I Love Autumn & Halloween… here’s what we got up to !
Spooky fun at the farm.
We went out for the day, to a nearby farm!
It was brilliant.
There was SO much to do.. we made wands, got sorted into our Hogwarts house, had a spooky trailer ride, explored the spooky maze, picked and decorated pumpkins, pettee guinea pigs & rabbits, looked at loads of other animals and had a bug trailer ride.
With our Nephews đ
A great family day out, themed really well and with lots of fun to be had.
A fanily Halloween party for the kiddies.
We had a fun little family Halloween party at my sisters house.s
She set up some fun activities for them, we also had a buffet of party food, spooky tunes and Halloween pass the parcel.
Halloween at ours
Me & Tim always do a few Halloween traditions at home – these include carving a pumpkin (we’ve done one every year that we’ve been together) and I make us ‘Spooky Sausages’ which are meant to look like mummies.
I also like to watch horror films but Tim isn’t too keen on those so thats usually just me haha
Some of my favourites are Scream, Halloween, Hocus Pocus, Nightmare before Christmas and Nightmare on Elm St.
Our local cinema was showing some Halloween classics on Halloween.
Me and my Twin sister Sarah always watch horror films together so we went along and watched the original Scream! I can’t believe its the 25th Anniversay đą
Scream is my favourite ‘Scary Movie’ and it was cool to watch it on the big screen.
As I have said many times, Autumn/Winter are my favourite seasons!
I know its chilly but hey, its England, we were made for this weather.
Plus, it’s so pretty đ
Theres nothing like a crisp autumn walk, frosty, leaves crunching under foot, trees fire bright against a pale sky, wrapped up in cosy jumpers, a hot beverage in hand.
Now tell me that isn’t a delight!?!
Here are some of the ways I’ve been enjoying the Autumn so far!
⢠P U M P K I N ⢠P I C K I N G â˘
Me, my sister and my nephews had a great time pumpkin picking, at a local patch đ
We went early Oct to get the most out of our Pumpkins.
I’ve used them to dot around the lounge to create a cosy, autumn vibe. Some will of course be carved on Halloween.
⢠A U T U M N ⢠W A L K S â˘
I definitely have a new appreciation for walks since the lockdowns and the pandemic in general.
Theres alot of enjoyment to be had in the fresh air, amongst the trees and pretty plants. I loved our sunny summer walks but in Autumn it’s an even more beautiful experience.
⢠C O S Y ⢠R E A D S â˘
…because I could read anywhere… but, theres nothing better than in my little reading corner, in autumn and winter, because it just feels even more cosy.
⢠H A L L O W E E N ⢠F U N â˘
I am a big horror film fan so I enjoy the spookiness of Halloween.
Lockdown no 2 was announced this Halloween (Horror!) So I wanted to make it even more fun, because if you can’t enjoy the little things, (even when stuck at home) during a global pandemic, when can you!?
Over the weekend I ended up watching eight different horror films!
â˘Nightmare on Elm St (New) â˘Friday the 13th ⢠Psycho (New) â˘Anabelle ⢠Freddy Vs Jason â˘Nightmare Before Christmas â˘IT (The Original) â˘Hocus Pocus
We like to carve a pumpkin each year, because its just some harmless seasonal fun, and since I had a few from our picking spree, I carved a few.
As well as the films and pumpkin carving, we also listened to some Halloween tuness (until the X-Files theme freaked me out đ¤Łđą) we had Spooky, mummy sausages and jacket potatoes for dinner (because why should kids have all the fun) and Halloween Hot chocolates to round off the evening.
And a spot of Halloween Animal Crossing!
It was really good fun and it made us forget about the pandemic a bit, a fun weekend/evening spent together.
⢠P U M P K I N ⢠C A R V I N G â˘
Because you have to do one of these every year! Come on now.
‘Parry’ By me & Tim My slight fail, HP lightening scar and glasses attemptThis was really flippin’ hard 𤣠Yes, I’m that cool.
… and yes I am indeed wearing a Bat onesie in this picture, my traditional Halloween costume/pumpkin carving outfit! đŚ
Don’t hate me cause you ain’t me!
⢠A U T U M N ⢠N A T U R E â˘
⢠H U N T â˘
As a fun little pre lockdown 2.0 activity with my nephews, we went on a Nature Hunt.
They love running about in the park and exploring and they enjoyed it even more than I thought they would (so did I!!)
