Tag: Lifestyleblog

Tried and Tested: The Honestly Good Smoothie Co.

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As some of you know, a few weeks ago, I decided to start a 6-weeks challenge to reduce my body fat. I was shocked to discover that my body fat was at 38% as I have a relatively healthy diet and BMI. I had to drastically change my diet and include some more fruits and vegetables into it. As I work long hours, sometimes it is challenging to have the recommended 5 portions of fruit & veg so I thought about having a daily smoothie. I then came across The Honestly Good Smoothie Co. and decided to try their range. Today I would like to tell you more about it.

What are they? 

The Honestly Good Smoothie Co. are delicious smoothie kits which are hand prepared, 100% organic and conveniently delivered to your door. You can put these handy pre-prepared pouches into your blender whenever you fancy a smoothie or two.

They are based on many highly nutritious and natural recipes including the following blends:

  • fruity
  • green
  • protein
  • veggie

Opinion:

I love smoothies but to be honest I do not not normally have enough fruits and veggies to prepare them at the comfort of my house. I really like the concept of pre-prepared smoothie kits as  they are easy to prepare, you can simply put them into your fridge and have one daily. I ordered a variety box as I wanted to explore some of the smoothies offered by the The Honestly Good Smoothie Co.. The box was delivered on Saturday and when I opened it I was impressed by how great the smoothies looked. Once I blended my first pouch I became a fan of these little fruit and veg smoothie pouches and ordered some more for the coming weeks. You should try them!

Price:

From £4.75 per smoothie.

You can order them from:

https://www.honestly-good.co/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Birmingham, UK

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A few weeks ago, my younger brother was in UK for a couple of days and we decided to go to Birmingham for a day break.

Birmingham is located in the West Midlands area and is the second largest city outside in UK with a population of over 1 million. We took a fast train (Virgin Train) from Euston and in just 90 min, we arrived in Birmingham’s New Street station.

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Due to its close proximity to London, Birmingham is perfect if you wish to escape from London and visit another English city. It is an important transport, retail, events and conference hub and city’s economy is dominated by the service sector which accounted for 88% of the city’s employment.

birmingham

Apart from world-class galleries and stimulating museums there are many places worth visiting:

  1. National Sea Life Centre – an aquarium with over 60 displays of freshwater and marine life in Brindleyplace. Located 15 minutes walk from the train station.
  2. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery – great museum with a vast collection of international importance covering fine art, ceramics, metalwork and natural history.
  3. Birmingham Botanical Gardens – if you like relaxing in gardens then you should go to this 15 acres botanical gardens that are around 10 min walk from the city centre.
  4. Gas Street Basin – a canal basin in the centre of Birmingham with some trendy bars and cafes to grab a drink or some lunch from.
  5. Hall of Memory – a war memorial located in the city centre to commemorate the 12,320 Birmingham citizens who died in World War I.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post!

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Pauline

 

2018 Summer Must Haves

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Hello my lovelies a very happy Monday to you all! The weather in the UK has been amazing so far this year and I put together a short ‘2018 Summer Must-haves’ list. My aim was to give you some inspiration on the products worth getting this season. Most of them are a great investment and you will be able to benefit from them throughout a year.

1. Vionic shoes

As some of you know, I was trained as a professional image consultant and even worked for some well known brands including Christian Dior. I love stylish shoes and I own over 100 pairs but most of them aren’t suitable for everyday wear… Whilst I adore my Louboutin’s – let’s be honest – nobody can wear them all day long. They look amazing but they are also extremely uncomfortable.

I was on a mission to find some stylish and comfortable shoes for this summer when I came across – Vionic. The range offers podiatrist-designed footbed in every pair of their shoes and is a result of 30 years of research and development by renowned Australian podiatrist – Phillip Vasyli.  Vionic’s sandals, slippers, active shoes and casual flats ranges use natural alignment technology which helps to promote alignment from the ground up. Vionic’s wedges and heels, on the other hand, use elevated support technology which everyone comfort and style in our wedges and heels. I’ve decided to get a pair of beautiful ‘Ainsleigh’ wedges. They have crossing elastic straps and black leather uppers which add some modern take on the classic espadrille wedge silhouette. As they are elevated my legs look longer and sexier. They are also perfect for a day-to-night wear and you can easily ear them with an elegant dress or a pair of trousers if you wish. Below you can find a proposed outfit and how it looked on my last Saturday.

