Wednesday, 31 May 2017

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Recipe

I mentioned this in my second Slow Cooker Favourites post and said that I wanted to do a recipe post on it, so here it is! This is something I just sort of went for, didn't really know what I was doing, didn't follow a recipe and just hoped it turned out okay!
Ingredients: (for 2 people)
2 Chicken breasts
1 red onion, finely diced
1 pepper or a handful of frozen
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of water (I refill the tomato one rather than using a jug)
2 tbsp of tomato puree
Salt & Pepper
Loads of italian seasoning
A little chilli powder 

Method:
1. Finely dice your onion and pepper and put into the slow cooker
2. Cut any bad bits of the chicken and place in the slow cooker, I don't like to cut into chunks as I like to shred it at the end instead
3. Stir then pour in 1 tin of chopped tomatoes, re fill the tin with cold water and pour that in too
4. I then added in 2 tbsp of tomato puree and gave everything a stir
5. Finally add in as much seasoning you want, I used salt, pepper, italian herbs and a tiny bit of chilli powder. How much is really up to you and what you like
6. Leave on high for 4 hours or if you'd prefer you can cook on low for 8 hours. After either 4 or 8 hours, take chicken out and shred, it should pull apart with two forks really easily
7. Put chicken back into slow cooker and stir in with all the sauce, now serve with rice or pasta!

That's it, really easy to make and a perfect one for days you might be working or just don't want to spend ages cooking. It tastes delicious - the tomato and herb sauce that I just winged went really well with the chicken and it was lovely with rice but you can serve with whatever you want. I think it would go really nice with new potatoes and salad in summer!

Let me know if you ever give this recipe a try!

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Tuesday, 30 May 2017

Bakerdays Letterbox Cake Review*

As a blogger I have a list of brands I would love to work with one day, some small and some huge, some beauty, some food, and so many others, and believe it or not bakerdays has always been one of them. I first found out about them on Twitter around the time I started my blog and I thought then that I would love to get the chance to work with them one day, so to be writing this post on their cakes a few years later, makes me so happy. 

If you didn't know, bakerdays is a personalised celebration cake specialist and they provide cakes for all sorts of occassions! You can personalise the cakes with your own message or even upload a photo onto one of their designs, and you can pick the flavour, either traditional sponge, rich chocolate chip, lemon drizzle, gluten wheat free sponge, dairy free sponge or fabulous fruit. They'll even design a cake especially for you if you ask and can't pick from the range on their website! All cakes are handmade to order and only the best ingredients are used so no need to worry about the quality. The cakes are available in a variety of sizes - letterbox gift cake, small party cake, medium cake or large cake. I was sent one of the letterbox cakes to review, which was perfect as I tend to miss deliveries and with one of these I didn't have to worry about that happening! These fit perfectly through the letterbox and are packaged securely in a protective cake tin and a bespoke bakerdays box, to make sure it survives a drop to the floor!
When it came to picking a cake and personalising it, I spoke to George and we decided to get one made for his brothers, as it was their birthday earlier this month. We've both already had our birthday this year and it's not our anniversary until July so we thought it was a perfect opportunity to get a birthday cake for them, as we would have gone and bought one anyway from somewhere for the weekend. I had no idea which design to go for as they had so many to choose from but I ended up picking the Do I Smell Cake? letterbox cake, chocolate chip flavoured, and I personalised it to say Happy Birthday Boys! I just love the dog on it, I think it's so cute. I received this cake on Tuesday 23rd which is exactly when I asked for. You can pick when you want your cake delivering, even up to 1 year in advance, and I wanted to get one in time for the weekend just gone as I knew thats when we were next having them over to stop. I wanted to get it a few days before we actually needed it just in case their was any problems and as they stay fresh for 14 days, I didn't need to worry about the taste being affected at all. I kept it in the kitchen in its tin until Friday when they arrived.
The cake arrived in perfect condition and I was so impressed by it. I was so happy with the design and just how it had all turned out. We all couldn't wait to cut into it and see what it tasted like. As the letterbox cakes are quite small, these are perfect for 4 people. We all had a slice each and it was just delicious. The cake had kept so well, tasted so fresh, like it literally just been made, honestly I was so happy with it. The rich chocolate chip cake was just delicious, so moist and spongy, just lovely. The icing on top, which I'm not normally too fussed about was absolutely gorgeous. So smooth and sweet. Just everything about it was perfect, I'm so glad we had the chance to try out one of these, as it was just as good if not better than a shop bought cake, and so special.
I did get a few pictures of the cake when we cut into it, but when I went back to check them, they had all come out blurry which is extremely irritating but there is nothing I can do about it now. I just wish I could have shown you a picture of the chocolate cake inside.

If you can't already tell, I just loved this cake, as did everyone else. It tasted lovely, was the perfect size and just looks adorable. It looked even better up close. The letterbox cakes are £14.99 which isn't the cheapest, but you're paying for the quality, personalisation and convenience. If you're not someone who can whip up a cake, or are too busy to get out to buy one, for birthdays and anniversaries aswell as so many other occassions one of these would be brilliant. No need to worry about being in while it's delivered, and you can choose exactly when you want it for. I'll definitely be getting a cake from bakerdays again in the future. If you want to know more about bakerdays, check out their website here, where you can find lots of info about them aswell as seeing all of their cakes and designs, there are loads!

Have you ever tried a cake from bakerdays? Do you think you'd like to try a personalised cake?

*Thank you so much to bakerdays for sending me a cake to review and feature on my blog. This is genuinely a company I've wanted to work with for a while. All opinions are my own as always.

