A lot of people aren't too fond of January, and I can understand why. All the festive sparkle of Christmas is over, yet we still have to deal with the long, cold dreary days and even longer dark, dreary nights. But I must confess, I kind of like this time of year. It's a time for new beginnings, for looking back at the achievements of the past twelve months and setting goals for the twelve to come. And I'm pretty much addicted to setting goals! I get a real buzz from that "New Year, New Me" feeling, and this year is definitely no exception - especially as I've had a little help from TK Maxx.
For me, the New Year is all about re-evaluating where I'm headed with my blog, and having started my YouTube channel at the end of 2017, I could not be feeling more motivated. I really want to grow on both platforms this year, and that means buckling down, getting focused, and creating as much inspiring and exciting content as I possibly can. With that in mind, I popped into my local TK Maxx the other day and picked up one or two little treats that should help to make my work space a much more appealing place to be. After all, a beautiful, well-organised desk is bound to foster more productivity than a messy one, no?!
I have an obsession with notebooks, and get through them at the speed of light. Whether I'm making lists, planning blog posts or working out my strategy for world domination, my favourite tools for the task are always a cute notebook and pen. I managed to pick up a gorgeous notebook*, complete with inspiring quote on the front cover, for just £4.99, which is a fabulous price - you'd be looking at three times that in a fancy stationery shop - as well as a pack of super pretty gold pens* for £7.99.
This pack of desk essentials* really caught my eye. Containing a couple of smaller notebooks - you can never have too many! - plus some pretty stickers to brighten up their pages, handy little clips and more, it's packed full of useful bits and pieces and was a real bargain at £6.99. Likewise, this desk tidy* (£4.99) is sure to come in handy to keep my desk free from clutter and is really decorative too.
The finishing touches were a couple of scented candles* to help create an inviting atmosphere to work in, and a faux succulent planter* to make my desk look pretty. I opted for a pink grapefruit scented candle to help me feel energised, as well as a lilac and wild jasmine one, which I chose because I love floral fragrances. They set me back a very reasonable £6.99 and £7.99 respectively, while the faux succulents were £6.99.
In total, I spent just under £50, and think I did very well for the money! I was spoilt for choice too, and if you fancy picking up some similar items, I'm sure you'll find something you like if you have a browse at TK Maxx's stationery, candles and faux flowers.
Of course, not everyone's New Year goals are the same, but no matter what direction yours take, I'm still willing to bet that TK Maxx will have something you need to help them along. Lots of people love to set fitness related goals, and if that's you, you'll find a huge range of active wear to choose from. If you've decided that 2018 is the year you get into meditation and mindfulness, you'll find yoga mats, adult colouring books and of course scented candles. And if you just fancy pepping up your wardrobe, makeup drawer or living room... well, I don't think you need me to tell you that TK Maxx has a vast array of fashion, beauty and homeware, now do you?
When January comes around, a lot of us are still feeling the pinch a little after all the Christmas spending, and the fact that TK Maxx offer great quality and big brand products at up to 60% off the RRP is another great reason to shop there. There's also no need to rush to catch the end of the January sales, as they simply don't do them. Instead, they offer amazing prices all year round - in store and online.
Have you set any goals for the New Year?
Kate x
*Gifted item. This post was sponsored by TK Maxx. All opinions, as always, are my own.
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Despite all my best efforts to stay organised, every year I seem to end up with some last minute Christmas shopping to do. Whether it's a work emergency that scuppers my plans to hit the stores, or an unexpected visit from friends or family that leaves me with extra people to buy for, there's always something! I'm sure a lot of you can relate. When I'm in that situation, the last thing I want to do is rush from shop to shop, scrambling for decent gifts amid rapidly dwindling stock. Luckily, there's no need, because you can blitz your entire last minute Christmas shopping list in TK Maxx - in just 20 minutes. (No really, you can. I've just done it!)
