Fit for a Princess with JewelleryBox

10th October 2016
It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with jewellery and there’s one brand that has really caught my attention lately thanks to seeing their beautiful packaging and delicate pieces ALL OVER instagram and my favourite blogs. JewelleryBox is an online accessories retailer who provide high quality, super dainty pieces in 9ct gold or sterling silver at really affordable prices meaning beautiful jewellery is accessible to everyone, hurrah! They very kindly offered me the chance to pick something from the website so I could see what all of the fuss is about for myself and the second I clapped eyes on this ring* I knew it was the one.
The ring arrived so prettily packaged that I almost didn’t want to unbox it and disturb the perfection. I soon got over this though as I couldn’t wait to see my new ring (although I did take everything apart very delicately which is highly unusual for me!)

The ring itself is gorgeous, dainty and looks far more expensive than it’s £10.15 price tag. It’s of excellent quality too, sometimes I find silver tarnishes almost instantly when it comes in to contact with my skin but I’ve been wearing this ring non-stop since it arrived and there isn’t even a hint of a blemish.

I’m so smitten with this and I have several more pieces from JewelleryBox on my wish list ready for a little treat, probably whilst I’m busy picking up pretty little Christmas presents for my friends and family- “one for you & one for me” is a totally acceptable gift buying policy, right?

Have you ever bought from JewelleryBox before? I’d love to know what you picked and what you thought.

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Posted in brands I love, christmas, gifts, jewellery, review

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Wish List- Vintage Style Jewellery*

09th October 2016
Another week another wish list- I’ve been spending so much time browsing getting inspiration for Christmas shopping and gift guides that it was inevitable I’d stumble across rather a few things I’d like to own myself. Jewellery has been the main object of my desire this week, specifically vintage jewellery (and vintage style jewellery). I go through phases with what types of jewellery I favour but vintage has always held a great appeal to me. When I was much younger I inherited a beautiful vintage Victorian cameo necklace from my Grandma and that fuelled some kind of obsession with historical pieces. These days I have quite an eclectic collection of jewellery spanning any number of years. With the return to Autumn and the rich colours emerging I’m suddenly craving a return to the past, I’d love to be pairing the pieces below with chunky berry toned knitwear and layers of scarves and hats.

Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here

Of course modern jewellery has it’s time and place but for me I favour it more in the Summer months when my style in general tends to be more minimal. Is anyone else a seasonal jewellery switcher? What’s your current style?

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Posted in jewellery, wish list

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Pusheen at Watchshop.com

08th October 2016
Cat lovers and fans of Pusheen grab your pencils and get ready to add to your Christmas list! Brand new to watchshop.com is the most adorable (supposedly Children’s but plenty of room for an adult sized wrist too) bargain of a watch.

Pusheen Watch c/o Watch Shop

I know that by 29 I should be favouring more mature styles but some days you just need a little something pink and plastic to cheer you up! I’ve been pairing this little beauty with denim and slouchy sweaters and I’ve caught a few people giving it a sneaky admiring glance when I’m out and about.

At only £11.99 this would make a perfect Christmas present for children and adults alike, at that price you could easily justify picking one up for yourself too if you can’t wait for Santa!

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Posted in accessories, cats, christmas, fashion, gifts

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The September 2016 Degustabox and Discount

07th October 2016
Yep, it’s Degustabox time again! You know you’re getting old when things like this seem to come around faster and faster each month. The September box was for me at least one of the best I can recall for a while and I was excited to get stuck in to trying everything.
I thought I’d start off with the drinks as usually they are my least favourite part of the monthly box as I’m just not a drinks person (unless it’s tea, I want all the tea!) The two cans are from Cape Drinks and are a sparkling blend of rooibos tea and fruit juices with added vitamins. Made from all natural ingredients and with no refined sugar even I couldn’t find reason not to give these a try, both flavours are delicious but the peach and lychee was my favourite purely for being so unique. RRP £1.59 each.
Chia seeds have been trendy for a while now so it was inevitable at some point I was going to end up trying them. I have an aversion to certain textures and I’m afraid to say that despite my best efforts these rendered both sachets inedible to me, I did try, I promise and I wish I loved them because they are packed full of omega 3, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, all of which I could do with a boost of! RRP £1.00 each.
Beans, beans good for the heart…I LOVE beans so I was pretty excited to find this three pack of Borlotti beans from Cirio nestled inside this month’s box. I’ve been eating this mixed in with ratatouille and popped on top of a jacket potato for a quick and tasty evening meal and I plan to keep a supply in my cupboard at all times. The tins are the perfect size and I’m going to try and make some beany soups now the weather is turning cooler. RRP £1.89 for a pack of three.
I’m not gluten free but I’m all for a quick and easy meal so this Mrs Crimble’s fusilli was greeted with enthusiasm by me! This is essentially a gluten free version of the student staple pasta ‘n sauce and made for a super speedy and delicious meal one evening. I love anything with mushrooms and this creamy mushroom sachet of goodness is a winner in my books. RRP £1.99.
Jelly, who doesn’t love jelly? These pots of sugar free wibbly wobbly fun from Hartley’s are great for lunch boxes or as a post dinner snack for those watching their weight. Personally I think they are vastly improved with the addition of custard and sprinkles but that’s just me. RRP 50p per pot.
I’m no stranger to Metcalfe’s snacks but I was yet to come across their popcorn thins. These are light, crispy and oh so addictive. A pack of two is perfect for a portable snack…and for portion control if you find them as moor-ish as I did! I also really enjoyed the Get Fruity bar, I’ve tried these before but the pineapple, coconut and lime was a new flavour to me and hands down my favourite to date. Another perfectly portable snack and brilliant for lunch boxes too. RRP £1.00 per product.
Say Yes to No Bread Chips are brand new and exclusive to Waitrose. These are free from artificial nasties, empty promises and fake advertising. They are also addictively delicious in my eyes, a big YES to these little beauties. I have a bit less enthusiasm for the Miso Tasty Miso Soup but that’s personal taste for you, I’m sure fans of Miso will love these! RRP £1.49 for the chips, £3.65 for the Miso.
Finally comes the Teisseire Sirop which reminds me of something I used to drink as a child. My water intake is appalling in general so I’ve been using this to flavour a bottle of the good stuff each morning to try and encourage myself to drink it. It works- cranberry and raspberry are such a winning combination and with zero sugar there’s no need to worry about my teeth being wrecked in the process. RRP £2.99
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.

