Wednesday Wish List

Happy Wednesday guys,

I hope you're all having a great week. 

Lately I've been admiring lots of beautiful pieces which I've been dying to add to my wardrobe, but unfortunately shopping isn't an option for me for the foreseeable future. I'm not sure why I'm torturing myself by window shopping online, but I guess it doesn't hurt to dream... 

Here's what I have my eye on at the minute...

And here's why... 

(Follow the highlighted number to the items shown above)

1. I'm not a huge fan of structured bags, but I've been admiring this textured frame bag from River Island for a couple of months. The texture and vintage look are perfect.

2. I'm partial to a beautiful tan handbag, and have been searching for a new staple brown bag for some time. This scalloped Oasis satchel is beautiful, and versatile, too.

3. I saw this Feelin' Dandy lip and cheek set in store recently, and fell in love with it. It's such a fantastic kit of products. They come in other shades, too.

4. All this cold dismal weather has left me dreaming of Summer, and I can't wait to start wearing sandals with everything. These coral studded sandals will look great with floaty maxi dresses.

5. I've been admiring the print on the Pin Up Girl Clothing Dee Dee and Evelyn dresses for over a year now. The blue and violet floral design is so stunning! I wish I could afford to make it my own! My older sister is graduating from university next January which includes a formal ball, so I'm considering this frock as my outfit.

6. I think this gradated Paris jumper dress looks so warm and cosy! Perfect with a pair of leggings or jeggings.

7. I'm dying to pick up a few of these maxi skirts from New Look. This navy skirt would be so versatile and could be worn all year round.

8. Another bunny print piece I have my heart set on. Perhaps something to honour my Honey Bunny who passed away last week aged eleven.

9. I've become infatuated with this amazing chevron print jumpsuit... it's so on trend and the colours are gorgeous.

10. There's nothing I love more than an injection of colour in my fashion. This Aztec satchel is wonderfully quirky but still has that classic quality, too.

11. Isn't the garden print on this Dorothy Perkins dress just fabulous? I can see myself wearing it with lots of lavender, and pale pinks.

12. At £55 these Converse are quite expensive, but I've fallen in love with the ditsy floral print. They're the prettiest trainers I've ever laid eyes on. Wouldn't they look perfect with the PUGC dress?

13. The heart print design of these shoes is so eighties! I love them!

14. These Converse would look lovely dressed down with a good pair of jeans.

15. My dream is to own some of Cath Kidston's luggage, and I'm loving the new strawberry print designs that are new in this season.

16. This Two Faced Sweetheart Perfect Flush Blush is just gorgeous! If only it could magically appear in my make up bag.

There's also a lovely pastel coloured necklace in Accessorize I love, but I couldn't find it online to share it with you.

Which piece is your favourite?

What's on your wish list?

Thanks for reading,

Shop My Wardrobe on eBay

Ever wanted to shop my wardrobe? Well, now is your chance!

I'm having a clear out of my wardrobe and have started listing pieces on eBay!

There are currently about a dozen items up on my eBay account, FrecklesandFrocks, in sizes 18-22UK which will be ending this Sunday or Monday. Most pieces listed are new and unworn tops, dresses and skirts, and are from Dorothy Perkins, New Look, Matalan, Red Herring, Mantaray and Peacocks. I have many other new and used clothes to list later in the week. Some shoes and accessories may be added at a later date.

Most items in my wardrobe are between sizes 16-22UK, and sizes 6-7UK in shoes.

Everything is in fantastic condition. There is also a point and shoot digital camera for sale at the moment!

I guarantee everything I sell is always quickly whisked off to the Post Office once payment has cleared. I often send parcels on the same or next day, and certainly within three.

Feel free to take a look, and if you've any questions about any of the items, don't be afraid to ask. You can contact me through eBay, or send me an email to polkaspotsandfreckledots@gmail.com.

Thanks for your time,

Sunday Favourites #18

Hey guys,

I hope you're all having a lovely Sunday. What are you all up to this weekend?

