Throwback Thursday Week 3: Childhood Photos

A few weeks ago, I decided to start writing a series of posts using the popular 'Throwback Thursday' idea as inspiration.
  I started off the posts with an introduction and my Year 11 prom and followed this up last week by looking through my Facebook profile pictures.
  This week I have been searching through the old family photo albums and looking back at some photos taken whilst I was growing up and thought that I would share them in the form of this blog post.
  In this first photo I am clearly rocking the trends that teenagers and adults are wearing in 2014! I appear to be wearing some gorgeous red tracksuit bottoms and what we now call a 'snapback.' Obviously I was creating trends that would catch on years later without even realising it. Haha.
  I'm not sure how old I am in this photo, but I would imagine I was around 2 and I can see that I am loving my first ever car which I can still remember using throughout my childhood.

 In this next photograph I look much older and I think I must have been about 7 years old when this was taken. With me in the photo is my Auntie and you can just about see the London Eye in the background.
 My Auntie used to live and work in London and I remember this was the day that I went on the London Eye for the first time after queuing for what seemed like forever. Along with my Mum, Dad and Sister we met my Auntie in London and spent the day sightseeing. It's hard to believe that this must have been around 12 years ago now, especially because I can still remember parts of this day.
  My auntie always used to wear the red coat pictured here and you can see that some of my own clothes have been inspired by her because I am sporting a rather lovely red coat to match. I'm not quite so sure on my hair, especially because my fringe has parted here so I look as though I have curtains. Not a good look.
  I'm not sure what I'm holding in my hand but I think it might be a teddy bear wrapped in cellophane or something similar. This photo must have been taken in the Winter as it doesn't look particularly warm, but considering that it's England it could well have been the middle of summer for all I know.

The car makes another appearance! I wasn't lying when I said that I loved this toy car growing up and here I am again looking a bit older than before actually inside it this time.
 I remember pretending to fill this car up with fuel because of the pretend fuel cap and that I used to like people pushing my around in it as opposed to using my own feet to get around. I also remember it wasn't very good on grass and so tried to use this on the pavement and patio as much as possible.
  Looking back now, the fashion here isn't too bad and I could quite easily see someone today wearing a jumper similar to the one that I'm wearing.
  Next up is a photo of my sister, myself and my dad. This was taken on a family holiday when I was about 7 years old. I don't remember much about this photo apart from the fact that we were in Spain but I love this photo because it isn't posed, it's just a spontaneous moment.
  My dad looks really tall and tanned here in comparison to how small me and my sister look here.
 Our mum's fashion taste also comes through here as she dressed both me and my sister when we were younger. Bold colours and floral print was obviously a favourite choice, although looking at it now I'm not a huge fan of my blue sandals. I'm also not sure why I'm wearing a bib whilst enjoying my ice cream because surely I had grown out of that stage by then.
  This is one of my favourite pictures from my childhood and always makes me feel happy when I look at it because it has two of my favourite people in it. I've lived with my dad and sister for my whole life so far and it's hard to imagine life without them.

To finish off this post I thought that I would include a photo of myself with one of my first ever pets. Although I've always had cats, this hamster was the first pet that I could call my own and I loved her. I think this may have also been the hamster that went on to have 12 babies one day before eating all but 3 of them. These 3 survivors went to three of my best childhood friends, which for some of them was their first ever pet too.
  For a large part of my childhood I sported this bobbed haircut with a full fringe, probably because it was easier for my mum to wash, brush and maintain. I'm glad now that these days of terrible hair have gone and the fringe has gone for good!
 I'm also rocking some beautiful Barbie pyjamas, which screams out typical child of the 90's.
 I also like how natural this photo appears to be, and that I'm not playing up to the camera of posing. I'm just holding and enjoying the company of my hamster and this is probably where my love of animals and pets originally started.

I've really enjoyed looking back at some of the old photos I found of both myself and my family. So much has changed since these photos were taken in terms of both personal changes and also fashion and social changes. It's good to have these reminders to look back on and I'm glad I found them.   

