Matching Your Contact Lenses To Your Face

by on February 5, 2021, 0 comments

https://unsplash.com/photos/UbJMy92p8wk 

If you need to wear contact lenses then this presents you with the opportunity to ‘change’ the colour of your eyes via wearing coloured lenses. This is something which is highly recommended. After all, if you need to wear them anyway and you want to enhance your look, then why not? 

There are so many different ways that people can change their look today, and wearing coloured contact lenses is just one of them. Of course, an obvious option that a lot of people make the most of is changing their hairstyle. We’re also seeing more and more people turn to different beauty treatments, such as having a facelift. After all, when we get older, we can become frustrated with fine lines and sagging skin. A facelift can be the perfect solution to this, helping your skin to become tighter and smoother so that you look younger and more radiant.

You wouldn’t rush into a procedure like that without considering your options carefully, and this approach should be applied no matter what change you’re deciding to go for. Wearing coloured contacts presents a simple and easy way to alter your appearance, yet it is still something that needs to be considered with care.

When purchasing colour contact lenses it is important that you think very carefully before making your decision. First and foremost, you need to ensure that the lenses you buy are of high quality and are suited to your eyes. Some of the most popular contact lenses include Focus Dailies All Day Comfort, 1-Day Acuvue Moist and Freshlook Colourblends. 

Once you are assured of quality, you then need to make sure that you select lenses which match your face. Therefore, use the following tips in order to match coloured contact lenses to your face effectively…

1) Match your contact lenses to your skin tone

The first thing you need to do is decipher what your skin tone is. The best way to determine what your skin tone is, is to simply take a look at your forearms and decide whether your veins or more blue or green in colour. If it is the former then you have cool skin, if your veins are more green then you have a warm skin tone. So what does this mean for your contact lenses choice? If you have a cool skin tone then you are better off going for blue, grey, jade and green colours. On the other hand, if you have a warm skin tone then you are better off going with chestnut, copper, honey or hazelnut coloured lenses.

2) Use Photoshop

If you have an idea in your mind of the coloured contact lenses you really want to use then you should use Photoshop to see if they would suit you. Simply upload a picture of yourself and change the eye colour in order to get a better idea. There are also different programs that are similar to Photoshop that enable you to play around with different eye colours and hairstyles so you may want to consider using one of these if you do not have any experience with Photoshop. 

3) Match your contact lenses to your hair colour

When it comes to matching your contact lenses’ colour to your hair there are two ways you can look at it. If you have very light blond hair or black hair then you should go for a colour which is vivid and will make your eyes pop, such as blue. However, if your hair falls in between these colours then seek something which is in keeping with the shade of your hair e.g. if your hair is a chestnut colour then go for chestnut contact lenses.

4) Ask an expert

Professionals are there to give you an honest opinion. If the eye-care professional in question doesn’t think the coloured contacts are a good look, then he or she will tell you and point you in the direction of what you should be looking for.

5) Enhance what you’ve already got

When it comes to coloured contact lenses you don’t have to dramatically or drastically change your eye colour. Instead, you can simply enhance or brighten your natural eye colour. This is something which looks simply stunning and is one of the most popular options.

6) Stay true to your style

It is important to purchase coloured contact lenses which mirror who you are and your taste in fashion. If you like bold fashion pieces and like to stand out from the crowd then go for violet lenses or an emerald green colour. It is possible to get contact lenses in so many different colours today, so you can be sure that you will be able to find something that is right for your personality. 

7) Ask for a trial

A lot of companies will allow you a trial period whereby you can send back the contact lenses if you are not happy. Not only does this help you to decide whether you like the colour or not, but it also allows you to check out the quality.

8) Think about the makeup you wear

If you are experimental with your makeup then you will be able to change the way you apply it in order to suit the coloured contact lenses you purchase. However, if you have a distinct makeup style then you need to bear that in mind when searching for the best lenses.

If you consider the eight tips mentioned in this blog post and buy quality contact lenses, then you will have no trouble finding the best lenses for you. Wearing contact lenses for the first time can be a bit daunting. However, if you take the time to consider your options with care and you make sure the company provides high-quality lenses, you will have nothing to worry about. Why not take a look on Instagram and other platforms like this to see if there are any images of others wearing the contact lenses you’re considering?

