Tag: Lifestyle

Tried and Tested: Zaggora ACTIVE WEAR Slimming range

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zaggoraA couple of weeks ago, I told you about some Zaggora breakfast smoothie which I loved. Today, I would like to tell you about Zaggora’s ACTIVE WEAR Slimming range.

At the begining of January (after putting on a bit over my honeymoon) I went back to the gym as I desperately want to lose my excess fat. On Zaggora’s website I read that:

‘Clinical studies at the University of Southern California and University of Brighton have proven that Zaggora Foldover Hotpants™ helps you burn more calories and gives you a better cardio workout, with less effort.’ Who can argue with the results of clinical studies? Definitely not me. I was convinced and as an extra treat I got myself a hot top and a pair of hot pants from Zaggora’s Active Wear range.

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Result:

The range is specially designed with Thermofit fabrics for an instant slimming effect which you can get due to the ThermoFit fabric. This revolutionary fabric uses your body’s heat during exercise to help you burn more calories. After attending my first gym session wearing my new top and pants my body was completely wet. As of today, I’ve been using it for over 3 weeks and both my pants and top are really comfortable and easy to care for. I have lost 3kg so far and sweating a lot wearing Zaggora’s range definitely helped.

Price:

£29-£79. Zaggora gives $5 from every order to women’s charities.

You can order this and many other products from Zaggora’s website:

http://zaggora.com?afmc=3l

I hope you enjoy reading this review!

X

Pauline

Our dinner at The Fish Market, London

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As some of you might know, I love all kinds of seafood. As a result, I was really happy to have my weekly dinner date at The Fish Market restaurant in London and I was looking forward to trying their specialties.

Location:

The Fish Market restaurant is situated just a couple of minutes away from the Liverpool Street Station so it is perfect for anyone who works in the City.

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Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 6:30 p.m. When we entered the restaurant, we were welcomed by a friendly hostess who took us to our table and introduced us to our waiter. I decided to have some champagne to start with.

Starters:

For our starter, we had a Seafood sharing platter from the A La Carte Menu.

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It was presented beautifully and I loved a selection of seafood presented to us. It included: grilled scallops, salt and pepper squid, goujons of day boat fish, garlic king prawns.

Mains:

For our mains we wanted to try some fish from the Fish Market menu. All fish at The Fish Market restaurant comes either on the bone or is filleted so you can have it cooked to your liking. In addition, you can choose to have your fish steamed or cooked a la plancha. What’s more, all fishes from the Market selection menu come with a choice of one complimentary side and sauce. I had a whole sea bream and my husband had a whole sea bass. For our sides, we ordered some creamed spinach and spiced, sweet potato fries.

Both mains were absolutely gorgeous and cooked to perfection. Sides were a nice-add on and I really liked my sweet potato fries.

Dessert:

As soon as I looked at the menu, I knew what I wanted to have for my dessert and as I love sticky toffee pudding, my choice was easy. It was nice but personally, I would want to have some more vanilla ice-cream with it. It is probably me just being greedy though 😉

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My husband, as always, ordered some vanilla ice-creams.

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Overall experience:

I really liked the food at the Fish Market restaurant. The service was good and food was delectable so I will definitely visit again soon!

Address:

16 New St, London EC2M 4TR

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.fishmarket-restaurant.co.uk/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

Our dinner at The City Barge, London, UK

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Last week, I went with my husband for a dinner date to The City Barge located in a historic 14th century public house in Chiswick. I have heard a lot of good feedback on this place so decided to try it on my own.

Location:

The City Barge is situated on the Thames riverside, in the picturesque area of Strand on the Green, Chiswick.

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 6:30 p.m. When we arrived, we were welcomed by a friendly waiter who took us to our table. When we sat down, only one other table was taken however within 30 minutes restaurant was full with locals. The City Barge restaurant offers a la carte menu during lunch and dinner every day and is open for breakfast on the weekends. It re-opened in May 2014 after an extensive refurbishment.  When we entered this Public House, we discovered that it serves a wide range of drinks,  ales and it has an extensive wine list.

Starters:

To start with I decided to have some Aged Parma Ham that was served with celeric remoulade, padron peppers and toasted sour dough.