Types of Shopper

During a recent shopping trip I realised that there are many different types of shopper. Some like to take their time buying whilst others use shopping as a social experience with friends and family. Here I am going to explore the different types of shopper and typical things you would expect them to do.

The Essential Shopper
This type of shopper will only usually buy the stuff that they need. Sometimes they will carry a list of the exact things they need to purchase and will not buy any unnecessary or irrelevant items. They are extremely efficient and this means their trips to the shopping centre are not usually that long.

The Fast Shopper
This type of shopper completes all of their shopping very quickly. They determine what they need or want or just generally walk and browse fast and this means they get everything done really quickly. They can get frustrated with long queues and the slow shopper if they get stuck behind them, but they tend to enjoy the shopping experience even if it doesn't last very long.





The Hate Shopper
This type of shopper doesn't tend to enjoy the shopping experience and will go about their business rather quickly. Sometimes this type of shopper can be in the form of somebody who is dragged along to a shopping trip when they would much rather be doing something else. This type of shopper may not buy a lot when out, which means they are less likely to waste money. 

The Impulse Shopper
I am definitely guilty of being an impulse shopper. This type of shopper usually buys products and clothing that they don't need, but just think they need. Then after the shopping trip they will regret buying the product and will usually end up taking it back to the shop. 
 In addition, the impulse shopper may just continue to buy stuff without realising how much they are spending until they sit down and tally up their expenses.  

The On-line Shopper
This is one of the newest types of shopper and is becoming more and more popular is the on-line shopper. This type of shopper doesn't even need to leave their home and everything that they order can be sent straight to their front door. In addition, they can order things from anywhere in the world and there is a massive range of products to buy. However, on-line shopping is a bit of a risk because you are unable to try clothes on before they get to you and the product may not be what you expect when it arrives.

 The Single Shopper
This type of shopping enjoys shopping by themselves and is often seen alone. Although they may enjoy other types of shoppers such as social, they may also like time alone to spend some cash. 

 The Slow Shopper
This type of shopper likes to take their time when out and about. This often frustrates other shoppers, especially if they are a fast shopper and don't like to be held up. The slow shopper usually takes time to consider what they are purchasing and have a relaxed approach to shopping and enjoy every moment of it. Although they may be aware that their habits annoy others, they don't mind and just go about their business. 

 The Social Shopper
This type of shopper loves to make a social experience out of shopping. Whether it be with family or friends, this type of shopper will hardly ever be seen alone. They may not necessarily buy a lot, but these types of shoppers love spending their days browsing the shops and catching up with people. 

  The Splurge Shopper

This type of shopper usually spends a lot of money in one shopping trip. This type of shopper will often be found with a huge smile on their face and lots of carrier bags. I am definitely guilty of being this type of shopper on occasion and it usually results in me buying a lot of stuff that I don't need or will not wear.

  

   

So which type of shopper bests suits you? Or do you possess qualities of all these different types of shopper? I know that I'm guilty of a number of these different types of shopper.

What's In My Purse?

I find that it's always really interesting to see what other people have in their makeup bags or purses or bags. I've had the purse I'm currently using for the past two years and over this time I've found it has got heavier and fuller so I thought that I would have a look and see what is really in there. 

The purse itself was a birthday present from a friend two years ago and is from River Island. Although they are quite expensive at £17 they are absolutely worth every penny. I love their purses because they are able to hold so much and have different compartments where you can organise all your cards and cash. I love the detailing on the front of the purse and the contrasting coral lining inside.

In the front section of the purse I store all of my cards and bank notes. Also, I can put coinage in the zipped section  in the middle, but I usually use this section to put receipts and other important pieces of paper.

In the back of the purse is another section designed to store more notes or coinage. I love the clasp for this section and it is here I store all my coins and occasionally notes and receipts if I am in a hurry.

