little luxuries of life on

               Cosy  moments

I love autumn, the days become longer a little more breeze in the air walking to work when the darkness appears wrapped in my gorgeous style Parker with fur across the hood, I must say Tesco has nailed their autumn collection this year I purchased my coat which was 49.00 and my pastel pink scarf and hat, the hat has pearls across the front which adds a little glamour and my scarf were both 9.99 each. You can not beat wrapping up warm walking through the park to travel to work, leaves falling from the trees and the sun has finally set. For my day to day profession I am a support worker and I work mainly days but have done a couple of wake in nights so once a the long 14/15 hours shift finishes I can not wait to head home and throw on a pair off my comfy lounge sets, as I spend a lot of time resting after a long period of work I love to go out and shop for new pjs  and lounge wear after all I spend a lot of time in them. In town recently I popped in to peacocks and came across some lovely 2 piece lounge sets hooded jumpers and long leggings and at only 18.00 per set you can not go wrong. candles are a must and in my home we have a great selection for every season, I love autumn scents and so many fragrances to chose from my preferred  go to scent would be spice pumpkin a ginger undertone with cinnamon and spices or spiced apple which is also incredible, however recently i purchased some lovely new yankee candle wax melts, first pack smells amazing really strong fresh air scent. The second set smells good enough to eat chocolate and pistachio which im burning on days i have off. There are so many different brands and also venders who sell products on line which I must say are just as nice with powerful long lasting scents that dont break the bank, it’s all about shopping a round and a lot of online venders do sample boxes which you receive a selection of small wax melts to try at a reasonable price. I have tried several venders and I must say I do have my preferred vendor  I will go to for numourous buys over the year, however if I don’t purchase online I do like Yankee candles I have many of their candles as well as their home inspirations collection that i  purchased from Asda, I am also a mad jo malone fan I receive one of her fragrances as a gift from loved ones or if I am really treating my self as they are on the pricey side. On Facebook there are two businesses that I buy my products from and they are laurel&reed and relax with wax  both local to myself who stock so many different fragrances in  candles, wax melts and other home fragrance and are also handmade by two lovely ladies who own the business, they deliver all across the uk as well which is also incredible. once I have spent a fair while going through all my candles I chose pumpkin pie wax melt, very rich and slightly spiced. My burner is on and and my lounge is looking very cosy, now it becomes darker at an earlier time I have the perfect excuse to jump in the shower and use some of my favourite purchases which includes the Ginger shampoo and conditioner range which is a heavenly scent long lasting fragrance on my hair and really makes my hair feel soft and gives my hair a lovely shiny finish, both my products are brought from the body shop and they were 60 ml bottles, moving on to skin care I also brought the perppermint range which included a lather body scrub  in a really nice tone of Cool breeze green, a body butter and a 60ml bottle of shower gel which smells really divine. Also from the body shop I use skintruth the full face range which consists of cleanser, toner and moisturiser after a period of long shifts my face feels a little dull overly tired skin and sometimes I break out this range is very soothing on the skin I keep my moisturiser in the fridge which gives my skin a cooling effect when I apply, every day I use the clarins treatment oil for blemished skin which I apply straight after my moisturiser I love clarins products and use many off the their products, it is really down to the person and what products work well for your skin, I find a lot of products dries my skin out  but so far clarins has done the opposite it has helped with my breakouts and helped with the redness. I suffer with bad hormonal acne which  I have suffered through out my teen and adult life, I have tried so many products including home remedies as well as creams from the doctors, most things help for a little while then I feel like they stop working.My skin is not as bad as it used to be but I still break out and they are very sore and I lose my confidence as quick as a click of a finger I become embarrassed and I would  rather stay in than show my face, it’s not every day  and it could be a few months before I break out but when I do it’s not just one blemish is several and sometimes more so this evening after counting 5  rather raised blemishes I decide to apply 2  thin layers of my oil, skin feeling refreshed my hair pulled back to dry naturally feeling relaxed I decide to p3ull my curtains Lock my self away and have time with my family, deciding on what film to choose can sometimes be a non winning battle and could be sat for a while trying to agree with a 5 year old and a 10 year old who both have different taste in tv and films trying to get them to agree we end up watching Two films normally the same films they always pick. Every single scene they know  the lines, not always sure what treats to have during the movie sometimes popcorn sometimes sweets but we never forget our hot chocolates with marshmallows,creams and a flake with a little ginger bread syrup added to give it added flavour, we relax and enjoy our movies. Cold evenings like this I think brings
families together taking time out off busy schedules, to play games and  make a mess in the kitchen to have family time which to me is what it is all about. I prefer days/nights in even if it is just talking about our days, completing homework and our daily chores. once the children are in bed the best part is getting into bed, so cosy inside my duvet and fresh sheets thay where purchased recently from dunelm. Teddy bear collection, high quality fabric, carfully  stitched and pink. Super soft wrapping my self up,only thing i would say about the collection is you can not buy as a set, everything is brought seperatly which is fine but makes it expensive. I was not complaining thou as it was a gift to me from my loving partner. Even now the qaulity is just as good,currently awake on a shift finishing writring, I only have just under 2 hours left before I can head home and actually enjoy my COSY MOMENTS

