Quick and Easy WEEKEND Meals with Aldi UK

I believe that weekends are for enjoying time together. When there are only two precious days a week to have quality time together as a family, I like to have quick and easy meals that don't make too much of an intrusion on our day. 

With that in mind I have shared two of my 'go to' meals.

All ingredients are from Aldi, which means they're affordable, yet very tasty to feed a family of 4. 

Firstly, I have made a quick and easy 'Stuffed Pepper Chilli Con Carne'. I've listed everything you need below.

Super Easy Stuffed Pepper Chilli Con Carne

Ingredients

• 250G Ashfield 5% Lean Beef Mince
• Fiesta Mild Chilli Cooking Sauce
• 4 Red Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Red onion 
• Champion Sweet Potato Wedges
• Cheese
• Onion & Garlic Dip

Method

Oven 200 degrees.

Put the peppers in the oven whole, with the tops on, for half an hour or until they are starting to brown. After ten mins put the sweet potatoe wedges in the oven for twenty mins.

Then in a pan, put the chopped mushrooms and onion and cook for five mins. 

Add in the beef mince and cook till brown. Put in the cooking sauce and cook for a further ten minutes. Let it simmer.

Once the peppers are ready, slice off the top, cut out the seeds.

The add in your Chilli Con Carne, sprinkle with cheese, and add some onion and garlic dip on the side, and there you have it.

Next up are homemade pizzas. They take five minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook. If you would like to make them too, I've listed all you need below. 

Easy Peasy Pitta Pizza

Ingredients

• Sunnyhills White Pitta Breads (pk of 6)
• Cucina Tomato Puree
• 1 Red Onion
• 3 Mushrooms
• Sweetcorn
• Olives
• Grated Cheese 




Wild Rocket (to serve)

Method

Oven 180 degrees. 

Squeeze out two desert spoonful's of tomato puree onto the pitta, spread evenly.

Cut up the mushrooms, olives & onion, sprinkle on top. Add the sweetcorn and cheese. 

Put in the oven for 8 minutes. 

Once cooked sprinkle over some wild rocket.

And that's it, the most easy pizza for a busy weekend.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you try out any of these ideas yourself.

Michelle xxx

The Primark Edit - AUTUMN 17

I am a lover all things high street, but nothing pleases me more than being able to walk into Primark and buy a lot of what I had already seen in more expensive high street shops for a fraction of the price.

We are all trying to save money these days, so why splash out when you can look good on a small budget?  

Here's my top picks from Primark this Autumn 2017.

The Boots 

I always reach for a tan pair of boots in Autumn/Winter.

This year I wanted a little bit more than a plain pair of boots. I found these little gems in Primark. I love the gold stud detail to add a little more to an outfit. They're perfect for wearing smart or casual, and look fab with a pair of skinny jeans or a little skater style skirt and a roll neck. £14 

The Knit

I have fallen in love with mustard knitwear over the past few months. 

There was something about this jumper that caught my eye. I like its simplicity but also the nod to a smarter option with its bronze button hardware. It was a bargain at £6 - in fact I picked up two! 

 

The Jacket 

I have always wanted a wax Barbour jacket, so when I saw this jacket on the rails I had to pick one up. I use mine most days, I find its especially good for walking the dog. Its got big pockets, perfect for your phone and keys. Its a steal at £25.

The Bag

When I saw this little beauty I couldn't resist. It immediately said designer handbag to me. The gold bees and stud hardware work perfectly against the black faux leather. The strap is the perfect length for wearing cross body. I have also used it as an evening bag, and tucked the strap inside, it really looked pretty. It's a versatile accessory to have in your wardrobe this season and for £8 it's a really cute addition for the season. 

These are the Primark editions to my wardrobe for Autumn, what are yours? 

xxx

AUTUMN LEAF BISCUIT RECIPE

I am not the biggest fan of Halloween. So I decided to try something less scary and more pretty to bake and enjoy with the family.

I wanted to make something seasonal and thought that after seeing all the gorgeous colours of the fallen leaves in the park, that it would be nice to recreate something tasty and also autumnal that fitted with this beautiful time of year. 

I found some cute Leaf Biscuit Cutters in The Range and they were perfect for my little idea. If you would like to see how to make these cute little leaf biscuits, I've put the recipe below...