I'll be travelling home from my sister's this afternoon, so I've got a painful, dull couple of hours ahead of me coming up. There's something about the journey back which feels like we've taken a wrong turn and ended up in purgatory. It's never ending! I am looking forward to being back in my own cosy new bed tonight, though... I've missed it!

I'm quickly putting this post of inspiring images together for you before I have to start packing up my stuff, which leaves me wondering why I pack so much. I'm not procrastinating at all... honest...

Anyway, without further a do, I hope you enjoy this week's Serendipity Sunday...

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This outfit is so beautiful. The skirt is fabulous, and I love how it's been teamed with such a cute floral cardigan.

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I found this image on Pinterest... the lilac polka dot number is so pretty. I want it!

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A tulle skirt with a glam twist. So pretty.

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My obsession with black and cobalt blue will never falter... Cara wears it so well, and that skirt is incredible.

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Amazing rockabilly curls, and contrasting red hair colours.

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I've always loved Russian Dolls and have even toyed with the idea of getting a little Russian Doll tattoo, but most of the designs I've seen have been quite tacky... but then I saw this one. I immediately fell in love with the detail, and the little features which make up it's face.

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Then out of the blue I stumbled up on another beautiful design, quite different to everything else out there. I like how this one is so dark and stylish.

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Rainbow eyes. I need to start playing with my Inglot eye palettes again.

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Sweet little strawberry nails.

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Watermelon manicure.

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Now this is what I call a nail polish collection! One blogger owns so many polishes she had to have a shelf made especially for them all, and displayed them in her living room as a pretty feature! What an understanding partner she must have!

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I think I squealed a little bit when I saw this photo of a baby albino porcupine enjoying some fruit. It's one of the most adorable critters I've seen in my life.

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This is one walrus's reaction after being presented with a cake made of fish for his birthday! So cute. <3

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Being comfortable with your body regardless of what anybody else may think of it is one of the best feelings in the world!

And that it's for another week!

Which one is your favourite?

My Tips for Living With Disc Injuries... the ones Doctors never suggest but should!

I want to talk about something a little different today. I've not really gone in to depth about living with disc injuries before, but I would like to speak a little bit about it now.  I want to share how I get through each day with disc injuries, in case I can help anybody going through a similar situation. I'm going to start by sharing some of my tried and tested tips, but first a little about my situation...

For seventeen months, I've lived in constant pain from several disc injuries. These injuries have turned my entire life upside down and shattered it in to pieces beyond recognition. The pain in my lower back and spine keeps me confined to bed 99% of the time, and prevents me from living an ordinary life.

I had two choices: one, I could be miserable and negative; live a life feeling sorry for myself and give up. Or two, I could try to go with the flow; adapt; try to have more positive days than negative ones; be strong, and find ways to keep myself occupied. I chose challenge number two. I can't change what's happened, so I see no point in letting it bring me down. I refuse to let this set back win.

Of course, I do have days when missing out on life all gets too much to bare, and I feel fed up and blue- I'm only human, after all, but in general, I try to keep a cheery, laid-back persona. I've learnt to get myself through each day, one at a time, and the trick is to keep occupied.

I thought I'd share some of my tips for getting through the day while bed ridden or housebound. These are ways I've learnt to fill up my time and make it through to the next day without succumbing to cabin fever. I wanted to share them for anybody out there who may be having a hard time coping with a life-changing injury or illness...

Louise's Tips For Living With On Going Disc Injuries

1. Resist the urge to stay in your pyjamas all day every day. They may be comfy. You might not be able to stray far from the bed. Dressing may be a task and a half, but in my experience, slobbing around in pyjamas with unwashed hair every day will just make you even more miserable. Dress yourself in your favourite outfits!

2. Dress up in clothes that make you feel great. You might nor be able to control your pain levels, or your mobility, but you can control how you look. Of course vanity isn't the most important thing in life, but if you're like me, when you feel you look good on the outside, you feel great on the inside, too. I always feel a lot brighter when I'm wearing a great fitting dress with a quirky pattern- even if I can only wear it lying in bed.