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Monday, 29 May 2017

All About The Base - Some Of My Holy Grail Products

I'm pretty good at sticking with what I know when it comes to makeup. I have my firm favourites and when it comes to my base products especially, I very rarely change them up! I wanted to do a little post with a few of my holy grail base products, ones I couldn't be without as I think they're pretty amazing. There are 2 products in this post which I am still a bit unsure of but I wanted to mention them anyway, as I'd love to know your opinions on them, the rest I am obsessed with.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation 

I've mentioned this product several times on my blog, just because I love it so much! I've been repurchasing this foundation for a few years now, I've just not found anything better. I did try the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation once and hated it so I went straight back to this. It just gives the best coverage. It covers any blemishes and blends in so well, either with a brush or a sponge. It doesn't feel heavy on my skin and it's definitely not one of those foundations you can feel all day. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Maybelline Matte Maker Powder 

Another product I've been using for ages. I'm not really fussy with powder, a powders a powder isn't it? They all do the same thing. I've found with this it helps keep my makeup in place and if I'm looking a little shiny on my forehead, a bit of this sorts it out instantly. I also love using this after contouring just to really blend it in. I blend any bronzer in anyway but I always go over with some of this just to properly make sure I don't look like I've just slapped mud on my cheeks. My makeup doesn't feel complete unless I've used this.

Superdrug Blending Sponge 

I blogged about this recently as I am so impressed with it and it deserved a full blog post. You can find that here if you're interested. I'd been using the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge for a while but I actually prefer the Superdrug one. It's a little bit cheaper which is always nice, but I love what it does with my foundation. It makes my skin look flawless. I'm not going to say I don't have spots because I do but this helps cover them so well. It's just brilliant.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush 

If I'm not going to use my blending sponge, I'll use my Real Techniques buffing brush. Before I was converted into using sponges rather than brushes for foundation, I was obsessed with this. It's brilliant to use if I'm in a rush and don't have time to be using a sponge, I love the finished look I get with this. One of the best brushes for foundation!

Rimmel Lasting Finish Concealer & Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer 

Now the two products I'm just not sure about. I only seem to ever see good things about the Wake Me Up concealer, which is why I bought it, but I just don't think it's that amazing. It is good for under your eyes so if you suffer with dark circles or just feel some days you look particularly tired (I know I do) I do find it makes a difference for that. It's just with spots it doesn't really cover them. Maybe it's just me but I find I'll apply loads and it still won't have really covered them or any redness. I really wanted to love the Lasting Finish concealer, as I do with the foundation but I just find it so hard to work with. It dries really quickly and it's hard to blend. I don't know maybe it's just me with both of these but neither I'm properly buzzing about.

So thats some of my holy grail makeup products! The two I'm not so sure about I would love to know if you've tried them and what you think! Also, let me know if you love any of the things I've mentioned above, or what other base products I should try!

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Friday, 26 May 2017

My First Giveaway! - NOW CLOSED!

Finally, after having my blog for over 3 years I'm doing my first giveaway! I wanted to wait until I reached 1000 followers on Twitter and I finally got to that a few weeks ago so I thought it was about time I posted this. I've just picked a few things that I think people will love, stuff I know I would be so happy to win in a giveaway. All you have to do if you want to enter is head on over to my Twitter here, follow and then retweet my pinned tweet! Full details below.

WHAT YOU WILL GET

- Barry M Speedy Nail Polishes in the shades 'Get Set Go' and 'Sprint Finish'
- Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask
- So...? Wild Berries Body Mist
- Imperial Leather Marshmallow Shower Gel
- Yankee Candle Home Inspiration Wax Melts in the scent 'Cherry Vanilla' They smell incredible 😍
- Galaxy Duet Cookies & Cream Chocolate

HOW TO ENTER

Twitter - Follow Me and Retweet my Pinned Tweet here!

RULES

- UK ONLY
- No Quote Tweets
- Must be following on Twitter
- Giveaway will end at midnight on 26th June.
- Winner will be selected at random and contacted the next day by DM. I will also congratulate them on twitter
- Items will be sent within a few days of the giveaway ending

Good luck to anyone who enters! I've been wanting to do something like this for a while so I hope people like it!

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Thursday, 25 May 2017

2017 Film Watch List So Far

I've wanted to do something like this for quite a while but I just didn't really know how to. I wasn't sure whether to do a post on ALL the films I've seen this year so far, or whether to just go on the ones I've seen at the cinema, and I've decided to go with the latter. Even though I've seen a few this year at the cinema, I've seen loads more at home and I just feel like this post will be too long if I talk about every single one! So I thought I would do a list of everything I've been to see at the cinema since the start of 2017, give my opinion on it and then I'll do another one towards the end of the year. I actually don't feel like I've seen that many this year to say we have cineworld unlimited cards but as there was like a full month where I wasn't well and didn't leave the house, I suppose we missed out on a few films there. I'm not sure if this post is something anyone will be bothered about but I thought it was something just a little bit different and I personally love to know what sorts of films people like to go and see.

La La Land - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was really sceptical at first about this film and even when it first started I was thinking what the hell is this but I ended up loving it. I think because I went in not really knowing what the film was about and not knowing it was a proper sort of musical, at first I was a bit shocked. By the end I loved it though, I loved the story, the characters, the music! The ending was very bittersweet and I think thats the only thing that disappointed me about it, it didn't end how I wanted it to but that's life and generally it was still a lovely film. The songs were stuck in my head for SO long after seeing this. 

Sing - ⭐⭐⭐

I had looked forward to seeing this for so long! I can be such a kid sometimes and if you've read some of my previous weekend posts or favourites, you'll know I am obsessed with Trolls, and I also loved Secret Life Of Pets so I thought this one would be another just like that. It definitely wasn't as good or as funny as the other two for me, I did really enjoy it and would watch it again but it just didn't really give me that feeling the others did. I know that might sound ridiculous because all three films are targeted at kids and I'm 22 but I just didn't think it was as amazing as I thought it would be.

Fifty Shades Darker - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another film I had looked forward to for so long! I loved the first fifty shades but we had to wait 2 years until valentines 2017 for the second instalment, luckily it was worth the wait! I know some people think these films are a load of crap but personally I love them. Jamie Dornan just IS Christian Grey, I am obsessed with him. I can't wait to have this on DVD and I can't wait for the third and final film next year.

