As ever it feels like no time at all has passed since my last Degustabox review and it’s even harder to believe that this time round it was the Christmas edition. This was another truly excellent box of goods (although perhaps not very festive for a Christmas box?) and I’ve very much enjoyed exploring my way through the treats on offer this month.

It’s probably quite obvious by now that the selection I tend to enjoy the most is the sweet treats selection and this month was no expection. The Butter Crisps from Jules Destrooper (£1.19) are heavenly- a light and crunchy biscuit with a rich buttery taste with hints of caramel. These are just perfect with a cup of strong coffee and I imagine they’d make excellent ice cream sandwiches too although I’m yet to try that myself. New to me were the cookie squares from Michel et Augustin (£0.89) and I had high hopes from the description…four cookie squares play host to dark chocolate and a pinch of sea salt, these are insanely moorish and fully live up to expectations. Delicious and not for sharing! Equally addictive was the Crunchy Slam Dunk Peanut Chunk bar from Broderick’s. Mouthful of a name aside this bar (£1.29) is everything that’s right with the world in my eyes. Whole roasted peanuts, rice krispies, rich Belgian chocolate and a thick layer of crunchy peanut butter this is something that every peanut butter obsessive must try at least once.

The savoury snack selection was also a winner, mostly. Personally I didn’t fancy the sound of wild thyme and rosemary crisps from Piper’s Crisps (£2.00) as I’m not a herb flavour fan but my parents really enjoyed these and I think they’d made a good addition to a festive buffet table. Ryvita are something I eat a lot of and both the caramelised onion Ryvita Thins (£1.89) and the cracked black pepper Ryvita Crackers (£1.29) were very much enjoyed- the thins are perfect for scooping up dips and the crackers for serving with a big wedge of cheese!

Tea addicts will love the light, palette cleansing taste of the citrus mint sorbet tea from Ahmad Tea and delight in the gorgeous packaging. This would look lovely in a Christmas gift hamper too although I don’t have the price information to hand. For the kiddies over Christmas these Gruffalo themed cartons of apple juice are ideal. Who doesn’t love the not so scary beast?

Jazz up your trifle with Hartley’s Glitter Jelly (£0.75 each) in either mixed berry or raspberry flavours or delight guests of all ages by serving up a sparkly jelly and ice cream dessert. I haven’t made these up yet but I just love the idea of a sparkly pudding especially over the festive period.

I’m not going to lie, I was a little perplexed by the inclusion of Hollandaise Sauce as I’m not entirely sure what it is or what you do with it. Further research makes me think it would be perfect with eggs and bacon for a Christmas morning feast and the fact that the three pouches from Christian Porter Sauce (£2.50) can be heated in ten seconds in the microwave make these the ultimate convenience food.

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time you’ll know I love my popcorn so the inclusion of a long term favourite cinema sweet style from Butterkist (£1.69 for a multipack) as well as a new to me flavour- Choc Mallow (£1.49) was a delight. Choc Mallow is the ultimate in indulgent yet light snacking and despite initial reservations is a pretty good flavour for popcorn. Perfect for a family night in or a movie night with friends…anyone seen my copy of ELF?

Finally we come to the drink selection, now I didn’t try either of these personally but my Dad really enjoyed both the wild berries and strawberry-lime flavours from “The Good Cider” (£1.50 per bottle) served over ice. Ideal for a party or as part of a drinks hamper for any one who likes their flavoured ciders. Mum was the recipient of J20 Glitterberry (£2.49 for a four pack) and was very excited over the prospect of a glittering drink. This is the perfect soft drink for over the festive season with it’s spiced grape and cherry flavour and fun inclusion of edible glitter that gives it a magical glow.

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 (making it just £5.99!) 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.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought of them.

Who doesn’t love a bit of Burt’s Bees? Seriously, I’m yet to find anyone who hasn’t got at least one must-have product by them in their life so when their gift guide landed in my inbox and a selection of stocking fillers at my door I knew I was going to have to share.

Burt’s Bees has long been one of my favourite British Beauty Brands. Not only do their products just work (which is you know, always good) but they also do some serious good. From fresh, sustainable ingredients that nourish and protect your skin to donating 10% of every purchase to the British Bee Keeping Association this is a brand that believes in both substance AND style.

These products really are only the tip of the iceberg of what Burt’s Bees has to offer this festive season (see the full range online) and if these little crackers are anything to go by you’ve got all of your beauty based stocking fillers, indulgent treats or secret santa presents sorted!

The “A Bit of Burt’s” pomegranate gift set costs £5.99 and contains the cult favourite pomegranate lip balm as well as a little pot of lemon butter cuticle cream which happens to be one of my favourite products. I’d love to find one of these nestled in my stocking, and if pomegranate isn’t your thing then the set also comes in original beeswax, vanilla bean and coconut & pear.

Slightly more expensive at £9.99 the “Naturally Nourishing Beeswax Gift Set” contains a tube of the ultimate care hand cream (which I swear by when I’m at work and doing clinics) plus a lip balm. Again a selection of flavours are available- mango, wild cherry and vanilla bean which all sound delicious although you can’t beat the original in my eyes and it’s a safe bet for a gift for say, secret santa where you might not know someone’s flavour preferences.

Last but not least there’s a gift for the true beauty fans. Again costing £9.99 the “Nature’s Kiss” Christmas Gift set contains two pretty pink lip products- the best selling lip crayon in “Sedona Sands” and a lip shimmer in the shade “Peony”. I haven’t personally tried either of these products but I know they come highly recommended by fellow bloggers. Again this would make the ideal secret santa present or indulgent little treat to keep your lips looking great during party season!

