January 2018 - myrealfairy.com

Blue Moon….

A Blue Moon, Super Moon and Blood Moon are all being present tonight for the first time since 1866.

Once in a blue moon…an expression that we have generally all come across at some point. Does, “I only go out for dinner or the cinema once in a blue moon now that I have children“, sound familiar?? Well, have you ever wondered where the expression comes from…..

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The definition that we commonly go with in my generation is that an actual blue moon is the second full moon in a month. This was coined after a bit of a mix up back in 1946, when an article entitled “Once in a Blue Moon” appeared in Sky & Telescope written James Hugh Pruett (1886-1955), who was an amateur astronomer living in Eugene, Oregon USA. He had attributed it to the second full moon in a month. Originally it had been associated to the more complicated formular of the fourth full moon of a farming season. Some saw his version of the second full moon as a mistake but it has stuck as the more common version.

The name blue moon has been subject now of songs, poems and also used in every day language. When it’s used it stands for ‘never’ or ‘rarely’. I take all new parents back to the quote in the first paragraph!

Is the moon actually blue?…No. When there has been recorded sightings of the moon having a blue tinge it’s been when there has been volcanic ash which has risen and caused this slight effect.

It seems to transcend the years and still maintains a modernity that is as rare as a, dare I say it…….a blue moon!

There are many other names for full moons, which ones do you know?

Or, do you have your own tales of when you’ve used the term ‘once in a blue moon’?

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Valentines Gift Guide – Review and Giveaway

My Valentines Gift Guide series continues here with two products which have caught my eye. Firstly we have some beautiful hand cut and printed cards with which you can pen those love poems I’m sure you are all thinking about at the moment;) Secondly I have the great Australian teeth whitening system that will make those pearly whites of ours sparkle and look bright.

I also have my first post of my Valentines series here where you can win a set of provocative underwear! Have a look and with these posts we’ve got you covered.

Something Made

I love these hand cut and printed boxed cards by Something Made they are perfect for thank you letters, love letters and all manner of notes in between. Priced at £25 for a box of 10 they are affordable cards with an air of modern art to them.

They are the cards of the season!

They are single sided screen printed 350gsm coloured card folded to 120 x 120mm square. They come with envelopes and packed so well that they are great to send as gifts.

Ali and Rachel are London based and really easy to approach with your requirements. You can see more of their range over on their instagram page here

Giveaway…

I am so happy to be able to offer you the chance to win a box of 10 occasion cards (value £25) Enter in the rafflecopter giveaway below. Don’t forget you can come back each day for a number of the entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

White Glo

White Glo are Australia’s leading teeth whitening brand and the products are now available on UK high streets. They have a range of products from at home teeth whitening kits, toothpastes developed specifically for actors and models, as well as instant whitening strips, perfect to use before going on a Valentine’s date!

I remember paying hundreds of pounds a couple of years ago having my teeth whitened and am so surprised that now you can now get such a good service from buying online or at your high street shops. No more waiting for hours in a dentist chair while other people make you keep your mouth open for ages. This is for use in your own home with easy instructions.

These dissolving whitening strips are brilliant for a quick top up before a night out. Bright Nights, no gels or creams, just dissolving strips! Wonderful to lighten up to a shade a time.

There are lots of other products in the range and these two are my favourites.

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Best Baba Ganoush

I have been growing Eggplant or Aubergine as I know it better in my garden during the summer. I’ve loved growing them but they are quite labour intensive and the plants are really large. There are easier plants to grow but the results are so delicious that it is well worth the effort in the end.

I have managed to harvest these cute fruits. Yes they are fruits but are commonly used and eaten as a vegetable. Whatever they are classed as, these little gems are beautiful and sweet when roasted.

I wanted to make the Best Baba Ganoush dip that I could and have the perfect recipe that show off their sweet flavour.

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5 from 1 vote

Baba Ganoush

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

50 mins

A Silky Egg Plant Dip ideal for all occassions

Course: Snack

Servings: 6

Author: mainy - myrealfairy

Ingredients

1 Egg Plant (Aubergine)
2 tbsp Tahini Paste
1 whole Garlic Clove
Salt and Pepper
1 pinch Ground Cumin
1 tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200 oc
Wipe clean the skin of the eggplant.
Place the eggplant halves, flesh side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet then drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the eggplant fully softens through.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
When it is cooled, scoop out the flesh out and transfer to a food processor.
Do not use the skins in the dip, just the flesh.
Add the garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin, olive oil and tahini paste.
Process until you achieve a puree consistency.
Add salt and pepper to your personal taste.

Recipe Notes

Top with a little olive oil and fresh coriander for garnish and aroma.

Let me know what you think to this and have you tried to grow your own?

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Do you fancy a Twisted Valentines Day? Gift Guide and Giveaway

It’s nearly here, I can’t believe that it’s nearly Valentines Day. It seems like a blink ago I was getting excited for Christmas and now here I am talking about the most romantic day of the year. This is one of those days that you can get so right or more worryingly so wrong!

