shopping then happy days!

Also my food shop turns out quite expensive as we always end up buying than expected. Hoping this may save a few pennies.

I’ll be putting up my videos of me showing the cooking and hopefully not ruining the food as that will be embarrassing.

Have a look at the video below.

PART 1. UNBOXING

Saw this trendy little gadget, which would be great for home cooking. Click on image below for more details.

beauty

Trying and testing Clinique’s products at their “You time”event.

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I was invited to a “You Time” Blogging event at the Mall in Cribbs Causeway, Bristol. After attending the last Beauty event I made sure on my arrival I had not refreshed my make-up, even though it was the end of the day and needed doing. I knew they would be taking it straight off, so I just didn’t bother.

Arriving at the Clinique counter, I was greeted by Tom, one of the Clinique’s representatives. Now, as most of my readers will know, I am a UK National Account Manager during the day and service means so much to me. I instantly liked Tom due to the fact he greeted me by name and remembered me from my prior visit. Little touches like this are so important to me as a consumer.

Sitting down, nice and relaxed I was offered cucumber water from the dispenser. I felt this really fitted the look of the Clinique counter. I had my remains of make up removed. Tom, applied a very gentle 2 in 1 micellar cleanser gel and light makeup remover to my face. This went around the eyes and didn’t sting once. What surprised me most was the fact that he needed a few cotton wool pads as the dirt kept coming off! Which was a bit embarrassing. I thought I was pretty good with my strict cleansing routine.

The sonic brush was used on my face. The brush it’s self is not abrasive and Tom explained how this cleanses deep into the pores without damaging the skin. I asked about the other versions on the market and what makes clinique’s so different. I was advised that others have been known to stretch the pores. The sonic brush comes as a set. I did feel that my skin had a “deep clean”. A few days after the event I did break out with a few spots, which is rare for me. I some times may suffer with 1 but had 4 in one go, which didn’t thrill me. As I have only used this product once, it’s hard for me to say it was defiantly an effect from having this “deep clean” though. £79.00

Clarifying lotion no.3 was then applied. I love these bottles that just look so clean and fresh. Clarifying lotion is actually a exfoliant which I did not know. I always thought this was just a toner. Tom told me how this is kind enough to the skin to be used daily £27.50 400ml

Dramatically different moisturiser was then applied to my face. Currently Dramatically different is the UK’s no.1 moisturiser. One sold every 5 seconds, which is amazing. I personally think that the price is spot on for 125ml £30 (Boots) If I compare this to my current cream which is No.7 Protect and Perfect Intense Advanced day cream which is £25 for 50ml. I never actually picked up on how little cream I was actually getting for my money until today. I have just found a saving to my skin care range without trying. The great thing I found about dramatically different is it soaks straight into the skin and does not feel greasy at all. I have combination skin so this is great for me. £30.00 125ml

I also tried Moisture surge hydrating supercharged concentrate which hydrates your skin instantly. It has little beads which contain vitamin c and e. I really like the sound of this plus it did feel nice on my skin. This is a product I would like to try over a week or more to see the difference to give a more accurate opinion. I was told the beads are soft enough for the eye area and it also acts as a primer. £34.00 48ml

Currently there is an offer at Clinique where if you buy 2 items (one from skin care or foundation) you receive a gift set shown below. If you purchase a 3rd product, you would also receive the Jonathan Alder eyeshadow kit and the smart night custom moisturiser. Being the Person that loves a good deal I would make sure I took advantage of these offers as I would be getting so much more for my money.

Clinique have teamed up with designer Jonathan Alder, the summer products look quite bold and funky.

My overall experience of Clinique from looking at their products and chatting with the Clinque representative, is that Clinque is aimed at everyone. They have products for Men and Women at all ages, with different skin types. Clinique do a free diagnostic of your skin which helps you pick the right products, which is perfect for those that suffer with skin complaints. I never knew that when Clinque was first developed it was a prescription only product.

I definitely think that there are a few products that Clinique’s pricing is much better than most perceive it to be.

Whilst I was there I witnessed a Couple come over and greet Tom with such familiarity. When he returned to me, I asked if that they were friends or family. Yes, I am that nosy! I was told that it was one of his Customers. Going back to what I have said at beginning about service, this speaks volumes. Clinique seem to massive on looking after their Customer’s which makes people return. It’s hardly surprising that with a good product and a high level of service that their moisturiser is no.1. in UK.

