The February (2016) Degustabox

Another month has passed us by and it’s time to bring you the next installment in my Degustabox reviews. The February box was full of excellent treats, the team have been on the ball lately and picked out some super products. It’s always a joy to receive one of these boxes every month, I still get them delivered to my parents’ address so my Mum and I can stick with our tradition of opening them together…it’s the little things in life!
Anyway, on with the big un-boxing!
Kicking off with the best! I’ve been a fan of Divine chocolate for a long time so to get two of their caramel filled bars was a major treat! I think out of the two the dark version had the winning edge for me as I just love dark chocolate and caramel together but I’d happily eat both of these again, bonus points for it being Fairtrade, natural and free from palm oil!
I’m definitely more of a sweet toothed girl at the moment but do still enjoy some savoury snack action from time to time. I’m a big fan of the Ritz crisp & thin- equally good for eating plain as they are for dipping in whatever takes your fancy. The sweet chilli crisps from The London Crisp Company were also very nice, super crunchy and the flavour is spot on.
I can’t profess to be a massive fan of vegetable juices and actually I can’t yet bring myself to try the carrot juice from James White Drinks. I’m sure for lovers of that kind of thing it’s delicious but I just can’t get my head round the idea. The VitHit drink was lovely though, really refreshing and full of vitamins and flavour. A little expensive with an RRP of £1.80 but something I’d repurchase on some kind of promotion.
Sugar free jelly and I have a complicated history and as such it’s been a long time since I last had some and I’d forgotten just how tasty something so low in calories can be; ideal for people on something like the 5:2 diet. It’s not something I allow myself to buy but I did enjoy these pots from Hartley’s and the pots of fruit in jelly were a really nice dessert one evening and took me back to my childhood- just add vanilla ice cream!
I’m a creature of habit at breakfast time and love my big bowl of porridge but these Nutribix might just persuade me to change things up from time to time! I love how tasty these are with their combination of coconut and honey, they also make a really nice pre-bed snack with warm milk…yum!
I think we’ve long since established that I am rubbish with drinks and this palm juice from Nari Juice is still sat untouched waiting for me to brave it! Apple and mint alone doesn’t sound like much of a hit to me and combined with coconut palm juice…I don’t know, maybe I’ll try it and become a convert but I’m just not sure.
Now this is much more my thing! The new exceedingly good slices from Mr Kipling are really good, the chocolate and coconut variety would have been my flavour of choice BUT I was pleasantly surprised by the fruity cranberry and oat slices. The Beloved Dates snack bars were a new one on me and a real winner. 100% natural, no added sugar and bound together with natural date nectar these are really scrummy and perfect for a boost at work.
Obviously there’s new about Sarsons vinegar but I do love the new and limited edition packaging designed by artist Paul Thurlby with the traditional seaside fish and chips characters!
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim a brilliant £6 off of your first box by entering the code BLDEG15 at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand one and off over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.

Spring Style with Caravelle New York

Last year I teamed up with Caravelle New York to style up one of their stunning watches for the Summer months. I am seriously in love with the watch they sent over in all it’s rose gold glory so I was beyond excited when they got in touch again to see if I’d like to pick out another piece from the new SS16 collection. Needless to say I jumped at the chance, although the weather might not quite be there on the Spring front yet but I braved the cold and ditched some layers to show off my new wrist adornment.

High Neck Top: Topshop | Skirt: New Look (similar) | Boots: Zara | Watch c/o Caravelle New York

I never thought I’d be the kind of girl to opt for a “blingy” watch but there was something about this one that captured my heart, and imagination- I think because the dial has more of a glitter effect rather than full on sparkles, it’s more unique and classy rather than in your face and I get so many compliments when people catch sight of it. It actually comes in a few colour ways including a lovely gold with navy blue dial that almost got me, but at the end of the day the girls girl in me screamed loudest and the pink one came my way.
In hindsight I’m really not the biggest fan of this outfit, I think the tights ruin it but although it was a dry day it was bloomin’ freezing especially down by the sea like we are! Still, let’s not focus on that and instead just fawn over the latest addition to my admittedly extensive collection of time pieces- I’ve always had a soft spot for the humble wrist watch and still prefer to wear one rather than constantly check my phone.

Caravelle New York has fast become one of my go-to brands for a bit of wish list creating and statement style. I do find the bracelets come up on the large side but I luckily have a very good watch repair shop just over the road from work who adjust them for me in exchange for a charity donation- you can’t beat a local business!

What’s your accessory weak spot & how would you be styling this lovely piece? I can’t wait for the warmer weather to arrive so I can break out the girl florals, short sleeves and ditch the wooly tights! I’m determined to up my fashion game over the next few months, things have slid drastically in the last year and although my accessories are on trend my outfits most certainly are not.

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#HNhomestyling

I’ve always taken a bit of an interest in interiors- my Mum has been through many a phase over the course of my life, from the sparkly and stencilled radiators to the sudden obsession with painting all of our furniture yellow. I’ve never really had a chance to experiment myself, confined to only a bedroom for so many years left little scope so now I have a whole flat at my disposal it’s been good fun thinking up ways to maximise the space and add a personal touch.

