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The Lifestyle Lady
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    • Skin Care
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Category:

Lifestyle

Health & Fitness

Social Distancing – What Does It Mean?

by thelifestylelady March 14, 2020

Howdy Y’all,

How are you? These are strange times, with the 24 hour news culture it is difficult to escape from the constant information being thrown at us about Covid 19. I had until Thursday been calm and collected, keep to the facts Kate I kept reminding myself, but in 24 hours school was closed, church cancelled and people were stockpiling. Words like quarantine and social distancing were being banded about. As a rule follower I wanted to understand what is it we are meant to be doing? You know humans and our ability for self deception we can convince ourselves that anything is ok, but the one thing I have discovered in the reading I have been doing is how we behave in the coming weeks/months will have a direct impact on the pandemic. I looked at many articles which were either to scientific or too preachy, the best I found was this entitled:-

Social Distancing: This Is Not A Snow Day

If like me you want to understand better I found this very useful. I will be trying to follow these principles the best I can. What are your thoughts?

Kate

March 14, 2020 0 comment
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BeautyMakeupOrganizingYou tube

Make Up Purge – Part Two Mascara

by thelifestylelady February 12, 2017

make-up-declutter-part-2-mascaraHowdy Y’all,

Happy Monday, how was your weekend? Ours was wonderful the weather here was outstanding. We were not expecting Saturday to be quite as good so we aborted our original plan and instead visited the giant.

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Little L and I enjoying a selfie with our giant.

I sort of think of him as the mascot, greeting people as they approach the city. Little L loved him, she compared him to the chicken statue that appears near her Uncle Fun’s house, but like they say “everything is big in Texas.” It also reminds her of one of her favorite stories The Spiffiest Giant In Town by Julia Donaldson. If you have not come across her books for children I urge you to do so, they are simply fabulous. If you follow me on Instagram @thelifestylelady you would have seen Little L and I enjoying the rest of Saturday afternoon in the driveway with chalk. Sometimes it is the simple things which can bring the most pleasure.

Mr L and I spent Friday and Saturday evening in one of our favorite ways, catching up on movies which we can no longer go to the movies to see, while enjoying a little wine. Friday night we watched Deepwater Horizon, this is a busman’s holiday movie for Mr L who works in the industry (not BP.)  He had wanted to avoid it because he wondered how it would be portrayed. I felt lucky to be watching with an industry expert because he could really explain some of the science. Emotionally it touched us both so much, the power of nature and negligence.  Saturday night we watched The Accountant, I have a confession I fell asleep half way through and ended up re-watching on Sunday. This was a little action over substance for me, not one of Mr Affleck’s best.  Sunday morning I met up with a Dallas friend who was in Houston for a Bachelorette, it is always great to catch up even  briefly. The rest of Sunday was spent doing my 15 point plan, if you missed that post please click on the link, it has certainly been popular. In continuation of that today I bring you part 2 of my make up declutter which is focusing on mascara. I am sharing with you ones I have liked and loathed and why. Please enjoy

 

Until next time!

Ta ta for now

!Kx

February 12, 2017 10 comments
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EditorialLifestyleOrganizing