My husband had some Chicken Liver and Foie gras parfait, served with some spiced oranges and brioche. Both of our starters were delectable.

Mains:

For my main, I decided to have a whole grilled lemon sole with prawns, herb mash and some greens. It was flawless.

My husband, had some rosemary glazed lamb shank with kale, neeps and tatties. His main was absolutely gorgeous and cooked to perfection.

Dessert:

To end our evening, I ordered some sticky toffee pudding which was heavenly and my husband had a couple of scoops of his favorite, vanilla ice-cream.

Overall experience:

We both really enjoyed our evening at The City Barge. The service was attentive, food was delicious, prices were reasonable so I will definitely visit again soon! I would love to visit again during the summer as The City Barge has lots of space to sit outside, by the river.

Address:

27 Strand-on-the-Green
Chiswick
W4 3PH London

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.citybargechiswick.com/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

Village Hotel Albert Court, Singapore

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So… our honeymoon is over and it’s time to go back to work. I was away on the trip of my lifetime to Asia for 3 weeks and the first place I visited with my husband was Singapore. As it was the first stop on our itinerary and we knew how tired we will be after travelling for almost 22 hours (door-to-door) from London, we decided to stay in the 4-star boutique hotel Village Hotel Albert Court.

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Location:

Village Hotel Albert Court in Singapore is conveniently situated in the Little India quarter within easy reach of the MRT station and buses. The sightseeing bus stop is just around a corner from the hotel so you can start your adventure almost as soon as you arrive in there.

This boutique hotel is a complex of charming cabins housing comfortable and elegantly decorated suites equipped with spacious living rooms, fashionable furnishings and internet access.

Village Hotel Albert Court features a gift shop, Jacuzzi, fitness center, two gourmet restaurants, complimentary parking and a tours and ticket desk.

Service:

The reception desk is open 24 hours. As soon as we entered the hotel, we were welcomed by concierge who took us to the check in desk.

Rooms:

Village Hotel Albert Court has a range of different rooms and suites on offer. WE stayed at the Club Suite room  which was comfortable and elegantly decorated.  Our room was spacious, bright and had fashionable furnishing. It was perfectly equipped with Air Conditioning, flat-screen TV with satellite channels, minibar, hospitality tray with coffee and tea making facilities and safe and we also got internet access.

Our bathroom was simple and had a classic white décor.

Facilities:

Village Hotel Albert Court Singapore offers its guests a good quality and provides them with a place to unwind and relax after a full day of sightseeing. You can sip some great cocktails at The Lobby Bar, relax at the Jacuzzi or go to the gym to enjoy your stay even more.

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Breakfast is offered for a surcharge at the main restaurant that is based above the reception from 8 until 11 a.m. and provides a selection of cold and warm dishes to choose from. I wasn’t impressed with our breakfast and I honestly think that it needs to improve and decrease in price…

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Overall experience:

Village Hotel Albert Court is a great, conveniently located boutique hotel  in Singapore. Our room was very spacious g and the facilities were good so I would definitely recommend it. Don’t add on the breakfast though.

Website:

For more information and to book visit:

http://villagehotel-albert-court.h-rez.com/

Address:

180 Albert Street, Singapore, 189971, Singapore

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

Tried and Tested: Zaggora Breakfast Smoothie Chocolate Coconut

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What are your New Year resolutions? Mine are to eat healthier, exercise more and travel whenever I have time in my busy schedule.

I exercise quite regularly but my diet is not always what it should be. I do not eat enough protein so this year I decided to change that and have some protein smoothies for breakfast.

My friend recommended me to try some of Zaggora’s Breakfast Smoothies. I decided to order some Chocolate Coconut breakfast smoothie made with Vegan protein.

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Verdict:

Zaggora’s Breakfast Smoothie is made 100% from natural ingredients and it has a quick and easy to make formula and I normally only mix it with water. It has only 73 calories so if you are calories counting then this product is perfect great as a breakfast. Each serving (20g) contains 12g protein, 2g fibre, 2g carbs and less than 1g fats. One serving keeps me full and powered until my lunch. On Zaggora’s website I read that this delicious smoothie is:

  • Delicious all-in-One– it contains some great tasting vegan lean protein, antioxidants and vitamins to support health, vitality and beauty from within.
  • Brings Beauty from Within– anti-oxidant mix combines spirulina, wheatgrass, green tea, beetroot and carrot to deliver the potent power of these amazing foods easily into your diet. We have also included aloe vera, chia seeds, flax seeds and lucuma to give you natural sources of Omega 3 and fibre.
  • Helps Weight Maintenance: Only 73 calories. High in protein, source of fibre, no added sugar, low sugar and low fat.
  • Supports Gut Health: Our probiotic and enzyme blends will support a healthy gut, while a mix of potent vitamins will contribute to your energy levels.

