Baby Week

My return to blogging has been slower than I anticipated. So, I decided I would tell you guys about my week and see how it goes.

I have returned to studying again after my 4 week summer break. I am currently on a module called 'Families & Children' which is basically made up of two halve: Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Paediatrics. I am currently on the Obs&Gynae module at NMGH.

Last week I was on 'Labour Week', a week dedicated to shadowing midwives and learning how to help women deliver their baby. Despite having to wake up at 5am every day in order to commute to the hospital for 7am (I HATE early mornings with a passion), I ADORED my labour week.

Seeing as I am the second youngest member of my extended family (my brother being 2 years younger than I). I haven't had much in the way of experience with pregnant ladies and labour. But I have discovered that what our bodies can do in order to create new life is truly magical. 

I don't think I will ever get over the excitement of feeling baby kick through their mums tummy for the first time. Or hearing baby's heart beat through the monitor. 

Seeing women going through labour was scary at times (especially with the high risk ladies), but it was amazing seeing how our bodies know exactly what to do and even after all the screaming and shouting, there is absolutely nothing more special or amazing as the look on the mum's face as she sees the life she carried for 9 months for the first time.

Most of my time was spent on the labour ward, helping to look after high risk women, but on friday I spent the day in the midwife led birthing centre which was BEAUTIFUL. It was so relaxing - even being a staff in this environment. The rooms were homely, with plenty of mobility apparatus, including balls, rocking chairs, swings and a birthing pool. They were decorated beautiful with gorgeous little touched purchased by the midwives. If I have the choice later in life, I would adore to deliver in a similar environment.

My last week has been so rewarding. There is nothing better then helping the women though a stressful time to produce something wonderful and spending time with the new (or new again) parents is amazing. Also being able to cuddle the baby you helped bring into this world is breathtaking. I can see why midwives adore their job.

Needless to say, this placement has made me EXCEEDINGLY broody, but it has been a beautiful experience and I wouldn't trade it away for anything in the world.

Trinity

xxxxx

Silent Sunday 3/8/13

In Memory

Hello all,

I know it has been absolute ages since my last post. I'm afraid life has seriously caught up with me.

I have always been very close to my mother-in-law, Ann Smith, I considered her a second mother.

Unfortunately, Ann developed metastatic pancreatic cancer and passed away on the 11th of July 2014 after rapidly deteriorating.

The funeral was Tuesday 29th July, and was a beautiful service. The church was full to brimming and some people had to stand up the whole service - a wonderful testament to a well loved women.

Ann had managed to beat Breast Cancer thanks to the fantastic work of Cancer Research UK, giving her 13 more years with her family, and giving me the chance to meet her.

I thought I should share with you all the reason I have been away.

If you would like to donate to Cancer Research UK, we are collecting money in memory of Ann here: Donate to Cancer Research UK

I will hopefully be up and running again soon.

Love
Trinity
xxxx

Silent Sunday 22nd June 2014

Birchbox Unboxing - June 2014

June 2014- Global Strikers

This months Birchbox had arrived before any other unboxing had hit the blogs, so I was completely in the dark as to what my fabulous box would contain. And my wasn't I pleased with the selection! This months theme was 'global strikers' based on products originating around the world, as Birchbox's take on the World Cup!

Embryolisse - Lait-Crème Conentré RRP from £12.99

This is a product that I have honestly never heard of in my life. It is apparently a 'cult French moisturiser' which can also be used as a mask. The sample size of this is TINY compared to most of the samples I have received through beauty boxes, which is a bit disappointing, but I'm sure I'll get at least 5 uses out of it. 

On opening the packet there is also a thin paper leaflet (a lot like those which come with medication), which is a bit odd, but I suppose it must be a French thing? (I could be wrong, it is just strange!), you also have to pierce the tube, which again I find a bit odd, but ah well.

Putting the cream on, it doesn't have any scent to it, it just smells a lot like plain cream, however, it does feel moisturising - if a bit greasy on.

To be honest, Im not really a fan of this product and don't think I would go out to buy it myself, it seems a bit greasy for my combination skin which is a shame and it is a rather small sample.

