DIY Advent

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Happy Advent! This is by far my favourite time of the year. Time to officially get festive and enjoy the season of giving. This year, with the help of KhrissieLoves I have made some really cute advent calendars, which allow you to customise the daily treats. This is really simple yet really cute and easy way to be able to have a bespoke calender.So for starts you will need;
1. Cork Board
2. Drawing board Pins
3. Ribbon
4. Pegs
5. Parcel Tags (optional)

To start, take the ribbon and cut 5 pieces to the width of the cork board. Then spread these evenly down the board, Using the drawing pins, pin the ribbon on the positions you’re happy with. The next thing to do is position your pegs, I opted for some advent calender specific ones, but you could DIY the pegs too! Then of course the filling, this could be anything from things that make you smile to a daily treat, the great thing is you get to choose!

Have fun making…

  

Yoga Time

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So yes it has been a very very long time since I last managed to get pen to paper but I have got lots to tell you but I thought it best to start with this post to stretch off and limber up.

So in October I was off to Alexandra Palace with the Lovely Victoria from Fitique, for the OM Yoga Show. We went along to the show to take a look at all the amazing brands available and all the lovely new styles. We met some great brands and caught up with some of the stores stockists. These are some of my personal favourites and what we got up to throughout the day.

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First stop to grab some delicious juices to get our energy up and ready to see lots of exciting exciting brands.

 

 

 

 

 

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We came across the amazing designs form Dharma Bums and these were my ultimate favourite shape style and pattern leggings, I couldn’t ask for more in a legging.

We also got to meet up with the lovely ladies from Emma Nissim and admire all the lovely t-shirt designs that she has here

 

 

 

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As well as getting shopped out we also got to see some amazing yoga and if you want there are plenty of yoga classes to join in on (this isn’t something I realised you could do).

 

 

 

I can highly recommend this yoga to anyone at any level to get themselves to the show next year! Who knows maybe see you there next year! Don’t forget to check out the beautiful view with a sunset on your way out… IMG_3857.JPG

 

Beetroot Brownies

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Following the The Great British Bake Off I have been inspired to get back into the kitchen! Trying to sneak a healthy twist in there too. I came across this delicious recipe on BBC Good Food and made a couple of amends to make it gluten free. I also use all organic ingredients as a preference! This is a must try as they are truly delicious!

  • 500g Whole Raw Beetroot (3-4 medium beets)
  • 100g Unsalted Butter, plus extra for the tin
  • 200g Bar Plain Chocolate (70% cocoa)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 250g Golden Caster Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 100g Brown Rice Flour
  • 25g Cacao Powder
keeping my fingers stain free, and getting messy!

keeping my fingers stain free, and getting messy!

  1. Start with Beetroot, I pop on a pair of rubber gloves so I don’t get Beetroot stained fingers. Then peel and chop the beetroot, pop in a steamer and cook until soft.
  2. Pre-Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. While the Beetroot steams, butter and line a 20 x 30cm tray bake or small roasting tin. Roughly break the chocolate and cut the butter into cubes and pop into a blender with the vanilla. Once the Beetroot is tender, add this to the blender and mix it up until you have a smooth mixture. (The heat from the Beetroot will melt the butter and chocolate)
  3. Pop the Sugar and Eggs into a large bowl, and whisk together preferably with an electric whisk until it is thick, pale and foamy. Gradually spoon in the Beetroot mixture, and using a large metal spoon, fold the mixture in. Trying to retain as much air to the mixture as possible.
  4. Sift in the Flour and Cacao powder, gently folding into the mixture to make a smooth batter
  5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30mins or until the brownies are completely risen and there’s a tiny bit of mixture left on the knife when you check the centre of the bake. Once cooked cool in the tray and cut and enjoy!
delicious and soft here's the final thing (they didn't hang around long)

delicious and soft here’s the final thing (they didn’t hang around long)

Busy bee…

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The week before last was such a busy week with so many blogging events. Starting on the Saturday at #bloggersfestival. It was a great opportunity to meet some amazing brands and get to understand and discuss their products in more detail. I went along with Khrissie Loves to find out all about the different brands. Here are a few brands I got to spend time with and found really interesting:

myself and khrissie loves waiting to go into the bloggers event

 