3. Pamper yourself! Everybody deserves some 'me' time, some way that they can relax and unwind. Have a long soak in the bath, if you're able to. (Sadly, I can't get in and out of the tub easily right now). Apply a face mask. Paint your nails. Try out some nail art. Even call in a mobile hairdresser if you can sit up long enough to get your hair done. I personally find trying out lots of new nail looks very therapeutic and a great way to retain some normality.

4. Read! Reading is a great distraction, and will take your mind off your current situation for a little while. See your current situation as a chance to get stuck in to all those novels you've always wanted to read! Of course, some good magazines, and great blogs will fill up your time well, too! 

5. Distract yourself. Do what you can to keep yourself busy. Read, write, blog, make something, play computer games... what ever hobbies you enjoy doing from home, do them! Being busy makes the day go so much faster, and you'll have a sense of achievement, too. I started this blog to give myself something to focus on during my confinement, and it sure has helped to keep the boredom at bay.

6. Avoid spending too much time on Facebook. We're all guilty of checking our timelines several times a day, but chances are the statuses of friends having a ball will upset you if you're stuck in bed with just your thoughts for company. The lack of comments or likes on your own statuses from friends who no longer care will probably bring you down further. If either of those get you down, sitting at the computer hitting refresh every ten seconds will do you more harm than good. Log off and remind yourself it's their loss, not yours, and ring the ones who've stuck by you for a chat instead.

7. Don't spend time and effort being upset over the 'friends' who stop calling. It's only when bad things happen that you really learn who your true friends are. The ones who've abandoned you are not worth worrying about. If they can't be there for you when you need them most, then they were obviously never great friends to begin with. Remember, it's quality, not quantity! It's not you, it's them!

8. Let those feelings out. Living with an ongoing injury and constant pain can put a lot of strain on your emotions. If you're anything like me, you might have days when your situation stresses, frustrates, and upsets you. And bottling up those feelings won't make those worries any easier. You need to let them out.

 You could have a heart to heart with a close friend or family member. You could keep a journal, scribble those feelings down on a piece of paper, blog about them, or just type a word document. Even if you'd rather not share how you feel with others, just emptying those thoughts from your mind will take a weight off your shoulders. Trust me, it helps.

9. Get out and about when you can. Make the most of those 'good' days  and leave the house when ever you think you can manage to. Take every opportunity. You may only manage a short walk to the end of the street and back, or a trip to the supermarket with a family member, but the fresh air and doing something ordinary will work wonders on your mood and well being.

10. Take it one day at a time. Some days will be good, some days will be bad and some will be almost unbearable. Take each day as it comes and concentrate on making it through to the next one as best you can. Dwelling on the shoulda woulda couldas won't achieve anything, and neither will worrying about the future, or making unrealistic goals and plans you probably won't be able to keep. Don't think ahead. Set small, daily goals like 'today I'll go for a walk around the block', or 'I'll try to get downstairs once today.' Live in the here and now, and just go with the flow. Everything will work itself out in time.

Of course, what works for one won't necessarily work for another, but I hope that these tips might make life a little easier for anyone going through a life changing injury or illness. I probably have a few more tips stored in my head, but I'll stop at these ten for now.

If you've got your own tips for coping with being house bound from an ongoing injury, I'd love to hear them. Leave me a comment below! And, if you're going through a difficult injury yourself, don't give up. Life will get brighter in time.

A Mini Haul

Hey lovelies,

I hope you're all well and looking forward to the weekend.

This is just a quick post to share a few little things I've picked up this week.

I finally sourced a gorgeous iridescent Model's Own nail polish which I've been admiring online for many months, "Indian Ocean". Every beauty blogger and their pampered pooch seems to have been raving about this nail polish for months, while I'd only been able to admire it from afar... until now.

I went in to Boots to buy bandages and found myself distracted by the Model's Own display- I'd never found one anywhere before. The Indian Ocean polish turned out to be a beautiful lilac-blue polish with a hot pink and light gold metallic sheen, far prettier than I'd imagined it to be. It was £5 for a very generous sized pot. I also picked up a black nail art pen which was £6, which I later began using to turn my red nails in to ladybirds.

In Accessorize I found these adorable heart print hair grips for just £3 for 15. They're so cute and have a tight grip so hopefully they'll last a bit longer than the average kirby grip.

