Thought of the day (returns) 28/02/12

So it's Saturday, and like most people on this planet- this is my favourite day of the week. I am writing this while in bed with a cup of Raspberry and Echinacea tea (partly out of choice/partly forced as we have no milk for real tea). My man is snoring away noisily peacefully next to me. I have work to do for uni, but I have decided to take this cosy Saturday morning opportunity to write a blog post.

I have my exercise class at two, so I have worked out that I can write this; get up and do breakfast-y things, put a wash on, tidy up a bit... then get ready for my class...  I can then come back and write my essay...

My thought of the day today is...

Yes. I don't know about you, but I have pretty much hated the month of February. Now this isn't just a selfish kind of proclamation... no no, this is-

FEBRUARY HAS BEEN HORRIBLE TO THE PEOPLE I LOVE TOO.

And so for that reason, cor I am glad it is the shortest month of the year-

BRING ON MARCH.

Has February been rubbish to you too? Has it thrown unrealistic amounts of work at you? Has it allowed you to slack on your New Year's resolution? Has it changed your life and turned it upside down, or opened your eyes to something you could have really done without seeing? Has your car broken down, your boiler broken or your washing machine flooded? 

We all have voices in our head.

I would like to start by clarifying that, I am not referring to schizophrenic voices in our head. I'm referring to that one that tells you not to do something that you want to do, the little nag that is deep deep down- well I've decided the important part of "getting fit" is to find that inner voice- and pay more attention to it!

Today, I ran four miles. It's official I found my inner voice. It was singing loudly (inside my head-don't worry) whilst I was jogging along. My inner voice was cheering me on when it was getting tough... Come on Jesssieeeeeeee!

Four miles might not be a lot to many of you, (most of you even), but for me, that is a huge achievement and I am thrilled with myself for it.

It took me 44 minutes. And I stopped three times. Once because I got lost (hahah). second because I was getting cramp in my legs and needed to stretch out, and third because I had made it to the top of a really big hill, and my inner voice thought I deserved it!

My question today, is- who else has found that inner voice, the one that tells you to put down the crisps, and pick up your trainers? the one that encourages you to get up early in the morning and run, no matter what the weather...?

Jessie :)

HELLO JANEWARY

Hiiiiiiiii everybody!

I suppose apologies are in order! I'm sorry I've not posted for such a long time, I will be getting back in to the swing of blogging more regularly again.

The New Year has bought with it lots of changes for me. I have probably already done more exercise in 2015 than I did in the whole of 2014. Wait, in the whole of 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000... You get the idea... A lot of exercise.

I have been forcing myself out of bed in the mornings to go on a jog (no matter what the weather). I have been running through wind, rain, STORMS, snow, hail, and of course sunshine. Gosh, in the first two week of the year I have already endured most weather types!

Anyway, I am actually quite enjoying it. Okay, laugh on... Anyone who knows me will be nothing but surprised and finding this post highly amusing... But, honestly, I am actually enjoying going for a morning run.

Oh, and my exercise classes that I have been going to as well! Unbelievable!

Anyway, I suppose in getting fit everyone needs a goal. Now ordinarily I would tell you I don't care about my "weight" its my fitness that I am trying to improve. Well, that's not this case this time. I am to lose 1.5 stone. I am giving myself three months of hard work to do this. And then not to mention the horrible food limitations...

I walk around the supermarket, and food that I don't even like looks amazing... But all too fatty. Veg and fruit and protein for me!

Anyway, what was your New Years Resolution? Do you think you will last longer than me? Or have you already dropped it?

Thanks for reading,
Jessie x

Bumble and Bumble Mending Masque

So I have had ,my eye on the Bumble and Bumble mending hair masque for a while now.

Seeing it at Boots yesterday (£30.00) I decided that I was going to justify a spend on this new (agreeably indulgent) product. My hair has got reasonably long now, and with blonde highlights I find that going swimming regularly takes its toll on my luscious locks. So, yes, I had decided I was going to make this purchase...

And then came the interference, my boyfriend pretty much refused to standby and watch me pay £30.00 for a hair mask.

But I really need it

It's only the branding you're paying for...

(To be fair I should be fully aware of this as a Marketing student) 

So, in the end, I didn't buy any form of mending hair masque... I would like to know, has anyone tried this product? Is it justifiable? I definitely don't mind going back and making that purchase- but I just wondered if anyone has used it? 

