August 2019 Favourites


Well August is coming to an end and honestly I don't know where it has gone. I seem to have had a crazy none stop month will plenty to keep me entertained which is possibly why it flew by. So here are some of my favourites from the month.

Football
The EFL season came back which meant City kicked off their league 2 campaign. The month actually saw us win our first home game since March. The game was a good one and there was plenty to celebrate but honestly I had forgot that winning feeling and it was great to hear that final whistle go and us take 3 points. The NWSL also came to BT Sport here in the UK after being acquired by ESPN in the States, it means I can finally get cosy on the sofa downstairs and watch my favourites play over in the league rather than watching it on a buffering laptop screen.

Fashion
The weather was seriously mixed throughout August which meant I got to pick a variety of outfit choices and even got to wear some of my favourite summer items. One of my favourites has been my Primark shorts they are just so comfortable and are perfect for days out in the heat or just lounging around. The weather also meant I could bring out some of my favourite jackets and the one I have loved the most is my light denim one. It is just so easy to style and you don't get too warm in it. 

Lifestyle
In terms of lifestyle my main favourite is definitely getting a lot further with the back garden, it is just so nice seeing it all fall into place and take shape. The garden already looks a million times better. we have also got to start planning the new bathroom which I have loved doing, more for the reason that the house is getting closer to being completed. I have also loved spending time with the nephew again, its great to see him grow and develop his own little personality. 

Health & Fitness
In terms of health & fitness wise this section is seriously lacking as I actually didn't get to the gym much due to not feeling 100% and just being so busy. However, a definite favourite is Gymshark their products are amazing I love wearing them and really need to make another order very soon.

So there you have it those are my August favourites, what have been yours?


See you soon,
Lucy. 

Bathroom Wish List

It seems things in our house are just continuous now, we are putting the back garden on hold for now and even though we are half way through the spare room at the moment we are now looking at starting on the bathroom. All the bathroom suite has been picked out so now comes the fun part... picking the accessories. 


Photo from Next
I don't want a toilet roll holder attached to the wall so when I saw this one in Next I put it straight on the wish list. I love how you can have spares close by plus if it come in grey it is a big plus. I would need to check measurement but it should fit nicely between the toilet and the wall. 


Photo from Next
To go alongside this I love the matching bin, it is the right size for what we need it for and I think it looks really nice and simple too. The best part is that it is a pedal bin which I much prefer to the cheap looking plastic one we currently have. This is also from Next and is actually really affordable. 


Photo from Next
Finally from Next we have the matching toilet brush in grey, I just really want things to match so will be going with a grey, black and yellow theme I think as it keeps it all together and should look great. The toilet brush is also really affordable and won't take up too much room.


Photo from Argos
Next up we have a bath mat from argos in a grey geometric pattern. I love the colours on this and if fits the colour scheme perfectly, they also do matching towels for these which makes it even better in my opinion. I haven't had towels etc from Argos before, what is the quality like?
Finally we have some wire baskets from Primark, we have a bit of a walk in cupboard in the bathroom where I keep spares, towels and other little bits so I want to have a few of these in that cupboard to keep things nice and tidy. Most of our skincare items will be stored in a mirrored cabinet but these will be great for those items that we don't need daily. There shouldn't be a need for loads of these though as most items will be going into the spare room for when I do my hair. 


Now all we are waiting on is the our friend coming around to price up fitting the suite, cladding the room and knocking the wall out then we should be good to go. I really can't wait to get this room done as it is definitely one of the rooms that really drives me mad. Plus once this room is done we only need to do the hallway then we can have a break for a bit before finishing off the gardens and possibly redoing the kitchen. It is nice to see how everything is coming together and I will be doing a few bathroom posts to show the progress when things get started. 


Can you recommend anywhere for us to look at for accessories as this could all change by the time we get the room done?


See you soon,
Lucy.

Back Garden Update #2


You may remember back in July I did the a back garden update (you can read it here), well since that post progress slowed right down due to the bad weather. But with it getting closer to my birthday which we are hoping to be sat outside for and the bank holiday weather being absolutely brilliant me dad came round and really cracked on with getting more of the work done. He spent basically all day in the garden on Saturday whilst we went to the football and he has done a fantastic job once again. It is really starting to take shape and look absolutely brilliant.


