Brit Pack Gives Back **£100 ASOS GIVEAWAY**

Today I'm happy to be co hosting an-amazing 'bloggers give back' give-away hosted 

by myself Rachel The Hat and what we are affectionately calling ourselves...

The Brit Pack...

Meet:

 L-R Rachel The Hat, The Story of The Girl Who Lives Above Her Means, A Million Dresses, 

Fat Frocks, Not Dressed As Lamb

L-R Frills And Spills, What Peggy Said, Kimi And Me, Polkadot Pink and Being Erica

10 Fabulous British Bloggers have all rounded up together to give one lucky winner a spending spree at ASOS with a £100 gift voucher. Its our way of starting the 2014 off with a bang, and also as a big THANK YOU to all of you who read and follow and comment on our blogs week after week.

The Brit Pack are some of Britain's finest bloggers. Every single one is worth getting to know! So in good old fashioned Blighty style, grab a cup of tea and take a moment to check out their links, find some new favourites, and enter away!

GOOD LUCK!!!

The competition will run for 14 days and is open internationally. Winner will be emailed an asos gift voucher with an e-code worth £100 (approx $160 at current exchange rate) and announced on the rafflecopter widget.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Passion for Fashion (Link Up) & Hot Pink Coat, Leopard Print And Stripes

HAPPY FRIDAY LOVELIES! 

I am starting my weekend early and have some grand plans for the next couple of days :) It's my weekend off from work and hubbys birthday tomorrow, so i am thoroughly looking forward to that. Today im starting with coffees with the bestie and then tomorrow we are going to do a photoshoot outdoors with the kids (weather permitting), plus some party fun for my aforementioned besties son. fun fun fun:) :) :)

I thought i would give you a little update on the #100 day shopping ban!(if you don't know what we're doing be sure to check that link, and then feel free to call me crazy!!) , my friday PFF co-host Lena and then Donna, Debbie and me have formed a great little twitter group to support and count down together. Theres still time to join us if you so dare, today is a great day, we are at day 89! 11 down 89 to go...
Thoughts so far? Well being January i am well and truly poor until payday rolls around, so i don't think i could have bought anything anyway so far this month, but i have been doing a lot less web window shopping, i haven't been reading any of the tons and tons of 'shop now' emails (accept the New Look ones, 'cos i like to keep and eye on the trends mostly) and i feel ok. Don't get me wrong there is already a ton of stuff i would love to buy, and i am making a list for in 89 days time for me to hit the shops with, but its ok.. right now , not shopping feels ok. It might sound silly, but because i am in a good place so far this year, i haven't felt the need to shop. I shop when i'm stressed, depressed or down. Kinda like cake or chocolate to some, shopping for pretty dresses was my thing, my anti depressant.
Being happy so far has helped. But the road is never smooth so i shall keep you posted on it all, the highs and lows. But as for the past 10 days, i think we can say:
In Rachel V's Shopping...Rachel won this round;)

This is my winning face, paahahaha!

On another note, i have been *trying* to experiment with a little bit of a variety of make up this past month, this is my pinky look that i'm loving right now! I wish i'd done an eyes shut shot so you guys could see more detail! I am no pro at make up but if you would like to know what i did/used then just drop me a comment and i'll be sure to get that posted here.

Dress: Dorothy Perkins

Coat: Marks And Spencer

Boots: Ebay

Hat: Matalan

 Show the world what you've got, flaunt your style ladies!

 Fashion is for everyone. 

Whether you're single in the city or a stay at home mum from the country...
we all have a passion for fashion!

Every Friday Lena & I will be co-hosting a fashion free-for-all linkup!

Anything fashion goes!

Link up your outfit posts, a fashion recap, a fashion wishlist, get your kids or hubby in on the fun... if you've got a passion for fashion, this is the place to be!

Celebrate your style with us every Friday!

We'll be pinning our favourite looks to our Passion for Fashion boards on Pinterest!
You can find the board HERE 

Follow both hosts Lena and  Me so we can come visit you!
If you could link back to us via text link or button and help spread the 
Passion For Fashion word. 
The more ladies the merrier!

Then go visit, blog hop, follow and comment on all the fabulous ladies you are meeting!

{this linkup is very NEW we would love for you to help us spread the word! }

 Tweet us / instagram us with the hashtag #PassionForFashion

 with your outfits, 

Lets spread the Passion For Fashion word, the more the merrier!

get everyone involved!!

30 Before 30

So this December i turn the big 3-0. At 29 i don't feel like hitting 3-0 will be a problem, or a downer or infact not much different to how i feel at 29 i imagine. I'm really ok with it.
I have a done a lot in my twenties;
I started and closed a business, i got engaged and married, helped raise two step children who taught me how to be a mum, experienced pregnancy and giving birth and raising my son. So all in all im pretty proud and pleased with the woman i have become thanks to my twenties.
What i am hoping to achieve in my 30's is; more confidence in my body and my mind, pushing myself to get past my own boundaries and to deal with stress better than i previously have.
They may sound obvious but they are the crux of the matters. The things i truly want to change and how i want to grow as a person.
But i thought now might be a good time to finally put a fun 30 before 30 in place to push myself on all levels. Fun and interesting things that i've wanted to do or just material things that i have wanted to change but never get round to doing. 30 before 30 can hold me accountable, which is good.. i need a gentle prod in the right direction sometimes.
So without further a do here it is:

1. Be positive

2.Take a surf lesson

3.Go on a city break with hubby 

(paris, bruge or amsterdam maybe)

4.Up my blogging game

5.Visit Stratford-Upon-avon, 

home of Shakespeare

6.Go Storm Chasing

7.Take kids to Legoland

8.Start an exercise routine and stick to it

9. Complete 100 day shopping ban

10. Take more photos daily

11. Go to 2 concerts this year

12.Take hubby to Alton Towers

 13.Try more new restaurants instead of 

going to the same each time

14.Be better at my day job 

 15.Photography business with hubby

 16.Go to Harry Potter Studios

 17. Invest in nice lingerie and wear daily 

 18. Shop less, buy more classic pieces

 19. Invest in 1 designer bag 

(and get rid of most of others)

20. Cook 1 new recipe a month

21. Get outdoors more; Ogmore beach, 

Porthkerry Park, Southerndown etc

 22. Visit and take photos in all 

 Castles in south Wales

23. Get better at make-up!

24. Do a series of vlogs

25. Finish decorating my bedroom 

(ie buy new furniture)

26. Read more thought provoking books 

(instead of all chick lit fluff)

27. Arrange/attend a south wales blogger event

28. research/do an online course or attend college

29. Be more sociable as a couple 

(im dragging hubby in this now too)

30. Go to Disneyland Paris

20 Free Ad Spaces Up For Grabs!

hi!

Lovely Readers of Rachel The Hat, 2014 feels like the year of giving. 

I would like to give back to you my fabulous readers. 

I currently have 20 free ad spaces for 1 month up for grabs.
The Bowler Hat space could be yours for 4 wonderful weeks!

If you would like to adorn the sidebar of RTH for free for 1 month please email me on:

rachelturone(at)gmail(dot)com

First 20 will get the spaces and you will receive the code to enter on Passionfruits ad system. 

Happy Advertising Ladies!