Monthly Archives: March 2020

Review: Orca Solo Plus*

22nd March 2020

[ad: gifted item]

With all that’s going on at the moment it’s been hard to pull myself together to write much in the way of blog posts. I’m a “key worker” in a field that is being hit full force by the Corona Virus and when I’m not in work, I’m in an exhausted, anxious and fairly brain-dead heap.

If anything was going to drive me back to cigarettes it would be this, and to be honest I can’t believe that (apart from the odd one) it hasn’t. I put this down in large part to having a really decent vape set up, my main mod, plus a sleek new addition to my collection courtesy of e-cigarette direct has kept me mostly on the straight and narrow.

The Vaporesso Orca Solo Plus kit is a neat little set up that has become my go-to for when I’m out and about. It has an impressive battery life, is super simple to set up and despite being dinky and very lightweight it delivers a powerful hit.

“This easy to use vape device comes with a choice of two coils. The 1.3Ω ceramic CCELL coil combines great taste with a smooth airflow and is ideal for use with nicotine salts. Meanwhile, the 0.6Ω OC meshed coil utilises a mesh design for an even temperature distribution, improved flavour and vapour and a punchier throat hit.

The Orca Solo Plus comes with 6 power settings which are controlled by pushing the fire button three times.”

I let Bob have a try on this too, as he is even more picky over his set-up than I am and even he was pleasantly suprised at how good this was, especially for it’s £17.99 price tag. I think he’s considering getting one as a back up kit, and I can’t blame him.

The Orca Solo Plus comes in four colours, comes with a free e-liquid to get you started and would be an ideal kit for anyone wanting to test the waters of vaping.

Posted in vaping

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Five Ways To Treat Yo’ Self*

17th March 2020

Self-care is one of the biggest trends swirling around the internet universe right now, and for a good reason. Self-care is all about putting yourself first, and that’s not all that common anymore. There is so much research to show that self-care is excellent for your mental health, so why wouldn’t treating yourself be a good thing? 

There is a lot of guilt that surrounds taking a moment for yourself, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t. You need to be able to take a moment for yourself or buy yourself something new. It would help if you considered that spending the money on a new car with Reed Autos is going to be a good thing for your day to day life as well as a handy thing to have on the go. The good news is that there are several ways that you can treat yourself for a change, and you can change it today. Let’s take a look…


Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash
  • Choose a spa day. It would help if you thought about how much time you spend hunched over a computer every day. Massages are proven to be beneficial for the whole body; whether it’s to ease muscle pain or to soothe anxiety, massage is fantastic. A day at a spa is going to feel life-changing, exceptionally when you are aching every single day.
  • Get into someone else’s world. What we mean is that you need to pick up a book and read it cover to cover for once. You need to snuggle down and read and be comfortable. You may not want to dedicate a whole week to reading, but you can still dive into someone else’s imagination.
  • Going shopping – it’s a must! Retail therapy needs to be controlled here, as “treat yo’ self is something that should be “treat yourself within your budget!” Buy that beautiful new jacket, or the leather bag you love so much!
  • Go to the movies alone. You don’t have to get a group of friends together to go to the movies. Get yourself some snacks, settle into a comfortable seat at the movies, and enjoy an immersive experience. You can really love the time you spend alone at a movie theatre when you don’t have someone sharing snacks or asking you questions. 
  • Get outside for once. How often do you walk outside and just take an extra-large breath? Get yourself to the nearest field, beach, or forest and just breathe. There’s something so therapeutic in the air that we breathe, and when you can be in gorgeous surroundings, your body will relax.

These five ways to treat yourself are going to be the first port of call. You can do so many other things to look after yourself, but start here, and you can embrace a little life. You deserve to feel looked after, but you begin by looking after yourself. Self-care is not selfish. In fact, self-care is the best thing that you could do for your emotional and mental wellbeing.

