Candyfloss & Dreams

Author: Kat Candyfloss

British Politics: How I Feel About Brexit

Politics is something I rarely write about on my blog but now a week has past since we cast our vote and I wanted to pen down some of my thoughts and feelings. This could be a mistake…mainly because I know recent politics have really divided our country and I know it’s a bit of a controversial topic to go in to. I will say that I am proud to be one of the 48% that voted to remain within the EU last week. But my household was divided, my family all had different views as I talked about in this post, and in the aftermath we’ve all been discussing it.

I was not shocked with David Cameron’s resignation either. He said he would and for once a politician has kept a pledge and I understand why. I wouldn’t be able to lead negotiations in something I thought was wrong either. At least in this one area he is sticking with his beliefs. He has also made a breakthrough with the LGBTQ community with making marriage legal. Despite being heterosexual, this means a lot to me and I am proud to support that. So we’re going to be getting a new PM and I am crying out for a general election.

I have a lot of personal opinions when it comes to politics and I do not support and will never vote for the Conservatives. I am a Labour lady, I am proud of that and I am actually a big fan of Jeremy Corbyn. I know there are people that disagree with me, and I do not want him to resign from his leadership. I know that he wasn’t at the forefront of the campaign to remain, which doesn’t really bother me. I wasn’t voting for a politician, I was adding my voice to help our government make a decision. The entire referendum campaign on both sides was just awful. Both parties wanted to control people through fear and that is not something I will ever condone. Brexit was lead by two politicians who’s views I just don’t agree with, they do not sit well with me and I don’t think they ever will.

So my vote didn’t win but then again I can’t really say it’s a clear majority for those that voted to leave either. In the grand scheme of things it was around a million more votes to the leave side, but I don’t see that as a majority. I would have seen a majority vote being 80% more on the leave side but it wasn’t. Either way, a vote has been cast and the only change I’ve seen is a lot of poor, xenophobic and racist behaviour. No longer are Brits keeping their stiff upper lip and moaning about whatever they want behind closed doors, keeping their hatred rational and private but they are outwardly shaming people in the street. Whats more some of these vile outbursts have been towards children and it absolutely disgusts me. I want to be clear, I know that not every leave voter is a racist xenophobe with nothing but hate in their heart, just as I know not every remain voter is moaning and bitter about the result – a lot of us are just sat here, getting the kids ready for school and fighting the usual daily battles that come with life. But their are some that are making Britain feel like an unsafe place to live.

I honestly thought racism was behind us. I mean, I agree, that if people choose to come and live and work here then they need to appreciate that we are a western country with a Christian foundation – I am not religious at all, I mean, the Church of England was founded so that the King could get divorced, says a lot about us doesn’t it…anyway, I digress…I have no problem with a multicultural society but I also think political correctness has gone a bit too far and we’re so focused by pleasing everybody. I respect that when I visit other countries I need to adapt, and I think that should be expected of people that choose to migrate or visit here.

Politics is a funny thing but the idea behind Brexit was not to form a racist nation. What I will never, ever do is want to make this country unsafe and it seems that a minority of people are doing just that to others and that is not right. I never thought that I would wake up one day and be ashamed of living in a country so full of hate for migrants. It’s ridiculous!

Instead of blaming migrants for coming here and “taking all our jobs” that companies exploit by paying lower wages, why don’t we blame the lazy that can’t be bothered to work – trust me, there are some, and what makes me ashamed is that they are people my age or younger. Instead of blaming migrants for claiming all our benefits, why aren’t we trying to change our welfare system so that people stop having kids to get bigger houses? A certain interview on This Morning a few weeks ago with a mum of like, 12 kids comes to mind, or Josie Cunningham, didn’t she get a boob job on the NHS by playing the system? Surely the system is wrong then, rather than people that just want to come and live here?

I am not scared of change, I am not scared for my daughters future, well, I am, but not because of Brexit – which is a horrible threat to make, by the way, saying you have ruined your children’s lives…what I’m worried about is this behaviour from others as a result of the referendum, especially when we haven’t actually left the EU yet, and all this let’s call 24th June Independence Day, what a dickish thing to say. I’m also concerned that the few that are wanting to run for Tory leadership do not sit right with me at all. They’re not going to move this country forward. Perhaps it’s time for a major shake up within British politics. MP’s need to reconnect with their constituencies and the people that live in them rather than making up assumptions. Politicians need to stop controlling this nation with fear and using scaremongering tactics. Everyone needs to pull together and move forward united.