30ml RRP £12.99

5ml Sample Value £2.16

Trinity Rating 4/10

Buy It Here

OPI Brazil Beach Sandies - Kiss Me I'm Brazilian Mini 4 Pack RRP £14.50

This product didn't come with its name, so by guessing through the Birchbox webpage, I'm assuming it is Kiss Me I'm Brazilian. I'm normally not a fan of receiving nail varnishes in beauty boxes, as I don't have much use for them (I cant have painted nails in hospital :( )

I quite like this mini nail varnish, it is a gorgeous hot pink colour and has a great 'sandy' texture. It a bit shimmery but not glittery and overpowering, which I like. Two to Three coats of this is best, as only 1 coat come out patchy. You can see my swatches of this via my Instagram

4x 3.75ml Mini Pack RRP £14.50

1 Sample Value £3.63

Trinity Rating 8/10

Buy It Here

Naobay - Body Radiance Lotion RRP £14

This is another brand I have never heard of, however, unlike before, I really love this product! The sample size is decent also, which is good!

This lotion smells gorgeous! The scent is lovely an fresh - it reminds me a bit of homemade still lemonade! It also goes on fabulously! It soaks straight into my skin and does not leave that awful sticky feeling, whilst making your skin feel wonderful and hydrated. 

250ml RRP £14

30ml Sample value £1.68

Trinity Rating 10/10

Buy It Here

Yves Rocher - Sheer Botanical Lipstick in Marron glace RRP £9.90

This is a brilliant lipstick! It is also a full size YAY!

 It is a fabulous sheer brown colour and applies very sheer, which I like - perfect for going into hospitals in! I really like how hydrating it feels on the lips too. Whilst I would have preferred a brighter colour, I really do like this lipstick! 

3.5g RRP £9.90

Sample Value £9.90

Trinity Rating 8/10

 Buy It Here

Beautyblender & Blendercleanser solid RRP £26.00

I have saved the best, and most exciting for last. I got a beauty blender!!!!! I was beyond happy when I noticed this in my box, I had been meaning to try this cult makeup sponge for ages, but hadn't gotten around to buying it yet.

It really does work brilliantly!! My foundation looks so natural, with no streaks or lines. It also helps me soften the edges of my bronzer and blush, which is great!! I was so glad that it lives up to the hype!! Also included is a blender cleanser, a produce designed to clean your beauty blender for you (making the product last even longer!)

Im not really sure how it compares sidewise with the original product, but I reckon its also full size YAY!

60ml RRP £26.00

Sample Value £26.00

Trinity Rating 10/10

Buy It Here

Lifestyle Extra - Brazil Inspired Birchbox Flipflop Keyring

I thought this was a cute little lifestyle extra, my keychain now looks ready for the World Cup madness!

Birchbox Price : £10/month + 2.95 P&P (cheaper with longer subscriptions)
Birchbox Value: £43.37

Overall, I am really happy with the months Birchbox, and am excited to see what comes next month!!

If you fancy the look of the my Birchbox and want to subscribe, please follow my referral link here.* Also, if you join Birchox before the end of June, you will be entered into a prize draw to win a fabulous Benefit Hamper.

What do you think of my Birchbox? What is your favourite beauty box subscription? 

Trinity

xxxxx

*if you join Birchbox via my link, I will also get entry into the Benefit Hamper competition and receive 50 Birchbox points to spend in the Birchbox store

Silent Sunday - 15/06/2014

A Bit Of Rough - Review

A Bit of Rough*

A Bit of Rough* RRP £12

I was recently sent A Bit of Rough to review and I was so excited to use it that I took it out of its pretty organza bag packaging without taking a picture. However, the exfoliating cloth was sent rolled up and tied with black raffeta, encased in a pretty black organza bag, along with a useful little 'how to use' guide.

