3 Podcast Recommendations...

I've kind of become a little bit obsessed with podcasts so I thought it was about time I did a blog post with a few of my recommendations. I never really understood why so many people did podcasts and loved them so much but when there was nothing on the TV towards the end of last year I decided to randomly listen to a few on the Acast app and months on I'm still finding time each week to listen to a few of my favourites. It's nice to sit and do some blogging with a podcast on in the background but without the distraction of the TV. There is just something about it I find really relaxing and now I find myself looking for new ones to listen to rather than watching yet another episode of Friends which I've seen a thousand times.

At Home With by Lily Pebbles and Anna Gardner - I mentioned this in my August Favourites last year but as it's the first podcast I listened to and loved, it had to be in my recommendations. Lily and Anna are both youtubers and I've enjoyed their videos for years so I was really excited when they revealed they were starting their own podcast. They are currently working on series 2 but the first one involved them going to a different celebrities home each week and just having a chat really. They spoke about interiors, home life and family mainly and it was great to hear more about some people I've seen on TV and in magazines in the past. I just found every episode interesting and it really was lovely to have on in the background, it was almost like I was sat there with them as I've watched them for so long. In series 1 some of the people they featured were, Liz Earle, Jo Elvin, Zoella, Giovanna Fletcher and Madeleine Shaw. I definitely recommend this if you're also a fan of their youtube channels or if you're just into interiors or beauty.

Giovanna Fletcher Happy Mum Happy Baby - I am such a huge fan of the Fletchers so I was thrilled when Giovanna revealed she was starting her own podcast. It's called Happy Mum, Happy Baby and even though I'm not a parent, I still find it so interesting, and I've seen so many people online agree that it's just a great podcast to have on regardless of if you have children or not. It appeals to everyone, and Giovanna comes across as such a kind and friendly person so it's easy to feel comfortable and again it makes you feel like you're there with them. Series 1 started last year and some of her guests included Emma Willis and Rochelle Humes. She's recently come back with a second series and at the moment I've listened to her chat with Davina McCall and Kimberley Walsh about kids, family and work life. 

Fearne Cotton Happy Place - Fearne was actually one of the guests in the first series of Giovanna's podcast and I thought then that she was really relaxing to listen to and would probably be great with her own podcast. Luckily she's now set up her own called Happy Place! Following on from the success of her books, this podcast involves her chatting to a range of celebs about life, love, loss and mental health, and also about what happiness means to them. I enjoyed this so much I actually managed to listen to 4 episodes in one afternoon whilst blogging and I didn't even think of doing anything else. I loved hearing her chat to all of these different people as she's quite a private person herself so it was nice to find out a bit more about her and her life behind the cameras. Some of the people she has featured so far are, Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black, Dawn French, Paloma Faith and Matt Haig. She has a great range of differen people so there's kind of something everyone can enjoy and relate to.

I'm just absolutely loving podcasts at the moment and couldn't wait to share some of my faves. Are you a fan of podcasts? Have you listened to any of these or have any other recommendations?

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Garnier Moisture Bomb Face Mask Review...

I know these Moisture Bomb face masks by Garnier have been out a long time but I have only just got round to trying one! I've got massively into skincare over the last year or so, which I'm sure regular readers of my blog will know, I've featured several products which I've added to my routine and face masks have been a big part of that. In fact I only uploaded a post a few weeks ago which features a few other masks I've picked up recently but I thought this one, as I'd waited so long to try it, deserved it's own full review.

The Benefits - This mask is supposed to be good for revitalising dehydrated skin, reducing the look of fine lines and reviving radiance. It's perfect for people who feel their skin is looking a bit dull or has any irregularities and this ultra thin mask which is enriched with pomegranate extract, hyaluronic acid and plant serum is meant to leave you with smoother, bouncier and healthier looking skin in less than half an hour.

What I Thought - This was actually the first tissue face mask I'd ever tried so I had no idea what to expect. I definitely find my skin looks a little dull and needs a bit of brightness bringing back into it and so far I hadn't really found a mask that did that. This wasn't the easiest to apply as the mask was just so slippery but I soon got the hang of it and managed to smooth it onto my skin quite well. I did find that there was some excess serum after I removed the mask but this can be either be wiped away or gently massaged in, I did the latter. I found it made my skin feel really soft after using and super moisturised. I don't often use a moisturiser so it was nice to use a product that felt like a bit of a pamper but was also really doing my skin some good. I found it also made my skin look a bit healthier and not quite as dull as usual which is always nice. The only main issue I have with this is the price. Though the usual price of £2.99 isn't exactly breaking the bank, it is considerably higher than some other face masks. I'm a big fan of the Superdrug 99p ones and also some others from Garnier which are about £1.50 in price. The moisture bomb masks (there are quite a few in the range now) can be found on offer sometimes though but at the moment it's currently £2.99 in Superdrug. A while ago I do think you could sometimes find it for 99p but they've grown in popularity considerably since then so I get why the price has gone up! It's definitely one I'd buy again though when my skin is need of a bit of a revival or refresh and I'm intrigued to see what the others in the range are like and how they differ to this one. I'm just glad I've had the chance to finally try it!

Have you tried the Garnier Moisture Bomb Masks?

