La Redoute up to 60% boxing day sale

Finally the madness of christmas is over.  The kids have their toys, I've done the christmas dinner and now its me time and what better way to fill the time than shopping the after christmas sales.  Once I venture into my emails try as I might  I know I cannot resist the post christmas sales emails coming at me about all the fantastic sale reductions.  So if you can't beat then why not join them I say in my moment of weakness.  

But I don't go forth into battle without my armour so I always make an effort to start off sensibly by making a mental list of my needs to ensure that I'm not fulling up my wardrobe with more of the same.  After all diversity is the spice of life. 

I've tried the boxing day sales shopping on the high streets and shopping centres but find the crowds too manic and the changing rooms simply too long a wait and that was even before I had kids.  Now with two kids in tow online shopping in the christmas sales is so easy and convenient.  The kids can continue playing with their toys and I can find solace on the computer shopping away in the christmas sales.  My hats go off to those who can get up in the wee hours of the morning and line up to be the first into the stores.

So far I'm shopping the La Redoute boxing day up to 60% sale and have found this grey stretch twill skirt which will go fabulous with a cropped woollen grey jacket that I already have. I always love it when a look comes together as I'm not one of those shoppers who simply must match up clothes in a store before buying a top, a skirt or jacket as the case may be.  Now I've found the perfect skirt for my grey jacket and at a whooping 60% off but needless to say I'm still having a browse of all the other sale offers from La Redoute.  I think I will be heading to the winter boots section next.  

Classic coats

Every winter whether I absolutely need a new coat or not I simply can't resist looking at all the styles of winter coats on offer.  The thing is my myopic vision always sets in and I find myself drawn to classic style coats like this corduroy trench coat for example.

For me this coat ticks three boxes as material, style and colour really hit the mark for me. You can't get more classic when it comes to material than corduroy or more classic than the faithful trench when it comes to coats or more versatile when it comes to colour than brown.

The trench coat has been around for centuries and is the iconic coat for many a detective drama.  The first that comes to mind for me is the ever popular Kojac, I Spy, Ironside and Get Smart with Ann Hathaway sporting a modernised double breasted white trench.

I spotted this coat at Debenhams and now I see that there is a half price on winter coats.  With a whooping 50% off, my trench is now £45.00 down from £90.  Let's hope they still have my size.

Boden winter Sale 50% off

Boden have just launched their winter sale with up to 50% sale lines so fantastic savings to be had.  Will be getting myself this notch neck knit dress which has had great reviews with regards to how comfortable and practical it is.  Customers who bought this dress also commented that the dress is well made and retains its shape which means it will be seeing me through quite a few winters.  This dress will go perfectly with my "passionate heart" leather necklace.

My house is overrun with toys so clothes is on my christmas shopping list for my daughter.  She would look fabulous in this big button girls corduroy dress.  It is full of colour which I love and very flambuoyant just capturing the nature of children or my daughter in particular.  Just last week her piano teacher commented that she was the most colourful student he has, referring to the fact she wears very colourful clothes.  I normally say that we don't want any of the colours of the rainbow to feel left out.

These are just some of the winter clothing clearance items you will find in the boden winter sale and don't worry if colour is not your style as all outfits come in varying colour combinations so there is something for everyone ......  happy shopping!!!!

winter boots selection

After two harsh winter I am in the market for a new pair of boots which this time will not be worn in snow.  Leather and suede are my default material when it comes to boots but I am open to suggestions.  Brown and black boots are my go to colours usually because they can practically go with anything. Finally my last criteria is wedge heel boots for added comfort.  Sorry, actually I do have one last criteria which is knee high or calf high boot.

My picks of this seasons winter boots starts with this Bertie Miguel leather wedge calf boots in a tan colour.  I love the two tone effect of the leather.  This bertie boot is also available in dark brown.

This tan leather knee high boot is also a contender for its versatility.  This italian made winter boot designed by Marta can be worn as a knee high boot or as a calf length boot. Made from the finest quality leather, this boot is fitted with a unique cushioning support.  Although not a wedge heel, this boot heel is thick enough to offer stable support.

So far my key favorites for boots are brown in colour so I've been forcing myself to look at black boots.  While browsing I came across this fab boot accessory faux fur cuff boot leg warmers perfect for wearing over stocking feet or socks to give your winter boots that added wow dimension when you want to glamour it up a bit.  The hunt is still on for some black winter boots though. Will keep you posted.