The exfoliating cloth was originally produced by a male waxing specialist as a product to reduce ingrown hairs after waxing. However, this cloth has so many more uses that that! It is a BRILLIANt exfoliator both on my body and my face! I was so worried that it would be too scratchy, but it is really quite gentle, despite exfoliating well. It can also be used to reduce steakiness when false tanning. 

The cloth is brilliant to use in the shower! All I do is squeeze a bit of my normal shower gel (currently Honey&Shea Butter by Original Source) and use A Bit of Rough as a normal washcloth. The cloth is quite long (so you can use it to clean your back easier), so I normally fold it in four to wash with. And out of the shower I come with fabulously soft, scale free skin!

Trinity's Score - 8/10

Pros:

• gives me wonderfully soft skin
• not scratchy at all
• great exfoliator
• reduces ingrown hairs after shaving
• dries quickly
• lightweight

Cons:

• a bit too long in length for my uses, so I have to fold it up
• seems a bit expensive for a wash cloth

Sold online at: A Bit of Rough

*I was sent this product for the purpose of this review. However, all opinions are my own.

A Long Time Coming!

Hello everyone!

Can you believe it's been almost a month since my last post?!?!

I'm sorry it's been so long, once again life and exams have overtaken my life! However, exams are once and for all over for this year and so back to blogging I come!

I have a couple of posts to come:

• Review of 'A Little Bit of Rough'
• Birchbox June Unboxing
• Beauty Haul
• Fashion Haul
• Also a post on when I met up with the fabulous Nin of Pretty Pug

So!!! Keep an eye out - they are definitely coming!!!

Lots of Love

Trinity

xxxx

Birchbox Unboxing May 2014

Hello everyone!!

As of yesterday I have finished my written exam! However, I still have OSCEs (medical practical exams) in a couple of weeks :(

Luckily, my May Birchbox arrived just at the right time for my first blog post in a while. This is my second box from Birchbox - the first one arrived last month when I was in the depths of revision. I had seen a few unboxing of the May Harper's Bazaar inspired box, and was very excited for its arrival!!

This Birchbox had a really high end feel to it, with all bar one sample boxed/wrapped. Also the box itself is GORGEOUS which is a major plus!! (I reuse the boxes around the house as they are so sturdy, at the moment, I have my incense in one and I am going to use this box for my daily  medication!)

Benefit Cosmetics - They're Real Mascara RRP £19.50

I was so excited when seeing other bloggers had received They're Real in their Birchbox and so was delighted to receive the sample size of this fabulous mascara in my box. Its the perfect handbag size!!

I love They're Real, Im already on my second! Benefit has become the only cosmetics company I have used thus far to actually make my tiny eyelashes look like they have some body to them! The formula has a really lovely feel to it and doesn't smudge like other non waterproof mascara when I accidentally rub my eyes.

Soigné - Nail Lacquer RRP £11.00

Now Im normally not a big fan of receiving nail polishes as my full size samples. This is because I can not wear nail varnish in the hospital setting :(.

However, this is a wonderful product and feels very luxurious - especially with its packaging! In reality,  the colour is more of a dark pinky red colour and the photo really doesn't give it justice.

Im excited to try it once I finish the term and am out of hospital!

Aromatherapy Associates - Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil RRP £39.00

Im not so sure about this product, I quite like the idea of body oil and am excited to try it out. Unfortunately, whilst I would prefer to sample this as bath oil,  I only have a shower, but I am still keen to try it out!

Philip Kingsley - One More Day Dry Shampoo RRP £13.50

This is another product that I'm not too sure of. Ive never used dry shampoo - mainly because Im scared it won't help with my curly hair and Im better off having a shower. Also Dry Shampoos require brushing through - something which is a major no no with my hair. We shall see how it works out - who knows- I may be a dry shampoo convert!

Liz Earle Beauty Co. - Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser RRP from £13.25

Cleanse & Polish is not something I have ever heard of, apart from the May Birchbox Unboxing blogs. This product came wrapped up in tissue paper - a lovely touch I think! It comes with a muslin cloth. I believe the idea is that the cleanser is massaged into dry skin and then the muslin cloth is submerged in hot water, wrung out and used to buff the skin.