The first stall we visited was browhaus. A London based agency focusing on eyebrows and eye lashes. At this stall we were able to have a brow make over which really was a brilliant make over (see my before and aftershocks below). The technique used was threading, this was the first time I had ever had threading done and it was great, for me it was less painful and was very accurate. Browhaus really are the experts in their field and even though we weren’t in one of their salons gave me a great experience. ( I also won their competition so watch out for a post on this). 

before during and after

 

Our second stop off was jewellery box a really cute online shop, with some of the most adorable jewellery. If you’re local to London they currently have a pop up shop open at Brixton Pop (which I have been to and it’s amazing, I wanted to buy everything) here is a few things that’ve created by them. The jewellery comes in this really cute box, I just can’t. Get enough of how lovely all their items are, perfect for presents of all occasions.  

Another great brand I got to meet was cloud nine hair straighteners and curlers made by the founders of GHD I was really interested in the products they had available in particular a set of hair curlers that you heat individually and they literally take seconds to heat. They are also not hot to touch, they release their heat once in the hair. They also used one of their products the ‘magic potion‘ which left my hair feeling so lovely and soft.  
  

getting my hair styled

 

After Saturday I was pooped and had so many bags and so much information to get through. It was thoroughly a brilliant day out and so much fun! The following Monday after work I was off out again with my partner in crime Khrissie! This time to #BLFW, Bloggers Love Fashion Week. This another brilliant event organised for a load of us bloggers to meet some completely different brands and learn all about their products, and be able to give them all a try. 

I got talking to a company called magitone where we got to see their facial cleansing brush in action. I was initially apprehensive as the brush bristles look really stiff but to touch they are silky soft. This is now on my list to buys, it’s something I really want to try to be able to get that deeper cleanse. Once I get one I’ll let you know what it’s like!

Another gorgeous brand we were lucky enough to speak to was Miglio, a South African jewellery company, with a great concept. They sell the chains separately to the pendants, that can be then changed. The chain we were showed could also be worn at 2 different lengths which is great when you wear different necklines. All the jewellery they had on show was high quality and there was something that would suit everyone! Here’s some of the collections, they’d make a great Christmas gift!

Miglio 

There are so many more and as I the products I will get some reviews up! I love these blogging events and meeting such amazing people and brands. Here’s to next time!

Benefit Haul

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Benefit Roller Lash and Sun beam
Having recently had a benefit makeover I made a couple of purchases (I definitely have a couple more to make). For me as soon as I saw these two product they were an initial must.

1. Roller lash – I can’t believe I hadn’t tried this before. It does wonders to my eyelashes. This is a new mascara by benefit and I have heard a lot about it, but I guess you never really believe something until you see it for yourself, and now I’ve tried it, I can’t say I’ll ever go back. I’ve had a few high end brand mascaras , Guerlain, Dior and Lancôme to name a few and none have done what benefits roller lash does. It extends my eye lashes and really opens up my eyes. I now cannot recommend this enough to anyone.

2. Sun Beam – This is an absolute essential for a bronzed highlight sitting on the cheek bones it gives the face an instant summer glow – with a slight shimmer. It’s easy application and light on the skin it was perfect for what I wanted. A brilliant beachy look comes very easy with this product. Keep that summer glow this Autumn.

Halkidiki, Greece

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Hey long time no speak! I have just come back from a truly beautiful holiday with Josh. It was a week long in what felt like paradise! We flew into Thessaloniki, Greece last Thursday, from there we hired a car and drove to the first peninsular (Kassandra) it was around an hour and a hal drive, but so easy. We arrived late at night to the hotel in Pefkohori Anna Maria Paradise – the area really was a paradise. We woke up earliest ate a buffet breakfast at the hotel and headed to the beach straight away. What a beautiful site, white beaches and beautiful blue clear seas!  

me on the beach in Pefkohori, wearing a new hat I got from the bloggersmarket

 

From there we also then walked into the town where we discovered ice creams were only €1 this made it for us the rest of the holiday was filled with ice creams! They were very delicious too.  

ice creams on the sea front

 
We then walked along to the end of the prominade and stopped in a restaurant called Asterias for a light lunch. It was cheap, delicious and a big portion, we ordered a Greek salad each and this filled us right up. Yum! 

greek salad yumm

 
The next few days were spent in the clear blue waters, sipping cocktails in the beautiful sunshine. It was so lovely and relaxing, we spent a day on a boat that we rented out exploring the coastline from a different angle, this was such great fun – and cheap too! 