And, I also bought this quirky little pencil necklace from Accessorize. It was on sale with 70 percent off the original price, which meant I only parted with £1.80 to make it my own! Not bad considering it's guaranteed to be worn to death as it's just my style!

I have my heart set on so many accessories and make up products after this little shopping trip. My favourite find was a string of multi coloured necklaces in pastel shades combined as one pretty boho necklace. I desperately want to buy it to wear with my Spring/Summer wardrobe. Here's hoping for a lottery win on the horizon...

What have you been buying recently?

Thanks for reading,

What I Wore | Behind the Sea

As we've been having such a gorgeous little wave of sunshine and something resembling warmth these last few days, I've been pushing myself to take advantage of the weather and venture outside for short, gentle walks.

On Tuesday this involved a stroll around Portchester Castle again; a place close by to where my sister lives. Each step was a struggle, and progress was quite slow, but the pain was worth it to be outside on a beautiful day in such gorgeous surroundings.

 For me, there's not much better in life than being by the sea. I love the smell of the sea weed and salt water (if I could bottle that smell I would), and I just feel so at peace near water. I don't know why that is.

My sister dragged me out of bed and forced me to dress at lightening speed without showering to go for this walk, so this was the result. An outfit I ended up loving, except for the fact my hair was tied back in a pony tail revealing the ears I prefer to conceal because my hair needed washing.

You may remember seeing this dress on this blog a few months ago, when I wore it with bright teal tights in my garden at home. Well, this week I was itching to wear this dress once more, and this time built the outfit up with purples and blues.

The dress came from Dorothy Perkins, and is a lovely, lined chiffon dress with capped sleeves, and a beautiful bird cage print on a rich raspberry fabric. The colour is truly lovely. I wore it over dark purple tights (as I didn't have a black pair to hand), and a cropped navy cardigan to pull out the blue of the print. I wanted to wear a cropped cardigan as it was fairly warm outside in the sunshine, with only a little chill in the air. It must have only been about ten degrees, so I must have been mad, but I wasn't very cold! I wore it with my blue quilted ballet pumps, as they're one of the only pairs of shoes I can wear with my swollen toes right now, added a few beaded bracelets to my wrist, and borrowed my sister's purple quilted studded chain bag.

I felt quite good in this outfit, and I really wish I'd worn this dress more this A/W. Hopefully I'll get a little more wear from it before the colours of Spring return and make Winter colours look dark and out of place.

My Sister said I was vain for taking my glasses off for photos. I've never liked being snapped wearing my glasses, and I've had to wear them or lenses since I was a baby. Some things never change. This was my vain diva pose mid-blink. Attractive. LOL.

Here you can get a closer look at all the little details.

What I Wore

Dress- Dorothy Perkins // Cardigan- New Look // Tights- Evans // Ballet Pumps- New Look //

Bag- Accessorize // Black Beaded Bracelets- Dorothy Perkins // Pearl Bracelet- Matalan //

Glasses (in hand)- Roxy // Ladybird Earrings (not pictured)- Accessorize //

I really enjoyed being outside in the sunshine, but the walk took it out of me, so it was back to bed, with Grazia Magazine, Dirty Dancing, and some morphine for me afterwards.

Hopefully I'll attempt a couple more outings over the next few days for more outfit posts!

Thanks for reading,

Review | Stila All Is Bright Lip Glaze Set

I've been wanting to treat myself to Stila's All is Bright lip glaze set since I discovered it in ASOS's Christmas gift listings back in December. This week I was finally able to.

The set contains eight lip glazes in 2 best selling shades, and 6 limited editions. The lip glazes in the set are worth £75, but this set is amazing value for money as it retails for just £18.50!! I however managed to pick the set up on sale on Stila's website at the bargain price of £12.95! What a steal.

The pens are made from light weight plastic, and have a stylish, expensive appearance. They're light enough to carry around in your bag throughout the day or night.

