I'll always say, if I had to choose between traveling abroad or traveling Britain, I would always pick Britain. My boyfriend and I share the desire to explore the beautiful places that this place has to offer and, this time, it was Ilkley. If you don't already know, Ilkley is a small town located in West Yorkshire and is often recognised by people for being mentioned in the unofficial anthem of Yorkshire: 'On Ilkley Moor Baht 'at' (an old, somewhat bizarre, folk song sang in a true Yorkshire accent). Anyway, despite knowing quite my bit about the place after visiting, I too didn't have much knowledge of the place before I went and, in fact, hadn't really heard of the place. The reason that Ilkley fell into our hands this time is because we found, on AirBnB, a 'heated pod' called The Snoozy Owl to stay in. Seeming totally up our street, this 'Glamping' pod was booked and we headed on the nearly 2hr drive to our little holiday.
Here are the 5 Things that made this trip special:
1. Because the Pod didn't have TV or particularly strong WiFi, Jamie and I decided to take a little bit of a 'Digital Detox'. Now, I'm not claiming that we locked our phones in a safe for 3 days and started rearing plants, we just took time to indulge in activities that we might not usually do and put our phones down a bit more often. This included reading Magazines which we carefully chose and selected from the local Newsagents; listening to the local radio station, and playing games such as Connect 4 and Scrabble. I find this particularly special because, not only is this good for the brain, but I think it can be quite valuable bonding. But, what I valued the most, was not caring. I did intend to put around 20 Insta stories up everyday showing what we were doing, but for no apparent reason, I just didn't and I didn't care. I felt happy enjoying myself and keeping it to myself and that brought a great sense of serenity. Sometimes it's nice to see what's happening through your own eyes instead of through your phone screen.
2. Every time I visit a new place, my little fingers head over to the keyboard and get fishing out the best food and drink places to visit in the area. One that stood out for me since the day we booked this trip away was Toast House. This place is a little independent Coffee House located within the Town Centre which was a 10 minute walk from our Pod. We popped in here, mid-afternoon, for some Tea and Cake. I got a huge, but well desired, mug of tea with a Gluten Free Salted Caramel Brownie, while Jamie got a large, and hearty, Latte. I mean, I think it goes without saying that this was delicious. We sat at the window and watched the traffic go by, as well as people walking in and out of the famous Lishman's Of Ilkley shop. What struck me about this little cafe was how much it was buzzing. It was busy, I get that, but I think for me, it was more just about how this little place was buzzing. Everyone seemed so invested in their conversations together and we were all sitting lovely and cosy, well fed and watered, away from the cold rain outside. I couldn't recommend this place enough.
3. One of the benefits of putting our phones down was being able to look up more. When we were walking around Ilkley Town, not only did we notice quirky buildings and unique places - such as the Victorian Arcade which was a beautiful, elegant hidden surprise, and the Ilkley Cinema which was a little door tucked away in a building - but I also noticed how the place was surrounded by beautiful hills and rural scenery. Unfortunately, the weather on our trip was stormy a lot of the time and we didn't get chance to go on the long walks around The Moor to see viewpoints and points of interest that we intended to visit, but we now know that there are things for us to come back for and at least I got a glimpse of what the area had to offer.
4. I have to say, the traditional aspects of this town really warmed my heart. This includes things like the old Tudor buildings with their white and black design dotted around the streets and impeccably preserved; the village vibes; the hum of that Yorkshire accent through the area; the historic buildings such as the Victorian arcade; the cute, independent bookshop that I could've walked around for hours and, of course, the Betty's Tea Room which was decorated up to the nines with everything Autumn. While the Betty's, as ever, was super busy, with a queue to sit down even for a cuppa, it was lovely to look through the window at the charming and intricate display that was going on. There's something about walking past a Betty's that makes you think: 'Yep, I'm definitely in Yorkshire', and I love that.
5. Last of all, the Pod played a big part in making this trip away special and unique. The lovely host left so many lovely little touches for us to enjoy. This included, homemade jam and marmalade which tasted incredible; a fully equipped kitchen, perfect for when we cooked our Spag Bol; a selection of leaflets and books giving information about things to do in Ilkley and jars full of sweets and biscuits for snacking. We were kept lovely and toasty while we watched the rain beat down outside. Everything from indulgent memory foam pillows, adorable reupholstered chairs, owl decor, and a lovely vintage radio - this little hideaway, situated in a lovely little town, was packed full with everything you would need for the cosiest, most relaxing holiday. I can't wait to visit again, and I am so grateful to the host for having us.
Have you visited West Yorkshire before?