He managed to get the railings up going across the front which I believe has transformed the area even more. It just separates the top from the bottom and looks so simple but brilliant. It is also a bit of a safety rail because it is a fair drop and I can just imagine someone having a few too many drinks and falling off the edge and I think I would be odds on favourite to be the first to fall of it. Plus when the nephew starts moving around at least he will be safer on it.

The railings look a little bare at the moment though so I think some caps will be going on top just to make them look a bit nicer. I am also very tempted to get some nice fairy type of lights to go over these for when we have parties and gatherings just to make it a little more cosy. The whole decking area is so big we also need to get some more furniture to fill it up a little bit our little table just looks so lost on it. 


My dad has also put in the first planter which was requested by Liam, I don't do gardening and definitely don't do plants but he has said he will look after them so let's see what he picks. I actually wasn't too sure about having these at first but they do look really nice and will be on each side of the steps. they will look even better though once they are filled and the bottom of the garden is completed. 


So all that is now left to do before my birthday is...

Put the fence up at the side of the decking
Finish off the front of the decking
Finish off building 1 more planter
Get rid of the green shed and get a nicer one
Get rid of all these weeds from the bottom of the garden
Find some lights just to brighten the whole area

We have decided we are going to leave the bottom of the garden until next year now as the weather is once again changing. Plus we are starting work on another room hopefully very soon which I can't wait to show you all, so keep your eyes out for that.

See you soon,
Lucy.

A Lot Of Recent Pick Ups

It is getting worse, I can go a while without buying anything but then I can go out and go totally overboard with purchases. Which is exactly what has happened over the passed few weeks. Thanks to plenty of trips into Bradford, the White Rose and even a trip to York Designer Outlet, I don't think my bank account is my friend but here is what I have picked up lately...

At the designer outlet I had to take a trip to the Levi's store. The t-shirt from there that I already own are some of my favourites, in fact they are also probably my best fitting t-shirts. So when I saw these 2 for just £14 each I wasn't leaving without them. The black will probably become my go to top but the blue is definitely something different for me as it is a bit brighter than what I usually wear.


Next up was a trip to the Nike Outlet which was always going to be dangerous but I did well and only came away with one pair of trainers, which was these women's Court Borough Mid ones. I was in desperate need of a new pair of all white Nikes as my Air Force 1's are starting to fall apart and just don't look as good as they used to. At only £20 these are an absolute bargain.


I have also had a few more trips to Primrk where I picked up this Endless t-shirt for just £3, to be honest I only got this as I want to add more colour to my wardrobe but it actually looks really nice.


 I then also got another black t-shirt with an embroidered logo on it because I am definitely never going to stray away from them no matter how many coloured tops I buy I am sure they will still be out numbered by black ones. 


I got some more shorts literally because they were £2 a pair. I won't be swimming in them unless I get in the nephews paddling pool but I have found they are great for lounging around in the garden in as the weather warms up. I definitely won't be heading out of the garden in the cactus ones but I will possibly wear the Kem ones out and about if we ever get the nice weather back.


My auntie treated me to some Gymshark shorts and they could possibly already be my favourite pair of shorts. The material is absolutely brilliant and I love the quote in the waste band. I won't go into these too much though as they are coming up in a post very soon.


I also got a few pairs of the Gymshark socks to try as I fancied a change from my usual Nike ones. They just have the logo on and are pretty basic but I am in love with the Gymshark products at the moment.


The Disney store really has been my best friend lately as I have bought a lot of things. Including this animatronic Simba that Liam got for me and the nephew to share it is brilliant as it actually has phrases and plays the music. The nephew is yet to see it though and I aren't sure what his reaction would be.


We also got this really cosy Lion King blanket, the Lion King has become one of my favourite ranges of there's lately and this blanket just looked fantastic. Now is just the debate of which room it will be living in.


Anyone who knows me knows I am absolutely obsessed with Stitch and one thing I love is getting the latest Stitch mugs when I go to the Disney store. I absolutely loved this one as not only does it have Stitch and Scrump on the front but it also has Ohana on the back. You really can't ever have enough mugs especially Disney ones.

So there you have it those are my recent pick ups what have you bought recently?

See you soon
Lucy.

