♡ iyastevie ♡

♥ My 2017 Highlights!

2017 has been one hell of a year hasn't it? A lot has happened this year, over the whole world! I thought I would reflect on the highlights of my 2017 and let you all in on what I have enjoyed this year.

2017 was the year that I finally attended a LUSH bloggers event! I was so super excited and honoured to have been invited, I couldn't quite believe it! It was so nice to have a sneaky peak look at the Easter products and be able to choose a couple to take home! It was nice to have one on one time with the staff, to discuss what we liked about the new products and a gossip about all things LUSH! It was also really nice to meet some other bloggers who live in my area, although most of them were mainly all about make up, it was still nice to know there are other bloggers around!

After being a Harry Potter fan since I was a very small child, growing up reading the books and watching the films and spending years wanting to go, really really wanting to go to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour, I still find it quite hard to believe that I finally got to go. This has been on my bucket list since the studio opened back in 2012. I thought I was never going to get there as prices to travel that far down the country from where I live are so expensive. I thought I was never going to see the home of Harry Potter, where the cast spent the majority of their time, working and learning. Finally being able to see it all with my own eyes is something that I will never forget. I was in awe the entire day at how amazing they had made the studio, how many Harry Potter artifacts were right there in front of me, the real props that were used in the films. I was so emotional that day, I nearly cried at least 5 times! I would go back in a heart beat! This day was easily one of the best days of my life.

Photo credit - Google Images

After leaving sixth form in 2012 and deciding that I didn't want to go to university to study Photography like I had originally planned, I spent the next four years in and out of temporary employment. I was very lucky in those four years to never be unemployed for more than a week or two in-between jobs, but I hated the uncertainty of not having a job at the end of the month, living on a four hour a week pay check and that one time I received my P45 in the post before my manager told me I wasn't going to have my contract extended. It caused me a lot of stress and made my anxiety go through the roof. I had a long term job in the civil service and I found where I wanted to be. I loved office work and I really enjoyed working as part of the government, I felt like my job had purpose and it was so much better than size ordering t-shirts in a retail job. I applied for a permanent position in a different part of the government in the summer of 2016 and I found out I had the job in the October. I started in the December of 2016 and I'm not going to lie, I hated it at first. I wanted to leave and go back to my old job, I would come home so miserable and cried quite a lot. It's hard to believe that I felt like that when now, just over a year later, I absolutely love my job! I finally think I have found the job for me and that makes me very happy. Sometimes my job can be a little stressful and I can come home and feel like I just want to curl up in bed and sleep for days as I am so tired, but I am so happy I stuck it out and kept telling myself that everything would be okay! To anybody who is looking for work or is in temporary employment, I know how it feels, I know how shit it is to work your butt off in the hope of being rewarded with a permanent contract or an extension and not feel like you're getting anywhere, but I promise you it will and can only get better! Just stick in at it and you'll soon find your perfect job, just like I did!

I have been wanting to attend the Showcase since the very first one, the thought of all the exclusive products and getting my hands on products early made me so excited! I was finally able to see what all the fuss was about for myself, take all the photos of all the LUSH I could have ever asked for and be surrounded by so many people who share such an immense passion for LUSH, just like I do. Although I was a little disappointed in the Showcase itself, it has to make it to this list for a few reasons. If it wasn't for the Showcase, myself and Reece probably wouldn't have taken the plunge to finally go to London, we'd been talking about it for quite a while but just never found the time or money to actually do it. I had been wanting to go back ever since I first went and as Reece had never been before, I thought it would be the perfect trip for us both. I also got to finally meet a very good friend of mine, Jess (@snapsoflush on Instagram). We had been speaking since the Christmas of 2015, nearly every single day! We'd became really good friends over that time and it was so nice to actually meet in person, spend the day together and chat, sniff and compare all the new LUSH that was coming out! We are definitely going to meet up again and I'm super excited to go to Liverpool as I've never been before! So thank you very much to the Showcase, you may have pissed me off but at least I got to go away with my boyfriend and meet my friend!