A 15 Point Plan To A Better Week

by thelifestylelady February 6, 2017

a-15-point-plan-to-a-better-week

Howdy Y’all,

Happy Monday. Trust your weekend was good. Mine was lovely, Friday night was fun we had friends in for dinner and thank goodness my pizza worked. I can not tell how relieved I am, I have tried so many different pizza stones and baking sheets and finally Sur La Table came to my rescue, I see many a happy pizza night in our future. I also tried a new cheesecake recipe, this was not a baked, meaning I used gelatin. I have avoided gelatin like the plague because I have always been under the impression it was impossible to work with, I am pleased to say that is utter rot. I will now be making many a non baked cheesecake because I think they are delicious. Would you like me to share the recipe? Saturday was quiet, we took a trip to the park where Little L fell off the climbing frame and I tell you my heart stopped to see her fall so far, she was a little winded and her pride a little hurt but other than that thankfully she was unscathed. On Saturday night Mr L and I had a date night, we did our usual which involves a movie and dinner. We went to see Gold, which was super, Matthew McConaughey was first class, He really transforms himself. An added bonus is Edgar Ramirez and ladies if you do not know of whom I speak I urge you to google you will not be disappointed. A  movie we both enjoyed, we grabbed dinner afterwards at Blue Fish, goodness I love Sushi so great night all round. Now if you are American and have not been living in a cave you will know that Sunday was Super Bowl day in the USA. More importantly it was being held near the city in which I live giving me all the more reason to go to ground.

Today’s post is to talk about my Sunday routine. On reflection I am wondering if this might be better as a video, if you think so please let me know and I will record myself. I am all for making life as organized as possible, I like to put in place systems which make my week run smoother. I often find how effective I am on a Sunday reflects how much “me time” I get throughout the week. I had never really thought about it as a routine until last week when I thought I am repeating these things each week, over time I have added more and I have found my weeks have run smoother, I thought I have to share this. Let me preface these don’t have to be done on a Sunday, it could be done in anytime that suits your lifestyle. If I am busy on Sunday I will just make sure I do it on a Saturday.

  1. Put a washing load on first thing. This is usually for items that I do specifically once a week, Little L’s school nap blanket, my shower accessories, bathroom hand towels etc. Honestly all my laundry is usually done by Sunday as I do at least one load a day.
  2. Do my ironing. Sunday is ironing day I usually do it in front of the TV or YouTube. I love to have my laundry pressed and put away for the new week. I iron my bed sheets, I then place them in the correct rooms ready to be changed for the week ahead.
  3. Check and repack my daughters school bag. Self explanatory.
  4. Lay out her uniform ready for Monday morning and polish her school shoes. This makes the Monday morning start much less stressful and we have invested in her shoes so it is important to take care of them and for her to see me doing so because one day she will be doing it. Have I ever mentioned how much I love a uniform?
  5. Get my dry cleaning ready. I make sure the items are in the bag ready to leave by the front door.
  6. Check and clean out my car. This is a habit I love to do, I take five minutes to open each door of the car reorganize, empty the trash, give it a dust, check stocks, and empty the boot, which is bound to have some drink or cleaning items I had purchased but not placed in the garage. I enjoy doing this and I like my car to look clean and together. I get it cleaned in and out about once a month. It also reminds me to put more credit on my Starbucks card if necessary! Priorities!!
  7. Clean round my washing machine and empty the dryer lint tray. Very self explanatory.
  8. Meal Plan, I love to meal plan mainly because I hate getting to the store and thinking what shall I cook? I have an exercise book where I write my list, this has proved useful when I am in store and not sure if I have purchased something in an earlier week. I also add to the book throughout the week as items need replacing.
  9. Clean out my fridge. This is less regimented now since I have recently taken possession of a new fridge/freezer in my garage which has meant fridge real estate is at less of a premium, never the less this is a great habit to get into. There is nothing worse than a rotting avocado at the back of the fridge.
  10. Sit and arrange my planner, I take five minutes to look at appointments, enter any important information for myself or my family, enter my meals for the week and try to schedule gym time and blogging. I can also check any impending important dates that I might need to order or arrange gifts/cards for.
  11. Delete emails and check admin items. I have a confession I am very bad at deleting junk email, I let it fester. I have added this to my routine to ensure I keep on top of it. I also deal with any returns I may have, get them ready for the post office. I file any coupons I might want or need to use. I clean my electronics with a cleaning wipe, they get filthy especially with toddler fingers.
  12. Clean out my purse and repack for the week ahead. I remember a woman once saying you could tell how organized her life was by the state of her purse, that has stuck with me and I will confess that sometimes on a Friday it can look like a black hole, but I do love taking the time to get rid of receipts and snack wrappers, removing toddler cups and making it look together again. I check it is stocked and ready for those emergencies.
  13. Put a meal in my slow cooker. Often on a Sunday I will cook something in the slow cooker as our meal for Sunday with leftovers for lunch. If I have selected a non slow cooker meal I will make a soup instead. I love to have a home made soup on hand, either for lunches in the week or if a day runs away with me for dinner with toasties.
  14. Tidying and restocking items. I go into each room tidying and restocking, I like to water and feed my plants, restock baby wipes, refill stain remover sprays (trust me we practically drink this stuff I am always spraying rugs or clothes.) I often wiz about refilling coffee pods, the sugar bowl, putting teaspoons near the coffee station anything that will make the mornings run more smoothly. I often try to clean my makeup brushes if time allows!
  15. Bake something either for breakfasts or snack time. This can range from breakfast muffins to natural fruit flapjacks, anything my folks can grab or I can offer if people pop by.

