CHLOE MARY : lifestyle blogger

February 20, 2018

PORTRAIT SESSION | NICOLE JORDAN

June 22, 2017

STRESS FREE MOVING 101 FT. PUKKA HERBS

So you may have seen I've been a little quiet on the blogging front (and Instagram, my Photography page and pretty much anything that requires a little attention, time and more importantly internet) and that's due to moving home! It's been two and a half years since I've had to go through the stress of moving and this time, was SO much easier. Moving home is supposed to be one of the most stressful life events along with marriage and having a baby. So I thought it may be best to share some of my top tips with you that I learnt this time round from moving and let you know how myself and my partner managed to reduce our stress levels, making for a better moving day and experience overall.

1. P R E P E R A T I O N

Try to do as many things in advance as you can. Things like changing the home insurance over, changing electric providers and connecting the internet can be done about 30 days or so in advance. This way, you won't have to worry about the basics when you get to your new humble abode.

Image from http://www.redrosepm.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Womantapingabox.jpg

2. T R Y T O P A C K I N A D V A N C E

Usually if you are renting, you will have to give one or two months notice to move out of your current property. This gives you PLENTY of time to get started on packing. We began packing non essentials such as extra clothes, trinkets/ decoration items and those kitchen gadgets in the back of the cupboard you've not used in god knows how long. Packing well in advance the things you don't really need will help heaps when the big move day comes looming.

3. P A C K A 'F I R S T D A Y K I T'

I don't know if this is an actual thing people do (I hadn't seen it anywhere before) but using common sense, pack items in a box you will need for the first day or even first few days. When you eventually move and you surrounded by boxes (which when it comes nearer to the day, will be full of non matching items and sometimes not even labelled) you'll thank yourself when there's a box with a spare set of clothes, showering items and some non perishable items. My little list I worked to was as follows;

- Toilet roll

- Towel

- Shampoo, conditioner and soap/ shower gel

- Milk (keep this in your current fridge till the day and just pop it in your handbag on the day)

- Some glasses, mugs, two plates (or a plate per person in the house) and some cutlery

- Tea bags, coffee, sugar or sweetener

- Underwear, spare clothes for next day and some pyjamas

- Clean bedding

Image from https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/495164493.jpg?w=748&h=550&crop=1

4. B E P A T I E N T

We're quite lucky in the fact that our new house was almost unpacked in the first few days due to my SUPER family who helped but don't fret if it takes you a while. My kitchen cupboards and bathroom ones are not 100% how I want them but I'm only in my 2nd week, things will find homes and you can always move bits once everything's unpacked.

and finally ...

5. L O O K A F T E R Y O U R S E L F

You can't move home if you're a withering wreck who doesn't know left from right. So you need to take care of yourself and your family in new abode, but this also starts before you even move. Pukka Herbs 'Relax'* range helped to soothe my mind from the moving stress woe's. A cup of their 'Relax' tea is the perfect aid to help you step back, breathe and relax. With chamomile flowers, fennel seed and marshmallow root, it's the perfect way to unwind after packing, day or night.

Make sure you get plenty of sleep and rest before and after the big move. If you're struggling to adapt to your new surroundings during night time like myself, Pukka's 'Night Time' tea* with lavender and limeflowers will help you get a restful night's sleep and bring you back to a fresher world in the morning. I also suffer from anxiety and as you can imagine, my anxiety levels were SKY HIGH during the moving day so since then, I have been taking Ashwagandha supplements* which are a natural formula that help relax your mind and nervous system. Ashwagandha is one of Ayurveda's most prized adaptogenic herbs which is known as 'rasayana' meaning to rejuvenate. For centuries, it's been used to help the body's response to stress and studies have shown, it's helped 69% of people improve their quality of sleep, 45% of people noticed an improvement on how they handle stressful social activities and 18% of people noticed an increase in their energy levels.

Once you have moved into your home, remember to continuing to look after yourself and invest some time in yourself. I would recommend a pamper session with your favourite skincare and facemask and if you have the time, home baked treats are ALWAYS a good idea.

Do you have anymore top tips for stress free moving? What is your favourite flavour of Pukka Herbs Tea?

*DISCLAIMER - I am the author of all content featured/ any content published on www.lovefromlucky.com. Content on this blog does not reflect the views or opinions of any other person, company or website. I am sent products or services from PR companies or brands to feature on the website in return for my review purposes. I am not obligated to review any product I am sent in a positive way and all views shared are 100% my own. PR samples will be disclosed and marked with * and any products not listed in this way have been purchased by myself or gifted to me from friends and family.

March 28, 2017

HOMEMADE FRUIT SCONES

Now I have so much free time on my hands, I've found myself trying to keep busy and picking up old hobbies. Both my nana's taught me to bake when I was little and I watched my stepdad cook as I grew up, always wanting to be like them. I've always been a bit of a 'tryer' when it comes to baking, I've always managed to produce the goods but they've always been a bit off. I enjoy NOTHING more than a good old cream tea and I really wanted to try and make some homemade scones which I've never attempted before. I sifted through a few recipes online and found this Mary Berry recipe. I followed it to the letter the first time round and although the scones were edible, something wasn't quite right. So I adapted the recipe a little myself, trying out a few things and managed to come up with a really good outcome just 2nd time around. This time, I thought I would document it for you (last time they were eaten far too quickly by my family before I could get some decent shots of them) so here is my adapted Fruit Scone recipe.