Let me know in the comments below :)

Jessie xx

26 essential items for your 'slob zone'

Everyone has those days where you just want to lie down on the sofa due to zero energy; you want to spend as little energy as possible throughout the day; you want to watch a movie and slob out.

Whether you have just got home from work and you want to have a night of slobbing out, or you have woken in the morning with a hangover in need of serious TLC; either way, if you follow these tips, you can't go wrong. 

I mean, come on, everyone wants to just slob out every once in a while. So here's an essential guide to doing it right, in the most effortless way.

Organisation is key in planning your slob out. You must gather all necessary items.

Necessary items for an effortless slob out.

Obviously it depends on what type of person you are. But here is a list of things that can be used by men/women, just pick what takes your fancy. 

1. Crisps
2. Chocolate
3. Popcorn
4. Sweets
5. Biscuts
6. Pizza
7. Phone 
8. Pot Noodles (yes this requires a microwave)
9. Phone charger
10. Laptop/tablet
11. Laptop/tablet charger
12. Remote control (for TV, Sky/Virgin/Freeview, Playstation/Xbox/DVD)
13. Water
14. Juice
15. Wine
16. Tea (extreme slobbers may go as far as moving a kettle to their slob zone)
17. Beer (this may require a mini fridge- a product owned by most extreme slobbers)
18. A good book
19. Magazines
20. An abundance of DVDs
21. Fifa/GTA5 (for you men)
22. Blanket 
23. Dressing gown
24. Slippers - your feet are bound to get cold, you intend to sit down for a lonnnnnnnnnng time remember
25. Candles (these create a nice ambience for you slob zone)
26. Fairy lights (there is never an occasion that fairy lights aren't necessary)

By collecting these items before you slob out begins, you will minimise the number of times that you have to actually stand up and use energy to move around. The ideal plan is to only have to move when you need to use the loo. 

Have I missed anything from the list? What do you have in your #slobzone?

P.S. I strongly recommend building a blanket fort before you begin your slob, that way you can justify your slob out  by explaining to people that you cannot leave because you have defend the slob zone

Spend or save

I am not a slave to makeup. I can very happily leave the house without committing to the mirror for half an hour in order to plaster multiple layers of foundation on my face. Nonetheless, I love spending time getting ready, on those occasions that I deem worthy of my makeup.

Working in Boots for the best part of three years played a huge role in moulding behaviour when it comes to beauty consumerism. Whilst I had the pleasure of a staff discount, I was saving money for my travels and therefore I had to learn how to shop ‘savvy’. I figured out where I could save money, and where I could justify spending it.

I know for a fact that everybody’s Spend or Save lists will be different. Even so, I thought I would share with you mine and some of the tips and tricks I have learned along the way when it comes to needing obsessing over a product that may in fact break the bank…

Makeup

The products in my makeup bag come from both high end beauty boutiques/high street shops. I tend to have items that I am happy to save on, and others that I am committed to a spend. For example, when it comes to blusher/bronzer, I think shops such as Boots/Superdrug/even Asda have such a fast range of options available these days that it’s difficult to go wrong. My eyeliner, for a very long time, is an area I save.  When it comes to base products – foundation, concealer, powder – I tend to justify a spend. I have very combination skin and I am very fussy with my coverage; I tend to prefer the advice that you get from a high end beauty counter, they know their product, and can match your skin perfectly. I am also a fool for the ‘quality’ of a product (you’d think a marketing student would know better…).

SPEND: BareMinerals, Nars, Laura Mercier.

SAVE: No. 7, Bourgeois, The Body Shop.

Skincare

When it comes to skincare… I’ve tried it. I suffered with horrible acne through my teenage years and even early twenties until very recently. I’ve been through countless bottles of ‘cheap rubbish’ and the same amount of ‘over-priced rubbish’ but I have found the products that my skin loves, and the stuff that my skin responds well to.  I have learned you never need to spend on make-up remover. I find that Garnier offers a lovely low cost skincare range, that you can’t really go wrong with for your everyday stuff. The idea is, it is essential that you follow a skincare routine for your skin, whether it costs you £180 to gather these products, or a tenth of that, be sure of one thing: don’t go without. Anything, is better than nothing.

