Autumn Shopping Spree

Last weekend, I visited relatives near where I used to live in South London. The local shopping centre is much bigger than we have here in rural East Sussex so I made the most of my time there and did a little autumn shopping.

My first purchase was a new dressing gown. I wanted a really soft, snuggly one for winter and found this one in M&S:

The colour is chocolate and it's sooo cozy! And at £22.50, it didn't break the bank.

I also wanted some new slipper socks to keep my toes toasty. I have Raynaud's disease and one of the main symptoms I get is permanently cold feet (due to poor blood supply to extremeties). As the weather turns colder, it becomes a real problem.

BHS had 3 for 2 on these socks so it cost £22.00 for 3 pairs. I got one white pair with a red fair isle pattern, one red pair and one charcoal pair.

 

They have plastic dots underneath so are non slip and inside there is a fluffy white lining. I love them and they are so festive looking too with the pom poms and cable knit!

My final purchase was a pair of Hunter wellies. I have had my eye on these for a while now but had been hoping to find them somewhere at a good price. I saw them in Costco for £60, a saving of £25 off the RRP of £85. 

The colour is "Forest Green" but for some reason, the boots look like they have a turquoise tint to them in the photos. They do not at all. They are more of a rich Christmas green in real life!

I'm really pleased with my autumn purchases. That will do shopping-wise for now . . . until the boxing day sales!!

I Heart Aldi

For those of you that have never heard of Aldi, it is a discount supermarket chain which I currently love!

Since we live in a quite a rural area we have to drive at least 15 minutes to get to a supermarket. There are plenty of options around but Aldi is my favourite at the moment.

Here's why I like it:

1) It is much smaller than a regular supermarket. It's on one level and whilst the store does get busy, it's not that same heaving stressful experience that you get in larger supermarkets.

2) There are a limited number of products. You know how overwhelming and time-sapping it can be to look through an aisle full of different brand versions of the same product. Well, Aldi tends to have 1 brand of each product. E.g. there is only one strawberry jam option, one sliced ham option etc.

3) The majority of products are just as good as major brands. I admit I used to be a brand snob. I liked sticking to well known names but that all ended when I became a student. It was more important to save the pennies and I soon realised the alternatives were usually fine, if not better.

4) Their beauty products are excellent! I am in love with their little selection, see more on that later.

5) The store isn't over-done. By that I mean it's pretty basic. Products are often displayed and stacked in cardboard boxes. There is none of that harsh bright lighting you get in other supermarkets. And there are no advertisements hanging from the ceiling or in your face everywhere you look.

Overall, I love it! My next post will be about their fantastic beauty products!

Barry M Nail Varnish

I had been on the look out for a new autumn shade nail varnish for a while. Some nail varnishes now seem ridiculously overpriced but I was pleased to find a Barry M varnish in Superdrug that I liked the look of.

At £2.99 it wasn't breaking the bank. It's called Nail Paint and the colour is raspberry:

It actually has a bit more of a magenta tone that the above image suggests. The brush is a little soft so it's not that easy to get a clear line at the edge of the nail. Other than that, I love it.

I have been eyeing up the other gorgeous colours on the Barry M website too! Buying a new nail varnish feels like a lovely little treat. Like clothes shopping but kinder on the bank balance!