What's great about TK Maxx - apart from the up to 60% of RRP savings you can make on big name brands - is the fact that they continue receiving multiple new deliveries every week right the way up to Christmas Eve, so no matter how literally you take this last minute shopping thing, you're sure to find something you love. And with stock ranging from clothing, accessories and shoes to beauty, homeware and gadgets, you can pick up everything you're looking for from under one roof.
My Top Tips To Blitz Your Christmas Shopping List In 20 Minutes
Want to wrap up those last minute purchases in your local TK Maxx in record time? Here's how to do it!
1. Make A List, But Keep It General - I recommend having some idea of what you're aiming to buy before you head into store, otherwise there's a very real danger of getting lost in there for hours as there is so much to look at! That said, I also find it's a good idea not to be too specific when it comes to composing that list. Stock comes and goes pretty quickly, and you're never quite sure what you're going to find from one visit to the next. One of the joys of TK Maxx is stumbling upon an unexpected gem, so embrace that, and keep your mind open to finding something fabulous that you weren't particularly looking for, but that your intended recipient will love.
2. Think In Departments - Once you have that basic list, do yourself a favour, and organise it into departments - beauty, women's accessories, menswear, tech, etc. TK Maxx stores are split up into sections like this, enabling you to focus on one category at a time.
3. Work Your Way From Front To Back - Unless you only have one or two things to pick up, the best way to tackle the store is methodically from start to finish, to make sure you don't miss any of the departments. Grab yourself a trolley, and do one thorough lap of the store, ticking off each department as you go.
4. Find Your Size - If your gift shopping includes clothing or footwear, it helps to remember that TK Maxx lays everything out in sizes. Let's say you're looking for a new jumper for the man in your life. Head for menswear, then knitwear, and then find the section that contains his size. In a store with such a huge amount of choice, this really helps to narrow down your search.
This is how I tackled my own Christmas shopping when I popped into one of my local branches the other day, and it worked a treat! I spent about 20 minutes in store, and finished up with a very nice selection of gifts. Even better, I managed to finish off my last minute Christmas shopping and pick up six gifts for just £100. With value for money like that, you could be forgiven for popping back in for a little something for yourself, don't you think?
OK, let's not get carried away...
I'll confess, I thought the faux fur scarf was such a lovely gift that I ended up getting one for myself too. Well, at just £12.99, it would have been rude not to, don't you think? It's beautifully soft and lovely quality too - no one would guess it cost so little! I also picked up a pair of fabulous boots that will make the perfect present for a friend of mine. Any fashion lover would be thrilled to receive these.
I didn't forget about the boys either. I found a nice cosy beanie, a selection of toiletries, a game, and finally, a gorgeous navy jumper, which was worth £88, but which I was able to snap up for a more than reasonable £24.99 thanks to TK Maxx's fantastic savings.
Not bad for 20 minutes' work, don't you think?! And, even if my trip into store hadn't been so successful, I could have fallen back on the TK Maxx website. With both a click-and-collect and next-day delivery service available, you can get those last few gifts bought online too.
Are you a last minute Christmas shopper, or do you have it all wrapped up and under the tree before December even hits? I would love to know!
Kate x
This post was sponsored by TK Maxx. All opinions, as always, are my own.
Christmas party season is right around the corner, and I for one am pretty excited about it! I've probably made it quite clear on the blog by now that I love a good excuse to get glammed up, so when TK Maxx invited me to work with them on a partywear collaboration, I jumped at the chance. Now, I might get invited to the occasional glamorous event, especially around Christmas time, but I have a pretty average life. I'm not out at champagne receptions all the time (a girl can dream!) and my festive party season will probably involve more family dinners than fancy soirees. But I'm of the opinion that family dinners are as good an excuse to dress up as anything else, and as soon as I started looking at what TK Maxx had on offer, I knew that I'd find plenty to suit all kinds of different occasions. Their pieces are so varied that it really doesn't matter where on the glamour spectrum your festive events may fall. No matter how relaxed or formal your parties might be, you'll find the perfect outfit here, and at great prices too. TK Maxx really is your one stop shop for this season's partywear, in all its different forms.
