Toddler Gift Guide

Hello, Everyone :)
Today I am sharing my toddler gift guide based on extensive research and thorough testing on no other than my own 2 year old toddler :D

I would like to think that, what I have found, will be useful to both parents and non parents. And maybe specifically the people, who don't have kids themselves but still need to get a Christmas/Birthday present for a 2-4 year old. Because it will soon be the merriest time of the year called Christmas, I have been very busy trying to find gifts for Oscar that he will enjoy for longer than just the Christmas Day.

Due to my lack of self control when it comes to buying things for Oscar I have pretty much gotten all of the things already. Some of the things I have given to him to play already(these will be doubled up at a later date for friends kids presents) and some are waiting to be packed up for the big day (which means I only have my own mind and reviews to count on that the present will be great). But I'll get right to it, because if you are one of the actual parents reading this post, you probably have about 17 seconds until you are called on duty again :D

I will start with the things I have already handed over to my demanding toddler.

1. My favourite thing to get Oscar are books. He loves looking at the pictures and he loves listening to stories, so naturally I am always on the lookout for awesome books he can engage in and enjoy...many many many times.
And when I came across these 3 books I just knew I had to get them, and they have been amazing. Oscar loves them, I love them. Oi Dog! Oi Frog! Quick Quack Quentin. They are really well written and the pictures are also just awesome.
At just £3.49 each at the moment in amazon, I got the paperback version and they are really good quality still and I know will last a long time.

For Christmas I will also get him these 3 because I just can't help myself. (''how many legs'' ''The bear and the piano'' ''You can't take an elephant on the bus'')I just know he will love these as much as the ones we already have.
And I really do think books are an awesome gift your child will enjoy and it's actually something to do together. Great bonding gift.

2.Think Fun Roll Roll and Play Pre School Game. A great interactive dice game with simple enough activity cards for your toddler to follow. It encourages creativity and is just a great all around learning fun game to play with your toddler. The big plush dice is good quality and action cards are really well illustrated. Oscar has absolutely loves playing the game since I got it. And he is understanding more and more about the instructions on the cards every day. But sometimes he just goes with whatever he thinks the card says, and that is fun too :D
It is £16 at the moment in Amazon so get it while they still have it, because it seems to be a popular one, for all the obvious reasons.

3.Lego Duplo. If you are a parent you know what I mean. It's lego, but with bigger block for tiny hands. Great for motor skills, interactive play and with so many sets available you are sure to find something for your little boy or girl. He already has a few sets from previous occasions, so I also got him the ''Lego Duplo Town My first truck'' set which has  sets of blocks he can match up.

Now for a few things that are waiting for Christmas Day to be played with
1. Learning Resources ''The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game''
It has great reviews and with 4 player it can be a great game for your toddler to enjoy with the family. Something to do after dinner around the table to extend that quality time rather than watching the 7000th episode of ''In the Night Garden'' (which Oscar hasn't really been interested in lately thank goodness :D)

2. Puzzles
Oscar is only just getting into the puzzles so I am hoping with a great one he will have fun for a good few times. And once he has had enough I can always glue the pieces together and frame it up. This is such an old school thing to do, but it would look great on his bedroom wall :D And I am old so I don't care :D

3.Character toys. I got him the avengers toys from TheToyshop.com penny sale.(seen on the first picture) So I actually only paid £20 for all four (Hulk, Captain America, Ironman, Thor). He is really into the superheroes lately and loves playing rescuing his other toys and coming up with the wildest scenarios that we can't keep up with, so I can't wait to see his little face lit up when he opens these. At the moment he is playing with the figures he got from the surprise eggs :D
If you are a mother of a girl...then I'm a bit lost here, because I have no idea what girls are into these days :D
But because this is the only gift that is gender related (I know it shouldn't be, and if your little girl is into super heroes than more power to them, because I think that toys shouldn't be for boys and girls) then I'm sure you can just take character toy part and run with it.


I really hope this post was useful in some way. Because I am quite proud I was able to find gifts that will hopefully  last a bit longer than just the exciting day itself.
What was your most memorable gift when you were a child?? Let me know in the comments. Mine was a set of Thumbelina characters I got ...it wasn't for Christmas but I just remember it so well and I am pretty sure I still have them somewhere in my parents house :D

Stay tuned Everyone :)

xoxo

Meril

Braided Hair

Hello, Everyone :)

Due to the lack of inspiration I find myself in today I've decided to do a simple and pretty braided up do post here on WhiteCrispShirt. I braid my own hair all the time because it's just such a simple way to get yourself looking acceptable to the world even after three days after the wash :D This happens to me a lot. I have a quick shower without the hair wash during Oscars nap time during the week and I also go to the gym around 3 times, so I find there is really no point washing my hair every day...or every other day even :D So I have come up with this easy braided hair do for those middle of the wash days when I still want to feel pretty and cool :D

Just a little zoom of the picture to show off the lashes. These are the EYECANDY lashes 018 and I love them. I love them....I love them a lot :D

First look is the all over braid, where I under braided my hair 4 times and then just used hair clips to twist them around the head in an orderly manor :D not really. That is what I like about braids. They are bohemian style so a little mess in forgivable.