Beauty and The Beast - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I don't know where to start with this film, it's just perfect! It's become one of my all time favourite films that I know I will watch over and over again. I can't remember every really watching the original version of the film so when the trailer came out for this, even though I wanted to see it, I wasn't buzzing for it. When we did go to see it though, I just fell in love with it all. Emma Watson is definitely not one of my favourite people but she is perfect as Belle I think and Dan Stevens as the beast is just amazing, can't forget Luke Evans as Gaston either 😍. I literally have the soundtrack on repeat most days, I think it's such a wonderful film.

Ghost In The Shell - ⭐⭐

 This was a bit of a weird one. It has Scarlett Johansson in who I'm not the biggest fan of but I was really intrigued by the story which is why I still went to see it. The main character is basically a human who is cyber-enhanced to be the perfect soldier, devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals. It sounded really good and it was okay but not my favourite of the year. It was all just a bit confusing and I kept losing track of what was going on, I'm pretty sure I fell asleep a few times too. I don't know, just wasn't my sort of film.

The Belko Experiment - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you like The Purge films then I think you'll like this. I love all three Purge films as creepy as they are just because they are so real, and this was sort of the same in that way. This is basically about 80 employees who get trapped at work in their own building, told by a voice over an intercom that they must kill each other, and that their can only be one winner. You kind of know how it's going to go from the beginning but I did find it really tense and you never quite knew who was going to end up on top and who was going to turn against one another. I actually really enjoyed it and would watch it again. I'm not sure it was quite as good as The Purge but a similar sort of concept and worth a watch.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved the first Guardians Of The Galaxy so I was so excited for this and it didn't let me down at all! Rocket is just my favourite character, I love him. I really enjoyed the storyline of this even though it was only really focused on one thing but I liked how it ended. I think I love all of the characters even more in this film than the first one. One thing I love about the Guardians Of The Galaxy films so much is the music! I definitely don't think the soundtrack to the second film is as good as the first, but still brilliant and the songs they chose are so catchy! I can't wait to watch this again and add to our DVD collection.

I'm hoping some more exciting films will be coming out soon, theres not been much since guardians of the galaxy I've been buzzing about to see go and see. I think so far my favourite this year has to be Beauty and the Beast. I love a few of the films on this list so it's quite difficult to pick but Beauty and the Beast was just magical. Definitely one of my new all time favourite films!

Have you seen any of these films? If so, which was your favourite?

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Wednesday, 24 May 2017

Be Drinks & Froo-T Smoothies Review*

Okay I am obsessed with all sorts of drinks at the moment, juice, pop, even tea, I just want to drink ALL the time at the moment, so all of these amazing bottles from the people at BE Drinks and Froo-T couldn't have arrived at a more perfect time.
I wanted to get this review up as quickly as possible as me and George managed to get through these in just one weekend, and I was so excited to write what I thought about them all. Before I start on each flavour though, let me tell you a little bit about BE Drinks and Froo-T. Both of these are actually part of The Natural Beverage Company who are the UK's largest producer of Fairtrade beverages including yummy juices and smoothies like these. BE Drinks are new 100% natural and ethical juice drinks, available in a variety of flavours. Froo-T are delicious, fairtrade smoothies which are made with tea, big on flavour but not big on calories! I love a good smoothie, and I also am obsessed with drinks like apple juice, I can go through so much of it! so both of these were just perfect for me.

Lets start with the juices from BE drinks. I love the packaging, it's so bright and vibrant and I love how it stands out. These are also such a decent size. Perfect for me right now as I am always thirsty. So, the first one I had was the Apple juice, all of these have an added splash of water so the first thing I noticed about this was that it wasn't quite as strong as normal fresh apple juice, but only just. It was still so nice and refreshing and I got through this bottle so quickly. If you sometimes find that normal apple and orange juice, is a bit too sweet or tangy for you, then I think these would be perfect. The next one I tried was the Orange and Carrot. I tried a juice like this a while back and absolutely loved it, and I did with this one too. I love juices like this that have added veg in as I definitely don't eat anywhere near enough so if they can be disguised in things like this, then thats amazing. It basically just tasted like orange juice so if you're wanting to try something thats a bit healthier but aren't sure if you'll be able to tell that their is veg in it, try this flavour, you really won't notice. The next day I tried the Orange juice. I love fresh orange juice so much, it's the perfect morning drink, and this was so refreshing straight from the fridge. I also loved that this was smooth, I hate juice that has bits in so I'm so glad this didn't! Next I had the Mango and Lime one. I love this combination! I think they go so well together, and I just love anything with lime. This was really refreshing and zingy, I enjoyed it so much!

The last two I tried was Peach, Spinach and Ginger, and Raspberry, Blackcurrant and Beetroot. Normally I love anything peach flavoured but I think the ginger in this for me was just a bit too strong. If you like really healthy green juices and things like that then I think this would be perfect for you, but personally I don't tend to enjoy those. I gave this one to George though and he loved it, it was his favourite out of all of them. He tends to like drinks like that though and always goes for the Innocent Green Smoothies and Juices over pop, unlike me, so this one was perfect for him. I think my least favourite was the Beetroot one, thats not to say its bad at all, just not to my taste. Some people love drinks like that and similar to the green juices, you can get loads like this containing beetroot but they've never been ones that I would chose. It's just preference and for me I'd always go for the apple or orange juice. 
Now onto the smoothies. I was so intrigued by these as they contain tea, and I was super excited to see what these tasted like! First of all I love the packaging of these, it stands out to me and I think these are the perfect size for travelling or work. The first one I tried was the Strawberry and Banana Smoothie. Even though I love bananas I don't usually like it in smoothies, I find the flavour can be a bit too strong sometimes. George is the complete opposite though, loves the flavour but won't eat bananas, so strange. So, he absolutely loved this one. He ended up drinking most of it, but I did have a bit and I did enjoy it. The banana flavour wasn't too overpowering and I could really taste the strawberry and a hint of the green tea extract. Lastly out of all the drinks, the last one I tried was the Mango and Orange Smoothie. I really really enjoyed this one! It was a perfect one to have in the morning with breakfast. So refreshing and an even flavour of both the mango and the orange. So tasty and I didn't find it had lots of bits in either which is so good.
Overall I am so impressed with the drinks from both BE Drinks and Froo-T. I definitely had my favourites but generally all of these are so exciting and I really do think there is a flavour for everyone. My favourite out of all of them would probably have to be the classic Apple juice or the Mango and Lime, both of these were incredible. If you want to try these drinks or find out a little more about both of these exciting companies then be sure to follow them on social media, BE Drinks Instagram/Froo-T Instagram. You can also check out the Froo-T website here.