Fun Ideas for Renovating Your Child’s Bedroom

by on December 17, 2020, 0 comments

Traditionally, kids’ bedrooms have been decorated blue for a boy and pink for a girl. But what if you want to move away from gender stereotypes and go for more adventurous décor inyour child’s bedroom? This opens up a world of opportunity to create something unique and magical.

Here’s some fresh ideas to get the creative juices flowing.

Go for bright, invigorating colours

Bright colours are generally frowned upon in adults’bedrooms, but with kids’ rooms the rules are more relaxed. It’s easy to paint the walls in exciting colours but what aboutadding colour to the ceiling or floor? They’re usually kept in neutral colours, but they don’t have to be.

Paint the ceiling with a starry or cloudy sky or go bold with one vibrant colour.  You’ll need a step ladder and long armed roller to make it easier to paint, but other than that it’s fairly cost effective to do.

Modern vinyl flooring has created the opportunity to addbright colour to the floor, with lots of child-friendly options. For this idea there’ll be vinyl flooring fitting costs, but it shouldn’t be any more expensive that fitting a new carpet.

Use pattern and shapes

The use of pattern and shapes in children’s bedrooms can be particularly effective in creating a new bold style.  Try painting large squares, circles and triangles across the four walls, or thick stripes that stretch the length of the room.  All you’ll need to achieve this look is some contrasting paint colours and a few rolls of masking tape. 

You can easily complement this with stripey or geometric bedding and curtains.

Create a theme from scratch

Creating a theme in a child’s bedroom needn’t be difficult.  You don’t necessarily need to buy a whole set of matching items from a shop to create a theme.  

For example, to create a pirate theme you could paint the room sea blue, hang a large Jolly Roger flag on the wall and paint a toy chest to look like a treasure chest.

Add a playful feature

Kids’ bedrooms are not just a place to sleep, they are often used as a space to play and learn. So why not add a playful feature to enrich your child’s room?

Go big with a bed that looks like a treehouse or install a mini-climbing wall. Or keep it simple with a play-tent, swinging chair or chalkboard wall. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

Business Ideas for the Busy Mum

by on December 16, 2020, 0 comments

Business Ideas for the Busy MumAs a parent, you want to ensure your children have the best, whether it be food, clothes, toys, furniture, or leisure activities. Alongside this, bills still need to be paid, and all of the above can cost money.

To be able to manage this, you may want to consider taking on some work. For some, getting a traditional job may not be a possibility, especially with very young children to look after. This is where working for yourself can tick some of those boxes. This can give you the freedom to earn your own money, around a schedule that suits you and your prior commitments to your family.

Also, keep in mind that when you have found a selection of clients for your product or service, you may need an invoice template to be able to request payment on completion of each project. Always use the tools available to you online (click the link) to make your working life easier – you have enough to juggle already parenting and building your business!

Writing

If you have a gift with the written word, you may want to consider taking on some jobs involving the writing industry, such as writing articles, aiding with literature, and, if you understand another language, translating text. These jobs can be found on both job sites and social media, and can quickly give you some money to play with.

Since many writing tasks will have a day and time deadline, as opposed to requiring a certain amount of work to be completed each day, this means you can adjust the amount you are willing to work based on the hours you will be available. For the busy mum, that may be while children are at school or even when they are in bed.

Baking

Some mums find they spend a lot of time in the kitchen, either preparing meals or baking alongside their children. For those who are confident in their ability to produce some delicious goods, selling them may be an option.

Within this, you may be required to complete food safety qualifications, as well as to obtain business insurance. It may also be a requirement to display a list of allergens and ingredients on the boxes to avoid any illness occurring.

If you have a passion for baking, this can definitely be a good step forward for you.

Crafts

Some women love crafts, while others hope it can be banished from their home. If you are the former, you may want to consider creating items either in bulk, or made to order, to sell to the public. Many people sell their homemade crafts on websites such as Etsy every day. You can factor the cost of materials, as well as the time it takes to make the item, into the price, and potentially make a good income from your artistic nature.

