It’s fair to say 2020 has been an exceptionally tough year for everyone, so this Christmas it feels more important than ever to spread some cheer as far as physically possible. In the spirit of giving and making sure as many people feel cared for this festive season, gifts retailer Thumbs Up have partnered with Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Salvation Army to launch the 2020 Charity Gifting Appeal.
Thumbs up are aiming to donate 2000 gifts to those who otherwise may not receive anything at all this Christmas. Each package is worth £30, and Thumbs Up are just asking for a donation of £5 to cover postage and packaging for each gift- a small price to pay for putting a huge smile on someone’s face this year.
There are 4 different gift packs to choose from; Teen Girls 12-17, Teen Boys 12-17, Male 18+ and Female 18+. Head to the Thumbs Up website to make your choice and your donation and help spread some Christmas Cheer.
I find men so impossible to buy for, so I always tend to seek ideas for them when it comes to browsing and creating gift guides in the hopes of inspiration and to inspire others. Today’s inspiration comes in the form of this solid cologne from www.solidcologne.co.uk.
Whilst it might not look like much, this little tin packs an almighty punch in the gifting stakes. This is a solid wax-based cologne made with skin friendly ingredients that applies directly on to the skin. It’s designed with travel and busy lifestyles in mind with it’s pocket sized tin and no spill format (and when travel is back on the cards it’s also perfect for taking in your hand luggage).
Bob has been wearing this religiously since it arrived- he’s usually a brand snob when it comes to fragrance, but his other scents haven’t had a look in since this turned up. This scent, “Alexander”, is one of the brand’s top sellers and we both absolutely love it. It’s rich without being overpowering, with notes of grapefruit, bay leaf and jasmine. It has a woody base of patchouli, oak moss and ambergris, and whilst I have no idea what the latter is, it sure smells good!
This little tin retails for £19.99- now, that may seem pricey but this is going to last forever! A little bit goes a long way, and once applied the scent lasts all day. A great little gift idea for those hard to buy for men, and something we will be making a regular purchase.
Hi! It’s been a while since I sat down (well, actually I’m kind of sprawled) to write a blog post just for the sake of writing one. I think the last time was early September and so much has changed since then, it’s insane. I’m still trying to reconcile it all in my mind, but for the most part life is grand and that’s probably why I’m finding myself emerging from my funk and wanting to do a little update.
That’s not the sole reason for this post though, the other reason is this rather magnificent jumper I purchased from ASOS Marketplace…isn’t it a beauty? I’m actually obsessed with it. The cats remind me of Pablo, and the attention to details just make me smile so much. Cats everywhere! Including on the collar. It couldn’t be more perfect for me. Would it be too extreme to start a collection of vintage cat sweaters? I wonder if Bob would still want to marry me if I did start one…
The wedding is very much back on my mind, after a little while of not feeling very motivated to plan anything due to the ongoing uncertainty and threat of Covid-19. With the hope of a vaccine I feel a little more positive things can go ahead as planned so we’ve started working out what needs doing now and what we really can leave until the last minute. I’m allowing myself to get excited again, although I am so impatient as well, I just want to be a wife now please!
The other excitement going on right now is that shortly after my last update post we found that I had reached the required weight for the PGD/IVF referral to go ahead. Things have moved incredibly quickly and I now have a fridge full of injections ready to go. Nothing is set in stone just yet but we are likely to start this very soon. I won’t be sharing an awful lot of the process, at least not until there is a baby in my arms (however long that may take) but I just thought I’d let anyone interested know that this is where we’re at.
It’s been a turbulent year so us (and everyone else!) with some crushing blows along the way, made much worse for the global pandemic. But with that there has been some amazing highs and personal accomplishments. I honestly can’t believe we’re at this stage, and this is my life now.
Once upon a time I had written off the chance of finding love, getting married and starting a family. Now I’m well on the way to ticking off all three. I’m not brave enough (or stupid enough) to say I’m fully recovered, and some days are still an uphill battle, but I can hand on heart say I am the most “normal”, happy and healthy that I have ever been and I am just so grateful to have made it this far and for the opportunities I have been given. Hopefully one day I won’t even need to write this kind of paragraph as it will be all but a distant memory.
Well done if you’ve made it to the end of this post, I don’t blame you if you’ve skipped to the end and marvelled in the wonder of the sweater instead.
Box gifted by Degustabox This is a PR box, this means there will sometimes be additional flavours or products than you’d get as a subscriber, I will highlight this within my post.
I feel like the Degustabox team have really upped their game lately, the last few boxes have been absolutely brilliant (rather than just regular brilliant) and the October 2020 box, with it’s Movie Night and Halloween theme was no exception, and according to Bob, the best yet.