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I will be sharing some photos wearing Vionic’s on my Instagram (@firstclassloungewithme). What I like the most about them is the fact that I can feel them all day long and I do not end up with painful and tired legs. It’s almost like wearing the slippers so the technology behind them definitely works.

vionic

I am a number 1 fan of the brand now and I’ve even ordered a pair of smart ‘Josie’ heels which I wear for meetings at my office and parties. Vionic has a lot of stylish and comfortable shoes available though so you need to check their website and order some:

https://www.vionicshoes.co.uk/

2. Assome! Ultrasonic Massager

We’ve just booked our summer break to Fuerteventura and I started thinking about what diet, exercise and beauty treatments I can have to improve my bikini-body. Whilst researching the beauty treatments I cam across the beauty Tech brand Assome! which has launched ground-breaking technology to help women say goodbye to cellulite for good, all within the comfort of their home. This innovative long-lasting cellulite treatment works with ultrasonic technology to increase the skin’s natural thickness, reduce bumps and stimulate collagen production.

Combing three cutting-edge technologies- LED, radiofrequency and ultrasonic waves the Assome! Ultrasonic Massager fights cellulite and helps to lift and firm your booty in the comfort of your home.

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For those sick and tired of paying for beauty treatments that promise and don’t deliver, Assome! provides a dedicated alternative. For too long the beauty industry has focused its energy developing technology to improve the skin on our faces, it is now time to focus on the booty. Assome! wants women around the world to love how they look from head to toe, from back to front, and especially in the booty department!

In addition to Assome! massager the range also offers ultrasonic absorption gel and a selection of advanced, targeted serums that help to penetrate beyond the dermal layer to lift, tighten and reduce cellulite. I’ve only been using the massager and the serums for a month and I can already see that my skin is much smoother and my cellulite is less visible so I hope that I will be bikini-ready for my break next month.

If you would like to find out more and order your own Assome! products then please check: https://amzn.to/2v03Boj

3. SmoothSkin IPL

As some of you know, laser hair removal is quite costly when you do it at the professional beauty studio. I was looking for a longer-term hair removal option as I am very busy and shaving every couple of days is extremely time consuming. I came across SmoothSkin IPL which is the latest Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) hair removal system from SmoothSkin.

IPL

SmoothSkin Muse is created to break the hair cycle by using Intense Pulsed Light to prevent further regrowth. Light energy is absorbed by the hair follicle which heats up and stops unwanted hair from growing back. By using SmoothSkin Muse once a week for 12 weeks initially, all hair follicles will be captured and treated to really kick start your
treatment and give the best results. After the initial 12 treatments, top-up sessions will be required when and if you need them – usually once every 4 to 8 weeks. Depending on your skin tone, hair types and lifestyle the treatment regime might vary slightly but what’s great once you’ve been through the initial 12 sessions, you can adapt it to your needs.

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In addition, SmoothSkin Muse has an in-built skin tone sensor which will offer you a bespoke treatment with every flash. The technology, scans your skin before
each flash and automatically selects the light intensity best suited to your unique skin tone – maximising your results, safely.

So, if you are looking for a permanent hair removal which you can do in the comfort of your own home and at the fraction of the price you would pay at the hair removal salon, then look no further! I’ve been using the SmoothSkin Muse device for over a month now and I am impressed already as the hair that grows back looks thinner and lighter. What’s more, the device looks very stylish and exclusive. It is currently on offer on Amazon with £50 discount so get it before they run out of stock:

https://amzn.to/2OoPpgi

4. Salter Back Massager Shiatsu Massage Chair

I have recently ordered Salter’s Shiatsu Neck and Shoulder’s massager for my father for his Father’s Day gift and he uses it daily now. When I am busy running around all day and my muscles are tired after my gym sessions I love to go for a relaxing pedicure at the local shopping centre as they have massaging chairs there. I decided to treat myself and get my own massaging chair which I can use on my return home when I need a pick-me up treatment.