Last Week #55


Well what a fun week last week was, 2 days off and 2 football matches topped off with a little family get together and my sisters. The first day off was a trip to the seaside with my family followed by a trip to the designer outlet although we got soaked in a downpour it was a great day out. Tuesday I was back in work but we headed to Valley Parade after to go watch Bradford get beat by Preston, honestly I just wanted to go home. Wednesday was another day off as we took my grandad out for the day for his birthday, a visit to tropical world, Frankie and Benny's followed by a gin meant it really was a great day. I dragged Liam to the White Rose after this too. Thursday and Friday were nice and relaxed but Saturday was another football match which we actually won, I forgot what that feeling was actually like. We did a spot of shopping before the football too and I got some bargains. Then Sunday was a chilled morning followed by the get together at my sisters where I spent plenty of the day cuddled with my nephew. The week absolutely wiped me but it was definitely worth it. So here is what I had...

Been Watching : YouTube, YouTube and more YouTube that is all I have watched. It has been a good mix of videos too. The NWSL is now on BT Sport which meant I could watch the Reign vs Sky Blue game on my TV instead of via a stream on the NWSL site, although I only made it to half time as I was falling asleep. 

Been reading : Honestly I wanted to read but thanks to how busy I have been I haven't had chance, some nights I just got settled ready to pick up my book but ended up asleep instead I was that tired.

Been listening to : On my way to the seaside I listened to a lot of KSI but honestly that is all I actually listened to all week. 

Bought : I spent far too much and am now on countdown for payday. I bought a lot of things from the designer outlet, I also got a lot from Primark too. But those items will all be coming up in a post or 2 very soon.

Plans for this week : I want to get things done around the house as again I have been slacking, I am also hoping to get more done in the back garden as it is a bank holiday and my birthday is fast approaching. Fingers crossed the weather stays ok too so I can take some blog pics at long last.

So there you have it that was my week. What have you guys been up to?

See you soon
Lucy

Brighouse Town AFC Women

Photo courtesy of  Brighouse Town AFC women

Most people know the team I support in the women's game is definitely Man City women but this year I want to support local and those lower league teams, as they just don't get the recognition they deserve and sometimes those lower league games are the best. The only issue for me though is the 2 teams I am going to be following are both in the same league, the FAWNL division 1 North. I will be following both Brighouse Town and Bradford City as they are my local teams. So throughout this new season be prepared to see plenty of content on both these teams. As I am new to the league and specifically these 2 teams, I have spoke to representatives from each club to get some info on each team to share with you all and hopefully learn some new things myself.

So today's post is all about Brighouse Town AFC Women a team that play about 15 minutes away from my house, at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium, (click here to see exact location) so I don't really have an excuse for not having gone in the past, in fact my only visit to that stadium is when my old team Tyersal played on the pitch at the side of the first team pitch and I was out injured. The club was formed in 2013 and is made up of 7 teams there is:
- Under 6
- Under 11 
- Under 12
- Under 13
- Under 18
- EDS
- The first team

It is in fact the first teams fourth season in the FA Women's National League which is brilliant especially to say they were only formed in 2013. They have previously finished 6th and 2nd in the previous seasons, which you can't fault as to jump from 6th to 2nd then continue that form into another season is definitely an achievement, I am sure they would prefer being 1st last season and improving on the 2nd but I don't think it is bad at all and who knows this season may be the difference. 

Last seasons top scorer was Charlotte Proud, can she do it again this season? Or are one of the new signings going to take away the top scorer award this season? Brighouse have signed Laura Bartup from Liverpool Feds & Danni Bailey from Bolton Wanderers who will definitely be great additions to the squad and who can really make a difference.  

Still managed by Rob Mitchell it is great seeing his name as he is someone who I see mentioned on my Twitter quite often, from what I see when he is mentioned I think he is definitely a great manager and seems to be one who has his team on his side and wanting to play for him unlike some managers you see these days. For them to retain 2nd place he must be doing something right.

The current captain is Annabelle Cass, which for me is fantastic to see as I actually played alongside with Annabelle in my short time at college and I can honestly say she is a fantastic player who could very easily be playing at any club. She definitely has the ability to motivate the team and keep morale up, vice captain will be Kayleigh Bamforth another player I have seen mentioned on my Twitter quite often.


It isn't just the league they have done well in since they started, just last season (2018/19) they were the West Riding County Cup champions which is great as there are some brilliant teams in the West Riding County such as Bradford Park Avenue and of course my old team Tyersal. They also made it to the FA Cup 3rd round in 2016 & the 4th round in 2017, which again is great especially considering they were knocked out by the likes of Everton & Sunderland respectfully.

