Make January Magical

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antidote, back to work, beautiful diary, bestseller, binging, biographies, body, book, bookshop, Bridget Jones, cakes and cookies, candles, chic lit, cook, cookery skills, creative outlet, Credit card bills, crisp countryside, curries, depressed, detox, dreams, escape, exciting first chapter, feast, first chapter, fish and chips, fresh bread, friends, gloves, good book, healthy food, hotels, inspiring, January, January blues, Kindle, library, look ahead, magical, making plans, mini break, modern life, month, music, news feeds, nourishing, novel, offers, outside, overnight bag, parties, picnic, poetry, presents, pretty notebook, quiet night, sci-fi story, scones by a roaring fire, seaside B&B, social media, something special, soups, spas, stews, sun comes out, tea, thermals, thrillers, town, walks by the sea, wellies

We bet you don’t often think of January as being a magical month?

Credit card bills, back to work and a bulging waistline often get in the way of enjoy the New Year, but why not turn things round and see this as an exciting first chapter the next part of your life?

We have had a look at how you can turn what many people thing is the hardest month of the year, into something special.

Get lost in a good book
Step away from the Kindle, go into town and have a browse the shelves of your local bookshop or library. From chic lit to poetry and thrillers to biographies, there really is something for everyone. Reading lets you escape from the trappings of modern life and an hour or two away from social media and news feeds, has to be a good thing.

Go on a mini break
In true Bridget Jones style, pack your overnight bag and get away from it all. You don’t have to spend a fortune as there are many offers around for hotels and spas around, but a traditional seaside B&B can be just the escape you need. Long walks by the sea, tea and scones by a roaring fire and fish and chips out of the paper watching the sunset could be the perfect antidote to the January blues.

Write it down
They say we all have a book inside of us, why not use January to get that novel down on paper? You might not do it all in one go, but making a start on a kid’s tale or sci-fi story, rather than bingeing on box-sets will give you a creative outlet and you never know, you might produce the next bestseller?

Cook up a feast
Yes, we know we are meant to step away from the cakes and cookies, but January is the perfect time to look at nourishing your body with healthy food rather than punishing it with a detox. From stews and soups to curries and fresh bread, you can use the dark nights to brush up on your cookery skills and with some candles on the table and music in the background you can have friends over for a quiet night of catching up and making plans.

Take a picnic outside
When the sun comes out, pack a picnic, get your wellies and dine alfresco this January. Yes, you might need thermals and gloves, but there is something magical about walking in the crisp countryside and breathing in crystal clear air – take a flask of hot chocolate and you will be warm and toasty.

Plot and plan
There is nothing like a beautiful diary or pretty notebook to start a new chapter in your life. Rather than getting depressed about the parties and presents being over, use January to look ahead and plan your future. Dreams are great, but working on making them a reality can be exciting and inspiring.

Whatever you do this January, make it your most magical ever.

Team Pure-Beauty

The Loving Way to Do Valentine’s Day

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14 February, bake a cake, Barcelona, beach, bike ride, boat trip, book, brave, cocktail, dancing, date, dermalogica, diamond, dolphin, drive, first edition, fish and chips, framed, gorgeous complexion, hold hands, love, loved one, lungs, Lupercalia., manor house, monkey, mountain, opera, pampered, Paris, promote sleep, river, roaring fire, rock concert, Roman holiday, say I love you, Serenade, share, single, song, Spa, stars, train, Valentine’s Day, zoo

Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

The history of Valentine’s Day is somewhat shrouded in mystery but we believe it is named after a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century, with origins in the Roman holiday, Lupercalia.

Regarded by some as a commercial exploitation exercise and an excuse to spend money, 14th February is the traditional day of love around the world.

While it is love that counts, we have come up with a few ideas to make sure the person you love, really knows it.

Organise a picnic in the park complete with blanket, champagne and cake.

Book a table at the restaurant where you had your first date.

Send flowers to the office, but not roses, everyone will have those on their desks!

Surprise the one you love with a weekend away to a city you have never been to.

Have a photo album of your most treasured pictures created.

Buy them a star – a real declaration of love.

Propose.

Take a helicopter ride.

Go to a matinee at the cinema and hold hands in the back row.

Find a first edition copy of their first book.

Adopt a monkey, dolphin or elephant and share your love.

Go dancing.

Bake them a cake.

Buy silk pillowcases – they promote sleep and a gorgeous complexion.