Salter Back Massager Shiatsu Massage Chair has targeted buttons for lower back, upper back or full back massage options and is easy to adjust to provides anyone with relaxing massage. It has a simple handheld controller and you can either try out the pre-programmed demo or customise your massage and adjust the nodes to your perfect fit. It’s also easy to choose the areas you want to focus on with target buttons for lower back, upper back or full back massage options.

saltermassagechairIn addition, Salter Back Massager Shiatsu Massage Chair can also be used for a targeted relief if you want to target a specific area, according to your height and preference, you can adjust the position of the rotating massage mechanism with the easy to use hand-held controller.

What’s more, Salter Back Massager Shiatsu Massage Chair has a smoothing heat and seat vibrations penetrating warmth deeper into stiff muscles during your Shiatsu massage so you can just seat and enjoy it.

You can order it now on Amazon with 40% discount using this discount code and the link listed below: SALTER40

https://amzn.to/2Lw0Mp2

I love all products featured in this review and if you decide to get anything from my list then I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I do 🙂

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Pauline

After-work tapas at James Cochran’s restaurant

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As you all know I am a massive foodie. I work in the City of London (near Monument) and I always enjoy discovering hidden-gems where I can unwind after work. I recently visited EC3 restaurant by James Cochran who received 2 Michelin stars at The Ledbury. The restaurant was names in Fay Maschlers top 10 restaurants of 2016 and James Cochran definitely deserves this as he is an excellent chef. I was impressed by his tapas menu which I experienced after work a couple of weeks ago.

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Atmosphere: 

James Cochran’s restaurant has a very casual atmosphere. It has a modern decor with a few paintings and a vibrant, bright yellow chairs adding some chic to its interior. Its guests have an option to pop-in for some drinks or sangria which are served at its 16-seat bar in front of the restaurant or to have a meal / tapas. The restaurant also offers take-away menu.

Location:

James Cochran EC3 restaurant is located in the heart of City of London. It is just a few minutes walk from the Liverpool Street and Aldgate stations and easily accessible if you are travelling here by tube or bus.

Menu:

James Cochran offers its dinners original Scottish and Jamaican influenced dishes that are made from fresh, regional produce. During the summer, the restaurant offers its dinners tapas style dishes. There are 13 dishes to choose from and they are perfect for sharing with your friends or loved ones. I really like tapas as sharing food stimulates conversation and is great for any occasion. I was accompanied by my husband and we ordered 6 dishes between us:

  • pork kromeski served with peppers and mayo

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  • lamb kromeski with marmite mayo

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  • hackney n’duja Scotch egg

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  • Jamaican jerk buttermilk chicken

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  • smoked cornish mackarel with some picked fennel, pepper puree and coriander crumb

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  • smoked salmon with some apple, cod’s roe, radish, chorizo crumb and basil oil

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All of the dishes were tasty and delivered different culinary experience. My favorite were the pork and lamb kromeski – amazing croquettes dipped in batter and deep fried. The restaurant is also known for its hackney n’duja Scotch egg – it was top notch and had just the right ratio of meat to egg to crispy exterior. In addition, we both really enjoyed one of the restaurant’s signature dishes – the famed Jamaican jerk buttermilk chicken -it’s fragrant and had a perfect balance of heat, sweet and savory flavors.

The portion size of the dishes we ordered was just the right size to share between two of us. What appealed to me was that all of the dishes were reasonably priced so I will definitely return to try their A La Carte menu during the autumn.

Address:

19 Bevis Marks,

London

EC3A 7JA

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Pauline

Vietnamese meal at Pho & Bun in London, UK

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Do you like oriental cuisine? I definitely do. During my honeymoon, I visited Vietnam with my husband and I was really impressed by how beautiful the country was and how friendly its’ citizens were. I like going out and discovering different restaurants so this Monday, I visited Pho & Bun for a dinner with my husband.

