Cornwall Mini Haul

Hi dolls!

Due to my whole 'moving house' situation at the moment, I'm on a bit of a....well, 'spending ban' sounds so harsh. Let's say its just spending redux!

I'm not going to be able to have many treats for a while, and I'll have to get good at bargain hunting. Sometimes being an adult sucks. But then again, being debt-free (sans mortgage) with a five-bedroom house in a nice area sounds worth it to me, even if its a pain in the short term. But you may notice a few less hauls and a few more bargain posts around here.

While I was in Cornwall, I wasn't really 'shopping' in a major way, but I did pick up a few little cheap bits and pieces that I'm going to share here. A few are Christmas presents (yes, I've started that early!).

Black jaquard skater dress - Tu at Sainsbury's

 

Mum and I popped into Sainsbury's one day to pick up some croissants for the next morning, and I couldn't resist a rummage in the clothing department as they were having a huge sale.

When I found this dress, I decided a little treat was in order. It was reduced from £22 down to just £6, so I didn't feel too guilty. What appealed to me most was the fantastic jaquard fabric, which has a raised design, sort of like a crocodile print. This type of detailing always makes a garment look deluxe and expensive in my book.

 

A little black dress is always a timeless classic anyway. This is quite demure, as it hits the knee (a rare thing on me, my height means a lot of dresses come up short) so I thought it would be perfect for work as well as dinner and drinks. I can see this layered with a white shirt or a slim poloneck for the colder months as well.

Set of 3 Teatowels - Sainsbury's

 

Ok, so I know its a little sad to be posting about new teatowels, but please bear with me and my 'new house' excitement! I think I'm more interested in furniture and paint than make-up and clothes at the moment, and that is really saying something for me.

These tea towels caught my eye because of their elegant grey-and-cream designs -  that's the colour scheme I'd like in our new place. Tea towels get dirty and worn out so quickly, I can't wait to chuck away all the old ones and start fresh in the new place. 

I'm stockpiling little things like this because I know when we move, we'll have to find so much money for new furniture and things anyway. We've been buying stuff from Home Sense for about a year now, so it will literally be like Christmas if we pull this move off - I don't even remember what we've bought!

Fairings Biscuits - The Cornish Hen Deli

 

These weren't all for me, I promise! The tradition in my office is that when you go away, you bring biscuits in afterwards, so I couldn't leave Cornwall without picking some up.I'm a big fan of Cornish 'fairings' -  a type of spicy biscuit a bit like gingerbread.

I was informed that these were delicious, so hunt them out if you're down in the south west - to be fair, you can also try them from most large supermarkets!

Public Enemies DVD, Snakeskin tablet cover, Keep Clean and Shower Pomegranate Noir Shower Gel

 

I actually ducked into the Poundshop while I was on my break...always on the hunt for bargains! I was stocking up on energy drinks for the long and tiring drive back, but I also found these goodies as well. This is why I can't resist popping in whenever I see one.

I picked up the DVD of Public Enemies as a stocking filler for Seb. Each year, we do a stocking for each other, and its honestly one of the highlights of Christmas (sorry to bring the C-word into it, so early). I start collecting bits and pieces for it, usually by late summer or autumn, so when I spotted this, it became the second item I've picked up for him. I remember thinking this looked good when it came out, well worth a watch for £1.

My little tablet's white case is looking rather tired and grubby lately, so I picked up this snakeskin-pattern one to give it a new look. I mainly use it to read books on, via the Kindle app, because its easy to load up and carry around. This case is pretty smart, I was pleased to find it.

They also carry a 'Keep Clean' line of toiletries I like. I bought a couple of the hand lotions before as they come in a handy pump bottle, and I keep one on my bedside table so I can pop it on before sleep. 

I love the fragrance of these. Its called 'Pomegranate Noir', which is a Jo Malone fragance, so I don't know if it smells like that, but its really peppery and nice. It actually reminds me of my beloved Molton Brown Black Pepper body wash. I thought I'd try out the matching shower gel.

National Trust Wool Blanket

 

When I went over to St Michael's Mount, I was really impressed by the gift shop there. They had some really nice stuff, including a range of  beautiful wool blankets that I was admiring.I sort of assumed they'd be really expensive, because nicely-made wool blankets tend to be pricey (Nana comment alert!) but when I saw this was just £13, I couldn't believe it.

 

I decided I'll give this to Seb for Christmas. I'm always stuck for present ideas with him and he likes homeware stuff. I thought this would be really nice for chilly winter nights to snuggle up with on the sofa, or even to take on picnics in the summer. It seemed like something every family needs.

Embroided Christmas Tree Decorations

 

Another Christmas tradition in our house is that Seb and I always buy each other Christmas tree decorations, one each year to go into the stockings. 

Seb started it all the first Christmas we were together. He popped a little blue jewelled tree ornament into the stocking he put together and told me it was for one day when we lived together and had a tree to put it on, which was so sweet. Since then, we've continued the little tradition. 

 

Now we're at the stage where we compete with each other each year to see who can find the most unique ornament - and our tree tells a lovely personal story. 

Last year I thought I had the edge, finding a gorgeous gold robin in a little glass bell jar from Marks and Spencer. Then he topped me by finding red telephone box ornaments from Harrods! So when I spotted these beautiful little tree decorations, it was a complete no brainer, I had to get them for him. 

He'll absolutely love the knight in armour -  that's so him, with his love of history and tradition. And I thought the shield with the flag on would go nicely with those red telephone box ornaments.

 

These are beautifully made and embroidered -  everything in that giftshop was absolutely lovely. On the reverse it reads 'St Michael's Mount', so he'll know I was thinking of him while I was away.

Suddenly Diamonds Perfume

The last little thing I picked up was only cheap, but it might just be my new favourite!

Mum was telling me about a new perfume that had been blind 'smell tested' against a load of designer fragrances and come out on top. But this perfume was only £3.99 from...Lidl of all places.

When I found myself in Lidl picking up some picnic items, of course I couldn't resist taking a sniff and I absolutely loved it.

At first, I wondered if it was supposed to be dupe for Emporio Armarni Diamonds, but the t'interweb reliably informs me its actually supposed to be a ringer for Boss Orange, which I haven't smelt.

This is quite a sweet but fresh scent - mandarin, orange blossom (heaven), white floral notes and vanilla. Its a good one if you like 'clean' scents that aren't too sickly. I love anything that smells of orange blossom so this was a winner. And the scent really lasts (apparently longer than its original Boss Orange, according to other reviews that did a dual test).

The really nice part is that the bottle is also half-decent, a thick glass rectangle that is not going to look obviously 'cheap' on your dressing table. I've literally been using this every day since I bought it, its the perfect daytime/work perfume, and because of the amazing price you can be generous with it sans guilt.

I'm definitely going to be stocking up on this and am so glad I discovered it - finding great budget products is going to be what this blog is all about for a while and this is a great place to start. If you haven't tried this yeat, swing by a Lidl - your nose and your purse will be greatful!