Posted in lifestyle

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5 Ways To Get Excited About The Future*

16th March 2020
Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash

From time to time, the future can freak you out. When you’re a planner, you may be someone that has all of these great ideas for what the future looks like. Maybe you have always known what you wanted to achieve and you’re very much on track to do that. Or maybe you feel a little lost and you have no idea where you’re headed? Or maybe you’re doubting yourself and the future is starting to scare you a little? That’s only natural. The future can be really scary – especially when you have no idea what’s in store for you. So let’s take a look at some of the ways you can start to get excited about the future.

Plan A Trip

To start with, maybe you should plan a trip? Maybe you can’t go right away and that’s fine – but it could be that you really want to think about putting something in place. That way, you have something to look forward to – no matter how far in the future it may be.

Change Your Career

If you know that you’re tired at work, maybe it’s time to do something about that? We all go through slumps at work – that’s for sure. But if yours has lasted for some time now, it’s time to look into new job opportunities. You’ll want to think about what you really love to do and what kind of career will be most suited to you. Then, start working for it.

https://unsplash.com/photos/PGnqT0rXWLs

Invest In Something New

Something that could be super fun for you is the idea of saving up for something that you really want. When you don’t really have anything in the future to look forward to or work on, it can seem really soul destroying. But when you know that you’re saving up for a car, with or without Direct Car Credit, or what you’re investing in new clothes, it can help. Just treating yourself to something new can really help to lift your spirits.

Work On Your Body

The next thing that you’ll want to think about here, is working on how you feel in yourself. If you know that you’ve been feeling lethargic lately, then it’s always a good idea to aim for health. Trying to build a better body or exercise more and eat right is always going to be a good idea for you. So make this a priority and give yourself something to work for.

Take Care Of Your Mind

Finally, something that you’re going to find really helps you, is for you to work on your mind. It’s not always that easy for you to do when there’s uncertainty in the air. However, when you know that you are working on your mind and you are proactively taking a look at your wellness, it helps. No matter what you’re looking forward to in the future, having a clearer mind and feeling good about yourself can help you to get there.


Posted in lifestyle

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Degustabox February 2020*

09th March 2020
Box gifted by Degustabox
This is a PR box, this means there will sometimes be additional flavours or products than you’d get as a subscriber, I will highlight this within my post.

The February edition of Degustabox had the theme of “Easter is Coming”, and whilst it wasn’t packed full of Easter treats, there was a great balance of products that landed this box firmly within my top five boxes to date. I’m a bit later in the month writing my post this time, which means I’ve had more chance to give everything a good tasting, so read on for my thoughts.

The one product I didn’t love was this Lost Coast Fruit Spritzer with Apple Cider Vinegar. I tried it, I didn’t hate it, but this kind of drink just isn’t for me. Subscribers will get one of three flavours in their box.

Mug shots are a hot favourite in my office when it comes to quick and convenient lunches. I really rate this high protein roast chicken pasta, both for it’s flavour and nutritional benefits as well as for it’s self contained packaging. Come lunch time you can never find a mug in the communal kitchen so having something like this is ideal. £1.29 from Tesco and Asda.
Bob and I love our slow cooker and these little pots packed with flavour are perfect for creating something tasty. Each pack has one meat and one veggie recipe with them and require very little prep. We haven’t tried these yet, we can’t decide which to do, but we’re excited to create something delicious. Subscribers will get one of the two flavours in their box and these sell for £1.99 at Tesco.
Inside this month’s box was a voucher to pick up a Shaken Udder milkshake. Every subscriber will find one of these fully redeemable vouchers in their box (as chilled products can’t be safely sent) and let me tell you, you’re in for a treat. With six flavours to choose from it’ll be tough to pick…Bob and I went vanilla which was anything but boring. Highly recommend. Widely available for £1.40 at supermarkets.
Jacked is a new brand to me and one that certainly made an impression. The Ndizi banana chunks were amazing…as for the Jackfruit, well I had NO idea what to expect from dried Jackfruit and I still don’t fully understand it. It’s reminiscent of mango and oddly addictive to eat. Subscribers will get Jackfruit only, and if you’re curious to try it you can find it for £1.89 from Whole Foods and John Lewis.
I’m a child at heart and spaghetti shapes on toast is one of my favourite weekend lunches. These little tins from Heinz have no added sugar but don’t compromise on taste. Subscribers will get two cans in their box and they are available for around 55p a tin from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado.