Atmosphere: 

Pho & Bun offers authentic Vietnamese food in a casual setting that will make you feel as if you’ve stepped foot in Vietnam.

Location: 

Pho & Bun is located in central London on the popular Shaftesbury Avenue which is a few minutes away from the Tottenham Court Road & Piccadilly Circus stations. It is also around a corner from both Chinatown and Soho. It is surrounded by many West End theatres, shops and tourist monuments so it is a great place to go to for a lunch or dinner if you are nearby.

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Menu:

Pho & Bun offers its dinners great selection of authentic Vietnamese street food at a reasonable price. There are 2 menus to choose from:

  • A La Care
  • 5 – courses tasting menu

We decided to order from the testing menu. Firstly, we selected 3 starters each to share.

  • Fresh summer roll with tiger prawn;
  • Pork & crab spring roll;
  • Mango salad with tiger prawn;
  • Chilli salt and pepper squid;
  • Sticky honey chicken wings;
  • Honey glazed spare ribs.

All starters were tasty but my favourite were the honey glazed spare ribs and pork and crab spring roll.

Secondly, we ordered our mains. I had some honey glazed BBQ pork with vermicelli. The dish was a combination of delicious pork, fresh vegetables and noodles seasoned with different herbs and spices.

A0BD95CE-9B3F-417C-B5AA-5B5E7C7A2934My husband ordered some Bun Sa Lemongrass beef rump steak with vermicelli.

We found both of these dishes really filling and tasty. I would recommend them especially when you are hungry as the portion size was really generous and we finished about half of our mains.

Lastly, we ordered some desserts. I had some mouth-watering pandan & coconut panna cotta whilst my husband decided to have some homemade soft yoghurt ice-cream. I love desserts and they were both delicious.

Overall experience:

Pho & Bun offers a range of original Vietnamese dishes with a  twist. The service was quick and friendly, atmosphere was casual so this restaurant is perfect for a casual dinning experience with your friends or family. What’s more, the restaurant is reasonably priced and our 5-course tasting menu was only £27.95 per person. I would definitely visit again!

Address: 

76 Shaftesbury Avenue,

W1D 6ND,

London

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Pauline

 

 

Beauty on the spot – the worst beauty treatment I’ve ever had in London

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As you all know I love pampering myself and recently I booked a package for six G5 massage treatments at the Beauty on the Spot in Monument in London. I love beauty treatments and I’ve had G5 treatments on my legs before so I was quite glad when I found a place that was offering a package of 6 treatments, just around a corner from the office I work. I haven’t imagine that I would be as disappointed as I am now and it was the worst treatment I’ve ever had.

A bit of the background. G5 treatment is done using 5 different massaging heads in around 45 minutes. My treatment with your therapist took barely 8 minutes and she only used 2 out of 5 G5 heads. It’s a spam and you should avoid going to this place under all circumstances. The company offers their own short version of the treatment which perhaps they could call G2 but in my opinion it’s definitely not something they should sell as a G5 treatment if it takes you 8 minutes to complete and you only use 2 massaging heads… The treatment is called G5 as there are 5 interchangeable heads which they clearly do not use. For more information on this treatment you can watch some YouTube videos – definitely not what Beauty on the spot offers!

Although, I’ve made a formal written complaint and requested to cancel the additional five G5 massages that I paid for the management of the company still haven’t provided me with any response. The way they treat their Clients is disgusting and I hope that they will get closed down as this kind of places should not exist. Honestly, I would not recommend it to anyone to even consider going there. Look elsewhere or you will end up as disappointed as I am now! On top of that, I read on their website that they ‘do not offer refunds’ so I will most likely waste over £200 as I do not want to return there.

Do not go there my lovelies!

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Pauline

Father’s Day Gift Edit

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I am very close with my parents so every year I put a lot of thought into any of their celebrations. As Father’s Day approaches, I wondered what he would appreciate receiving and so I got him quite a few little treats. If you are still thinking about what you should get for your dad then I put together a shortlist of products that might be of interest for you. If you decide to buy any of them then I hope that your father will like them.