Photo credit - Google Images

I very rarely talk about my best friend on my blog, I don't know if she reads my blog posts (I highly doubt she does!) or even knows I have a blog! I have been best friends with my best friend, Lauren, since I can remember. We grew up together, her Nana is my godmother and my Mum used to babysit her Mum when she was younger, it's very confusing, so we just say we're cousins! All my life, Lauren has always been the one person I know I can rely on. Whether I broke up with a boyfriend, had a fight with a friend or had an argument with my parents, I have always known I can call her and she would be right there, just as she knows she can always count on me, whenever she needs me. Lauren has always liked to prank me, so when she told me she was pregnant back in 2015, I honestly didn't believe her until she had a bump. She had little Lacey in March of 2016 and became one of the best mums I have ever known. Lacey is the most adorable little girl I have ever met, shes so super clever and so loving! It's so cute when I walk in and she comes straight for a cuddle! So one of the top highlights of my year has to be my best friend having baby number two! Little Taylor was born at the beginning of October and he is the cutest, cuddliest little man in the world! Seeing my best friend with her children makes me so happy, because I can see that she is happy and that's all I've ever wanted for her! I am so excited to see Lacey and Taylor grow up into the amazing, strong and independent people I know they are going to be, but just not too fast, I want them to stay little and babies forever!

Travelling with Reece is one of my favourite things to do, ever. I love it when we go away for a weekend or a few nights to somewhere we've never been before. I love going exploring a new city together and being alone to do whatever we want, when we want. When we see each other, either I am staying at his family home or he is staying at my family home, and while that isn't an issue at all (I love his family and he fits right in in my house) it is so nice to just have time to ourselves. It's nice to not have to creep about at night and worry you'll wake somebody up, or be home at a certain time because my Mum is cooking our tea. Even if we only go away for the day, I enjoy it so much, us just being left to our own devices. This year, we have visited the Dark Hedges, the Giants Causeway, the Lake District, London, Edinburgh and Belfast. Next year, I want to visit so many more places and possibly even go abroad together! Here's to hoping!

I hope you have all had a very lovely and successful 2017! 2017 has had it low points, but it's also been an overall good year! I am so excited to see where 2018 will take me.. Hopefully to saving for a house!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and all the well wishes in the world for 2018! Thank you for reading this blog post and if you're a frequent reader, thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming back! It means more to me than you will ever know that people take time out of their day to read words that I have written!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post, it is very appreciated! Make sure to follow so you can see the next time I post! ♥ xo

**Disclaimer: All views, opinions and photos are mine unless otherwise stated**
#2017 Photo credit: Google Images

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, by iyastevie

♥ Boxing Day Haul!

I am one of those sad people, who leaves the house in the early AM on Boxing Day and goes shopping. I know that Boxing Day shopping is frowned upon by a lot of people, and trust me, I wasn't a fan of Boxing Day shoppers when I worked in retail, but I really do enjoy going out and grabbing some bargains on Boxing Day and I wait all year for the LUSH Boxing Day sale! This year I planned ahead and put some money on a gift card to ensure I had some LUSH money and I was also given money from a few people for Christmas so that went towards my haul too.

I popped into a few shops on Boxing Day and I picked up some really good bargains and some things I have been eyeing up for a while! I love seeing what other people get in the sales, so I thought I would share with you all what I managed to pick up.

Pictured - Animal Hooks from Next

I never usually go into Next on Boxing Day as the store opens at 6am and by the time I get round to it, there is usually not a thing left. One year when I was working at M&S, I started work at 6am so I saw the queue for Next. I have never seen a queue like it! This year, I went Boxing Day shopping with my Mum and she wanted a look in. I was surprised by how much stock they had left by the time we got there. I had a browse at the clothes and couldn't find anything that caught my eye and then I saw they had brought some of the home sale downstairs to the women's clothing area so I took a look. There wasn't much left but when I saw these hooks I knew I needed them! Not only were they a total bargain, originally priced at £14 and down to £4, I have actually been looking for something like this for a long time! I think they will look lovely on the wall for keys!