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Posted in food, review

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My Purrfect Giftbox- for the cat lady and her cat

05th October 2016
Over the years of blogging I’ve tried a fair few monthly subscription boxes; beauty, food and for the cat but never before have I come across one that caters for more than one person (or creature I suppose). The second I heard about My Purrfect Gift Box I was intrigued- a gift for both pet and owner? It sounded pretty purrfect to me, so when the team kindly offered to send me the September box* I accepted without hesitation.
Before I get in to my review, allow me to explain a bit more about how it works:

Firstly you select which size box you would like, there are four sizes available (standard, lite, lite + gifts for kitty and standard + gifts for kitty) and it was the latter box that I was sent. Price wise the standard box + gifts for kitty costs £29.95 on a month to month basis, £86.95 for a three month subscription and £167.95 for a six month subscription. The standard and lite boxes are obviously lower priced with the same kind of discounts for longer term subscriptions. Now, on paper this might seem like quite a pricey option but I think when you see what is actually inside you’ll see that actually you’re getting a bloomin’ bargain!

The first thing to note is how lovingly packaged everything is, everything looks so endearing and it’s clear that this box was put together with love and care. The September box had a tea theme, perfect for the start of Autumn and what better excuse to kick back and relax? There were two teabags included in the box, shaped as cat heads and in intriguing saffron and honey flavours. These are from an etsy shop called LoJim based in Spain (hence the flavours, the saffron is oddly delicious!) and cost £5.99.

Of course for perfect tea you need the perfect mug and this “you are my cup of tea” cat faced mug fits the bill nicely. These retail at £11.99 and can be bought in the My Purrfect Gift Box online shop.

After a restorative cup of tea it was time for a play with my little feline friend. Mae loved the handmade catnip sweets from Tillypops.co.uk and we keep finding these scattered all of the place, being the perfect size to cart around in her mouth. An equal success was the catnip tea bag from FreakMEOWT (find them on facebook or notonthehighstreet.com) which gets thrown around…mostly landing in the kitchen. Most intriguinging were the Kit-Tea catnip tea bags which you use to brew your own catnip spray. This is such a cute and novel idea! You can get those from pawandgnaw.com.

Back to the human treats and something sweet! You can’t have tea without a biscuit (it’s the law) and these were almost too pretty to eat! Made by Nila Holden and available on notonthehighstreet.com these retail between £6.00 and £10.00 and are truly scrumptious.

I’m all for a bit of relaxing and jasmine is one of my favourite scents so the wax melt from Paw Melts was probably my top rated item! Available at pawmelts.com these cost £18.50 for a box of 9 (one included in standard box) and I’m saving some pennies to stock myself up!

Last but by no means least was this genius idea- a cat shaped tea bag holder (or you can clip it to your laptop screen which I’ve also been doing). I was really touched that the kitty I received bore more than a passing resemblance to Mae, whether it was by accident or design it was a lovely surprise. These cost £9.50 each and are available on Etsy from MiniHandsCrafts.

Still think My Purrfect Gift Box is expensive? Once you add up the value of all of the gifts included, not to metnion the time and care involved I think you’ll agree it’s a real bargain. A one off box would make an incredible gift for any cat lady- I can’t wait to see future themes.

If you’ve seen anything that’s really caught your eye there is the added bonus of the My Purrfect Gift Box online shop where you can purchase items from past boxes so there is no fear of FOMO.

I know I was sent this box for the purpose of review and all but this is hands down one of the loveliest ideas I have come across in a long time and 100% my favourite subscription box out of all of the ones I have tried. Do let me know if you decide to treat yourself to a My Purrfect Gift box and what you thought. I’m going to make sure I set aside enough money for future purchases, it’s the purrfect pick me up after an especially tough time lately and every girl (and her cat) deserves a treat sometimes!

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Posted in brands I love, cats, gifts, review

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