More candles to add to my collection

You know I'm obsessed with candles. I can't help my addiction. I love a good smelling candle which fills the whole house. Recently I've been adding to my collection, as I do, with a few candles from a number of shops I haven't tried before. Some even came all the way from America.

I picked up this Wild Mint, Peppermint and White Tea candle (RRP £28) from The White Company on a recent trip to Harrogate. I've always seen bloggers talk about The White Company but have never been able to find anything I like in there that hasn't got an extortionate price tag. I luckily snapped this candle up when there was 20% and considered stocking up as I am in love with the scent. Honestly, this is one of my favourite scents ever. It is so sweet, not overly minty like the name would suggest but just a subtle hint. I can't wait to burn this, I hope it's a goody.

Next up are my little beauties that came all the way from Bath and Body Works in New York City, courtesy of my Mum. She picked these candles out for me on her recent trip to the Big Apple. Ever since hearing about Bath and Body Works I've wanted to visit so I could raid the shop. As Mum was making a trip, I begged for some candles. She selected a medium Guava Pina Colada and three little scents including Island Margarita, New York - Beautiful Day and Pineapple and Mango. The small ones are in the cutest little jars. I can't wait to burn them but as they are so small, they will be gone in no time.

This divine smelling candle was picked up on a recent visit to Crimple Hall with fellow blogger, Kirsty. At Crimple Hall they have a garden centre and an antique hall. Both parts are jam-packed with loads of cool stuff and I couldn't help but come away with a few bits and pieces. This candle was part of my mini hall. As the name suggests, this candle smells so much of strawberry! It's so sweet and fruity, I'm in love. It's a Kiss Air candle, which I haven't tried before but seen a few mentions of them on Twitter, so I'm looking forward to trying it out.

This Yankee Candle is from good ol' Tesco. I love a good snoop around for home pieces in Tesco and as we've got one five minutes away from our house, I'm a resident shopper. This one caught my eye as I absolutely loved The Body Shop's Virgin Mojito with its lime scent and this is its candle equivalent. Yes, I know in cocktail form, a Mojito and a Margarita are different but in scent, these both are fresh and citrusy! This is a great sized candle that burns really evenly. I definitely recommend purchasing one of these.

I hope you've enjoyed my round-up of candles! If you are as obsessed with candles as me, then feel free to get in touch. I'm always happy to talk about candles. If you want to see what other candles I've tried then have a nosy at my previous candle posts!

New to my candle collection.

For anyone who doesn't already know this, I'm obsessed with candles. I honestly have a cupboard full of different scented candles and whenever I'm out shopping I always seem to add another candle to my basket to join the others. Candles make the room feel so cosy, homely and warm. I've got a number of different scents including sweet and fruity but also I have a lot of plain ones like a small pillar and tea lights for burning amongst the smelly ones.

So recently when I've been out and about Christmas shopping, these few candles have found their way to my house. I thought I'd do a rundown of the new scents I've picked up in case you are as obsessed as me. I can't wait to start burning them all.

Crabtree & Evelyn Sugar and Spice Large Poured Candle - £29.00 (I can't find this scent online, so linked to similar Noel one.)

At £29.00 this is quite an expensive candle, especially compared to the other candles in this post but the smell was so alluring that I had to get it. I will add I bought this on black Friday so there was 25% off! Bargain. Myself and Mum first smelt this at the Crabtree & Evelyn at Dalton Park. I was drawn to the shop due to the cute gingerbread graphics they have on their Christmas packaging. It was actually Mum who said she might buy this first, but we decided to leave it at Dalton Park due to the cost. When we were out at Leeds on black Friday and it was discounted we thought it the perfect opportunity and both picked one up! Unlike normal spicy Christmas candles, this is lovely and sweet. Due to the clementine, it has a lovely undertone of orange with a hint of spice from the clove, nutmeg and cinnamon. Crabtree & Evelyn approximate that this will burn for 50 hours, so that's a good bit of time for the price! I haven't burnt this one yet, I think it might be one for Christmas day.