I am aware that this list has made it sound a little laborious, I promise you depending on the size of my ironing pile it never takes more than a couple of hours and saves me so much time in the week ahead. Yes, it may allow me that extra thirty minutes to read a book or nap (no that is total BS I will never get to nap again but a gal can dream!) Do you have a routine? Something that you find makes life run smoother? I am always wanting to perfect it, I am considering adding laying my clothes out the night before and laying the table for breakfast but we shall see. Now I will confess I have weeks where I can not be bothered or we have plans and I don’t get through it all and my weeks don’t run so smooth, so I try really hard to make myself do these things and I confess it gets easier. I often will be doing the routine while wearing a face mask because I love to multi task and I do reward myself on completion with a hot bath and some well deserved me time!

That’s it folk. Enjoy your week.

Ta Ta for now

TLL x

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 6, 2017 40 comments
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BeautyLifestyleMakeupOrganizingYou tube

January Cleaning/Organizing Makeup Purge

by thelifestylelady January 29, 2017

Howdy Y’all,

How are y’all today? Today I need to get back to the gym so that is my mission, I hope not to fail, what are your plans this week? How was your weekend? Mine was good, it started Friday when I went antiquing, it did me good to get out and have a giggle with a friend, I purchased a few small things. Little items for the house. Is that something you might be interested in? I could do a haul, let me know. I love items with a history/story to it, perhaps it is the Brit in me.

On Saturday we had friends to dinner, I was a little disappointed with the pie I made, it didn’t go as well as usual but ho-hey, dessert was good and quite frankly that is the best bit. Sunday was a little quiet which secretly I like, I have a little list of things I like to do on a Sunday to make my week run more efficiently, maybe I will do a post about it.  I have perfected a system which makes me face a new week with a positive outlook. Another little gem was that Mr L got a new car, I secretly love to see him happy, even if I give him a little stick. I am happy to see him enjoying the fruits of his labor. It is well deserved for him, he is always kind and generous to others so I love seeing his uncontrollable smile.

Today’s video is about purging, when I arrived back from the UK part of my rehabilitation was to get the home back in a routine, I love the fresh perspective that some distance from home gives me. I don’t set myself unreliable expectations but slowly cover the areas where I need to sort or purge. Today my video covers makeup in particular face makeup.  This week I want to get sorted on my kitchen going through draws and getting rid of clutter and equipment I don’t need or use, it is so uplifting and cathartic. Wish me luck.

Enjoy your week friends.