***Politics can be a controversial subject. Before commenting, please appreciate that this is my own personal view, I am not trying to force what I think on anyone. I am happy to discuss and debate but I will not tolerate any abuse posted on this blog. Please respect that. If you have nothing healthy, happy or balanced to say, then it’s best not to say anything. Thank you.***

June 30, 2016
Top 7 things to do on Isle of Wight

What is Isle of Wight like?

The Isle of Wight is an island of the coast of Hampshire with direct ferry access from Southampton and Portsmouth. It’s very easy to get to and for me, it’s like another little world. We had our first family holiday there with Park Resorts in October 2014 despite living in the county for the majority of my life. I want to introduce my daughter to plenty of different places that I never went to as a child, especially places quite local to home. My partner used to visit the Isle of Wight a lot as a child and loved each of his trips there. As it’s part of England, of course it has our beautiful British weather but it also has lots of wildlife, beaches, hills and fun attractions for families. It’s a really beautiful place and features lots of exciting things to do.

Getting Cosy in our Caravan

We stayed in Shanklin when we stayed with Park Resorts and it was a great holiday. We were there for a week and took advantage of seeing as many sights as we possibly could which can be tricky without a car. There are plenty of bus routes around the Island throughout the summer but this dwindle down in the colder months and the train only runs from Ryde down to Shanklin. As you can come over by passenger and car ferry having access to a car is really helpful as it means you can see a lot more if the Island without relying on public transport. When we went in October the train was running fine down to Shanklin however the buses were a little less frequent. We were still able to use the bus transport to get to Newport.

Top Attractions for Families

Isle of Wight Zoo

We had an amazing time at the Isle of Wight zoo after a walk along the beautiful coastline from Shanklin all the way up to Sandown. It was a really long walk but we enjoyed exploring the zoo and seeing all the animals there. Zoo’s are always great for families and a chance to get up close and personal with the animals.

Owl & Monkey Sanctuary

This is located near Newport and is a large, open space. It was incredibly quiet when we went due to the rain but it was a really lovely place and a great chance to see a huge variety of monkeys and owls in all their enclosures. Throughout the day lots of demo’s go on and on our visit we had a lot of chats with the keepers who were very knowledgeable. They also had some very tasty cream teas in the on site cafe.

Coastline and Beaches

When we visited the tide was right in and splashing up the sides of the path however there was a great stretch of coastline which is beautiful to walk across in the sunshine and plenty of midway stops for ice cream. Shanklin to Sandown has plenty of sandy bays for a quick play.

Robin Hill Adventure Park

This is one place we will be heading to on our next holiday to the Isle of Wight, it sounds beautiful and is a place my partner absolutely loved to go to as a child. Plenty of attractions, animals and places to explore all over the national park.

Blackgang Chine

The place of imagination, according to their website, and my partner. This was another big hit for him as a child and a place I think my daughter will absolutely love. Definitely on our destination wish list.

Isle of Wight Attractions & Events

Shanklin Chine

This was one of my favourite places to visit on our trip. It’s a beautiful walkway filled with trees, beautiful flowers and waterfalls. We really loved it and my daughter firmly believes it’s a place to look for fairies.

Isle of Wight Festival

If you love music festivals then the Isle of Wight has one every year and it’s such a beautiful place it’s worth going and making a holiday out of it. You can camp or stay in some of the nearby hotels.

Where is your favourite holiday and what do you love to do as a family?

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June 15, 2016
Are Cruises for Young Couples?
I wouldn’t exactly describe myself as ‘young’ anymore now that I am steadily approaching my thirties but I do appreciate that there are things I enjoy doing which typically cater to an older demographic – cruise holidays being one of them. My partner and I are both in our mid-late twenties now and whilst some may still say we are young and have a lot to learn about the ways of the world we don’t quite feel like we’re in that category anymore. Nor are we an ‘old’ couple, really, we are sort of stuck in this inbetween place where you’re not quite sure what kind of leisure activities we ‘should’ be doing if we wanted to fit into our stereotypes.