Cook dinner at home and enjoy some quiet time together.

Take afternoon tea at a manor house.

Go on an open top bus tour and watch the buzz of the city under the stars.

Eat fish and chips on the beach.

Go to a cocktail making class.

Find the record of your song and have it framed.

Buy a diamond.

Go on a date if you are single.

Get on a train and see where it takes you.

Buy chocolates and give them to a stranger.

Renew your vows.

Go on a long bike ride and feel the air in your lungs.

Take an exotic holiday and get away form the cold and wet winter.

Go to the zoo.

Book tickets to the theatre.

Explore the woods.

Drive out to the countryside and have a pint by a roaring fire.

Take a boat trip along the river.

Sit in the stalls at the opera.

Book a personal shopper and add in some spending money for a fancy frock.

Climb a mountain together.

Serenade your loved one, if you have the voice for it or are feeling brave.

Go to Barcelona for lunch and Paris for dinner.

Spend the day at a spa being pampered.

Take to the skies in a hot air balloon.

Go to a rock concert.

Hold hands and walk along the beach.

Put photos of the two of you in a locket.

Buy them some beautiful Dermalogica products.

Take the day off work and do nothing at all.

Whatever you do and whomever you do it with, say I love you and mean it.

Team Pure-Beauty

Have a happy half term

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apples, basics, buckets and spades, cider, creativity, cycle, Dan TDM, farms, fish and chips, football, fun, garden centres, half term, Halloween, help, Mario, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, movies, Nine Lives, playroon, pub, pumpkins, Pure Beauty, puzzles, sand castles, sea, shells, snacks, sofa, Storks, sun, supermarket, trains, Trolls

How did we go from back to school excitement to half term chaos in the blink of an eye?

If it seems like you only yesterday you marched your little ones off to school and now they are asking what the holidays have in store, don’t worry we are here to help.

We have done a little research and come up with some fun activities that will keep the whole brood happy all week long.

Get outside
Make the most of the last of the sun and get outside. Enjoy a walk, explore a nature trail, climb some trees or follow a car free cycle route. This half term there are apple festivals and den building, canoe courses and footballs camps to take part in all over the place. Whether you live in the city or country, by the sea or near the river, there is nothing like bundling up and getting some fresh air, stopping on the way home for a hot chocolate and muffin.

Get cooking
Half term is the perfect opportunity to do some baking at home. Cakes and muffins, pies and crumbles, the ideas are endless. Have a look online for some new ideas and why not start a blog to share you wares. You could even get a head start on Christmas and get your cake made and ready in the tin for decorating.

Catch up in some films
Term time can be crazy with extra clubs and activities and fun things, like watching films, can get lost in the madness. Why not use this half term to kick back and catch on the latest blockbusters? Nine Lives, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Trolls and Storks are all currently playing and are apparently worth a watch. Look out for the family mornings where tickets can be as little as £2.50 and there are offers on pick and mix. If you prefer popcorn and flicks from the comfort of your own home, grab some DVDs, dim the lights and enjoy a movie marathon on your sofa.

Pick up a pumpkin.
There are events on farms, garden centres and even in local coffee shops where you can go and try out pumpkin carving for yourself. The stakes get higher every year and levels of creativity are at an all time high in 2016. From traditional ghosts to Mario and even Dan TDM, never has it been so exciting when it comes to pumpkins.

Have a clear out
With everyone at home why not go though the playroom and bedrooms and get rid of the games, toys and clothes that no needs anymore. Take puzzles, jumpers and old trains to the charity shop and feel good about giving back and taking stock.

Visit the beach
Buckets and spades, boots and scarves are all on the list for a day by the seaside in the winter sun. A day on the beach, building sand castles and looking for shells, will take you back to basics and put colour in your cheeks. Once the sun goes down, head to the pub for fish and chips and a pint of cider and start planning your next trip to the sea.

Throw a Halloween party
Whilst most people actually go back to school on 31st October, there is no reason why you can’t host a fab party the weekend before. Your local supermarket will be jam packed with ghoulish snacks and scary costumes, so send out the invites, get the apple bobbing set up and prepare to have one scary night. Oh, and don’t forget to put the pumpkin you craved outside, so the trick or treaters know you are waiting for them.

After all that fun, be sure to order yourself a pampering treat from Pure-Beaty and sit back and relax knowing you have done a great job.

Team Pure-Beauty