Firstly, My father is almost 70 but he is probably one of the most active guys I know. He used to be an army general and he still likes to do exercise and stay in shape. Whilst doing my research into Father’s Day gifts I came across Me and My Sport which is aimed at men who like sport. My father loves cycling so I decided to get him a cyclist sculpture from www.meandmysport.co.uk It is made from metal and has an antiqued bronze finish so it looks very sophisticated. I am sure that it will look great at his bedside table and it will bring back memories of the Olympic Velodrome and the Tour de France, which he enjoys watching. There is a ton of other interesting gifts on offer on this website so if your father likes to stay active then I am sure that you will find something there. NOTHSfiona336a

The sculpture costs £24.

Secondly, I found a similar website Me and My Car https://www.meandmycar.co.uk/ that offers gifts for anyone who likes cars and let’s be honest which guy doesn’t ;-)? The gift shop offers a range of products such as classic gifts, food & drink gifts, stationery, toys, games and tech. My Father always has a cup of coffee in the morning so I decided to get him a spanner cutlery set of 4 Coffee spoons. Don’t they look amazing?

 

The set of spoons costs £30.

Thirdly, I decided to get him Salter Neck and Shoulders Shiatsu massager. As I mentioned above, my father is very active and this Shiatsu massages is perfect for anyone taking part in sports as it helps to relieve sore and aching muscles. It has 3 adjustable speeds and an integrated easy control panel. It also auto shuts off after 15 mins so it will relieve any tired muscles in almost no time. I am sure that he will love it!

This Shiatsu massager costs £59.99 and you can get it from Amazon.co.uk or Salter’s website.

My father loves high-quality leather accessories. My younger brother bought a new wallet for him so I decided to get him a nice belt. I have recently ordered a decorative purse from Berber Leather and I was really impressed by a high quality of its design and its affordable price. I remembered that Berber’s website (https://www.berberleather.com/shop/handmade-leather-belt-black) also stored the belts so I decided to order a handmade wide black leather belt for him.

It is extremely strong and durable as it is made from 2 pieces of leather stitched together to create a strong and lasting piece. Once again I was very pleasantly surprised by its price of £25 only – a bargain for such a high quality.

Lastly, my father enjoys an occasional drink with his friends so I got him a bottle of Black Cow Vodka made locally in Dorset from the milk of grass grazed cows.

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Black Cow Vodka has an exclusive bottle design and distinctive logo. It is also known to be “the worlds’ smoothest vodka” and it was launched a while ago by dairy farmer Jason Barber using his secret recipe. I am sure that my father will like it and enjoy it with his friends.

Black Cow Vodka prices start at £31.75 for 70 cl. and you can buy it from a few retailers (i.e. Marks & Spencer, Majestic, Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges) or you can order it online from:

https://www.blackcow.co.uk/shop/

I hope that this review will give you some ideas and help you to come up with a perfect gift for your dad.

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Paulin

2018 Spring Must Haves

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Hello my lovelies! Happy Sunday to all of you!

I hope you’re having a great weekend! It’s so nice and warm right now in London, it feels like we finally have a proper spring weather.

I put together a short ‘2018 Spring Must-haves’ list. I hope you will find it useful and it will give you some inspiration on the products worth getting this season.

1. Azendi’s jewellery
I have recently came across an award-winning British jewellery brand – Azendi. The brand was founded in 1989 and its aim is to create unique designs using only precious metals, beautifully cut stones, and genuine freshwater pearls. I loved a polished look and as I work with clients a lot I decided to get their Silver pearl-bow stud earrings and a silver bow pendant:

https://azendi.com/silver-pearl-bow-stud-earrings

earings

https://azendi.com/silver-bow-pendant

pendantThe brand has a lot to offer and their jewellery is very reasonably priced so everyone can find something beautiful on their website. The products are also available nationwide through independent jewellery retailers, House of Fraser and Debenhams stores.