Lily-Flame Parma Violets - £8.95

I LOVE anything that smells like parma violets. For my birthday I received the Diptique Violet candle and I love it. This is really just a cheaper, sweeter version of it. Like all Lily-Flame candles, it has the chunky pieces of wax on the top making it very aesthetically pleasing and the smell is just amazing. I seriously can't wait to burn this and I feel like I need to stock up on it already.

Noel Tin Candle - £6.00

I bought this one from the Avon catalogue after scratching and sniffing the scent on the page. It was half price at the time which was great so I snapped it up. It comes in a cute little tin with red labelling making it feel very festive. Its a very warming Christmassy scent with definite hints of spice but it isn't too overpowering as I think it has a slight hint of orange. It's a great Christmas candle for people who can't handle too much spice.

Our Own Candle Company: Smell My Nuts, Mmm...Nice Melons, Mulberry - Large: £9.99 & Small: £3.99.

When we visited Wynyard Hall's Christmas Fair this year there were two stalls selling these beautiful candles. I'm pretty sure I got one of these last year at the fair but I can't remember what scent. They come in these cute jars with screw top lids which are perfect for storing. The scents are as follows: Smell My Nuts - This one is gorgeously sweet with a hint of nut. As it's a three scent candle with Banana Nut Bread, Toasted Coconut and Hazelnut, I'm sure it will change as the candle burns down. Mmm..Nice Melons - This is another three scent candle with Watermelon, Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melon. This one is very fruity and sweet-smelling just how you know a melon to smell. These large candles last for up to 100 hours so I'm sure the scent will change as I burn through the whole jar! Lastly, I got a small Mulberry as this was the only size they had left in this scent. This one is a more of Christmassy scent, distinctly smelling like berries but less fruity than normal. It is understated but gorgeous.

Shelley Louise Pink Grapefruit & Mango 

I bought this one from a Spring fair earlier this year and it quickly became one of my favourites. When I found out the stall was going to be at a Christmas fair we were attending this year I knew I had to stock up so I bought two. I can't remember how much they were, and the lady that runs the shop doesn't do online sales so I can't find the price. These candles are mostly sold at markets so there isn't somewhere I can go and pick one of these up which makes me sad. They are super great quality, packaged in a lovely glass jar. The smell of this one, pink grapefruit and mango, is very fresh but also quite fruity.

So do you like the sound of any of my new candles? Which one do you think would be your favourite?

Do you have any candle posts up? I've love to read! Link below...

Autumn Time Candles

When Autumn comes around it's time to change up the candles and bring in some cosy warming scents. I must admit I have a cupboard that is full of different candles, some new and some part used that I just switch up when I feel like it. I love buying candles. It's a little obsession. So as the temperatures have changed I decided it was time to invest in some new candles.

Yankee Candles is one of my favourite candle brands as they do lots of different scents and they are super strong. I love that they continue to bring out new scents as well as keeping the old faves.

I purchased Pain Au Raisin and Gingerbread Maple after watching Zoella's Autumn candle haul because I felt like I needed some new Autumn ones. They are both very sweet smelling but they aren't very sickly which is good. Gingerbread Maple smells of baking and very sweet syrup but isn't too overwhelming with the gingerbread. With Pain Au Raisin you can definitely smell a hint of raisin but it's nice as its subtly fruity. They both have a little bit of spice which makes them feel cosy and warming.

I've had this Christmas Eve candle since last year as I must have bought a few because it's one of my favourites.  Although not technically Autumn I think as it gets colder all Autumn/Winter candles go! This one is a hard one to describe but it's very different from the other two. It's fresh and a bit more perfumy. I think you should smell this one yourself to see what you think!

This little one I picked up from Aldi in the Special Buys as it smelt SO GOOD. I walked past and could smell it so I couldn't leave without it. I'm pretty sure I've seen these candles in other supermarkets so I suggest you search out this one. It is the White Vanilla Bean scent which smells lovely and sweet but homely. As it's an Air Wick candle it's very potent which is brilliant.

The last one is a candle I picked up from Tesco Extra whilst on a little shopping spree. You know when you go to Tesco and you want to buy something but don't know what, then you come out with a book, a candle and all sorts of other things. Yeah, this was bought on one of those times.

