*Sponsored by Zappos.

Hi everyone!! Hope you’re all having a great week. As you might now, I’m once again doing VLOGMAS this year which means I’ve been posting a brand new video every day in December (up until the 25th) but I wanted to come on here and do a written update for those of you who maybe aren’t watching…or just those of you who want to hear about my plans for the next few weeks at home in Ireland. I seriously can’t believe it’s this time of year already. Before I get into the chat though, I do want to share some photos that I took before we left New York.

I’ve teamed up with UGG to show some of their new styles which are available on Zappos and I really think you’re going to love both! Oh and just incase you’re a very last minute gift shopper, this of course might come in use ;) Mainly because Zappos promises fast, free shipping and a 365-day return policy incase you need it. Perfect for this time of year AND all year really! So first up is the above pair of UGG slippers. I just got these last week and literally have NOT taken them off my feet. It’s like walking on clouds!! Can somebody explain to me why I didn’t own a pair before now!? Absolute heaven!!

I loved the cream color but they also come in a few more colors too so definitely check them out HERE if you’re on the search for a new pair. Trust me on this one, you will never look back!

Then the next pair I want to chat to you about are: UGG snowboots. Yes, snowboots. Let me explain…

Ok so 4 years ago when I first moved to snowy NYC, I was fully convinced that I would survive my whole time there without giving into snowboots. (To be fair, I did last 3 & a half years) But I FINALLY saw sense last year. Granted, they’re probably not the prettiest category of shoe you’ll ever invest into but wow, when you find good ones and realize just how much easier they make your life, you’ll NEVER look back. If my NYC friends are reading this they’ll be yelling at the computer, ‘I told you so…” Haha! So when UGG reached out and told me I could choose a pair of their snowboots for this campaign….I full on got so excited. I really never thought I’d see the day but here we are. :)

It took me a while to choose but after a lot of consideration, I went with this black and grey pair for two reasons. 1) Black makes everything look better and 2) They are faux fur lined which is an absolute gamechanger. Trust me!! The weather was a little weird the week before I left NY (rain one minute, snow the next) so I got to test them out and I have to say, they’re up there with the slipper comfort levels. So good! So if you’re on the search for a new pair to invest into for the cold months to come, seriously go with these ones. Well worth every penny!

A big thank you to UGG & Zappos for partnering on this campaign – I truly enjoyed it and love that I get to recommend some great pieces that we all search for at one point or another :) If you have any more questions about either pairs, just let me know.

…& now for the quick update part. And by the way, I get so excited to do these written chats, it always feels like chatting to friends. If you follow me on Instagram (@retroflame), you’ll know that I just got home to Kerry on Monday. I’m not going to lie, I’m so so happy to be back to the calmness. November & December were some of my busiest months to date with work and other projects, so I’ve been dreaming of the peace & quiet at my home in Kerry. I’m here now for the next 3 weeks and have so many fun plans. As I write this, it’s actually 2am on Tuesday night and I’m off to Cork first thing in the morning for a mix of work and fun so I really should be asleep but hey, I can catch up on ALL the sleep in a few days once Vlogmas finishes.

Vlogmas has kept me super busy as usual but I genuinely have loved every minute of it this year (yes, even the editing haha) and am so happy I’ve challenged myself to do it again. We only have 5/6 days left now which is so crazy and then I’m definitely going to take some actual time off. I’m really promising myself that this year. I’m thinking the week between Christmas Day & New Years. No videos, limited Instagram time….just time away from my phone full stop. I truly think it’s so important to switch off as much as you can this time of year so I’m going to make a huge effort.

I also can’t wait to catch up with friends & family. It really is the best part of Christmas, isn’t it? Taking the time to really appreciate the people in your life and spend some quality time together. Tommy also gets home at the weekend so it’ll be nice to spend some home time with him too and catch up with his family. Did you know we only live 20 mins away from each other here in Kerry?

So anyway, that’s the quick little update. I truly hope you all have the best Christmas wherever you are in the world. And as I said in a recent vlog, even if you’re not home this year, make the most of wherever you are and make memories that you’ll always have to look back on. I’ll be vlogging all the way up to Christmas Day, so be sure to keep updated over there -I love getting to chat in the comments and of course, I’m always only a DM away over on Insta. @retroflame

Hope you liked this post & chat soon,
Erika xx