Recipe adapted from Mary Berry's 'Fruit Scone's' Recipe

https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/food/recipes/baking/scones/mary-berry-fruit-scones

You're going to need;

75g of Unsalted, Chilled Butter (cut into cubes)

350g of Self Raising Flour (extra needed for dusting)

2 tsp's of Baking Powder

40g Caster Sugar

100-150g Sultana's

100-150ml of Milk (I use semi skimmed)

2 Large Eggs

Preheat oven to 200C for Fan Assisted ovens, 220C for conventional ovens.

1. You are going to cube the butter and add to a large mixing bowl. Then add the Self Raising flour. What you are going to do is mix the butter into the flour with your hands/ between your fingers (Top Tip; Don't use your palms as you want to keep the ingredients as cold as possible) until you get the consistency of breadcrumbs.

2. Next, we are going to add in the baking powder, sugar and sultana's. I say between 100/150g because it depends on how 'fruity' you want your scones. This time round I used 150g which I thought was a perfect amount.

3. Now we are going to add the wet ingredients to the mixture. You will want to beat the eggs separately before adding to the mixture and keep around 2tsp's aside for the baking. Add the milk (start with 100ml and we can add the other 50ml if needed later)

4. Now that all the ingredients are together in the bowl, we are going to mix. Mary recommends using a rounded edge knife but I find it's a little easier with a metal tablespoon. You want to combine the mixture together softly, not being too heavy handed as this will help keep the scones fluffy in texture. You need the dough to be soft and not too sticky. If you are finding the mixture a bit dry or difficult to mix, add the extra milk bit by bit until you get a nice consistency.

5. Once mixed and the mixture is slightly sticky and soft, we are going to flour our work surface and tip the mixture out. You want to slightly knead the mixture but again, not being too heavily handed. Mary recommends to roll the mixture out but I like to just pat it down to a thickness of about 1.75cm-2cm.

6. I don't have any cutters so I personally use a glass to cut the scones to size. You don't want them the width of a pint glass - ideally the width of a wine glass is a nice size. Make sure to flour your cutter or glass slightly before cutting as this will help to remove the mixture easily.

7. You want to slightly grease your cooking tin before adding the pre cut scones to it. Cut the mixture into as many circles as you can - I got around 11 from my mixture this time, last time 10. It will depend on how thick you made your mixture.

8. Slightly pat down the scones and then with the egg we put aside earlier, you want to top/ brush the scones with this. This will help give a golden look once cooked.

9. Now, put them into the preheated oven for around 10 minutes. Ideally keep an eye on them as I find mine were very crisp when I previously did 10 minutes. This time mine only needed 8. Once out of the oven, if you pat the bottom of the scones and they sound hollow, they're perfect.

10. Let them chill slightly and serve with Clotted Cream and Jam. Alternatively, enjoy alone. These are so soft and sweet you can actually eat them plain and still slightly warm.

Enjoy! Let me know in the comments if you want to see more recipe's featured on the blog.

February 26, 2017

OUTFIT OF THE DAY - BRAVING STORM DORIS

It was a pretty cold day and we had to go out and brave storm Doris to run some errands. It was also an excuse to showcase to you my gorgeous Vivienne Westwood Divinia in Sunset that I got for christmas. I've had her for a few months now but only lately have I started to wear her more. Although small, it's super practical because you can have one long strap so its almost long enough for a cross body (or if you're feeling more casual) or you can have two smaller handles to wear over your shoulder. I really like to wear it both ways and experiment with different looks. I was concerned once it arrived that it was more of an evening look bag but I think these photos just go to show, you can wear it with a more casual look (also it's the same colours as my hair!) I've also just realised this is the first OOTD where I've showcased that I am actually a glasses wearer ... strange how I've never shown them before. These are my everyday glasses which are Specsavers are brand and are the style 'Zinnia'.

Bag - Vivienne Westwood 'Divina' on sale for £161.00 (Get in Black or Small Sunset)

Glasses - Specsavers 'Zinnia' £89.00 (Specsavers.co.uk)

Chunky Black Scarf - Primark £6.00 (In Store)

Coat - Vintage Country Style bought at Car Boot

Jumper - New Look £10.00 (Similar at Matalan or Zalando)

Khaki Vest - Primark £4.00

Jeans - 'Jessie' by Matalan £16.00 (Matalan.co.uk or In Store)

Boots - 'Flora Arcadia' by Dr Martens £115.00 (Drmartens.com)

Rings - From Mexico (Similar by Storm)

February 18, 2017

TURNING TWENTY FIVE

If you'd have asked young Chloe what she'd be like at the age of 25. She'd be married, with about 3 children, working as a vet or an air hostess and have her shit figured out. She'd have a big fancy house that she owned, wearing designer clothes and loving her life. All was being surrounded by amazing friendships. Well, today marks the day I turn 25 .. and I laugh at my younger me's ideal of what life should be like.