R E C I P E 

Preheat the oven - 180 degrees 

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Makes: 20 biscuits 

250g PLAIN Flour

110g Butter

65g Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

2 Tsp of Ground Ginger 

2 Tbsp of Golden Syrup

Renshaw Ruby Red Ready to Roll Icing

Renshaw Pastel Yellow Ready to Roll Icing

Edible Gold Glitter (optional)

 Jam - any flavour(to attach the icing)

T O O L S

Greaseproof Baking Paper

Rolling Pin 

Leaf Biscuit Cutters

M E T H O D

Turn on the oven. Line baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Mix flour, sugar and butter together until breadcrumb consistency. 

Add in vanilla extract, bicarbonate of soda, ginger & golden syrup.

Mix into a dough.

** TIP** if the mixture is too dry add a teaspoon of water. 

Once all mixed together, scoop the mixture out of the bowl and get ready to roll...

**TIP** I used GREASEPROOF paper to roll out the dough instead of putting FLOUR on the kitchen side, it worked really well , there was a lot less mess and the dough didn't stick which, lets face it, is what we all want!

Roll out to around 0.5cm thick. Use the Leaf Biscuit Cutters to cut out the biscuits.

Place on to baking tray & put into oven. 

Once golden brown, leave to cool.

I C I N G  

Cut off a third of the red icing and third of the yellow icing and roll them in to a ball in your hands to form the marble effect. 

Once happy with the patterns, roll out the icing (I used the greaseproof paper instead of flour so it didn't dry out the icing) to around 0.25cm thick and then started using the Leaf Cutter to cut the icing out.

Put a thin layer of jam on the under side of the icing leaf to attach it to the biscuit and leave to set. 

To add some shimmer to the biscuits, lightly spray with edible glitter dust. 

 

And there you have it. A nice and easy little baking project for Autumn. It's great for children too, my 3 year old daughter loved helping cut out all the leaf shapes and rolling out the mixture. 

I would love to know if you make the biscuits yourself, so please leave a comment if you try and tag me on Instagram in your pictures.

Have you made any seasonal bakes this autumn? I would love to get some more ideas :) 

Thank you so much for reading! 

xxx

Easy Steps to Simplify Your Day

Our lives are busier than ever before. We are expected to fit so much into one day.

Working, parenting, eating well, exercising, housework, social life etc etc... It can be hard to unwind and find time to not think about the stresses and strains of everyday life.

We come from a generation, where we strive to have the perfect life. Perfection is the only way to be, or so it seems, which is a strain in itself. We live our lives looking at screens; phones, TV's, tablets, smartwatches etc, which can result in feelings of stress and anxiety.

Recently, I have tried to slow down, cut out what isn't necessary and think more simply.

Here are a few things I do to simplify my day.

ROUTINE
Have a routine - you will know what to expect.

Get up at the same time everyday, eat at the same time each day, go for a walk at the same time each day and relax at the same time each day. 

I find it's good for young children too. My daughter's mood and behaviour always improves when she has a good routine. The expectation at certain times of day helps with behaviour and learning. Having a routine can also help ease the mind, and if a parent is calm the child will be calm. 

DECLUTTER 
Keep the house and your surroundings clutter-free. 

Try not to have emotional attachment to too many material things, take pictures for treasuring the memories instead.

I cannot function properly if things are cluttered. I like to de-clutter at the beginning/end of each season. I have three piles, one for the bin, one for the charity shop and one for Gumtree/eBay.I clear my wardrobe/cupboards/garage etc, and I am ruthless.

I am really benefitting from doing this and so is the bank balance.

More day to day, I make sure toys are back where they belong when my daughter has gone to bed. All clothes are put away from the dryer, which results in a tidy, clutter free bedroom to relax in. The kitchen is clean and tidy before I settle down to watch any TV and this leaves everything fresh and clean for the following morning.  

WANT LESS. BE GRATEFUL
By appreciating the things you have rather than yearning for things you do not have, will result in being grateful for smaller things in life.

Rather than focussing on not liking a part of your body appreciate what it does each day. Appreciate that you are alive, that you have your health.

Being grateful is an important quality. It results in feeling happy and content with life.

QUIET TIME
Schedule quiet/down time every day.