The second look is my favorite go to look I create for those nights at work when it's not quite time for a wash yet, but they are just not as fresh to just leave them. I did wash my hair yesterday and I always have my hair braided when I sleep, so the curls are a result of that. I usually would just use my straighteners to quickly add some curls and volume :)

Hope you enjoyed these two easy braided looks....sorry about the closed eyes....I just love how the lashes look :D:D:D
As always stay tuned
xoxo 
Meril

Summer Leather 2 Ways

Hello, Everybody :)
So lately I have been binging on ''Pretty Little Liars'' (I'm new on this train. I started on the 6th season and now planning to backwatch the first 5 seasons :D) and thinking about summer in England...which I mostly find feels more like autumn everywhere else with a few sunny days. So considering this weather madness here I have come up with two outfits for English summer, both of which include my very recent faux leather jacket from Primark, which was only £14 pounds....madness..just like this summer weather here. And also my trusty black boots from RiverIsland...so here they are two ways to wear your leather jacket during summer in England :)

I'm totally having this photoshoot in my bedroom because outside it's thunder and lightning, which will also explain the bad lighting...there is no light :D

First look is just really simple summer dress paired with black leather and tan accessories. I've gone for the OASIS wide brim hat and PRIMARK tassle bag. The belt is from ASOS? And the actual dress itself is a bargain find from TK MAX :) 

I'd wear this out for some casual drinks, dinner, shopping. Just a really versatile look for your everyday goings I think :)

Second look is I think a bit more edgier only because the colors are complete opposite. Here I've gone for the light blue girlfriend fit jean shorts from FOREVER21 (£16) and a simple white sweater from RESERVED. This look I'd wear for some evening drinks (notice how I would wear my clothes for drinks...a lot :D )For a daytime look I'd actually skip the jacket because despite the rain it is quite warm during day time, and swap the leather boots for some flatform tennis shoes :) 

Hope you enjoyed the post

As always, Stay tuned

xoxo

Meril

Recent Beauty Favorites

Hello, Everyone :)

Today I will be sharing a few beauty favorites here on WhiteCrispShirt. For the past year or so I haven't really been able to experiment with lots of different new beauty products due to the fact I had no job ergo I had no money :D But I now have a part time job which will pay for all my weird beauty and fashion cravings...hopefully...I might have to go full time at some point :D All these products I'm going to talk about are quite new for me so I haven't gone years trying them out, but I've had a good run so I'm able to give a good review/my opinion. So if you're into all that beauty stuff then keep reading :)

A little selection of everything here really. Skincare, haircare, make up, treatment and all that. But let me get a bit more up close and more into detail now.

I will start with what I would say is my most favourite of all this lot. And this is the make up part....NYX lip glosses. I only have 3. One of their INTENSE butter gloss in ''tres leches'' and two soft matte lip creams in ''Cairo'' and ''London'' I'd say the gloss is a bit too pinky for me at certain lights but the formula and the actual gloss part is awesome. The soft matte creams are super awesome. They just feel like velvet on my lips and stay on for a really long time :) Try them out, they are now been sold in selected Boots stores and are only £5.50 :):):) Bargain

       On to the next one. And it's the NIVEA for MEN sensitive post shave balm. Which I use as a make up base. I stole this one from D's bathroom cabinet and have been using it every time I need my make up to stay on for hours through rain and sweat. It's awesome and there is no need for an expensive make up primer because this one retails for around £6 for 100 ml and you only need a tiny bit.  

On to the more expensive products. I got these last 3 ones I'm going to talk about in my Glossyboxes. D got me a 6 month subscription for Christmas so I haven't found them myself. But these are literally 3 things out of like 50 I got sent that I actually like :D

First up is THE BODY SHOP ''oils of life intensely revitalising facial oil. I only got a tester size 18ml and like I said I got it through the subscription box but a full size is 30ml and costs £28. I use it after a rough day after I have cleaned my face to work magic on my skin during sleep and it works it's magic. I wouldn't use oils for daytime anyway on my skin (combined towards oily) but during the night it just leaves my skin so moisturised and beautiful and soft :)

Last skin product is the UNANI dermo defence face mask. This is good for sensitive skin and it cleans out all the impurities (well not all but a good amount :D) and I've been not using it 1-2 times a week but rather again after a horrid week or a tiring day. And it makes me feel good. The word dermo defence somehow makes me think it should be a mud/clay mask but it's your bobs standard clear mask. It doesn't dry into a hard film that's impossible to get off and all you need is lots of water, which I like. 