Pictured - Paddington slippers from Marks and Spencer

Up until this year I had never seen the Paddington movie. It was a long running standstill with Reece as when the first film came into the cinema, I asked him if he wanted to go and see it, to which he replied,' No, it's a kids film.' We ended up going to see another film, which I can't even remember what it was, it was that impressionable! A few months later he text me and said he was watching it with his Mum, that it was a really good film and we should watch it some times. Can you imagine how far my eyes rolled to the back of my head? So I point blank refused to watch the film with him, that was until this year when the second one came out and I really wanted to see it! I thoroughly enjoyed both films very much! I initially really wanted the Paddington tree decoration that Marks and Spencer were selling, but after checking both the Belfast and Carlisle stores, I accepted that it was sold out and it was not meant to be. So when I saw these in Marks and Spencer, the last pair left and in my size, I knew this was meant to be! These super cute slippers are so comfy and really keep my feet warm, I love them!

Pictured - Shoes and boots from Primark

I go through shoes like there is no tomorrow! I bought a pair of boots at the beginning of October and they're already ready for the bin! As shoes don't last me very long at all, I begrudge paying a lot of money for them. I have had £50 shoes and £2 shoes and the all last me the same amount of time, a couple of months and then the soles start to break or come off. Myself and my Mum popped into Primark because she wanted to take a look at the towels and I didn't intend on buying anything while I was in there. I have enough clothes to do me for a life time and I always end up picking up random bits and bobs in Primark and then get to the till and I've spent £30! However, when I saw these shoes and saw the prices, I couldn't pass these up! The grey loafers and the black pair were only £5 each, the burgundy boots were £6 and the slip on shoes with the pretty bee detail were only £3! Can you believe I got four pairs of shoes for £19! I nearly always wear dresses, skirts or pinafores so I'm glad I have some shoes in these styles to wear with them.

Pictured - Winter Wonder Hand hand cream, This Is Your Year desk calendar and Merry & Bright bubble bath from Zoella Beauty & Zoella Lifestyle

I put off purchasing any Zoella Beauty products this year, apart from the Snow'ella body mist, as I knew they would all go in the sale and be super cheap! Last year I picked up most of the collection in the Boxing Day sale and spent barely anything! This year I grabbed myself the hand cream, as I got the hand cream last year in the gingerbread scent and I really liked the consistency. My hands have been really dry as of late so I can see myself using this one a lot. I picked up the desk calendar as I thought it would be perfect for my desk at work. All the ladies on my team have really nice desk calendars and when I saw that Zoe had released this one, I really wanted to grab it for mine! I think when I am finished with the calendar, I'll snip the little quotes off and frame them as they are far too cute to throw away! I'm also really pleased I was able to pick up this lovely bottle of bubble bath too. Not only is the scent really gorgeous and fresh, but the bottle is super cute too! I actually went and picked another one of these up as I love it that much.

Pictured - Wonderful Christmas Time gift set from LUSH

When I was looking through my list of gift sets that I wanted to purchase from LUSH this year, I thought this one was so good for the money. This gift was originally £99.50 at full price, so for a little less than £50 in the sale, I bagged myself 19 bath products! I really badly wanted this gift! I love the products that are inside it and I really love the box too! When I got to LUSH, there was already a queue outside so I honestly didn't think I'd be able to get this gift. I thought there was only one in the store and I was certain it would have already have been chosen. To my surprise, it was the first gift I saw when I made my way to the gift section! I was so relieved that it was still there! I love the selection of bath bombs and bubble bars in this set and I'm also super pleased that they included Intergalactic and The Comforter from the main line and a good old Lord of Misrule! This is the most expensive gift I've ever bought from LUSH and I'm so pleased that it's mine!