*Affiliate link used in this post

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Slow Cooker Chilli Recipe...

Chilli is a meal I could eat every week and it definitely ends up on our meal plan far more than any other meal, but I just love it! It's a meal that always fills me up and there always ends up being leftovers, so it's a meal I know will last for a few days and can easily be reheated. After making chilli the 'usual' way for years, I've recently started making it in the slow cooker and it's kind of changed my life. Chilli always tastes good to me anyway but for some reason, making it in the slow cooker only improves it. The flavour is really intensified and the sauce is just the the perfect consistency. I wouldn't make it any other way now!

Ingredients: for 2 people

250g beef mince

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1 pepper finely diced

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomatoe puree

1 beef stock cube

Gravy granules

1 tin of drained kidney beans

Salt, pepper, chilli powder, cumin powder, chipotle chilli flakes, mixed herbs

Method:

1. Brown off the mince in a frying pan, when cooked add in the onion and pepper and leave to soften

2. Once the mince, onion and pepper is cooked, transfer to the slow cooker

3. Add in the chopped tomatoes and 1 tbsp of tomato puree. Then refill the tin with cold water and add in

4. Next chuck in all of the herbs and spices. This is personal preference really, so add as much spice as you like, then give a good stir and leave on high

5. Add in the kidney beans after 3 hours, stir well and then leave for another hour

6. After about 4 hours, the chilli will be done and can be served with whatever you like!

Though this requires a tiny bit of prep at the start with cooking the mince, it's worth it and it's still easily one that can be prepped in the morning. I always cook this for at least 4 hours on high but the longer you leave it, the better it tastes I find. You could also put this on low though for 8 hours if you'd prefer.

What's your favourite slow cooker meal?

Similar posts - Pesto Pasta Bake // Sausage Cassoulet

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The Perfect Movie Night In*

I personally think there isn't much better than a cosy night in, with good food, good company and good films. George and I regularly have movie nights at the weekend, we stock up on a load of snacks and get through several films, and it's the perfect way to spend the night. As we like to have a movie night in so often, I wanted to write about the things that make it for us!

Pamper Evening - To start with, I love a little pamper hour and taking some time for a bit of self care. As much as it's nice to spend all of your time together, sometimes you definitely need a bit of time to do your own thing so I like to have a relaxing bath, with some of my favourite things, while George does his own thing (usually fifa 😂). I'll fill the tub with bubble bath, maybe a bath bomb and I'll set myself out a few bits on my new bath board - totally can't get enough of it. I usually get myself a glass of wine, a good book and I'll do a facemask. Afterwards I tend to re-do my nails and get some fresh PJ's on so I feel refreshed and comfortable.

ALL of the snacks - Is it a movie night unless you have a ridiculous amount of food? I don't think so. We probably go overboard when it comes to snacks but I'm not going to feel guilty for it. We tend to go for a range of things, anything baked, ice cream, popcorn, sweets, etc and on our latest movie night we had a bit of a variety. We both love our ice cream so we loved having the chance to try some from Oppo on this particular occassion. Oppo is a brand of ice cream that depite still being a decadent and luxurious treat, is made with natural ingredients that have replaced any nasty bits you may find included with other brands. Oppo believe you don't need to compromise when it comes to watching what you eat, everyone deserves a little bit of what they fancy and with their ice cream you can do that and have absolutely no guilt about it. Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? but it isn't. There are four flavours available - salted caramel, madagascan vanilla, mint choc swirl and colombian chocolate and hazelnut. We picked up the mint choc swirl flavour and it was divine! It had such a strong minty taste which I loved but the chocolate swirl that runs throughout is a bonus. The smooth chocolate compliments the mint really well and it's just the best combination! At only 39 calories a scoop, you really couldn't tell it was a healthier ice cream than other brands, it tasted just as indulgent and we couldn't get enough of it. We thoroughly enjoyed having this as part of our movie night and will definitely be picking more up in future. If you want to try some for yourself, you can find it in a range of supermarkets including Asda, Waitrose and Sainsburys for around £4 a tub.

Getting Cosy & Picking Films -  I love to turn all of the lights off, light a load of candles and get snug with blankets. We have a few different blankets we like to wrap up in but if it's really cold, you can't beat bringing the duvet in the living room! I've been burning a few different candles recently in the living room, those being Wedding Day by Yankee Candle, my Gemporia Birth Stone and also the cutest tea light holders that I featured in a homeware haul not too long ago. They all light the room beautifully! Obviously the main part of a movie night is the film itself and we tend to spend quite a lot of time trying to choose! We love a variety of films so we watch all sorts. Most recently we watched the latest Jumanji film which was really good, also I, Tonya which was brilliant and a must see, and finally Baywatch because The Rock is just great in any film he does and I also pretty much love anything with Zac Efron in at the moment. We usually end up getting through a few films though and really making the most of the evening.

Movie nights have been a favourite thing of ours for so long, it was something we used to do when we first got together years ago and had weekends in which we longed for so much and now it's a nice way to reconnect and spend some time together at the weekend away from all of the usual stresses of work and life! They're something I always look forward to.

Do you love a movie night? What are some essentials for you?

*Oppo Ice Cream provided for the purpose of this post.

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