New From Haribo - Giant Strawbs Gone Mini!*

I am such a sweet fiend. I mean, I love anything savoury too but often I'll be in the mood for something sweet and fizzy, and when the mood takes me, Haribo are always there. You might remember last year I reviewed their Fruit Punch and Fruit Spritzers in the Frenzy range. There aren't many other brands which do such a range - Goldbears, Jelly Babies, Starmix, Tangfastics, Cola Bottles and so many more to choose from. One of my favourites of theirs though is the Giant Strawbs so I was thrilled to receive a little hamper recently full of those and their new Giant Strawbs Gone Mini.

Yep that's right, you can now get yourself mini strawbs, how cute! Sometimes when I'm in the mood for something sweet, little bags like this are perfect. I like to have things like this in ready to grab when I'm working or just need an afternoon treat so these have been thoroughly enjoyed over the last few weeks. 

Haribo Giant Strawbs Gone Mini may be small but they are big in flavour, absolutely no different to the original. Always in season with a unique chewy texture and long-lasting strawberry taste just in bite-sized pieces this time. If you were wondering, they are suitable for vegetarians too! I think it's great that such an iconic brand like Haribo are expanding their vegetarian options meaning no-one has to miss out.

You can find Haribo in all supermarkets so if Giant Strawbs are your fave too, keep an eye out for the minis! They'd be perfect for picnics this Summer, road trip snacks or just to enjoy at home. These and some chocolate would be perfect for cuddling up with a film.

What's your favourite from Haribo?

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4 Tips On Saving For Your Dream Getaway*

I don't know about you, but I personally always like to have some sort of holiday to look forward to. It's not always possible to get something booked as soon as you come back from one of course, money doesn't just appear, but I'm always thinking of the next getaway or weekend break. I find it just gives me something to really look forward to and it massively helps me with motivation. Apart from our honeymoon to Paris and recent seaside break, we tend to opt for 1 or 2 nights away a few times a year either to see a musical or to visit a Christmas market, something along those lines, but that doesn't mean I don't long for a 'proper' break abroad. With the heatwave we're currently experiencing, I'd love nothing more than to be in Greece, in an all-inclusive hotel, with access to a refreshing pool all day and as many ice creams as I could manage.

With our 10 year anniversary coming up in 2021 (yes I know it's still two years away, but I like to plan) I've been thinking more and more about what we could do to celebrate and for me a week or two away somewhere would be perfect. We're currently ploughing as much as possible into our savings for a deposit on a house so to do that aswell as save for a luxury getaway, I wanted to let you in on a few of my top money saving tips.

Sell, Sell, Sell

I find sites like Ebay and Depop very hit and miss but so many people seem to have huge success with them so they are definitely worth trying out. I've managed to sell lots of home bits online in the past but you can pretty much sell whatever you want. Anything you no longer need that's just lying around, get rid. Any clothes that no longer fit or you don't wear, pass them on so someone else can make use of them. Shoes, books, DVD's, CD's, unused makeup, there is just so much you can sell online. Even if you don't make loads of money this way, that's the stuff gone and extra money put aside that you wouldn't have had before.

Switch Supermarkets

I always notice a massive difference in price when we shop in supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl. I've personally found the quality of the food is just the same as your usual Tesco, Morrisons, Asda etc but for a fraction of the cost. A shop that would cost us £50 in Tesco, we can get for £35 in Aldi so for us it's a no-brainer. Aldi also do salted pretzel chocolate which is out of this world so it's worth going there just for that! Switching supermarkets is such a simple change but can save you a really decent amount each month to put away. One thing I do try to do though is keep on top of my emails as supermarkets like Morrisons will email when they're offering things like double points if you have a Match & More Card so sometimes it does make sense to shop there instead. Once these points add up, you can get yourself a £5 voucher. I also find if shopping in the bigger supermarkets like that though, where I can I'll get the value range as it tends to be just as good as the more expensive ones anyway.

Save The Change

It's easy when you take cash out to use whatever change is left for stuff you don't actually need. I'm sure most of us just use our cards or phones now anyway but when there is spare change, put it away so if you have taken cash out for something, the rest isn't going to waste. Just a few pounds a week really does add up and it's always nice after a long period of time to count how much you've managed without even really noticing. Some banks have now started doing something similar though, that is actually called Save The Change and it's something I highly recommend getting involved in. How it works is that whenever you buy something with your debit card, they'll round up the amount you spent to the nearest pound and transfer the difference into a savings account. So if you spend £2.20 on a coffee, they'll put 80p into your savings. It's a really clever idea that can really build up to a nice amount!

Consider A Loan

If you know you're going to be in a position to pay it off, sometimes a loan is worth considering. Sometimes as holidays get closer we can realise we've not quite saved as much as we wanted or we just want a bit of an extra buffer to feel comfortable while away, so that's where well-established and reputable brands like CashLady come in. They can help you find short-term finance solutions for things like this and they come in handy in case of emergencies too. Whilst loans like this may have higher interest rates, we can't all borrow from friends or family, and sometimes in certain cases, things like this could be the only option. 

Do you have any other money saving tips?

*This post is sponsored by CashLady

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New From Capsicana - The Ultimate Fajita Kit Review*

If there is one type of food I could have week after week and never get bored, it would always be Mexican. Whether that's fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, nachos or something else, those sorts of meals are always my fave to make and they just scream Saturday night in to me. I always look forward to an evening at the weekend where we have some sort of Mexican feast, stick a film on the TV and just indulge. When it comes to making these meals, I tend to vary between making my own and using kits by various brands and in the past I've turned to Capsicana which you might remember me reviewing if you've been here for a while! We loved their meal kits last time so I was thrilled to receive some of their new range recently - The Ultimate Fajita Kit and The Ultimate Refried Beans, and we wasted no time in putting them to the test.

