Music Memories

I have one love in life; music! 

I still have my very first CD which is going on 20 years old - that makes me feel really old! I have a crate full of CDs here with me now and a shelf stacked full back at my mom's house - they’re the more embarrassing ones. Think Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and Five and you're on the right tracks. 

Thankfully my music taste has changed a lot so many of the CDs at my moms are redundant - sitting on a shelf gathering dust. 

The crate of music I have with me now is more my kind of stuff, Drum and Bass, Eminem and Fleetwood Mac. I love music A LOT however I never even listen to these CDs anymore. The reason for that is technology - it's come a long way which has made enjoying music so much easier. DJ's don't even have to carry their huge crates on vinyl anymore...just a tiny memory stick and they have thousands of tunes at their finger tips! (I don't completely agree with it but that's another post).

Remember CD Walkmans? I still have mine at my mom's. No need to lug that around anymore as my phone plays music so does my teeny tiny iPod. I can even run without them skipping and stopping, remember how frustrating that was? The joys of modern technology.
I have days worth of music stored conveniently on my computer. There’s no need to rummage around in my crate to find a specific album – I just search the name and hey presto, it’s there ready to load onto my iPod. Does this mean the end for CDs? Should I throw all my CDs in the bin now? Not necessarily, how about boxing them up and sending them away and getting money for them? That sounds great but who would want my old CDs and is it possible to sell my stuff for cash? A friend pointed me in the direction of Music Magpie and after checking a large bundle of my CDs are worth £15 and that doesn't include the ones at my moms house. Add a few DVDs that are lying around and I have a £30 profit and more room to store my other used items in. £30 might not sound a lot but it’s awesome for unused and actually unneeded goods that are cluttering up my already small living space - plus it almost pays for a months travel to work!

Be careful though, once you start listing your goods on Music Magpie it gets kind of addictive, addictive but fun! Enjoy! 

Do you remember your first CD and do you still have it? 

Looking For a Home

My other half and I are currently living in shared accommodation. It's like a house share but it's actually an old hotel so there's about 10 other people living here. 
To say we hate it is an understatement. Sometimes it would be nice to stroll downstairs - cook some food, make a mess and leave the dishes for an hour or so while we relax. Sadly we don't have this option as there's always someone about. 
I'm not ungrateful, at least we have a roof over our head but some privacy and space would be nice. 

We plan on renting our own property and have been looking at estate agents uk based - there's so many and I really don't know where to start. 
We would love a 2 bedroom flat so that when we start trying for a family it's not going to be over shadowed by not having enough room. One thing I really want is a bath as well as a shower. It's such a treat relaxing in a bubble bath however the downside is baths are such a hassle when I'm in a rush. 
Lets just say we have a lists of wants and don't wants so I can imagine it's going to take a while to find the right place. 

The thought of having a place to call our own instead of living with strangers is enough motivation to start saving and searching via shop windows, the internet and newspapers. It's going to be a hard task as money is tight but it will be worth it in the end.

Is anyone else going through home hunting?

Organic Burst Wheatgrass Review

Organic Burst are an ethical brand that produce a range of Organic superfood supplements. They are certified by the Soil Association and within just 1 year of their launch they had won multiple awards which speaks volumes. Being featured in Vogue UK, Healthy Mag and a whole host of other publications I feel this is a testament of the great work they do - not only to our health but to the people they work with right down to the local people who harvest their ingredients. 

Something that sticks out a mile is the packaging. It's bright and eye catching which is a welcome change from the boring supplements that line the shelves of the health food stores. Obviously you can't judge a book by its cover; or maybe a supplement by its bottle but either way I'm a very visual person so it's what catches my eye that I tend to be attracted to. I've been trying out their Wheatgrass powder after they sent me some to review. If you don't know about Wheatgrass then where have you been? 

Wheatgrass Whole Leaf Powder - £6.69 for 60g

This magical plant has been used for the past 5000 years and holds many benefits including;

• Gluten free
• Detoxifies and cleansing the system 
• Promotes healthy skin, hair and nails 
• Boosts energy
• Helps weight loss

I have been drinking a glass of water with 1 teaspoon of Wheatgrass each afternoon before I go to work. You will see from the picture the water is a dark green but thankfully this doesn't reflect the taste of the drink. Even my fiancee was pleasantly surprised which says a lot believe me. 
Its has an earthy taste which isn't overpowering. If you don't want to drink it with water alone you could add it to smoothies or juices for that added inner being boost.

Since drinking this daily I can say my stomach isn't as bloated as it used to be. Normally at the same time each night I get a heavy feeling whilst at work which is uncomfortable but has thankfully subsided. 
Wheatgrass is now a staple part of my diet - it's made me feel refreshed and a lot more comfortable in my own skin. 

You can like Organic Burst on Facebook and follow them on Twitter via @OrganicBurst. 

What are your favourite Organic Burst products? 

Avenue 32

I hate clothes shopping, it's so busy and the whole searching through racks of clothes looking for my size really annoys me; not normal I know.
Thank god for the internet - I can spend hours searching for outfits and can select my size at the click of a button! 