I am EXTREMELY excited to try this sample!! Maybe I'll even let you know how it is!

So there it is! My May BirchBox! Do you subscribe to any beauty boxes? Which is your favourite? 

Trinity

xxxxxxxx

Apologises

Hello!!!

So I know I've been absolutely rubbish and off the radar recently! I have my semester written exam next tuesday, so Ive been off the radar in everything - not just blogging!!

After the exams I will be back with even more energy!

Lots of Love!

Trinity

Silent Sunday

Review - Lush Mask of Magnaminty

So another thing I did after my MRI was have a bit of a beauty binge and one of the things I bought was Mask of Magnaminty from Lush.

I love this face mask! It is one of my favourite Lush products. 

When you open the lid you get his wonderful aroma of spearmint with a hint of vanilla. It smells sweet and very refreshing!!

Mask of Magnaminty is a wonderful minty green colour and has ground Aduki beans in it (for that warming scrub feeling when you wash it off))

Even though this face mask is self preserving, I still keep it in the fridge as I like the feel of cool face masks. The fact that this product is self preserving means that it last 6 months (although I don't think it will be unused by then)

Now for the best bit - putting it on! This mask goes on wonderfully! It is nice and cooling and easy to spread across my face. I can work it into my problem areas without it going horrible and clumpy. 

I love how relaxing the cooling effect of the mint is with this mask - just what I need after a stressful day. You can also feel the cleansing power of this mask whilst its working its magic! 

Taking this mask off is also wonderful - not a chore like other face masks can be. The ground Aduki beans scrub nicely into my skin without scratching at all! You can also feel their warming effect when massaging the face mask off!

Afterwards, I am left with baby soft skin, my blemishes are less noticeable and my skin feels so very clean and wonderful!!!

Rating: 10/10

Pros:

• Relaxing formula
• Smells divine
• Self Preserving formula lasts 6 months
• Cleansing
• Leaves skin baby soft

Cons:

I cannot find a single thing to fault about this product!

Lush's Mask of Magnaminty retails for:

•  £5.25 for a 125g pot
•  £9.25 for a 315g pot (15 uses)

Have you ever used Lush's Mask of Magnaminty? If so what did you think of it?

What face mask are you currently loving?


Trinity

xxxx

Silent Sunday

Dinner at Tampopo

So today I had my dreaded MRI scan (which was NOT FUN) so as a treat, my fiancé and I went out to dinner at Tampopo.

Tampopo is a wonderful restaurant chain which serves a wide variety of South East Asian Dishes. They have a number of restaurants in Manchester, as well as one in Bristol and Reading.

Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures because I was so distracted by my MRI (silly me). However, I enjoyed my meal so much, I still want to tell you guys about it! However, if you head over here you can have a look at their lovely gallery!

I love Tampopo, the minute you walk in you are hit with this wonderful aroma of South East Asian cooking - lemongrass, sesame oil, chill and coconut. Tampopo also has a lovely authentic vibe, with individual padded stools on long communal tables.  On every table, there is a well containing a collection of condiments - Soy Sauce, Chili Sauce, Fish Sauce and another sauce which I can't remember the name of but tastes heavenly!

I ordered some Jasmine Tea, which comes in a beautiful cast iron teapot with matching cup. Chris ordered a Tiger beer, which is one of his favourite beers (although I may have stolen quite a bit).

We shared a portion of 'Edamame ', as I simply cannot resist ordering the yummy beans whenever I see it on the menu. We had the option of sea salt or sea salt with chilli oil, we decided on just sea salt. They were wonderful when they arrived, just the right temperature - lovely and warm but not hot enough to burn our fingers! As well as being coated in sea salt, they also seemed to have been blanched in sesame oil and lime, which made them taste even more divine!!

I decided to have 'Gaeng Phed Ped Yang', which is a spicy Thai duck curry dish. It was absolutely divine! The duck was cooked superbly and the coconut milk based sauce had just the right amount of spice for me!! It also had lychees for that sweet burst. My curry was served with jasmine rice, which was served exactly as I like it - nice and sticky! I ended up scraping my plate clean it was so good!