Whether that be alone or with your family. Switch off the TV and talk to each other, even if it is for ten minutes a day. Having quiet time can refresh you for busier times during the day.

My new quiet time, is after dropping my little one at nursery. I walk home, make a cuppa and catch up on YouTube to have some time to myself.

It really makes a difference.

FRESH AIR
Get out in the fresh air!

We love a walk in the park with the pup. Since having him, I have noticed that I actually enjoy walking a lot more than I thought. It helps clear my head and appreciate the smaller things. I usually head out early in the morning or just before the sun goes down and I love it.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LOVED ONES
Eliminate toxic people in your life.

Be with the ones that make you smile, who are positive and genuinely want to be in your life. Friendships and relationships should be pleasurable and not a pressure.


And that's it....I would love to know how you simplify your day.

Thanks for reading.

Michelle xoxox

SEPTEMBER - THE THINGS I'VE BEEN LOVING

Here goes my first favourites.

September is always a month I love. Beautiful sunny days with a chill in the air. The colours of the trees and the fact its usually when we like to go on our holidays.

I thought I would share some of my favourite products and lifestyle bits as its one of my favourite months!

GUMTREE

This is always a favourite of mine, but it really doesn't get enough hype.

After our holiday, I came home with a mission in mind. A mission to clear out the garage and the cupboards of 'junk'.

'Junk' that we no longer loved, needed or in fact, ever used.

There were plenty of people who couldn't wait to get their hands on unwanted 'junk'. I sold so much, so quickly.

I also found a bargain on there myself.

I had been looking for a daybed for our office, and finally found one recently on Gumtree! It was a bargain at £40 (with a mattress that had only been used once).

Some one else's junk is another ones treasure.

ALDI 

I'm throwing Aldi in the mix this month because when you think it'll be the last place to find
something - well, lets face it, it comes up trumps!

Its always good for our weekly shops, but last month I picked up a gorgeous, reasonbly priced, on trend THROW for our living room. In fact, I am heading back to get another one for the daybed!


I have also really been liking their Jo Malone dupe candles, (No.1 is my preferred scent) which at £3 a time is always a winner.

HIGH FIVE ALDI!



WETBRUSH

I have a three year old daughter. She has had thick hair from the day she was born. The worst part of her day is when she is asked to have her hair brushed.

I had tried lots of different brands of brushes;  Tangle Teezers and Ouchless to name a few. None have lived up to their claims of 'no pain' when brushing.

But after seeing a review of the Wetbrush, I thought I would give it a go (I was losing the will and considering cutting off little ladies hair into a more manageable bob). It claimed to brush through hair with no pain even with tangles and knots.

Since using the Wetbrush the hair brushing routine has become a dream rather than a nightmare. Previously, I would be chasing around the house trying to get hold of my daughter to let me brush her

hair.

Now, she asks to have her hair brushed, and she even tries to brush it herself too. This is a massive step in the right direction and a huge improvement for her .

I would recommend the brush to anyone with children who hate having their hair brushed. It has saved a lot of tears in the mornings in our house.

It's great for us grown ups too.

I invested in my own brush. I use it on WET  hair in the shower. It works a dream distributing conditioner evenly, without pulling out my very over - bleached hair. It's fab for using on dry hair too (don't be deceived by the name), there's no pulling or ripping of the hair and leaves hair with a nice shine.

So thats my September faves lovelies.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what has made your favourites list recently!



xoxoxo

Put on your POSITIVE Pants with The Positve Planner

The Positive Planner 

  The way the NHS are heading with Mental Health funding taking a blow, it seems that is down to ourselves to look out for each other. 


Some of you may, or may not know, but I suffer with Anxiety and have had pre/post natal depression and although under my GP I have been prescribed medication to help deal with the symptoms and also counselling cognitive behavioural therapy, it still feels quite a lonely world out there when you are that vulnerable.  

One evening this week I stumbled across the fantastic idea of The Positive Planner via the wonderful platform of social media that is Insta!  

If like me, you feel you need to try something new, or something that will help alongside meds and therapies, then I would love for you to read about a couple of fabulous ladies, who themselves have suffered a mental illness, and have come up with a wonderful idea to help those suffering too......

I would like to hand over to Ali and Finn from The Positive Planner: 

Hello, we are Ali and Finn……. Two Mama’s on a mission to break the stigma around mental health! 