When I picked up this candle it immediately made me think that it smelt of something but I didn't know what. Again this is nothing like any of the candles already listed, it's very perfumey. Its a different scent for me and something I wouldn't normally pick but as it reminded me of something and it was black wax, I decided to pick it up. It is in the scent Amber Noir and I'm pretty sure it smells like one of Mum's hair products but in a nice way! One of those that you want on your hair so you can smell your hair all day. Again maybe this is one you have to smell in person!

So what are your favourite Autumn candles? Any recommendations for me?

Take some time to relax

Each and everyday we are kept busy by work, chores or activities and sometimes it all gets a bit too much. We can get stressed out which affects our wellbeing by leaving us with a lack of energy, bad health and aches and pains. It also affects us mentally giving us a lack of focus, insomnia and a making it difficult for us to relax.



By taking some time to indulge in relaxation we will be doing our body the world of good. Benefits of this include a reduced risk of catching a cold, easing acne, keeping us slim by reducing the stress that will make us want to eat, keeping your heart healthy and making us happier^.

I've created a list of ideas of things you can do when you are stressed and need a little bit of calm in your life.

• Indulge in some relaxation. Doing gentle stretches and focusing on your breathing can make you feel calmer and more in control. Mind has some great relaxation and breathing exercises you can do when you have some free time on your hands.
• Take a bubble bath. I think this is my answer to everything but it always makes me feel better. Taking some time to mull over your thoughts in a cosy warm bubble bath puts me at ease.
• Write a list of what you have to do. If you have a million and one things running through your head it might be best to write it all down to put it in perspective. Also, mark these as to what is most important and also note how long it will take. Get the quick ones ticked off right away and you'll feel much better seeing items being crossed off.
• Do something you enjoy. Whether it be baking, reading or walking, take some time to get into a hobby and enjoy yourself. That time away from your stress will make you feel ten times better.
• Exercise! Do we have to?! Yes. Exercising can boost your self-esteem and your mood, improve your quality of sleep and reduce your risk of stress and depression. Sounds like something we all should be doing more of!
• Getting to bed early. Following on from exercise, it is important that we fuel our bodies properly and get the right amount of sleep. We all know how we feel when we wake up from a few hours of sleep. Not good, very cranky and agitated. Not very relaxed now is it.
• Spa day! If you can take a day off work why not take a trip to your local spa? Step away from your busy life and pamper yourself for the day.

Will you be taking some more time out to relax? What do you like to do to relax?

*Collaboration with Time4Sleep - all content my own except where credited.

Christmas has arrived in our home!

Christmas is now just over a week away and I am getting totally excited. This is the first Christmas that will be spent in our first house. We've had to buy all our Christmas decorations in to ensure it could be as festive as possible. I've put little bits of Christmas throughout the downstairs of our house. As you would imagine, there is a lot of gingerbread! I've bought a couple of decorations in the run-up to Christmas but had a few from last year that friends and family bought as presents. The one with our names on was given to us last year by my Mum, it is so cute and such a special, unique decoration. When I pulled them all out to put on the tree, I couldn't believe how much gingerbread there was! I'm so pleased with how my tree came together. Mum was always into white and silver decorations, whereas I have gone all out traditional red, green and gold. I love it, it's so festive!

As well as the Christmas tree I've added festive tea lights holders, gingerbread houses on the fuse box, a cuddly Santa on our phone table, tinsel to the bannister and some twinkly lights in the front window. There are lots of little bits to ensure our house looks festive! I'm so pleased with how everything looks and I don't think I could fit another Christmas themed item in the house, well except stockings and Santa sacks on Christmas day! Do you like our decorations? Have you posted about yours? Link me!

Yankee Candle Wax Tarts

I own many candles. Tea lights, Yankee Candle jars, home-made candles, votives and Glade Christmas candles but I had never tried wax tarts. So one lunchtime when I fancied spending some pennies I ventured into House of Fraser and indulged in some Yankee Candle scents.

I picked up a tart burner that would fit in with my living room which featured a white ceramic (well I think it is) open flower which sits on a black metal base. The flower holds the tart and the tea light sits below to melt it. Simple.

