Forget Cigarettes! I Choose Presents.

OMG guys I feel like  I have so much stuff to cover with you lot today! I'm not sure where to start & I don't want to over bore, so I guess I'll break things down & leave some stuff for later dates... Good? Good.

First off - New Jacket Alert!

Terrible moi, I was out shopping for a mothers day gift with my girl Gem and I came across a little cropped "leather" number... I picked it up, swung it on whilst telling Gem about how "everyone" is wearing these at the min (rolling my eyes with boredom)... "All I keep seeing is Spring dresses with short leathers..." Expecting Gemma to groan at the sight of it... She throws me by saying it looks really nice, I double check and she's right it does.

Perhaps it's the shock but I get an overriding impulse surge... I want to buy this now. So, I did.

After calming down, I was worried I'd made a mistake after all the cut of the jacket is smart & very fitted, it doesn't fit within my usual over-sized comfort zone. Thought, reflection & reaching out for the opinions of others, spun me back round to "yay, I love it" and I do!

Jacket - Zara £59.99

Expect outfit pics of Spring dresses & this cropped jacket soon....

I choose "things" over "fags"

Right, now, this is were it gets exciting... Eek! So, I have given up smoking! There I said it.

This is not the first time I have gone through this vile quitting process but I seriously hope it is the last. If you have been checking in with me since this blog began, you may remember my very first post which was about my disgusting habit and my want to nip it in the bud: Bye Bye Ciggies.

That post was written nearly a year ago & my quitting never really started. What it did do though was plant a giving up seed, it's been toying on my mind and I have been building up a real resentment towards the habit as a whole. Particularly from a financial & health angle... Obvs.

Anyways, when giving up it's often decided that you pick a date & give yourself plenty of prep... I had picked March 28th (the date of the Bye Bye Ciggies post) and had decided that I was going to Vlog my last day as a smoker, smoking into my cameras lens... 6 months later I was going to publish the vid & reflect on a vile (forgotten) habit.

My plan fell to pieces when I came down with a nasty throat infection, which knocked me out of action & gave me the most painful throat evs. Usually sick or no sick, I smoke through... This time I decided to brave it out, I gave the whole thing little thought, it was a one step at a time type of arrangement. After a few days into my casual non-smoking, I came up with the most brilliant of ideas!

Cig-Quitting Masterplan

1. How much do I spend on fags a week?

Approx £30

2. Would I prefer to smoke a cigarette OR spend £30 on moi?

£30 on ANYTHING. Makeup, clothes, polishes, anything, whatever, indulge... Weekly presents for me.

The idea was so genius I just could not believe I hadn't thought of it before. Surely if I had I would have given up years ago, non?

You may think that spending cash on myself is totally unnecessary, verging on vulgar? You are probably right. However, I have thought it through & it seems like the perfect solution. I may be broke at the minute but somehow I have always been able to afford my ciggies, so if there is 30 quid for that then there is 30 quid somewhere... This cash is going to be going on all things fab.

Forget the stinking fags

I choose:

- Makeup
- Clothes
- Jewellery
- Products

All the unnecessary things and items that I can buy for the same price as ciggies, I choose you instead!

My logic tells me that when things get tough & the cravings take over I simply re-focuse my energy on my new treat/s. Because if I give in, the gifts will disappear.

Things NOT Fags

Its been OVER a week since I smoked my last cig, which means... I have my first set of gifts. This is what I went for:

China Glaze Luxe & Lash Nail Polish £9.

This polish is way out of my usual polish price range, however, my £30 weekly treats are allowed to be. Also & most importantly, this is NOT just any polish, this is a... Wait for it... Hunger Games Polish. Can you believe it? You may remember me discussing my obsession over The Hunger Games book series? (For a reminder click here.) Well there is now a Hunger Games Polish Collection, a different polish for each district (don't worry if you don't follow, just read the book, OK?) I nearly died from excitement and quickly picked this fun flakey glitter top coat.

Mark Hill Professional Sexy Waves & Curls Pro-magic Wand £19.99 reduced from £59.99.

I had been enjoying playing with my beauty-blog-bud's (Holly from YM Beauty) conical wand and was desperate to get my hands on one. She recommended this, which is in an amaze leopard design, the price was so right, it had to be fate. I can not wait to play... From now on my hair will be sans-cig-smell AND bouncy and luscious.

And one more thing...

My £30 allowance was almost spent, however, I did go a little bit over... Well, £5 over actually. This is bad form, however, I have justified in the following way:

Excuse: I went out on Saturday evening which means normally I would have smoked a pack of twenty, pushing my weekly smoking total over.

L'Oréal Rouge Caresse - Tempting Lilac (101) £7.99.

This is a balmy lipstick, which is moisturizing and colourful. I love the wearable shade & it only cost me a fiver... There is a 3 for 2 offer on in boots at the minute, I owed my girl £10, she wanted two of the lippy's so it made sense.

My goodness, this has been such a long post! And its not even done... I made une petite vid earlier today, which basically goes over all the above, repetitive moi.

Keep your choices wise, say bye to ciggies and hello to gifts.