Love is in the Air

Considering that January seemed to take the age of man to get through, it comes as a surprise to me that suddenly we are approaching Valentine's Day.

Whilst Cupid has not struck his arrow for me, I confess that I do love to see happy couples on Valentines Day.  Love is everything and is best when you have a special someone to share it with.

What are your plans for Valentines with your partner?  For me, large costly gestures have never been required.  Buying flowers for example seems to quadruple in price which I think is insane.  

Love is shown in actions and the way that you feel.  I would prefer a lovely, thought about card than a throwaway (although expensive!) bunch of red roses.

Today +Simply Be are allowing me to host a competition to win this gorgeous lingerie set in time for Valentines Day.

SimplyBe Lingerie

The bra is available from a 36C through to a 48DD.  The midi briefs run from a 12 to a 26.

This competition opens at 12.00 tonight and will close at 12.01am on Monday 12th February 2018 so the winning entrant can receive their prize prior to Valentines Day.  UK only

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Wishing On A Star

Call me sentimental, but one thing that I have always wanted to do is name a star.  It is the kind of thing that you do not generally buy for yourself but is a perfect present for a loved one.  It may be the romantic in me, but if someone I loved did this for me, like a boyfriend on Valentines Day or a gift at Christmas; I would be thrilled.

So I was delighted when Star Name Registry gave me the opportunity to name a star for myself.  I was given the Extra Bright Star package which lets you name a star (obviously!!), let you choose a constellation and provides you with an A4 Star Name Deed in a photo frame, a Sky Atlas Star Map and an explanation as to what bright stars and binary stars are.

When trying to think of a name for the star, there was one person I had in mind that I wanted to give this gift to and that was my mum.  When I was a little girl (and still when I want something haha) I always used to call her Kinsey.  So now, there is a Star of Kinsey!

I gave the Star Name Deed to her tonight and she was thrilled.  

When you receive your Deed, you are given a reference number which you can enter into the Star Register site to see what your star looks like.  Here is Kinsey!

  

Star Name Registry are allowing me to run a competition where you can win the opportunity to name a standard star for yourself, or a loved one.

What will you name your star?

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Can You Become A Morning Person?

Can you become a morning person?  If you had asked me that ten years ago, the answer would have been a resounding no.  I have always become more alive at night, groggy in the mornings.  Ten years ago and beyond people knew not to even approach me before 10.30am.

These days I have improved a lot, people can now approach me with safety haha, but I still struggle to get up in the morning and I would like to be able to accomplish a lot more.  So I thought that I would share some of the things that I have been doing to improve my mornings.

First things, first plan your morning the night before.

If you struggle to function in the mornings, organising yourself and the things you need to accomplish is somethings (always) hard.  One of the things that I make part of my evening routine is to organise my morning routine.

I chose my outfit the night before and get it out ready.  I take out the makeup that I will be using and lay it out on a chest of drawers ready to be used.  I put my skincare routine out ready in the bathroom (within morning stumbling distance) and put my coffee things out ready in the kitchen.  I am still working on having breakfast in the morning but haven't accomplished that yet.

Next, set yourself up to be ready for sleep.

This is a hard one for me as I live with my mum and my bedroom is used as sitting room, lounging room and bedroom.  Depending on what I am doing the next day, I aim for a time that I want to go to bed and turn off the television at least half an hour before.  I try to read some of whatever book I have on my bed stand for the remaining time as I find this relaxing.  I also ensure not to eat anything at least three hours before I want to go to bed. 

Be comfortable and supported

When my very old mattress needed replacing a couple of years ago, I made the mistake in not investing in a good mattress.  I bought a cheap one, thinking that anything would do, and subsequently spent the next six months uncomfortable and with disturbed sleep.

I invested in a decent pocket sprung mattress and suddenly I was sleeping through the night without waking up, having to adjust to become more comfortable.  I think I paid around £250 and I am happy in the knowledge that it should last me 7-8 years.

Finally, and this is something that I will talk about in a future blog post, I have recently bought a morning sidekick journal which aims, within 66 days, to make you in a morning person.  I will let you know about my progress.