Working for yourself from home can be extremely rewarding, especially if it means you get to simultaneously earn money while raising your children. Depending on how much you earn, you may need to declare this to the tax office, and pay any tax or NI contributions, as necessary.

What Parents Need to Remember About Lockdown

by on December 16, 2020, 0 comments

Credit – CCO Licence

If you are a parent, you have probably found this year to be a particularly stressful one to have kids during. Of course, everyone has been struggling in their own way this year with the global pandemic, but there are so many ways in which it has been especially tough on parents all over the world. If you are keen to make sure that you are dealing with it as well as possible, there are some essential things that you might want to bear in mind. Let’s take a look at some of the things parents should aim to remember about lockdown, in order to ensure that they are approaching it in the best possible way.

Knowing Your Local Rules

Every area is different, so the main thing to remember is that you need to be aware of the local rules when it comes to the effects of lockdown on your life. In particular, you need to ensure that you are looking out for the rules concerning your kids’ schools, if they are of that age, and anything else which might prove to be relevant – such as any parents’ groups you might usually go to, and whether or not they are likely to be able to meet. The more aware you are about all of this, the more likely it is that you will be sticking to the rules, and avoiding putting yourself or your child in any unnecessary danger.

Preparing Your Child For Post-Lockdown

It is almost time to start thinking about how to get ready for post-covid, or at least post-lockdown. There are many things to think about in this regard. One of the main ones is that you need to make sure you are aware of whether or not they can go back to their normal routines, as we briefly discussed above. But you also need to make sure that they are mentally ready to return, whether they are returning to nursery or school or wherever. The important thing is probably to have some kind of routine in place, so you can support your child as necessary. As long as you do that, it should be a lot easier on the both of you, and everyone else in the household too.

Being Safe & Healthy

Throughout all of it, the most important thing to remember is to try and keep safe and keep yourself and your family as healthy as possible. We know that covid is not necessarily too bad for children, but even so you don’t want to take any risks. And you also don’t want to put yourself in risk of catching the virus and then not being able to fully attend to caring for your child. So make sure that you are taking all of the necessary precautions which we are now all so used to, and you should be able to keep things going fairly smoothly that way. Then it’s just a case of hoping for the best and waiting for the whole pandemic to be over.

Still Nil Nil – A Football Lover’s Perfect Gift

by on December 16, 2020, 0 comments

As you’ll know if you’re a long-time reader of Mum’s the Word, we’re fans of Liverpool Football Club. Husband has been a fan his whole life, and when we met I adopted LFC as my team, too. That means that there are many historical games from LFC’s football past that we revisit from time to time, and we’ve been to Anfield as a family for a special day of Liverpool FC hospitality (we also saw Luis Suarez score his first ever Home hat-trick while we were there, which made it extra special).

Perhaps one of the most relevant games to current Liverpool fans is the night of the 2005 Champions League Final, where Liverpool came back from 3-0 against AC Milan to win on penalties and become European Champions. It was an amazing night, and although it happened before I became a Liverpool fan, it was a night that Husband has rewatched with me MANY times, and one in his life that he’ll never forget. A Football Lover's Perfect GiftThat’s why, when I received an email about Still Nil Nil, I knew it would make an incredible gift for Husband. You see, Still Nil Nil have taken these special nights in sporting history and created beautifully illustrated books, containing original poetry, describing the events in detail. There are currently three titles available, costing £12 each; The Treble, based on Manchester United’s historic 1998/99 season, Invincible, revisiting Arsenal’s unbeaten 2003/04 season; and The Miracle of Istanbul, retelling Liverpool’s epic Champions League final comeback in 2004/05.

The Miracle of Istanbul

Josh Clarke, founder and director of Still Nil Nil, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to finally unveil a true passion project, Still Nil Nil. Millions of parents and children bond over their football club – and our books represent the perfect way for parents to pass on their passion, and memories, to their children with an incredible shared experience.

“With Christmas fast approaching, the response to our initial three books has already been overwhelmingly positive. We are delighted to be delivering gifts that football-mad children (and, probably more so, parents) are going to love.”