And last product is the NAOBAY  protective hair mask volume conditioner. It reminds me of those awesome tiny conditioners you get from the hair colorant boxes, but in a larger size. So I like it. It's actually an empty tube on the picture because I've used it all up :D I can't buy another one because I can't find it anywhere. It would probably be too expensive anyway :D So I'll stay faithful to my £3 conditioners :D

That is all for my recent beauty favourites. I will still stay true to my all time beauty favourites for now, but it was nice to try something new.

Hope you enjoyed the post. Is there any beauty products you think I just must try ? let me know in the comment section below :)

Thank you for reading and as always

Stay tuned

xoxo

Meril

5 Favourite Sunglasses for the Summer

Hello, Everyone :)
Today I am sharing the five pairs of sunglasses I have been wearing and loving lately. There is sort of a heatwave/sunny spell here in England at the moment so I have been taking full advantage of being able to wear sunglasses without people looking at me funny. I say that because I do wear sunglasses ALL THE TIME :D I just feel more like a movie star and less like a tired mother when I do, so I just wear them...pretty much whenever I'm outside. It's also my way of getting away with not wearing eye make up when I'm running errands AKA taking Oscar to the park :D
But enough of the chitter chatter and more about the sunglasses.

Classic Cateye sunglasses (£8 RESERVED)

These are my everyday oversized cateye sunglasses. They are really simple and stylish and they go with pretty much everything. I find it really hard to get my hands on some oversized sunglasses that actually look oversized on me because I have such a large face :D but these are perfect....Super big, super nice and super affordable.

Aviators with a twist (£2 PRIMARK)

My mens department find. I tend to style these with a more casual, sporty looks.

Rayban ripoffs :D (£4.5 ASOS)

Leopard print and blue tint glasses, I wore these throughout my whole holiday. Sturdy and stylish...love them.

Pink Tint Cateye (£5.99 H&M)

My most recent buy. These are slowly becoming my number one favourite pair, because they just look awesome, they look so much more expensive than what they are and they are super feminine..which makes them a perfect pairing with a flirty summer look :)

The old trusty ones (NEW LOOK)

I have had this par of sunglasses for a few years now and they serve me very well on any day. The pale pink plastic and simple dark glass suit really well now that I have blonde hair :) They are very simple which makes them really easy to wear with any look.

And this is how I store them. Trust me I have more than 5 pairs, but since these are the ones I reach for the most I like to keep them displayed so I can grab whichever pair I want.

I got this stand from Amazon for about £6 and it's amazing. It's clear plastic so it lets the sunglasses stand out :)

Hope you enjoyed my little post.

What is your favourite sunglasses style?

Let me know in the comments below :)

And stay tuned I guess....more to come

xoxo

Meril

The Honest Truth Vol 2

What I do with my free/spare time mainly depends on how much energy I have managed to save up during the day. It is a lot easier at the moment while I'm staying with my parents, as there as so many people around most of the time, that my chores are cut into half or cut out all together. And even if I do do something then just because I do it with someone else, it feels like it's easier...you get me? Oscars play needs are taken care by my 9 year old brother and his numerous friends who come over after school pretty much every day and there I am with just a bit more time to myself.

What do I do with my time? OK, like I said in my last post I kind of do nothing productive :D But I have found that I have my greatest ideas before I go to sleep. And sometimes between going to bed and falling asleep there is a good few hours of thinking time. Between my slight ocd and borderline bipolar personality that is sometimes overtaken by obsessive tendencies I just find that most of the time I am thinking about what to do. I think so much I'm so surprised I haven't come up with an original idea of what to do. It;s probably because I never write anything down the moment it hits me. And by the time I think about it again, the idea has changed or my mind has changed....it's all very tricky.

I've always known I am creative. Even though I was quite good at math and all the other subjects for that matter I never wanted to become someone realistic? logical? I cant find a word here. I might come up with one later during this post. The fact is I am most happy when I'm creating something or being creative. Weather its painting, writing, sewing, dancing....I guess I just need to find something that will make me use my creativity every day. And it will make me happy....as long as it will also make me a living :D But I also know that just being creative is not enough. I need an IDEA. An Idea that maybe someone has never come up with? Maybe someone has tried, but never really managed to pull off. But where to get that idea? How do people come up with brilliant ideas? weed?? Only joking :D

Different people get inspired by different things. I get inspired by original and talented people. But there is a fine line between getting inspired by those people and actually copying them...The last thing  I want to become is someone else. 

I want to become someone who works for herself or someone I look up to and find incredibly amazing. And I would love to be that person who wakes up and does somethingfor a living they enjoy and love. Rather than do something just for the sake of paying the bills. But I like the idea that I am the BOSS. And because I show/have no/or little emotions, which kind of either turns me or consequently makes me into a massive bitch at times I think I could get things done.

The stupid computer is just driving me completely insane at the moment. Leaving me no other option to just end this post now before I loose my fucking shit :) Also this post, reading back on it, kind of just feels like a massive rant about nothing really :D SO I will go and sleep and collect my sometimes completely idiotic thought and come back again soon....hopefully.

