Handmade Gift Guide: Bumble & Moss

29th October 2016

This year as part of my Christmas gift guides I really want to pop an emphasis on the small businesses that I love and support. This week I’m kicking things off with a shop I have a huge amount of adoration for- Bumble & Moss (who I featured earlier in the year too). I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Tina, the brains behind it all twice now at a local craft market and I can never resist a purchase from her stall!

Specialising in botanical style jewellery worthy of a fairytale (with a dash of Poldark inspiration thrown in for good measure) Tina’s pieces make for the most wonderful gifts. I’ve popped together a little collage featuring some of my favourites but please do check out her Etsy shop to see the full scale of what she can do.

If you live in the North Somerset area as I do then also make sure to check out the Bumble & Moss facebook page as there are lots of local markets and events happening in the run up to Christmas. I shall be popping along to the next HAVE market to see what’s new from Tina- keep an eye on my instagram for a look on the 20th November!

Don’t worry if you’re not based in the UK by the way as you can have your items shipped internationally- there are a few botanical pieces winging their way to America as I type.

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Mae Reviews: Cat Packs

28th October 2016

My feline friend has been getting spoilt rotten lately with a variety of boxes dropping through the door for her. Her latest treat came via CatPacks who got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago to introduce themselves and kindly offer Mae and I a box to review.

CatPacks source high quality food, toys and health care products from independent manufacturers and aim to enhance your pet’s physical and mental wellbeing. A CatPacks subscription box costs £15.00 for a single box or £13.00 for a recurring plan, plus £3.50 p&p. There is no minimum subscription term and your plan can be cancelled at any time!

Each month the box is seasonally themed in some way, this month celebrates Black Cat Day (October 27th FYI!).

There was a fantastic selection of foods all of which my little fuss-pot devoured with gusto. The sachet from “almo nature” was a particular favourite, she wolfed that down so fast and was so full she could barely move! Thankfully there were two brilliant toys in the box too so she could work off some of that fullness…the black fluffy…thing (for want of a better word) was a particular hit and I’ve been getting a work out dragging it around the house for her to pounce on.

The other toy was a little bag stuffed with valerian and catnip. I think this was an especially thoughtful inclusion for a box at this time of year as between halloween and bonfire night things can get pretty stressful for pets. Valerian is excellent at soothing and calming cats down and after a few minutes playing with this little pillow of comfort Mae is out for count! Between that and the few remaining cat cafe treats we should be in for a fairly chilled out time.

The other thing I really loved was the inclusion of a gift for the pet owner too. This came in the form of a cat shaped cookie cutter, perfect for baking up some gifts in time for halloween or bonfire parties! I’ll be whipping up some black cat biscuits in the very near future.

So there we have it, another subscription box for cats that really hits the mark. I love the care and thought that goes in to picking out the products for CatPacks, using independent companies and really taking the health and wellbeing of your cat in to account. But then what would you expect when CatPacks comes from a lovely lady named Jenny who also runs Chequer Trees Cattery in East Sussex?

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The October (2016) Degustabox and £7.00 discount!

27th October 2016

I was taken by surprise last week when I had an e-mail informing me my latest Degustabox had been dispatched. It’s time playing tricks on me again as it feels like only a week had passed since my September one arrived. No complaints though, who’s going to turn down a food packed box of goodness turning up at their door?

The October box was packed full of Autumnal treats and although I feel I say this most months now this is 100% the best box Degusta have sent out in a while in terms of suiting my personal tastes at least. Curious to find out what was inside? Just keep reading…

First up we have Beloved Date fruit hearts (RRP 75p per pack). I’ve tried these before and loved them. Made from 100% cold pressed dates and a hint of natural flavouring these are a delicious way to get one of your five a day and great for a mid-afternoon energy boost. They are also gluten free and suitable for vegans and the orange ones are especially good!

Only a few weeks ago I would have turned my nose up at pasta and sauce as it was something anorexia convinced me I couldn’t eat. Thankfully I’m coming on leaps and bounds and have been experimenting with some truly delicious home made pasta dishes. It was with genuine excitement that I unpacked the Heinz kid’s dry pasta shapes and pasta sauce…the pasta made with 50% whole wheat is super cute and perfect served piping hot with a dollop of the smooth tomato sauce. I’m making up for lost time and eating as much pasta as possible right now! (RRP £1.19 for the pasta and £1.55 for the sauce)

Oddly chocolate has never really been a “fear food” for me and as much as I appreciate a decent dark chocolate I also freely admit to loving the white stuff too. Hershey’s cookies ‘n’ creme is a particular favourite and this king size bar (RRP £1) is perfect for sharing- or not as the case may be.

I’m rubbish at drinking enough water although it’s something I’m trying to change so these little portable squashes from Robinsons (RRP £2.49) are ideal for me as I can easily pick up a bottle of water when I am out and about and add some of this making it less of an accessory bottle and more something that’ll do my body some good! There’s no more than 3 calories per serving too so ideal for anyone watching their weight.