Here is the start of my gift guide series to keep you on track, point you in the right direction and also help you along the way of feeling tip-top for the special day.

Twisted

Founded in 2016 by Sophie Thorne, Twisted Lingerie was created to fill a gap in the market – seductive lingerie with all the style and attitude of luxury designer brands but none of the price tag.

Designed to thrill and add that extra bit of spice to your life I loved the range on Twisted. It’s a little bit different and I like that! If you get bored with looking through your underwear drawer and seeing the same old comfortable everyday pants then this site is for you.

Do you fancy a Twisted Valentines Day? Gift Guide and Giveaway

I picked the Xenia Suspender priced at £29.00 for my treat. I loved suspenders but had not seen my suspender belt in years and when I saw the style of the Xenia I loved it. I really liked that it came in plain black packaging and beautifully packed inside.

Our mission is to empower women to embrace their desires, and make every day that little bit naughtier.

Do you fancy a Twisted Valentines Day? Gift Guide and Giveaway

The suspender is comfy and sexy, the best of both worlds. The fetish-inspired range has that bit of difference and an edge to it that I haven’t seen in the standard lingerie market.

Twisted’s range starts at just £17 – the only limit is your imagination.

We have a delightful giveaway to offer you today to make Valentines go with a sizzle. A £20 voucher to spend or put towards an item of your choice at Twisted.

Enter using the rafflecopter giveaway below. Good Luck and enjoy your Valentine’s day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to entrants with a UK postal address. All entries will be verified. Please see my contacts page for competition t&c’s

Naipo Cushion Massager Review Giveaway and Discount Code

Wow, today I have the Naipo Cushion Massager Review Giveaway and Discount Code all in one post for you. Happy 2018!

I have a lot of lower back pain and spend a fair amount of time with hot water bottles or cold packs on my back trying to relieve the symptoms. I jumped at the chance…excuse the pun… to review the Naipo cordless massage cushion to sample the effects of the directed massage pressure where I need it. I have other members of my family who wanted to get involved and I’ll get onto them in a moment!

Lower back massager with 3D shiatsu kneading massager balls.

I really like the look of this cushion, it easily fits in with the cushions already on my sofa which is great as I don’t have to keep putting it away somewhere and it’s available for when I need to use it.

I have featured Naipo before here on the blog with another one of their massagers and as I indicated then, studies into stress suggest the meaningful, positive results achieved by using massage. It’s not just the relief of tight and painful muscles across our body but also the mental relaxation we can find when we are looking after ourselves. It’s good to take the time sometimes and not just look at our ‘to do’ lists and plough on regardless. 2018 is the year when I am going to look after myself far more and I know now that I must be in charge of making that happen.

Easy to operate and here’s how:
1. Press ON/OFF one time, the device will start kneading function in a clockwise direction, without heating.
2. Press ON/OFF again, the device will begin the kneading function with heating, massage head is now in an anti clockwise direction.
3. Press ON/OFF again, the device power off.
4. The device has a handy countdown timer which is set for 20 minutes.

My other half goes to the gym and attends spinning classes which can result in aching leg muscles. As you can see in these pictures, we placed in under his calf’s and in the small of his back. The heat function is a really welcome addition to the massage. We found it added to the overall effect.

I did have the idea that I would be taking it to work with me and use it in my office chair but I don’t know if my other half is actually going to go along with that now.

Overall result:

We found it very easy to get the right position in the back, with the legs you have to spend more time in getting the right angle to sit or lie in before placing it under your legs.

It worked equally well on adults and my 12-year-old son which makes it more usable for our family.

Because it has a contemporary look it can stay on show and not get forgotten in a cupboard.

Bonus Promotion Code:

You can enter this code for the Naipo Massager at the checkout: SARH5VZQ

For 25% off.

You can visit the team at their facebook page where they have so much information on well-being, it’s a great resource.

Naipo Care

Now onto the giveaway….

Enter using the rafflecopter below – Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was kindly given my products here for the purpose of an honest review.

What Distinguishes Engagement Rings From Wedding Rings

Rings have long been an important symbol in the wedding culture. However, it’s not uncommon for the engagement and wedding rings to get mixed up or misunderstood. In fact, you can say that both terms are almost interchangeable in the modern culture.

This leaves us to ask, is there really a big difference between the two? If so, what are they? Do I even need to have an engagement and a wedding ring?

This article seeks to answer all of those important questions to gain some clarity on the matter. Nonetheless, there are so many choices for bespoke diamond rings online and in store now. It’s never been easier to buy any ring that fits the desires of your partner, especially if it’s custom made.

ENGAGEMENT RINGS

Firstly, let’s look at engagement rings. These are given at the time when someone asks the other person to marry them. Back in the day, women were given these rings and were meant to wear them from that moment to tell others she was now unavailable.