2. DCL skincare

As some of you might know, I am obsessed with my skin. I used to have a lot of spots and tried lots of different ranges and treatments so now I am really focussed on keeping my skin looking amazing all the time. My friend advised me to try DCL skincare. The brand stands for Dermatologic Cosmetic Laboratories. They have successfully completed three decades of research and development to create some breakthrough formulations. They offer a great range of products including cleansers, moisturisers, exfoliators and masks.

As I have a combination skin, I decided to order DCL’s:

  • Detoxifying Clay Mask – if you have an oily or blemish-prone skin then you should definitely try this mask. The mask is based on an activated volcanic ash which is deeply detoxifying . The natural clays will help you to get rid of oil, reduce blackheads and minimise your open pores. Peppermint and tea tree oils not only make the mask smell uplifting but they also have some soothing and healing powers. I am using this mask 3 times a week and after each use my skin feels soft, smooth and looks really radiant.

Price: £45 for 50ml

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  • Multi-Action Penta Peel – this wonderful peel is based on a blend of five naturally derived acids. these multi-purpose peel pads gently resurface and renew even the most sensitive skin in five minutes flat. Refining texture, unclogging pores, brightening and hydrating, these industrious pads also physically buff away imperfections to uncover youthful, fresh-looking skin.

Price: £58 for 50 pads

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You should definitely try to use this range – I love it. I’ve started to use it in conjunction with my regular skincare and after 2 weeks my skin looks much more radiant and clear already.

3. Realine Frown Line Patches

I always try to find some new products that work on fighting a specific concern. As I travel a lot and have a stressful day job, I have recently started getting a small frown line. I am only 32 so I had to put a quick stop to this! Realine’s Frown Line Patches restrict muscle movement and prevent expressions lines forming. In addition, they also smooth the existing line and work like non-invasive Botox. You should definitely try them first before you decide to have some Botox injections!

The Frown Line Patches are available on Realine’s website:

https://realinebeauty.com/collections/frontpage/products/frown-line-patches

4. Pavara’s Sink Tidy

I like tidy, modern surroundings and do not like too much clutter. If you are looking to hide your kitchen essentials then you should consider getting the PAVARA’s sink which will help you to keep your kitchen surfaces clean and organised. Not only it can store the contents such as washing up liquid, hand wash, sponge and brush but it also looks extremely modern and stylish. You can manually rotate your sink tidy to access its contents easily. The Pavara’s Sink Tidy is finished in gloss and it is available in 2 colours – black and white to match the aesthetics of a minimalist kitchen.

Pavara’s Kitchen Tidy costs £49.95 and you can order it on Amazon or on Pavara’s website:

https://www.pavara.co.uk/online-store

I love all 4 products from this Spring Must-haves list and if you decide to try any of them then I hope you will like them as much as I do 🙂

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

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Pauline

Iceland Foods Feaster Dinner

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As some of you know I am a massive foodie and I love trying different products, recipes and cuisines. I normally write about dining at top restaurants but where do I shop to create meals in the comfort of my home? You will probably be surprised by what I have to tell you today so read on… I have recently attended ‘Iceland Feaster’ event focusing on Iceland’s Easter range and today I would love to share with you my thoughts about their products.

Background:

Iceland Foods launched a while ago in 1970 and it is currently one of Britain’s fastest-growing retailers with over 900 stores based in UK. Iceland focuses on frozen products and a recently conducted blind taste test by 32 UK chefs showed that there were no significant differences when eight frozen products and their fresh equivalents were put to test. In addition to it’s own branded products, Iceland offers lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, food cupboard, bakery options and variety of other products from famous brands such as: Slimming World, Pizza Express, Millie’s Cookies. There’s something delicious for everyone! What’s more, if you like eco-friendly brands then you will be pleased to discover that Iceland is the first major retailer to commit to being plastic-free across their own label range by 2023.

Event: 

I was invited to attend the Feaster event last week and I was really looking forward to it as I have recently discovered that Iceland won multiple awards such as ‘Business Initiative of the Year’ and ‘Online Supermarket of the Year’ (Which? 2016 and 2017).