I can’t wait to give Husband his copy and I think it will be something he’ll cherish. The books are aimed at kids, but I truly think they’re perfect for football fans of any age, and for Liverpool fans young and old, the night in Istanbul will be something they want to remember forever.

There’s still plenty of time to order your copy of a Still Nil Nil book from the website, so head over there and grab one now.

Tween and Teen Christmas Gift Ideas

by on December 15, 2020, 0 comments

Buying for a tween at Christmas can be notoriously tricky. Filling a stocking with sweets and LOL dolls is no longer an option and all of a sudden their interests can seem like a bit of a mystery! Thankfully, Sausage is actually SUPER easy to buy for, so with that in mind, I thought I’d share with you some tween and teen Christmas gift ideas. Everything on the list is available online and should be here before Christmas so there’s still plenty of time to grab them yourself.

Driving Lessons

Driving lessons

Okay, so Sausage is only 12, but if our experience with Young Driver last year taught us anything, it’s that it’s never too early to learn to drive! Designed for 10-17 year olds to get a feel of what it’s like to be behind the wheel, Young Driver has over 70 venues around the UK and they’ll learn to drive, brake, change gear, steer, reverse and park. All the key things you’ll need out on the road! Sausage tried this out in Summer 2019 and she had an absolute blast, so it’s something we’d love to do again with her and their vouchers make a great stocking present.

Something Snuggly

Tween and teen Christmas gift ideas

If there’s two things my tween loves, it’s snuggling under a blanket and watching Anime. That’s why I think The Comfy would be another gift that’s perfect for her! She’s a little bugger for walking around the house in shorts and a vest and complaining she’s cold, so a blanket that she can literally wear like a hoody would not only be a godsend for her, but it would also help me keep our heating bills down!

A Unique Gift Box

Wild Hearts Gang First Period Box

Gift boxes and subscriptions are HUGE right now, and just recently we discovered Wild Hearts Gang gift boxes, which encourage period positivity for tweens and teens. The boxes are £29.99 and contain everything a girl needs to tackle her first period, from positivity cards and info leaflets to chocolate and bath bombs – as well as a microwave heat pack and a selection of day and night teen pads. It’s such a great way to help your girls to feel confident about what’s to come and help you to have a conversation which you may have found tricky before.

A Collectible

Teen and Tween gift ideas - Funko POP!Like many other people, our family are BIG fans of Funko POP! Vinyls and we have a pretty respectable collection between the four of us! For Sausage’s last birthday, her obsession was all things RuPaul’s Drag Race related, wheras now, anime is her main love. That makes life really easy as Funko make a huge range of characters from Japanese animation. Whatever your tween is into, you can guarantee there’s a Funko POP! for every occasion!

Art Supplies

POSCA pens

Sausage is a big fan of anything arts and crafts related, and this year she’s learned all sorts of new skills like cross stitch and embroidery, both of which she taught herself. She’s got huge amounts of supplies, but we love to get her things to help her to be creative, so something unique like POSCA pens are a great option. They can be used to write and draw on enamel, ceramics and virtually any other surface, and they don’t bleed through paper. I can only imagine some of the amazing things she’ll make with these!

I hope you found our teen and tween Christmas gift ideas useful and that you all have a very Merry Christmas!

How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger

by on December 11, 2020, 0 comments

As much as we would all love to have huge mansions, with enormous rooms, it’s not necessarily the reality for most of us, and oftentimes, the rooms in our home can end up looking even smaller than they actually are, due to some of our own decorating mistakes. Here is how you can make a small room look bigger.

Let the Light In

Natural light is a really great way to make a room look bigger, but of course, besides creating a new window, there isn’t much you can do if there isn’t much natural light. That said, artificial light is the next best thing and if you invest in some good G9 LED bulbs, add more lamps, and reassess the light fixtures to ensure you are getting the most amount of light for the space, you will notice things really start to open up.

Declutter

Having too much stuff in a room can really make it feel closed in and small. You can go the KonMari method and get rid of anything that doesn’t spark joy, or you can get creative with storage solutions to really make the most of the space that you do have, and hide any mess and clutter away, seamlessly.