I mean if I'm not someone...it's a quitter...

xoxo

Meril

The Honest Truth Vol 1

Helloooo, everyone :)

Let me start off by saying I am a master at procrastination. I mean I can say I just do not have time to write or do anything with my life, but that would be a lie. Between Oscars day time nap and the few minutes in the evening after he goes to sleep, where I actually cope being a normal, functional human being, I must get at least two hours, where I could write and become the woman I wanted to be. But I don't do that. Instead I think about doing stuff for a minute then quickly pour myself a glass of wine and stuff my face with chocolate and pretend I know nothing of anything.

And then again, here I am, actually typing up some words I've been pondering over lately. This will be the most honest I've ever been over here at my bloggedy blog. This is really how I would always like to write. Honestly and openly about everything that goes on in my head....well not everything, that would be slightly disturbing at times :D But things that matter to me. 

What has stopped me before is the need to be liked. I would hate if someone would say something bad. I mean I still think it's me when I walk past someone and they laugh. It's a serious confidence issue. You might not notice it when you meet me or even when you think you know me. I don't come across as someone who is not confident. I don't like to show emotions(the real deep emotions that matter). Public displays of affection make me queasy. I really am just not comfortable with it at all...unless it's Oscar, I bloody love that boy just so much and I'm not afraid to show it. But in other aspects of life I just keep it to myself. 

Even with confrontation. I just keep it to myself. Don't get me wrong I nag about the little stuff, all the time. The dishes not being done, the rubbish left on the table, not having enough money, enough clothes, eating too much chocolate and drinking too much wine...you get the deal. But when it comes to things that matter in life I just bottle it up and keep it to myself. The most unhealthy habit of mine.

The second unhealthy habit of mine is swearing too much. I do it all the time. And I quite enjoy it. Weather it's out loud or in my head, but the swearing is really pretty constant. I'm ashamed to admit it, specifically because it's a fairly new habit of mine. Maybe it's my way of coping with all those bottled up emotions :D who knows really. 

The third unhealthy habit is actually health related. And to be honest, unless there is actual proof, you can't really know if it is unhealthy. I'm talking about my relationship with red wine. I just love drinking a glass of red in the evening once Oscar is asleep and watch disgustingly boring tv shows that have no meaning behind them or cooking shows ( I quite like cooking competition shows :D). 

Cooking shows bring me to the next thing I actually like about myself. I love feeding people. Not in a weird way as in spoon feeding them :D but I love cooking nice food and see people enjoy eating it. This is how I think I show I care....I'll give you nice food. Once that stops you'll know I don't give a shit anymore :D Or maybe I'm just momentarily angry at you. Don't read too much into it, Sometimes I might just forget to offer you food. But I am definitely a feeder, for sure, no doubt about it.

Now I am really deep into this honest rant I have lost interest in pouring my soul into this one post. 

If I tell you everything about me all at once you will never come back. So I'm going to leave now (I'm most probably going to go and pour myself a glass of red :D) and hopefully come back soon with some more honest truth :) 

Hope you liked the post about my 3 unhealthy habits and once thing I actually like :)

Come back soon for more, but really it would be really silly to keep coming back every day for a new post, because that ain't going to happen :D Instead why not follow me on Instagram as I will announce all my new posts there :) And also you will not miss any adorable pictures of Oscar if you do. It's just a crime not to be able to see his little happenings, as he is the cutest little toddler in the World :D (I totally biast at this opinion obviously :D hahaha....NOT)

BUT for now, 

Stay tuned, everyone :)

xoxo

Meril

Snow Day

Hello, Everyone :)
Long time no blog. So I'm going to start off easy with a little post about Oscars first encounter with snow :) I decided to come to Estonia to see my family a few weeks ago, and it was quite a rash decision which meant that I had a lot of planning and preparations to do in a very little time. This just meant that blogging was set aside to make room for more urgent matters :) But now I'm back in Estonia and settled in to the routine here I am quite confident in being able to write a bit again :)
I have only been in Estonia since last Wednesday, but we have been able to go out in the snow every day. And Oscar has loved it from the get go :)

Thankfully it's not actually too cold and it's also not too warm to make the snow all slushy and horrible. Most days it's around 0 degrees and it's perfectly bearable with appropriate clothing :) And it helps that my parents house is next to a nursery because their garden is full of stuff to entertain this little dude for a good hour :) He also likes to be dragged around on the sleigh and y 9 year old brothers sillyness :D

Hope you enjoyed this little simple comeback post and you will continue reading the future posts :)

But as for now

Stay tuned

xoxo

Meril

Never Plan Anything

Hello, Everyone :) I just wanted to give you guys a quick shoutout and say that all the posts I have planned for this week, will be on hold due to the fact that I am sick as a dog. 