You can buy the full range of gifts online or in stores- let me know if you pick any up and what your favourite Burt’s Bees products are in the comments.

The trend for exposed shoulders has been around for a while now if my memory serves me correctly. I’ll admit, it’s one I’ve hesitated to adopt- I’m one of those people who is ALWAYS freezing so it didn’t make a lot of sense in my mind to purposely leave part of exposed to the wrath of the weather. This all changed a month or so ago when I was browsing in store at Marks and Spencer, idly picking through the sale rail not looking for anything in particular or indeed anything at all. I first picked this dress based on the print alone, and the length and the fact it has long sleeves. I didn’t notice the cold shoulders at this point but even once I did I decided that I’d take the plunge and try out yet another new style (the £15 price tag did help sway me!).

I’m not quite sure what’s going on with my hair here, it’s taken on a life of it’s own. It has been much neglected lately though- not even a trim since early March! Thankfully I’m booked in for both cut AND colour next week and I’m looking forward to getting a bit of a revamp. I’m not great at having my hair done, I struggle with someone being in my personal space for an extended period of time BUT I’m craving change. A new style. A new colour. A new start for me. Feel free to leave style suggestions in the comments, I think I know what I’m going for but I’m still open to ideas…

For most people music is one of the most important elements of a party. Virtually everyone loves to dance and
even those who do not want to actually get up and boogie on down love to watch others enjoying themselves on the dance floor and like listening to the music. In most cultures music is an important part of any celebration so if you are planning a party it really is worth taking the time to get the music right, especially as we head in to party season!

Live is usually best

If you have enough space and the right venue it is always worth hiring a party band. Doing so adds something a little extra special to your event.
Most DJs do a good job but there really is nothing quite like live music. It is much more memorable than recorded tracks for one thing. People love the energy of a live performance but you need to ensure you hire a good band to really benefit- it is not enough to go online and hire the first party band you see. That approach is a sure fire way to end up disappointed, you need to take the time to find a group that has plenty of experience and a reputation for filling the dance floor.

The Vibetown party band is a great example of the type of group I am talking about here. They have plenty of experience and perform live at all kinds of events including weddings. Most importantly of all they take a flexible approach and will adapt the tracks that they play to suit the crowd they are performing for.

Choosing a good playlist

However it does not matter how well the party band you choose plays, if they do not play the right kind of music you could still end up disappointing your guests and wasting your money.
It is always well worth spending some time going through their playlists and choosing songs that you know your guests will enjoy. Try to mix things up a bit to make sure that there are tracks that everyone can potentially get up and dance to. This is particularly important for family events where you are likely to be inviting people of all age groups.

If you want some ideas to help you to choose the tracks for your next party you will love this page. It is a list of the most requested party songs so is a great starting point for choosing a playlist and making sure you have something to suit all of your guests.

Background music

You also need to think about background music. It is a good way to create a nice ambience as your guests arrive. If food is to be served having music playing gently in the background while everyone eats can also be a good idea. The best party bands will provide this service as part of their package if you ask them to- just ask if this is part of their deal and be prepared for a slight additional cost, albeit a well worth it one.

What are some of your favourite party tracks?

Education varies greatly in different parts of the world. The current university system however is globally acknowledged and generally accepted as standard. Now with the Internet becoming so accessible it has opened up great new horizons for educational institutions- most universities now offer courses online and provide study materials themselves. Some of these courses are completely free whilst others are paid for. Courses use techniques like video conferencing to bring the classroom in to your own home, but like everything else these educational methods too have their own pros and cons.

Advantages:

-> One of the main reasons people choose distance education is because it enables them to work and therefore earn while they study. For students who already have families or come from low-income households this could be a deciding factor in whether they will acquire an education or not. Many of Britain’s already established and accredited universities offer online courses but often at costs proportionate to their traditional study fees. There are also specific online universities like NC Italian University London that offer excellent low-cost courses in different subjects.

-> Online distance courses offer greater flexibility in studying. Students have the choice of studying whenever they feel most motivated and interested rather than attending mandatory lectures. It also allows them to study at their own speed.

-> Distance education is cost-effective. It enables one to cut down on living expenses that would otherwise be incurred by actually going to university and living there. Travel expenses will also be reduced drastically. In some cases tuition for online education is much cheaper.

-> For students with physical or mental health issues distance education is a great alternative to get their degrees and prepare for a good career.

Disadvantages:

-> One thing that people opt for distance education will miss out on is the camaraderie and fun of university life. This is the time when people make memories and solid friendships as well as establish a base for their future careers. This is absent in the cases of distance education.

-> One of the things that give students a boost in studies in campus education is the presence of a learning environment. In the case of distance education it is the students alone who are responsible for creating this. If he or she is unable to do so then they might just be setting themselves up for failure.

-> The absence of a teacher in many courses might be a deterrent. Some students thrive on being left alone to figure things out while others need a firm guiding hand. The latter type students will have a tough time without a teacher especially in subjects that they normally find difficult.

-> Not everyone has access to or knowledge of the technology required for undertaking distance education. For students who are uncomfortable with the technology used by online universities this is not such a suitable option.

Distance education might not be suitable for everyone but the trend is here to stay. For those who cannot for whichever reason take the regular path, distance education provides an extremely valuable alternative as well as learning opportunities that our societies up to about half a century ago could not even imagine.

As someone who is currently contemplating further education via distance learning I would love to hear your experiences.