In the meantime however, I have become involved with the Bed Guru's #SpringOutofBed campaign.  They have offered me the opportunity to give away a fabulous breakfast hamper, shown below, which has lovely things like smoked salmon, croissants and fruit preserves.  You can check out the hamper here:

You can enter the competition below:

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*In collaboration with Bed Guru.

Competition Time!

I think that Spring may be my favourite time of the year.  Daffodils are my favourite flower so when they start popping up in people's gardens everywhere, it always makes me happy.  

When the sun is shining and the flowers are all coming out, it always makes me long to live on the coast.  To be able to go to the beach on a sunny day or just take a walk around the coast line whenever you felt like it would be just wonderful.

I visited Cornwall as a child many times during Spring and Summer and I always thought that at some point, that may be the place that I might finally settle.

It is from Cornwall that I bring to you today a competition to win a vintage style,Cornish art print from the wonderful John Dyer Gallery  

The John Dyer Gallery is predominantly an online gallery which is run by husband and wife team John Dyer and Joanne Short.  Clients are also able to book private appointments with the artists to view their work or alternatively attend their public exhibition openings.  The gallery represents the work of three of Cornwall's most established and acclaimed contemporary artists.

The John Dyer Gallery was established in 2005 and has had working relationships with The National Trust, The National Maritime Museum, the Eden Project and many more around the world.

The prize today is to win a framed vintage style A3 print from any of the pieces featured in the link here  The competition will run for two weeks and the prize will be forwarded direct to the winner.

*Competition rules
UK entries only
The prize must only be chosen from the link as mentioned above and not from any other part of the site.

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Out With The New, In With The Old

After we emerge from the hangovers of New Years Eve, you always see one catchphrase.  New Year, New You.  I hate it.  The idea that on the first day of the year, every year, companies and society tells you that you are not good enough, you have to improve you.  I talked about my dislike for this in my New Year Post

What I prefer to do is add to my character, not change it.  This year, I want to revisit the classics.  Not Shakespeare, but books from Jules Verne like Journey to the Centre of the Earth, must reads like Little Women and To Kill a Mockingbird.  Books that stand the test of time.

Films are like that.  There are some films that will last forever.  Films that can not, and should not, ever be revisited.  I do not mind a "remake" if the original can be improved or the story can be added to, but there are some films that you should never, ever, touch.  Films that cannot be improved by CGI or a 21st century mindset. 

Films that are perfect, just the way they are.

Jaws for example.   Could the special effects be improved?  Of course.  But would I change one iota of that film for a more realistic shark?  Never.

I am currently running a competition on Twitter to win some classic films, see below for how to enter.

 These films should never be touched.  Can you imagine anyone else ever playing Celie from The Color Purple than Whoopi Goldberg?  Can you comprehend a remake of the Towering Inferno? Tom Cruise playing Steve McQueen's character, scaling down the building Mission Impossible style?  The Rock?  NO.  Just no.

To win the classic movies as pictured above, all you have to do is head over to Twitter and RT the competition tweet (here is the link) The competition ends at midnight on the 31st January and is UK only.

Should you wish to buy any of the films about, they can be found here

What is your favourite classic film?

My Inspirational Mum

Mothers Day is just around the corner.  With this in mind, Great Rail Journeys are currently running a competition to win a trip to Bruges for yourself and your mum.  

To enter, you need to:

• Write a blog post about why you're thankful for your mum and saying why she deserves to win this Mothers' Day trip.
• Tweet the blog post to @greatrail including the #GRJMothersDay to confirm your entry.

This is my competition entry.

My mum is the quintessential bubbly blonde.  At 74 years of age, she looks 15 years younger, with a fashion sense to match.  Unlike many of her peers, there are no grey haired perms and twin sets for her; my mum has always looked glamorous and always will.

My mum and I are quite similar characters in that we are both daft as a brush and we giggle at the drop of a hat.  We both enjoy good food, good times and a drop of something to put a sparkle in your eye. 

They say that you really see the mettle of someone in times of adversity and hardship.  That is certainly the case with my mum.