It was a short while ago now that I was gifted Gel Nail Polishes by Classy Nails UK after finding their brand from a Blogger Outreach on Twitter. The communication between the PR team was lovely and, after having the freedom to choose 4 colours of my choice, they arrives pretty swiftly.
The colours that I chose were Pink Flush, Perfect Pink, Peach Sorbet, and Orange Passion. First of all, as lovely as the colours were that I received, Perfect Pink and Peach Sorbet were not as pictured on the website. I know, this is not just a problem from Classy Nails - any nail varnish is difficult to depict on screen. The hot pink colour that I received (Perfect Pink) was shown on the website as a paler, softer pink and the Peach sorbet was more of a brown nude, but shown on the website as a purple toned nude. Despite that, I was happy with my colours and got over that blip.
The website was easy to navigate, each polish is sectioned by colour, and they also offer great 'Starter packs' for if you don't have an existing gel kit at home. Each nail polish is individually boxed and, when arrived, was packaged securely and nicely.
On the side of each box, the polish claims to be 'Easy On and Off', 'No Chips or Scratches', 'No nail damage' and 'Fast Drying time' but, most importantly: '14+ DAYS'. The box also has a great set of directions on the back.
Before I share my opinions of the Classy Nails Gel Polishes, I do wish to throw a little disclaimer out there. I am not a professional nail artist. I used the Sensationail Gel Polish Kit meaning, I used their lamp, nail primer, top/base coat and after treatment. When wearing these nail varnishes I did not come into any unnecessary contact with hot water or take part in any tasks that were particularly labouring on my hands.
The first time I used these polishes was for this hot pink design. Each nail had 3 coats of gel polish (which is fairly average because they should be applied in thin layers), then the ring finger also had a few coats of the Pink Flush glitter gel polish. I liked this look but would definitely apply the glitter with a sponge next time because my nail turned out to be about 3mm thick after applying lots of coats. Schoolboy error.
I was satisfied with the easy application process and the shine that I saw at the end. I took this gel polish off my nails exactly 14 days after applying it however, when taking it off, there was only actually three nails left with polish on as the rest had already split and peeled off. I was a little disappointed.
The next design that I did after letting my damaged slightly nails relax and breathe for two more weeks was this nude to glitter fade one. I was totally in love with this design and couldn't stop looking at it. Application took a little bit longer as the thin nude colour needed a few coats but this time I used a sponge to apply my glitter and found it a lot better. I was complimented on this design at my Blogger Event on the evening of the day I did them - I was over the moon.
Unfortunately, I was really upset to see that just over 24 hours later, my nails had began to peel off. My nails were peeling from the end, where the glitter was, which is somewhat unexpected. The entirety of my nail design was completely gone after around 3 days and I was gutted.
Admittedly, the problem could be down to multiple factors (the polish, the Sensationail kit, my application, my nail type, etc) but these polishes just aren't the kind that I would wear for a 2 week holiday. The have a brilliant shine and finish to them that you can't get from normal nail varnish, but they just last the same amount of time. I will continue to use these, but sadly with low expectations.
To wrap this up, the claims on the box are a mixture of right and wrong. Yes, the polish is 'Easy On and Off' but, just perhaps too easy to get off. There were 'No Chips or Scratches' but I always felt that the finish was too silcone-like to be chipped. My nails were slightly damaged after removal and last of all, I think claiming that a gel polish has a 'Fast Drying time' is completely unnecessary as LED and UV lamps have select drying times, no matter what the type of polish it is. As you know, the '14+ days' just doesn't even go near.
Let me know your favourite brand of Gel Nail Polish!
Jacket: F&F Clothing || Sunglasses: Topshop || Jumper: Bershka || Jeans: Topshop || Shoes: &Other Stories
This weekend, Jamie and I decided to take a day out to a new place that we'd never visited before. We took the 1 hour drive to Thorp Perrow with the intention to have a look around, take a few pictures, Meet the Owls, and join in with a guided Mushroom Hunt. We were super lucky to get such lovely crisp weather with the low sunshine coming through the trees - this was captured so beautifully in some of the pictures taken that day. I was truly blown away by the forest and abundance of grand, old trees across this huge park - I could've spent the whole day taking pictures if I had the time.
Meeting all of the birds was fantastic - animals never fail to impress me and make me smitten. The bird shows 'Meet the Owls' and 'Flying Display' were brilliant and really showed off the fantastic traits of the animals. Our mushroom hunt was great too; there was so many people there and it really didn't feel 'nerdy' or 'weird', everyone was having a great time, involving eachother and just being so friendly. There was less of a sense of 'that's my mushroom, I found it' and more of 'Wow you did an awesome job finding that one'. I loved that atmosphere and would gladly join again next year.