Have you tried any of these drinks? What do you think your favourite flavour would be?

*I received these drinks free to feature on my blog. As always I only work with brands that are relevant to me and my blog, all opinions are my own.

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Tuesday, 23 May 2017

Lush Yellow Submarine Bath Bomb

I picked up the Yellow Submarine bath bomb from Lush while we were in London, and as it's one I'd never tried before, I couldn't wait to have a nice bubble bath with this, it had to the be the first one I used out of everything I got. I'm pretty sure it's an Oxford Street exclusive but it is available to buy on the website so I might have to get myself a few more soon.
First of all, isn't it just so cute? I love that its a bit different to most of the other bath bombs you can get from Lush, I always like when they bring something out a little bit unique. I was pretty sure I would like this as it's the same colours as the Never Mind The Ballistics Bath Bomb that I tried at Christmas. I loved watching that one do its thing in the water and it ended up turning the water into a gorgeous orange so I expected the same of this. Luckily it was just as good! As soon as it hit the water it started fizzing away, frothing up lots of bubbles and forming lots of pretty patterns. I loved seeing the pink emerge through the yellow. This is quite a slow fizzing bath bomb. Some hit the water and are gone quite fast but this was bubbling away for absolutely ages. Thats definitely not a bad thing, I always feel a bit like I got more for my money when it lasts a while if that makes sense, it's nice that it wasn't just over within a few minutes. When it eventually finished and dissolved, the water was a lovely light orange colour.

As for the scent of this one, it was lovely as are most Lush products. It contains brazilian orange oil which is the most prominent scent, it's really zingy and refreshing which I love from a bath bomb. It also contains lemongrass and coriander seed oil which is supposed to be good for toning aswell as its reported uplifting and anti-depressant qualities. The scent definitely wasn't as strong as some other bath bombs I've used in the past while it was in the water but overall it was still a pretty amazing bath bomb. 
Despite it not having the strongest scent ever, it's definitely up there as one of my favourite Lush products, definitely one I would repurchase. I love how it looked in the water and I loved that it was quite a slow fizzer. 

Have you tried this bath bomb from Lush? Whats your favourite Lush product?

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Monday, 22 May 2017

Rimmel Lasting Finish Concealer Review

I featured this Rimmel Concealer in my Superdrug and Boots Beauty Haul a few months ago, and I really wanted to love it, and I thought I would, but I just don't. There are good things to it, it's not completely awful but it's just not what I expected.
I'm so disappointed that I don't like it because I've been desperate for a new concealer and because I love the Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation, I thought this would be a pretty good addition to my makeup bag. I don't know if it's just my skin that it doesn't really work with or if it is just the product. I'd heard mixed things about this to be honest like I had about the foundation but the foundation for me is just perfect and my go to one, so I expected the same from the concealer.

I'll start with what I do like about it because as I said it isn't all bad and I don't want this to just be a full on negative post. I love the packaging and the size of it. I love how different it is to other concealers in that way, most are quite thin concealers in a tube whereas this is the complete opposite. It's the perfect size for your makeup bag or handbag and brilliant for that reason if you're in desperate need of a bit of concealer on your way to work, or if a spot just turns up during the day and you want to cover it up! I'll probably keep it just for that reason because my skin can be quite temperamental sometimes. I found it's really heavy coverage so it didn't take much of the product to cover any spots of blemishes on my skin. So for an emergency spot or something like that I would use it.

The reason I don't particuarly like it and it won't be my go to concealer is because it is so hard to blend in! Usually with my other concealers I can easily blend in under my eye or on any spots with my beauty sponge or with a brush and with this I just couldn't. It dried pretty quickly I found on my skin so by the time I'd picked a brush up it was already drying and sticking to my skin so I had to proper try and rub it in which you shouldn't really need to do. It actually hurt a little bit to try and blend this just because it dried so quickly and it's such a thick consistency. I also found when I had managed to blend it in, I could feel it there on my skin. I don't want my face to feel sticky or heavy and I've found with this I do. I don't know, I don't want to hate this at all, I usually love Rimmel and most of my makeup bag is made up of their products but for me this just doesn't work. I think I'm going to have to go back to my trusty Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. This doesn't really even compare.

Whats your favourite concealer? Can you recommend any I should try? Have you tried this one? If so I would love to know your thoughts! Maybe it's just my skin that this doesn't work with very well.

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Wednesday, 17 May 2017

Naturelle Cosmetics Royal Coffee Scrub Review*

A while back I was sent a pack of Royal Coffee Scrub to try from the people at Naturelle Cosmetics. I've been using this a few times a week for the last few weeks and I'm so excited to finally be writing this review because I've loved using it.
Naturelle Cosmetics are a family owned and operated business based in the UK that sell a range of natural and organic beauty products. They are so passionate about providing only nature-sourced cosmetic products from organic, certified farms in France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the UK. There are a lot of good points to ordering products from Naturelle Cosmetics but just to name a few, they are 100% paraben free, vegan products, NO animal testing takes place aswell as low carbon footprint and being suitable for vegetarians. They have a range of products available ranging from face cleansers, lip balms and body scrubs, to hand and foot creams, natural shampoos and mineral makeup. There are also so many other things available too so feel free to check out their website which I'll leave a link to below!