We are currently crowdfunding like crazy to get our newest baby “The Positive Planner” up and running! To help us reach our target of £2500 please click on the link >>>>>Crowdfunding The Positive Planner

The Positive Planner is a journal and planner, that supports mental health wellbeing. The very fact that this products will be available will in itself be helping to break the stigma that surrounds mental health! We both have young children, Ali has Max who is 3, and Orla who is 2, Finn has baby Japser-Fox who is 6 months. We both have personal experience with mental health issues. Ali first experienced post natal depression after her daughter was born. Finn has suffered with depression and anxiety since teenage years and found the early months of motherhood really brought these issues to head again.  

The Positive Planner was born from an understanding of the struggles of new motherhood as well as the debilitating effects of mental health illness. Both Ali and Finn felt there was little support around them at a time when it was most needed and Ali during her own recovery from post natal depression feels she “self healed” using her daily journaling and self taught art therapy techniques, she still uses these daily, and now Finn is also addicted! 

We both, like many other women, experience feelings of helplessness, loneliness and confusion during motherhood and our experience of mental health issues. Other than medication we both felt there was little help and support. This personal experience has left us with a strong sense of not wanting others to suffer in the same way, thus the idea for The Positive Planner was born. 

The Positive planner is a unique tool that will help enable people who are experiencing mental health issues to remain productive and positive in very overwhelming and anxious times.

It is a hardback journal with beautiful calligraphy and encouraging words on each page, helping to take the panic out of the daily routine and breaking it down in to small bitesize sections. The concept is based on cognitive behavioural therapy techniques, however our Positive Planner is accessible and comfortable to use, as well as being a beautiful and trendy piece of stationary. 

Art therapy and mindful colouring has been a recent trend, we want this to be a daily activity within our Positive Planner to encourage mindfulness and thoughtful reflections, it is a common theme throughout, using independent artist found through our Instagram community. We have collaborated to produce beautiful and uplifting illustrations and quotations throughout. A carefully developed selection of mindful and positive thought provoking activities have been created by us to engage the brain, helping the user to navigate there thoughts and feelings. The practice of gratitude is encouraged throughout to help train the mind to notice the good in everyday life.

This Planner can of course be bought by anyone as a useful tool and not specifically for mental health sufferers, but we think it's important as a way to recovery that there is a specific product that can be purchased. It can be bought as a way of firstly admitting something may not be right but also a coping mechanism to help get on the road to recovery. It can also be bought by friends and family, it will come packed with love with lots of links to useful resources that can help.

It is a simple idea developed by us from our own personal journey through motherhood and mental health issues, we need to take our idea to the next level in order to share with others and help them in the same way it is helping us! 

So put on your positive pants lovelies and lets get The Positive Planner on its way to helping lots of people suffering in silence! 

Thanks for reading, as always.

Michelle OXOXOX

Switched ON to Shadow Switch!

SHADOW SWITCH DRY BRUSH CLEANER

I am a bit of an easy target when it comes to new beauty products. 

Whether it be beauty tools or a nice make up bag, you'll see me in the queue at Boots buying it. 

When I was recently approached by 'Beauty Essentials' to try a product that claims to clean makeup brushes without any soap, water or hours and hours of drying time, well, to be honest, I couldn't wait to try it out.

First Impressions

I liked the simple tin packaging. A small round tin, perfect size to fit in any makeup bag or dressing table. 

On opening the tin, there was the little pot of magic, in the form of a simple black sponge. 

      

Considering I had never used the product previously, I was pleased to see the clear and simple instructions on the box.  

Putting it to the test

I wanted to really put the product through its paces and chose the Naked 2 Palette Black eye shadow on my brush. I made sure that it had thoroughly coated the brush with plenty of product.

When I put the brush into the Shadow Switch, I was a little hesitant to try the brush again on the back of my hand as I really was doubting the ability that simply swirling my brush in the sponge would leave it completely clean of product, but hey presto! The brush was as clean as it was before I had used the eye shadow. 

Overall

The Shadow Switch had me a little sceptical, but has blown me away with how well it works. I use it everyday to swap my eye shadow colours and so far, have been really impressed.

It has saved me a lot of time washing and cleaning my makeup brushes, which lets face it no one really enjoys! 