Contents of my purse

Currently I have a £10 note, a £5 note, two pound coins, two 50p coins, two 20p coins, two 2p coins and one 5p and 1p coins. This amounts to £18.50.

After my holiday to Majorca in July, I found that I had a few cents left over. However, I cannot exchange these back into pounds sterling because I am only able to exchange notes so these coins are still in my purse and will probably stay there until I go abroad again. 

I'm not really sure why I have a Hollister receipt in my purse seeing as the last time I brought something in there was before Christmas last year. I think I've also stuffed other receipts into this to try and regain some sort of order in my purse.

From looking at the receipts in my purse you can tell which shops I go to the most. These are probably Superdrug, Costa Coffee and Morrisons as I have the most receipts for these shops. I don't actually have that many receipts at the moment because I try to shred them on a regular basis so they don't take over my purse.

My purse is absolutely overrun by cards. I think I counted about 27 of them and the reason why I have so many is because I don't throw them away even if I don't use them. Also, if a company offers me a free points card or something similar I always take one!

I have quite a few beauty and lifestyle points cards. From the top these are: 

Debenhams beauty club card

Superdrug beauty card

Matalan points card

The Body Shop points card
Boots Advantage Card
Holland & Barrett rewards card

Whenever I make a purchase in any of these shops, the cashier scans my card and depending on the scheme I then earn points. These points can then be used to pay for entire products or in some cases can be used to pay for part of a product and then I'll use cash or my debit card to pay for the rest.

I also have a few random cards in my purse, some of which I don't even use anymore. The top card is a W H Smiths giftcard, which has about £2 on it I think so I'm just waiting for something I want to buy to use it.
  The next card is a something called a coastal card which I use to get money off if I go to the local leisure centre or sports centre and the next one is an old library card from my high school, which I obviously do not use anymore.
 Finally, is my Morrisons Miles card which is used whenever I fill my car up with petrol at Morrisons. The card is scanned and I earn points which when I get to 5000 is converted into a £5 voucher which I can then use in store to spend. I've had the card about 6 months and fill up my car every week yet only have about 1,800 points I think, so it's going to take a while.

The next set of cards are all food related. At the bottom and in the middle I have a Subway and Nando's card, which is used to collect points similar to my other cards. However the top card is for Makro, a cash and carry shop which specialise in selling products in bulk to businesses. In order to have a makro card you need to have a business or work for a business that has a makro card.

For my final set of points collecting cards, these are all to do with drinks. At the top I have two Shakeaway points cards, which is for a shop which specialising in making a range of delicious milkshakes and drinks. Then I have a points card for a local coffee shop in my town called Crafty Coffee. These cards are similar because once you have 10 stamps (you get one stamp per visit) you get a free drink. 

  At the bottom, there is my Costa Coffee club card, in which you get 5 points for every pound you spend in store. Then once you get enough points, you can use them to pay for your purchase. Each point on the card is worth a penny so in order to pay for a hot chocolate you would need 250 points as the drink is £2.50.

These are the last of my cards and are the most important ones that I keep in my purse. The top three are all debit cards for the bank accounts I hold with Santander, Barclays and HSBC. Next is my national insurance card, to prove I am illegible to work in the UK and then it is my European Health Insurance Card. This is used when I am travelling in Europe and it means that I get healthcare for the same price as citizens in the country I'm in. 

 Then finally it is my UK full driving license, which proves that I can legally drive either a manual or automatic car in the UK.

Then I have a few random business cards and paper-type cards in my purse. These are business cards for my hairdressers and Santander. The other two are my organ donor card and a card to certify that I am immunised against cervical cancer. 

Majorca 2013: Part 2

The view from our hotel, looking down over the pool and sea

Once we had arrived in Palma, we quickly made our way to the baggage reclaim section of the airport and waited whilst our bags were put on the conveyor belt. Typically our bags were one of the last to come out, but we managed to find all of them. We then had to find our coach to transfer us to the hotel. 