The product I was sent was the Royal Coffee Scrub in the scent Lavender Mint. I was so excited to try this and I had no idea what scent I would get but I was so intrigued by this one and couldn't wait to see what it was like. Given that it's a coffee scrub, you do get an overwhelming smell of that so if you don't like that then this might not be for you! but even though I don't like the taste of coffee, I love the smell of it so this was actually quite nice. I could definitely smell the Lavender Mint and it somehow managed to come through despite the strong scent of the coffee, it was really freshing and zingy.

Onto how the scrub actually works and how it feels. I took a handful of this while I was in the shower and basically rubbed into my skin. I was careful to only really put this on my arms, legs, back and tummy as my skin can be a bit sensitive and I wasn't sure how this would react on my face and I thought it might be a bit rough. I loved how this felt on my skin, I love using scrubs as I always feel so soft afterwards and I weirdly think it's such a nice feeling to properly scrub yourself, so this was so nice. It may be extremely dark in colour, and yes it did go all over the bath but it actually washed off really well. There was no trouble with it coming off my skin, within seconds it was gone but I was left with the softest skin! I'm not just saying this, my skin felt incredible, especially on my arms. This contains a number of ingredients that are supposed to be soothing and nourishing for the skin so they obviously work, a few to mention are jojoba oil, avocado oil, lavender oil and almond oil. These are all known to be excellent for your skin! Scrubs like this are also supposed to also help with ailments such as acne, burns and eczema, I don't suffer with any of those so I don't know if this would make a difference but it may be worth considering if you do.

Overall I have been so impressed with this scrub. I've been using it a few times a week and there is still loads left, a little goes a long way so I'm sure this will last me a while. As well as Lavender Mint you can get this scrub in a few other scents so if this one isn't for you, definitely check out the others available. These are priced at £9.95 and are a decent size, like I said they will last ages! If you want to know more, check out their website here.

Have you ever tried a coffee scrub before?

*Product sent for the purpose of this review, as always all opinions and views are my own.

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Monday, 15 May 2017

Snact Fruit Jerky Review*

Recently I was sent a few packs of Snact Fruit Jerky* to try and review on my blog. I was so excited to try these as I love a sweet treat and these are pretty healthy unlike the usual chocolate or sweets I reach for!
Snact make delicious, sustainable snacks from the ugly fruit that British farmers don't want. With the fruit they make smoothies and then dry it to make fruit jerky. Each flavour of their fruit jerky is vegan and gluten free, only made with whole fresh fruit and fresh purees. No need to worry about preservatives or additives, this is literally just fruit which I think is pretty good as most of the time loads of stuff is added into things like this!

I was kindly sent three flavours to try, Apple and Mango, Apple and Raspberry, and Apple, Blueberry and Banana. 
I started with the Apple and Mango as I love that combination and as I thought I would, I really enjoyed it! I got through this pack so quickly. There was a really even taste of both the apple and the mango and it was just sweet enough for that kick that I sometimes need in the afternoon!

The next pack I tried was the Apple, Blueberry and Banana. Out of all 3, this was the one I was a bit sceptical about just because I'm not the biggest fan of banana flavoured things. To my suprise though I couldn't really even taste the banana so these were perfect! I could taste the apple and the blueberry and like the first pack, it really filled me up. I don't think this pack was quite as sweet as the apple and mango but that's fine with me. 

I saved the Apple and Raspberry until last and just like the other two, I was so impressed. This pack was really nice and sweet, and had an even mix of both flavours. I found this flavour in particular was so moreish, I could have definitely eaten another pack afterwards. Aswell as loving the taste of all 3 packs, I love the texture and how chewy they are. I see them as a healthier version of a fruit winder! Does anyone else remember those? I used to be obsessed with them but they're definitely not that good for you so these are such a brilliant alternative. These packs are perfect handbag size so brilliant to take to work or uni with you, there is no mess and they're just a perfect little snack for when you need a pick me up during the day. 

Overall I am so impressed. Not only do these taste so good, I also love how Snact are doing their bit to tackle waste issues. Instead of bad fruit getting thrown in the bin, they put it to good use and make these delicious, healthy snacks! Their packaging is also home compostable which helps reduce waste even further!

If you want to know anymore about Snact or would like to know where you can buy from, check out their website here!

*I was sent a selection of flavours to try for the purpose of this review. As always I only work with brands relevant to me and my blog.

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Friday, 12 May 2017

The Mental Health Tag - #MHAW17

A few days ago I saw the lovely Claire had done the Mental Health Tag as it's Mental Health Awareness Week. I really wanted to do the tag myself as I'm so passionate about spreading the word and raising awareness of mental health issues, their is still such a stigma attached to it and it needs to stop. The more people who talk, the better!
1. What is your mental health issue? - Generalised Anxiety, though the most prominent part of my anxiety is the health side, I am always worried about getting ill. I also suffer with panic attacks.

2. Do you have medication and/or therapy? I've never had medication and I really don't want to start any, I worry I'll get too reliant on it. I had one councelling session when I lived in Leicester which helped me massively in just one hour, but as we moved back to Sheffield I couldn't carry on with it. I went down the councelling route last year but after waiting ages for an appointment, on the day I just couldn't force myself to go. Currently about to start the process again as I know councelling will help and I'm determined this time to go through with it.

3. What therapy/medication have you tried and has any worked for you? Apart from one session a few years ago, I haven't had any other therapy. I felt so much better after one session, just being able to talk about my feelings and I hate that I couldn't carry on with them, so I'm really determined to go down that route again this year and get proper councelling for my anxiety. I've spoke to several drs in the last few years regarding my anxiety and I've never really felt they've been of much help.

4. How long have you had problems for? My anxiety first started towards the end of 2013 when I had just started uni, and got really bad at the begininng of 2014 when I chose to leave my course. I couldn't cope with uni and I hated my course, aswell as not knowing how to tell people and trying to find a job, I just couldn't cope with it all. Since then I've had good months and bad months.

5. Does your family/friends know? There are quite a lot of people I don't even talk to anymore but I'm almost certain they read my blog so I'm sure they'll have figured out I have anxiety. The people I do speak too, all know.