Price:

£29

Package:

400g (20 servings) so it will last you for almost a month.

You can order this and many other products from Zaggora’s website:

http://zaggora.com?afmc=3l

I hope you enjoy reading this review!

X

Pauline

 

Fashion Meets Music event, Camden Town, London

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img_4162On Thursday 10th of November 2016, I attended a great event for some interesting and exciting emerging designers organised by Fashion Meets Music

The event started at 6p.m. and all attendees had an opportunity to mingle and meet the designers while having a bite to eat and some wine. We also had a chance to view some creative brands that were being showcased during the evening.

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There were also a couple of live performances from 2 singers including Matthew CS Hughes.

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If you would like to discover some of the brands that were showcased during the evening then you need to visit Fashion Meets Music Pop Up shop located in Camden in London.

The address is:

Unit 57

Camden Market, [London Gate Entrance] Chalk Farm Road,

NW1 8AH London

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

2016 Year Highlights

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2016 has been an interesting year full of exciting experiences, travelling to many beautiful countries, discovering new cuisines and creating many incredible memories.

As some of you know I got married in August which was definitely the most incredible and wonderful day of my life. After 4 years of relationship, we finally said ‘I do’. Close to the event there was lots of stress and planning but everything worked out perfectly.

I’ve put together a little recap of 2016 highlighting many of my interesting travels and breathtaking moments I experienced. Thank you all for being a part of it.

January: 

I took James to the magical Rome for his birthday. We had a great time discovering the sites of this beautiful city.

February: 

At the end of February, we went for 10-days break to beautiful Bansko in Bulgaria. WE were active and skied during the day and had some delicious traditional food and drinks afterwards.

May:

Our friends Ramesh and Louise got married and we celebrated their big day with them in the Bradbourne House.

 July: 

Just a couple of weeks before getting married my bridesmaids organised a great hen night for me.

 August:

I got married to the love of my life surrounded by our families and friends.

September: 

A lot has happened in September. Firstly, we went to Paris for our first mini-moon.

Then, I attended the yearly paratroopers ball organised by my father who is a President of paratroopers association. It was great to spend some quality time with my family.

October: 

My younger brother visited me in London for a few days. We decided to visit a London zoo during the weekend but as it was quite cold unfortunately we didn’t see any meerkats that I absolutely adore.

November:

It was time for our second mini-moon and we decided to go to Palma de Mallorca. The hotel we stayed in and the food we had were much better than we expected.

December: 

After waiting for a few months, we finally departed for our honeymoon. It was amazing to discover all the new cultures and visit the countries we never been to. I will post some more information on the places we visited in my ‘Holiday destinations’ section of the blog soon.

What will 2017 bring? I am slowly filling my diary with some more trips and will aim to go to one new place at least once a month.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post! Have a happy new year!

X

Pauline

 

Holiday destinations: Lisbon, Portugal

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I’ve recently visited Lisbon-the capital and the largest city of Portugal for a short 3-days break with my husband. Lonely Planet’s features which boast Portugal in both its top 10 Cities and Regions to visit in 2017 lists prove that Portugal is not a place to be missed. You should experience it before it becomes a tourist hub so if you are currently planning your travel adventures for 2017 then put Portugal on your ‘to-go’ list.

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Lisbon has a population of around 2.7 million people, being the 11th-most populous urban area in the European Union. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the oldest in Western Europe, predating other modern European capitals such as London, Paris and Rome by centuries.

Lisbon enjoys a Mediterranean climate. We were there during December and it was quite warm. The city has the warmest winters of any metropolis in Europe, with average temperatures 15 °C during the day and 8 °C at night from December to February.