Just in case you've never heard of Capsicana, the company was founded by Ben Jackson. He has become a bit of an expert in the different tastes' chilli gives and he's spent years in the kitchen trying the achieve the best blend of ingredients possible. Therefore Capiscana put the true taste of Latin America on the dinner table in less than half an hour and they now have an array of products for you to choose from that are sure to impress.

So let's get onto the fajitas! I am just obsessed with them so it's a regular contender for the meal plan and anything that can make life a little easier like this kit is always welcome. The Ultimate Fajita Kit (£3.60) contains their award winning Mexican Chilli & Honey Sauce, a Chipotle Chilli Salsa Mix and Tortillas so all you need to add is the chicken, onion, pepper and tomato. Other extras are of course optional and as you can see from the photos below, we like a few sides with ours to jazz them up.

The kit clearly explains how to make the ultimate fajitas and how to prepare the salsa which is always useful. Usually in packets like this, the salsa is ready for you but I liked that this just gives you a little sachet and allows for you to add your own tomatoes aswell as onion or any other seasoning you wish.

Whilst our fajita mix was cooking and the tortillas were warming up in the oven, I prepared the refried beans which are genuinely one of my favourite things about fajitas. They do tend to be quite pricey for some reason but fajitas just aren't the same without them! Capsicana's Ultimate Refried Beans (£2.40) heat up in just 90 seconds in the microwave or you can just pop them into a saucepan which is what I did and heat gently to ensure they don't stick. These contain a combination of chipotle, smoked paprika and oregano so the flavour of them was delicious! They were definitely on the sticky side compared to other refried beans we've had in the past but they still went incredibly well with the rest of the meal.

The award winning honey and garlic sauce on the chicken was beautiful. It was smokey but had a subtle sweet hint and just enough spice. It coated the chicken really well and there was more than enough for two of us. We added the chicken to our tortillas with some golden rice, refried beans, sour cream and salsa and they were incredible. So filling and comforting. The perfect meal for a Friday or Saturday night when you just want to chill and eat something hearty.

Writing this post has just made me want fajitas all over again so I think they'll be going on next weeks shopping list! If you want to try out the Capsicana Fajita Kit and the Refried Beans, you can find them both in Sainsburys. Capsicana also have a new Tomato and Coconut Fajita Kit aswell as an Ultimate Chilli Kit and even Refried Black Beans. I couldn't recommend these kits enough, so I really hope if you spot them, you give them a go!

What's your favourite weekend meal?

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The Ingredients Of Us by Jennifer Gold Book Review*

I've read so many good books recently, I've been flying through them which is fun for me but not so great for the bank account or shelf space - the stack of books beside my bed is actually out of control at the moment! The last book I read, Gone by Leona Deakin blew me away but that was quite a heavy mystery type thriller so The Ingredients Of Us by Jennifer Gold was a much needed lighthearted read.

'Elle, an accomplished baker, has a recipe for every event in her life. But when she discovers her husband's infidelity, she doesn't know what to make of it. Jam, maybe? Definitely jam. Fed up with the stale crumbs of her marriage, Elle revisits past recipes and the events that inspired them. A recipe for scones reminds her of her father's death, cinnamon rolls signify the problematic courtship with her husband, and a batch of chocolate cookies casts Elle in a less-than-flattering light. Looking back, Elle soon realises that some ingredients were missing all along. After confronting her husband, Elle indulges her sweet tooth in other ways, including a rebound that just leaves her more confused. As secrets from the past collide with the conflicts of the present, Elle struggles to manage her bakery business and maintain the relationships most important to her. In piecing her life back together, will Elle learn to take the bitter with the sweet?'

My review

Okay first of all, that cover! I know that's not what books are really about but this would certainly stand out to me in a bookshop, anything with or about cake is a winner for me. The fact that this is so much about baking and how Elle turns to it in hard times was what really caught my attention in the first place. Baking is my favourite hobby, it doesn't matter how I'm feeling, it just makes me feels good so for that reason alone, I felt like I could relate to Elle. She has her own bakery with friend Bonnie which is like my dream, so obviously that takes centre stage throughout and because of that there are actually several recipes throughout which I thought was a nice touch.

I found from the beginning I really liked Elle. Her ambition and love for baking shone through. All of the characters in the book were developed well but Elle in particular, I just grew fond of quickly. I also couldn't help but feel for her when we get into the real nitty gritty and discover husband Tom has been having an affair. From here we go back and forth to the days where their relationship was just starting, Elle's bakery was getting off the ground and when she loses her father. Though it does tend to flit from past to present each chapter, it flows incredibly well and allows for you to discover what's led to their marriage falling apart. It felt very authentic, a realistic look at life and how marriage does need to be worked at over the years.

Whilst from the cover you might assume this is a bit of a girly and fluffy read, I actually found it packed a real emotional punch. Yes, it was lighthearted and there were funny moments between Elle and friends, but to me it was so much more than that. A strong story that deals with loss, betrayal and trust, topics that I'm sure are relatable for so many people. I just loved Jennifer's writing too and it was a book that once I started I just wanted to keep coming back to it. Every opportunity I had, I was reading another chapter. I even like that the ending keeps you guessing too when normally I'd prefer for everything to be rounded off nicely. After everything have Elle and Tom managed to work their way back to one another? I'd love to read more from Jennifer in the future and another book about these particular characters would be wonderful.

The Ingredients Of Us was a really unexpected but enjoyable read and I actually think I'll be going back through it again soon to try out some of the recipes. Warm scones with jam and cream - yes please. I've never found a recipe which gets them just right so maybe this is the one!

Have any books surprised you recently?

Book reviews - Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine // The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty 

*Book was provided via NetGalley 

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