6. Does this affect your work and daily living? I actually ended up leaving my job last year due to stress and anxiety. My anxiety had been under control for a while and then I started getting put under more pressure at work, as well as generally being left out and treated differently to others. I was so stressed every day, it eventually got the point where I was having panic attacks before work, and I ended up being signed off work for around 3 months. I then chose to leave, there was no way I could go back. Now on my good days I feel like I can do anything, I'll be so motivated. On bad days, I don't even like to leave my bed, I just like to do nothing. 

7. What makes you feel calm? I find the TV show The Office makes me feel pretty calm. It's just such a funny show that no matter how I'm feeling, it will make me laugh and really calm me down. Sometimes a bubble bath and a book can help too, I just need focus my mind on something else.

8. What do you do in crisis? I try to talk to people but a lot of the time I like to just sit alone and try and calm myself down. Sometimes talking to others does help but other times I can't get my words out properly and can't explain what I mean, so time alone is sometimes best for me. Music helps too, I'll put my earphones in and just turn the music up loud.

9. What advice would you give to others suffering? Do whatever it is you need to thats going to make you feel better. If talking helps, talk, it's so important to know you're not alone and that their are people who can help. If you're going through a tough time and don't want to do anything out of your comfort zone, then don't. If I'm not in the right frame of mind to go and see people, then I just won't. I have to put myself first and sometimes that means being a bit selfish. It's totally fine to put yourself and your needs first.

10. What makes you smile? So many things, George, reading through my London blog posts, going out for meals, exploring new places, CAKE. Loads of things.

11. Describe your mental health issue in 5 words - Exhausting, lonely, stressful, scary, confusing.

12. Insert a picture to make people smile - I really struggled to pick one because there are quite a few that make me smile but this one is just adorable.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this post. It might not be for everyone but I think especially as it's Mental Health Awareness Week, posts like this are so important. Feel free to copy the questions if you want to take part. If you do let me know so I can check out your answers too!

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Thursday, 11 May 2017

Mini Kinder Cupcake Recipe & Jocca Cupcake Maker Review*

A few weeks ago I received a Cupcake Maker* to try from the people at Jocca and I decided to put it to the test and make something I've never made before - Mini Kinder Cupcakes! I had no idea how these would turn out and I'll be the first to admit the photos I got of them are not incredible but they were delicious and I'm so glad I got the chance to try something a bit different. The reason I'm posting this recipe today is because it's actually national Eat What You Want Day so really is there a better reason to make these today and enjoy them? I don't think so. I'm planning on spending the day relaxing with some baked goodies and some chocolate because if there is any day to forget the diet and eat what I want, it's today!
Before I get on with the recipe let me tell you a little bit about Jocca, the company who sent me the cupcake maker to review. Jocca is a homeware and small appliance company based in Spain that sells a whole load of products ranging from health and beauty to storage to home and garden aswell as so many more things. They may be based in Spain but they do ship worldwide meaning everyone can get hold of some of exciting products. You can get free shipping on orders over £40 and if you subscribe to their newsletter you can get £10 of your first order! As soon as I saw the baking products, I knew all of them would be perfect for me but the Cupcake Maker was the best of them all. I'm not brilliant at making cupcakes so anything that can make the process a bit easier and quicker, is a winner for me!
So with the cupcake maker I decided to try something I've never done before, Mini Kinder Cupcakes! I just followed a basic cupcake recipe and then decided to experiment by adding chocolate fudge icing to the top and kinder beunos on top! The only thing that makes them Kinder cupcakes is the Kinder Beuno on top but if they were a bit bigger I'd have added some swirled milk and white chocolate spread to the centre so if not using an appliance like this then thats something you could definitely do! These really aren't very fancy and really quite small but I think they are so cute! Sometimes with a big cupcake it can be hard to finish especially when it has loads of icing on top so I think these are perfect, just one or two is enough for that sweet treat.

Ingredients:
60g butter, softened
60g caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g self raising flour
Chocolate fudge icing (I use Betty Crocker)
2 Kinder Beunos

Method:
1. Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and mix together until smooth
2. Now add in the egg and mix well
3. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and mix
4. Now add in the flour, fold in until everything is combined
5. If using a cupcake maker like me, put in 1 tbsp of the mixture in each hole and then put down the lid, leave to cook for minutes around 5 minutes. I found after 5 mintutes, even though a bit pale on top, they were cooked perfectly and were just like any other cupcakes
6. If using an oven, pre-heat to 180 degrees, fill cupcake cases with the mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes, they should come out golden and springy to touch
7. When the mini cupcakes had cooled, I decided to put some Betty Crocker Chocolate Frosting on top, I was going to make my own buttecream but given how small the cupcakes were, it would have just gone wrong and been almost impossible to do neatly. I spread a little bit on the top and then added part of a kinder beuno to each one
That is literally all their is to it, so simple whether you're using the cupcake maker or not. Very little ingredients but full of flavour and the kinder beuno on top is just so good! Overall I am so impressed with the cupcake maker. They did come out a bit smaller than I expected but actually they looked really cute, tasted just like any other cupcake and are actually something a bit different to make in future now. I think these would be so perfect to make next time I have people round, they're not too big and not as filling as something like a slice of cake so actually the perfect treat! The cupcake maker was so easy to use, it came with an instruction book so everything I needed to know was all in there and before making the cupakes it was as simple as just giving it a clean and spraying some oil/frylight on just to make sure they didn't stick and that was it. These literally took 5 minutes so they would be the perfect thing to make in future if I'm in a rush and need to quickly bake something. I can't wait to use it again and experiment with some more flavours and toppings!

If you want to try out the Cupcake Maker yourself or want to see what else Jocca do then check out their website here.

Have you ever tried making anything with something like this?

*I was sent the cupcake maker to review and feature in a recipe. I only work with brands that are relevant to me and my blog.

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Wednesday, 10 May 2017

London Haul - Lush, Selfridges and More

Yesterdays post was all about our latest trip to London but I wanted to do a seperate one showing you the things I bought as I just couldn't put it all into one! I didn't end up getting loads but definitely more than I was planning. I never really go with the intention to buy stuff, it's always just about being there for me and seeing everything but when you're on Oxford Street, you've gotta take advantage of some of the shops. 