I’ve tried JimJams 83% less sugar milk chocolate spread before and loved it. Is there anything more comforting than a hot cup of tea coupled with toast and chocolate spread on a cold Autumn evening? Nope, not in my eyes! Thankfully for my teeth this has a lot less sugar than my usual spread of choice…try it on crumpets and you won’t look back! (RRP £2.59). Another chocolate treat came in the form of Pitch Choco Bar (RRP £1.40). These are brand new and proving extremely popular in France- essentially a brioche roll with a bar of solid milk chocolate in the middle these just beg to be a part of an indulgent weekend breakfast.

There were two products in the box which I haven’t actually tried yet and these were a Levi Roots smokey BBQ coat ‘n cook sauce (RRP £1.00) and some fusion noodles from Maggi (RRP £1.39 each). I’m leaving these for someone else in the house to try as neither are really my thing- let me know if you’d like individual reviews of these at a later date.

One of my favourite things about this time of year is the return of soup weather. I’ve become a big fan of these high protein soups from I AM SOUPER (RRP £1.49 each). Both are full of flavour as well as having the added punch of a protein boost to keep you fuller for longer. The pulled pork and jalapeños was a particular favourite and I’ll be keeping an eye out in the supermarkets for the rest of the range.

I’ve reviewed Yushoi Snapea rice sticks (RRP £1.99) before on the blog and they’ve featured regularly in my cupboards ever since. Although the concept of green pea based snacks seemed odd you just have to trust me when I say these are highly addictive and utterly delicious.

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.

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The Sweater Dress

26th October 2016

Despite my best efforts to be on a shopping ban right now a couple of accidental purchases have happened. It was inevitable really- the change in seasons, time on my hands and a love of anything remotely related to cats. Shopping was going to happen and right now I don’t have the heart to fight it.

Dress: Zara (in grey here) | Boots: Banana Republic | Hat: ASOS (sold out but I also love this one too)

You may remember this hat from a recent wish list post. At £10 I couldn’t resist the lure of fluffy ears and glow in the dark whiskers and I justified the purchase by reminding myself that I got rid of a LOT of hats when I moved from my flat back to my parents. I don’t care that it makes me look like I’m 9 years old rather than my 29 years- it makes me happy and that’s enough for me!

Zara is dangerous territory right now. A dear friend bought this dress and when she told me it was under £20 I was straight on the website placing my order. I’ve always viewed Zara as quite pricey but right now that have a huge range of affordable yet highly covetable pieces that are wreaking havoc with my good intentions. Still, I’ve been living in this dress since its arrival so it has already paid for itself in my eyes- and with a still undetermined stretch of time off of work ahead of me I can lounge around in it to my heart’s content.

On the subject of not yet being back at work- I’m working on it. Slowly but surely I’m fighting against the tight grip of anorexia and getting myself and my life back to where it needs to be. 2016 has been one hell of a shitty year and I’m looking forward to building up my strength and resilience ready to make 2017 a year to remember for all of the right reasons.

What have you been buying lately?

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A Skin Care Wishlist (save my skin!)*

25th October 2016

Every year around this time my skin goes haywire. It starts as soon as we have the heating on for any length of time- all of a sudden my skin becomes tight, sore and dry and my eyes itch. I’ve also been suffering from break-outs thanks to stopping the pill and letting my body readjust so I’m in a serious need of a skin care overhaul. I’m on a very limited budget right now so have been stocking up on high street staples like Simple but having seen that Charlotte Tilbury is now stocked by House of Fraser I decided to check out their skincare and as such have ended up with a bit of a wish list of some old favourites I wish I could afford and some new to me products (that I also wish I could afford!)

The Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Clay Mask (£45, eek!) particularly caught my eye even though I’m not usually a mask kind of girl. Wether it was Charlotte’s eloquent product description or the promise of baby soft skin I’ll never know but this is something that I would definitely like to try. Likewise with the Magic Cream (even more eek at £70). Anything that claims it can work magic on my tired and dull complexion has instant appeal to me.

I’ve never been the best at looking after my skin, perhaps because in my younger years I was always very lucky and didn’t suffer with acne or any other teenage skin complaint. I’m paying the price now though as I’m noticing lots of fine lines and wrinkles around my eyes especially so Estee Lauder’s advanced night repair and Kiehls powerful wrinkle reducing eye cream both seem like worth additions to my slowly expanding skincare army.

The last two products on my list are to hopefully combat the break outs. Clinique has always been my fall back brand for skin care when money allows and I’m yet to meet a product of theirs that doesn’t work for me. I definitely want to get my hands on their clarifying lotion sooner rather than later, and at £16.50 it’s not beyond the realms of possibility. I’ve also been putting strong consideration to caving in to the hype and saving up for a Clarisonic Mia for that added cleansing boost.

Talk to me about your skin saviours, both high-end and high street. What’s on your skin care wish list?