⢠B A K I N G â˘
I spent another lovely pre lockdown day with my niece đ
What’s more cosy (and delicious) than baking!?!
We had a lovely time together âĄ
Gotta love a Unicorn Cupcake đŚđ§
& finally…
⢠B O N F I R E ⢠N I G H T â˘
Again, due to Lockdown (thanks Rona!) we won’t be seeing people for a bit, but its timing did coincide with Bonfire Night and so we resurrected a Byford tradition, and got together to celebrate.
Outside, wrapped up, enjoying other peoples fireworks, sparklers, s’mores, soup, jackets, bangers, log burners and catching up!
A great evening! We missed this tradition last year as there was alot going on, so it was great to do it again.
It’s been a little while (probably the Summer hols) since I’ve done a little ‘life’ update and I love capturing memories on here. I think I forget to use my blog this way sometimes when I get carried away sharing about my hobbies.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it!
We are fully into Autumn now and this is definatly the perfect season for snuggling up, all cosy, with a good book.
What did I read in September…
If you have followed my blog previously, you will know that my reading challenge consists of reading at least two books each month.
Unfortunately, due to an Eye Op in September I wasn’t able to read as much as I would have liked.
However, I did listen to an Audio book instead, in order to complete my two book quota!
Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
&
Harry Potter and the Philosphers Stone (Audio book)
I enjoyed this Jodi Picoult book, I havnt read one of hers in a while, although I would say it isnt one of my faves compared to some of her others.
I wasnt 100% sure how it was going to end unil I read it which was good for keeping you going and it was a subject matter that made you think.
Harry potter of course was a winner in my eyes and is an absolute classic. That was my first time listening to the audio book in full and it really helped curb the boredom when I was recovering from my op.
This month I will be reading…
The big little festival by Kellie Hailes
(See previous post for synopsis – September reading challenge) this is the other book that I was supposed to read last month.
The Husbands secret by Liane Moriarty
‘Mother of three and wife of John-Paul, Cecilia discovers an old envelope in the attic. Written in her husband’s hand, it says:to be opened only in the event of my death.
Curious, she opens it – and time stops.
John-Paul’s letter confesses to a terrible mistake which, if revealed, would wreck their family as well as the lives of others.
Cecilia wants to do the right thing, but right for who?
If she protects her family by staying silent, the truth will worm through her heart. But if she reveals her husband’s secret, she will hurt those she loves most . . .’
Autumn is here and it’s time to grab those cosy jeans, comfy knits & a hot chocolate cause it’s about to get chilly!
But, I have to admit, in terms of clothes, Autumn is probably my favourite season. Nothing beats being comfy!
Let’s take a look!
New Look, Jeggings ÂŁ15 Jumper ÂŁ9.99
New Look, Earrings ÂŁ3.99
New Look, Rose Gold Pumps ÂŁ17.99
I will definatly be grabbing a couple more of these jumpers as they did some lovely Autumnal colours, burnt orange, mustard etc, plus they are so comfy!
The Jeggings are brilliant as they are really super skinny but also very comfortable as they have an elasticated, high waist.
A great and super cosy Autumnal outfit đđđ
Last weekend I went into Debenhams, more specifically the Dior counter to see my lovely friend who works there.
She wanted to show me, and try out, some of the amazing products from Dior’s latest Autumn collection.
The collection boasts a wide range of products from lipsticks with a new semi matte formula, highlighters, eye shadow and blushers.
They are all so beautiful and I loved trying them out.
So, let’s take a look at the collection…
The collections are the ‘Dior An Diable’ & The ‘DiorRouge Ultra Rouge’
The An Diable collection includes some eye shadow palettes and some beautiful highlighters.
The Ultra Rouge collection is permenant and includes their new Semi matte lipsticks that last for 12 hours!! Within the lipstick collection they have four reds so you can choose your perfect shade. Who doesn’t love a red lip!
It also includes nail varnishes, the colours have been selected to compliment the other products in the range, this is a brilliant idea.
Everything in these collections is Limited edition except for the blushers and highlighters.
So, what products did I try out?
The Blusher is no 219 in the shade Rose Montaigne Shimmer.
This is a lovely kinky toned blush with a lovely shimmer running through it. This added a lovely rosy flush to my cheeks.
Highlighter Shade no 02.
This is a beautiful highlighter and it is SO pigmented. It gives you a lovely irredescent glow and is just so pretty.