Think of Your Colours

Although dark colours and dark wood can create a really cosy feel in large spaces, if it’s not used right in a smaller space, you will notice that it’s starting to feel cramped and a little claustrophobic. Opt for lighter colours to open up the space and make it feel airy, but don’t feel as though you have to stick with white or grey – look for a soft blue or green to keep some personality while adding space. When it comes to the colour of your furniture or your accessories, stick to small prints or plain colours. If you keep things in a unified pallet, it can expand a room visually.

Use Glass

If you are able to use glass for things like tabletops, you will notice that it gives the illusion of having more space. Another example of this is using a clear frameless shower enclosure, rather than a frosted version, which will allow you to feel as though there is more room in the space. Another way in which glass is fantastic is if it is in the form of a mirror. A large mirror on the wall can open out the space and make it look so much larger, as well as providing more reflected light and a practical piece of decor too.

As you can see, you don’t need an extension to make a room seem larger, just a few subtle changes in decor and accessories along with a few tricks of the eye can make the world of difference to a cramped room. So until we can afford that enormous mansion, these tricks and tips will have to do.

Self Care Rituals for Stressed-Out Mums

by on November 25, 2020, 0 comments

Self Care Rituals for Stressed-Out Mums

Is it just me or has 2020 been one of the most stressful years of your whole life?! The constant worry, the changing rules, remembering masks and hand sanitiser, homeschooling the kids, working from home… The list of additional stressors seems endless. With this in mind, I’ve been trying to do some things recently to improve my self-care, and it’s definitely helping. Here are just a few of my new rituals:

Self-Care Skincare Routine

I’ve never had particularly problematic skin, aside from the odd bit of dryness and the occasional hormonal pimple, so I’ve never paid much attention to a skincare routine before. However, my Mum has AMAZING skin, especially for someone who will be 60 in a couple of years, and that’s because she’s always made sure she looks after it, and I am inspired to do the same.

I’ve started using a hot cloth cleanser with Vitamin C to wash my face, which helps to exfoliate and make my skin look a LOT brighter. I’ve also been using a peptide serum before I moisturise, which seems to make my skin feel super soft. I then use a gel moisturiser, which sits much better on my skin than something oil-based and doesn’t cause spots. I’ve got to say, my skin looks better than it ever has, just by adding a couple of new things to my daily routine.

Yoga and Meditation

When I went on my mad exercise kick back in 2017, one of my favourite things to do was my weekly yoga class. Taking an hour to do something peaceful and relaxing, stretching my muscles and realigning my mind and body was amazing for me.

There would be a ten-minute meditation at the end of the class where we’d lay on the floor with our eyes closed and the teacher would coach us on proper breathing and clearing our minds, and I absolutely loved it. It was probably the closest thing to a tantric massage without being touched! Since lockdown happened, I’ve been doing yoga and meditation at home, and it’s really helped me to keep my mind and body healthy during this weirdness.

Finding a Hobby

Because of my health issues, our family has been isolating constantly since the beginning of March, which has meant that we’ve had a LOT more time on our hands. Obviously, I’m doing the usual working/cooking/cleaning/walking the dog, as well as homeschooling both kids, but that still leaves me with a few hours a day in which I actually have some time to myself.

I’ve taken up a few different hobbies to fill the time, and I actually feel quite fulfilled for the first time in years! As well as the baking and cooking that I’ve been doing a lot of, I’ve also taken up cross-stitch, which I absolutely love, and most recently I’ve started quilling! I’ll be sharing one of my latest creations here on the blog soon, and I’m quite proud of it.

Have you picked up any new hobbies lately? Have you been taking more time for self-care? Leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear from you.

Quilling Homemade Christmas Cards

by on November 24, 2020, 0 comments

Quilling Homemade Christmas Cards - Finished CardGiven the fact that it’s been a REALLY sucky year for most of us, Christmas will be a nice distraction from everything else. This year, us and our extended family have decided to keep the gift giving to just the kids of the family, so that we can make it all the more special for them. However, that doesn’t stop me from creating extra special Christmas cards for everyone, and this year I’ve even learned a new skill to help me – quilling!