I’m not sure what mustard has to do with anything but hey, I like mustard and I really like this punch Dijon from Grey Poupon. Perfect for a sandwich, or wherever you want to add it, you’ll find this at Waitrose, Tesco, Ocado, M&S and Boots for around £1.50.
Easter chocolate, yay! I love these new KitKat Easter Bunnies. I love KitKats so much and these are a great addition to the seasonal lineup. Chunky chocolate with wafer pieces- these almost remind me of winning the KitKat lottery and finding a solid chocolate finger. 65p each from all major supermarkets.
There are so many amazing sounding vegan treats on the market these days, and these Livia’s Million Squares have been catching my eye for a while. Whilst you can tell these aren’t a traditional Millionaires Slice they are delicious, thick, gooey and indulgent whilst being fully vegan, gluten and dairy free! £1.50 per pack from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Boots, Ocado, Waitrose, Holland and Barrett to name but a few.
Another vegan and gluten free treat in this month’s box were these cocoa oat flapjacks from Trek. This brand has been a mainstay in my life for years now and I genuinely love everything they do. This is their top selling flavour in the protein flapjack range (although not my personal favourite). Well worth checking out for a substantial but healthier snack. £2.50 for three bars at major supermarket chains.
Dark chocolate roasted chickpeas with coconut? I don’t know how or why this works, but it does! These truly have to be tasted to be believed and you’ll find them in Asda or on Amazon for around £1.25 a bag- seriously, oddly great.
Last but by no means least comes the new vegan chocolate range from Galaxy. Subscribers will get one of the three flavours in their box. I really liked this, although be under no illusions that this tastes like ordinary galaxy. It’s still smooth and creamy in it’s own way, and a great addition to the vegan snack market. My favourite was the caramelised hazelnut- my only complaint is the price at £3 per bar. Available at Tesco, Ocado and Amazon.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought in the comments.

If you’re new to Degustabox, it’s a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money.
On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.

If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim a brilliant £5.00 off of your first box (making it just £7.99!) by entering the code XOQGC at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly 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.

Posted in food, review, snacking

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SS20 Swimwear from Protest*

03rd March 2020

I’m not an avid swimmer (actually, I’m just flat out not much of a swimmer at all), and I have no beach holidays booked in and yet every year as soon as the swimwear campaigns start finding their way on to the high street I am inexplicably compelled to browse them all, compiling massive wish lists of bikinis and swimsuits that I’d never get the wear from; either through lack of confidence or lack of plans.

Most recently I’ve come across the brand Protest and their SS20 collection of swim and sportswear. A brand founded in Holland, they design functional yet stylish pieces that balance practicality with innovation. I’m smitten with so much of the collection, and unlike many of the high street brands, I can actually envisage myself wearing a lot of their bikinis as they seem to be cut more for activity than simply laying horizontal on a sun lounger (i.e. they look to cover a bit more than the absolute bare essentials!)

My favourite bikini style is the triangle bikini as I find it the most flattering on my small chest. I do find them a little on the skimpy side but balanced out with some higher waisted briefs it’s my holiday go-to.
Protest all have a huge variety of push up bikinis too, for those wanting a bit more boost or support. Again, they look super flattering with higher rise bottoms and the prints and colours are gorgeous.

Of course men haven’t been neglected, the swim shorts selection is vast, with more prints than you can shake a stick at. I showed Bob the collection to see what he thought, and at last count there were at least five pairs he rather fancied for himself.

Protest is a new brand on my radar, but one that is most certainly staying put. I’ve heard rumour that my Mum and I might be booking a girly break to Spain later in the year, and having outgrown my current scant collection of swimwear I think investing in something good quality and confidence inspiring would be worthwhile.

If you’re tempted for yourself you can get 10% off purchases with the code daisychain10
This code is valid until June 30 2020.

Let me know if anything has caught your eye, and if you decide to treat yourself. I’ll make sure to share any purchases I make on the blog or on my social media.

*collaborative post*

Posted in brands I love, fashion, swimwear

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