My day with TK Maxx was great fun. Together with my photographer (and husband!) Mike, I took a trip to one of my local branches at the Birstall retail park near Leeds. Once there, I was invited to choose a selection of partywear from the store for my very own rail, for local customers to shop from.
It all began fairly sedately...
And then I found more, and more, and more things I liked.
After an hour or so, I had something of a manic glint in my eye and basically had to be restrained.
I was so impressed with the choice of womenswear. From cocktail dresses for those "out out" occasions to cute tops you could throw on with jeans for a casual drink with the girls, there was everything you could want to suit your every festive season need. I've mentioned before that it pays to employ slightly different tactics in TK Maxx - you need to work your way around the store to make sure you don't miss anything amazing. Do that, and you're pretty much guaranteed to find something you love. I found plenty! You'll also find a wide variety of well-known high end labels, as well as some more unusual brands and pieces that are a little bit different to what everyone else has. As for the 60% less than RRP, well, they make the treasure hunt experience even more rewarding and will definitely bring a smile to your face. For example, you can pick up this gorgeous velvet and lace dress for £29.99, which is a huge saving on the the Recommended Retail Price of £99.99, and complete the look with these silver and floral print heels for £59.99, down from the RRP of £145. You'll head off on your night out feeling like a million dollars, and with plenty of cash left over to put towards the evening's entertainment. Pretty good, don't you think?!
Getting back to my rail, I added a selection of menswear, with Mike's help, and some very cute miniature partywear for little ones. A few armfuls of droolworthy bags and shoes completed the edit, and before I knew it, everything had come together beautifully.
I've shared a few of my favourite picks from my rail below. Head into store now, and you'll be able to pick up similar pieces.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (RRP £85, TK Maxx price £39.99), 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (RRP £100, TK Maxx price £27.99), 13, 14 (RRP £84, TK Maxx price £49.99), 15, 16, 17, 18
As well as putting together my partywear rail, I chose an outfit for myself. I found some real gems, so needless to say, I was feeling quite pleased with myself when I left the store.
And here's the outfit I chose, which I thoroughly enjoyed wearing for a nice meal out with my husband last weekend, and which I'm sure I'll wear again more than once throughout the festive season.
The little black dress is simple and effortless, and will work just as well with thick tights and flat boots as it does all glammed up. I love pieces like this because they're so versatile.
My favourite piece from the look is probably this beautiful faux fur coat. Despite not wearing very much underneath it, it kept me warm and cosy while taking these photos. It's perfect for wintry evenings out, when it's cold outside but you're wearing skimpy dresses or tops! I also think it would work beautifully with jeans and jumpers during the daytime.
Sparkly gold sandals are perfect for evening occasions all year round, but especially nice at Christmas time. They'll go with party dresses, jeans and cute tops and everything in between. They're pretty comfortable too, thanks to the block heel.
I couldn't be happier with either my partywear rail at the Birstall store or my own outfit, so I'm really grateful to TK Maxx for working with me on this. As you can see, there are some great pieces to be had at fantastic prices, but stock moves quickly, so if you like anything you see, don't delay and head into store or check out the website straight away!
Will you be stocking up on new partywear this season?
Kate x
The dress was a great price at £29.99, while the coat is beautiful quality and incredibly warm, and feels so much more expensive than its £34.99 price tag. As for the sparkly sandals, the TK Maxx price of £39.99 is a fabulous 50% saving on the £80 RRP. Where else could you find a whole outfit for just over £100, especially of this kind of quality?
The little black dress is simple and effortless, and will work just as well with thick tights and flat boots as it does all glammed up. I love pieces like this because they're so versatile.