But do keep checking back as I will get back to posting the minute I feel better 

xoxo

Meril

Monthly Fashion Picks

Hello, Everyone :)

Welcome to (drumroll please....) ''Fashion Week'' :) I love fashion, but I love finding stylish pieces that will last and fit for years and years even more. It's all about style once you pass that 24 years old mark I think, because usually by this time you have experimented enough to have found what works and what doesn't for you. If you are still searching then there is nothing wrong with that too. Have fun with fashion, mix it up and do try new things every now and then :) And where do I go for those new trend buys I think I need...Missguided...

I think if you have been reading my blog for a while, then you know how much I love this super affordable on-line fashion retailer. The quality is so good and the fashion is on trend. But even if you're not into edgy new fashion pieces there are lots of classic items like cigarette pants and shirts, awesome footwear and amazing accessories to choose from. So I will try (I'm not going to promise :D) to bring to you my favourite pieces from Missguided every month...

And here are this months picks :)

So I seem to be obsessed with Khaki, Navy blue and grey. And that is absolutely ok with me :D I'm also gravitating towards really chunky cardigans and really tight dresses :D Maybe a few more weeks in the gym and I will treat myself to one of these beautiful bodycon dresses :)

Hope you enjoyed my little Missguided picks

Stay tuned

xoxo

Meril

End Of

Hello, Everyone :)
It's another end of another week. I know it's really Tuesday, but when you are a stay at home mother you can set your own week endings and starts, or that is what I'd like to think. The week ending I'm really talking about is the Holiday Week...on blog it didn't really go that well. But I'm actually quite excited to end it so I can start another one, that will hopefully go a bit better.
But as a finishing treat, here are a little video and a few more pictures from our time in Cabo Verde :)

I love this little video of Oscar. He stops and poses for Dan to take a photo of him and then continues with his little walk :) So freakin sweeeeeeet :)

This is one of the pictures I actually absolutely hated, because I just felt I look so massive and it was just one of those why meeee? moments with this one. Then I realised that I am actually not massive, I'm just next to a 1 year old and a skinny guy :D SO I figured I'll just put this picture out in the world to remind me to be less critical about myself.

The amount of pain we went through to find these swimming outfits for Oscar. They are from Debenhams and cost a fare wack with about £20 for each (we got 2)but they were so worth it in the end. Oscar hated when we tried putting sun cream on him, so it was good that most of his body was already protected with this spf40 suit :)

YES I look like a twat, but I wanted a picture with the massive waves :D I mean they were huge. The red flag was up most days because these waves would take  a grown man down and under. And they were also very loud. The bikini is again Roxy :)

Anyway, I do hope you have enjoyed a few little snippets from our first long haul family holiday to the hot Cape Verde. And as always, Stay tuned :)

xoxo

Meril

White Blouse

Hello, Everyone :)
You know when you pack your bags for the holiday and plan your outfits and you think you're going to look amazing at all times? And then you realise that you really don't want to put make up on every day just in case there will be pictures taken because it's bloody hot outside. You don't really want to wear those high wedges that go nicely with that short skirt because you are running after a toddler all the time and bending down in places where people will have a full view of your private parts. So you end up wearing pretty much the same kind of outfit pretty much every day, because it looks nice AND it's practical for the holiday. For me the outfit was shorts and this £5 peasant blouse from Missguided that I ordered from their sale section only a few days before the trip. And this top has become my favourite since I wore it the first time.

I mostly wore it with my two pairs of jeans shorts I took with me and mixed up my shoes and accessories :) So if I was going for dinner I would wear sandals and some jewellery but if we were going to the playground with Oscar it would be paired with tennis shoes and my trusty backpack (I will talk about that some other time :D)

And now I have wore it so many times during my holiday I have kind of gotten obsessed with white blouson style gypsy/peasant tops. SO above are a few other ones from Missguided I love and the first one is the actual one I own. And I love that mixing it up with different items of clothing I can wear it all year around :)

What is your favourite holiday outfit? Let me know in the comments below :)

And as always, Stay tuned

xoxo

Meril

Holiday

Hello, Everyone :)
SO blogging on a holiday went great :D Let me just put it out there before anyone else does...I failed miserably. We just had way too much fun and we packed every day with lots of activities and naps :) Yes...naps...most days we all had 2 naps and it was wonderful :D I will also apologise to everyone who has emailed me, I have filed the emails and I WILL reply :) As like I already said the Internet and WiFi situation was poor in Cape Verde. But here are a few pictures I took of Oscar on the beach that I love so much. It was our last day (not travelling back day) so we decided to take a long stroll on along the soft sand and crashing waves while the Sun shun brigth and the wind blew stong.

And if you haven't already realised then we are back home now and apart from getting more activities and adventures for Oscar I will try to get back to the old routine we had, because even though holiday mode is great... in the real world it won't work for that long :D I will write a few posts about the lovely holiday we had and then continue with the interests, hobby and family posts with a few little foodie ones thrown into the mix as well.