With love Sharleeigh x

The Wonder Circus experience

                                  Our trip to the wonder circus

Every year as part of our family tradition we always make time to visit the Wonder Circus when it comes to town. This year myself, my youngest child Zachary and my partner went as unfortunately my eldest child was at he’s fathers and could not attend. Every year the performers are amazing and the performance in itself  gets stronger, the clown is highly funny and the show is great entertainment for all the family.
The Circus comes to my town twice a year and are normally here for a two week period with regular performances and only two days off whilst they are here. we normally go in October whilst they are here and in this case it was no different. We went on Wednesday 3rd of October and it was the 5 o’clock showing, the show runs for 1hr and 45minutes with a 15 minute interval which is great with having small children a little toilet break is always essential. Before the show starts you can purchase refreshments which are at a reasonable price such as juices, water, a small selection of beer and wines, hotdogs, chips, popcorn and cotton candy there are also a variety of props you can purchase for the children for when the show starts.
We bought a spinning top and a slithering snake, also available are a selection of flash lights and masks that were cool as well. We arrived 30 minutes before the show starts so we could get our tickets and find our seats.There is plenty of parking space for your cars  which is also good.

We where greeted at the entrance by a couple of the performers themselves who checked our tickets and showed us to our seats.

They were very friendly and polite and interacted with the children. Once inside the big top which I have to say is very spacious there are ring side seats which is 3 rows circling the arena as well as a seating stand we decided to sit on the stand  the view was amazing and we could see the whole show with out having to be ring side.

A lovely touch to the show is that the clown comes in to the crowd with out missing any of the audience out with he’s wacky yet very funny single performances making not just the children laugh but the adults as well.

We went on the launch night it was the first show of the season I was not shocked with how busy the circus was because it’s a very popular attraction.a great atmosphere every one is laughing and for 1 hr and 45 minutes even us adults can bring our inside child out.
After we finally made our way through the entrance there was enough time to head to the toilet,a very clean space and what works well is that the toilets where on a trailer so not portable, there was no queue time either and I know that is a plus on any outing with the children. We bought our props, cotton candy and chips from the refreshments stall in side the big top and went to take our seats. Before the show starts they do inform  you that no videos or flash photography is allowed and that it’s the last  chance to buy refreshments before the show actually starts.

It’s warm inside the big top so I remove my coat and get comfy. The seats are fairly comfortable with plenty of foot room. My little boy Zachary is playing with his snake and spinning top and is really excited a little impatient constantly asking me “when is the show starting mummy” and before I can reply the lights dim till It’s almost pitch black and the lower lights come on, the Audience fall silent and the only thing left to say is sit back and enjoy the show. 

                                                          LET THE SHOW BEGIN. 

The show starts off with a song one of my favourite songs actually from The Greatest Showman

Very welcoming and actually is magical full of life and the singing was really good, full of dance moves and the costumes are beautiful very colourful and sparkly. A lot of effort went into the production the performers and the costumes it was a very well planned out show. 

A variety of  acts through out Wednesday nights performance including Jerry the clown who made regular appearances, family humour is key for a successful show and Jerry did just that always getting the crowd involved and one way or another he had all the audience in fits of laughter. Jerry and the ring master often took the spot light together between each performance with they’re unique characters creating hilarious scenarios that kept the audience engaged and amused. I particularly 
liked the ring masters jacket the style of the jacket was a purple suede effect military jacket however all the costumes were all incredible.

Each performace had a reasonable performace time with a break down between each act.That is when the ring master and Jerry came in and entertained the audience whilst the stage crew set up for the next performance. Each performer was so talented and different which is great, my son liked the duo act Bettina Nina Santus and Alexandra Santus they bought laugher to their performance whilst balancing on bikes and playing with fire, Bettina Nina also played a part as a single act where she balanced and juggled using her feet,a lot more complicated than it sounds.

Georgina and Lucy were the aerial acts incredible on the ropes beautiful light setting whilst spinning from above, so many lifts and spins they where defiantly one of my favourite acts of the evening.

Another act was Mariachi Marquez very cool Mexican performer came into the arena with his guitar case long hair tied back, in a black blazer jeans and boots, showing his skills and talent in style, he opens up his case and took out his maracas and started his act, his dance moves added to the spice of the performance as well as using different props to juggle even used hes hat adding a few dance moves in too.

Jana Roberts looked beautiful in Wednesday nights production her costume reminded me of pocohontas a little bit, she displayed a fair bit of concentration whilst balancing and walking on a rather large disco ball whilst performing her routine with large amount of hula hoops.
Carolyn Roberts and her Andalusions act, now this performance was very cute, horses following they’re leader around the ring doing all sorts of tricks even going towards the audience to be stroked. The act finished with each horse taking turns following one and other out of the arena backwards Carolyn finished with her horse that leads the herd and walked off together.
Unfortunately I could not get any pictures of a couple of acts and one act in particular was Anna and Elsa from frozen,their act was magic and had the audience confused and wondering how they did their tricks locked in boxes and chained inside of trunks with swords through each box, boxes being separated Leaving gaps in each box leaves you thinking how they could possibly do their act.
The show finished off with a song from the Greatest Showman all the production came out and the audience clapped And cheered.
In all my review I think the circus is well worth the money to go and see, it is great entertainment for all the family  and can hold at least 500 people inside the Big Top the wonder circus travels around the country through out the summer before finishing for the winter months in November they stay in many locations around the country for a 2 week period  as well as shorter stays, the team at the wonder circus  build the iconic  Big Top and take down every time they reach a new location themselves not only are they performers but with a small troupe, each member has to double up and you can see different members selling candy floss, all refreshments during the interval and the props that you can buy during the interval as well. when you leave once the show has finished you have a chance to speak to some of the performers  as well as take photos I managed to capture a photo with my youngest Zachary and the ring master and he also had a photo with Jerry the clown .They were happy to interact with the children and very friendly my son had an awesome night at the wonder circus, the circus made their first appearance 250 years ago and still carry’s on the magic, fire, the life  still to this day allowing acts from all around the globe to be apart of a truly talented on the road family which is why myself and I am sure so many others call it magical. Im sure me and my family will be attending the circus for many years to come and I know my opinion will not change and that is why its called
THE WONDER CIRCUS.........

                   

The juice bar + detox water

           Whilst i am relaxing on my sofa this rather cold saturday evening thinking about the week that has just gone by, my beautiful children are off on the  easter holidays so im sure will keep me busy, my beautiful partner finishing work early to enjoy this time as a family, taking a break from writting I look up to see my children and love playing on minecraft smile across my face, listening to the conversations they’re having whilst playing the xbox, i am truly blessed the bond that has grown between them. I never take moments like this  for granted because they go by way to quick, and after spending the last week working between 14 even 19 hour shift at work, i dont want this weekend to end, my favourite part off our evening routine is tucking my children in to bed  saying our prayers and reading them a bed time story or them reading me theyre school books, its become a family tradition every night we all go up stairs pick a story and spend time reading books and talking even if its just about our day. Both boys are amazing little readers and im always on the hunt for more reading books. i went in to THE WORKS yesterday and was amazed by all the special offers they had so i did buy 3 story books for 5 pounds plus the Harry Potter book set for 15 pounds which my eldest son was very happy with, whilst i was in store i see The Juice Bar which caught my eye as i am very much in to  following a healthy life style well I try to any way, THE JUICE BAR is a book that has 80 juice recipes to boost health,I have been big on juicing for a long while now but it’s sometimes   hard to get that balance right, I have on many occasions made a smoothie/juice and the taste has not been right either sour or bitter and sometimes just not right at all, it’s about putting ingredients together that work and balance each other so they work well like KALE and APPLE they work really well together AVOCADO and STRAWBERRIES also work really well together.