Hope you enjoyed my blog. Thank you for reading. Please show your love by liking and sharing with your friends and family. If you would be interested in more of my blogs please follow me by pressing the “follow me” link.

Tracey xx

Food & Drink

Pimms or Austins (Aldi’s own brand)

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Our English summer is still upon us. Every year, we hear, a heat wave is coming! This year we have been blessed with some spectacular sunny days. Us Brits love our bright sunny days where we take to the supermarkets invest in new Barbeques, outside furniture, plenty of bbq food and the summer alcohol. Inviting friends and family over for food and drinks and lots of laughter.

In the past my tipple has been wine or proscecco and if I am feeling in that celebratory mood then popping a cork of champagne is not unheard of. In the Summer we tend to change our drinking habits and try something more fruity with plenty of ice.

This Season I seem to have taken a occasional liking for a gin and tonic with a slice of lime, however my household favourite this Summer has been Pimms, mixed with strawberries, oranges and cucumber with plenty of lemonade, ice cubes and mint leaves to garnish. It tastes like a complete treat on the taste buds. Although alcoholic drinks are deemed unhealthy, for some psychological reason for me, it seems a tad more healthier than any other alcoholic drink, this may be due to fruit I put in. The best part for me is after a couple of glasses, the next morning I do not have a hangover. Fantastic result as some weekends in the past, after a few glasses of wine it can really turn me into a gremlin the next day. Yep, keeping away from bright light, just lots of food and being a grumpy cow.

One Friday evening, I needed a few bits from the shops and popped into the local Aldi. I had gone in and bought all my fruit required for my “Pimms” Just before the till I spotted a bottle of what looked like Pimms which I was going to have to pick up in the next Shop. I read the label of the Austin’s classic summer punch and you could see it was the comparison but the best part was that it was only £6.99. I thought I would give it a go. This also saved me popping to the next shop to get the “Pimms” and saving about £9.00. 1 lt Pimms currently selling at £16.00. At the till the Cashier commented on my bottle informing me how good it was. This was encouraging!

That evening I put my ice cubes, fruit and my fake pimms (Aldi’s Austin Summer punch) and lemonade into the jug, hoping I had made the right choice. I placed a straw in the glass and took a sip……I liked it! RESULT.

The following week, at a moments notice I was told the family were coming around mine and we were having a takeaway. Here was my chance to do a test, I prepared my jug of punch, to my liking. Sitting on the kitchen side was a bottle of used Pimms but I had made the punch using Aldi’s Austin Summer punch. To the unsuspecting eye one would assume it was Pimms as no other bottle was to be seen. As they entered my kitchen I offered a glass of the ready made punch. “Yes please I do like a Pimms” came the replies. It was quite a warm day, it was going down a treat. They had no idea that it wasn’t the real thing. At the time I didn’t want to say as I wanted to see if it was noticeable. That evening the jug of Summer punch went down well with no complaints only compliments.

I would say if you are drinking these two drinks straight (which no one does) the difference is there, Pimms is stronger. However once mixed with your fruits, mint leaves and cold lemonade I find it very hard to notice. Pimms is also has a stronger percentage of alcohol at 25% Aldi’s Austins Summer punch is 17.5%

I now am converted to Aldi’s Austin Summer punch which not only tastes great but saves on average £9 a bottle! Fantastic saving

Its also so versatile you can mix the drink to suit you. I will be trying it soon with pomegranate juice instead of lemonade.

I have not made home made ice lollies with the punch just yet. I can already imagine that with small pieces of fruit and with the lovely colour plus with the kick of alcohol these would go down so well. A definite Instagram moment to come.

I now just wish for the sunny weather to come back so I can enjoy a glass in the garden.

beauty

Yves Saint Laurent Beauty Event July 2017 – review of products

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This was my very first beauty event and I had been looking forward to it all week. I woke up that Morning with a sense of exhilaration. That Morning as I started work in front of my laptop, I felt like shampoo had just been placed in my eyes. The pain was immense. They stung so bad and tears were flowing down my face. I looked in the mirror, to my horror, my eyes had become so swollen that I resembled Will Smith in the film Hitched. I am surprised the mirror didn’t shatter. Hayfever had got me. Not usually one to suffer on this extent. Trying to work through the day with blurry bloodshot swollen and very painful eyes. I had a tissue in one hand wiping the tears and inside I was praying my eyes would improve. After taking more antihistamines and applying eye drops. I made the decision at end of the day, that regardless of my situation, I was still attending. I just would not have my photo taken, as if I struggled to look in the mirror, I certainly did not want my picture on this blog.