One site that I love spending time on is UK based Avenue 32. Founded by Roberta Benteler in 2011 it was voted second best online fashion retailer by UK Vogue magazine in a poll taken by readers. They stock sexy and seductive pieces to fall in love with and there's clothes for every fashion sense. The luxurious selection is second to none.
When I next get paid I'm treating myself to this beautiful Myla set. With forest green silk and black lace it's original, unique and utterly sexy - who can put a price on that? 

Myla Lingerie Set 

Whilst browsing Avenue32 for summer dresses I spotted a selection of beautiful flowing gowns by Giles Deacon. Edgy, stunning and feminine these pieces could be worn out for a day in the sun or even if you're going out for the evening! They're so versatile but in a 'how beautiful am I?' kind of way.  

Browse More Giles Deacon

Now the price is out my range but a girl can dream, right? At over £1000 for each gown it's a bit of an outlay but just imagine how amazing you would feel strutting your stuff in one of these pieces - I reckon it would be totally worth it! 

Dormeo Octaspring Evolution Pillow Review

Every morning I wake up with a painful lower back - I feel like I have a big bubble trapped and it takes a while to disappear. It's not very motivating and it makes me feel old which I obviously hate. 

www.octaspring.co.uk

Everyone knows sleep is an important part of life so when I was sent an Octaspring Evolution Pillow to review I was excited to see if I could finally start the day without all the aches and pains I've got used to. I have to say I was dubious as too whether it would help me. I like to sleep with my pillow underneath me hugging it tight. I did wonder if this rectangular, block shaped Octaspring would allow me to do this. 
The pillow comes in a sturdy box with detailed diagrams explaining how it works. There's 24 honeycomb style foam covered springs that enables the head to be embraced, the neck supported and the spine kept in its natural position. As an added bonus the pillow has air mesh sides for cooling airflow which means less heat which should result in an uninterrupted sleep. The box clearly states that it's suitable for back, side and front sleepers so everyone is covered. 

One thing that I LOVE is the 2 year guarantee on top of a money back guarantee. I have to say all pillows I buy are flattened within 2 months never mind 2 years so it's nice to have the guarantee as a back up. 

Memory Foam Springs

After the first night of using the pillow I woke up with my lower back hurting more than usual. I put that down to my neck and spine realigning. I have continued to use this pillow alone and over the past 2 weeks I've found my sleep getting better and it's definitely uninterrupted. I even manage to sleep through the other half waking at silly o'clock in the morning which is a nice change. It's very sturdy and hard but I think this helps it to support you more!

I would recommend this pillow to everyone however at £75 per pillow I think it's very expensive. If you think of the saving you could make from not replacing your pillows every few months and the massive improvement to your sleeping pattern then it's worth it in the long run. 

You can like Octaspring on Facebook and follow them on Twitter at the handle @OctaspringHQ. 

Have you tried Octaspring bedding before? 

Idea Protection!

Since I started blogging I've discovered a whole range of companies with new ideas and inventions. Just recently a fellow blogger of mine started making all natural body oils and scrubs with a little added something for extra benefits!

I'm not going to dish the dirt as to what her ideas are but lets say that they're quite innovated!

She has just gone through the process of finding out about intellectual property protection so that no one steals her ideas and she claims it's not as daunting as it sounds. If that's the case what's the point in thinking ideas and leaving them tucked in your head? Write them down and get them protected; there must be nothing worse than saying 'I had that idea ages ago'. 

Imagine how regretful you would be if you conjured up an amazing idea only to find someone else has claimed it as their own. 

Tru Diamond Ring Review

Tru Diamond offer a wide range of simulated jewelery at amazing prices. Each gem is cut, polished and crafted under stringent guidelines which makes the end product a fabulous piece.

Something I love about Tru Diamonds is that you can buy their beautiful products in installments which is always a good thing. Men, if you're reading this - you have no excuse not to treat the lady in your life to a stunning piece of jewelery for any occasion.  

Tru diamonds are that confident you'll love what you buy they offer a 90 day money back guarantee. If you're not happy they'll refund the purchase price. They also offer to replace your stone should it get damaged or even if it comes loose! This is part of a lifetime warranty - I think that speaks volumes in itself. 

To make sure you get the correct size, once you've added your chosen ring to the cart you will see a link that says 'don't know your ring size?'. Click this and you will be shown how to find out your ring size with a bank card. 

I was asked by Tru Diamond to choose a ring that I liked in return for a review. I've never been a fan of gold coloured jewelery so set about looking at the platinum clad rings. Being a fan of bold jewelery I decided on the 'Emerald Cut Antique Design' which has a cost of just £159 (as of 24/4/13). It's unique and it definitely has an antique feel to it; I truly love the style. 

When I received it I was blown away; the online picture doesn't do it justice at all. As soon as I wore the ring outside and the sun caught it I was astounded at how much it glimmered a rainbow of colours. 

I can only apologise about the terrible picture; again, it doesn't do the ring justice. My camera has been playing up and this is the best picture I could take.

If you want to treat yourself why not check out the Tru Diamonds website for a range of jewelery. They offer everything from rings, earrings and bracelets. I know where all my wish lists are coming from in future. Check out Tru Diamonds Facebook page to see if there's anything you like for a wish list. Let me know if you find anything?