When asked Brighouse said they, 'have aspirations of promotion to the National League North and continue to be competitive despite the lack of a brand or a household name'. Which to be honest they definitely could push for that promotion and improve on that 2nd place finish this season especially after seeing their training on social media. I honestly think a good run in a cup could also help bring them a bit more attention along with the right media promotion they could also become a name on many peoples mind with locals wanting to go watch. Their hopeful promotion will help them become a bigger brand, let's hope that happens this season.

It has definitely been fun learning about Brighouse and I can't wait to learn about Bradford very soon. I will definitely be trying to get to as many games as possible throughout the season to see how the team does. What Brighouse related content would you like to see in the future?

You can find the team over on Twitter, Instagram and their own Website.

See you soon
Lucy

Bradford City vs Preston


Well Tuesday night was Bradford's first and last game in this years Carabao Cup competition as they fell to a 4-0 defeat by Preston. Bowyer made 8 changes from Saturday's league starting 11 and brought in goalkeeper Hornby who made his debut for the club. Did these changes work? They definitely didn't, the talk around us was the typical 'oh he is focusing on the league and resting players' well to me if your players need resting after 2 games it is ridiculous, a little bit of a cup run can really help a team out. Remember the last time we had a good cup run, we ended up at Wembley twice and promoted which just goes to show managed right the players can do anything.

But back to yesterday's game, Preston's first goal came from a defensive mistake, they broke through the midfield far too easily then the defence just weren't tight enough, it was a cross that Anthony O'Connor totally missed which led to the duty of clearance falling on French who got nowhere near and Preston volleyed it home. Preston were 2-0 in the first 20 minutes, a pass that split open the whole City team followed once again by O'Connor been caught out and a simple slide home for Preston.

2-0 down the only atmosphere coming from the Preston fans and City fans becoming more and more frustrated with a formation that just doesn't work for us, we didn't even get a shot on target until the final minute of the first half, Anderson being the one unable to beat the keeper. 

City came out ready to attack in the 2nd half and looked a much improved side in the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half but it was to be short lived. Connor Wood had a curling effort that hit the cross bar which was probably the best chance of the game. The he came attacking one more, crossing the ball to Devine who headed the ball over the goal. 

The next goal of the game though of course came from another mistake by of course Anthony O'Connor. A pass straight across the edge of the box straight gifted Preston their 3rd. The 4th came from a great looping shot, over a challenge by Anthony O'Connor that left Hornby stranded and quite frankly looking foolish.  To be quite honest Anthony O'Connor really needs to book up his ideas and Bowyer should be looking at proving to him his place is not guaranteed and he will miss out, surely he can't be starting Saturday? He was the main catalyst in those goals. As for Hornby on his debut, when signing he said he wanted to be first choice, I think he still has a long way to go for that, too many rash decisions and standing out of position can end up being costly.

So the takeaways from yesterdays game are...
- Doyle is not a lone striker
- Defensively we still need a lot of work
- Anthony O'Connor looks good alongside Richards-Everton but looked like last season in a new pairing
- Our formation just isn't working for us.
- We don't like making substitutes when we really need someone to change the game
-We once again aren't taking our chance which is going to leave more fans frustrated just like last season.

So there we have it up next we are at home to Oldham on Saturday. Are we finally going to win? Is the formation going to change?

See you soon
Lucy


Yet Another Primark Haul

The past few weeks I have been in and out of Primark quite a bit trying to add more of a variety into my wardrobe and actually find clothes that fit me now I am losing weight. It definitely hasn't disappointed and I have in fact picked up quite a few items that I usually wouldn't opt for.


First up these shorts aren't for me, they are actually for Liam as I stole his old ones for the gym as he picked up the wrong size. For £4 these really are a bargain and I can see them lasting him a while.


I picked up this mustard colour Vancouver t-shirt for myself. Never in a million years did I think I would wear this colour but for £2.50 I may as well give it a go. Even if I decide this isn't really for me at that price it can be used as a pyjama top.


Then we have what has become my favourite top. These basic £2 t-shirt are my favourites I usually go for the regular fit ones but I have pushed the boat out and gone for a slim fit one this time. I love them that much that I now have 2 in black and one in a grey colour. At £2 I will definitely be buying plenty of these even as my clothing size changes.