 SPEND: Lancome, Elemental Herbology, Clarins

SAVE: Garnier, No. 7, La Roche Posay

Haircare

I have to admit, I have been through phases where I spent ridiculous amounts of money on a single bottle of shampoo. Times have changed. I am a student. Cutbacks are required and this tends to be one of the areas where I save. Most of the budget brands have pretty good product ranges available, and often in the shops like Boots, you will find some kind of promotion to aid your choice.

SPEND: John Frieda, Bumble and Bumble, Concoction

SAVE: TRESemme, L’Oreal, Herbal Essences

Fragrance

Every girl should have a ‘signature scent’. I like to consider mine to be ‘Chanel Coco Mademoiselle’ which is obviously a spend. I would prefer to save on all the product ranges listed above, and still wear my Chanel perfume, than compromise on this front. Nonetheless, there are a huge variety of budget fragrances that are great to keep in the handbag for days at work, or the odd trip out.

Nails

For years I had my nails done religiously every second/third week. “Acrylics, white tip”. Was my standard request, occasionally I would have a colour. Since leaving home though, this has been an area that I save. Instead I choose to buy nail varnish and do this myself. Pretty much every beauty range has nail varnishes available these days so it’s a matter of the colour you’re after at the price you are happy to pay. If you want your nails to last longer, then I would recommend spending on the base/top coat you use.

SPEND: Jessica Nails, OPI, Chanel

SAVE: No. 7, Barry M, Bourgeois

What about you? Which areas do you spend and save?

When life gets in the way

Hi all,

So, don't worry... I'm not going to preach about "moving away shows who your true friends are", because in my opinion, no matter how close or how far apart you live, the key to fantastic friendships is the mutual understanding that:

life gets in the way

Everyone has read a text, and thought- I will reply to that later, I'm too busy unloading the shopping/doing the dishes/finishing an essay/on the phone to Mum/watching a really good film/half asleep/just simply can't be bothered to type back right now.

PLEASE NOTE:
This is not a crime.

Just like any other girl, I've picked up and thrown out friends along the way. It's a tricky process, some just seem to slip off the face of the Earth and you are left wondering if they are even still alive; others treat you like a doormat and you suddenly realise they need out! Some of my friends I have known forever, others only a short while; some I met whilst travelling; some through work- it doesn't matter how, or how long you have known a person for them to become a huge part of your life. They just need to fill a gap.

Fill a gap? Yes, well, I have this little theory whereby you have different friends for different things. Someone to laugh with; someone to cry with; someone for support; someone for a crazy night out... etc. etc. 

This picture is really special for me, as myself and two of my closest friends have "guardian angel" bracelets. 

Having friends who live all over the world, or who live round the corner but you just never seem to have the time to catch up with is just part of life. So I absolutely love the quote above because it just reminds me that I know they are there, but I don't have to speak to them alllll the time. And my very closest friends know exactly the same themselves.

Whatsapp

However, I have found that I have almost become closer to some of my friends. I have almost become more reliant on them than I was before! For this, I actually have "whatsapp" to blame. Whatsapp groups are brilliant. Anyone who is a member of one will be familiar with looking at their phone and seeing something like this:

Yes, this can be slightly frustrating when you are trying to do something and your phone is constantly going "buzzzzz buzzz"- put it on mute! It's wonderful because even when you are busy, and you don't have time to talk, someone else does and so you can just catch up on it later. It means that even though you're not always speaking directly to one another, you still know what's going on in their lives. 

I have a whatsapp group with two of my closest friends, and it has honestly become the "go-to" for me, if I have a problem- straight on there "girls... what do you think..."; if something funny has happened; just anything. It means that we are constantly in contact. And I absolutely love it. 

However, all three of our boyfriends have at some point complained that we spend too much time on our phones- but when you live so far away from each other- it just kind of happens!

Skype

This is another point of call when living away from loved ones. At first it seems a bit weird- the whole idea of needing to get your laptop out, and feeling like you should look nice... But actually, it's so precious. Since my friend Rosie moved to Paris, and I'm in Edinburgh, and Nicola (the one that adds terrible to the trio) is still down at home... we have spent hours on Skype to each other. Literally. 