I picked up four Yankee Candle wax tarts all together; Champaca Blossom (burning in the holder), Paradise Spice, Black Cherry and Lake Sunset. These are all quite sweet smells so if you are into musky ones I wouldn't suggest picking these up!

When I first lit the tea light and left it for the wax tart to melt I could really smell the fragrance. As I've continued to burn it (at different times) I feel the smell is getting a little more faint each time. I'm yet to get to the end so I can't say what is left in the holder but I do hope it all burns up so there is no scent contamination.

Although my first foray into wax tarts I have to say I quite enjoy them, so much so I've bought some more. That may just be because I am a hoarder...

The Living Room - styling our home

Since moving into our new house we've been working tirelessly to make it ours. The first two rooms were the bedroom and the living room. We are really happy with what we've achieved so I wanted to do a post to show it off! Here is what it looked like when we moved in...

Photo from Rightmove

We basically stripped the wallpaper, painted every surface, had the carpets cleaned (we are clean freaks!), changed the light fixtures (we have a dimmer!) and added our own furniture. Here is what it looks like now...

As you can see we've gone for a dark grey accent wall with white furniture but also some wooden furniture. With the light shades, we've added a pop of mustard colour which we hope to couple with some accent pillows to finish the room.

We decided to have a two-seater and a chair on one side of the room and the TV, unit and bookshelf on the other with the coffee table in the middle of the room. The TV is up on the wall which looks super cool and I think it helps keep the room looking spacious even though we have quite a bit in there. We've also got a small dining table coming from Baker and Stonehouse for the right corner as you enter the room but that probably won't be here until July as it is a 20 week lead time!

We've added many little things to the room like candles, flowers, DVDs and books to personalise our space. We have amazing double doors which open on to the garden in which we get the sun all day so the front room is always toasty. This means we need to get some blinds which we will probably be getting soon.

As I say, overall I am really pleased with what we've achieved as we think it looks really stylish and modern but still very comfy.

The bathroom - styling our new home

After moving into our new house we gave it a complete cleaning blitz which included getting stuck into the bathroom. When it was cleaned to our standards we got to adding personal touches to make it feel like ours.

We chose a set from Dunelm Mill which feature cute nautical icons on each accessory. There is a toothbrush and toothpaste holder, a soap dish, a toilet brush holder and a set of tea light holders. In addition to this set we added a small mirror from Ikea and some tea lights in jars that I've collected. I love having candles when I'm in the bath as it creates such a relaxing atmosphere. Having tea lights in empty jars is a cheap but very pretty way to bring a quirky style to any room.

This is our shower curtain which features a huge map of American in a lovely deep turquoise colour. Having never had a shower curtain before I was keen to buy one that was interesting and quirky, this certainly fits the bill. We bought this from Urban Outfitters and although not the cheapest I think it will last a while!

In the bathroom, we have a bath/shower which is pretty standard. To this, we've added a corner shelf from Ikea which is so useful for keeping shower items tidy and out of the way. I love having the extra storage for all my different shower gels and shampoos!

This is going to be our bathroom for the foreseeable future until we can save the money to get a new one. I will definitely be on Pinterest between now and then to find ideas for my new bathroom. For now, I am really happy with what we have. Taking a relaxing bath in here will be lovely.

I think they got the hints...

As I've said maybe a million times, I like gingerbread men. So for Christmas you can imagine I was plied with gingerbread men goodies...

Gingerbread Yankee Candle holders from Mum.

Gingerbread Candle from Tesco, from Mum. 

A present for me and Matthew, an ornament for our tree when we move in together from Mum.

Lots and lots of Body Shop ginger sparkle goodies from Mum and my friend Jess.

Little fabric Christmas tree decorations from Jess and my boyfriend's family.

A very cute gingerbread man bag from my boyfriend.

Gingerbread chocolates from Jess.

Gingerbread biscuits from Mum.

I think that is about everything gingerbread I got for Christmas, although I am sure I've missed some! So grateful to have so many people who buy me presents and are so thoughtful.

Link me to your Christmas goodies posts!