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There’s lots to see in this city and here is a short list of my suggestions:

  1. Lisbon Oceanarium
  2. Jeronimos Monastery
  3. Belem Tower
  4. St George’s Castle
  5. Parque Des Nacoes
  6. Design and Fashion Museum

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As I was there for only 3 days my mini-break, it felt quite rushed and I would love to go there again for a few days more. I am sure that I could have benefited from taking the slower route and really immersing myself in many beautiful surroundings that Portugal has to offer. On my return from Portugal I have discovered the ‘Slow holidays’ company Inntravel that is specialising in organising walking holidays. They have recenly added a new La Palma Volcanic Trail walking holiday. Everyone needs some time to think and if you enjoy discovering new places, eating delicious food and walking then that would be the perfect break for you. I would love to go on this 7 days walking holidays that consist of:

  • self-guided hotel-to-hotel walking;
  • walking through beautiful, unspoiled scenery from coast to coast;
  • staying at the unique blend of traditional and modern accommodation (one guesthouse, one 3-star hotel, one village cottage; one rural hotel).

You can read more about this walking holiday on Inntravel website:

https://www.inntravel.co.uk/holidays/walking-holidays/Portugal/Algarve-coast-to-coast?pg=sk

I hope you enjoyed reading this review. It was written in collaboration with Inntravel.

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Pauline

Tried and Tested: Paul Mitchell new TEA TREE SCALP CARE range

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As some of you might know, I love trying new beauty products. I recently discovered a great new TEA TREE SCALP CARE range from Paul Mitchell.

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I have heard recently that healthy hair and its growth is dependent on a healthy scalp. The new Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Scalp Care range is designed to give you a thicker and fuller hair while at the same time slowing down the process of hair thinning.

I decided to try all 3 products from this range:

1. TEA Tree SCALP CARE ANTI-THINNING SHAMPOO. This great shampoo is sulfate-free and gently removes impurities to prime the scalp. It contains the Regeniplex blend consisting of Kakadu plum, pea peptides, clover flower, turmeric and ginseng to stimulate the scalp and provide fuller, thicker hair. Size: 300 ml.

2. TEA Tree SCALP CARE ANTI-THINNING CONDITIONER. This amazing lightweight conditioner not only smells great but it also detangles fine and fragile hair. The Regeniplex blend used in shampoo is also included in this strengthening product. Size: 300 ml.

3. TEA Tree SCALP CARE ANTI-THINNING TONIC. This product should be used twice a day in order to create an optimal scalp environment for thicker, stronger, fuller hair. This tonic also contains Regeniplex blend and its main aim is to help increase hair density and encourage healthy hair growth.

Result:

I’ve been using the whole range for 2 weeks and my hair definitely feels fuller and stronger. If you need to give your hair some extra boost than you should definitely try this scalp care range as a seasonal treat for your locks.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

Tried and tested: esthechoc Cambridge Beauty Chocolates

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I have recently attended a talk about the benefits on esthechoc Beauty Chocolates. It’s well known fact that dark chocolate has antioxidant properties. I love sweets however I am normally anxious about their effect on my diet so I was extremely fascinated in how this product could be beneficial to my health.

Esthechoc is a first anti-ageing nutricosmetic with a strong, scientifically proven impact on the metabolism of ageing skin. It contains 72.6% dark chocolate and has only 38 kcal per piece .

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The Cambridge University clinical research has proven that esthechoc:

– significantly reduce inflammation,

– increase antioxidant activity

– improve microcirculation in the skin.

How is it different to any other dark chocolates?

On the esthechoc website I read that: ‘ It contains a combination of highly potent active substances: Astaxanthin (the most powerful antioxidant known to science) and Cocoa polyphenolic epicatechins (found naturally in chocolate). Unique micellar technology used during production of esthechoc makes these actives bioavailable.’

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What’s the prescribed amount of esthechoc?

It is recommended to have one small esthechoc a day. Each box contains three weeks supply and it’s been clinically shown that after 21 days your skin will look more nourished and benefit from greater protection against free radicals.

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Result:

I decided to add esthechoc to my diet during the last 3 weeks and I was having this 38-calories chocolate as a reward after my breakfast each morning.

After, I finished my box my skin looked radiant, healthy and luminous. I will definitely continue buying this chocolate to ensure seeing these results.

I hope that you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline