How To Shop the Black Friday Sales on a Budget

Hey Owlets,

There’s Christmas music playing in the supermarket (earlier again this year!), Black Friday is here, there’s pressure to buy Christmas gifts and apparently 2020 is the gift that keeps on giving, because having navigated multiple lockdowns and a global health crisis, we’re now faced with the challenge of heating our homes, looking after our loved ones and enjoying the festive season with next to no budget (I write this as I’m in pyjamas and a wearable blanket, under a duvet for warmth). The pressure to spend more is huge at this time of year, and with the festive season looming a lot of people are turning to the Black Friday sales to try and make their money stretch further. 

The issue, as I’m sure most of you are aware, is that Black Friday is just one giant marketing tactic and a ploy to get you to part ways with your hard-earned cash. So before you dive head-first into the sales, here are a few tips to help you shop without breaking the bank.

Plus Size Party Look Book

Hey Owlets,

It’s getting towards that time of year where party invites are starting to mount up in my email so I thought it would be the perfect time to share some of my favourite go-to outfits to give you some style inspiration for any Christmas events you may have. I went through a phase a few years ago where I’d just started to get invited to press events, so every time I got an invite I bought a new dress. However since then my wardrobe has started overflowing with formalwear, so I’ve been making sure I wear what I already own instead of buying new, and some clear favourites have emerged. 

I was Bored so I Did a Home Makeover with Desenio

*Paid Partnership with Desenio*

Hey Owlets,

I don’t know about you, but after spending so much time indoors in the past year I’m a little bored of my surroundings. I’ve been staring at the same four walls every day and trying to get work done but feeling totally uninspired. I’m someone that thrives off of novelty - I love to be in a new environment, I love having lots of plans and things to do - so when the pandemic took that away I completely stalled and really struggled to find motivation.

How I Prep My Skin for Travel

*collaborative post

Hey Owlets,

I’ve you’ve followed me on Instagram for a while, you will probably have heard me mention that my body confidence is very much linked to how clear my skin is. I know that it shouldn’t matter but it does, and if my skin isn’t clear then I feel self conscious all day. I find that my skin breaks out after I’ve been travelling anyway but I try to keep my skin clear as much as I possibly can in the run up to travel so I can feel great while I’m exploring a new city. With this in mind, I thought it might be helpful to discuss some of the things I use to get my skin ready for my next adventure. To keep things simple I’ll split them into categories so you can skip straight to what you need.

5 Things I’m Loving (or Not) Right Now

Hey Owlets,

I’ve seen this trend going around Youtube recently where people talk about the things they’ve bought over lockdown and rate their purchases. I know I haven’t done trendy posts for a good few years but with the launch of my new websites coming up it’s allowing me a bit more freedom to post whatever I want instead rather than focusing on what’s going to do well. In all honesty I’m not one of those people that buys a lot of things - I tend to save my money and then treat myself to a trip or a more pricey object that I really want later on. Instead, I wanted to bring back a little 2016 Owlet with an updated version of favourites, sharing things that have come into my life that I’ve absolutely loved, and some that I haven’t as much - because let’s be real, everyone enjoys hearing about the fails, don’t they?

How to Shop more Sustainably in 2021

*This article contains sponsored content*

Hey Owlets,

Being in lockdown throughout 2020 gave us chance to see the negative effects of the things we do every day without thinking. Having had chance to step back and watch the world heal for a while, you may be wondering how you can continue to make your own positive impact on the world by way of making small, affordable and easy swaps in your day to day life. You don't have to buy Hybrid & Electric Vehicles to live a more sustainable life - small changes are just as important as big lifestyle swaps.

One of the biggest sources of pollution and waste comes from the fashion industry. It’s estimated that by 2050 the fashion industry will use up to a quarter of the world’s carbon budget, making it the most polluting industry after oil. When you buy from a big fast fashion brand you might be getting a brand new wardrobe without taking a big chunk out of your bank balance but the reality is that there’s no such thing as a free lunch and the benefit to your wallet and the brand’s profits has to come from somewhere. The cost is usually mistreating workers, unfair pay and questionable environmental practices. So, if you’re wondering how you can shop more sustainably this year, here’s a few suggestions.