The first stuff I wanted to show you was a few bits from Lush. As I said in yesterdays post, I asked George to go in for me while I went to another shop as it's just too busy in there and as lovely as the shop assistants are, them constantely trying to help doesn't do my anxiety any good! The only one I knew I wanted because I haven't had it in a while is the Sex Bomb Bath Bomb, apart from that I said just see what else they have, he ended up getting more than I thought he would but I am not complaining! He got me the Yellow Submarine Bath Bomb, Cheer Up Buttercup Bath Bomb and 2 bath melts - Lime Pastille and Double Vitality. I love bath melts as they're a bit cheaper and always make my skin feel amazing. I'm so excited to use all the bath bombs, I'm pretty the sure yellow submarine and cheer up buttercup one are Oxford Street exclusives so I can't wait to see what they are like. I'm sure I'll do a few blog posts on them so look out for those, would love to know your thoughts on any of these as I've never tried any of them.
While George was in Lush, I went to M&S. I wasn't really going in with the intention of buying stuff but their homeware section is SO good at the moment. They had so much pretty summer stuff and a huge amount of candles, I wanted it all. I spent about 20 minutes smelling all of the candles and eventually I chose two because I just couldn't leave them. I got a huge Sweet Apple one which was only £7.50! Does anyone else think thats an incredible price for a candle that big? Yankee Candles are like £20 for that size, and this smells amazing, I can't even put into words how nice it is. I also got a small candle in the scent Vanilla Bean which was £3. I love this one because it almost smells like a cake, it just reminds me of baked stuff! The last thing I had to get was this Patchouli and Clove room spray. It was £5 and one of the more expensive room sprays. I'd never usually pay that for it and I stick to the Primark ones but this is just lovely. It smells a bit like mens aftershave which some might find a bit weird but I love anything that smells like that and I've had candles similar before, so this is perfect. 
We then walked down to Next, I saw someone mention one of their perfumes in a video recently and as mine is almost all gone now I thought I would treat myself to a new one. I got the Just Pink perfume which was £12 for 100ml. This smells gorgeous. It's so sweet and refreshing and just screams summer to me. So lovely. Also how gorgeous is the bottle? As much as a perfume has got to smell nice, for me it's also got to look nice, and I thought this bottle was just so pretty. I love places like Next for perfume, branded ones can be so expensive and I'm just not willing to spend like £40 on a new perfume when they do so many nice ones in shops like this for such a good price. 
After Next we went Selfridges and I picked up a new brush as I was desperate. I got OH K Sweet Peach Detangle Brush which I just love. I think it is so pretty and also it smells like peaches! I love anything that smells of peaches so this instantly won over all the others. It was £9 so a little cheaper than the other tangle teasers but just as good. 
I'm so happy with everything I got! I didn't go with the intention of buying loads, all I really knew I needed was a tangle teaser but apart from that I thought I'd just see if there was anything I liked. I'm so obsessed with the perfume, and even though I probably really didn't need more candles, I couldn't resist the M&S ones. If you go into one soon, smell them because these are just incredible. I think the only thing I've missed of this post that I got was a few more postcards from Paperchase for our photo wall but apart from that I don't think there is anything else.

I think that's it for my London posts now. I'm so sad it's all over but as always I hope it won't be too long til we're back there. I hope you've enjoyed reading about our trip and also seeing what I bought in London, I always love little hauls like this!

Yesterdays post - A Much Needed Break In London!

*Affiliate links used in this post

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Tuesday, 9 May 2017

A Much Needed Break In London

I knew last week would go quickly and our trip to London would be over before we knew it, but it went so, so fast and I can't quite believe we're home and it's already over. I always feel a bit sad when we get home, I think it's normal after a holiday or a few days away, but this time I feel like it didn't properly hit me we were leaving when we were so once I was home, I just didn't feel right. I don't know if that makes sense but I always sort of have a few minutes to properly think okay we're going now on the last day and I'll take a few last pictures but this time I didn't do that, we were in such a rush Friday morning and so shattered so we didn't have much chance to do anything but rush to the station and I know this sounds super sad but I hate not having a proper goodbye. It's not like it's a person or anything but I always struggle to leave London anyway as I love it so much but this time I felt so emotional at the train station and it really didn't feel right to be leaving.
I know that's a bit of a depressing start to this post, we had such a good time but it's always bittersweet. I adore being there and I'm always so happy at the time but in the back of my mind I'm always aware of how fast it's all going. It's hard to not think like that, because I never want to leave so I feel like I'm always just on a countdown. Luckily on Wednesday we arrived at quite a good time and was checked in quite quickly so by 2pm we were out and had plenty of time to explore and get everything done we had planned. As usual we started off with a walk down the Southbank to Borough Market. Most of my London posts probably sound so repetative but we have our favourites in London and Borough Market is one of them. Of course we had to get our usual mini sugar donuts outside the This Morning Studios and we sat on 'our' bench outside the Tate Museum. Once we were at Borough Market we headed straight for one of the indian stalls which sell the most incredible samosas and onion bhajis. They are so cheap, huge and just taste amazing. We also got a Bread Ahead Doughnut, this time we got the Salted Caramel Honeycomb (I'm pretty sure thats what it was called) some chocolate, a brownie, oh and we tried our first macaron! I've been wanting to try one for so long so when we saw them at one of the stalls for £1.30 we both got a chocolate one to try. OMG they are delicious! They were not what I expected at all, but so good. Chewy and fudgy. I wish we'd got more. We picked up so much food to take back for that night and struggled to get through it all, there was just so much to try!
After that we went to Covent Garden. I had a look in my favourite shop Sass and Belle and a few others but didn't end up getting anything, there wasn't really anything I wanted or needed, it was just a nice walk round, and we stopped for some cheesy bacon fries from Shake Shack. They were so nice, and the chocolate milkshake we had their was just the best. A trip to London for us isn't complete without a stop at Whole Foods so after Covent Garden we went to the Picaddilly one which just has everything. After that we had a relaxing night in the hotel with McDonalds and TOWIE and all the baked stuff we had bought earlier in the day. I wanted to put this selfie we took in this post even though it's not got the best lighting, I love it because we don't have many pictures together and I think it's going to be nice for us to have a picture from each of our trips.
The next day we went straight to Hyde Park. We've been wanting to go each time we've been in London and we've never found the time but this trip was much more chilled as we've already done so much stuff in London so we made it a priority. We didn't get to go round it all, it's huge and we were on a bit of a time limit as we had something planned for lunch but what we did see was lovely. It was all just so green and pretty. I imagine it would look even more beautiful in summer. We stopped for an ice cream at one point and it was so nice, it's been so long since I last had an ice cream like it. After a walk round we went to The Potato Project on Oxford Street for lunch. I did a post all about it yesterday so if you want to know more about it and what I thought, link here. We then did quite a lot of shopping! I ended up sending George to Lush to pick a few bath bombs up, that shop sends my anxiety into overdrive because it's so busy so I didn't even want to attempt it. I'm going to put a haul up tomorrow so I'll show you what he picked in that. I went to M&S and their homeware section is on point at the moment! So many pretty things, I wanted it all. I ended up picking a few candles up, more that I really didn't need but the prices were so good and everything just smelled incredible. We went to quite a few other shops but I'll just tell you about all of that in tomorrows post as this is long enough already!
By Thursday night my body just felt broken. I am so happy with how much we saw, we did so much walking and both days packed so much in, but my feet and legs suffered! I don't think we could have done another full day. We were home by Friday evening and I started on all my London posts for this week pretty much straight away after unpacking! I just love writing about our time away every time and these are always my favourite posts to look back on. I'd love to say that we'll go back to London this year but I doubt it, I think it will be quite a while now unfortunately but you never know, I'm always wanting to book another trip there as soon as we get back! I know some people probably think we'd get bored after going about 4 times over the last few years but there is so much to do there it never gets boring or feels like we're repeating ourselves.

