New In- Jewellery from WatchShop.com

You’d be excused for thinking that a website named WatchShop.com would sell only watches. I myself was guilty of this until the other week when I parcel arrived for me which went on to prove me completely wrong. It turns out you can also buy jewellery from WatchShop.com and they stock many of my favourite brands including Guess, Ted Baker and Thomas Sabo to name but a few. I was incredibly lucky to receive a selection of new arrivals and wanted to show them off ASAP!
All items c/o WatchShop.com
The first item I unpackaged was this pretty little necklace from Anne Klein. This isn’t a name familiar to me but I love how delicate this necklace is, I really love simple pieces with just a touch of sparkle and this fits the bill perfectly.
Next out of it’s pouch was this little beauty from lolaandgrace who long time readers of the blog will know I’m already very familiar with. This is one of their more delicate pieces and I love the opal-esque pink stone and pink crystal detail. Again this is a super subtle and elegant piece that fits my current jewellery style perfectly. Keep an eye out for their new collection, there are some serious stunners about to be released!
Last but not least comes this stunning Lola Rose bangle (jewellery range not yet on the website). I’m not the greatest wearer of bracelets and bangles purely because I tend to forget but this one is just so pretty and fits my dinky wrists perfectly- with the bonus of being adjustable. I’ve been pairing this with 1/2 and 3/4 sleeve tops when I want to add a girly touch and I have a sudden desire to stack bangles up both arms as high as they will go!
What are some of your jewellery brand favourites? Which of these pieces has caught your eye the most?

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The August 2016 Degustabox and Discount

Another month has somehow slipped past and brings with it a brand new Degustabox review post for you! The August box was a bit of a mixed bag when it came to the contents and as is often the case the majority of the products were brand new to me which is always a plus as I can give my true first impressions…let’s get stuck in!
First up we have some cooking sauces from Geeta’s and Capsicana. I have a feeling the Geeta’s products have been featured in previous boxes but the Capsicana ones were brand new to me. I admit these haven’t fully been tested yet, I’m not a big curry fan so these are in the cupboard waiting for Dad to try. Mexican I can do though and the chilli and honey cook sauce gets a thumbs up!
I expect most people in the UK will have at least heard of Dorset Cereals- I’ve been a big fan of their products for many years! This month’s box included a pack of their bircher muesli (and adorable scoop!) to try out…I don’t really like to stray away from my tried and tested porridge breakfast but I did make up some of this to sample…the flavours are lovely and it did make a nice change but I’m not over keen on the texture (I feel like I needs to be hot!) so I’ve passed this on to my Granddad who is loving it.
These NutriPots are something I’ve not seen before and looked delicious, the Moroccan Couscous did not dissapoint on the flavour front and I like the fact that these pots are high in protein and have no added colours or preservatives. Perfect for lunch at work when I ever get back…at £2.49 they are a bit of an indulgence but as an occasional treat/change from a packed lunch I think that’s not too bad.
Another Geeta’s product was included in the August box in the form of Mango Chutney. As I mentioned earlier I’m not a big curry fan so rather than use this as a traditional accompaniment I’ve been adding it to sandwiches and salads because that’s how I roll. The sweet and sticky BBQ sauce and marinade from Tabasco sauce is still waiting to be used, I’m thinking of adding a dollop to a chicken burger next time I have one as BBQ and chicken are a match made in heaven, right? (Assuming you’re not vegetarian/vegan!)
The green tea from Clipper is something I purchase frequently in various flavours, it’s definitely my favourite brand. This blend with lime and ginger is a great boost at the start of the day. Not quite good enough to make me give up my morning coffee habit but enough to make me feel somewhat virtuous. I’m not sure why I photographed the olives from Oloves right next to the tea because they don’t go together at all, but damn I love olives- after years of being convinced I hated them. I love this handy little snack pouch and the chilli and oregano flavour gives an excellent kick.
At this point in photographing the products Mae decided to gatecrash, she seems to think that anything that comes in a box belongs to her…so wrong kitty, so wrong! As is usual for me the drinks selection from Degustabox got passed along to friends and family with exception of the Get More Vitamin drink which I have tried before and really like. I’d drink this all of the time if it didn’t cost £1.45 per bottle!
It took me a while to work out the difference between these two bags of cracker snacks from Rakusen’s Snackers but eventually sussed that one is an original version and the other is gluten free. Both are deliciously addictive and a great healthy snack. I happily munch them plain as I think they taste great on their own but they are damn tasty dipped in to a tub of houmus as well, especially caramalised red onion flavoured!
Last but by no means least comes this popcorn from Willy Chase, dubbed as fit corn. This is made with local ingredients and comes in four flavours of which I received the salted honey variant. Initially I was disappointed with getting this flavour as I don’t really like honey but the salt helps balance it out and this is actually really rather tasty! I love popcorn so will be seeking out the other flavours ASAP!
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim a brilliant £7.00 off of your first box by entering the code BLDEG15 at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand one and off 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.

