Degustabox – August 2021*

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.

August already feels like so long ago, and I am later than usual with getting my post up this month; wedding planning has taken front seat with just two weeks to go! I’m also on the final countdown at work until maternity leave starts and life is just a little bit chaotic right now!
Thankfully the August Degustabox box, with it’s “Back to School and On The Go” theme has saved my arse with snacks on more than one occasion…this has been literally my box of the year so far!

Ok, so stock cubes aren’t a snack, and to be honest they seemed a very random addition to the box given the theme, but welcome none the less. We’re currently trying to batch cook ready for when we have a newborn so these have come in handy; personally I’m a salt addict but I can see the appeal of these for families and those a bit more careful about their intake of sodium! £1.49 from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose and on Ocado.

I think I said before how hard I resisted the salted caramel trend when it first arrived on the scene. I’m a now convert though, and despite trying to keep my caffeine intake to a minimum level I couldn’t not try one of these Nescafe Gold Iced Salted Caramel Lattes. So good for on the go, and a most welcome relief during the recent super hot few days! Will be stocking up on these! £2.98 RRP available online and from most major supermarket chains.

I think this Pågen Gifflar Cinnamon Rolls would have been delicious if I had got a look in! Somehow they vanished in to Bob’s belly before I got a chance, but c’est la vie, he enjoyed them and I’ve been asked to pick up more when I see them! £1.70 from Tesco, Asda and online at Ocado.

We have this Cirio Pasta Sauce earmarked for another of our batch cooks as some kind of pasta bake. Mushrooms and Sausage screams winter comfort to us with a tonne of cheese on top! This range of sauces looks great, made with 100% Italian meat and tomatoes plus extra virgin olive oil. There are three flavours in the range, the others being Beef, Pork & White Wine and Mushrooms & Grilled Peppers. I’ll share the results on social media when we use this.
£2.00 from Ocado.

I’ve got through various cereal fads through pregnancy and currently I’m firmly on a Shreddies kick thanks to this month’s box. This makes a real change from my usual sugar laden American Imports and I’m here for it. With 4 ingredients and less than 5% sugar…delicious with hot milk and some sliced banana. Or eaten by the handful from the box! Available at Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and on Ocado with an RRP of £2.50.

Tweek Sweets with Benefits certainly look attractive with their super pretty packaging. They are pretty good, and refreshing and obviously boast some health benefits- but to be honest, if I’m buying sweets I want the full whack of sugar. Still nice though and I wouldn’t say no to more and they are ideal for anyone trying to be a bit healthier! £1.99 from WHSmith Travel.

There’s not much I can say about Oreos other than I love them! Yay!

I really enjoyed these 5th Season Fruit snacks. They have an odd texture that goes from crunch to melt in the mouth, but I liked that, a lot. They were perfect for a sweet hit on the go and are made with 100% fruit and have barely any calories. Pricey at £1.50 per bag and only available at Sainsbury’s, The Good Club, Mighty Small, Amazon and 5thseasonfruit.com but hopefully that will change soon, I sure hope so!

I skipped testing this clean energy drink from Virtue drinks because pregnant, but it’s something I would otherwise go for without a doubt! With Zero Sugar and Zero Calories, but the same amount of natural caffeine as a coffee or other energy drink it’s a winning idea for me. £1.50 from Amazon, Holland and Barrett, Crussh, Planet Organic and Ocado.

My personal product of the month! I love Skippy Peanut butter and this chocolate chip swirl one is exactly what my toast has been missing. Sadly it’s only available at Morrisons and on Ocado so I can’t fully indulge all of the time, but next time we do an Ocado order a few jars will be sneaking in! £2.65 and worth every penny.

Bob has been taking these Up&Go breakfast drinks when he has an early start and he rates them as good. Not as good as a Greggs breakfast, but acceptable and much healthier! The banana & honey flavour is right up his street, although I’d personally go for the chocolate one! £2.75 per multipack from Tesco, Morrisons and on Ocado.

I ate so many Clif bars in America, I love them and it saddens me they are so expensive and that you can’t actually buy these mini size ones over here yet (they are everywhere in the USA!). These are such a good handbag snack and my favourite protein type bar out there for the texture. The larger 68g bar is available at most supermarkets, health food stores and sports retailers for £1.69. I eagerly await the minis arriving over here!

If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim £3.00 off of your first box (making it just £9.99!) 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

Permalink

Beautifect

Beautifect is a makeup box, essentially. Something we have all seen, and used time and time again. But there is something very special about this particular beauty box, read on to find out more…

Founded by Tara Lalvani, Beautifect is set to revolutionise the way you apply your makeup. An idea born out of frustration at the hassle of makeup application, Beautifect solves so many common problems in one (incredbily luxe looking) product.

Beautifect boasts 6 key features to make a real difference to your every day makeup routine:

  1. It uses LEDs to simulate daylight, with 3 brightness levels meaning you never need fight to apply makeup in poor, artificial lighting again.
  2. It has 5 lighting environments too, so you can see how your makeup will look in different scenarios; for example, bright daylight, or the office.
  3. It has a true definition mirror that allows you to see your entire face in a true reflection, with distortion free 1 x magnification.
  4. It’s a smart storage system that allows you to organise and sort your makeup easily and find things efficiently.
  5. It’s magic hinge allows you to angle and hold the mirror at any angle making your makeup application 100 times more comfortable.
  6. It’s rechargeable and cordless- with average full power usage one charge should last a full week making it perfect for travel!

Of course, this miracle worker comes at a cost- £279 to be exact. This makes it firmly a wish list only item for me, for the foreseeable future, but it’s such a brilliant idea that I thought it worth sharing anyway.

You can buy the Beautifect case from the website, and it’s also available at Harrods.

What beauty invention would revolutionise your daily routine?

Posted in beauty

Permalink

Embracing the last of Summer with Montezumas

It might be September, with a distinct nip in the air already (at least down here in the South West) but that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up on Summer. Not for me anyway, I’m holding out for a warm and sunshine filled day for my wedding at the end of the month, and what perfect way to manifest it than with a sun and sea inspired collection of chocolates from Montezumas?

Sea Dog has lime to spark your palette and a subtle tang of sea-salt as well- kind of a pregnant person friendly version of a tequila shot!

I love the bright pink packaging for Hot Pickle! This bar isn’t for the shy and retiring…I love chilli in chocolate so this is right up my street.

Summer and happiness go hand in hand. So does chocolate and hazelnut. Add in salted caramel too and I don’t see how this bar can fail to put a smile on your face. What a winner!

Coconut is the ultimate Summer flavour, and lemon brightens everything so I can see why this dark chocolate bar made it in to the collection. It sounds like the ultimate uplift!

I know not everyone approves of white chocolate, but I LOVE it. Creamy vanilla makes me think of ice cream on a beach, and the golden colour is reminiscent of the sand too.

All of these bars, plus a whole host of other delicious treats are available on the Montezumas website for £2.59 for a 90g bar. Which flavour are you going for first?

Smart Tips To Make Your Home Safer*

Being safe at home should be your priority. Your home is where you go to feel safe and secure. Thus, lacking safety at home means that your home is not fulfilling your security needs. Here are some smart tips for making your home safer. 

Photo by Bernard Hermant on Unsplash

Prevent leaks

Experiencing leaks at home can be scary; if you cannot stop the leak it could cause all kinds of damage to your home. 

To prevent leaks and future water issues make sure you keep on top of the health of your plumbing. For instance, leaving a blocked drain for a few days could result in a flood which can cause structural damages to your home. You can get your blocked drain repaired by an expert and ensure that you combat any future floods and issues. 

CCTV cameras

Using smart technology, you could add cameras and other safety devices to ramp up the security of your home. 

Cameras will ensure that you can keep a close eye on your home at all times, even when you are not in. You can link your cameras up to your phone to watch on your property. These smart devices can detect motion and alert your phone when you are not home. 

Likewise, you can use other camera devices such as smart doorbells which allow you to see who is at the door before you answer. You directly link the doorbell up to your phone so that you can view your porch at any time of day.

Higher fences


Higher fences will heighten the security of your home. It will prevent people from looking in and also deter intruders.

You should try to add high fences to your front and back garden. You will want to increase your privacy and higher fences in the back garden means that fewer neighbours can see into your garden. You can still pick a luxury wood fence, as fences can be functional and look good too.

Secure your wifi

Your wifi could be tampered with by outside passersby or hackers. It is rare but it can happen. If a hacker can enter your wifi network they may make your data and private documents vulnerable. 

Securing your wifi with a specific name and strong password will ensure that it is less vulnerable to hackers. 

Empty your mailbox

If you have a mailbox in your front garden and often worry that passersby could open it and take your mail, then you should make sure you empty it as often as possible. The letters inside could include important and private information as well as personal data.

Should you be away for a long period or on holiday ask your neighbours to keep an eye on the mailbox and ask them to store it safely for you until you return- just make sure to offer to return the favour!

Empty your garbage bins

If you leave lots of smelly rubbish in your bin for too long it could attract insects and animals. These could pose a danger to your pets or small children. 

To prevent this make sure to empty your rubbish bins as often as possible. Putting them on set days so that they can be cleared and cleaned to reduce the number of insects and animals in your home. 

Posted in home

Permalink

ModiBodi Maternity*

Where has time gone? All of a sudden it’s basically September, I’m 30+ weeks pregnant, getting married in less than a month and just a few short weeks after that will be mum to a little girl!

For the most part I am super organised with it all, I’m one of those people who micro-manage everything, and whilst it still feels like there is loads to do there really actually isn’t. One area I am definitely not organised with though is packing a hospital bag for both myself and for baby. I haven’t even made a list, I don’t even really know what to take! I might be super on top of things for what baby is going to need, but when it comes to Mum I am clueless. The only thing I have so far are some great little maternity products that I was gifted from cult period pant brand ModiBodi which I was kindly sent, these are sat next to my otherwise empty hospital holdall waiting to be joined by…well…I don’t actually know what yet!

I was sent the Breastfeeding Cami and Maternity Briefs, obviously it’s impossible to give a full review at this stage given that I’m not post-birth, but what I can tell you is how lovely they feel and how comfortable they are to wear.
The Breastfeeding Cami is designed to give comfort and support whilst absorbing up to 25ml of boob leak per cup, making it an more environmentally friendly alternative to disposable breast pads and something I’m planning to use especially in hospital when I want to be packing as little as possible (famous last words!)
You can also wear this pre-birth to deal with any leakage, I’m not quite there yet but I feel like it’s only a matter of time!
Another added bonus is it has an inbuilt sling to assist with one handed feeding; something I will surely find invaluable once Bob goes back to work.

The briefs certainly aren’t sexy, but arguably better looking than the M&S granny pants I’ve been living in of late. Much like the period pants these are designed to deal with bleeding, discharge, bladder leaks etc, the difference being these have a much higher absorbency than the period pants and are cut to suit an ever expanding bump/be comfortable on a post-baby belly. These are so comfortable and I’m definitely going to get a few pairs in stock for those first few weeks especially. I find regular pads uncomfortable so the idea of maternity ones fills me with dread! I also like how secure these feel once on, and whilst pricey they can be used as period pants once things go back to normal too.

It would be a bit extreme to say I’m looking forward to fully testing out these items, although it would mean to wait to meet baby is finally over! I’m just keeping everything crossed she doesn’t decide to make an early appearance at the wedding- or at least until I have my hospital bag packed!

Those who already have children, what were your must haves for your hospital bags? Both for yourself and for baby?

Thanks ModiBodi for giving me a jump-start!