The Spring Degustabox (March 2019)*

[post contains gifted product]
It feels like an absolute eternity ago that the March Degustabox* arrived. It’s been a crazy few weeks between my dodgy back, a week of technical issues with the blog and then a feline medical emergency, but finally here we are! I’m absolutely exhausted from a frantic weekend so I’ll just jump on it and keep it fairly brief.
The March edition of the Degustabox had an excellent array of snacks within. I really enjoyed the Chum Fruit Bites, they were probably my personal product of the month. They are made with 100% fruit, are suitable for vegans and full of fibre. The Apple ones were especially delicious and I’m trying to find a local shop where I can get my hands on more.
Another favourite was the Green & Black’s bars, I love these single serving bars; the praline was the winner for me but both were super good. I’d happily buy any of these products again- I probably wouldn’t choose the passion fruit from Willie’s Cacao personally, but there are many other delicious flavours in the range.
The Red Red Super Stew was a great little product- ideal for work lunch one day. Just add boiling water to get a really yummy stew made with natural and plant based ingredients- a little pricey at £2.99 each but good to have on hand and perfect for a chilly day.
Costa is the only chain coffee shop in my town and where I tend to head when I want something quick on the run. I’m trying to save money at the moment so being able to make a familiar blend at home to take with me is a real plus, and gives me a precious few extra minutes at home vs. being stood in a queue.
Bob and I are condiment hoarders and love any excuse to add to our collection. This little jar of relish (a gift with the box) is really good on burgers!
The drink selection this month was strong. I loved the Moose Juice energy drink. It’s zero sugar and has no aspartame either. It’s tastier than red bull and something I would hands down pick up again.
The Jubel Alpine beer cut with peach isn’t my kind of thing but Bob said it goes down nicely. It’s a vegan friendly beverage too…always good to know!
We haven’t tried the Weetabix drink yet but I like the concept of the ultimate portable breakfast.
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 6HZJ8 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.

Sorry it’s a much shorter and less involved roundup than usual. Hopefully next month will be less dramatic and I’ll have a bit more capability to string together some sentences!

The Bristol Bag*

[post contains gifted item]
Having lived (admittedly just outside) in Bristol for almost 32 years, I have a lot of love for my buzzing, creative and quirky city. I also love supporting both local and less local small business, so when I was contacted about Paper Bag Co, a company based in Wiltshire who specialise in eco friendly bags, who in collaboration with Overt Design in Bradford-on-Avon have released a range of local, eco-friendly bags I was keen to get on board.

Dress: Monki at ASOS (bargain!) | Tee: Topshop | Bag gifted

A quick diversion away from the bag to say what a bargain this dress was- £8 in the ASOS sale and still available in many sizes. I’d had my eye on this for full price so happily broke my shopping ban to make the purchase!

Back to the bag though, how stunning is that design? It’s the most perfect size for daily use. I can carry all of my work paraphernalia around with me, and it holds a heck of a lot of shopping- I’ve not purchased a single plastic bag on my weekend grocery shops since it arrived which is nothing short of a miracle.

I’ve had so many comments about this bag There are several bags in the range of local designs; Bath, Bristol, Frome, Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge.

If you want to buy a bag you can contact Paper Bag Co through their website or give them a call on 01373 825 834.

If you could have your favourite town or city printed on to a bag where would you pick?

New Vampire Vape at E-Cigarette Direct

[post contains gifted items]
You may recall at the start of the month I raved about the juice brand Vampire Vape and how awesome there flavours were.
I was recently sent even more awesome by the brand from the e-cigarette direct team and given the success of my previous experiences with the brand I understandably couldn’t wait to get stuck in to this new bunch of flavours.
Rhubarb crumble is my all time favourite dessert so I was intrigued by how it would translate in to a juice. My instant hit was of sweet rhubarb, followed by it’s characteristic sharp tang. The experience finished with a buttery crumble flavour; all that was missing was the custard, delicious!
The name “Charger’ gives no clues as to what to expect from this juice and I did check the website before giving it a whirl. Described as “red fruits and berries with citrus and aniseed”, this is a lovely little medley of flavours that is fresh and fruity with a touch of sophistication from the aniseed. Loved it.
I love sweet flavours so I was very excited by the promised of crushed candy. This is a lovely blend of super fresh fruits and bubblegum and is right up my street- you could really taste the watermelon notes in this one, another hit for Vampire Vape.
I always swore I’d avoid tobacco blends but if anyone is going to convince me to try it then it’s Vampire Vape! Luckily I got more smooth vanilla from this than I did tobacco, and whilst I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this juice I am glad I tried it and I think it would be perfect for anyone looking to make a transition from tobacco to more adventurous flavours.
Last but not least we have “Catapult”. Another name that doesn’t give much away, this one promises blackcurrants and summer fruits as well as menthol. I love how much the brand uses menthol to bring an unexpected twist to their juices, it what really makes them stand out for me. Another simple sounding blend with a sophisticated edge.

