Category Archives: christmas

Christmas Cheers with Cracker Drinks

29th November 2016
Somehow it’s almost December, the month where even I ditch my anti-social tendencies and join in with the many festive get togethers. I do love a good party as much as the next person- any excuse to dress up and go wild, but at the same time I think nothing beats a more intimate get together at a friend’s place where you can really sit down and catch up on the year just gone (because somehow we only manage to meet up in December every year and I bet I’m not alone in this!)

I might not be hosting in my flat this year but I’m all for improving my hostess skills ready for next Christmas when I’m determined I will be so when The Cracker Drinks Co. sent over some of their no added sugar fruit drinks and some cocktail/mocktail recipes I was quick off of the mark to get practising.

The Cracker Drinks Co. are experts are creating delicious fruity drinks with no added sugar meaning that the range is naturally lower in calories, averaging around 30% less calories per 100ml than 100% orange juice or added sugar juice drinks. It remains high in fruit content offering the added benefit of 1 of your 5 a day. The range is completely natural and free from any artificial sweeteners, with just Stevia to add a little extra sweetness.

The drinks come in five flavours, of which I was sent the three you can see above. Perfect for drinking alone or using to spice up your Christmas cocktails (with a mocktail recipe thrown in for the non-drinkers out there).

Flowers n Spice

Ingredients
35ml St Germain Liqueur
15ml Vanilla vodka
100ml Still and Cloudy Lemonade
25ml Soda Water

Method
Add all ingredients to an ice filled glass and briefly stir
Garnish
Lemon wedge and twist

Light and Spicy

Ingredients
35ml Vanilla Vodka
100ml Mango & Passion Fruit
25ml Ginger Beer

Method
Fill a glass with cubed ice then add all the ingredients, stir briefly then cap with crushed ice
Garnish
Lime Wedge

Nojito

Take 200ml Cracker Apple, Mint and Lime
Top up with a little sugar free soda water
Add some mint leaves and a squeeze of lime
Serve over ice
Garnish with mint and lime

All three of these drinks were so quick and easy to make, even if I did fail to remember to make up some ice cubes prior to making the drinks- fail! They were all delicious though, the Nojito was my favourite I think- the combination of flavours was just lovely and I’m a big fan of the alcoholic Mojito anyway…serve this up to any drivers/non-drinkers at a part and they’ll love you forever! It’s almost impossible to pick a favourite out of the two cocktails though- both were so different to each other and so unlike any drinks I’ve had before thanks to the unique combination of flavours in the mixers…both big hits with me and new staples on my party drinks menu (you know, if I held parties and had a drinks menu!)

Let me know what your favourite cocktails and mocktails are in the comments- I’d love to try them out, all in the name of research of course

I won’t lie, drinking these at 2pm was definitely a highlight of my especially dull and dreary day!

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Juices provided by The Cracker Drinks Co. to create this post, all other ingredients came from me (hence the lack of ice!)

Posted in christmas, friends, inspiration, recipes, review

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Handmade Gift Guide: Quaint Charms Jewelery

27th November 2016
I love discovering a new place to shop for quirky jewellery and Etsy certainly has no shortage of it- particularly handy at this time of year when looking to shop for gifts that stand out from the crowd. I’ve only recently been introduced to Quaint Charms Jewelery but it really made an impact- specialising in handcrafted luxurious yet affordable pieces I was really taken with, well, most of the shop if I’m honest. I was very kindly sent a beautiful necklace and matching earrings so I could see just how well executed the products are but I thought I’d also turn this post in to a bit of a wish list/gift guide too…
How striking are these pieces? Although quite simple in themselves the combination of the beautifully coloured stones against the gold settings really captured my imagination. I’d say these are definitely on the more subtle side of what Quaint Charms has to offer yet they still manage to make a real statement. Both pieces are incredibly well made and just look “quality” (for want of a better word, what I mean is they don’t look like bog standard cheap costume jewellery) and I can see them standing up to the test of time.
As you can see from the selection above there is definitely something to cater for all tastes- there are personalised options available, the ability to request custom pieces and some really gorgeous birth stone necklaces as well…I could have quite easily have popped the whole shop in to this post but then that would leave nothing to the imagination would it?

Pop yourselves over to Quaint Charms Jewelery and let me know which piece most catches your eye. Next on my list are these amazing gold flower and jet earrings.

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Items gifted for blog post consideration, opinions are all my own.