We have never been interested in pubs and clubs, or 18 to 30 holidays…as the years go by I favour a glass of water or a cup of tea over a glass of wine and hangovers take far too long to get over if we’ve had a night out. We are also finding our feet and enjoy exploring the world, our holiday destinations are not based on typical young choices such as big cities, great nightlife or amazing shopping. I suppose some of that comes with having a child in the household however we are lucky enough to have plenty of time together as a couple which means we want to see what the world has to offer us. Even so, with or without children, we are the sort of people that favours good food, amazing scenery and a comfy bed when it comes to our trips and holidays.

Because of this, we really do favour cruising as our way to travel and I have quite a few reasons why.
1. Check-In is less stressful at a Cruise terminal than an Airport.
  It really, really is. On our last cruise we waited around twenty minutes to check in and as soon as that was done we breezed through security and we were on board the ship. Our holiday began as soon as we walked on. I love that. I love that we could go and check out our cabin straight away and get stuff put away before grabbing a coffee. Check In was so straightforward.When you arrive at the departure lounge, ours was in Southampton, you are given an embarkation letter and when that letter is called you join the queue for the Check In desks. This is staggered throughout the afternoon so you’re not left waiting around too long. However in Dock 10 there was plenty of seating, clean toilets and refreshments available whilst you do wait. When you reach the Check In desk you hand in your tickets, show your passports and have your photo taken for your cruise card. This is all with P&O Cruises but I assume most others have a similar embarkation routine. This was less stressful for me than any other mode of transport I’ve ever used, and I’ve used a lot in my time.
2. Great Food 24/7
  On our last cruise we had some amazing food from the restaurants on board the ship. Food is available all day, every day and with P&O pretty much everything is included in the price, it it isn’t you’ll see how much it is and you simply charge it to your on board spend account which is settled at the end of the cruise. For us we had breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and five course dinners. There’s a buffet restaurant available throughout the day for snacks, hot and cold meals and even late night treats. Even room service is included. Drinks are what will cost you but with P&O everything was in £’s and it was what we would expect to pay in our local pub or restaurant anyway. It was really, really affordable. Plus there’s good quality tea in your cabin anyway.
3. Ability to Explore
  What we really love about cruising as a young couple is the ability to see lots of different places in a short amount of time and whats more there are excursions at every port to cater to everyone. Or, you can just go and explore on your own which is what we really love to do. Just having a wonder around, taking in a new culture, trying new food, enjoying our day really. Our next cruise is in August and as well as a few coach tours there is the chance to ride a cable car up a mountain and ride in a RIB boat along the Fjord.
4. Kids Club for young families
  We’ve yet to take Mini Kat on board a cruise with us but we will be next year knowing that she can have loads of fun with us, eat whatever she wants, whenever she wants and have a great time playing and making new friends in the kids clubs, which are supervised so they can stay there whilst you’re on the ship. If you do disembark at port you do need to take them with you! Lots of our friends have young children and the idea of a kids club appeals to them. An area where they can have fun whilst you relax.
5. A chance to dress up
  With P&O cruises they have a couple of casual and black tie events so it gives everyone a chance to dress up for dinner in glamorous attire. I love getting ready for a great night and with cruises that can include pre-dinner drinks in a cocktail bar, a five course meal followed by a live show in their on board theatre. Or perhaps there will be a comedy gig you want to make, or a film you want to see – our next cruise has an open air cinema and I love the idea of relaxing under the stars with a great film. I love a chance to get glammed up and feel good about myself and a gala dinner is a great reason to do so.
Adam and I on our recent cruise for our Anniversary

So there you have it, five reasons why I think cruises are for young, or at least in our case, younger couples. They’re also a really affordable way of holidaying. Mainly because all of your food is included in the price you pay and each time we’ve booked a select price with P&O we’ve gotten free on board spending money to go towards drinks and other purchases. It gave me and my partner a chance to get away and enjoy ourselves for a couple of nights and we can not wait to go on our next cruise. Two months and counting!
June 7, 2016
Pizza Express – Andover – Review

With my boyfriend turning 25 on Monday we started our celebrations last night at Pizza Express. It’s been open in our town for a couple of months now and it’s the second time I’ve been but the first time we’ve all been as a family. Adam was pretty keen to try it and Mini Kat just wanted dough balls. It seemed like a win-win for us all. It’s sort of felt like a ‘last meal’ for me as well as today I am healthy all the way. Well, except for a few things I’m sure but I’m making much more effort to be healthy from now on. Good thing about pizza express is they have plenty of light options on their menu so we can easily return! Adam loves pizza and so it was fitting that we had his favourite cuisine to begin celebrating his birthday weekend.

We booked a table for eight people which included the three of us, my dad and his fiance, my sister and her girlfriend and my younger sister who was going to be taking Mini Kat back to my mums after dinner for a sleepover. We booked for quite late in the afternoon but before the dinner rush so that Adam and I could head over to the cinema afterwards. The table we were given was in the middle of the left side of the entrance and it was a lovely long booth so we could all sit together comfortably and chat.

I loved that a menu for Mini Kat was already out which included some colouring pencils for her which really helped to keep her occupied whilst we were chatting and waiting for our food. As the three of us were the last to arrive I’m not sure if that’s because my dad asked for the child’s menu as I hadn’t told them a child would be coming myself but the fact that it was there before the three of us was great. After we were sat down and a few minutes of saying hellos our drinks order was taken. Adam and I had a bottle of red between us and adding a drink on to the child’s menu was very low cost. This included most of the soft drinks available but as it was a treat my daughter was allowed a coke. We did ask for a straw but unfortunately they were all out.

Our drinks came fairly quickly and then there was a bit of a wait for our food order to be taken but we were all pretty busy chatting away. The young man that took our order was very friendly and helpful however he did forget one of our parties starter and main course order which lead to a slight delay on her food. He did rectify it with some complimentary olives to nibble on however as he admitted and acknowledged that it was his error. Any new drinks ordered came pretty quickly too. We also brought in a cake which they kindly brought out for us and provided with plates for the order after our main meal plates had been taken away.

For our food Adam and I shared the Antipasti Platter as a starter which is just delicious. You can double up and share for just under £13 and you get a big platter of cold meats, dips, cheesy dough slices, olives and tomatoes. We really enjoyed that as a starter, it was really quite filling actually. Mini Kat had dough balls which is the only option on the child’s menu but as she loves them she was happy. It also came with a few salad bits which she could probably give or take. She did happily help herself to our mozzarella and olives though! Our starter did come on a sort of tower thing with the plates underneath so we could share easily. It was a little big but we kind of new what we were going to get as we’ve been to other Pizza Express restaurants before.

Our main meals came very quickly after our starters which I’m sure those of the party that didn’t have a starter were grateful for. I opted for the new Hawaiin pizza which was really delicious. It came with a pineapple chutney which was really sweet alongside the smokey bacon and the cheese. Each pizza came with an individual pizza slicer too which was great although it made them all very accessible to my daughter and one turn of my head saw her waving one around and we helped her cut up her small pizza which was ham, olives and mushroom – Mini Kat really loves her olives! Quite a few went for the American hot pizza which looked good. My dad had the American Hottest as one type of chilli clearly isn’t enough for him! All the pizzas looked great and tasted better.

We were there for around two hours chatting, eating and drinking and had a really great meal. Apart from the small hiccup with the food delay I have no other complaints. The setting inside is lovely and as it’s only been opened for a few months now the decor inside is still new and fresh. It’s comfortable and the service has been pleasant for me each time I’ve been there. As Pizza Express is a chain all the prices are pretty similar around the country and they have plenty of special offers and discounts if you sign up to email updates on their website. Pizza Express is also experimenting with delivery options however this isn’t available in our town yet. For the eight of us our bill totaled £156 which included a few starters, drinks, all main meals and the child’s menu which is priced at just under £7. We enjoyed our meal and it’s really nice to see more places open up in our town. I really hope it stays because we would happily become regulars.

May 1, 2016
Younique Business Kit – What’s Inside?

For those of you that are unaware Younique are a beauty company founded in America that are really branching out across Europe. The started with their Fibre Lash Mascara and have brought in so many products it’s no wonder it’s one of the fastest growing network marketing companies. I really wanted to see what all the fuss was about as the products look amazing and so I went ahead and got myself a kit. I’m not the world’s best seller but I’m a sucker for a personal discount and I absolutely love to try new products. I paid the £69 and £6.95 courier delivery charge to have my kit shipped over to me from the Netherlands. It took around a week to get to me which is pretty good although it would have been a little less of a wait if the courier hadn’t decided to give up looking for my house and go home for the day instead…still a little bitter about that, but that’s a rant for another time and I don’t want to tarnish this post with negativity.