I arrived at Boots, the Mall, Cribbs Causeway in Bristol looking like I had spent the day crying and headed straight for the Yves Saint Laurent counter. I could see Ladies gathered around the beauty counter. Laid out were fresh strawberries and glasses of fizz and little goodie bags on the shelf. I was greeted by the beautiful girls with their very perfect make up.

I have been looking after my skin since I was 13 years old. Being the age I am now, 35…cough cough (41) how I wear my makeup has changed over the years. I spend a fortune on my creams and makeup and I am always on the look out for “that” best product. Over time I have found amazing products which makes my skin glow and it feels like years have been taken off. (Hurrah to that) I have certain expectations also from my makeup. Not one to over do my makeup as I think during the week a much more subtle look suits me better.

A few things that are very important to me is good skin tone and that my complexion is not dull in appearance. Having small eyebrows I like to make sure they look very neat and tidy. My eyelashes are quite fair at the ends and mascara completely changes this for me. A good mascara is one of my beauty essentials as it really compliments my eyes and makes them look awake. I am quite lucky to have good lips and with the right products, this can really give me a nice “pout”.

Things I require from my makeup-

Not to cake my skin, as this definitely enhances any fine lines (why on earth would I want to accentuate this!)
I want a product that I apply in the morning that will not fade within a couple of hours (Last thing I need, is to apply in the Morning, have a 3 hour drive and look like I have not bothered)
I want good quality products with longitivtiy (No one wants to spend their well earned money to find it’s empty after a couple of weeks, which has been the case)

Going to back to the event, I was sat down to be given a makeover. The Lady who was looking after me could see how my eyes were very bad. My make up was taken off and I was reassured that their eye cream would assist also.

During the make over I found 2 products which really stood out for me.

At the time I was also shown a beauty tip, which my friend’s and I have been trying out. Please click on the video below.

I will go through all the products used and the prices I was given at the time.

Products used –

Forever Youth liberator serum. £66.00 30ml. – Informed this will make my skin more radiant.

Forever Youth liberator creme £67.00 50ml – Apparently you only need a very small amount when applying this.

Forever Youth liberator eye serum £50.00 15ml – Due to my poorly eyes. I was informed this brings down puffiness, inflammation and targets wrinkles. I googled this product after the event, this has received 7 noble prizes! It certainly did feel like it had soothed the area.

Makeup

Touche Eclat Blur Primer £29.50 30ml – I always use primer as it’s a staple part of my beauty routine. I was actually amazed by the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Blur Primer. I was informed at the time this is one of YSL best sellers, behind the well know touch eclait concealer. It has a rather gloppy constancy but does not feel greasy or sticky. You only need a pea sized amount and it made my skin super soft. At first I was apprehensive as the bottle shows gold flecks and I did not want a glittery face. Once applied you can barely see the glitter and it is supposed to reflect light. This became a must have product for me as I have found other primers to be to oily or I have felt like I have used cement mix. Very light and very smooth. I purchased this at the time due to how impressed I was.

Touche Eclat Radiant Touche Highlighting Pen £25.50 – I sit on the fence on this product. So many people love this, but currently I am using 2 other products (not at the same time) Estee Lauder’s double wear concealer and Benefits Boi-ing. I find this was on a par.

Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation fluid £33.50 30ml – This was applied to half my face. Colour B40 was applied and this was a perfect match to my skin. I loved the feel and look of this.

Touche Eclat Cushion Foundation £40.00 – This was applied to the other half of my face. B30 was used. It looked amazing on my skin. However this actually did feel like I was wearing a more heavier foundation. At the end of the evening I felt like I had a mask on one side of face and took it off. Complete thumbs up to the packaging on this product is just pure luxury and I was told you can buy refills.

Souffle d’Eclat loose powder £38.00 Powder was applied over my entire face. The powder felt soft and light. It did not cake my skin which can happen with other powders where they enhance the fine lines around the eye area.