My favourite piece from the look is probably this beautiful faux fur coat. Despite not wearing very much underneath it, it kept me warm and cosy while taking these photos. It's perfect for wintry evenings out, when it's cold outside but you're wearing skimpy dresses or tops! I also think it would work beautifully with jeans and jumpers during the daytime.
Sparkly gold sandals are perfect for evening occasions all year round, but especially nice at Christmas time. They'll go with party dresses, jeans and cute tops and everything in between. They're pretty comfortable too, thanks to the block heel.
I couldn't be happier with either my partywear rail at the Birstall store or my own outfit, so I'm really grateful to TK Maxx for working with me on this. As you can see, there are some great pieces to be had at fantastic prices, but stock moves quickly, so if you like anything you see, don't delay and head into store or check out the website straight away!
Will you be stocking up on new partywear this season?
Kate x
*Gifted item.
This post was sponsored by TK Maxx. All opinions, as always, are my own.
I'm sitting down to write my July favourites with a blanket tucked over my knees and the rain pounding down outside my window - I keep reminding myself that there's still a month of summer left, even though it doesn't really feel that way right now! I've picked out my usual top five items of the month, though you could be forgiven for thinking there's only three. What can I say - when I find something I like, I tend to roll with it!
1&2. Backless loafers from River Island and TK Maxx* - I talked about the plain pair of blush pink loafers in my TK Maxx post and have been loving pairing them with jeans and pretty tops this month. I definitely didn't need another pair, but I've been lusting after the embroidered kind for a while now (damn you Instagram!) and just couldn't resist when I saw these beauties in River Island the other day. To my surprise I've actually been getting loads of wear out of both pairs - it turns out that you can't have too many pink loafers. Who knew?!
3. Mark Hill MiracOILous Nourishing Heat Protection - The name of this product doesn't exactly trip off the tongue, but it's such a lovely heat protectant. Not only does it protect hair against heated appliances up to 220 degrees celsius, it's also infused with Moroccan Argan Oil to help condition and nourish every time you style your hair. I use both a hairdryer and straighteners on a regular basis so this is a life changing product for me - my hair definitely feels softer since using it. It's also a lovely lightweight spray with no grease to it whatsoever, so I can spritz it quite liberally without worrying about it weighing down my fine hair. Top marks for this one.
4&5. Rosie For Autograph Cream Eyeshadow Sticks in Almond Eyes and Movie Star Crush - These are my first ever eyeshadow sticks and they definitely won't be my last. I love how quick and easy they are to swipe on and these in particular have a beautiful creamy formula and shimmery finish. Almond Eyes is the pale gold colour and Movie Star Crush a beautiful mauve. Both are very wearable for day to day. There are two other colours in the range, one a deep copper and the other a cooler toned silvery shade. All four are equally beautiful and I am really tempted to buy the other two, although at £12.50 each I am holding out a little longer!
What's your favourite item from my list, and what have you been loving throughout July?
Kate x
*Gifted item. All opinions, as always, are my own.
As much as I'm enjoying the beautiful weather we've been having lately, we all know that summers in the UK tend to be pretty short-lived. As a result, I find that I don't spend as much on summer clothes as I do on winter wear, and often, I'll pull out the same dresses and tops year after year. But even if the clothes are still good, a girl likes to change things up a little every now and again, wouldn't you agree? I certainly do, and I always find that the easiest way to update an outfit is by throwing some shiny new accessories into the mix.
Now I'm the first to acknowledge that not everybody "gets" TK Maxx. I didn't get it myself for years. Their stores don't necessarily have the polish that other stores have - if you're looking for minimalistic, colour coordinated displays, you're going to be disappointed - but if you're prepared to embrace the treasure hunt experience, there are some real gems waiting to be uncovered. The presentation might not be the prettiest, but there are some genuinely good deals to be had if you just look a little closer. In fact, scratch that. There are some amazing deals to be had, and one thing I've discovered is that the more you look, the more you find.