I always think its better to start a business with a kit because how do you know if you are actually going to love the products if you haven’t already tried a good handful? How can you show people what the products are? I firmly believe that face to face networking is the strongest and most successful way to network with others, especially when you have something that another person can touch, smell and see. It’s all about building trust! Especially with cosmetics, because it’s a very personal buying decision, especially with things like foundation. People want to be able to try before they buy, you can’t really do that without a kit which is why I think it’s a bit silly having all these “free” opportunities. Nothing is free. It will either cost you time or money before you see a return, or both!

Anyway, I feel like the kit is a great price especially as the products inside are worth £175 so you’re already getting a really good discount. I think that’s why so many people kitnap and then go on to sell to family and friends. They get a great deal, show some friends, get a couple of Mascara’s sold and BOOM they’ve made back their money. Younique’s starting commission is 20% which seems to be about average but you can increase that as you move through the ranks and increase your personal retail and team sales volume. This is pretty average for any network marketing business to be honest, the more you work and the more you bring in the more rewards and money you will make. Younique also allow you to host virtual parties which you can do very easily and it helps earn you commission and half price items. Because of this it looks like Younique is an incredibly lucrative way to build your kit up without you having to use all of your commission.

Let’s get into what’s in the actual kit though shall we?! Firstly it comes in a lovely black and purple box with some gorgeous black and purple tissue paper which matches my bedroom very nicely. The case is really nice and the packaging has a luxury feel. Immediately you can see why these products come with a higher price tag, you are buying what is being marketed as a luxury brand. You can really see and feel it in the care and quality of the packaging. Younique also market themselves as being cruelty-free and suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin. The kit case has made a very nice addition to my desk.

The first thing I noticed when I opened it up was all the literature that is included in your kit. Most of these are samples however there is also a very helpful and handy presenters guide which you should take the time to read and a catalogue so you can start making a list of all the products you’re going to want and showing friends and family the wide range that’s available.

I then noticed the makeup remover cloths thanks to the bright yellow packaging. I’ve used these and found they remove makeup really well. They do contain a lot of oils which made me very wary that it would make my skin oily but I haven’t had a bad reaction to them so I’m really happy with that and they smell quite nice too, not as heavily fragranced as some other wipes I’ve used before and they are suitable for eye-makeup removal.

I then wanted to take a look at what eyeshadow palette I was given as it’s chosen at random. I want all three of them personally and I’ve started with number one with is a mixture of matte and shimmers in lovely earthy tones that I feel will help me with a good base to other eyeshadows I have.

The next thing I took out was the Fibre Lash Plus mascara that Younique are pretty famous for which is a bottle of black transplanting gel and a bottle of fibres for great length and volume. I was actually really surprised by this mascara as I’ve never been able to find one that really gave volume. Personally, it’s probably not an everyday mascara for me but for evenings, nights out or when I have time I will probably be using this one, mainly because I feel like I am rushing around in the morning and sometimes don’t have time to put much makeup on. #

The next full sized product is the brand new self tanning lotion which is a generous sized bottle of lotion. This is a brand new addition to the Younique presenter kit which I think is fantastic. It’s so easy to apply, smells nice and gives you a gorgeous summer glow.

The item I was most impressed with is the Splurge Cream shadow in elegant. I’ve never used a cream shadow before but this was lovely to apply and to wear so I’ve been really impressed with it. Alongside this were two eyeshadow brushes and one particularly designed for the cream shadow and the other for the palette and blending.

There are also a fair few samples included in the kit so you can find your ideal shade and get some photo evidence and show of the products nicely. The samples include 3 shades of beachfront bronzer, 5 shades of blush, touch mineral foundation samples and shade selector, 5 mineral eyeshadow samples and a huge selection of lipgloss and lipstain samples which are just fantastic to help you create multiple looks with your kit when you’re just starting out.

I really like that the kit has a great range of full sized products and samples as this helps you to find your favourite shades and know where to put your money. It is also a great way to make those first few sales from friends and family as if you choose to let them you can pick a perfect shade with them. Having this mix really does make an excellent investment because there’s a great amount of choice and it really makes you choose the perfect full sized product!

When it comes to network marketing, as I’ve said before, you need to have passion for the product and be consisitent and persisitent everyday. Find a company that fits in with your ethos, take your time to research, buy a couple of products to try from any friends, start speaking to people regularly not with the intention to sell or recruit but purely to connect and build up strong relationships.

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April 20, 2016