And the best bit - the price! Its currently on Amazon for £5.99.

 The product is going to be re-branded and the new packaging can be seen  below!

IIIf
you would like to get your hands on one I have put the link here>>>>> Shadow Switch

 Is there a beauty product that you cannot live without? 

Thanks for reading lovelies! 

MichelleAnnaLoves xoxoxoxox

Blondes Have More Fun - Haircare Routine

Blondes have more fun! Right?

Well when it comes to looking after those gorgeous blonde tresses, hmmmm I might have to beg to differ.

I am a natural blonde. I verge on a dirty blonde with natural highlights thanks to the sunshine in the summer. But like many others, (blondes and brunettes) I have given into the trends over the years and reached for the bleach.

This being the case, I have really had to look after my hair, and below I have listed some of the products I cannot leave out of my hair care routine.

SHAMPOOS

Schwarzkopf Bonacure Color Freeze 4.5pH Perfect Silver Shampoo

This shampoo keeps the yellow and brassy tones that creep up on us blondes, at bay. It is a new addition to My shampoo quota recently, as I hadn't been able to find a purple shampoo that I got on with, but this, has solved my problems. Its a rich purple colour and I leave it in my hair for around 3 - 5 minutes before washing it out This ensures a nice crisp and ashy blonde every wash.

Loreal Elvive Full Restore Shampoo

Everyone has seen this in the drugstore, and nine times out of ten its on offer as 2 for £5 or something similar. But even though this is one of the cheaper shampoos that I reach for, it works a dream. It leaves my hair feeling stronger and also healthier and softer than before I use it. This has been an old faithful of mine for years, and its still sitting in my shower now.

Redken Blonde Idol

I use this shampoo inbetween using the purple toner shampoo. It contains no sulfates and is pH
balanced which helps keep blonde hair looking healthy and shiny, and it really makes my hair feel healthy after.

CONDITIONERS

Redken Blonde Idol Custom Tone Conditioner

When I was introduced to this bottle of conditioner, I was amazed at what it could do.
The bottle contains dual chambers which have a dial to twist so you can choose how much conditioner and toner you wish. Basically, if you have just had a colour you would keep it to the lowest treatment on the dial (notch number 1) but if you are 3-4 weeks in you can crank that dial up and choose a larger shot of toner and conditioner (number 6). I have used this for over a year now and I absolutely would never be without it. It keeps all brassy tones at bay and leaves hair conditioned beautifully.



TREATMENTS

Redken Extreme Length Primer and Sealer

I use these two products in unison with each other to encourage my heavily bleached hair to grow. It contains a large amount of biotin (protein) which is good for the hair. Leave the primer on the hair for 5 mins and wash off. Then towel dry your hair and add the sealer to your mid lengths and ends (I apply it from root to tip though). You will thank me for how soft and beautiful your hair will look after using these products just once!!

Loreal Elvive Full Restore Treatment Masque


I slather this on once a week and leave it for as long as possible (ten mins) and then wash off and hair feels like silk. This is good before a night out or a special occasion as it coats the hair and leaves it shiny and smooth.






STYLING/LEAVE IN CONDITIONER

Lee Stafford CoCo LoCo Styling Serum

If there is one product you should go and buy from this list then this is THE one. This product claims to turn 'Straw to Silk' and when i first picked it up in Boots, i was sceptical, but i put it in the basket anyways as i LOVE the smell of coconut and thought it didn't matter what it did for my hair as it
would smell yummy... well I was proved wrong and the product definitely leaves hair easy to  brush through, i even use it on my daughters hair as it helps when brushing it. Beautiful product that conditions and nourishes hair all day.

VO5 Smoothly Does It Tame and Shine Spray - Heat Defence


I love the smell of this product, and i love the fact that it always protects my hair when i blow dry, curl
or straighten it too. Its cheap as chips and does a great job of protecting my hair before i get the hair tools out and also as a finishing spray to give an extra shine to my hair. It even keeps flyaway hairs in place too... this is a bloody miracle product and its only a few quid!

What are your favourite products to use in your hair? Are you a blonde who knows of any other goodies that i don't know about? Let me know as i love to try new products.

Thanks for reading.

xoxoxoxox
MichelleAnnaLoves
xoxoxoxox




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