Foodie Finds- Mini Jellybeans from Vimto

When I was a kid there seemed to be two teams when it came to squash- team Ribena vs. team Vimto. I like both but Vimto was always the favourite for me and this has lasted in to my adulthood. During the colder months one of my favourite drinks is hot Vimto so I was super excited when a parcel from the brand landed at my door, celebrating the launch of Vimto mini jelly beans…my favourite sweets combined with my favourite squash? Surely this was going to be a winner!
Inside a large purple box were a whole host of Vimto themed goodies including a smartphone/tablet beanbag holder (so useful!), a squeezy bottle of Vimto, a bag of Vimto mini bon bons (these lasted all of five seconds) and a Vimto fizzy rippa sweet (swiftly devoured) as well as the main event- a bag of the all new Vimto mini jelly beans.
I managed to save these long enough to get my parents involved in the tasting and once opened the bag literally vanished before our eyes. Combining the classic Vimto mixed up fruits there was an original Vimto flavoured bean, a strawberry Vimto flavour and a cherry Vimto too. These are good looking sweets- bright and glossy and the texture is spot on. Flavour wise there is no mistaking what they are meant to be and I’ve been scouring the local shops looking to top up my supply.

The jelly beans are suitable for vegetarians, gluten-free and virtually fat free as well as being dairy free so a great treat for many people to enjoy. I highly recommend these, especially the classic Vimto flavour (I might be guilty of picking most of these out for myself!). So far I’ve only seen them for sale in a local newsagent priced at a very reasonable £1. I fully expect to see them hitting more shelves soon- let me know when and where you spot them and what you think…

Are you on team Vimto?

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Purrfectly Purrfect(Box)

It’s been a little while since Mae and I last received a Purrfect Box and I was suprised to see they’ve had a bit of a make over since April. The new blue box looks great and from the second it arrived Mae couldn’t wait to get stuck in!
For those that don’t yet know the Purrfect Box is a monthly subscription which costs £19.90 a month with options to subscribe for longer periods of time which will reduce the monthly cost slightly. The contents of the box are guaranteed to be worth at least £30 with 4-6 premium products inside so it’s a pretty sweet deal, especially as each box is catered to your feline’s needs and preferences. Let me know if you decide to treat your feline friend to a box. We’ve had a few of these boxes now and are yet to receive one that hasn’t been well worth the money and Mae has amassed a huge collection of favourite toys- most memorably a dolphin that we frequently find in the bath.
The latest box certainly didn’t let us down on the toy front and Mae wore herself out in the process of taking these photos…I later found her curled up on her cushion with the red chasing toy wrapped possessively around her paws- she’s a character, that’s for sure!

Also included in the box was a cooling food bowl which I think is aimed more at dogs but has proven brilliant during this latest patch of decent weather. Mae’s food bowl is situated in the conservatory which does get quite hot when the sun is out. This bowl, after a few hours in the fridge or freezer will keep your pet’s food cool for a good 4-6 hours meaning they can graze as they please without the smell (and I imagine taste) of overheated wet food!

Unusually for her Mae also loved the treats in this box- the chicken liver “pet munchies” are her new favourite thing, she’s ignoring her beloved dreamies in favour of these and she will be sorely disappointed when she has munched her way through the bag! The squeezy pudding treat she isn’t so fond of but hasn’t totally rejected so I’d class that as a win as well.

I think this is probably one of the best all-rounder Purrfect boxes we have recieved and I am delighted to be able to offer all of my blog readers a fantastic £5 discount if you choose to sign up. Simply enter the code ukb1xlvr at the checkout.

Let me know if you sign up and what your feline friend thinks!

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Foodie Find- Jealous Sweets

Have I ever mentioned my sweet tooth and love of sugar on the blog? Oh, only twenty million times by now I’m sure! If there’s one thing I love (and have always loved throughout every stage of my life so far) it’s sweets. Any kind of sweet will do the trick but my real achilles heal is the gummy variety. So, when an e-mail from Jealous Sweets popped in to my inbox offering me a selection of their wares to sample it was really a no brainer as far as I was concerned…expanding my snacking horizons? It was game on!
For those who are yet to come across Jealous Sweets (we’ve had brief encounters in the past) I’ll share a little history. Essentially these are sweets designed for EVERYONE to enjoy- they are 100% vegetarian, gluten free, packed full of natural juices and free from artificial colours and flavours. At least some of their varieties are Vegan too meaning they make the perfect gift for when flowers or chocolate just won’t cut it. I received four different 50g boxes from the range- each of these retail at £2.50 each and are ideal as a little pick me up present (to me, from me of course) or as part of a bigger gift. You can also pick up 200g mixed boxes for £8.99.
As you can see, they are an attractive bunch, if you can look past the fact I might have dropped a couple of the boxes and thus somewhat ruining the effect. Obviously looks aren’t everything and what everyone is dying to know is how they taste, so without further ado…

I really, really like these sweets. Like, REALLY. The Tropical Wonder box held my favourite selection of flavours (mango, pineapple and raspberry) whereas the Fizzy Friends were my overall favourite as I’m a sucker for anything sour. The sour beans made a fun alternative to other brands of jelly beans that don’t tick all of the dietary boxes that Jealous Sweets do- the mango/pineapple flavour of these is incredible! If I had to single out a favourite sweet across all four boxes though it would be the banana flavour gummy in the Fruitilicious box- banana is a seriously underrated flavour for sweets and I’m kind of hoping these may exist in a box all of their own one day.

Jealous Sweets has a variety of stockists which you can find on their website and you can also order online. I’d definitely recommend these both as a gift or a treat for yourself and I’m going to treat myself to a few more boxes (Tangy Worms and Grizzly Bears) come pay day!

Let me know if you’ve tried Jealous Sweets before and what you thought. Also let’s talk sweets in general- what’s your favourite?

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*sweets sent to me for consideration, I genuinely loved them so much I had to go off on a mad ramble about them!*