All in all, I'd definitely re-visit Thorp Perrow. While I was least impressed with the Tea-Rooms and state of the toilets, the forest and animals were something that I could never get tired of.
Anyway, instead of writing a lengthy post about mushrooms and trees, here's a bunch of photos for you to look at from the day. Enjoy!
Have you ever visited Thorp Perrow?
When Autumn rolls around at this time of year, for me, there is nothing more satisfying that having a cosy day in, baking a classic cake. This week I decided to go simple and bake a Madeira Loaf cake. This sturdy, more dense version of your well-known Victoria Sponge cake seems to side more on the Autumn team because of it's golden brown colour, it's comforting taste and how it radiates a sense of relaxation and winding down which Autumn always conveys.
As well as this, I get a sense of nostalgia and sentiment from a Madeira Cake as its always the cake that my Grandma bakes. My Grandma is the top family baker; she has baked nearly every single one of my birthday cakes as well as cakes for charity and Wedding Cakes. And, while you may have dreams of a chocolate wedding cake, she (and perhaps many others) would consider it a fact that, because of it's hardy, full-bodied consistency, the Madeira Cake is always the best.
However, if like me, you just fancy baking a cake that you can settle with in front of the fire with in your fluffy pjs and cover with a high pile of other indulgent ingredients, then Madeira Cake is your man. Here is that super easy way to bake your own:
YOU WILL NEED
175g of Unsalted Butter.
175g Golden Caster Sugar.
3 large eggs.
The grated zest of 1 lemon.
Vanilla extract.
200g of Flour.
50g of Ground Almonds.
METHOD + MADNESS
For preparation, grease and line the tin that you're using. With this recipe, you don't have to use a loaf tin but that's just how I wanted mine to be. Set the oven to 160 degrees Fan or Gas Mark 3.
Start by weighing and combining your butter and sugar. Cream the two together with an electric whisk until light and creamy - this could take around 2-3 minutes of mixing but, honestly, can be different for everyone. Never put your butter in the microwave; the heat from the butter could end up making your eggs go nasty.
Once you're satisfied with your creamy, sugary goodness, go ahead and crack all three eggs into a jug or glass and lightly beat them. Add this gradually into your sugar-butter - preferably in three parts - whilst using your whisker again. At this point, your mixture will loosen up and start to look a lot more like cake batter. Add in a few drops of Vanilla essence/extract/flavour ( just add as much as you desire) along with the zest of a lemon. I grated about 2/3 of 1 lemon for this mixture but, if you want the mixture to be more lemony then you can do the whole thing and even add a little bit of juice.
Next, weigh your flour and ground Almonds. If you wish, you can replace the ground almonds with ground rice - again, all depending on your taste.
Fold these ingredients into the mixture until fully combined; you may find the mixture quite tough and dough-like but don't worry. Also, don't worry if it isn't, just believe in yourself. Always fold flour into your cake batter and never over-mix. Over mixing causes too much gluten which can change the texture of the cake at the end and means you get less 'fluffy' results.
And, seriously, that's it. I can't believe it either. That's all that's required for a delicious, winter-warming cake.
Gently spoon the batter into your lined loaf tin. A great tip (that I learnt from my grandma) is to always add a well into the middle of a cake to stop over rising - so, using a spoon, carefully move your batter towards the edges of the tin. Never hit the tin with you mixing spoon. In fact, never whack the side of your cake bowl; this can cause the air in the eggs to escape meaning your eggs 'collapse' and can cause problems with rising.
Pop the cake in the oven for around an hour; you should have a healthy crack through the middle and a golden brown colour. My oven has some sort of passive aggressiveness towards me for some reason and likes to take a long time to bake loaf cakes right through. At 1 hour, I brought my cake out and it was still raw in the middle. I covered the top of my cake in foil to stop it from browning any more and to trap heat in and, after 20 more minutes, it was fully cooked. Always, take your cake out of it's tin when it's still warm. This will ensure you have an easier time trying to get it out and the cake is less likely to sweat.
As you can see from the pictures, the madeira loaf has a very consistent density and a very sturdy crust; this is how it should look (if I do say so myself).
I'm very happy with how this turned out and there's absolutely NO doubt that I will be baking this again and experimenting with it more.
Let me know if you give it a go;
Happy Baking!