  After a lengthy journey I think we finally got to the hotel at 4pm local time. We then checked in and collected our wrist bands from reception, which were a good indication to how tanned we were by the end of the holiday. By this time I had been awake for nearly 30 hours and so we were pretty tired! Luckily we were on the fifth floor instead of the ninth!

The view from the fifth floor lobby

 The location in which we stayed was beautiful. The views were amazing and really relaxing. We walked along the cliffs to the beach a few times and this was when I took the majority of these images. They are mostly taken during the evening too, which shows just how beautiful the place was. 

The main swimming pool in our hotel

 We spent most days just chilling out near the pool or the beach and it was just lovely to not have to think about all the stress and worries at home or during normal life. It was a chance to just relax and enjoy our time away for a week. 
  The main swimming pool was always busy and we often watched people wait around the pool at 8am waiting for the man to unlock the sunbeds. After about 10 minutes the pool would be packed full of occupied sunbeds and towels.

View from the hotel grounds of the cliffs and walkway 

 We also spent some time walking to the little shopping centre about 10 minutes away from the resort and brought souvenirs and trinkets which you wouldn't buy at home. I think most of us came away with sunglasses and t-shirts, a total novelty shopping trip!

Flowers found in the hotel grounds

 As well as the amazing views and scenery within the resort, there was also a wide variety of beautiful flowers and plants. There was a tree with lots of roots growing from it's trunk and hanging from the branches as well as some gorgeous flowers such as the ones above. 

Views from the hotel grounds

On our last evening at the hotel, a few of us went out to get some last photos of the island and we realised how much we were going to miss our holiday and how we did not want to leave. The scenery here was a complete contrast to the views that we are used to at home. 

Views from the cliff-tops near the beach

 I love this image taken near the beach. Although it looks like a panoramic shot, it is indeed just a single shot and the way the land is shaped makes it look like a panorama. The beach itself was beautifully sandy and the sea was so clear and blue, a complete change from the sea and beach in our home town. One day we enjoyed pizza on the beach, played bat and ball in the sea and some of us even explored some of the coves.

The swimming pool which we regularly went to

 Although the main pool in the resort was always packed, the hotel had many other pools which guests could enjoy. On our first night we discovered the pool pictured above, which was located near the second of our two rooms. This was also our usual sunbathing spot and we found that you could always get a sun bed at this pool whenever you went down to it. One day the entertainment team brought down a water carpet and allowed the adults to attempt to run across it which was extremely funny to watch!

The entertainment team performing their rendition of 'Grease'

 In the evenings we typically went down to watch the entertainment. Whilst we were there we watched a circus act, played bingo, watched the entertainment teams interpretations of 'Mamma Mia' and 'Grease' and some of us were even forced to participate in the children's disco! The entertainment team there works extremely hard and are thoroughly entertaining, making sure that everybody gets involved and they happily chat to you whenever you see them.

The main pool at night

Sunrise on the last morning

 We awoke on the morning that we left at about 6am because we were being picked up at 8.40. We had time to finalise our packing and take a few more photos and it was amazing to see the sun come up over the horizon. The photos do not do justice to how red the sky and sun was when they first appeared. We knew that it was likely to be hot that day, and knew we wouldn't be experiencing any of it.

The sun rising on our last morning

We left our hotel, boarded the plane and soon arrived back in England. It's been nearly a month since we went now and it was one of the best holidays I have been on. Not only did I get to experience a beautiful resort and island, but I also got to spend it with my closest friends that I will not necessarily see all the time next year. Going on holiday was one of the best decisions that we made and I would do anything to go again because it was truly a brilliant week. 

Oh and if you're wondering what happened to that group of lads that went to Magaluf... On the flight home one of them was sick, and they said that they 'were never going to Magaluf again' because 'it was a total sausage fest' according to them. Sounds like they had a brilliant time!

Part 1: http://tammypenton.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/majorca-2013-part-1.html