Holly //  Sugar plum //  Black Cherry // Joy //  Jingle // Jack Frost // Jolly // Splendor

The lip glazes are full size Stila products, in eight wearable colours. The colours include a great selection of pinks, corals, and berries which are not only suitable all year round, but so versatile, too. The colours can be worn as a subtle layer of colour, or built up for a more bold lip, so they can be worn suitably for lots of different scenarios from work to nights out and just general every day wear. I really love that option with make up, and how the boldness can be built up depending on your confidence, preference, or situation.

Holly //  Sugar plum //  Black Cherry // Joy //  Jingle // Jack Frost // Jolly // Splendor

The variety provides so many fantastic options and looks. I don't know about you, but I like to change my make up looks from day to day instead of sticking to one or two favourite looks all the time. I like how this set provides the opportunity to change from pink to coral and fuchsia and berry as your mood dictates you.

Holly //  Sugar plum //  Black Cherry // Joy //  Jingle // Jack Frost // Jolly // Splendor

Holly //  Sugar plum //  Black Cherry // Joy //  Jingle // Jack Frost // Jolly // Splendor

I love every one of these lip colours with my very pale skin tone. They're all suitable for porcelain skin tones, although I think each of these would look equally striking on dark skin tones, too. I like the variety of bold colours and softer shades, and the pigment of the colours is amazing. I think my favourites are probably Holly, Black Cherry, and Jingle so far.

To use, all that's required is a quick couple of twists of the tube which distributes gloss on to the silky soft brush. It's so easy, and you can control how much gloss comes out. Then just brush the lip glaze on to the lips as you would normally.

A little goes a long way, and remains in place for hours, too. I find the lip glosses to have very little stickiness, unlike most other glosses which I find end up sticking to everything but my lips. I love this! They have the texture of a soft, glossy lip stick, and I find they soften my lips wonderfully, which is amazing as I'm prone to very dry chapped lips. 

Overall, I'm so very impressed with these lip glazes. The colours are fantastic and they're so easy to use and hard-wearing. The set was a complete bargain for eight full sized products, and I really love the cute packaging the festive set was given, as well as the cute festive names. Oh, and the set was dispatched swiftly  and delivered within 48 hours- plus the delivery charge is currently free! Can't ask for much better than that!

I'd say these are some of the best lip products I've ever tried, and would recommend that everybody gives them a try! The set can be bought on the Stila website here.

Have you tried this lip glaze set yet? What do you think?

Are you a fan of Stila make up?

Thanks for reading,

Broken down on memory lane

When the sun puts in an appearance and graces us with a beautiful warm sunny day, I always have the urge to dig out some uptempo music, and blast it out. I usually find myself gravitating back to two of my favourite bands: Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At The Disco; two awesome bands whose combined hundred or so songs are so catchy and cheerful, and never fail to put me in a content, nostalgic, and happy mood. I associate their songs with summer, and can connect them to so many fond memories.

 I've been listening to their songs a lot over the last couple of days as the sunshine and some warmth has started to trickle back ever so faintly in to English weather. Yesterday was a flawlessly sunny day, one warm enough to dawdle around the outlet village without a jacket, and even with a little arm exposed. feeling comfortably heated instead of fearing frostbite. It was lovely. It's feels like a life time since our last hot summer's day, and I'm excited for Spring. I can't wait for longer days, warmth, and delicate pastel shades making their way back in to our wardrobes. I can't wait for the opportunity to wear maxi dresses and sandals, cropped cardigans, and the excuse to listen to all my favourite summery songs. Winter lost it's sparkle months ago.

So, this meandering in the sunshine warranted an outfit post! The quality of the photos is atrocious, for which I'm sorry, but I hope you won't mind too much...

My outfit was nothing special, just made up of old pieces from my wardrobe. The purple jersey midi dress was a Dorothy Perkins purchase from about a year ago. I don't own many plain coloured dresses, but I was drawn to the vibrant purple of this one, and it's a great wardrobe staple to dress up. I originally started wearing it with tights, which are more flattering on the legs with midi lengths as the elongate them, but the tights were putting pressure on my bad toes, so I switched to leggings. Not great, but couldn't be helped. I wore the dress with my old faithful green striped v-neck cardigan with three quarter length sleeves. The cardi came from Next several years ago. I like the way the stripes on the sleeves become gradually narrower from shoulder to forearm, which give the illusion of slimmer, tapered arms. It's also really soft, and comfortable, and I also own it in red and grey. I accessorised with my new collar necklace, and a green skinny keeper belt.