On Sunday 8th October, I was lucky enough to attend a Blogger Event with The Body Shop, hosted by Gianni from The G Edit. The Blogger Event was based around showcasing the new products in The Body Shop, the uniting for North East Bloggers, and generally having a fun time and learning more about The Body Shop products. For me, this was only my 2nd EVER blogger event and, because there was only about 30 of us, I felt very lucky to be there.
Along with my invite, we were told we were allowed to bring along a plus-one; for this, I decided to bring my boyfriend along with me because A) he drives, so could take me up to the Metro Centre, B) It meant we could enjoy a little meal out together, C) I really wanted him to experience what a Blogger event is like and D) He secretly loves The Body Shop. Before the event, we had a dabble around some of the shops including (OMG) Homesense. After that, we enjoyed some delicious pizzas in Pizza Express before heading to the event.
So, here's how it went:
When we entered, we were greeted with the lovely Store Manager alongside Gianni and were shown along to the free Prosecco and nibbles. I mean, I definitely didn't say no to the Prosecco. I was given a demo of the new face masks on my hands - this was using the Chinese Ginseng & Rice polishing mask which is designed to revitalise the skin then, upon removal, act as a face scrub. The smell of this mask was beautifully oriental and zingy and genuinely left my hand feeling super cleansed and soft. On the other hand, I tried out the British Rose Mask which is typically applied to wet skin and has more of a gel consistency. This one is more for plumping and rejuvenating skin which, understandably can be difficult to see on the back of the hand but definitely left me in aroma-heaven.
After we were introduced to the team and the event with a little speech, Jamie (my boyfriend) and I went to get our personalised labels. Each person there was lucky enough to be gifted a free Body Butter, so I chose the Blueberry one (cus I loooove blueberries and had never used that one before) then got my name personalised on the Blueberry 'I've got a Crush on you' sticker. I got another sticker too to wear as a name badge but then I pasted it on to my Mango Body Butter that I have at home. These personalised body butters are so cute and funky, I think it's a great idea.
I think the thing that I valued the most from this event, was simply having the time to really look at each product. I learned about products that I'd never seen, got to really explore the different ranges in depth, and widen my wish list. Amongst it all, was the amazing customer service - the staff were just so welcoming and friendly and it was the kind of experience where they're happy to help but not 'in-your-face'.
Throughout the shop was different 'stations' including the Board in which we could write down our favourite products. At the start of the evening I wrote 'The banana hair care range and the Honey bronzer' but, after the evening and having the time to explore more products, I would definitely add the Blueberry body butter, the Fuji Green Tea scent, and the new Elixirs of Nature Eau De Parfums in Widdringtonia and Bowhanti. Jamie and I took advantage of our amazing Blogger's 30% off and bought the Bowhanti unisex fragrance and a small set of the Fuji Green Tea range (and I've already gone and ordered more Green Tea products - it smells amazing).
The next 'station' was the petition signing for a global ban on Animal Testing. The lovely staff member Chris helped me learn about the reality and the shocking facts of Animal Testing in the world today and I didn't hesitate to sign the petition. It's such an important cause.
Towards the very end of the evening, as the store was somewhat quietening down, I sat down for a hand massage by one of the store assistants. She used the Spa Of The World Range which to me justr radiates indulgence and comfort. The spa range seems like the kind of product that would be perfect for a Sunday evening to relax and care for your skin ahead of a new week. I think it's fair to say that I was sniffing my hand all the way home in the car - no shame.
Last of all, the wonderful Body Shop topped off the evening with a little Goodie Bag for everyone. Inside the colourful little parcel was a few samples of the new products including a pot of Oils of Life sleeping cream and sachet of facial oil which I'm very excited to try because I've heard great things.
A sachet of the new Japanese Matcha Tea face mask which apparently is an acquired taste but, going by what I smelt in the store, I already really love the look of this. With those, there were two sachets from the Drops of Youth range which is a range that I've always spied on and wanted to try. These samples were the classic Youth Cream and the newer Liquid Peel mask which sounds totally up my street. Then, just to top it ALL off, each bag had a full size Liquid Matte Lipstick in the colour Nairobi Camellia.
I am so so grateful to Gianni and The Body Shop for my invite to this event because, as a blogger who is only just settling into this kind of thing, my first two events have been nothing but welcoming and continue to make me want to learn, make friends, and be involved. I even noticed that, after going through a week or so feeling crap about my blog, being around suited people, in a lovely atmosphere, and generally in my element just lit that spark that I needed to get back at it.
I honestly don't have a bad word to say about this event. I was smiling the whole time and I just feel so lucky to have been part of it. Here's to many more.
I am super excited to get trying my new products!
What's your favourite product from The Body Shop?
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