My Christmas Wishlist

*Contains Affiliate Links*

Hey Owlets,

2020 has thrown a lot our way, and personally it's made life as a blogger pretty difficult. If you follow me on Instagram you'll already know but, in case you missed it, I announced I wouldn't be doing my usual gift guide. There's a lot of different reasons for this, but it wasn't an easy decision and I've really missed writing about my favourite products. I've decided to get in the spirit of 2020 and do things differently. I can't afford to buy all of the products to review in my gift guide, so instead I thought it might be interesting for you to see what's on my wish list. Hopefully if you're wondering what to get someone you care about, or you're looking to treat yourself after a hard year, then this might provide some inspiration. You're going to have to bear with me for the first few items - I did say this was an ultimate wish list, so while there are some more affordable items on here, there's also a few things that I can't necessarily afford but would absolutely love!!

Ultimate Black Friday & Christmas Shopping Guide: My Top Picks

Hey Owlets,

I will freely admit, I'm not usually Black Friday obsessed despite being on the internet for the last four years to witness the hype. Having said that, something about being at home for almost the entirety of this year has resulted in somewhat of an addiction to online shopping so this year I am completely sold! I've been planning Christmas gifts since August out of sheer boredom, so I have a list of things ready to buy (both for myself and my family) so I can fully take advantage of the best deals. I've already done way too much research on this for myself so I thought I could justify the time I spent scrolling by sharing the best Black Friday deals with you. I imagine this blog post is going to be quite a long one so I've split them into categories, and I've tried to include something for every budget from high street to high end; if you're looking for the perfect present for yourself or your family then I've absolutely got you covered with this list!

Heads up: This post contains affiliate links and some paid-for content, but my opinions are my own as always!

Airport Shopping with World Duty Free

*contains sponsored content*

Hey Owlets,

If you've been reading The Owlet for a while you'll know that I REALLY like shopping - I'm one of those people for who "retail therapy" is a real thing, and the only thing that improves it is getting a bargain. Since I started travelling I've managed to save a lot of money by waiting until I'm in Duty Free to top up on my favourite things.

Luxury Gift Guide: 2018

Hey Owlets,

Today I'm back with the final instalment in my gift guide series - if you've not already seen my advent calendar guide or my affordable Christmas gift guide then make sure you click through and have a read. But for now, here's my list of what to get anyone that you really want to spoil this year.

Affordable Gift Guide: 2018

Hey Owlets,

I have no idea where the last 11 months have gone, but it's Christmas gift guide season again! I've done things a little differently this time - I have an affordable gift guide, luxury gift guide and an advent calendar guide to share with you, with one product in each category because I'm not repeating the level of stress that I had last year! Today is the second of the three, which is my affordable gift guide. If you've not already seen my guide to alternative advent calendars, you can see that here. Now, I have lots of cool things to show you so I won't ramble on, time for the first gift!

Trying Alternative Advent Calendars

Hey Owlets,

Today I have a different kind of guide for you - this was actually inspired by one of you emailing me to ask if I had any suggestions for alternatives as one of your children couldn't eat the chocolate, so thank you for the idea, it's a great one! I scoured the internet for the best and weirdest advent calendars I could find as well as trying my three favourites, so here we go!

5 Ways to get Cosy This Autumn

Hey Owlets,

I can't pretend anymore, it's definitely Autumn. So since I've been ignoring the darker nights and colder days for the last few weeks I'd thought we could talk about something to make the shift a bit easier. Literally the only good thing about Autumn is getting to curl up and feel warm and cosy so here's a few ways I'm going to be doing that with minimal effort.

Let's Talk About Christmas

Hey Owlets,

I can’t believe it’s already time to start talking about this, but Christmas is right around the corner. Actually for me it’s been Christmas for several months but November still feels too early! Regardless, I’ve been writing Christmas content since September so I’m more than ready to start dressing in fluffy jumpers, lighting festive-scented candles, seeing pretty lights everywhere and singing about shepherds washing socks….or is that just our family that does that? Anyway, before I dive in, I wanted to chat to you about my plan for this year’s festive content. 