It's been a while since I've worn the dress and the cardigan, together or separately, so I really enjoyed wearing this outfit out in the sunshine.

Outfit Details

Dress- Dorothy Perkins // Cardigan- Next // Leggings- Evans // Collar- Evans // Belt- Dorothy Perkins

I'm staying with my sister again for the week, and she's determined to drag me out for walks every day regardless of my pain levels, so hopefully I may manage a couple more outfit posts this week... Stranger things have happened! Don't hold your breath, though, I am struggling to move at the minute!

I hope you're all having a brilliant start to the week.

Thanks for reading,

Sunday Favourites #17

Happy Sunday lovelies,

I hope you're all having a really wonderful weekend. What are you all up to?

Today, I have some amazing images for your viewing pleasure, and quite a few of them which happen to be aimed at body positivity, which wasn't planned but a fortune accident! That's what I love about image sharing websites like Tumblr and Pinterest- you never really know what you might find each week. Enjoy...

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These Valentine's Day worthy nails are pretty damn fantastic, I have to say. They don't appear to require too much skill, so maybe I'll try my hand at these one day...

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Pretty pastel coloured heart print cardigans with the sweetest little heart shaped buttons. Oh where can I get myself these cardigans, or twelve?

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This is a beautiful frock, perfect for a Summer wedding. I want her rockabilly curls.

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Isn't this heart print dress lovely? It's so sweet, and a little bit cheeky. Heart print is that one print I don't think I have in my wardrobe... my mission will have to be to change that! Oh, and I love the cat ears, as well.

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Cara of ilikeprettyclothes is one of my favourite plus size bloggers, and her outfits are always beautifully put together. I think this particular number is perfect. Cobalt blue is one of my favourite colours, but I don't think I've ever teamed it with leopard print, but it really works, doesn't it? I love how you can see the blue petticoat just peeking out from under the skirt, too. This is an outfit I'd love to put my own spin on this year.

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I adore this woman's vibrant purple hair, and the stunning dark turquoise of the dress, and I equally love the two colours paired together. I think this is a colour combination I will have to try at the first opportunity.

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I love the use of pastel colours in these ladies' outfits. Amazing! This makes me excited for Spring.

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This is a powerful image with a brilliant message. We really are much more than the size of our bodies, even if society would lead us to believe otherwise.

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Feminine women are feminists, too.

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This misconception drives me insane, so I love this sign! Shape, size, and/or weight does not determine a person's health, and I wish people would stop pretending they're 'concerned' when they're only judging a person for their appearance. People need to learn to mind their own business and channel their energy in to worrying about themselves instead.

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I completely agree.

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Baby otter! So cute!

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Awesome sign! Although I must add I don't judge anybody for dieting. Each to their own.

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Well, that's how I see it, anyway!

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I saw this on Simply Be's Pinterest account and thought it was so cute. 'Before you can love anyone else, learn to love yourself.' A wise quote. Loving your family and friends is important, but so is putting yourself first once in a while and learning to love who you are for exactly who you are!

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As a book lover, I used to be dead set against Kindles, wondering why people couldn't just pick up a paperback. Then my sister bought one, and I realised how good they actually are. Light weight, convenient, brilliant for saving space/weight when travelling, less risk of bringing a concussion from dropping it on your face when you fall asleep (unlike a 1000 page hardback)... Now I have one and I'm completely converted. I think it shouldn't matter what people read from, as long as they're reading and enjoying it!

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True love never dies. I read this with tears in my eyes.

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The odd couple. This baby White Faced Scops Owl called Cherub, has found a guardian in Kiera the German Pointer! How cute is that? 

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And I'll leave you with this utterly adorable photo of these two lovely sloths. The baby one has a particularly brilliant hair style going on, I must say!

Which image is your favourite?

Thanks for reading,