It's wonderful, you can do other things at the same time, and it's just as if they are there in the room with you. And you loose track of time too! I think the average time I spend on Skype is roughly two and a half hours!!!

Life gets in the way

The real point though, is no matter how far apart you are, how busy your lives are. There are a handful of people who will be exactly the same when you see them next, whether you last spoke to them yesterday or three years ago. People you share a very special bond with. People who understand you to the core. And understand the key to friendship: 

knowing that life gets in the way.

I know the internet is littered with "friendship quotes", and I have to admit, my pinterest "Quotes" board, is one of my most frequently used.

Follow Jessie's Juicy Jargon "Quotes" on Pinterest.

So I'm not going to post a load of quotes on to here, you've been kept reading for long enough.

Just remember, when you can, when you have the time and life allows it. To send a little message telling those wonderful friends you have, that you love them.

And on that note, I wish you all a goodnight!

Thanks for reading!
Jessie x

42 reasons to thank your boyfriend

It really is true that we forget to stop and say thank you, so here's a list of reasons to go and do just that.

For repeatedly agreeing that your hair is "getting really long"

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For unpatiently waiting for you to get ready even if it's only a trip to the shop

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For sacrificing most of his side of the wardrobe for you

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For the morning cups of tea and bacon sandwiches

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For agreeing with you, just because it makes his life easier

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For rubbing your belly when it's "that time of the month"

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And for avoiding you when necessary at this time too

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For tolerating the hours you spend "whatsapping" and "skyping" your girlfriends

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For quietly allowing you to complain about the service in a restaurant/at the bowling alley/wherever/whenever you see fit

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For putting up with your down days

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For putting up with your "hyper" days

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For standing by your side whilst you go in and out of every shop on the high street

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For sitting on the stool in the waiting room and telling you that each outfit looks wonderful

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For genuinely saving your life from humongous spiders

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For unplugging the sink when it has all that yucky stale water in it

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For opening jars

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For saying "that's delicious" every time you cook (surely he's lying sometimes?)

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For being a human hot water bottle

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For listening to the ins and outs of every little part of your day

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For laughing at your jokes- no matter how bad they are

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For bringing you back to earth when you go off on some kind of tangent

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For the random presents- whether they are sweets, jewellery, or perfume

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For pre-empting that even though you're "not hungry" he should still order double because you will be once it's on his plate.

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For not minding the spiky legs

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For noticing the smooth legs

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For putting up with your singing (loudly) 

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For acting like he's interested in Downton Abbey (maybe he is)

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For pretending he appreciates the cuddly toy you have in the bed

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For getting his card out before you every time you go to pay for something

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For not complaining when you spend far too much money on cosmetics

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For telling you that you don't need to wear make up anyway

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For his jumper when your cold

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And for holding your jumper when it's hot

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For carrying your numerous shopping bags

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For listening to every detail of every dream you ever remember

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For repeatedly being told of his sleeping habits

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For the smile he puts on your face

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For the kisses at the end of a text

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For the goodnight kiss and cuddle that "send you to sleep"

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For standing up for you

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For encouraging you to exercise

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For appreciating the fact you cannot do anything for an entire hour on nail painting days.

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Thank you for reading, away off and thank your boyfriend for all/any or even just one of these reasons now! Oh, and if you enjoyed this, why don't you like me on facebook? Just click here!

Jessie xxx

4 things that make Autumn worth while.

Fat socks.

Hot chocolate.

Duvet days.

Oversized Jumpers.

Follow Jessie Wapshare's board Autumn/winter wardrobe on Pinterest.

TGIF

Exactly that! Thank God it's Friday! I've had a pretty busy week with uni, and it's left me looking forward to three weeks today when I will be reunited with three wonderful things. Two of which are my best friends Rosie and Nicola, and the third:

TGI Friday's:
"Summer Peach" Cocktail

This huge glass, is a glassful of happiness. Made up of a frozen mix of my favourite drink "Archers Peach Schnapps", orange juice and orange sorbet served with cranberry juice. Mmmmm tasty! It's safe to say we drank a few too many of these last time we were there!

Why don't you go to the TGI Friday's website to find your closest restaurant, then head on down to have a lovely Friday cocktail?!

I simply cannot  wait until I am reunited with Rosie, Nicola and  Summer Peach. What three things are you looking forward to?