The main thing I’ve learnt in the last couple of months is that nothing need be complicated- the simplest of touches can have the greatest of effects and it doesn’t have to cost the earth either. I was recently contacted by house network and sent a few goodies to help me on my mission and as such I thought I’d do a post on some of my favourite pieces in the flat so far.

I have a weak spot for quirky coffee table books, I think they make a great conversational piece when you have people round as well as learning a chance to learn something new! I do tend to switch up what I have on display at any given time and vary how high I stack them depending on my current mood.
Call me a cliche but I do love a bit of chalk paint on old pieces of furniture. Every piece of furniture we own has been bought second hand and mostly painted up by ourselves. It’s a great way to while away a rainy afternoon and although we have what can only be described as a colour explosion of pieces dotted around the overall effect is warm and completely unique.
Candles are such an easy way to update a room and we’ve gone mad dotting them around on our fireplace. There’s no theme going on, just a real hodge-podge of scents and statement pieces that I’ve fallen in love with, however with Tobias now living with us we’re yet to light any!
Random pieces of artwork and wall hangings as well as plenty of green plants make up our ornamental pieces for the flat. Again it’s a super cheap and easy way to jazz things up and easily changed if you get bored. We have a real mix-match going on (sense the theme here) with most of wall hangings chosen by me whilst Ben is in charge of the plants.
As our flat is quite small vintage style storage boxes have been a life saver, we use a small sized one to host Tobias’ selection of toys so they don’t become trip hazards and the larger one is home to bits and pieces that don’t yet have a permanent place to reside…we’re pretty much there on the organisational front now but there’s always the odd little something, right?
I’d love to hear some of your top tips for styling the home and adding a personal touch…leave them in the comments below!

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Medusa from Ted & Muffy

Ankle boots are without my shoe weakness, I just cannot resist them so when Ted & Muffy (formerly Duo Boots) asking if I’d like to pick something from their new arrivals it was a given that I’d head that way first. To be fair, I did give everything a thorough checking out and there really are some very stunning shoes on the site- from over the knee boots to new look loafers but as is so often the case ankle boots won over them all and Medusa came to live with me shortly after.

Jumper: Boden | Trousers: H&M | Boots c/o Ted & Muffy (get them here)

These are so unlike anything I already own and at first I was at a complete loss of how to wear them as they don’t really go with any of my typical winter wearing. Give me a few more weeks when the weather hopefully starts to turn and I’m back in my element with little dresses etc, but for now it’s on with the sloppy jumper and “treggings” with only Medusa to give the look any sense of style. I have to say I’m not 100% sure about them with the leggings tucked in, I think it’s not the most flattering look on me- I’d far prefer some flared, cropped jeans or a denim mini skirt with bare legs but you can’t win them all…not when it’s bloomin’ freezing!
Oh yeah, and there’s a new furry addition to our flat too. Those of you with good memories will remember his cat Tobias…well, Tobias took an extended holiday up in Melton Mowbray but has now come to live by the sea with us. Hands down he’s the biggest, soppiest ball of fluff I’ve ever met, all he wants is cuddles and fuss- pretty much the exact opposite to my delinquent Mae who I miss dreadfully, she’ll always be my number one!
What would you wear with these boots?

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A Spring Wardrobe Update*

Guys, we’re in March! How on earth did that happen? To me this signifies the ending of winter and the start of lighter, brighter days (in theory at least) and the time to start planning a wardrobe update in earnest. I’m pretty much on a clothes shopping ban at the moment with a renewed commitment to getting a healthy body back it seems pointless to spend out money now only to grow out of the clothes before the season has ended…sure I might purchase the odd top or dress as these are easy to adjust whilst they are slightly looser but certainly jeans and bottoms just aren’t worth the investment even if I am in dire need of some denim! Good incentive to get my arse in gear and get my healthy figure up right? It’s high time I invested some money in some premium denim as a reward for my hard work.

Anyway, enough about that! I couldn’t resist popping together a wish list showing the kind of things I’m craving in my wardrobe right now…a visual reminder of my mission if you like…

The clothes all come from ASOS which I spent a disproportionate amount of my free time browsing. I can’t actually remember when I last placed an order though- since they did away with the free delivery on all orders I kind of stopped heading there first when I had a tenner to spend…one of the first things I’m going to do when I hit a milestone is place the biggest order I can afford!

I don’t exactly need new shoes, or a bag but they do work whatever size you are so I find myself browsing constantly. Both of these are by Michael Kors at Daniel Footwear. Of course I was already familiar with the bags but Michael Kors Shoes are a new one on me and whilst not all to my taste I do really love these casual grey trainers and a transitional shoe for that time between ditching the boots and embracing the sandals.

I feel like a neutral coloured bag would be a worthy addition to my collection, although I might need to seek out a cheaper alternative! At the moment I take my Mulberry Bayswater everywhere and whilst it is the perfect black bag and so hardwearing it would be nice to a) give it a break and b) have something a bit less heavy looking for the sunnier days.

What’s on your Spring wishlist?

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