157. Sunday Summary

Hello lovelies.

Here's my weekly round up - it's been a fairly quiet week but with some lovely bits and pieces thrown in too.

On Monday, S and I went to Newcastle for our 20 week anomaly scan (I'll be blogging about this next week!) and it was incredible. It's such a lovely feeling to see your little one on the screen - it makes it all the more real. We're now halfway through the pregnancy so I can begin the countdown!

After our scan, which took about an hour as we had to wait a while, we headed over to Zapatista for some delicious Mexican food. I've written a review here, which you should definitely check out if you're looking for somewhere to eat in Newcastle - I can't recommend it highly enough.

On Tuesday, I was still stupidly excited about our scan, especially as we received the news I'd been wanting to hear (all will be revealed next week, if you don't already know!) so even a trip to the dentist couldn't dampen my spirits. Half an hour later, I left knowing that I'd have to have my first ever filling - gutted isn't even the word. It's my own fault for drinking all those cans of fizzy pop though!

I met up with a friend for a tasty lunch and a catch up which was great, and then I headed over to my Dad's for the night where me, Dad and my sister caught up with Breaking Bad and had a nice, chilled out evening.

Wednesday morning meant I was back to work, all on my lonesome, but I had a trip to my Mum's to make up for it, so the day went surprisingly quickly. Me and my sister headed over to Mum's where she'd cooked us a really great Indian feast of curry, rice, naan, pickles and chutney - it was so good, and I was stuffed by the time we finished. Mum and I spent the rest of the night watching TV and having a natter.

Mum's delicious Indian meal // Our Pudding Palour treats on Saturday

Thursday was a lazy day and I spent most of it lying on my Mum's sofa reading David Walliams' autobiography 'Camp David'. I'm about half way through and it's so, so good. I've laughed out loud on a few occasions and it's great to get to know a bit more about him. 

On Friday, it was back to work again but - once more - I had something to look forwards to so the day flew over. At 4:30pm, we headed into town to pick up my new phone, which is a beautiful Motorola Moto G (2nd Gen) - I love it already, even after just a couple of days! The screen is huge, it takes great photos, it's fast and the battery life is a hell of a lot better than my previous phone, the iPhone 4S which I couldn't wait to get rid of. 

As always, Saturday morning was spent working at the quieter of our three practices but, as I get away at 1pm, it always goes over pretty fast. Before I knew it, I was on my way back home (having not seen S since Tuesday afternoon!). After the dreaded food shop was out of the way, S cooked us chilli for tea, picked up some goodies from The Pudding Parlour and we pulled the mattress and all our bedding into the living room to watch The Voice and The Jonathon Ross show. 

Today is my favourite kind of day: a lazy day. We haven't got any plans so it's a day of chilling out on the sofa, playing XBOX and watching tele. I might even throw a cheeky bubble bath in for good measure.

How has your week been?

156. Zapatista Burrito Bar

Hello lovelies.

On Monday, S and I ventured into Newcastle for an appointment at the hospital, and decided we'd treat ourselves afterwards. A month or so ago, we had passed Zapatista Burrito Bar, on Grainger Street, on our way to the train station and, after checking out the mouth-watering Mexican menu. vowed to return soon to try it out for size. And that's exactly what we did.

Situated just a couple of minutes from both the centre of town and the train station, Zapatista is in the perfect location for both people visiting Newcastle for the day, or people nipping out for a quick and tasty bite to eat on their lunch break.

The interior of Zapatista is also an awesome touch. It's modern, stylish and cool. The tables are high, with colourful bar stools to perch on, and the upstairs seating area has an almost communal feel to it which I think is great as it means they can cater for larger groups, as well as creating a relaxed, casual atmosphere even if you're just there by yourself or as a couple, amongst other groups and couples. 