Click on the image to see the quilling in action!

When I was researching the type of card I wanted to make, I stumbled across some festive greetings using quilling. For those who don’t know, quilling is a paper craft with uses coiled strips of paper to create shapes and patterns. I had a quilling kit when I was a tween and I loved it then, but I’d basically forgotten everything I’d learned by the time I tried it again. I also planned to use a graffiti font on the card, but my printer went kaput, right at the most inconvenient moment. *eyeroll*

As well as quilling strips and some papercraft tools, I used an 8x8in blank greetings card, some tacky glue (it’s stickier and dries fast for crafting), a gold marker, some gold edging stickers, mini Christmas bells and some Christmas pompoms. I also used a compass, ruler and pencil for sketching out the rough shapes before I stuck anything on.

Quilling the TreeQuilling Homemade Christmas Cards - Creating the Tree

I started by making the quills for the tree by coiling a whole strip tightly, then allowing it to unfurl a little. I then glued the loose end in place with a tiny dot of glue, held it until dry and then pinched one end of the coil of paper to create the shape. To create the star and tree pot, I shaped them after coiling in a similar way, and then I used the gold marker to write the message on the front. Finally, I just stuck all of the other bits on in the right place!

Adding the Text

Quilling Homemade Christmas Cards - Gold WritingIt took me a little under half an hour, from sketching out the final design to everything being done, and I think the overall effect is well worth the effort! What’s more, I really enjoyed making the card and I can’t wait to make a whole load more to send to the special people in our lives. I’m thinking of making a different design on every card, but that might just be a stunning case of me biting off more than I can chew, as usual!

I absolutely love making handmade gifts and cards for people. Now that I have a new skill, I’ll definitely be doing more of it. Have you ever tried quilling? Are you making handmade cards or gifts this year? Leave me a comment below telling me all about it, especially if you have inspiration for my next design!

Top 3 Ways To Approach Ageing

by on November 24, 2020, 0 comments

Top 3 Ways To Approach AgeingImage by spider0702 from Pixabay 

There is no way you can avoid ageing; it’s going to happen no matter how many anti-ageing creams you buy or how much plastic surgery you have. However, rather than getting down about it, you can enjoy the ageing process and embrace it because there will be plenty of positives to it, too, more than you may think.

Look After Your Skin

One of the things that upsets people most about ageing is how their skin looks, as in some cases, it can make them look older than they are. When you are younger, it’s essential to take care of your skin, and no matter what age you are now, quit smoking and sunbathing because this won’t do your skin any good at all. As you get older, your skin loses its elasticity and can start to sag and wrinkle. There are many creams, and lotions, and face washes you can get to combat the signs of anti-ageing, but the main ingredients you want to look for are ceramides, coenzyme Q10, green tea, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid, as well as wearing a high SPF sunscreen to reduce sun damage. Zo Skin Health have an array of skin enhancers, and as everyone’s skin is different, it is important to choose something that will target your specific problem or skin type.

Eat a healthy diet

One of the most important things to do in life at any age is to eat a nutritious diet and get regular exercise, but as you get older, this will lower your heart rate and keep you feeling younger. It’s not just what you eat you need to watch, but it’s everything you put into your body. So when it comes to food go for a diet which is low in saturated fats and make sure there are lots of fruit and vegetables, oily fish and whole grains included. It’s also essential to have small amounts of low-fat dairy and lean meat too. Don’t forget that you need to keep hydrated too so make sure you drink lots of water to avoid getting dehydrated as this can leave you feeling tired and confused. Tea, coffee, and fruit juice will also help you to stay hydrated but you should avoid sugary fizzy drinks.

Get Plenty Of Sleep

While this is important at any age, it’s so important that it needs to be reiterated. If you don’t get enough sleep, then you will likely feel tired and grumpy. But not only this, but sleep has so many other benefits. It helps to reduce your stress levels – which, let’s face it, you need as little stress as possible at any age but particularly as you get older. Another benefit is that sleep can actually improve your memory and who doesn’t need that as they age? Good sleep can also lower your blood pressure, can improve your immune system, and help you to maintain a healthy weight, all of which are extremely important as you age.