Touche Eclat Glow Shot – £22.50 This highlighter was applied to the top of the cheek bones and above my lip. Doing this is meant to enhance the cupids bow and give that fuller effect pout on your lips. I could see how this shimmered under my eyes. You only need such a small amount of this product. This can be taken in your hand bag for a night out and applied over makeup when needed.

Couture Palettes (Eyeshadow) £43.50 Savage escape was used on my eyes. I loved the packaging and I loved the colours. I did not find the eyeshadows creased and it stayed on all evening. The packaging is very luxurious and this could be a perfect gift set also.

The Shock Mascara £23.00 I own a lot of Mascaras! Mascara really enhances my lashes. I tried “The Shock” mascara. I actually said at the time…wow! This mascara gives a really full thicker lash effect. It actually was false lashes in a instant. The brush is different to normal also. The only bad point I have is that it is not water proof and now being a new hay fever suffer my eyes run and so the Mascara comes off. The effect is amazing I just need to be choosy and be hay fever free when wearing this.

Rouge Pur Couture Star Clash edition no 70 £27.00 – The final piece to complete the make over was the lipstick. This was a limited edition. This was very light and natural on me. It was not sticky nor did it have a funny taste.

I did leave the event feeling quite wonderful which was not a feeling I had on arrival.

Thank you to Chloe Thresher. Picture of Chloe having her make up done. Her blog is http://www.beautyandthegirl.co.uk

How to gain more time June 2017, Lifestyle

5 ways to gain more time

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Can you gain more time? YES

Can you find time to do hobbies? YES

No one wishes they spent more time working!

Okay, so this is my very first post, as this is something I had to do in order to get more out of my life, I am guessing if you have stumbled upon this blog, it’s either because you know me and would like to be nosey (which I actively encourage) or maybe the title grabbed you and your way off balance in your life. If its the latter, I am hoping what I have done in my life is helpful to you.

As a Single Parent to my 15 year old Daughter and in the day I am a National Key Account Manager travelling all over the UK looking after the Hotel and Leisure sector, I needed more time!!

We all get 168 hours per week. I will keep reverting back to time.

Imagine if I said, I could give you a extra ten hours a week to do what you want! You probably would say I was crazy and wonder if I lived on the same planet as you, bear with me.

I have changed my life and you can too! I now am less stressed, allow myself to enjoy the present moment and have found that my relationship with my Daughter and others have improved greatly.

1. SET GOALS – Firstly if you want to enhance your life and do what you want, you must first, decide what you would like to do with the extra time! So do this now, grab a pen and paper…….anything will do, the scruffy piece of paper in your pocket, that had the list of groceries, has space on the back! Now write down what you would do with an extra 10 hours per week. Read more books, take up a course, learn that foreign language, take up running, maybe even attend the gym that you have a 12 year subscription with but haven’t attended since January.

2. DIARISE – Now your all hopefully wired on what you have decided to do with your extra time, Think of yourself as one of the Elite where every minute is money that you earn. Write down a list of things you do in your week. Now be honest, write down everything. The more you put, the more you will find. I have been pretty simplistic here, the more descriptive the more you will gain:-

Example:-

Monday. Get up 6.30am get ready.

7.30, leave for work, drop the Kid’s off at the child minders.

8.45am arrive in work.

1pm, lunch (lunch what lunch! I work from my desk, shoving the sandwich I bought from the Grab a lunch van that comes around between calls)

5pm, finish. Battle with traffic for the drive home, pick the Kid’s up whilst being attacked by the other children also waiting to be picked up. Quick chin wag with one of the other Parent’s on how bad the traffic was.

6.15-6.20pm Finally, arrive home. Is It time for Bed now? Of course not, now the Kids have just starting fighting and the Dinner has to be cooked and I have School home work to help with.

6.20pm, I need time out, but Dinner needs cooking. Tonight will be simple, using the left over chicken from yesterdays roast, A bit of this and bit of that.

6.45pm All food prepped and in the oven, now time for a quick cuppa (Monday is to early for a glass of wine) and chill before Dinner is served, ah the sofa, turn on the tv, scroll through facebook,

7.15pm Dinner is served.