First up was this curious little cookie from Kookie Cat- this was an odd little treat, but really quite delicious with a perfect balance of sweet and sharp flavours and a fun red colour. Available in organic food stores.I was all over these KitKat Senses. I love KitKats and think they are hugely under-rated. This gift box contains a mix of three flavours- salted caramel, double chocolate and hazelnut. They are completely addictive and make a nice change from the usual suspects in the boxed chocolates range. Whilst salted caramel was my favourite, I’ve happily inhaled all of these and would be more than happy to receive them as a gift. £5 from major supermarket chains.(Hi Pablo sneaking in there!) Bob homed straight in on the Flapjack from Brynmor- a beast of a chocolate flapjack bar which was apparently delicious. I left him to it and opted to claim both of the product of the month; a couple of protein bar from Yes! I love their non protein range of products so I was excited to give these plant protein ones a go. The Almond, Peanut and Dark chocolate was everything I hoped it would be. The Cashew, Blueberry and Dark chocolate wasn’t so much to my taste but I did enjoy it and for those who like fruity flavours, you’ll love this! Each bar boats 10g of plant protein making them a healthier snack that certainly fills a hole. Flapjack £1.29 from Ocado, Waitrose, Nisa, WHSmith Travelm brynmoorfoods.com and independent retailers. Yes Bars £1.59 each from Holland and Barrett, BP, Moto and WHSmiths. I usually take some kind of instant noodle pot to work with me so I was excited to try something new. Naked is a brand I know and love and this Rendang Curry veg pot with mushroom and broccoli is a great addition to their range. Each pot is vegan and counts as 1 of your 5 a day. There are three flavours available- this one, Korean BBQ Ramen and Chinese Green Vegetable Broth. £1.50 per pot from Tesco. It’s definitely hot drinks weather! I love Costa Coffee for when I’m out and about so being able to make it at home during lockdown is a real win. This instant coffee is full of flavour and it’s my current first thing in the morning pick me up of choice. Bob is loving the Maltesers instant hot chocolate, it’s been around a while but has a fancy new look right now. Great for a cosy evening watching a movie. The coffee is £5.50 and the Hot Chocolate is £2.59 for a 350g tub from Morrison’s, Sainsburys and Asda.Hello new snack obsession (yes, another one!) The Olly’s pretzel thins were my product of the month, so crispy and well seasoned. The Multi-Seed especially really hit the savoury spot and I imagine dipped in hummus they are even better. Under 100 calories a pack, suitable for vegans and totally addictive. £1 per pack from Amazon and Olly’s online shop.
How cute is the packaging for these Whaoo! chocolate filled crêpes? Both Bob and I grew up snacking on similar products so these were a real blast from the past and every bit as good as we remembered. These are great for children and adults alike, and being individually wrapped they are perfect for on the go. £1.75 for 8 from Asda, Morrison’s, Ocado, Spar and Go Local.
I love Reese’s products so I immediately claimed these mini peanut butter cups for myself- then went out and bought myself the advent calendar. I love the mini cups as I think the ratio is better. This bag didn’t last long. £1.50 from all major retailers.We’ve tried these Attack a Snak nachos from previous boxes so I won’t repeat myself too much. But I will mention they are currently running a promotion to win cinema tickets (running from 1/9/20 until 31/12/20) which would be a real little post lockdown bonus.
We love a good burger in this house, and these pre-sliced brioche buns from St Pierre are the perfect vessel for them, We’ve popped most of these in the freezer but of course had to give them a whirl and can confirm they are delcious- especially lightly toasted. £2 for 6 from Tesco.
There was also a voucher in this month’s box to get some Scarestrings Strawberry Yollies but I couldn’t find them in any of my local shops so wasn’t able to review these.
Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought in the comments, it’s always great to get other people’s thoughts.
If you’re new to Degustabox, it’s a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money. On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim £3.00 off of your first box (making it just £9.99!) by entering the code XOQGC 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.
I’m not very up on current trends these days, I spend the majority of my days in office appropriate clothing and the majority of my evenings in PJs- more so than ever thanks for lockdown. There is, however, one trend that I’m very much aware of, and very much in love with, and that is “the shacket”.
After spending a few weeks eyeing them up, I was then kindly allowed to pick an item or two from Femme Luxe and immediately picked out this shacket from their wide range of coats and jackets.
Having worked with Femme Luxe before, covering their loungewear range, I knew I’d be getting an item that had great quality and was a great price (currently this shacket is on offer for just £18.69!
And what is a shacket? Well, I suppose I should have explained that at the start of my post, but basically it’s a shirt that is thick and warm enough to be worn as a jacket. This particular version is made from brushed flannel with a super-soft lining and is perfect for wearing on those days where it’s not quite cold enough for a coat, but you definitely need an extra layer.
The rest of my outfit consists of a Primark jumper, a pair of Scotch and Soda black skinny jeans that I picked up in a local charity shop for £5.99 (my second designer denim bargain!) and my current favourite ankle boots from Zara.
I’m aware my blogging has become even more sporadic of late, there has been a heck of a lot going on in my world, Covid-19 and work madness aside. I’ll try and do some kind of update soon, but in the meantime, what trends are we all loving right now?
