Category Archives: review

Sheer Genius- The SOLID CHOCOLATE Easter Egg

21st March 2014
Who doesn’t love an Easter Egg? Up until this year I had spent 11 years missing out; now I’m in a much better place I’m making up for lost time and have already eaten two with around a month still to go! What can I say? I’m well on my well to being healthy about food and well, perhaps egg shaped?!
Easter Eggs are so easy to eat in their entirety though aren’t they? The hollow middle makes you think that there’s nothing really there and before you know it there is just a pile of foil left behind. I’ve heard many a people moan about the hollow feeling left behind- it’s almost like being cheated right?! Not anymore! Today I introduce you to the most genius invention of all time; the best thing since the invention of Easter Eggs themselves…the SOLID CHOCOLATE Easter Egg!
Prepare to have your mind blown.
As you can see, this beast weighs in a a massive 700g (that’s a lot of chocolate!) and is split in to 42 decent sized chunks. I broke in to this whilst Ben was staying at the weekend and between four of us we still couldn’t manage half of the egg, I think the record was Ben’s five chunks in one go so it’s pretty good for portion control. One chunk contains approximately the same calories as a row of Dairy Milk from a sharing bar and to be honest, one chunk at a time is enough!
A note on the chocolate itself, because nobody likes nasty chocolate from an otherwise promising product. No worries here. The chocolate recieved thumbs up from everyone, it really is of a superb quality. The egg looks quite spectacular too. Mine was a bit dusty looking, for want of a better word- I am putting this down to the fact I dropped it at least twice though.
These eggs are made in limited quality and are avaialble on The Solid Chocolate Company website. Available in milk, white and dark chocolate the eggs cost £19.99 each but for 700g of solid, high quality chocolate that aint’ a bad deal. Supermarkets sell hollow eggs weighing less than that for similar prices, this one will leave no hollow aftertaste or regret (and if you ate a chunk a day it could last six weeks, just sayin’).
This really is one of the most genius products ever in my eyes. Will you be asking the Easter Bunny for one? What’s your favourite Easter Egg?

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Interior Ambitions: Little Lovebirds

08th March 2014
This year is very most likely the year where I finally move out of my parent’s home (I can hear their party plans already!) and set up a home of my own. This has sent me in to a kind of frenzy involving all things interiors; I’m obsessing over bowls, browsing sofas and storage and looking for quirky little accessories. All this and I have no solid plans yet!
I was recently sent this gorgeous vintage inspired birdcage lantern from hanging lanterns and although I have set it up to take photos for this post it has since been safely stored away ready for when I do fly the nest. I’ve always had a bit of a thing for candles, lanterns and all things glowy and this is simply beautiful. Powered by a teeny tiny button light this lantern is easy to assemble and adds a soft glow to any room- it can even be hung outside in the summer, I can imagine these being perfect at a laid back BBQ or even an outdoors wedding party. Although the lantern is made of paper it’s a sturdy little thing and I envisage it lasting quite some time, you can even purchase additional lights for it to prolong the life and usage.
I may not know where I’ll end up living yet but I do know that this lantern will have pride of place in the bedroom or living room, and by then I’ll probably have added to my collection.
Talk to me of your interior obsessions and of moving out of the family home.

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Gadget Girl: Loud and Proud with UE MINI BOOM

06th March 2014
I’m still working on getting properly back in to music. Since being with Ben I’ve rediscovered the joys of it and also become a fan of many new artists. Most days you’ll find me with Spotify open and yet another new album playing, mostly on my iPad, so when I was offered a trial of a UE MINI BOOM portable Bluetooth speaker I was totally up for it.
The speaker itself looks quite unassuming due to it’s small size, but don’t be fooled. This can really pack a punch with the clearest sound I’ve ever heard from a bluetooth speaker. The design is great, so minimal and bold with it’s colour combinations (there are five to choose from). The compact design and easy to use controls makes this the perfect travel buddy, whether you’re taking it to a party of much, much further afield. I think it’d make the perfect festival friend myself. It boasts a ten hour battery life and a 50ft wireless radius, as well as being able to be paired with two devices at any one time. Genius. Speakers can be stacked together for more of an impact and there is a handy App available for more cool features.
Overall this is hands down the best bluetooth speaker I have tried (at least three others spring to mind) and at £79 it’s an affordable investment. Music lovers, give your sound some style! (Did I mention it also provides a crystal clear speakerphone too?!)