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The event was lead by the UK Food Hero Award winning chef – Neil Nugent. The purpose of the event was to showcase some of Iceland’s Easter products and show all attendees how they can create a perfect Easter dinner for their family using high-quality frozen products.

Firstly, chef Neil showed us how to prepare a perfect fish-cake with a running egg in the middle. It was great to watch him conducting live cooking show demo and sharing his tips with all attendees.

I loved discovering little tricks such as cooking a pierced egg for 6 minutes and 10 seconds. Once our starter was prepared, all attendees had an opportunity to taste it. Our fishcake was served with a bit of sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard dressing. It was delicious! I couldn’t believe how easy it was to prepare it and I have already recreated it at home since I returned from the event.

Secondly, chef Neil worked on our mains.

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He showed us how to create a perfect dish based on the Iceland’s British Turkey Crown, broccoli on a bed of beans, couscous with an edible egg shell and accompanied by some rich Morley sauce with cranberries. It was delectable.

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After our mains, we were shown how to create some perfect hot cross buns in two different ways.

Chef Neil showed us how to make a perfect bacon jam and shared with us his rarebit recipe. I really enjoyed the bacon jam and I definitely need to prepare some for my husband!

Lastly, we were served some of the Iceland Luxury Raspberry & Pistachio Layered Pavlova.

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I have a very bad sweet tooth and this cake was simply delightful. It was better than some of the cakes I buy from Patisserie Valerie and was definitely my favourite product I tasted during the event. I couldn’t believe that it only costs £6 and serves 8. Clearly delicious food doesn’t have to be expensive.

Final thoughts: 

I think that lots of you probably think that frozen food cannot be tasty. I had a similar preconception however it changed after I attended Iceland’s Feaster event. All food was mouth-watering and I will surely do my Easter Weekend shopping at Iceland. As I loved the Luxury Raspberry & Pistachio Layered Pavlova, I am looking forward to trying some more of the Iceland’s desserts to satisfy my sweet tooth cravings. You should definitely give Iceland foods a go and I hope that you will be as positively surprised as I was!

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Pauline

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

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As the Mother’s Day approaches, I decided to spoil my mum a bit and get her a few little presents to make her feel loved and appreciated. We are very close and she means a world to me so I always go through quite a bit of an effort on that special day. As my mum is 60 this year (in June), I decided to get her a hamper with a few carefully selected items.

As a result of my search, I put a shortlist of products that you could consider for your mum. I hope you find it useful and if you decide to buy any of the products featured below then I hope that your mum will love them.

Firstly, I thought about getting my mum a bottle of perfumes. As you are probably aware, there is a massive trend of personalisation nowadays – from handbags with initials to fragrances. I came across The Perfume Studio that offers many fragrance gift sets and allows anyone to create their perfect, signature fragrance at the comfort of their own home. They have various perfume making sets available i.e. the fresh, the exotic or the natural collection. I didn’t want to compromise so I decided to get my mum a luxury Ultimate Collection which includes almost all of the fragrance accords offered by the Perfume Studio.

TPS-DYO-Ultimate-Front_preview

Your mum will have an opportunity to create her own sensational signature fragrance from 18 exclusive perfume blends carefully selected by Master Perfumer, Francois Robert. The set comes in a beautiful box and in addition to all lovely perfume blends it also includes a beautiful small purse atomiser and a 30ml glass dressing table atomiser.

What I like about it the most though is that you can add a special touch with a personalised message to which will be printed on the bottle. The bespoke fragrances normally cost fortune but The Perfume’s Studio Ultimate Collection is only £95. In addition to beautiful sets of fragrance making sets, you can get some Gift Experience Vouchers. If you would like to order anything then visit the website:

https://www.theperfumestudio.com/

Until the end of this month my blog readers can get 10% discount on their order by applying the code FIRSTCLASS at the checkout. Don’t forget to adhere to the delivery dates listed below:

  • Engraved items: Order by Midnight 06 March 
  • Everything else: Order by Midnight 07 March
  • Gift and Experience Vouchers: …anytime!

