Monthly Archives: November 2015

Degustabox- The October Edition

13th November 2015
This month’s Degustabox post features a special guest, Mae! Try as I might I couldn’t get her to leave me alone when I was taking these photos and although I try not to encourage her around human food much, at least it was covered eh?

I’m sure that by now you’re all familiar with what the box is about, but just in case you’re not, it’s a monthly food subscription box that delivers a selection of new and surprise products to your door for the cost of £12.99 per one off box or £11.99 per month when you take out a bi-annual subscription. I’ve been reviewing the boxes over the last year and they never fail to impress me and get me eating outside of my comfort zone.

There was a huge selection of products in this month’s box, most of which were 100% new to me.

Chip Strips were one of the products I was most intrigued by. I’m a big lover of savoury snacks and these are addictive. Perfect for sharing (if you’re that way inclined) these are excellent as a side for lunch or as a vessel for scooping up dips. The paprika flavour was my favourite, it reminds me of eating paprika crisps on the beach in Spain!

Cirio products have featured in Degustabox before and is a brand we always reach for in this house when it comes to tomatoes and passata. Italian is one of my favourite cuisines to cook and these products really add to the experience.

Lorina is a new product and brand to me and although I’m not a lover of non-diet soft drinks I poured myself a glass of these and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! A premium French lemonade flavoured with coconut and lime, this is delicious straight from the fridge and I’m sure it would be even more amazing with a dash of rum!

Geeta’s: I’m not a curry girl so I passed these Geeta’s products on to my Dad who loves to cook up a korma. Both the korma sauce and the chutney got the thumbs up from him and when he likes something you can be rest assured they are pretty damn good!

Kabuto noodles are something I have tried before and really enjoyed. Despite being a dried product these taste super fresh with a strong hint of coconut and chilli. I like to take things like this to work during the colder months and although a bit of a luxury at £1.99 pack it’s still cheaper than a shop bought sandwich!

The Snack Organisation sounds like my kind of organisation! I’ve had these rice crackers before and always pick up a pack when I see them in a supermarket. These are a gluten free lighter alternative to crisps and come in some really tasty flavours including my favourite sweet chilli. Bonus points for them only costing £1 from Tesco and Sainsbury’s! The freeze dried fruit snacks weren’t quite to my taste but I probably should had added them to some yoghurt or something rather than eating them straight up!

Two more snacks that are new to me were the Nudie coconut chips and some nuts from Liberation Foods. The coconut chips are something I was a little scared of trying although they sound right up my street. Made from 100% natural ingredients, free from trans-fats and gluten as well as vegan friendly these are a good all rounder and surprising flavours such as Salt and Vinegar work really well- I’m not sure what I was expecting from these but they were a revelation! The nuts I had to pass on to my Dad as I can’t eat them. The oven baked cashews and peanuts were another hit with him and I’m pretty jealous that I can’t try them for myself.

9Bar provided us with the product of the month and is an older brand given a brand new look. Packed full of good energy from sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and hemp seeds and topped with carob these make for a brilliantly healthy boost when the mid-afternoon slump kicks in.

Have you tried any of the products in the October box? I’d love to know what you thought of them. If you fancy giving Degustabox a whirl for yourself you can claim an impressive £6.00 off of your first box when you use the code BLDEG15. Mae gives it her seal of approval too!

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Posted in review, snacking

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Relax and Unwind with Aromatherapy Associates

11th November 2015
As Winter well and truly draws in I think my blog is going to step back slightly from the constant personal style and take a more lifestyle approach. I hope nobody has any complaints about that but these days lighting just isn’t conducive to outfit photos and whilst in previous years I could live with that these days I seem to be a bit more fussy about the standard of what I post on this site in terms of photographs (not that you’d notice at times!). Anyway, I digress, on to the main topic of this post…

Rest & Relaxation!

Something I’m not especially brilliant at. I’m at my best when I’m busy, or so I think. It has come back to bite me on the bum more times than I care to remember though and I’m trying to be a bit more self-aware and make sure I take some time out just to be.

Enter Aromatherapy Associates who very kindly came to my aid and sent over a couple of their best-selling bath and shower oils. I’ll preface this review by saying I don’t think I could justify spending these kind of prices on a product for myself, but perhaps I should are these are a serious dose of luxury and exactly what my down time has been missing.

Of the two oils I received my favourite was the Inner Strength variety (£45). A blend specifically designed to nurture your own inner strength it combines clary sage, frankincense and cardamon.

A capful of this in your bath, or smoothed over your body in the shower is the perfect starting point to balancing emotions and calming down a busy mind. A busy mind is my worst enemy and I really did find that the heady scent of this slow things down nicely and left me feeling ready to tackle whatever came next in the day. It might sound impossible and I myself was a sceptic but if you’re in need of some inner strength for yourself then this really is an excellent starting point.

The other oil that came my way was Revive Morning (£45) which is the perfect boost to the beginning of the day. The key ingredients in this magic potion are: sweet orange and pink grapefruit to invigorate you after a good night’s sleep. You’ll also find rosemary, juniper berry, pine and coconut oil to leave every part of you in tip top condition. I tend to use this in the shower rather than a bath as I associate bath time with winding down and getting ready to sleep. It’s a really lovely and luxurious way to start the day and with 20+ uses per bottle not actually as expensive as first appears.

Have you ever used aromatherapy to give yourself a boost? I’d love to know your winning blends or if there are any other Aromatherapy Associates products I simply need to own.

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Posted in beauty, review

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Back in Tartan

09th November 2015
If there’s one must have print for me in Winter it’s tartan- perhaps my instant association with the festive season or maybe because it loans itself so well to pairing with knitwear, I don’t know what it is but once the clocks go back I begin to crave it.

Top: New Look | Skirt: F&F at Tesco | Boots c/o Just Fab

Let’s take a moment to appreciate my new boots. I was recently given the chance to browse Just Fab and pick out a pair for myself and these were the pair I kept going back to. I had heard of Just Fab before now but hadn’t really checked it out, essentially it’s a shoe subscription site where you can sign up as a member and get a pair of shoes (or newly launched, clothing) for £35 per month. Of course you don’t have to sign up though, you can be a “pay as you go” member and pay a slightly higher price- not a high price mind you as everything is very good value.

These boots are so comfortable and although I was tempted in by some pretty fantastic heeled pairs I decided that something I could, and indeed would wear every day won over. I’ve literally lived in these since they arrived despite my extensive collection of boots, I wasn’t sure I’d ever enjoy a pointed toe but these have converted me and they happen to pair perfectly with one of my favourite ever skirts.

Are there any prints that you favour for the colder months?

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Posted in brands I love, outfits, shoes

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#FashionForwardFlightwear- inspired by the air hostess*

08th November 2015
Recently Monarch airlines have been getting nostalgic and taking a look back at their aircraft over the years. Good Housekeeping magazine soon picked up on this and did a similar feature showing how the Monarch crew uniform has changed over the years too. I loved seeing the evolution of the cabin crew uniform (how fabulous are those capes?) so when challenged to create my own cabin crew uniform made up of current high street pieces I game on and ready for take off…
I love a co-ordinated look and thought this paisley printed boucle jacket and skirt from Warehouse teamed with a smart roll neck under it would bring the style of the sixties and seventies up to date and on trend without detracting from the traditional glamour of an air-hostess. Add in some patent kitten heels (because comfort is key when you’re on your feet) and I think you’ve got a pretty sleek look and one that I’m seriously considering for when I want to look super smart and polished. Finish off with a sleek chignon and a swipe of red lipstick and get ready to board!
Cloche Hat and leather gloves entirely optional but I think they finish the look rather nicely, perhaps not for mid-flight though.
What do you think of my look? Admittedly it might be a *little* on the snazzy side for a uniform but I’m pretty taken with it.

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Posted in inspiration, wish list

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My Dream Garden*

07th November 2015
When the weather is good I love to spend time in the garden at my parent’s house, it’s a lovely little haven and a right proper sun trap making it perfect for reading a book and grabbing some much needed rest and relaxation. There was talk earlier this year of them having the garden completely re-done (once they’ve finished with the soon to start kitchen renovations of course) and it got me thinking about when I have a place of my own, should I be lucky enough to have my own private garden how would I like it to be?

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I think a garden should be a place of relaxation. Plenty of greenery but not so much as to make it high maintenance. It should be a place to go to escape the day and worries of every day life and have plenty of places to sit down and relax.

In my ideal garden I’d have a decent bench to sprawl out on, a big grassy area to scatter outdoor cushions and of course a traditional picnic bench on a patio hosting a fire pit for having friends round for a bit of BBQ action.

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For the most part I’d keep things bright and cheerful. I’d favour wild flowers to inject some colour and a tree or two for providing shade should be get a really hot and sunny summer. Other than that the plants would be minimal, I want something that can look after itself- mowing a lawn is about as far as I go!

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Being the cat lady that I am and a lover of the un-expected I would break with tradition slightly for a bit of a feline theme in the form of a carefully pruned bush (oh hush!). I’m not sure I could manage that by myself though, I’d call in the expert services from someone like South East Tree Care to keep my kitty in tip-top condition.
What would your dream garden contain and where do you find your inspiration?

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Posted in inspiration

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