yes I was driving

 
We also took a day out to the other side of the peninsular where we went to a sulphur spa – not going to lie I forgot what sulphur smelt like until I went there and it’s not a pleasant smell at all, think rotten egg. None the less we gave it a go, we did only last no longer than 5mins. Then we headed straight to the nearest beach where we did some snorkelling and checked out some of the amazing views. 

trying out the smelly sulphur spa

  

exploring under the sea

 
That evening we treated ourselves to a delicious meal out to trip advisors number #3 restaurant called Bakalis, right on the sea front it was a brilliant location . Where we ordered veg, salad and seafood, there was just so much, we ended up with a table full of food which we both gradually throughout the night made it through. It was slightly pricier here but well worth it. All the food was booming with flavour!  We then took a night walk along the beach and back to our hotel where the Greeks were having a party at the bar that we were invited to join in on, so much fun glasses getting smashed (in true Greek style) and shots flowing!

Josh and the table full of delicious food


  

post Greek Glass Smashing photo

 

Our time was nearly up in this beautiful part of the world, we spent our last day in a slightly different way, in Thessaloniki the second city of Greece. A lovely place (very hot) but lots to see, the old walls of the city (what’s left) that were built BC, Aristole square and the White Tower. Some great sites to visit and really we didn’t have enough time to explore the markets and more of the city. 

     
All I can do is massively recommend this place to go and explore we found so much out, history and culture as well as the tourist things to go and do. The people, are lovely and just so helpful too! 

slender tox tea

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So for the past 2 weeks I have been on a 14day slendertoxtea, and I have truly had a great experience, I followed all the advice on the website and the proof really came on Saturday when I went shopping and brought a size 10 dress (normally I’m a 12). I am not saying everyone will have such good results but I really did. 

I feel as though I have a lot more energy and having a flatter stomach is making me feel a lot more confident. All I can say is give it a try, read up about it and see if it works for you too, I am going to be doing another next month too!  

teatox

feeling great after 14days detoxing

Bargain Beauty Bits…

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So lately I have been on the search for some great skincare treatments that are well priced and are great products. Here are 3 I have been using and have had great results.

Beauty

  1. Miscellar Cleansing Water from Garnier: This is a brilliant cleansing water to remove your make up, quickly an effectively. I have very sensitive skin and I have not had a reaction from this. The remover is very soothing on the skin. This is a staple for your skincare.
  2. Eye Make up Remover: This L’oreal eye make up remover is not as good as the Lancôme remover (my usual and  all time favourite), however at half the cost this remover does do the job, and is a good budget buy.
  3. With sensitive skin I struggle to find a good moisturiser that doesn’t make my skin overly greasy. At this bargain price this product is one of the best I have found. It’s calming to the skin and smells divine!

Well, my first beauty products review, I hope you like it!

Going to ride my bike until I get home…

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BobbinThis week has been so busy for me (hence only getting up one post. Sorry!) I went to my first ever silent disco – yes it was amazing, and from videos I now know my singing skills aren’t quite what I thought the were… I also brought a bike so that I can start riding my bike to work, rather than getting the tube. It has knackered me out however I absolutely love it. Lots of fresh air and a great way to start and end the day! Here she is (seen on the left) … name suggestions anyone?

I was very worried on my first day of cycling that it was going to be very dangerous, however with plenty of cycle lanes I have loved every minute of it especially when I am going through the parks! I do also have a helmet and lots of high-Vis and I think this helps feeling safe!

As an extra to my bike I have just brought this bag! Can’t wait to review it when it arrives. It simply fits onto the back of the bike!

bike bag

Here’s to week 2! Do any of you cycle to work? Have you got any tips?

Treat your taste buds

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treat your taste budsLast week I was lucky enough to visit Gordon Ramsay’s 3 Michelin Star restaurant in Chelsea! It was by far the most flavoursome experience I have had to date! The food was simply divine, out of this world tasty. It is an expensive place to eat however  ‘you get what you pay for’ really is what you have to remember here, the service was flawlessly do food unexplainabley good. All I can say is that this is somewhere you have to go to really understand what it’s like. So for now I hope you enjoy the photos! If you’ve been to a Michelin star restaurant I’d love yo know your experiences and recommendations too! So my thought for the day is go and Treat those taste buds, they deserve it.

The delicous courses

The delicious courses