There are still many flavours from the brand I am yet to try, top of my current wish list is parma violet as I loved those little sweets of the same name when I was a kid! You can see the full range of flavours here, if you have experience with the brand let me know which else I need to test out.

Is it actually Spring yet?

How gorgeous is the weather right now guys? I can’t help but feel cautiously optimistic that Spring has sprung, although having lived in this country for the best part of 32 years now I know it could all change by tea time.

I’ve been sat on these photos for a while, unsure if could bring myself to post them. I appear to have found myself in hyper self critical mode again, and when I’m not overthinking every inch of my body my thoughts have turned to facial expression, my hair, my everything.

So what’s finally made me do it? Well, to be honest I just wanted to post something that wasn’t a review and reflects what I’ve been wearing lately. I picked up this dress on ASOS a few weeks ago whilst on a desperate mission for some new work clothes; all of sudden it felt like everything I owned was too tight and that I had gone up three sizes overnight. Turns out that wasn’t the case, but it’s scary how I could physically feel a difference that wasn’t there. Eating disorder recovery isn’t all about re-discovering food and living happily ever after; even being so close to the finish line it’s amazing what anorexia can make you believe.

I ended up buying two dresses from the Vero Moda brand and I think they might be my new go-to. They both fitted exactly as I needed them too (skimming over my perceived bloated belly) whilst still looking smart- this poppy printed version can easily be dressed up for an evening too, and is perfect for this between seasons kind of dressing.
I’m currently signed off work for a week with a rather nasty flare of sciatica, the likes of which I haven’t had since pre back surgery. It’s not much fun and seems to have been made that much worse by the fact I’m bloody terrified that the enforced inactivity might make me balloon further.

I’m finding recovery almost impossible to fathom at the moment. I’ve come so far but I truly feel like overcoming these last hurdles might break me.
On the flip side to that, I’m using all of my mental and physical capacity to push on through; with the holiday of a lifetime coming up soon and so many exciting plans for after that I know I can’t afford to give up.

I’ll always be able to find new clothes, like this dress to flatter and conceal a body I am not yet used to and not quite ready to love. You can’t buy true health though, nor the things that achieving it will bring.

I have no idea where all of this mental overspill has come from, but hey, I have a new dress and I love it- admire away and feel free to have skipped the babble!

New Juices from Liquid Ice*

[post contains gifted items]

One of the best things about vaping for me is the huge amount of flavours available when it comes to juice. It’s the one thing that has kept me on the straight and narrow; I’ve had the odd lapse and occasional puff of a cigarette over the last six months but can genuinely say I detest the taste now and would take vaping over smoking any day.

I was recently contacted by Liquid Ice who are launching a brand new website, hopefully by the end of this month (watch this space). They kindly sent over a few juices from some of their brands, and as they were all brands I hadn’t tried before I thought I’d pop up some mini reviews.

The selection included juices from Halcyon Haze, T Juice and Coil Hootch, three brands I hadn’t actually heard of, let alone tried. Bob had previous experience of T Juice though and rated it highly so I knew I was likely in for a treat.
First up came “Lizzie Rascal” from Halcyon Haze. Described as a fizzy berry mojito this is a punchy little number that for me started with a big twist of lime then moved in to the promised berries, followed by a hint of mint.
Second came my first experience of T Juice, “Green Kelly”. I loved this flavour, it was every bit as bold as it’s bright green colour suggested it might be. Again it’s a summery mix of berries and citrus, it packs even more of a punch than “Lizzie Rascal” and has made it on to my top tens. For a first impression of T Juice I was very impressed.
I’m not a fan of lemon flavours as a rule- both in juices and with food/drink so I was a little hesitant to try “Lemon Slice” from Coil Hootch. I needn’t have worried though, this, as with most juices isn’t just straight flavour- this is a buttery lemon curd initial hit followed by an incredibly convincing buttery pastry. I was pleasantly surprised by this and look forward to trying more from this brand.
Last but my no means least we have “Red Astaire” from T Juice. Spurred on by my previous experience I was excited to try this. I didn’t check out the flavour profile before trying this out and was instantly struck by aniseed, one of my favourites! Combined with red berries, black grape and some menthol and eucalyptus for good measure this juice has earned a place in my top five juices to date- it’s a best seller for a reason!
Have you tried any of these brands before? If so I’d love to know your flavour recommendations. Leave them in the comments below.

Posted in vaping

Permalink