Ta Ta for now,

TLLx

 

 

 

 

January 29, 2017 2 comments
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EditorialLifestyle

My Secret Christmas Obsession – TV Ads

by thelifestylelady December 12, 2016

bing

 

Howdy Y’all,

I do hope your weekend was great! Did you do lots of holiday shopping or are you all done? I can finally say we are DONE!! We had a special Sunday sharing an Anglo- American Christmas with friends. Now that we are in full Christmas mode I wanted to share with you one of my favorite Christmas rituals, British TV adverts. To my US readers the UK goes all out in the festive advertisement stakes, they are not adverts as you would expect, (displaying merchandise) no they are a works of art often with a heartfelt and moral message. Each year the competition for the most original, heartfelt Christmas advert has grown. It is amazing how much money these large stores throw at it, but it works people speak of some of the classics like this and this still today. I have loved watching this years with Little L and if I am feeling a little blue I put them on and they bring such a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. It is all to easy to get swept up in the commercial aspects of the holiday season and forget what is important, after all it is not the perfect turkey or gift which makes special memories it is the people you share it with. So in true LL style pour yourself a drink and be entertained. If you are pushed for time I urge you to watch Heathrow’s or Marks and Spencer’s both are entirely brilliant. Heathrow might be my fav by a small margin simply because the message resonates with me so much. Please drop me a comment about which was your fav.

  1. John Lewis Advert
  2. Heathrow Airport Advert
  3. Marks and Spencer Advert
  4. Sainsbury’s Advert
  5. Apple Advert

 

Ta Ta for now,

TLL xx

December 12, 2016 3 comments
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Christmas Time

by thelifestylelady December 8, 2016

 

Howdy Y’all,

Happy December! How are you all doing? Frantically running around like a headless chicken trying to get everything done? Well that has been me a little of late, since I have been sick with a chest infection since the beginning of man, my to do list is longer than the Mississippi River. I am trying my best to remain swan like as I plough through, after all it is not about perfection- right? I am quite sure that me being sick and many of the other women who I know who are suffering is because they are intent on running themselves ragged. It has finally got cooler in Texas, I may line dance in celebration which has me feeling it is a little more like the festive season. To try and further get myself into the holiday spirit I have recorded this video called the Christmas Tag. So grab a cuppa or a tipple and enjoy.

What holiday traditions do you love? Let me know.

Enjoy.

Ta Ta for now.

TLL x

December 8, 2016 3 comments
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November Favorites 2016

by thelifestylelady November 29, 2016

 

Howdy Y’all,

Trust your Thanksgiving was full of family, friendship, fun, great food and thankfulness. We had a wonderful day with great friends, the only Debbie Downer is that I have been down with a chest infection which has seen me slowly deteriorate since Thanksgiving. I was not going to let a little sickness keep me from Black Friday, but alas I had game at the start but by lunchtime poor health and crowds had me beat. I think I am over the worst, it is days like the last few when I really feel the distance from family. It would be great to be able to have my mum care for Little L so I could crawl back to bed. Hey- Ho I am still here. I have been lucky to have good friends who have helped me out. I hope to share with you some of my Black Friday finds, although the majority of my buys came online. We did manage to get a few Christmas decorations up this weekend and I will share some photo’s with you soon. I really love this time of year and I really need to be operating on all cylinders, so more drugs for me. The video is about my November Favorites, it covers lots of things I have loved this month, like The Crown, have you seen it? I adored it. What did you think?

Thanks for the support.

Ta Ta for now.

TLL x

 

 

November 29, 2016 1 comment
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FabFitFun Welcome Box Review

by thelifestylelady October 27, 2016

 

 

Howdy Y’all!

How are you? Yes it is Thursday and TLL is a day late to the party. This week has been go go go. In an effort to make more time for myself I used some birthday money kindly donated chez Mummy and Daddy L to subscribe to FabFitFun. I have always been interested and impressed by others reviews and they seem to get some pretty decent items. It is a seasonal gift box which you purchase annually or individually and it includes a range of items lifestyle related. The individual boxes cost $49.99 but contain bounty of $200+. The box I am reviewing today is not one of their seasonal boxes but a welcome one. So far I am impressed, see what you think and take a look.