It’s not just about the FRUIT and VEGETABLES you put in to your juices but it’s Things like
 Oats,Wheatgerm,Nuts,Chiaseeds,Flaxseeds,Hempseeds,Sesame seeds,Pumpkin seeds they are all NUTRIENT boosters and are amazing in smoothies or juices I have been using pumpkin seeds for many years PUMPKIN seeds them self contain protein,vitamin E and fibre and adding an ENERGY boost to juices. Also containing monounsaturated fats Which is good fats.

Beetroot is something I have loved using in my juices just lately, beetroot contains all the vitamins and minerals needed to give your body a boost as well as Watermelon that is high in water content so helps to rehydrate your skin, WATERMELON is one off my all time favourite fruits. I always try and encourage my family to have juices however I cater for my children needs so I would use vegetable and fruits but would leave seeds and nuts out, my partner is like me we are always trying new juices and different ingredients out to see what works well for our bodies, it would not always be the same juices work for all body types. My little boys  like a BANANA BOOST

1 Banana, peeled and chopped

1 Kiwi, peeled and chopped

125mls unsweetened soya milk

Small handful off crushed ice

it’s really quick,simple to make and extremely healthy  and we as a family love having this off a morning. it’s also very filling and it’s a good way of knowing that your children are receiving fruit and vegetables even if they don’t know it........


My partner loves muesli for breakfast, he eats with fresh fruit, so what better way to have muesli than to have MUESLI MOTIVATOR adding just 1 tablespoon of almonds to a smoothie boosts your VITAMIN E, VITAMIN B and protein levels.Oats  obtain soluble FIBRE as well as Grapefruit they stimulate the digestion and help remove cholesterol from our bodies.
All you will need to make a muesli motivator is
20g of porridge oats
30g flaked almonds
1/2 ruby grapefruit, zest
And a little pith removed and chopped
150g of raspberries
2 oranges, juice squeezed
125ml of chilled water
all you do to make this yummy breakfast is put the porridge oats, almonds in to a blender and whizz until finely ground.Add the grapefruit,raspberries,orange juice water and whizz until smooth and pour in to your preferred glass and ready to drink.Very tasty smoothie effortless to make and is high it nutrients.

I would like to mention my water flask bottle, it’s incredible I purchased from PRIMARK, inside the bottle it has a separate attachment that screws nicely in the centre off the bottle inside I always place 1 Lemon chopped in to tiny pieces 1 Lime again chopped in to tiny pieces and a chunk of Cucumber that I chop into tiny pieces as well and they fit nicely inside. I always put in filtered water and crushed ice then place the middle part inside, the flask it’s self is good quality, I have had this purchase for nearly 4 weeks and has it leaked once,very sturdy lid. It also has a strap wide enough to put a couple off fingers and again the strap feels like high quality, the bottle has measurements down one side and can fit 1 litre of water inside which is brilliant, you can purchase in many colours and it’s just one off my best purchases lately.DETOX water is refreshing and rather satisfying. However to know that something that does not cost the earth to make tastes amazing with great health benefits it sure had thumbs up from me, it’s so beneficial CUCUMBERS-cleanses Kidneys,improving SKIN and lowering BLOOD PRESSURE. LEMON and LIMES -helps to fight infections,cleanse kidneys reduces  bloating. I must have 3 off these a day once I have drank all my water all I need to do is screw open the lid fill the bottle and drink as all the ingredients are still working their magic as well as still keeping fresh.

I can say that  since  I have changed a few simple things in my eating routine, portion control and cut down on all the negative foods, adding my detox water and juices I have really felt a difference, my 

skin is less acne prone I feel more energy my stomach is less bloated and I just feel better in my self I will be keeping a diary off my journey through out 2019, and will be uploading juice recipes and more water recipes and pictures of my progress. 