So Stay tuned

xoxo

Meril

Travel Day

Hello, Eeveryone :)

You know that feeling you get when you step out of the plane and the heat hits you with all it's force :)? Being couped up inside due to bad weather and cold in England I am currently experiencing a feeling I can't really describe. It's a mixture of tiredness and happiness and buzz all at the same time. We have only been here for a day and a bit and as you might have noticed this post is late....due to no fault of mine really. Because apparently having wifi in rooms is such a tabu here in Cabo Verde I have been unable to write at the times I usually do. 

I am not saying there is no Internet what so ever, that would be just crazyness :D but it's only in the lobby/bar area and I didn't really want to leave D alone in the room with a sleeping Oscar on the first night :D

But let me tell you about the joy that was travelling with a 16 month old for about 8 hours (6 hours of that in a plane). And I'm not even joking about the ''joy'' part of this as it really couldn't have been better. Well it can always be better, but what we got was pretty damn good as well. 

I know no one really wants to hear a happy story, but I thin I still learnt a few tricks along the way that I can share with all the mama's going to travel in the near future :)

We only had about 45 minutes of this blissfull sleep until the silly lady started talking too loundly, but it was nice none the less and gave us a well needed break of entertaining the little one to keep him happy.

So here are my 5 tips to last a ''semi'' long flight with a toddler

1. Get new toys - I give all the credit to Dan for this one, because he was the one researching the good toys to get and actually got them in time and then managed to not give them to Oscar ahead of time. 

The 2 things I thought were pretty awesome were the buckle pillow, that you can see on the picture and sticker books.

The buckle pillow kept him entertained for a good half an hour initally and then he kept going back to it. So it was definitely a WIN. And the sticker book (stickers you can re-attach) is another one of those things he had so much fun with. To be honest he has been loving sticking little stickers everywhere lately, which is why D got it in the first place, but the fact that you can stick them on the pages and stick them again and again, is what made a huge difference. 

2. Bring snacks - the unheathy kind you know he will love

3. Be calm - you are locked in an airplane for the duration of the flight, so no matter how angry you will get, you will not be getting off early :D SO why bother stressing yourself and everyone around you out by being a stresshead.

4. pack all the baby stuff is one bag in separate zip lock bags, so everything will be easy to find when you need it. Snacks and drinks in one bag, diapers and wipes in another, toys and books in the third....you get the idea. Also pack a set of spare clothes...there might be explosions of all kind

5. If strangers wants to help you out.... let them :D you are in a contained space so no one can steal your child, so if he is willing to go for a little walk down the isle with a complete stranger, then let him :D you will get a little breather and your child will have a little change of scenery so to say.

But all in all we were so lucky with Oscar behaving so well on the flight and even during lift off and landing. And now it's our second night here and we are all enjoying it so much. More to come ...

So...As Always

Stay Tuned

xoxo

Meril

Holiday Week

Hello, Everyone :)

Let me start by saying how sorry I am for being late with this post. The plan was to still upload a post every morning at 9am like during Beauty Week, but life got in the way yesterday so I had no time to write or prepare anything. Tomorrows post will also be a late one, because we are travelling quite early and obviously I won't be able to do any work on the plane as there will be a little toddler needing all my attention at all times :D But that means I will be able to do an update of our travel day and tell you all about how it went :) And during Holiday Week I will be updating you all about how and what we are doing on (I can now reveal it)Sal Island in Cape Verde. 

Totally stole this picture from the Internet and I have really no idea if it's in Sal or another Cape Verde Island :D But hey I wanted a nice picture rather than a pile of suitcases that is sat in D's office waiting to be taken to the car tomorrow morning at 7am :( :D

So what have I been doing today? It feels like everything. I have been trying to get the whole family ready to go, packed my things and Oscars thing. I cleaned the house :D (Is it just me or coming home from a holiday is less painful when you know you are coming back to a clean home and clean bedsheets?)Prepped everything for the plane trip...so everything that is not going in the checked in luggage. I also went and got a few last minute things and collected the things we ordered .... All in a day :D And the day is not even over. Once I finish this post, because I told Dan I needed to do this, I have to go and help him clear our living room and cover our furniture, because while we are gone some work will be carried out....some wall plastering and stuff I'm quite happy about not having to witness :D OH, and I also did a food order for when we are back. We are getting back quite late on Tuesday and we will be arriving to a pretty much empty fridge, so I did our usual weekly food order for Wednesday morning. So I have been very busy here, but I'm glad I've made the time to write this post and let everyone know I haven't given up on the blog already :D 

But for now I hope to see you all back here every day for a week for Holiday realated posts filled with Sun, Sea and Burnt Shins (or hopefully just some tanned skin :D rather than burnt :)