7.30pm Kids have eaten like they are starving. Not even sure they have chewed the food before swallowing, I am left with empty plates and dishes to be cleaned.

8pm, Kids in the bath and put in the bedclothes whilst going through their spelling which was set as home work.

8.45pm Kids are in bed and I have survived yet another day. I have missed what I wanted on tv, hurrah for catch up.

9pm, Back in to the Sitting room as I need to just relax, hoping to catch the film (what happened in Vegas) Yes, I have seen it before, about 3 times now, but it’s a easy watch and funny plus I need something light hearted as my brain is fried. Also need to catch up with my friend Sasha via text and see how her weekend went with the In-Laws.

11pm Time for bed, film went on longer than I expected due to adverts but I caught up with Sasha and arranged a meal out soon.

11-11.15pm, getting undressed, teeth brushed, make up off, creams applied. 11.30pm sleep. DAY OVER.

Does this sound familiar? This is just a mere example but be as specific as you can and as I mentioned before be honest. This will not work if you are not willing to see how you exactly spend your days within the week. Are you addicted to looking at your work emails when you have finished work? Do you have daily phone calls or spend time texting and the time just disappears? Are you helping Someone to much where perhaps others could lend a hand?

3. LOOK – So we have now established what you are looking to do with the extra time and what you do with your time. I will say it again we all get 168 hours per week. So say for instance you do a 40 hour week plus your commuting, calling this a 50 hour week. We also have to sleep. I personally need 7 hours of sleep every night, so taking this into account, I have added a extra hour basing it on a whole 8 hours of sleep per night which is 56 hours per week. So we are now left with 62 hours. Now weekends are different, we have already allocated the sleep time so we have 24 hours x 2 (-16 hours of sleep already taken into account) We then have 32 hours on a weekend which now leaves us with 30 hours for the week. 30 hours dividing this by 5 equals 6 hours per day. Hopefully your still following. Look at your figures? where are you spending your time?

4. LET GO – When I looked at my time I realised I spent 2 hours a week at home just watching EastEnders. I gave it up! This sounds like some sort of drug! Its good to look at it that way. What did I gain from watching it? Nothing! It was my habit. One I had since the story line was Michelle, sharon and Ian were all at School and they were putting a band together, Yes, a long time. Not only did I put a soap series to one side, but now our television is not used in the same way any more. I gained time which I was just loosing. I started being more creative. I began to meditate which has been amazing for me. I also stopped looking at emails in the evening and causing myself unnecessary worry which would cause me to be snappy. I also took an hour each Morning to get ready, I have also found shortcuts here too.

5. LIVE FOR NOW. Its entirely your choice how you want to live and how you wish to spend your time. If you hear some one saying they do not have time, it’s rubbish it actually means that they can not be bothered.

Do you have time for the gym? True answer Yes, but it’s hard work and it’s so much easier to park up on the sofa and blame being tired or having children as a excuse. Again I use this as a example. If you want to do something then you find a way.

Don’t be envious of what others achieve in their week. Jump on board!

LIVE YOUR LIFE! Make your moments count.

I do hope you enjoyed my blog. Please follow me. If you have any tips which also would help people for time management, please comment below, plus I would love to hear from you.

COMPETITIONS

INSPIRED BY T IS HAVING ITS 1ST COMPETITION

August 20, 2017by www.inspiredbyt.com3 Comments

Hello!

I am so excited to hold my first competition.

WIN A £20 GIFT VOUCHER FOR JOHN LEWIS/WAITROSE.

So easy to enter.

FOR TWITTER ENTRIES

Follow twitter page – @inspired_by_t
Retweet the competition post
Leave a comment on this page with the answer to the following question

What is my youngest sister called?

pssst, so easy, the answer, is under the about me page.

FOR FACEBOOK ENTRIES

Follow the facebook page @InspiredyT
Share the post
Leave a comment on this page with the answer to the following question.

What is my youngest sister called?

pssst, so easy, the answer, is under the about me page.

IMPORTANT – I am running this competition myself and it is not associated with Facebook or Twitter. The competition is not sponsored or has any link with John Lewis or Waitrose direct.

If you are already following you can still be in with a chance of winning.

The voucher will be posted registered post and I will obtain proof of posting.

A winner will be chosen at random on 21st September 2017.

GOOD LUCK!

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