Posted in christmas, etsy, jewellery, review, shopping, wish list

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Gift Inspiration: Hello Harriet

26th November 2016
Today’s gifting inspiration post is one that combines some of my very favourite things- accessories, supporting a small business and CATS! I you’ve all been wondering when a purely cat themed gift guide would crop up…well, it’s here and it’s a good one!
Hello Harriet belongs to artist Harriet Gray and was set up in 2012 mainly as an excuse to create cute accessories for herself! Harriet’s products are inspired by the internet, half hearted feelings and all things cute- something I can really get behind! I first found Hello Harriet via Instagram, wonderful platform that it is for enabling endless wish lists and my interest peaked further when I found out it was also a fairly local brand to me (all of Harriet’s work comes direct from her home studio in Bath). Actually, after writing this post I’ve since popped along to a Bristol Etsy sellers pop-up shop where Hello Harriet products were for sale. I can confirm they are every bit as covetable in real life and I couldn’t resist a cheeky purchase of a rather sweet cat pin.

I’ve popped together just a small selection of some of my favourite wares in the image above (and they all feature cats, of course) but even if felines aren’t your thing then be sure to check out her shop for cuteness and sass galore!

A couple of my favourite products from Hello Harriet have to be the advent calendar (although you must order it this weekend to get it in time for December 1st) and the super quirky cat collar tags and matching necklaces. I’ve asked Santa for a necklace for myself and I did briefly consider getting a tag for Mae until she lost her second collar in the space of a fortnight, complete with tags and I realised she just couldn’t be trusted with something so cool!

Price wise you’ll find everything very purse friendly and the temporary tattoos and nail decals especially would make amazing stocking fillers for any cat lady (dog ladies too for that matter).

I strongly suggest dropping some serious hints by leaving laptop screens open on the Hello Harriet shop, I don’t think there’s anything on the site that I wouldn’t be delighted to receive and I know I won’t be the only one who feels that way…

Which items have caught your eye?

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Posted in brands I love, cats, christmas, gifts, inspiration, shopping

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Duchess London- Investment Party Dressing*

25th November 2016
These days when it comes to picking out the perfect party outfit we are spoilt for choice. By October the high street is awash with fast fashion pieces that are pretty much disposable, I know myself that I’m guilty of buying a dress and wearing it only once before discarding it a year or so later not wanting to be seen in it again.

Now I’m getting older I often think it’s time to take things back to basics, to invest in some good quality and simple evening wear that might cost a bit (or in this case a lot) more but will last for years and years. When you strip back the sequins and glitter and opt for a simple yet impeccably made piece you actually open up a whole new area of party dressing- choose wisely and you can transform your outfit for multiple occasions with clever use of different jewellery, accessories and shoes.

Above is a selection of dresses from a brand called Duchess London who have recently popped on to my radar. Each piece is beautifully made in London, designed to be a blank canvas to suit any occasion. Forget for a moment the lure of that spangly mini dress that will only see the light of day once, focus instead on the beautifully cut classic designs made in the most luxurious of fabrics- actual silk for example, rather than some questionable nylon that fills with static at the most inopportune moments.

I’m rather taken with the light blue sheer sleeve dress. It’s currently on offer at 20% off (as is every piece until NYE) making it £159. Enough to buy ten dresses from Primark perhaps, but cut to perfection and will last for years. Sadly out of my current budget but a girl can dream…

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Posted in christmas, dresses, fashion, shopping

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#hatwithaheart

24th November 2016
For me one of the greatest rewards from blogging is being able to use my little piece of the internet to get behind charities and causes that I think are really worthwhile. Today my post is all about a campaign that Tesco is running to support Fareshare and the Trussell Trust called #hatwithaheart.

Tesco aims to donate at least £200,000 to food bank charities by donating £1 from all of their novelty hat sales (of which you’ll find plenty for men, women and children so there’s no excuse not to get involved!)

I’m all for a bit of novelty headwear so when Tesco asked if I’d be prepared to snap a couple of selfies to help raise awareness I didn’t hesitate. And it’s not just the hats I’m in it for. I genuinely think that what Fareshare and the Trussell Trust do is vital in helping to break the cycle of poverty. It’s ok for me, I’m sat here writing this in the warm and dry with a kitchen full of food downstairs- not everyone has these basic needs met and for people in crisis the 3 days of emergency food that the food banks provide can be the difference that keeps them going.

You can see more of my selfies over on Instagram where you can also join in yourself by posing in your novelty knit using the hashtag #hatwithaheart

For anyone who isn’t aware then Fareshare is an organisation that focuses on rescuing good food that would otherwise go to waste and distributing it to charities such as women’s refuges, homeless shelters and children’s breakfast clubs. Trussell Trust has a network of over 400 food banks across the UK who aim to stop hunger by providing a minimum of three days of emergency food to people in crisis who have been referred by front-line professional agencies such as children’s centres, housing associations, GPs or Citizens Advice.

I really hope I’ve done a good enough job of convincing you that this is a cause worth getting behind. You can purchase your novelty hat in Tesco stores or online (and whilst I was sent my hats for the purpose of this post you can rest assured that I’m going to be placing an order for the Christmas Pudding Beanie ASAP!)

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Posted in charity, christmas, fashion, instagram

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