I am not married. I am however in a long term relationship (celebrating 6 long years and the end of this month) with a man who would do anything for me, I mean anything. I'm even talking about letting my quit my job to find out what I want to do with my life and support me both mentally and financially. Staying with me through thick and thin. I don't think too many people could say that about their relationships. No, I don't have a ring on my finger. No, we don't own our own house. No, we don't have our shit figured out and no, we don't have any children and I am not pregnant. But yes, we love each other. We support each other unconditionally. Yes, we have an amazing relationship and I wouldn't change it for the world. I just wish that young Chloe knew how much more important these things are than the social normal of being married.

I am not a vet. I am not an air hostess. As I type this, I don't even have a job and that's okay. Life isn't supposed to be easy, we aren't always supposed to grow up to be what we want. I went to college and studied Art and Design and loved every minute of it. I then felt pressured by society to go to University and know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life at the tender age of 18. This didn't really go to plan and after just a few months of not being sure if it was right for me and being miserable, I gave up. I'm good at knowing what I don't want to do and not really good at knowing what I want to do and that's okay. I panic about having so many jobs on my CV since the age of 18 but I try to see it as a strength.

I've learnt so many skills and I've had so many experiences through my job history and they've all made me who I am today. I will eventually figure out what I want to do and if I don't figure it out, that's okay. As Baz Luhrmann says "The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year old's I know still don't .."

I've suffered from depression. I live with my anxiety. I've suffered from extreme self confidence issues, I've lost over 3 stone and then gained 4 stone. Life does not always go the way we want, the way we expect. Our life isn't the highlights reel we show on Instagram and through our blogs (I am guilty of this too) We have the down days. And it's all okay. People don't seem to want to talk about the bad times but I'm not afraid to show my weaknesses. Be strong.

As I turn 25, I will enjoy these years of my life, even when I still don't know what I want to do. I am on an adventure through life. Things will get better and if they don't - then that's just fine.

January 02, 2017

HOPES AND DREAMS 2017

I'm not really one who likes to commit to a 'new years resolution' as I'm a firm believer in if you want to make change, you should do it at the time you want to and not just at new year. Although a new year is a great time to realise aspirations for the coming year and to use it as a positive time to make those changes. This is why I am choosing to embrace the new year, new me motto and have deiced to put together some aspirations for 2017. Not to make me a 'better' person - but simply to continue with some of the things I've put into place in 2016 and to carry them forward. To make me, well, me.

1. Continue with being body positive

This doesn't mean 'being comfortable' with the size I am, but realising that I need help and continuing with my new attitude to healthier eating and investing in myself. I do like healthier eating now just for the weight loss, but for the positiveness it gives me as a person. I feel so much better in myself when I am healthier eating. Whether that be when I notice walking to work is no longer a chore but a choice, not getting out of breathe as easier and just feeling more happier with how I look. Losing weight has always been a hard thing for me, I've been a yo-yo dieter for a while now and it's not something I want to continue with. I don't strive to be thin or slim, I strive to be a healthy and happy weight where I feel comfortable with myself and reaching a healthy weight that I can maintain. I have been back on a healthier eating plan now for 4 weeks and even with Christmas, my weight is still decreasing and helping me to be much more positive about myself. Not everyone will want to lose weight and by no means am I encouraging anyone too, but by being accepting of your body - you can really embrace yourself and enjoy life to the full.

2. Get back into photography

2016 was a great year for me as it was when I was offered my first paid wedding shoot. I loved every minute of it. I really want to invest more time in enjoying my photography and believing in myself. It was such a thrilling experience to be able to offer my photography services to someone and to create memories for them and I want to continue to do just that. I want to aim one step closer to maybe one day becoming self employed and feeling more positive in my photography skills. Hopefully 2017 is also the year I can invest a little more in my gear so I can reach my full potential. The sky is the limit.

3. Continue blogging and expanding

I have really enjoyed blogging this year and all the PR work/ brand collaboration that has come with it. I have been extremely lucky with some of the work offered to me and I want to expand in this in 2017. The later part of the year has been a struggle with balancing my work life and personal life but I have began to recognise this and am trying to put some positive steps into place to hel[. Blogging is supposed to be a hobby and something I enjoy but at the moment but I find I have no time to invest in it anymore and I need to get a better work/life balance. I don't want blogging to feel like a chore or like something niggling in the back of my head, I want it to be my release and my own little space where I can really offer something to you all. I want to continue contributing to the brand I have created and to provide quality content for you all. Whether that be on a bi-weekly basis or even a monthly basis, I just want to create quality content for everyone and for myself most of all to enjoy.

There are many more resolutions I have that I want to achieve but I think its better to start small and continue as I mean to go on. What resolutions/ hopes do you have for 2017?