Getting Organised: National Stationery Week

*contains sponsored content*

Hey Owlets,

If you’ve been following me for a while then you’ll know that I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with stationery - for me I need to feel like my life is organised before I actually do anything (I know, that makes no sense but I promise it works). So this is actually my perfect week - it’s national stationery week! Every day has a different theme and I tend to have stationery but not know what to do with it, so I wanted to share a couple of tips I’ve found this week.

Choosing Scents for Spring

Hey Owlets,

I feel like I’ve been really heavy on the travel content recently so I asked on Twitter what you would like to see and I got loads of messages from you saying that you never see anyone write about perfumes, so your wish is my command! I actually asked if you wanted to see my recent perfume purchases or my favourite spring perfumes but the vote came out exactly 50/50 so I decided to cheat and combine the two!

It’s funny really - until the last few years I never really bothered with perfume, but throughout uni I’ve grown to love it. Scents are a really strong trigger for memories which is why it’s become so important to me. Jo Malone’s Cardamom and Mimosa takes me back to my graduation, Jo Malone’s Wood Sage and Sea Salt for the time I went to Ascot And Marc Jacobs Original Daisy for my first trip abroad without my parents.

Revisiting Bicester Village: Review

Hey Owlets,

Today we're having a bit of a do-over. If you remember back in August I visited Bicester village and was less than impressed. If you haven't already read that post then make sure you take a look so you know what happened before reading the update.

To give you a brief outline, I stopped at Bicester on the way back from visiting family in Milton Keynes. As a blogger I've heard so much about the outlet and it's somewhere that I've always wanted to visit. I wasn't exactly looking my finest as I was only planning to travel home, but I don't suppose you would ever think to dress up to go shopping. When I got there, I was fully aware that the centre wasn't going to cater to anyone of my size, but you know how much of a handbag addict I am, so that was what I was here for anyway! Walking round the shops it became apparent that I perhaps wasn't their usual clientele, but at the point that a shop assistant said " we don't cater for people like you", I was pretty sure I was done and not going to go back.

Style Files: What I Wore in Malaga

Hey Owlets!

I'm still in holiday mode and that's very much helped by the growing list of travel/fashion/ holiday content that I keep wanting to write. One of the things that I was really keen about was documenting what I wore in each new city, as when I was buying and packing for this trip, I was struggling to know what to wear (although I did wear almost everything I took with me!). I'm trying a new format today focusing on only one outfit, so let me know if you like it!

Bicester Village: Pretty Woman for the Modern Age

As plus size women in 2017 we’re pretty remarkable - curves are cool and we have role models to remind us daily that we can do anything, regardless of the number on the label. But one of the things that still strikes fear into the hearts of many a larger lady is going shopping in “normal people territory”. 

You know the scene in Pretty Woman where she walks into a shop and the assistants tell her that nothing in the shop will fit her? If you don’t know it, I’ll link it but that’s pretty much what happened to me when I visited Bicester Village at the weekend. 

Bicester Village is an outlet shopping centre that carries more high end brands than your normal outlet, like Dior, Celine and Gucci. It’s long been held as the holy land of fashion, where no blogger could take themselves seriously if they’ve not made the pilgrimage at least once. So, of course, I had to go on the way home from visiting family in Milton Keynes but perhaps I should’ve taken note of the fact that all these bloggers excitedly singing the centre’s praises were not my demographic.

Why I Think Chloe Bags are Overrated

If you’ve been reading The Owlet for a while you’ll know that I might not have the bank balance for it, but I definitely have the taste for luxury. There’s a long running discussion in my house where Dad says he would always rather save for a luxury watch, which is when I point out that you can’t use a watch to carry your belongings, so I think it’s pretty clear to see where I get my designer penchant from.

If you don’t know who Chloe is, they’re a mid-range designer most well known for their luxury bags. They seem to have exploded onto the scene from nowhere over the last few years despite the fact that they were actually founded in 1952, with See by Chloe’s ready-to-wear (i.e. off the shelf purchases) line being added to the brand in 2001.