T is for... Travelling

26 December 2014


This is something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time but there is always something in the way that I need to prioritise more.
It’s a shame because the list of places I want to go is ever growing. But you’ve got to dream big!

Here is a list of a few places I want to go:
Ireland
Paris
Rio de Janeiro
India
Japan
Australia
Iceland
Dubai

Do you have any tips for travelling on a budget or just in general?




Christmas

20 December 2014

Can you believe it’s Christmas in FIVE days?

Here’s how the day normally pans out for my family. It starts early, very early, about 8am these days. There used to be years where we would be opening presents at 6am. We were a lot younger then and we value our sleep a lot more now!
The really embarrassing part is that i’m the one who still wakes everyone up, yes I’m a little child inside and there’s no shame!

I still have a stocking but I have a feeling that this will be the last year! Followed by a chocolate croissant breakfast with bucks fizz of course. Then we get ready for our family dog walk, this is the only time of the year that this happens!

This year we are having “elevenses” so we can have a later Christmas dinner. This is all part of my Dads plan to delay our last present a bit longer, I'm sure. 

Obviously after being stuffed from all the food we ate from Christmas dinner, we all collapse on the sofas to watch some classic christmas TV, I mean it would be rude not to right?

Then we normally get our last present that I mentioned earlier. This is called out “tree present”, it’s something unexpected that we haven’t asked for so it’s a huge surprise! it’s pretty exciting! By this time, everyones exhausted from all the excitement. 

Tea is obviously leftover sandwiches followed by more TV.
The best part? All being together of course! Unfortunately this year, I’m working on Boxing Day but that’s fine by me. All the exciting bits are over by then.


How does your Christmas go?


Siblings

19 December 2014

You love them and you hate them (mostly love them) and mine are pretty great. And we have some of the best memories that are irreplaceable.

I’m the oldest of 4 and I have 2 sisters and a brother, the youngest being my brother who is absolutely spoilt rotten!

We’re all so different but so similar at the same time…you wouldn’t believe it!


Aren’t we cute?


Soz Fred you asked for it...

December Degustabox

16 December 2014

Hello everyone! I’ve had a bad week already and it’s only Tuesday, however today my second Degustabox arrived, how exciting is that! It seems like only a few weeks ago that I received my first degustabox and it was, or one of, the most exciting things I’ve received in the post!
I loved the surprise element of it and here’s my post on the November box in case you missed it!
My favourite thing in the box would have to be the fajita flavour shots, I ate fajitas all of last week…I’m excited to try the chutney as well but I’m taking that home for Christmas!


So here is what I got in my December box…



First up is Oats+Chia from The Chia Co. At first I was quite disappointed but I’ve just read a bit more about it and I’m quite interested in seeing how it tastes! This is a blend of wholegrain oats, chia, fruits and coconut oil. Then you just add water to get a smooth and creamy texture. Sounds good so far right? It also says that chia seed offers the highest combined plant source of omega-3, fibre and protein and is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Fun fact eh?



Next up is Pukka Herbs, in other words green tea with lemon! I got way too excited by this. It’s another brand of green tea that I get to try and my all time favourite is when it’s got lemon in it as well. Stay tuned!

The next 3 products are Bahlsen Choco Leibniz, Eisburg Alcohol Free Wine and Bonne Maman Orange Marmalade. All of which will be taken home for Christmas to share with my family.

When I first opened the box I was greeted by a large bag of salt and vinegar Popchips, personally these have nothing on the Kettle Chips I got last month but I’ll give these a chance as I haven’t had this flavour before!

Third to last (saving the best till last of course), are 4 cans of Gloworm mixer drinks. These come in some of the most intriguing flavours, Raspberry and Orris for Vodka, Cucumber and Apple for Gin, Pear, Spice and Lime for Rum and Ginger and Lemongrass for Bourbon. I only drink vodka so I might have to give a couple to my parents for them to mix or just have more with vodka! This is the first mixer of its kind, which are specifically blended to compliment a selection of spirits. They are sugar-free (IT’S A MIRACLE), they also have a lower caffeine content.


I was also pleasantly surprised to find another product from Kent’s Kitchen, the fajita flavour shots I was talking about are from Kent’s Kitchen and in this box I got a “Meal Kit” for Madras curry. Are they trying to set my mouth on fire?! I’m excited to try it though, a new kind of cooking that I haven’t tried before so it will be a nice new experience.

So last up is my favourite by far, Frylight Infuse Chilli oil. This is a way of getting the oil you need without pouring out too much. It comes in a little spray bottle, which is handy and can be used for all sorts of pan-fried or roasted food. It adds a great spicy kick, which is good for me, as I love having a spicy kick to food. Something that they pointed out on the information sheet in the box is that because it is controllable, you can custom flavour the heat level for each member of the family!

This month I paid £12.99 for the box, and for all of the products, they retail at £25.75, which is pretty good going by my standards! This means I paid half of what these products retailed for and that makes me very happy!


How great is this months box? Have I tempted you to buy your own Degustabox yet?

Retail

12 December 2014


There's a little giggle for you, each and every one of those is true!

A lot of people think that working in retail is a piece of cake, literally go away! You have no idea what you’re talking about…
Anyway…you will be aware that I work in a clothing shop which I love. Over the next month or so my posts will probably be a bit slower, although I’m trying to keep up!


Have you ever worked in retail? What did you think?

Northern Tea Gift Ideas

9 December 2014

I’ve teamed up with the guys over at Northern Teas to bring you some great gift ideas, or you might even want to treat yourself. Obviously we all want to feel fresh as we start the New Year and green tea is without a doubt the way to go. You can use green tea instead of detox teas and get plenty of the same benefits.

These green teas are calorie free and are tasty and excellent quality. They are so much better than the ones you get in the supermarket. The ones that I got sent are Ti Quan Yin, Japanese Sencha Fukujyu and Japanese Gyokuro,

This is a fine quality Chinese Oolong green tea that originates from southern china, and the leaves are rolled tightly into little balls. It takes 3 to 5 minutes for the tea to brew, which is pretty average for green tea. It is a pleasant, aromatic and refined tea. It is one that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.


This is also known as Green Spider Leg, because of the look of the tealeaves. It has a sweet, grassy taste but it is a smooth texture. It originates in China but is processed Japanese style. It has a short brew time of 2 to 3 minutes. The leaves are neat, flat green and stalks, flecked with hints of yellow. Indulge in a cup of this at the end of the day, I know I will be.


This is a variety of Ryokucha, it is picked during the first round of harvest and shaded from the sun for some time before the harvest. This gives a delightful flavour with a very delicate, pale liquor. This again takes 2 to 3 minutes to brew, and it also has neat, flat green leaves and stalks, flecked with hints of yellow. It has sweet, mild and a very smooth flavour with a pale yellow liquor. This should also be indulged at the end of the day, looks like I’ll be alternating between this and Sencha Fukujyu.





Prices vary from £4.50 to £7.50 for 50g of these teas. This is due to the origin of the teas and the quality, so it’s worth the money! These are a fantastic Christmas present, don’t forget to get your tea strainers as all the teas are loose and I’d also recommend getting a teapot to make it that little bit more special!

PS. Don't forget all views are my own, and we all know how much I love green tea so you know it's the truth!

Design by | SweetElectric