I have fallen in love with the Nasa range they are doing but unfortunately I haven't managed to pick up most of the pieces as they either aren't available locally or they don't have my size. But I did find this sweatshirt and instantly fell in love with it. It is my 2 favourite colours, red and black then it has the Nasa logo in silver but stuck out from the jumper a little bit. It is so simple yet stands out, I can't wait to get styling this.


Finally it is my favourite piece, this Nasa track jacket. I just love how retro it looks but I wont go into this too much as I am going to do a full post just on this jacket and styling it. 

If you see any more of the Nasa range in your local please let me know as I really want a lot more of this range. What have you got from Primark lately?

See you soon,
Lucy.

Last Week #54


Well last week was up and down, I started on my new tablets and felt terrible and spent most of my time relaxing in bed. With it been so relaxed I didn't get up to much but here is what I had...

Been Watching : The Premier League is finally back so I watched a few of those games, I even managed the first half of the Portland Thorns game on Sunday night. The majority of my time though was spent just watching YouTube.

Been reading : Once again no reading was done and that Hope Solo book is still sat unread.

Been listening to : To be completely honest I hadn't really listened to any music, it had either been YouTube and bed or Football and Bed.

Bought : I ended up getting more bits from Gymshark but more about them in a post coming soon.

Plans for this week : I have a few days off but the best is no doubt going to be a great day as it is my grandad's birthday so me and my sister are taking him out for the day. I am hoping to get to the football on Tuesday and Saturday then it is a family day for my grandad's birthday, all in all it is due to be a good week. I just hope I can get some housework done and get to the gym in and among everything else.

So there you have it that was my week. What have you guys been up to?

See you soon
Lucy

Bliiq Hummingbird Wireless Earphones


Towards the end of last year I came to the conclusion that I really needed to get some new earphones especially as I was going to be working out a lot more. That is when I came across the Bliiq Hummingbird Wireless earphones all thanks to one of my favourite USWNT players Kelley O'Hara. I had seen Kelley endorsing these and I fell in love with how clean and simple they looked, so when Liam asked me what I wanted for Christmas these were top of my list.


The earphones came in a really strong box which was actually really nicely designed. I didn't expect the box to look so brilliant and when I opened the box it just got even better. The left hand side when opened actually has a big picture of Kelley O'Hara on it so I got a pair of earphones and a picture of my favourite player. I was surprised to see how clean the earphones actually looked, a lovely clean white with the silver logo on each side. The microphone and volume control is perfectly placed on the left hand side so it doesn't ride too high up or hang too low. That is one thing I was a little worried about as I didn't want to be running around and having the volume control hitting me. The wire is just the right length too so they aren't too tight but it hangs perfectly, again not constantly hitting my neck as I train.


They come with a USB charger, different sized ear buds and most importantly a case. Having plenty of choice size wise for the ear buds is brilliant it was a little bit of trial and error but I finally found my perfect fit, which made a very nice change as I am used to them sliding out or being too big and uncomfortable. The USB length is great too, I use Liam's charging station for this and the length means that they aren't left on the floor too get stood on, they literally just hang there. 

But I think one of my favourite things is the little white case you get as I am forever losing earphones or breaking them so now I have somewhere I can finally keep them nice and safe. It is only a small case but the earphones are a perfect fit so you can easily just put them into your bag without the earphones getting tangled.  It is a hard case too so it gives them that added protection when they are stored.


I have had plenty of time testing these out now and I can not fault them as they don't lose connection like my previous ones, sometimes the connection would drop out but with these it has not been an issue. The battery life is amazing too as I barely ever have to have them on charge even with the amount of time I spend using them. 

As you can see from the above image I have the top of my ear pierced and I was worried this may effect the fit and feel of these but in all honesty they are the comfiest I have owned, there is no rubbing and they fit perfectly around my ear. I half expected them to fall out every now and again but so far so good and that issue hasn't happened. 

The sound quality is brilliant too sometimes you can have an echo or a tinny sound with some earphones and the quality isn't that great but with these you can hear every beat in the song perfectly not like some Skullcandy ones I had in the past.

These were purchased from Amazon  (although now I can only find them on the US site) and honestly I would say if you don't mind spending around £50 on a pair of earphones I would seriously recommend trying these, they are the best I have had in a long time. So thank you Kelley O'Hara for bringing this brand to my attention.

What earphones do you use in the gym or when you workout?

See you soon
Lucy