When my step dad fractured his spine nearly 6 months ago, we never dreamed that he would still be in hospital now.  Unable to drive, my mum has had to rely on lifts from family and getting the bus, visiting him nearly every day for the first few months, at a hospital some 30 miles away from home.  Even now, nearly 6 months on and finally at a hospital closer to home, she still visits 3-4 times a week.

My step dad's journey has been fraught with complications and through it all; my mum has been a tower of strength.  A long stay in hospital is hard but my mum has tried everything to make that stay a little easier.  Pouring hundreds of pounds into the hospital television, taking in home cooked meals, sourcing all his favourite films on DVD and finding the cowboy Western books he loves so much for him to read.

While my mum may still look like a spring chicken, life without her partner at her side has been hard.  Losing that day-to-day companionship and having her world turned upside has not been easy but she still has not lost that sparkle in her eye. 

I am thankful for my mum because she inspires me in so many different ways and I can only hope when I reach her age that I look as good as she does, with as much energy for life as she continues to have.

Inspiration on your Wall

Sometimes we all need a bit of inspiration in our lives.  A reminder to live our lives the way that we want to, be who we want to be and embrace ourselves for who we are.

When I search for inspiration on the internet, the best quotes that I find are always more truth than inspiration.  They tell you what, in your heart, you already know.  You just have to sift through what society has indoctrinated you to think to find that truth.

My favourite quote, and one which I always remember is from Maya Angelou:

"If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be".

The reminder to yourself that the best version of yourself is being exactly who you are, without trying to change yourself to meet other's expectations.

I was recently contacted by StressFreePrint and was asked if I would like to create my own inspirational quote poster.  I wanted something simple that would give me inspiration when I first wake up in the morning.  I decided to go with this:

  For me this simple sentence says so much and has been inspiring my wake up in the morning since I first received it last week.  Now StressFreePrint have given me the opportunity to give someone else the chance to design their own inspirational poster.  

Enter below!!

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Bathroom City Competition

When you picture relaxation, what do you think of?  For me it has to be a massive bath, filled with bubbles with a glass of wine in hand.  Bliss.

Unfortunately the one thing that our house does not have is a bath, just a shower so whilst I may dream of a huge bath of bubbles, that vision only gets played out when I check into a hotel or go on holiday.

One of the consequences of this is that I am completed fixated about bathrooms.   Old fashioned taps, huge bath on legs; my dream bathroom would probably cost thousands.

I decided to have a look at Bathroom City and see if I could find my ideal bath and just look at this beauty.  I want to sink into it and luxuriate.  Now at £1,897.00 this Devon Bath might take a while for me to save up for but hey, I don't have a house yet so I can still dream. 

At the moment Bathroom City are running a competition where you win £200.00 to spend which will go towards the bathroom of your dreams.  The competition is running from the 1st August to the 31st October 2014 and all you have to do is enter your name, your email and the name of your chosen social media profile such as Twitter.  You can enter here

What does your perfect bathroom look like?



*In collaboration with Bathroom City

Suspender Tights Giveaway!

You may be aware that I have been size testing tights for the company Pamela Mann

They have recently sent me some more tights, the Solid Bow Suspender Effect Tights and having tried them on in the 28-32, I can again confirm that the tights are running very small as these would be far better suited to a 20-26.  

I was a little dubious about wearing suspender tights, I thought that they might look a bit tacky.  After trying them on however, I have to admit that I totally love them and I can't wait to style them up with an outfit because they actually make me feel sexy which isn't usual for tights!

I think that the bows are technically supposed to be worn at the front, but I rather liked the flash of the bow at the back.   Now Pamela Mann sent me a second pair of the bow suspender effect tights to give away, again in the same size of 28-32 which I can confirm having tried mine on, would perfectly fit a 20-26.

So if you want to win these tights, enter the Rafflecopter as below!

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Lake District Holidays

One thing that I love to do is go on holiday with a good group of friends. 

Something that is important when arranging these types of getaways is that you choose a great location that has something to cater for everyone’s different tastes and needs.

When holidaying in the UK, one of my favourite places to go is the Lake District.  There are many options available for both relaxing with friends and having an action packed time with the family; you really can design your holiday to perfectly suit your needs.