Anyway, this post has gone on for long enough, I just had such a lovely time. Look out tomorrow for my haul, I managed to pick up some really exciting things so if you're interested a post will be up in the afternoon.

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Monday, 8 May 2017

The Potato Project Soho London Review*

So I do have a full post coming tomorrow on our trip to London but before that I wanted to let you all know about The Potato Project, a place we had lunch last Thursday before doing a spot of shopping on Oxford Street. Potatoes are basically my life so I jumped at the chance to go along, try out some of the food and do a review of the place.
The Potato Project is a baked potato company if you hadn't already guessed, who have a big range of exciting potatoes to try, they are all about showing you that potatoes can be exciting and there is more to them than just standard beans and cheese! Every member of staff is passionate about providing fresh and high quality food for their customers, aswell as a homely atmosphere at both of their locations, Soho and Boxpark Croydon.
After a chilled morning in Hyde Park, we got to The Potato Project around 1.45, luckily it wasn't too busy as we were so hungry and ready for food. We were greeted by the general manager Fred, who was so lovely! I was quite nervous before going in because I had never done a blogging thing like this before but he put me at ease straight away and was so polite and friendly to both me and George. When it came to ordering, we were totally taken aback by the menu. Everything sounded so nice and there were so many options. In the end I had the Tuna Mayonnaise, Roasted Corn and Picked Red Onion on a sweet potato which is priced at £5.55. George had the Pulled BBQ Duck, Mozzarella and Sesame Seeds on a Sweet Potato. This was £6.65. I wouldn't usually choose a sweet potato, give me a normal one any day but unfortunately they had ran out. I was still excited to try a sweet potato one out though and I had a feeling I was still going to love it. The tuna went so well with the sweet potato and I already want to go back and order it again. I thought I'd like it but I didn't know just how much, and I really wouldn't say that unless I meant it because sweet potato wouldn't ordinarily be my thing, these just went together so well. I loved how tangy the pickled red onion was aswell and it went perfect with the tuna. Everything about it was just delicious, the potato was so soft and the skin was nice and crispy, just how I like it. George also loved his and was so impressed. His was definitely a bit more fancy than mine, I always tend to go for the standard tuna or cheese on a baked potato and even though mine definitely had a twist, his was a bit more adventurous. I did try a bit of it and we both really liked the sweetness of the bbq duck. It was just something a bit different and nothing like we've ever tried before. The mozzarella was perfect and there was a decent amount which George was quite pleased with! 
I want to mention a few of the other options available here because ours were just two out of many. There is a full menu on their website but the ones that have caught my eye for next time we're in London are, Smoked Ham Hock, Pesto Mayo, Sun-dried tomatoes and melted mozzarella, Borlotti Bean, Tomato and Mature Cheddar Cheese, Black Beans, Lime Guacamole and Corn Salsa, and Autumn Wild Mushrooms, Spinach, Blue Cheese and Truffle Oil. Aswell as potatoes they also do a small range of sides and desserts and there was a full fridge of drinks to choose from and a few snacks near the til. I need to try a dessert next time!

I've mentioned the homely atmosphere briefly, but it really was lovely. It was a really cosy place and I loved how it all looked, it was modern but comfortable and the staff were all so nice. I thought everything was reasonably priced and I was super impressed with how big the portions were. It was just what we needed to set us up for an afternoon of shopping. I coudn't recommend The Potato Project enough, I'm so glad I now know about this place because potatoes are basically my favourite thing and somewhere like this is just perfect to visit for a quick lunch. As I said we went to the Soho one which was literally a 5 minute walk from Oxford Circus tube station, it's perfect to pop into if you work in London and want to quickly pick something up, or like me you want to do some shopping on Oxford Steet. You can order and collect, eat inside or they also offer office delivery which I think is brilliant. I couldn't fault this place honestly.

If you want any more info, check out their website here, you can also find them on Twitter and Instagram!

*We were given a complimentary meal for the purpose of this review. As always all opinions are my own and I only work with people that are relevant to me and my blog.

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