CLAUDIA LOVES CATS: March 2017

Just a mini post today because I have lots to tell you in another post soon about the weekend I have had! It has been such good weather the past few days that I really feel like spring has finally started so I thought I would update you on some things I have changed in my room to welcome in the new season. First of all, see above for my love of daffodils! They are so cheap (you can normally get a bunch for £1) but really brighten up rooms and smell great. You can also get several different types if you shop around so you can perfect them for the style of your house. They look perfect on the mantlepiece in my room with my mini Peggy.

Another thing I have really taken to is using my Emma Bridgewater baker as a large trinket tray. It is in the gorgeous polka dot pattern which I love because it's really bright and goes with loads. I use it to hold my favourite lipsticks, my hand cream and a candle for when I am getting ready. It also means that I get lots of use out of my baker and get to show it off!

Around Christmas, I had lots of Christmassy scented candles in my room so for spring I wanted to use this Emma Bridgewater one that my mum got me, as it has a really light floral scent. It is so lovely it makes my room smell nice even when it is not lit! It's also quite big so it will last me a long time. I usually have it on my mantlepiece or on my bedside table.

I haven't done that many spring updates on my bedroom because I am trying to use spring as a time to declutter my room (and life!) a little. I am going to do a wardrobe clean out next week all being well and I'm hoping I can try and be ruthless with getting rid of stuff I haven't used for months (sometimes years). Has anyone got any tips for spring cleaning? I usually try and watch an episode of Life Laundry (a show from the early 2000s) on Youtube before I start and I've also been trying to read Marie Kondo's books but I get quite sentimental about things and find I can't get rid of stuff easily so please let me know any tips!

Hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day yesterday! Claudia

*not sponsored by Emma Bridgewater I am just obsessed with her products!

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Hey everyone - very sorry for the late February favourites, I was super busy at the start of March and this week I have been a bit poorly and have spent a lot of time in bed wishing my voice would come back! Anyway, I have made some really good purchases this month and also delved into my beauty stores to have a root round. Everything I have chosen this month I have used LOADS so I needed to share them all with you!

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm - I got this in my M&S beauty advent calendar in December but I had loads of my trusty Clinique make up remover so I didn't think to use this. I wish I had started using it earlier, as this is so so good for eye make-up - even the really hard to move stuff! I would really recommend this you can get it here for: £38

Kat Von D 'lock it' Setting Powder - This was my treat purchase of this month, and it has NOT disappointed! I already use the Kat Von D lock it foundation which I really love as it is so good on my oily skin that I thought it was high time I tried this setting powder. I really like it - the only thing I would ask is whether people would normally put a setting powder on after their bronzer/blush or before? I normally put it on before but if there is a better way then I am open to suggestions! You can get this here for: £22

Sleek Make-up Colour Corrector Palette - I had been seeing lots about colour correction on Instagram and thought I would give it a try. I saw this really compact Sleek Make-up palette with 6 different colours on and thought I would give it a go. The price is amazing!! So far I have found it is great - it actually does seem to provide a really good colour base for my foundation and best of all it has been making my foundation go further which always helps! I have mostly been using the green and the yellow. You can buy this here for: £7.99

this works In Transit Turbo Balm - I have been using this for my lips and my cuticles, and it definitely does what it says on the tin and adds a lot of moisture. I pop it on my cuticles before bed and when I wake up they are much better! Would really recommend it. You can get it here for: £12

Alpha+ Argon Oil Nourishing Lip Balm - I think this was on my January favourites as well, and I guess I'm not supposed to put it on twice but if anything I like this even more than then! This is undoubtedly my fave lip balm - I even love the packaging! I would really recommend this. You can get it here for: £3.95

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cannes - These are great and come in loads of different colours and they don't dry out like lots of other matte lip colours do. They are quite compact and so are perfect for nights out and handbags. They are also ~~so cheap~~ such good value and a good introduction to matte lips if you haven't tried them before. You can get them here for: £6

Benefit They're Real Mascara in black - I had been wanting to try this for ages as my Mac mascara wasn't doing the trick for me. I got a Benefit one that came free with Elle magazine last month. It was only a small mini one and so as soon as I knew I loved it I bought this full size one. I feel it actually makes my lashes look thicker - I often struggle to get them looking really black as well and this is just perfect. It's also quite competitively priced with other similar brands so there really is no downside! You can get this here for: £20.50

Mudmasky Facial Detox Purifying Recovery Mask - This mask came in my GlossyBox a couple of months ago and I have used it a few times this month. I use it for the maximum 11 minutes because I have oily skin but you can feel it working as soon as you put it on. It is pricey but definitely worth it if you really want to treat your skin. This bottle will last you ages as well as you only need a really thin layer on your face. You can get it here for: £60

Fjallraven Kanken Classic Backpack - I got this because I had been wanting a Kanken for ages, I did deliberate over the colour a little in the end ordering two and sending one back but this is the perfect choice. It is such an amazing bag I have used it for uni, my weekend trip to Birmingham and countryside walks (which you can see below!) It is so sturdy and I love love the colour (my favourite colour as you can probably tell from 30% of the posts on this blog). You can get yourself a Kanken from here for: £65

Please let me know if you have tried any of these products or if there is anything you think I should try! I have now turned on commenting for people without accounts so please leave a comment! Claudia xx

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Happy International Women's Day! This weekend I went to Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, Cheshire. They had an amazing exhibition on about the work that women put into QBM that contributed to the Mill's success and how women's lives changed in the North West in the Georgian and Victorian era. I would like to use my blog as a place to also talk about some of the things I have learnt at National Trusts across the UK, now I have a membership, and QBM offered up lots of stories. The one that caught my eye was that of Hannah Greg.

Hannah Greg (1766 - 1828) was born the daughter of a successful Liverpool merchant. She was keen to learn and at the age of 16 was sent to school in London where she was taught French, maths, history, religion and other intellectual topics, as well as things which were considered to be necessary for women such as sewing, deportment, dancing sewing and music.

In 1789 she married Samuel Greg, who was the owner of Quarry Bank Mill in Styal and ended up having 13 children with him. Hannah Greg was integral to the reform of women's and children's rights at the mill as she believed that education shouldn't be restricted to men or the upper classes. She made sure all the apprentices at QBM were educated, and unusually for the time period, made sure that this included girls, who Hannah taught to read and write. She was instrumental in the setting up of the school in Styal village which also taught evening classes to the adult workers at the mill.

For her time, Hannah Greg was a real trailblazer, she was politically aware and a keen educational reformer. I think that when visiting National Trust properties, it is the stories of these women that interest me the most. Quarry Bank Mill is definitely worth a trip, you can find out more about the "A Woman's Work is Never Done" exhibition here.

To help me write this piece, I used some sources online as well as the information I learnt at Quarry Bank Mill from the amazing guides there. Some of my sources are the National Trust, the Quarry Bank Mill blog & here. The photos here were all taken at the apprentice house at QBM by myself as always!

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