Pictured - 12 Days of Christmas gift set from LUSH

Not going to lie, this was a total panic buy! I had already grabbed my Wonderful Christmas Time and some other bits, I had no intention of purchasing this gift at all! As lovely as the contents are, there were other things that I wanted more. Unfortunately, my store didn't have some of the stuff that I wanted, so when I saw this as I was making my way to the till, I grabbed it and shoved it in my basket. I don't even regret it at all! I'm glad to have another Christmas Sweater, as when I went to grab some singular ones, they were all gone! I also forgot to pick up Golden Wonder and Shoot for the Stars, so that's another plus! I also really like this box this year and it looks really good with my LUSH box collection. I'm happy I grabbed this, I think I would have regretted it if I never.

Pictured - Stardust gift set from LUSH

Every single year I try and get this gift and every single year I am disappointed when there are none in my store. This year, my store had so many of these it would have been hard to leave without it! When I was queueing outside, I spied the Stardust gift and asked my Mum to take a closer look and see if there were a few, when she came back and told me there were 'loads', I didn't believe her, but she wasn't lying! They easily had 20-30 of these sets. I love the box this year! I love how bright it is and the star shape is so cute! The products inside were good too, a really nice selection of sweet scented treats!

Pictured - Dreamscape gift set from LUSH

I was surprised to see this one lonely Dreamscape gift sitting on the shelf! I think it had been left as there was no tag on it, so people didn't know what was inside and also didn't know the price. I knew by the knot wrap what this gift was, as that was the main reason I wanted this set. The Dreamscape knot wrap was only available with this set and it is a really stunning one! I don't think I'll have been the only one to purchase this set purely for the wrap. The contents of the gift were lovely too! It always surprises me when regular line products end up in the sale, and as three quarters of this gift are regular line, I snapped it up! You never ever get regular line products any less than half price unless they were made before October of that year and then they may end up in the sale. I'm really glad I got to give this lonely and untagged gift a home.

Pictured - Starry Night gift set from LUSH

Starry Night is a gift set that has been on my Boxing Day list since the Creative Showcase back in September. I adore this knot wrap! It's the perfect size to wear in my hair and I really love the colours in it, purple is my favourite! The contents of this gift are lovely too, I'm glad to have another Twilight Sparkle Jar and I'm intrigued to try the Twilight naked shower gel. Last year I would have turned my nose up at this gift set, but since buying Luxury Lush Pud in the sale last year, I have become rather fond of the Twilight scent family and much more of a fan of lavender. I think I may even pick up another one if my store have any more.

Pictured - Miscellaneous products from LUSH

These are the products that I loved so much I needed to pick up separately! I picked up four Luxury Lush Pud bath bombs as I only got two last year and I deeply regretted it as I ended up loving it so much! I picked up two Thundersnow as I love this scent this year, the combination of sweet mint and chocolate is gorgeous, if anybody from LUSH is reading this, please make more products in this scent! I had to grab two more Plum Snow, Man in the Moon and My Two Front Teeth bubble bars as these three are some of my favourites from this year and I don't want to be without them! I also picked up two large tubs of Bucks Fizz body conditioner as this is by far my favourite body conditioner that LUSH have made, the scent and the way it leaves your skin feeling is incredible and I know I'll go through this super quick! I may even pick up another tub!

And that is all folks! That is everything that I picked up in the Boxing Day sales this year. I'm really pleased with what I got, although I would have liked to have picked up some more LUSH, I got a good amount and definitely enough to last me a while!

What did you get in the sales? Did you go into LUSH? If so, let me know what you picked up down in the comments below!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post, it is very appreciated! Make sure to follow so you can see the next time I post! ♥ xo

**Disclaimer: All views, opinions and photos are my own.**

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, by iyastevie

In bath bakes, christmas

♥ What I Got For Christmas 2017!

Christmas is my most favourite time of the year. As I have definitely said before, I love everything about Christmas! I love picking out the wrapping paper and matching tags and bows, I love putting up the Christmas tree and everywhere I go being covered in Christmas lights and pretty baubles. I love it when the coffee shops start selling their Christmas drinks and all the shops are full of festive decorations and things to buy.

I know a lot of people say this, but I really do enjoy shopping for other people. I love picking out gifts that I think people will love and really treating the special people in my life. I like to go all out at Christmas and I definitely spend too much money, but to me it isn't about how much money is spent, it's about giving a gift that you know the recipient is going to love!

