Life of Jana

This month has been photography-quiet for me so I am really happy with the theme 'Anything Goes', as all of my pictures were taken the same day. My friend organised a barbecque on Sunday afternoon at her place. It was nice to see old friends and spend some quality time outside. We grilled some meat and burgers, people baked cakes, brought snacks and the weather was just lovely! A couple of cats also paid a visit and one in particular got the most attention. Some snacks Liam and Marianne (The Hostess) The cat smelled BBQ... ...and got a piece of BBQ Seb gave him some love too I am looking forward to next month. It's probably going to be much busier, so hopefully I'll have the opportunity to get my camera out more.

I know we're already at the end of June but today I wanted to quickly review the Degustabox we received in May as our June box has just arrived. Degustabox is a subscription box which delivers 9 to 14 surprise products to your doorstep for only £12.99 a month (including delivery). This box contained 10 goodies from a variety of companies. Most of the products were new to us, so it was fun to try out different things and discover new flavours. Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Barbecue Sauce is the number one BBQ sauce in the US. Tristan and I like it a lot. The taste is sweet and smokey and it can be eaten with anything really. So far it has been really good with pasta, burgers and on sandwiches. A sample packet of BBQ sauce was also included but we've not yet tried it, I guess it will taste similar though. Schwartz Grill Mates Marinade in a Bag is ready-made, easy to use marinade. We got a delicious Asian-style blend with honey, soy sauce and garlic with a hint of blac...

I first heard about h2o+ skin care products last year when I recieved a tiny Hydrating Treatment sample in a Glossybox ( November) . I started using the product immediately and it made my greasy skin more balanced and healthy feeling. After trying it out, I decided to buy a full size product and while searching came across a h2o+ three step Daily Hydration System . I ordered it from Amazon as the brand is originally from the US and I wasn't sure if they had a shop in Manchester. The set included a Face Oasis Dual-Action Exfoliating Cleanser (30ml), a Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment (50ml) and an Eye Oasis Moisture Replenishing Treatment (7ml) - worth £40 altogether.  This is an oil-free collection which has been formulated to cleanse and hydrate normal to oily skin. I have combination skin - an oily T zone but the rest of my face is quite dry.  Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment is an oil-free moisture gel which delivers deep hydration and contains vitamins A, C...

Our last day in Rome was spent shopping, doing the last of our sightseeing and enjoying Italian food. We began at Via del Corso, which is a major shopping street in Rome with stores like Zara, H&M, Gap, Sephora, Kiko and Accessorize. We spent a few hours there and I managed to pick up some nice clothes and a few makeup products from Kiko. We really wanted to check out the Pantheon before our holiday was over. It is massive from the outside. It's a beautiful strong historical building but from the inside it wasn't as impressive to me. It was busy, crowded and quite noisy although overall I did enjoy it.  A horse outside the Pantheon Piazza Navona was the highlight of the day for me. It's a lovely square with two beautiful fountains and an Egyptian obelisk in the middle. I've seen the piazza before in Dan Brown's 2009 thriller Angels and Demons, so it was nice to recognise the place. It was 30 degrees that day and my mint and v...

The temperature doesn't often go over 21 degrees here in Manchester but I am totally ready for Summer! I was in the mood for window shopping yesterday and found many lovely items for summer, so I've put together a wish list to show off some of my favourites. At the moment I am loving long, flowy skirts, so this H&M Long satin skirt would be perfect for visiting a market or for walks on the beach. I also found these Maude style RAEN sunglasses which go well with the skirt pattern. Their Lunar Quartz collection is simply eyecatching. RAEN sunglasses have been my secret obsession for a while now and I am constantly stalking their Instagram page. I already have one good pair of RayBan sunglasses, so I'm not sure if I want to spend £100 on another pair. There are never enough tops in my closet and I want to get something light and summery for when it is warmer. I've been really pleased with the shirts and tops I've ordered from Choies so far, I am t...

Our third day in Rome was booked at the Vatican . Vatican City is the smallest city state but it can easily be explored for several days. Tristan pre-booked the tickets for us just a week before our trip ( €16 each), it included visiting the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel.   We started our day at the museum to see a bit of art and history. The Vatican Museum has a big collection of paintings, sculptures, archaeological excavations, mummies, portraits of the Pope and so much more. The highlight of the museum for me was The Gallery of Maps , which is a 120 metre long gallery containing a series of painted topographical maps on the walls and a painted vaulted ceiling. They don't allow photos to be taken in The Sistine Chapel , so I've not got any photographical evidence I can show you guys but it was definitely an amazing experience. I saw the magnificent work created by Michelangelo and got to tick off something else on my bucket list.   Adam and Eve ...