And As always 

Stay tuned, everyone :)

xoxo

Meril

The End Of Beauty Week

Good Morning, Everyone :)
It is officially the end of beauty week here on WhiteCrispShirt and let me just say how proud I am of myself for completing it :) During the week I shared my latest beauty finds, make up looks, product reviews and lots of other fun stuff with you and I enjoyed every little bit of it.
Today was meant to be the unboxing of my first Glossybox post, but silly me I didn't realise I had to register online first to start receiving my monthly box :D (Dan got me a 6 month Glossybox subscription for Christmas, and I'll admit I was really excited so I didn't read the actual letter until he asked me about it today :D) I have now done the work though, so the box should be with me in a week or so and then I will most definitely be sharing it with all you guys as well :)

I am currently in the eating fruit for breakfast (I had too much wine yesterday :D) and planning my next weeks post kind of mood. And since I'm on the subject of next week I am now able to say that we are going on a holiday :) SO from Monday onwards there will be all kinds of holiday related post because it's going to be ''Holiday Week'' here on WhiteCrispShirt

But for now, I hope you enjoyed Beauty week as much as I did and 

As Always Stay tuned 

xoxo

Meril

All Time Beauty Favourites

Hello, Everyone :)

It is day 5 of Beauty Week and today I am sharing my all time beauty favourites with you. It will be a bit of everything, from skincare to make up brushes. It will NOT be 2015 favourites, because once I find a good product I tend to stick to it for a long long time. But there are some new releases that have made it to my cult list as well :) So keep reading to find out all about my favourites.

I am not going to make a massive top 100 list, but rather give you five make up, five skincare and 5 brushes favourites instead :) ALSO I don't have a few of the things that are on my list, either because I don't have money to buy them ( :D awkward :D) or because I am currently using another product instead, or I've recently ran out.

Lets start with the brushes, because I just cleaned them and I am very very proud of that :D

Firstly and mostly, the brush I use THE MOST. And it's the Real Techniques Buffer Brush, which was part of the Real Techniques Core Collection Kit. I use this to apply my foundation I use it to buff out the contour... And I got this set over a year ago and the brush is still in pretty much the same condition...as if new :o

Moving on it's the ZOEVA luxe sheer cheek brush Again I got mine as part of their first edition rose golden brush set. But on it's own it's in the same price range as the Real Techniques brushes. This is THE softest cheek brush I have ever tried and it applies blush AND bronzer amazingly. Doesn't leave harsh product residue and is just all around a great brush

Third favourite...and to be honest they don't really contend with each other as they all do different things and attend to different areas of my face, but I am making a list so we will go with third.

The third favourite brush is the cheapest of all and it's the Crown Brush Eyebrow brush. It was about £3 pounds, and I have 2 of these. But they are the same....but I have two. It's the brush I have been using for over a year now to apply my powder brow products and also brush out the pencils when ever I use them. And it is just the perfect size and bristles are just the perfect strength.

Number four on the list is another brush from the Real Techniques Core Collection Kit and it's the contour brush. But no contouring is made by this brush to my face. I use it to set my concealer and I also use it for all kind of smaller area powder application.

AND lastly but not leastly? (that is not a word...)  it's the ZOEVA Petit Crease Brush And this brush is my favourite to blend blend and blend....

If you feel like splurging on some brushes check out the alternatives below

Moving on to Skincare

This is a subject I haven't really touched during my Beauty week. Not because I don't take care of my skin, but because I do tend to either change up my products completely ( I use whatever face wash I find interesting rather than sticking to one) or keep using the same product over and over again, which means I have probably touched upon that subject previously...in my posts :) But here are my 5 all time skincare favourites.

THE EXPENSIVE ONE - Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher 50 ml It is by far the best product I have used to just bring light out of my skin. It smells amazing, it feels amazing, it does everything you want your face cream to do for you....BUT it's so expensive I can't find a reason to buy it excpecially because there are cheaper alternatives out there, that are just as good :)

Which brings me to my second product and it's

THE SUPER AFFORDABLE ONE L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection Anti-Fatigue Perk-Up Daily Moisturiser Cream - 35 ml I absolutely swear by this cream...DAILY. And I'm pretty sure I have convinced a few friends and family about the awesomeness of this one as well. It just perks up my skin. The tiny particles that are hidden in this nice smelling cream make my face glow and create a nice canvas for make up or blur out the redness and tiredness on those ''no makeup'' days.

THE SCRUB - another drugstore brand. St Ives Blemish Fighting Apricot scrub. I use it every other day in the shower and I think it is the best scrub out there. Only £1.99 in Superdrug at the moment...I wouldn't swap this for a high end brand for any reason :)

THE NIGHTTIME CREAM  - Vichy Normaderm Night Detox 40ml Is a french pharmacy brand that I kind of like and it likes me too :D But this is the product I LOVE. The night time cream that gives your skin what sleep gives to your body. You wake up and your face looks clearer, from the first use may I say, the skin looks young and vital and vibrant and it does not feel greasy at all and absorbes into your skin in just a few seconds so need to wait around for the cream to dry so you wouldn't end up moisturising your pillowcase.