I love seeing what other people get for Christmas as it inspires me for next year, so as always I am going to share with you all what I got gifted for Christmas this year. I have been so spoilt and I love every single gift I have been given, I'm so grateful to have such amazing people in my life that have treat me so well during this festive period!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Illustrated Edition

If you've read any of my blog posts you will probably be aware that there are two things I love, LUSH and Harry Potter. Honestly, Fantastic Beasts is filling the void of no more Harry Potter for me and I absolutely love it. I was so surprised to see open this beautiful book from Reece as I had never asked for it. He said he saw it was being released and knew I would want it, which is so completely true! I adore these illustrated versions of the books, they are so beautifully made and really gorgeous keepsakes. I am so super pleased with this gift!

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone - Illustrated Edition

Of course as soon as I saw these books were being re-released and with such stunning art work, I wanted them, I just never got round to actually purchasing this version. This is now my 10th copy of The Philosophers Stone as I have many first edition copies in paperback and hard back and I have all the house colours that were released in celebration of 20 years of Harry Potter. This book is one of the most stunning books I own, the art work is impeccable and I almost don't even want to flick through it as I want to keep it pristine! This book is the perfect addition to my Harry Potter collection and I can't wait to collect the other copies that follow.

'Thumper' - Disney x Pandora Charm

My favourite animal is a rabbit and I literally own rabbit everything. I have rabbit pjs, mugs, cushions, ornaments, a lamp, wall plaques and even a rabbit thermometer! If I see anything with a rabbit on it I am immediately drawn to it and I just have to have it! When I saw that Disney and Pandora had teamed up together to release more Disney charms, I knew I really wanted this charm to add to my bracelet. Thumper is such a cute little character and I knew it would look gorgeous with the rest of my charms. I did not expect to receive this gift at all! I was so shocked after opening a few of my gifts and seeing what Reece had bought me, that a Pandora charm was the last thing I thought I was going to get! I adore my little Thumper and he's quite quickly became one of my favourite charms.

'Lucas' from Stranger Things Funko Pop Vinyl

Ever since myself and Reece binge watched Stranger Things and Stranger Things 2 back in October, I have been obsessed. I held off watching the show for so long as I didn't think it would be my kind of thing and I thought it was about aliens and it was a horror show, which isn't up my street at all. Reece finally got me to sit down and watch it and I was so pleased as I really enjoyed watching it and can't wait for the next season! So when I saw that he had bought me the Lucas Funko Pop, I was so pleased! As soon as we finished the show I told him I wanted to start collecting the Pops! I can't wait to collect even more!

'Niffler' from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Funko Pop Vinyl

A Funko Pop that I have been after for a long time is Niffler from Fantastic Beasts. Niffler is easily my favourite character in the Fantastic Beasts films, he's so cute and you just want to cuddle him! Everywhere I go that sells Funko Pop, I always look to see if I can find this specific Niffler and I never have! It always seems to be out of stock wherever I am. I was so happy to open this gift and see his little face! He looks really cute with my other Fantastic Beasts Funko Pops!

Cards Against Humanity

I have been going on and on about how badly I want to play this game to Reece for a little while now. I wanted to play it so bad I very nearly bought him this gift for Christmas until I realised, would I actually be buying it for Reece, or for myself? I ended up buying him the Now Thats What I Call Music board game instead, which is much more his thing! I have seen so many YouTubers play this game and it looks like so much fun! I can't wait to be able to group enough people together to play it!

'Spring Has Sprung' (Thumper) Disney Traditions Collectible

So as I said with the charm, I absolutely love rabbits, I have a pet rabbit called Roo and when I move out I plan on buying lots of little bunnies and giving them all a good loving home. I found it really funny when I opened this gift to see this present inside, as every time me and my best friend go shopping together, we always admire the Disney Traditions Collection and how gorgeous the ornaments are. My best friend always says that she wants to start a collection for her daughter and I said I wanted to start a collection for myself. I don't even think I've told Reece that, so the fact that he bought me this without even knowing that I have been wanting to start buying these for so long just blows my mind. He really does know me better than I know myself! Of course he started off my collection with my favourite little bunny, Thumper! I think this ornament is absolutely gorgeous! I love the detail that goes into making these!