Chris had 'Char Kway Teow' which is a Malasian street food dish. It was a pork, squid, prawn and clam noodle dish cooked with chilli, garlic and soy. He seemed to really enjoy it and also cleaned his plate. (the bits I stole were really yummy)


Then for dessert we shared 'Khao Niaow Mamuang' which was made up of half a mango sliced up and then sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and serve with chilled coconut milk. I choose this dish because it sounded like something I had as a child when I lived in the Philippines. Whilst it wasn't the same dish, it was still really nice. The rice was lovely and creamy and sticky. The melon was really gorgeous and sweet. And I loved it!

Then it came to paying, which was uncomplicated as expected. Tampopo also do 25% Student Discount, which was brilliant! The bill came with a piece of mint rock each, which was also really yummy! I have that in my bag so you can at least have a picture of that :)

Overall I loved my meal at Tampopo, it has been my third time eating there and I would happily go again!

My Rating: 8/10

Review - Lost Girl

So today I'm going to talk about a TV series I've been really getting into:

Lost Girl 

My Rating: 9/10

 Lost Girl is an absolutely BRILLIANT supernatural crime drama produced by Canadian Showcase. (here is their webpage for Lost Girl)

The story revolves around Bo - a courageous and charismatic succubus. We discover that there is Fae world neatly integrating with the human world and that the protagonist is a member of that world.

The TV show follows Bo and her unlikely sidekick Kenzi (a human pickpocket runaway) as they work as Private Investigators solving crimes involving fae.

We see Bo struggle with discovering she is Fae and all that Fae involves. As the seasons progress, we see the protagonist get into all kinds of difficulties and scrapes. We also follow her turbulent love life and interesting friend group.

Now I love Lost Girl!!! 

I'm a sucker for supernatural stories (my Kindle is FULL of paranormal/supernatural romances/crime) and Lost Girl definitely contributes to my love. It shows Fae and fairies the way I like them - evil and twisted! As it also has a crime element, my love of shows like Sherlock and Elementary is satisfied.

Lost Girl scores a brilliant 7.9/10 on IMDb and I would thoroughly recommend it to anybody (especially someone with an interest in supernatural drama and crime drama)

((Its very very hard to write a review without spoiling it for everyone xD))

What do you think? Have you been watching Lost Girl? What TV show has gotten you hooked recently??


Trinity
xxxx

Silent Sunday

DIY - Easter Boutonnières

Easter is an important celebration in my family. We get together often over the Easter period and celebrate together.
(Once I get round to it I will put up a post on our Good Friday walk)

This year, I decided to be crafty and make boutonnières for everyone to wear tomorrow for Easter Sunday.  

Now this involved a trip to Hobby Craft - one of my favourite places to go to. As per usual I bought much more than I needed and splurged on things I wasn't event thinking of getting. I also picked up some Washi tape from The Works. 
And then I needed some flowers, I decided to use Carnations (mainly because they were the only nice looking flowers in the Grocery when we were picking up lamb for dinner tomorrow.

So here we go, my DIY Boutonniere:

First thing first, I cut the blooms I liked off the stalk leaving a couple of inches of stem attached. 

I had three varieties of carnation in my bouquet so I decided to use all three.

I also wanted some greenery to go with my carnations, so I just trimmed some off one of our shrubs.

As you can see, I made quite a few boutonnieres, however, Im sure it would be just as easy to just make one

 Then I arranged the stalks as I wanted them to look and bound the stems loosely with Cling Film. I then went over  it tightly with cling film to create a nice secure hold.

 

 Once this was ready, I used my green Washi tape to go over the cling film. 
 (Im sure you could use duct tape or florists tape for this as well.)

Now for some finishing touches, I was originally going to use the plain linen in the pictures to use as binding but in the end I opted for a simple bow with double stranded thin ribbon.

And there you have it, my Easter boutonnieres ready for tomorrow.


Let me know what you think? Are there any craft projects you are doing over the Easter Period?

Trinity

xxxx