Like the blushers these are the perfect size for popping into your handbag on the go, I’m not a fan of bulky packaging.
Ultra Rouge Lipstick in the shade Rouge 485.
This lipstick was a pretty pink tone. As I said it is semi matte but wasn’t at all tacky and it really did last on my lips.
I also love the lipstick packaging, it looks so sleek.
Eyeshadow palette in the shade 837 Devilish.
This eye shadow palette is so pretty. I love the range of colours and it has some perfect Autumn shades for day and night time looks.
Those goldy tones and the rosey, burgundy are just beautiful.
The colour I wore was the pretty and subtle pink shade in the top corner.
Again, a super handy size!
I had so much fun trying all these products out and I will be going back in to Debenhams to purchase a few myself!
The collection is well worth checking out, especially for all you make up and beauty lovers out there!
It’s very reasonably priced for such good quality and high end make up.
I love Autumn, cool crisp mornings, foggy horizons, colourful crunchy leaves, candles and all things cosy.
I thought it would be fun to do another ‘tag’ post as I feel like thise are quite fun to write and read! & they reveal a bit more about the person writing them, Me!
So without further ado, here is my Autumn tag đ
8 questions, here we go!
1. Favourite Autumnal lipstick:đI have recently discovered my little collection of berry toned lip products ready for this season (see below)
My favourite berry lip is the Bourjois Rouge Velvet liquid lipstick in the shade ” perfect for this season.
For a more ‘everyday look’ I picked up a lovely nude with a purple tinge to it from Ptimark, its a bit more understated but still really pretty.
2.Favourite Autumnal scent: I really love candles at this time of the year, they are just so cosy and I have a couple at home that I’m really enjoying. One is a vanilla cupcake candle which has a strong scent of vanilla and gives off cosy baking vibes â The other is all about the berries, sweet and warming,
I also picked up this beautiful candle holder/jar from TK Maxx last Autumn and I’ve got it out again. I love the Autumn leaf pattern, the colours look lovely when a candle is lit inside.
3. Favourite Autumn clothing: It has to be cosy jumpers, without a doubt! The obsession is real and I have added a few new ones to my collection this year, because can you ever have too many aye, whose with me?!
I also LOVE cosy pjs! Something that will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me well. I picked up a super cute pair from Sainsbury’s with this lovely woodland animal/ Autumn theme, adorable. Is there anything cuter than an animal dressed in knitwear… (nope!) đżđ°
…told you! (Adorable)
4.Favourite thing about Autumn: The refreshing, crisp air (especially in the morning!) and definatly the colours đđ The trees just look beautiful and they always make me smile, stop and look.
5. Favourite seasonal beverage? I have been loooooving Options hot chocolate sachets recently, especially now that its much colder. My favourite flavours are the Strawberry and Chocolate Orange ones đ
& they are great if you follow the Slimming World plan as I do đđť Sachets range from 1-2.5 syns.
6. Favourite skincare products: I am loving my new moisturiser that I picked up a couple of weeks ago, its the Neutrogena Hydro boost gel cream. I have combination skin and this is so hydrating and perfect for using before bed. The colder weather isn’t great for dry skin so I hope this keeps my skin in tip top shape.
I’m also super interested in The Body Shops new range ‘Vanilla Pumpkin ‘ it sounds AMAZING, really Autumnal and I’m hoping to pick up something soon. đ
7. Favourite accessories:It has to be my Black watch scarf (no idea what I’m talking about?!? Yeah, don’t worry I didn’t know the technial name for the green/navy tartan but there yaaa go!)
I’m also loving my Mustard coloured scarf that my Auntie got me.
I LOVE bobble hats đ They are soooo cosy and look super cute & casu’ with any Autumnal outfit. The perfect Autumn accessory.
Zoella has brought out a bobble hat in her new Zoella Lifestyle range, It’s grey with a bottle green bobble (fave colour alert!) So I can’t wait to pick that up.
8.Favourite Autumnal nail varnish: Some of my favourite nail varnish shades are dark bottle green, copper, red, burgundy and anything quite grungy and dark. A specific fave is a berry toned one by Barry M, the shade is ‘Raspberry’ and it’s my ultimate nail colour, and one of their classics.
I hope you enjoyed that guys!
See you again soon for something Halloween themed, let’s get spooky đ
Roseanne Byford 