Golden Snitch fidget spinner

This was my joke present from Reece this year! I bought him a LUSH Bubble Spinner way back a few months ago but he can't even take it home and use it because he doesn't have a bath at his house anymore, so it's stored away in my drawer for him to use when he's over at my house. I always took the mick out of Reece for owning a fidget spinner (which he swears is his brothers!) so I think he thought it would be a really good joke present to gift me one. I actually really like this, not even for the fact that it's a fidget spinner, but because it will go really nice with my Harry Potter collection!

Lord of Misrule and Twilight solid perfumes

I was genuinely shocked that my Mum agreed to buy me these two solids for Christmas! I was supposed to get Lord of Misrule and So White, but as So White wasn't released and I didn't have a Twilight in my collection, I picked Twilight instead. I am really happy to add both of these to my collection. I have been in search of a Lord of Misrule solid perfume for so long, it feels good to finally have my own. As for Twilight, I can see myself using this as more of a temple balm or rubbing it on when I need some extra sleep as I can't see me wearing this on a daily basis.

Face Masks

This was a jokey present from my parents as I always go to use my LUSH fresh face masks and they're out of date! I do really like trialling and testing new skincare so I am pretty excited to use these! It's been years since I've used a face mask like these, all the ones I buy that aren't LUSH are always sheet masks! They even bought one for Reece too!

Notebook

My Mum knows that I love to collect notebooks. I have so many notebooks and I don't write in them. I tell myself that I am saving them for the perfect time to use them, but I know that time will never come! I think this notebook is super cute and I know that my parents only bought it for me as it has a bunny on it!

Eyelashes

Yet another joke present! I used to wear fake eyelashes all the time when I was younger and I had a lot more time on my hands to play with make up and really make an effort. Nowadays I put the bare minimum on as I appreciate the extra ten minutes in bed more than wearing a pair of falsies! However, when I am going somewhere really nice or there is a special occasion, I do like to pop a pair on, so these will come in handy!

Harry Potter socks

Is it really Christmas is you don't get socks? I get socks every single year, but these ones are the best I've ever gotten! I love that we now have a Primark in Carlisle so my Mum can buy me little Harry Potter stocking fillers! I actually really like Primark socks too! In this set you get one pair for each house! They're so comfy and cosy.

Zoella Spa'rry Spa'rry Night

I was really surprised to see that my Mum had bought me some Zoella Beauty products!
She knows that I like Zoe's stuff and that I have a few bits from her beauty range, but I just never ever thought she would think to buy me some! I was so shocked to open this! I really wanted to pop into Superdrug on Boxing Day if I had any money left over and see what Zoella stuff made it into the sale but now I don't have to! This gift set contains a body butter and a body polish.

Zoella Snow'ella Fragrance Set

Another gift set that I am super pleased to have is this Zoella fragrance set! I love this body mist, I even bought the huge 150ml bottle! I'm also excited to have the body lotion too to layer up on this gorgeous fresh scent! This gift set is gorgeous, I adore the packaging and it's going to look so pretty in my collection! I was hoping to pick this set up in the sales so I'm pleased I got it for Christmas!

Snow Globe

I have been wanting a snow globe for years! Every year goes by and I admire the ones that they have in TKMaxx yet never buy myself one! I'd actually had a conversation with my Mum about snow globes and about how I really wanted one. She said she saw this one and really liked it so picked it for me. This globe also plays music which is really cute! I love when they play music too, it's like two gifts in one!

Harry Potter onesie

I absolutely love onesies and this one is no exception! I had seen this in Primark and I was very tempted to buy myself it, but I thought I would hold off and see if it went in the sale. I got a Harry Potter onesie last year from Reece, but this one is completely different and I like it! I like that this one doesn't have a hood and it's the perfect type of baggy! I can see myself wearing this onesie a lot! I'm actually wearing it right now as I type this and it's very cosy!

