13 things no one ever told you about saving for your first house

1. When you decide to treat yourself on payday, shoes are out of the equation. Instead you start to get excited about tea towels. It's a downward spiral from now on. You don't even know who you are any more.

2. Putting away a huge chunk of your savings each month breaks your heart just a little bit each time. Despite you knowing it's for a good reason.

3. When you look at your current savings, you wonder if it's acceptable to jack this house lark in and go travelling around the world instead. Those beaches in Thailand are calling your name.

4. You think it's perfectly acceptable to spend £20 on two copper letters because they look nice. Let's face it, buying cutlery is boring and you can always use plastic ones.

5. You can spend hours looking on Rightmove at houses way out of your budget. We all have to aim for something right? That multi million house might be yours one day.

6. You dream of having a walk in wardrobe but your boyfriend is adamant that the spare room is going to be a games room. The house may be two years away but it doesn't stop you getting annoyed. There's not going to be enough room for his clothes in your wardrobe.

7. The final amount needed for a house deposit makes you feel a bit sick and want to bury your head in the sand. Since when did you become this grown up?

8. Thanks to Rightmove you know the average house price all over the country. And the world. A 4 bedroom, two bathroom house in Texas for only £60,000? I'll have that please.

9.  Despite knowing that it's about time you took the plunge to buy a house, you still mourn the lack of holidays you can have. You could have a city break each month for the amount you're saving. You would also end up living in a cardboard box.

10. You seem to spend all your time blaming things on the house savings. Want to come out at the weekend? Nope got a house to save for. What to have a bite to eat? Nope got a house to save for. You begin to bore yourself.

11. Conversations with friends revolve around saving for a house, mortgages and homeware shops. You're all in the same rocky boat. Clinging on to the life jacket.

12. Mortgage rates make you want to gauge your eyes out. With a blunt needle.

13. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is hard. But deep down you know that house will be one of the proudest achievements of your life.

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Beauty: Products to help keep your face under control

The constant change in seasons is hard on your skin. One minute it's bright sunshine and the second it's pouring with rain and you're having to bring your scarf out of storage. I don't know about you but my skin isn't too sure how to react and gets in a right old state. Luckily I've got a few wonder products in my arsenal to help keep my face under control.

Super Facialist By Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask: I'm a massive fan of this beauty brand. I think it's such good value for money and it does exactly what it promises on the tin. I usually pop it on a few times a week after I've had a shower. It's brilliant to put on after a clay mask. As someone who commutes into London fairly often and spends a lot of time with air con, my skin takes a battering. But this product makes me skin feel plumper and the dryness is soon blasted away. It helps to keep dullness at bay and smells absolutely gorgeous. It's quite a strong scent so it's not for the faint hearted. You have to like rose! 

Super Facialist By Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask: I'm a massive advocate of clay masks and this one is up there as one of my favourites. I soon notice the frequent breakouts if I'm lax on applying this for a few weeks. It's great for sensitive skin and my face never feels tight after use. The mask is great for banishing those pesky blackheads - after just a few weeks they start to vanish. It's quite a thin consistency so I do like to slaver it on but this helps to make it easier to wash off. 

Origins Drink Up Overnight Intensive Mask: This is my wonder product. I cannot sing it's praises enough! You need the tinniest amount to help make a difference. My skin soaks this up like a good 'un. I use it at night after I've double cleansed and let it soak in before getting into bed. In the morning my skin is fresh-looking, smooth and hydrated. I tend to use it between 2-4 times a week depending on the dreaded weather! 

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Antioxidant Facial Oil c/o I'd always been a bit reluctant to put oil on my face but after reading lots of reviews praising it, I finally took the plunge. I'm extremely glad I did! I pop this hydrating oil on between cleansing and moisturising before I go to bed. It only need 2-3 drops to take effect. The next morning my skin feels refreshed and ready to take on the world. Keep in mind it can get a little greasy if you opt for too much!

Maskeraide Weather Warrior Sheet Mask c/o I was intrigued when I was sent this at work and couldn't wait to try it out. No wonder they've gotten such high praise! A sheet mask comes from South Korea and are one of the next big things in beauty - although I am a little late to the party. You leave them on for 20 minutes and it's like having a cheeky spa treatment at home. It has an almost instant effect after use. My skin has never looked to perky and bright! Definately a good shout to use before you're heading on a night out and need some TLC.

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Recipe: Jam and Coconut Loaf

Last weekend I was abandoned for the last day of the football season and bored in the house. I haven't baked in months and stared at my Kitchenmaid looking all sorry for itself. I wanted something quick and simple to bake. After scouring my many cookbooks, I came across Nadia Sawalha's Fabulous Family Food and saw this simple recipe. It came out brilliantly!

Ingredients:

For the cake:

175g self raising flour, sifted

175g baking spread

175g caster sugar

3 free-range eggs, whisked

50g desiccated coconut

1 tbsp lemon flavouring

1 tbsp vanilla flavouring

1 tsp baking powder

For the topping:

4-6 tbsp strawberry jam

2 tbsp desiccated coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4.

2. Line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment and grease with some butter.

3. Put all the cake ingredients in a mixing bowl, whisk until you have a smooth mixture. Pour it into the loaf tin.

4. Bake for 45-50 minutes. I popped some tin foil on it after 10 minutes to stop it from burning. The woes of having a fan oven!

5. Leave to stand in the tin to cool for ten minutes. Pop on a wire rack to let it fully cool down.

6. Once cooled, spread the strawberry jam on the top and sprinkle with the coconut.

Let me know on twitter if you manage to make it - I'd love to see a picture!

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