Still feeling sceptical? Well, as part of their #RidiculousPossibilities campaign, TK Maxx challenged me to update a couple of my summer looks by selecting my five top accessories picks. And with the total price of all five coming in at £100 on the nose, I think it's fair to say that I've managed to do that without breaking the bank. That's got to be worth bragging about, right?! Well, call it bragging or call it sharing, I'm going to tell you what I got!
Look 1 - The Jeans And Blouse Combo
My daily uniform throughout most of the British summer consists of skinny jeans and some sort of pretty blouse or top. From working at home to running errands to popping out for lunch or a coffee, this is the look that sees me through pretty much all of it. And truth be told, it can get a bit "samey" after a while, but I've definitely been able to inject a little bit of interest with a couple of pretty new accessories from TK Maxx.
Accessory pick 1 - Backless Loafers - Super on-trend, super comfortable and made from the softest blush pink suede, the quality of these backless loafers is amazing and I can totally see why the recommended retail price is £95. TK Maxx's price? £24.99. It's hard to beat the feeling of glee you get when you land yourself a saving like that! Plus, I love the way the pink adds a little "something something" to my standard blue jeans and white top. Possibly my favourite accessory of the five, I can see these getting plenty of wear throughout the summer.
Accessory pick 2 - Stud Earrings - Delicate jewellery always makes the perfect finishing touch to an outfit, and these cute little
stud earrings are perfect. I love the mix of silver
and gold tones and the fact that they're slightly bigger than my usual everyday earrings. I also love the unusual shape, as you can vary which way up you wear them. These were an absolute steal at £14.99 - they look and feel a lot more expensive than that.
Accessory pick 3 - Espadrilles - Speaking of up to date, espadrilles are incredibly popular right now, and this dainty neutral pair from TK Maxx cost just under £30. They look great with jeans and shorts as well as dresses and have an effortless vibe about them while still being feminine and pretty. They're super comfortable too.
Accessory pick 4 - Basket Bag - I've spotted so many bags like this on my Instagram feed lately. I love everything about this one - the pom pom detailing, the rustic wicker look and the fact that it's large enough for everything but the kitchen sink, which makes it perfect to use as a beach or picnic bag. It cost just £19.99 which is a real snatch, especially considering the detail on it and the fact that it's handmade. I also think it compliments my white dress perfectly and brings it right into 2017!
Look 2 - The Summer Day Dress
When things get a little bit warmer, you just can't beat a pretty, summery day dress. This one was bought recently, but the classic cut and timeless broderie anglaise fabric mean I'll be able to wear it for many summers to come. By changing up my accessories, I'll also be able to keep it looking fresh and up to date.
Accessory pick 3 - Espadrilles - Speaking of up to date, espadrilles are incredibly popular right now, and this dainty neutral pair from TK Maxx cost just under £30. They look great with jeans and shorts as well as dresses and have an effortless vibe about them while still being feminine and pretty. They're super comfortable too.
Accessory pick 4 - Basket Bag - I've spotted so many bags like this on my Instagram feed lately. I love everything about this one - the pom pom detailing, the rustic wicker look and the fact that it's large enough for everything but the kitchen sink, which makes it perfect to use as a beach or picnic bag. It cost just £19.99 which is a real snatch, especially considering the detail on it and the fact that it's handmade. I also think it compliments my white dress perfectly and brings it right into 2017!
Accessory pick 5 - Pendant Necklace - To
complete my second look, I went for this dainty hamsa hand necklace on a
delicate gold chain. Just like the earrings, it feels reassuringly solid and the quality definitely belies the £9.99 price tag. I just don't think you can have too many dainty necklaces, and I love the way this one looks peeping out from the collar of the dress.
Are you a TK Maxx shopper? And do you have any plans to upgrade existing outfits with some of their amazing accessories this summer? If you do, make sure you come back and brag about it! It's all part of the fun, and I'd love to see what bargains you manage to get your hands on!
Kate x
*This post was sponsored by TK Maxx. All opinions, as always, are my own.
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