Peter Rabbit calendar

I was pretty gutted that Zoe and Joe Sugg never released a calendar this year as I really enjoyed the throw back calendar from last year. However, I am really happy to have this calendar as it is super cute and I can cut out the images at the top of the months and frame them!

Hedwig cushion

I was so bloody excited when I opened this gift! I have been looking for this cushion since I saw it on the Primark pages on Facebook and unfortunately as my local store isn't too big, we don't tend to get the really exciting products which is quite disappointing. Luckily, my parents saw this in the Primark at the Metro Centre in Newcastle and grabbed it for me as they thought I would like it. They were wrong, I love it! How bloody cute is Hedwig's face, even though she may look just a little bit pissed off!

Rabbit door stop
This is a really random gift and my parents said so themselves, as I never have my bedroom door open! It's always closed! But as I said, I could use this for decoration as well as propping my door open if I ever need to. I love how cute this bunny is and the added touch of the autumnal scarf is lovely! I can see this fitting right in when I get my own house!

'A Mothers Love' (Mrs Potts & Chip) Disney Traditions Collectible
I was so shocked and surprised to see that Reece's parents had bought me this gorgeous ornament! I have recently really started to get into Disney and I really enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast live action remake. I have the Mrs Potts and the Chip purses and the Chip mug from Primark, but I refuse to use them as they are just too nice! I have them sat in my bedroom, on top of my medicine cabinet. Reece had obviously seen these so suggested this gift to his Mum. I absolutely love this! I love the detail that has gone into the ornament and the colours are stunning. I think this might have sparked a new collection..

'Joyce' from Stranger Things Funko Pop Vinyl
This was the first gift that I opened when me and Reece sat down to open our gifts and I was so glad to receive this Funko Pop. As soon as Reece and I finished watching Stranger Things, I was straight onto the internet to see what Funko Pop they had and this Joyce was one of the first I saw. I knew I wanted it straight away! I love the little addition of the lights in her hands and how they got the outfit so perfect. I really like collecting Funko Pop figurines and I can't wait to grow my Stranger Things collection!

Harry Potter footsies, Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit and Make Up Too Nude eyeshadow palette

This bunch of lovely gifts are from my best friend Lauren. We've know each other since we were born, so I'm not surprised that she got me the most perfect gifts - Harry Potter and make up! I love the little footsies and the fact that they match my onesie makes the even better! I'm really excited to play the trivial pursuit game and I challenge anybody to a game, I know I will win! I also really like the eyeshadow palette and used it today, it has a gorgeous combination of pink neutrals and light smokey colours which are always the colours I tend to lean towards.

The following presents are all from my very lovely friend Jess (@snapsoflush on Instagram) who I have mentioned in previous blog posts. I met Jess on Instagram just nearly a year ago through our love for LUSH. Over the past year she has become one of my closest friends, we speak nearly every day and we finally got the chance to meet up at the LUSH Showcase back in September. I sent her a box of gifts for Christmas and did not expect to come home from Ireland to a box in return from her!

Bath Bake Love, Eggnog bath glaze, Christmas Pud bath desert and Vanilla Bean bath cream

I honestly can't believe that Jess got me these! She knew how bad I wanted to try some of the Bath Bakes Christmas range but because I had been so disorganised this year and left all my Christmas shopping till the last minute, I ended up not having any spare money to grab some. I have fallen in love with all things Eggnog this year, so when I saw that Sara-Meg had released an Eggnog bath glaze, I wanted to try it so bad! I also really wanted to try Christmas Pud as the scent description sounded amazing! Vanilla Bean is a absolute favourite of mine too, being one of the first tubs I ever purchased from Bath Bakes. I am so unbelievably happy to have these as I was so gutted I couldn't get any!