Easter egg hunt,fun times

                                              SUNDAY FUN DAY

I love the Easter holidays, spending time with my beautiful family making more memories for the family album.Even thou we woke to grey skies this morning I knew it would not stop our fun, once we where dressed and ready to go we decided to pop into town to grab the last few bits for the Easter Egg hunt, I must say that Poundland are smashing their Easter collection this year, we decided on the packs of plastic coloured eggs there are 10 eggs per pack so I purchased four packs. really nice little touch is that they open up so we decided to put little chocolate balls inside, we brought more Easter eggs,Easter bunting, arts and crafts and sweets. Once arriving home the children wanted to ride on their scooters for a little while so that is what we did and it was a lovely walk around the park, stopping off at the play ground pushing the boys on the swings and watching them go down the slide it is what Sunday’s are all about. Seeing the smiles across my little boys faces knowing they are happy It makes a parents day.After some time we decided to walk home, making sure everything was Packed for the egg hunt we left for the Tea Room,it’s a perfect little spot to setup the egg hunt for my children acres of greenery, apple trees and so much open space it was perfect. We arrived and we decided to order food first Kallem and Zachary wanted homemade sausage rolls with a side of pickle and garnish, us adults went for cheese and red onion toasties with a side off salad and corkers crisps. Very satisfying especially now the sun is out so decided to sit outside and admire the view.

Once we had finished eating we had a look in the farm shop, lovely fresh vegetables,goose eggs, fruit and juices all made from local businesses which is a lovely touch.I decided to buy half a dozen eggs and some apple juice in a lovely glass bottle. Moving on to the gift shop every time we visit there is always a new display which is always lovely to see,  stunning wood work with so much colour,so many beautiful pieces,everyone is always so friendly when we visit always talking to their customers. and was happy to let me use their space for our Egg hunt which was great because the boys where eager to start searching for the eggs.

I love the little baskets they used today, we also purchased these from Poundland as well, so many places to look and I couldn’t make it to easy so the eggs where hidden well, and off they went searching high and low. The best part is they are children and only young once so if they want to get on their hands and knees to look then let them it’s only a little mud after all  so that is what they did. crawling through hay, around the fairy door,climbing little trees ( with mum’s guideance) off course working together to find all the eggs. 

Button the bunny was being very cheeky whilst the boys where on their adventures, leaving little  clues and moving the golden eggs, the boys where searching for quite some time however the baskets where becoming full. They did not realise though that inside the eggs where chocolate so they where pretty happy when one fell out and opened”Its magic mum,I have found the golden coin” said by my youngest son Zachary  giggling away to  he’s brother.

The sun went away and out came the grey skies again but by the look of their faces you can clearly see that the weather was not going to stop the fun they where having. they where very happy when they finally found all the eggs and coming towards the finish line and seeing all their Easter treats waiting for them, which I must add they will eat this amount off chocolate sensibly and in moderation .

Off course  they asked if they could have some chocolate,  so picking the Milky bar buttons they packed all their treats in the Easter bags provided and enjoyed their buttons. 

Relaxing on the grass throwing the eggs into the air I captured a really cool photo I wanted to share with you.

Counting the eggs they found whilst enjoying their chocolate buttons having a little rest. 

It has been a lovely Sunday full off fun and lovely food, It’s a shame about the weather but the children have really enjoyed their self’s, there has been alot off walking and country air which is always a plus and the children playing football and making up little games together which myself and  partner became a part off, children’s imaginations are some times WAY out there but it just reminds me off myself as a child and how alike we actually are, 

Always good to have memories,I loved this photo I managed to take of Zachary jumping , they love to be active and are always on the move. Sometimes  I can’t keep up However it’s always fun trying.rolling around in the grass,by the time I checked my phone it had been hours that had passed 

It’s been a long but fun day, the boys will sleep well tonight, I really enjoy family time it does not have to cost an arm and a leg to enjoy the holidays, I brought some bits from Poundland as well as Easter eggs and sweets and they have really enjoyed their time in the outdoors,