Of course, an engagement ring can take any shape, form or style. However, they have typically come to be known as having diamond or precious gemstones in. They also usually come with a beautiful band that may have engravings on it.

WEDDING RINGS

Now, wedding rings on the other hand are swapped between both parties during the actual wedding ceremony. You will often find that style-wise, they tend to be much simpler than the engagement ring and are placed on the fourth finger of the left hand. This is the main similarity, that both rings for the bride are placed on the same finger.

As you can see then, the engagement ring and the wedding ring are given at two different times and usually look different aesthetically. Do they also carry different meanings?

How the meanings behind wedding and engagement rings differ.

Engagement rings have been in the business for centuries and signified an exchange in ‘ownership’ from the father to the new husband. The ring would have been valuable however they developed in detail and grandeur as the years went by. This was mainly to signify the wealth of a man and make him more desirable to the woman and her family.

Therefore, it was as though to say the man was financially marrying the woman’s entire family with the engagement ring. It was a huge commitment not only to them as a couple but to the bigger picture. So, there was a lot of status attached to an engagement ring. Whilst these notions are clearly outdated, the sentiment of ‘giving the hand away in marriage’ still lives on.

So, even though there is a lot of importance with the wedding ring, it should never overshadow the engagement ring. With its simplistic design, the engagement ring still shines.

What are your thoughts on rings and do you wear a ring?

This is a collaborative post

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If you like this post then you may enjoy my Prom Dress post

Luminous Fire Lanterns Giveaway

I love these lantern bags and at the end of last year I ran a giveaway which included these. I had so many comments that I have been waiting until after Christmas to be able to run another one just for my readers.

They are such fun and also a really cool gift.

There are 5 bags here to use. Place the lantern bags on a suitable surface and watch the lovely atmosphere they can create.

Create a sumptuously soft glow, place a tea light or two inside the bag. Weight down with a little gravel and decorate your outside space.

Enter in the rafflecopter giveaway below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to UK entrants only. See contacts page for full terms.

Good luck!

Keep bags well away from children and animals due to the risk of burning!

My illicit affair….

You’re on my mind so much of the time

But then that’s ok, I created you, you’re mine.

My eyes glaze over when people talk

as I drift my thoughts towards you…

It’s what happens now, it’s what you do.

For you are always here, silent in the background…

I won’t desert you though, you’re a new love I’ve found.

You know I have to be careful, not let you take over, make too much noise

I have my other loves , my family, my man, my boys

I see others online and for a moment I crave

But I come back to you, write some more and then press save

They flash at me and wink

Giving me tips on how to be, sometimes they make me think.

Myrealfairy post after post, never late…

I’ll take you out, care for you, write and create.

For now I’ll keep you half hidden in your own world wide kingdom

My beautiful blog…. myrealfairy.com

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If you like this then you much see my ode to him poem!

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8 Incredible January Facts

As you probably know I love facts and trivia so I thought I’d kick the new year off with 8 Incredible January facts to get your mind awake.

The zodiac star signs which cover this period are Capricorn which spans from December 22nd – January 19th who’s element is earth and Aquarius January 20th – February 18th who’s element is air.

Something which I am very pleased about is that on January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs announced the iPhone at the Macworld convention. It wasn’t until June that it was actually released. In apple ads for the iPhone, the time is always shown as 9.41

Australia day on the 26th is when Australia celebrates the day of the establishment of the first European settlement at Port Jackson, now part of Sydney, which happened in 1788.

Movie releases for the UK in January 2017 were; Monster Calls with Felicity Jones, Lewis MacDougall, Sigourney Weaver, cert 12A, Assassins Creed with Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons cert 12A, La la Land with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone cert 12A

In 2018 we have; The Commuter, you have to love a bit of Liam Nelson battling against the odds. Downsizing with Matt Damon looks well worth a box of popcorn. I’m still watching Martian quite happily after about the 10th time! The Post is the one to watch for Spielberg fans.

It’s the month of birth of Robert “Rabbie” Burns, Scottish poet. Burns Suppers celebrated all over the world each year on this day on the 25th January. Auld Lang Syne is one of the most frequently sung songs in English, most of which was written by Robert Burns.

There is a variety of cold-tolerant winter cabbage grown in England known as January King. It is purple and blue in places and is a hardy winter veg.

Martin Luther King day is held on the third monday in January in the United States. He was an important civil rights activist and was a leader in the movement to end racial segregation in the United States. His most famous address was the “I Have A Dream” speech in 1963. He was an advocate of non-violent protest and became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

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The Anglo Saxons who came from north-western Europe to Great Britain called it the Wulf-monath (meaning “wolf month”) as it was the time of year when the wolves were unable to find food and their hunger made them bold enough to come into the villages of ancient Britain.

If you enjoyed this and would like to see a few more then have a little look at another of my posts here: Amazing Facts – you never knew you didn’t know!