Whether you want to explore the shops, have a look around a historic house or go walking and see some of the spectacular scenery, there is something available for everyone with activities to suit every taste.   Even if you are not much of an explorer but still want to take in the picturesque views of the Lake District, there are lake cruises available where you get the best of both worlds.

Last time I visited the Lake District with my friends we arranged a day per person so that everyone could do something they wanted.  My day involved pitch and putt followed by a cool glass of wine at a local pub!

There is a fantastic competition being run at the moment by Ullswater Steamers where you can win a seven night holiday in the Lake District.  The prize includes staying in an exclusive Pullman Camping Coach, a private ride on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Steam Railway and also a trip on one of the famous Ullswater Steamers!

source

You can find the link to the competition here

Even if you don’t win the main prize there are also some runners up prizes up for grabs such as days out at Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, Ullswater Steamers, Muncaster Castle, Lowther Castle & Daleman Historic House & Gardens; shopping vouchers for Rabbit Rabbit Gifts and vouchers against breaks at Waterfoot Park, Woodclose Park & Hill of Oaks!

When the sun is shining there really is nowhere better than England for a holiday so why not try your luck?

* Sponsored post

Win a VIP Experience at Marisota This Weekend

In line with the launch of their Shapeology range and the new Ava collection with Mark Heyes, Marisota have set up a series of pop up shops across the country.  Here's what they have to say about it:

 

The stores have been designed to give existing and new customers the opportunity to learn more about Marisota’s Shapeology concept and see it in action. TV super-stylist Mark Heyes and his team of specially trained Shapeologists will be on hand at each location offering one to one ‘Shapeovers’. With ‘magic mirrors’ enabling them to capture their new look and share it instantly with their friends via Facebook, Twitter and Email. They will also be able to print out a copy to take away with them.

 

Each of the pop ups will feature a selection of fashions in sizes 12-32 as well as key accessories, swimwear and shapewear. Customers will be able to order items featured at the events in-store and will be given a special 20% discount AND free home delivery.

 

 

I already love this one!

 

The Shapeology Pop Up Shop tour launches in London (56 Wells Street, W1T 3PT) 13-16 March, before going on to Glasgow (Buchanan Galleries, 220 Buchanan Street, G1 2FF) 20-23 March, Bristol (23 Penn Street, Cabot Circus, BS1 3AU) 25-30 March and Manchester (Arndale Centre) 3-6 April.

Marisota have kindly allowed me to run a competition to coincide with the launch of the Central London pop up shop, offering 5 lucky winners a VIP Marisota experience.

The winners would need to be available to attend the event in central London on either Friday 14th, Saturday 15th or Sunday 16th March. They will be booked in for a Shapeover from our team of Shapology experts (led by TV stylist Mark Heyes). The sessions are: 10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm, 2pm-4pm or 4pm-6pm.

As an added bonus, the 5 VIP winners will also go into a prize draw to win a fantastic £500 worth of vouchers to spend at Marisota.

All you have to do to enter is email marisotaukpopupshop@gmail.com quoting my blog title www.TheCurvedOpinion.com and a contact telephone number to be entered.

Good luck!

 

Competition Time!

I was recently contacted by the lovely Lori of Canvas Design in relation to reviewing a canvas print.

The idea behind this is a great one.  You use one of your own photographs, be it family, friends or something from your holidays and get it printed onto canvas in a size of your choosing.  I have seen a few friends do this previously and was excited to do something myself.

All you have to do is have an image of a quality of 500kb upwards.  You simply upload your image, choose the sizing you require and you are good to go.  The prices are very competitive, starting at £7.99 for a 6 x 6 inch canvas and the delivery is free in the UK.

I choose a film still from my favourite film, Breakfast at Tiffanys together with a quote from Coco Chanel which I feel goes so well with Holly Golightly, "In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different".

I was actually so happy with the canvas print that the next day I ordered another one, more personal this time, a picture of my dad and I when I was a little girl.  I can't wait for that one to arrive.  

I am happy to announce also that Canvas Design have also kindly allowed to me to give away one of the bespoke canvas prints of one of your own photographs, with a size of anything between 6x6 inches to 40x40.  

As an additional bonus for people who don't win the competition, I also have a discount code of BLOG15 in order to get 15% off the price of your order.

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