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Gadget Girl- my bag buddy from Breo

28th February 2014
I’m not one who’s blessed with the skill mult-tasking. I’m also obsessive about being on time for things. This can prove problematic, I’ve lost count of how many things I’ve tripped over or walked in to whilst trying to dig my phone out my bag to check the time (of course, I never remember to leave the house wearing a watch). When Breo announced their Bag Buddy watch range and I was offered one to review my problems were finally solved and I’ve not been late, or damaged myself/anything else since the day it arrived.
At £15 (and free delivery) I see this as a sound investment. My bag buddy has been sitting happily on my bag strap for weeks now…I haven’t been out much, obviously, but the times I have it’s been invaluable. I don’t really notice it’s there to be honest, it doesn’t annoy me when I walk or anything like that. But I have the time, right there ready to be checked. I can really see this coming in to it’s own when I’m back to travelling through town to visit Ben and have to co-ordinate bus times…that’s when the most of my mishaps occur. This is quite simply a brilliant innovation. Lately I’ve been getting in to all sorts of gadgety bits and bobs and this is so far my favourite. I’d love to see it in more colours- one for every bag, obviously. For anyone who fails to multi-task, or travels a lot/makes a daily commute this gets a 10/10 from me. My new best buddy!
Fellow clumsy people, regale me with tales of your best accidents, make me feel less alone in this.

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Boosting my Energy with Ilumi

28th February 2014
Those of you with good memories may recall I reviewed some Ilumi meals last year and was really quite taken with then, so when they got in touch again to ask if I’d like to trial their Energy Boost Diet I was more than game. Now, I should mention that although this was called a diet, I personally had no weight loss intentions and supplmented the meals and snacks each day to make up my bodys own calorie requirements. The plan claims it can boost your energy in just one week by following it’s gluten free meal plan which is delivered to your door- gluten free lager included!
The box of food you get delivered also comes with a printed meal plan and hints and tips for the week ahead which were really useful to refer to. I actually only followed the plans for a couple of days myself, but Dad also participated and we both really enjoyed the meals! I’m sorry my snapshots of the meals are only phone ones and don’t look the most appetising but these were some of our favourites. For Dad it was lamb casserole served with a vegetable tagine and the Thai red curry with rice that he enjoyed most. My favourites were the slow cooked beef casserole (this from a former vegetarian) which is a complete meal, although I added baby broccoli as well as the chicken cacciatora, I served that with carrot and swede mash (made with butter) as I’m not a huge fan of rice. The lunches were equally delicious- the spicy butternut squash soup was heavenly.
Snack wise you get gluten free oatcakes and breakfast biscuits which were both something I already ate regularly. To get more calories in I ate the oatcakes with hummus or cream cheese. Breakfast was porridge, which I have every day anyway, I had banana with that. Yum.
I’ve never been a fan of the concept of diet plans like this but Ilumi have really changed my mind. Each meal is so delicious and full of flavour. I’m fussy about meat but everything was so lean and tender that I could find no fault. I felt far less bloated on the days I followed this, and it was a life saver for easy meals after my operation- everything is cooked in the microwave so no bending down to the oven or standing for a long time. I didn’t follow it long enough to notice a difference in energy, but with food this wholesome I can imagine getting a real boost. This is something I’d sign up for again in the future when I’m feeling sluggish, I’d still have to supplement it as I don’t want to be losing weight (the plan works out at about 1500 calories per day) but as long as you stick to gluten free it really doesn’t matter.
At £40 for the week I don’t think this is bad- a weekly food shop with breakfast and snacks included would probably cost about this, there’s no waste and you get something different every day. Sure I couldn’t afford to live like this all the time but as  a now and again health boost I think it’s good value.
Have you ever done an energy boosting diet? I’d love to know how you got on, especially if it was this one by Ilumi. Once again the company have really, really impressed me and I’ll continue to eat as much of their tasty food as possible.

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