Day Trip in Aberdeen

Early last month was my little brothers birthday, and seeing as he is a fussy bugger, and wouldn’t tell me what he wanted for his birthday, I suggested that we have a day out in Aberdeen instead.  I never really know how much there was to do in Aberdeen until I started looking into it.  We managed three different activities and a bite to eat on our adventures, so I thought it would be nice to share so that you all could explore too!

Aberdeen Harbour Dolphin Tours

We started off our trip with a morning dolphin tour run by the Aberdeen harbour crew.  The tour lasted one hour and cost £10 per child and £18 per adult.  We were given a quick tour of the harbour before setting off to the beach to see all the dolphins, and it was fab!  Of course it couldn’t be guaranteed that we would see any, after all you are going out to see to see them in their own environment, it’s not a planned out show.  We were super lucky that day, the sun was shining, the water was nice and calm and the dolphins were full of life and energy – and there was loads of them too.  My brothers really enjoyed themselves as did I, they got a shot of steering the boat, and the chaps on board were really fun and made sure everyone on board didn’t miss a thing!

The Tollbooth Museum

This was something that I was really looking forward to, as the idea of exploring an old prison like building fills me with great joy, as did it for my brothers too!  Whilst not very big, and it doesn’t take very long to look around, the atmosphere was spot on, and it was great fun exploring the old prison cells, looking at the old tools and desperately clinging onto the walls and ropes as we climbed the long and twisted stair cases.  The building had an earie feel about it the whole time we were exploring, and with loads of information points to stop and read, it really was a great way to fill in a 30 minute void in our busy day.

Maritime Museum

Whilst I think that this would have been an activity I would have enjoyed more had I done a little more research prior to visiting, this was a great museum to take the kids to and explore and learn about the oil and gas industry, drilling, sea life and even some old school fishing tools.  What we thought was going to be an in and out kind of job actually turned into a near hour stay, there was so such to look at and interactive with, and with so many different floors to explore, they were sure that we weren’t going to miss anything!  Whilst we didn’t actually visit this part, there was a lovely looking café and gift shop that would have been nice had you been travelling from a distance or planning to spend a good couple o hours taking in all the place had to offer. 

We all really enjoyed our day out exploring Aberdeen’s hidden treasures, and I’ll be making sure that I take advantage of what is right on our doorstep again in the near future.

Is there any other places you think I should check out on my next adventure?

Until the next one,

Lauren X

Cruelty Free Brands I love

It is fast approaching my one year anniversary to when I decided to make the decision to swap over all of my cosmetics for cruelty free versions, so I thought I would share some of my favourite go to brands from over the last year!

Superdrug

Superdrug products were my number one brand of choice for the majority of the year, simply because of their low cost prince range and variety of products.  There are very few goodies that I did not enjoy using during the year, their B range and Naturally Radiant goods were up there with my favourites!  The majority of their products are labelled vegan, however there is never any questions about if they are cruelty free – they always are – which was the biggest selling point for me!

Lush

Lush will always have a soft spot in my heart, because in my eyes they can do no wrong with their products.  Whilst I think that the bath bombs and bubble bars are up their with my favourites goodies ever, the face cleansers were also a hot spot for me, alongside the fresh face masks.  Cup’O’Coffee, Love Lettuce and Let the Good Times Roll are all products that I adore, but there are too many bath bombs to share I’m afraid!

The Body Shop

These guys are also another brand that I love using for picking up little treats for myself here and there, as their products always made the best gifts for special occasions, and their special offers meant that whatever gift was on the cards, I could justify a treat for myself too!  The Body Shop recently announced that they are no longer owned by L’Oreal, which caused a lot of controversy before this was announced, and so you can be guaranteed that all of their goodies will be 100% cruelty free from now on!  Some of my favourite products include the body mists, body butters and hand sanitizers, however I’m also a sucker for their shower gels too.

Arbonne

Now that I’m an Independent Consultant for Arbonne, it makes financial sense for me to make purchases from my own store.  They are of course however the newest brand that I have introduced to my skincare routine, however they are by far the most impressive products too.  My favourties so far have got to be the Calm Moisturiser, RE9 Corrective Eye Cream, Shea Butter Body Lotion and the CC Cream, however I can honestly say that I’ve loved every product that I’ve tried out so far.

So these are just a few of the brands that I’ve absolutely loved using since I made the Cruelty Free changes in my cosmetics!  Leave me a comment if you think that there are any brands I’m missing out on, and let me know if you want any more info on any products in particular that I’ve listed above!

Until the next one,

June Favourites

It’s been a while since I did a favourites post, so I thought that this would be a good time to do one!  It’s a bit of a mix this month, but all things that I’ve been loving as of late.

Graze Protein Bites

I discovered these little gems at the end of last month, and since then I’ve seen the popping up in all of the local supermarkets, which excites me very much!  So far I’ve only tried out the banana ones, but let me tell you, these bad boys are good!  They’re super thick and quite flapjack like, however they’re also moist and kind of sticky, like a cereal bar!  I’ve made my way through three boxes alone so far, they’re great for breakfast or my early morning snack at work!

Sound Cloud

I’ve really been enjoying using sound cloud this month to listen to different audio files and to explore different ways of self-growth, I’ve been using this a lot more than watching YouTube!  It’s a great thing to use in the morning when I’m doing my makeup and getting ready for my day, it means I don’t have to be watching the screen and I can just sit and listen to something uplifting and chill before I’m ready to leave.  A lot of the stuff I’ve been listening to is to help me with my Arbonne business, however there have been a few bits and pieces that I’ve tuned into as of late that has just really given me a greater understanding as to why I shouldn’t care what other people think, and I’ve taken a lot away from those audio files that once upon a time I would have thought was a load of rubbish.

Fresh Flowers

As bizarre as it might sound, I’ve really liked picking up some fresh flowers this month for taking my blog photos, as I think they just make a nice touch to the images.  Once my photos have been taken, I tend to just chuck them in a vase and display them in the living room or kitchen, for everyone to enjoy.  I work right next door to a Lidl, and so most of the flowers I’ve picked up as of late have been from there.  I’ve been super impressed with the quality of all off the bunches, they normally last at least five days when they’ve not blossomed yet, and they always have a nice selection to choose from too!

Early Mornings

Another strange one, especially for me, is that I’ve been enjoying getting up super early on my days off – as I tend to get a lot more done.  I’ve been taking martin to the gym in the morning, even on my days off, so that means getting up the back of six and starting my day from there.  Even when I’ve not got much to do during the day, it’s nice to have a proper full day at home to potter around the house and enjoy a full day off!

That’s what I’ve been enjoying this month, lie I said it is a bit of a varied one, but none the less all things that have taken my fancy.

What things have you been enjoying this month?

Until the next one,