We arrived at around 12:30pm and, although there were a few tables taken up, it didn't take long to get served. We made our way to the counter where we could see all the delicious, fresh fillings in front of us, and checked out the menu before deciding what to order. I went for the shredded chilli beef burrito, with rice, mild (Pinto) beans, hot (tomato, chipotle and chilli) salsa and a touch of lettuce and cheese. 

The burritos are made right in front of your eyes by friendly, helpful staff who were more than happy to answer our questions and were very patient as we spent quite a while deciding what to go for! S also went for the shredded chilli beef burrito but with spicy (Black Turtle) beans and one of the milder salsas instead. 

We opted for large 7Up's to go with our burritos as we, quite rightly, anticipated they might be a little spicy! Thankfully, we both love spicy food (I've been known to add coriander or chillies to almost every savoury dish I prepare) and we managed to work (believe me, these burritos are big!) through our meal within about 15 or 20 minutes and we were still able to walk, despite being full to burst! 

Our entire meal cost just £12.60 for the two burritos and two large drinks. If burritos aren't really your cup of tea, Zapatista offer a range of dishes from fajitas to tacos to chilli and rice. They even have churros which according to New Girl in Toon are delicious. We will definitely be trying them out next time!

155. 100 Day Spending Ban - Two Weeks In...

Hello lovelies.

I'm now two weeks into my 100 day spending ban, which I wrote about here. My aim was to save money and cut down on how much of my wage I waste on stuff that, to be honest, I really don't need each month.

I've had a couple of slip ups but I'm still feeling pretty proud. So, what have I bought?

I ran out of powder so I had to repurchase my usual -  which was only £3.99 from Superdrug. Not bad for a product that I can't do without, and that'll last me for months. As I mentioned in my spending ban rules, repurchasing something essential is okay, so this was a totally guilt-free purchase.

It's my sisters 20th birthday in a couple of weeks so I needed to buy her a present. I managed to snap up a few cute bits and pieces on ASOS, as well as a personalised card from MoonPig, for around the £10 mark. I mentioned in my rules that gifts were okay to spend money on, within reason, so I won't beat myself up about this.

I've been toying with the idea of getting some specs for months. I work in an opticians so I get my contact lenses for free but, to be honest, they're a real faf and by the end of the day my eyes are so tired that they begin to hurt, so wearing contacts isn't ideal. I managed to get a pair of gorgeous matte purple Raybans for under £25 (the perks of being an optical assistant!), so I was over the moon. I put them on my credit card which means I've broken two rules in one go but they're not a whimsical purchase, they're an essential that will last years. 

S and I move house in just under three weeks and it's a bigger place which means we need more 'stuff' to fill the space. We've got a gorgeous, period fireplace in the new living room and we wanted something to hang above it. After a good hour of browsing mirrors, paintings and posters, we found an amazing Breaking Bad canvas (which has now sold out!) for just £30 on Ebay, so I snapped it up instantly. I know it's not a necessity but, c'mon there were only two left, and I didn't want to miss out!

I start my pregnancy yoga classes next week and, as exercise is a complete no-go-zone for me usually, I had no work out gear in my wardrobe. I'm also getting to the point now where some of my clothes are getting a little snug and uncomfortable around my tummy. Whilst choosing my sisters presents on ASOS, I took advantage of the free delivery on orders over £20 offer and bought a pair of leggings and a loose vest for just £13 so now I can look stylish and be comfortable during classes.

Other than these items, I've had a trip to Greggs (sorry but I just can't resist their steak bakes!) and the odd bottle of pop or bar of chocolate on my lunch break, which will never break the bank but, nevertheless, it's not helpful. 

I'm so proud that I haven't slipped up and splurged in Superdrug or on the Lush website (believe me, I was tempted when I saw their new range of Valentine's Day products) that I think I can forget about the things I've bought that I didn't really need. I'd say I've probably spent about £75 in the last fornight that I could have done without (so that's the glasses, the extra bits of food, the yoga outfit and the canvas) but, believe you me, it's a lot better than usual.

Are you taking part in a spending ban? 

What are your weaknesses when it comes to spending money?