Albus Dumbledore quote print

Jess knows how much I love Harry Potter, so she knew that this would be a perfect gift for me! I love quotes and prints, as she has seen as I have many frames over my bedroom wall, filled with inspirational quotes and pretty images. This is actually one of my favourite Harry Potter quotes and one that I considered getting tattooed on me, so this was a perfect present for me! I think I have the perfect frame that it will fit into. I can't wait to get it up on my wall with my other framed quotes, it will fit in so well!

Bath Bake Love Peppermint Massage Chocolate, Volcano bath bomb, Iced Wine shower jelly. Randy Butter buttercream, Gentle Lentil solid shampoo, One Eskimo bubble bar and Autumn Dusk and Moonbeams on Pumpkins Yankee Candle votives.

I really can't believe how generous Jess was with these gifts! I know she got me the Peppermint Massage Chocolate because she knows I really love minty scent and this does not disappoint! The combination of mint and chocolate in this scent is beautiful, I just want to bite into it! I was so blown away that Jess gave me a Volcano bath bomb, as these are Spa bombs and are not available to the general public! This is the kind of LUSH you will probably only get your hands on once! I really want to use it but then I also really don't want to not have it - the first world problems of a Lushies! Jess also gifted me a very generous chunk of Iced Wine shower jelly as she knows that I have been in search of it for a while and I love it! I need to find a tub of this ASAP! I've never tried Randy Butter buttercream but I think it smells amazing, with a whiff of alcohol it is a pretty strong scent, but I do really enjoy it! I'm excited to try this out! Jess also gifted me a really large chunk of Gentle Lentil, which is really funny because we were literally talking about this solid shampoo on Christmas Eve as I hadn't realised it was part of the Butterball scent family! I'm really excited to try this out, it smells gorgeous! She also gifted me a One Eskimo bubble bar, again with the mint, she knows I love my mint! And you can only get this bubble bar in a very few select stores and Jess's local just happens to be one of those stores! Jess also gifted me two Yankee Candle votive, in scents that I have never smelt before but really like!

Rabbit mug

Jess knows me so well! This mug is so super cute! Honestly, if I had seen this myself I would have bought it! This is such a good sized mug, I really like to have a big cup of tea and this mug is perfect for that! I used this mug this morning to have my first cup of coffee from the coffee machine that I bought my parents and it was lovely! I'm ever so tempted to take this mug into work and use it there but I don't want to risk it being broken!

Tealight stand

How bloody cute is this?! I adore little homely pieces like this to decorate my bedroom! I think the two candles that Jess also bought me will look really cute in here and I can imagine it will cast such a pretty shadow on the wall behind when the candles are lit! I'll have to try this out tonight!

Stars and Moon tote bag

My jaw literally dropped to the floor when I opened this gift! I have been wanting a Stars and Moon tote bag since they came out, but this tote is only available in the US, which is super annoying for every other Lushie around the world as this is easily one of the nicest totes LUSH have ever done! I have been meaning to ask one of my US Lushie friends if they would be able to get me one, but I've just never got round to it! I love this tote so much! This is the perfect size to carry around everyday, as I like to use my totes as a handbag or to stick in my backpack, able to whip it out if I need to! I honestly think this is one of my favourite gifts this year! I'm obsessed with this!

I also received £190 in cash from my Granda, Dads stepdad and his partner, my parents and my Aunty. As you can imagine, that money will be spent tomorrow in the Boxing Day sale at LUSH!

I can't believe that Christmas has now come and is almost over. I spend so long looking forward to this one day of the year and then it's gone in a blink! Before we know it it will be next Christmas! I hope you have all had a very Merry Christmas and all had a day filled with fun, food and love! ♥

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post, it is very appreciated! Make sure to follow so you can see the next time I post! ♥ xo

**Disclaimer: All views, opinions and photos are my own.**

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, by iyastevie

♥ My 2017 Highlights!

♥ Boxing Day Haul!

♥ What I Got For Christmas 2017!

♡ ♡ ♡

@adventurewithstevie

archive

♥ My 2017 Highlights!

♥ Boxing Day Haul!

♥ What I Got For Christmas 2017!

♡ ♡ ♡

@adventurewithstevie

archive

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