Wellingtons for christmas

Keeping my feet warm and comfortable in winter is always a priority and now I find myself bootless as I can't tell you how the last two severe winters damaged my boots. All I can say is don't go wearing your suede boots or leather boots in deep snow. When its snowing you absolutely need wellies which can leave your feet feeling cold but nothing two or three layers of socks or some wellie liners or boot socks can't take care of.

It's amazing how fashionable wellies have become. While out doing some last minute christmas shopping last year, I couldn't help but notice how trendy wellies had become with fun and funky colours and patterns or this stately looking heeled wellingtons, all simply gorgeous. Gone are the days when wellingtons were just for splashing through water on rainy days or tracking through mud on those muddy dog walking trails.

Wellingtons are so trendy now that they are becoming cool christmas gifts as I discovered last year when my cousin Penelope surprised me with one under the Christmas tree which I really appreciated as it was so funky. Funky wellies are so on my list christmas gifts for friends and family especially since it is becoming fashionable to have more than one pair it seems.. 

Get in shape for winter

Everyone talks about getting in shape for summer. But I've decided to get in shape for winter and have been experimenting with various keep fit options. Yes believe it or not I'm going to be watching what I eat, Christmas day excluded of course, but I need an exercise regime to keep me going.

So far I've tried good "ole" aerobics or old school aerobics as it is called on the gym brochure but after one class my body felt so traumatised that I'm daunted at the prospect of having to do aerobics to keep fit. After my last aerobic encounter, my knee was swollen for a week which just made me realise that I'm simply not 25 anymore. I also tried the very popular zumba which I found to be too random for my liking. But to be fair I'm sure different instructors offer varied routines so it is a matter of finding an instructor whose style you like.

So I went right back to hot yoga which a my friend Sally introduced me to a year ago, but which I had given up for a while. Each time I mention hot yoga my friends are always intrigued as it sounds exotic and spicy but hot yoga is simply practising yoga in a very hot room which increases your heart rate, flexibility and as you can imagine builds up quite a sweat which is great for releasing toxins from your body. You leave hot yoga completely drenched in sweat, underwear included, to the extent where you literally have to peel your yoga wear off at the end of class.

Part of getting in shape always include healthy eating so I'm thankful for my recently purchased vitamix blender which makes the most amazing smoothies and soups with no mess and no fuss.  Click here to read all about the vitamix blender.

Where can you find hot yoga classes? The only place I know offering hot yoga at the moment is yoga haven which have branches in Birmingham, London and Brighton.  So wish me luck in keeping my end of year resolution as I'm no good at making and sticking to new year resolutions. 

My new vitamix blender

I waited absolutely ages to get myself a new blender after I apparently "smoothied" my last blender out by overloading it with too much frozen fruit. In fact I had 2 blenders neither of which could cope with my smoothie making. In one blender the blades went flying while The spinning mechanism on the other blender simply broke. No chance of that happening with my new vitamix blender which I got from John Lewis.

My friend Sally kept raving about this new blender she bought that could make smoothies, soups, ice cream, sorbets, iced cappuccino, can crush ice, blend bread dough, ground rice and corn to flour. Amazing I thought but when she told me the price I told myself a regular kenwood blender would do just as fine. But since I was still intrigued I did a little more internet research and found this helpful demonstration.

After watching this video clip of vitamix in action I was certainly convinced. The hard part was persuading my husband for as you can imagine it was not cheap to buy. My husband thought I was having a laugh when I told him the price until I dragged him down to a John Lewis a couple of Sunday's ago where vitamix staff was on hand doing a live demo.

The demo is even more exciting up close and personal especially since we were able to sample smoothies, soups, iced cappuccino. At the end of it all, Hooray!!!! my mission was successfully complete, he was convinced and I had my vitamix machine.

 I wasted no time in resuming my daily smoothie making and can effortlessly make myself soups for lunch and grind my curry seasoning. I am yet to get started on the ice cream making but I know I am going to have lots of fun with this machine that is simply more than a blender. With a 7 year guarantee on this product I have absolute peace of mind that I will have and use my vitamix blender for years to come.