Ta Ta for now

TLL x

October 27, 2016 1 comment
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BeautyFamilyLifestyleYou tube

Adult Summer Faves

by thelifestylelady October 17, 2016

 

Howdy Y’all,

Welcome to Monday. Trust your weekend was relaxed, restful and fun. Ours was just that, unfortunately they go too fast. On Saturday we went to a Taste of event in our village, it was small but effective as I got to see the local vendors. I found a dry cleaner who will collect and deliver from my home (win win.) Little L found a local cupcake shop which was delicious (not such great news long term -lol) What was interesting was Walgreens were represented (a drugstore to non US readers) by Boots (a U.K. drugstore.) They were foundation matching with a machine and giving samples away, being a beauty junkie I was happy to act as volunteer and honestly I was so surprised how accurate the machine was in selecting the correct tone for my skin. I gave a mini review of the product on Instastories and Snapchat. My names are @thelifestylelady and @lifestylelady respectively, if you want a giggle give me a follow.

Saturday night saw date night, firstly we braved that wild jungle called Toys R Us, we were looking for Little L’s impending third birthday (I am in complete denial.) We then recovered by watching Girl on the Train, Emily Blunt was superb but I preferred the book. We followed such darkness with Tapas and good red wine which was yummy. Today has been more relaxed as I was feeling a little under the weather.

So in Texas we are still in full summer mode, I dream of scarves, fleece and hot chocolate but today I share with you my adult summer faves. These are things I have loved, used and repurchased. Many of the things are not entirely summer specific, so please enjoy.

Have a good week.

Ta Ta for now.

TLL xx

October 17, 2016 5 comments
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EditorialLifestyle

Friyay – Links & Loves

by thelifestylelady October 14, 2016

Howdy Y’all,

Yay it is almost the weekend and I am not sure where this week has gone?!  What is it about this time of year but during the last quarter time appears to speed up, who else feels like that? I don’t wish to scare you but someone told me this week that it is ten weeks till Christmas. (Wth?) This season is always the busiest with Halloween, Little L’s birthday, Thanksgiving and then Christmas, so being as organized as possible is always important to me. My new Emily Ley planner and Rifle calendar are already getting populated for 2017 and my current ones help keep my life on track. My parents kindly gave me some money for my birthday and I decided to use on this. FabFitFun has had wonderful reviews and will certainly being reviewing here.

I found this lovely jeweler recently I like her collection. So pretty.

I bought these this week and am so impressed. They made muffin baking so much easier and Little L loves the rainbow colors.

We are still waiting for Fall here in Texas, well my friends in Dallas tell me it is cooling down there just not in Houston. I am excited to wear plaid shirts and booties I got a taste of cooler weather on our recent trip to New England, goodness it is so beautiful. So I am waiting with eager anticipation.

We have date night this weekend, we tend to always opt for a movie, which I love. Has anyone seen The Accountant or Girl on the Train? I loved the book and I love Emily Blunt but I am unsure about the US setting as the book is set in the UK and not sure how they will make it work.

Happy Weekend Y’all

Ta Ta for now

TLL x

October 14, 2016 11 comments
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ABOUT ME

ABOUT ME

Welcome

Hi I'm Kate, Thanks for stopping by my small corner of the web, here at TLL I indulge my love of all things lifestyle, from cooking to travel and fashion to interiors, all served with a healthy dose of British sarcasm. So pour yourself a glass of something delicious, put your feet up and take a nose about. Enjoy Kx

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RECENT POSTS

  • Covid 19 & School

    July 16, 2020
  • Social Distancing – What Does It Mean?

    March 14, 2020
  • Holy Hand Cream

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I don’t really share much of my lovely girl but today a costume can speak a 1000 words. She was practically perfect as Mary Poppins. #marypoppins #internationalparade
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Good Morning, please don’t let her words and the other female warriors who came before her be in vain. Don’t just remember her and others by watching the documentaries and passing platitudes, respect them in action. Women died, starved and were tortured so we could have a seat at the table. Some women are still fighting for the right! Let’s honor them today whichever side you fall. Vote!! #vote #vote2020 #suffragette #womensuffrage #election2020
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