THE TOOL - It is by far the least expensive face brush you can get and it works miracles :D my lovely friend got it for me for my birthday and although at one point I forgot to keep using it, I'm back on the game now and use it every night to take off my makeup and prep my skin for the night time serum which is  the Doctor Babor Ultimate Repair Serum at the moment (by far the most expensice skincare product I have ever owned...I stole it off my mom :D) So instead of buying the expensive battery operated facial brush put in some elbow grease and get the £4 pound one instead and the result will be the same :) (there is one that actually comes in a cute little case in The Body Shop :))

And now on to the MAKE UP.

I'm sorry for flipping you guys off....I don't mean to :(

MAKE UP...Something I've spoken so much about during this week and continue talking about in the coming years...I am sure of it :D

My Make Up Cult List

THE FOUNDATION - Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation. This liquidy consistensy foundation leaves my skin looking like it's covered with soft silk, and what more can you ask for really. Although it might be replaced by the new L'oreal True Match foundation...I need to have a few months of testing before I knock the Maybelline foundation off it's pedestal.

THE POWDER - Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder has been in my make up bag since I can remember having one. And it has served me very well for a very long time. And even if I have gone back and forward between other beauty products I have always come back to the least expensive pressed powder by Rimmel.

THE MASCARA - So recently everyone has been loving the Maybelline Mascara Lash Sensational, Black And I'll admit, I'm in the same boat with all of them. The mascara is awesome and I've gone through 2 of them already in the last 3 months. But the mascara that makes it into my all time top list is the L'oreal Telescopic Mascara. And there are two reasons for it. It is an amazing mascara... it's SO MUCH EASIER to remove than the Sensational one and it doesn't dry out as fast. And those two reasons are why I will now go back to the good old L'oreal Telescopic :)

THE LIPSTICK - Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in colour Violin Strass. I won't say anything more about this one as I have been on about it for way too many times :D

THE EYE SHADOW - Maybelline Colour Tattoo eyeshadow in the shade On&On Bronze. I use it on it's own and I use it as a base and it stays on for ever and it acts as a great base for powder shadows. It is just an all around amazing cream eyeshadow.

And a few other beauty related favourites are.

My all time 3 favourite perfumes. The YSL Black Opium, Calvin Klein Euphoria and Hugo Boss Deep Red. My ultimate hair repair serum OGX Ultra penetrating Argan oil although I do also like the Brazilian Smooth Keratin oil. And my go to moisturiser that makes me think of Sun, Sea and suntan the Ambre Solaire After Sun Cream, which I like to use all year around :)

I really hope you guys have enjoyed this post, It took me ever so long to assemble it and make sure I'm proud of it.

As always Stay tuned as tomorrow will be the last post for Beauty Week and I will also be revealing next weeks theme :)

xoxo

Meril

Product Review BOURJOIS PARIS

Hello, Everyone :)
Another day another another 2 products to review. Today is the turn of Bourjois Paris Healthy range. There is the Healthy Mix serum Gel foundation and the healthy balance Unifying powder.

I will start with the powder as I've had a chance to test this one out a lot more. Since I ran out of my usual Rimmel Stay Matte powder I have been using this to set my make up since I got it. 

The healthy balance unifying powder is said to give you 10 hours of MATT finish and NATURAL HEALTHY GLOW. And as much as I'd love to find a powder that keeps my oily skin dry for 10 hours in a row I have yet to find one. But this powder is awesome and And here is what I think.

It is definitely more loose. It's still a compact powder don't get me wrong, but it's not as dense as the Rimmel one so I feel like there is more product waste as it powders everywhere when I put my brush in it. But on the skin I feel like it's much more natural looking and less cakey. It sets my foundation perfectly and it smells really nice on top of everything. So I FEEL like this is my new go to powder. And I got it in the shade 52 Vanilla

The Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation says to give you 16 hours of radiance boosting even, revived complexion and it is a light coverage foundation which is why I got it in the shade 58 Dark Bronze. I figured a nice glowy and light foundation is exactly something I would need for my  sun holiday next week. I have tried it on, but there will be no picture as it really does not match my skin tone at the moment :D But it feels light and not cakey at all. It blends really well and again it has a warm undertone rather than a pink one, which will suit my skin perfectly with a tan :) I haven't tested the 16 hour stay claim, as I am usually not even awake for that long let alone wear make up :D

I won't be using it during the day in the sun, because I just think wearing make up by the pool or on the beach is a bit silly, but I will be evening out my skintone for those lovely warm weather dinners. I will update on this foundation during the holiday. So if you are interested to find out how it stays on and lasts and feels follow me on Instagram, as I'm more likely to just do a little make up of the night kind of picture/update. :)

Hope you enjoyed this product review post :)

Stay tuned for tomorrows All Time Favourite Beauty Products post :) And read my previous posts in the archive in the meantime :)

xoxo

Meril