Secondly, as my mum loves skincare so I got her some SAMAYA’s skincare. SAMAYA brand is based on Ayurvedic principles, which helps anyone to achieve samadosha or a ‘perfect balance’ in your life, beginning with your skin. SAMAYA’s range includes cleansers, creams and treatment oils. As my mum uses Elemis moisturiser, I got her a Kapha Treatment Oil from a range of 3 high-performance all natural oils: Vata, Pitta, Kapha.

All SAMAYA’s Oils contain a concentrated blend of active compounds that visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles by using some clinically proven active anti-ageing ingredients. All SAMAYA cosmetics are made in England and have a quick-absorbing formulas which aid skin to appears youthful and radiant, whilst their calming aromas impart a deep sense of tranquillity. The oils come in attractive frosted glass bottles with convenient pumps that dispense the perfect amount in one go. SAMAYA’s Anti-Ageing Treatment Oils make a very thoughtful and (again) personalised present because in order to choose the right oil for your mum, you have to take into consideration the person’s constitution type. I am sure that my mum will appreciate that I took the time to find her a unique and luxurious gift that is high performing, stress-alleviating and all-natural.

The oil costs £79 for 30ml and you can order the oil from SAMAYA’s website:

https://www.samayaayurveda.com/

Thirdly, as my mum has lots of jewellery and travels a lot I decided to get her a Caroline Jewellery Portfolio from Wolf – a luxury British leather-goods company established over 180 years. They are known for designing the world’s most beautiful jewellery cases, watch winders and boxes. The Caroline Jewellery Portfolio is defined by its distinctive quilted exterior and classic shape. It looks just like an elegant wallet and is made of high-quality quilted black leather, anti-tarnish LusterLoc™ lining, zip lock closure, gold finished fittings and leather tassel.

It has 13 earring holes, 1 ring roll, 2 compartments and 4 necklace holders with pocket. It is definitely a perfect gift for anyone who pursuits perfection, luxury and style and I am sure that my mum will love it. After opening it, I now want one for myself as well. The prices of the range start at £49 so if you are interested in ordering a jewellery case or portfolio for your mum then visit:

https://www.wolf1834.com/

Lastly, I decided to get my mum a couple of products from the Scentered range – a portable mood therapy collection of 100% natural, fragrance therapy balms and candles, designed to help busy people cope with the challenges of modern day living and achieve their best at all times. As I mentioned above, my mum travels a lot as my parents have 2 houses so she spends most of the week in the city where she works and them spends the remaining part of the week at the countryside with my retired father. She loves all travel versions of any products so I got her Scentered Mindful Aromatherapy Minis Tin and a Sleep Essential Set.

Mindful Aromatherapy Minis Tin contains five of Scentered best-selling 100% natural balms:

  • Sleep-well – a bedtime ritual to quieten an over-active mind and relax the body, at home and away.
  • De-stress – a calming balm to ease everyday tensions, soothe the mind and lift the spirits.
  • Be-Happy – an uplifting ritual, perfect for days when you’re feeling less than your best and in need of an extra lift.
  • Focus – an ability boosting ritual to help you perform your best at work.
  • Escape – an Escapism ritual to stimulate motivation and creativity, and enhance meditation practice. Recharge the batteries in a moment and go.

The tin is travel-friendly and perfect for transporting the balms.

All Scentered balms are formulated with a blend of moringa and shea butters, to ensure a non-greasy finish and long-lasting fragrance delivery. They can be used individually to target a specific need or together as a ‘booster’ kit. They come in a handy 5g non-drip mini version and a whole tin of 5 balms costs only £26.

In addition, I got her a Sleep Essential Set which contains:

  • a super soft, 100% silk eye mask to block out unwanted light;
  • Scentered’s Sleep Well Therapy Balm (5g) .

The sets aim is to help you to let go of everyday stress and tension and encourage deep sleep. As my mum have had some sleeping problems recently, I hope that it will help her to get a restful, good night’s sleep.

Visit https://scentered.me/ to order any products from this range. 

I hope that this review will give you some ideas and help you to come up with a perfect gift for your mum.

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Pauline