Reviews Coming soon!

I have been neglecting my poor wee blog, I do want to keep up with it so I will be posting a few more reviews imminently, I've got rambles to write about all of these places; 

• Sanctuary Spa - Covent Garden, London
• Bodyna - The Ritz,  Madrid
• Athenaeum Spa - Mayfair, London
• Marrakech Spa - Ilford, London
• One Spa, The Sheraton, Edinburgh (again because its still my favourite) 

K x

2014 - My Year of Pampering

It's still January (just about) which means resolutions and plans for the year ahead are still a hot topic. I have to admit, I'm not one for resolutions, at the end of the day I don't really stick to them. So instead, I have decided that I'm going to go for some subtle life improvements throughout the year and hopefully come 2015 I will feel the changes. 

Luxury product gifts I got at Christmas

As the title suggests, I have crowned 2014 my year of pampering, it may seem odd but I think that finding some time to yourself can often be difficult, life just gets in the way and before you know it you're stressed and feeling dishevelled. What I have in mind is investing in some good quality beauty products, a few new additions to my health regime and more regular spa visits. Of course, the spa visits are the most exciting part for me, having done one this month, I have one planned for the beginning of March (technically my February edition), one for the end of March and another for mid April so I am definitely in the swing of a spa visit a month for the forseeable! 

Post treatment relaxation area at One Spa

I think I have taken a good run at my goals this month, starting with a day of indulgence at One Spa in Edinburgh on New Year's day - start as you mean to go on! This spa currently sits at my number one spot for spas in the UK, there is nothing I don't like about it. My favourite areas are the rooftop hydropool (with neck massage fountains, whirlpool and air beds), bliss even when the atmosphere outside is cloudy and drizzly, and  the tepidarium, the ceramic couches heated to 37 degrees often send me into a wonderful slumber. I generally make use of all the facilities in the spa just for the novelty and enjoyment of it all, it really adds to the experience if you hop to and fro between all the areas. On this occasion I also indulged myself with a Swedish massage, with a personalised mixed of Espa essential oils and massage technique focused on areas that were long overdue some attention. The knowledge of the therapists at this spa always makes me realise I'm in good hands, with after care and recommendations readily given. One thing that I had been toying with was purchasing a body brush but I was a bit unsure what to do with it and why to bother with it. I asked my therapist once our treatment time came to an end and she gave me a quick demo and some tips for body brushing at home - on my way out I purchased an Espa body brush! 

My Espa Body Brush

And that brings me to my next thing, body brushing! There are lots of health benefits to dry body brushing; removal of dead skin cells and increase of skin condition, increased blood circulation, stimulates your body to flush out impurities and an increase of muscle tone to name a few. Of course these benefits can only be realised if you are strict in your body brushing regime. At the moment I am remembering about twice a week, it does add a few minutes to my shower routine as its best to brush right before you shower,  but I am realising some of these benefits already, most importantly it feels nice and that is a benefit in itself. To learn more just browse the web for tips and tricks, I've even found some good technique articles on Pinterest and demos on YouTube. 

I also wanted to give my hair a bit of TLC, it is easy to get carried away with skin and body care and forget about your barnet, so after a full head of highlights and a much needed trim I went for a keratin treatment. Whilst this treatment costs a pretty penny, it has such a good result this was actually the second time I have had it done. It is basically a very intense hair mask which infuses your hair with keratin to give you a smooth and light finish, ideal for me because my hair has a bit of a naturally fuzzy look. The effects last anything up to 12 weeks (my first one was still good after 10) and it reduces the amount of products I go through for styling and smoothing. The thing to keep in mind is that you are restricted in the type of shampoo you can use after Keratin treatments (sulphate and chloride free which are generally better for your hair anyway) but your stylist will give you all the details you need. I've also invested in a good quality hair brush and have been making an effort to polish brush my hair rather than just smoothing it through. 

A bit of stretching to get supple! 

It's not all about products and spending though, some things I have taken to doing are relatively low cost. I've been going to Pilates and Step classes at my gym and ballet classes for a few months now, but managed to miss a few week consecutively in the run up to the festive period. I enjoy them because they give me the right kind of exercise for my goals, core strength, increase of flexibility and enough cardio without burning body mass. Sometimes the hardest thing is getting back to your routine, but I am back on the wagon and really enjoying it again. I've been throwing in a few independent sessions at the gym too, and to  my own surprise I felt the urge for a bit of a jog on the treadmill the other week - not an urge I ever thought I would have! 

Minestrone with bacon, conchigliette & pesto
(homemade a la Hello Fresh)

Lastly and probably most importantly is food. I've come to dislike the term "diet" it has connotations of depriving yourself of things and being restrictive, but I am certainly a fan of a healthy balanced variety of food. I've stopped beating myself up about what I consume and I have started being smarter about what I eat and when, for example adapting my food intake after a work out to have some good recovery nutrients like protein. With this comes discovering new ingredients and combinations, we have started using Hello Fresh a couple of times a month to keep us on our toes with home cooked meals that don't break the bank (or our waistbands). I've simplified my approach; more water, less refined sugar, more protein, less fat, more planning of meals/kitchen time and less deprivation (if I want a cake, I'll have a cake!). 

Well, that is my grand introduction to My Year of Pampering, I am hoping I can stick to what I have started and pick up a few new tricks on the way, I am aiming for these things to become normal lifestyle habits rather than something I have to think about and coordinate - we shall see! 

Stay tuned for reviews and updates on how I'm getting on, suggestions and comments welcome! 

Kx 

What have I been up to?

Ever get the feeling that your life is just getting on with itself and you are left sitting watching it? Well since my last blog post its been a little like that and slightly hectic but I am back on track and getting organised!  I thought the best way to give an update on what I have been doing during my absence is to talk about my Day Zero project, I am now 12% through, and have a few items in progress! 

My 101 Things in 1001 days post only had 74 of the 101 items listed, I topped up my list and its now full, all I have to do is work my way through them all. 

The same applies as last time, strike-through means complete, bold is in progress -  I have added progress details to my list, you can view them all here. Fancy joining me in completing the others then just give me a shout! 

1.           Visit 3 new cities outside the UK

2.           Make a birthday cake for someone

3.           Learn to knit

4.           Make a perfect flat white

5.           Buy a designer handbag

6.           Paint something

7.           Volunteer locally

8.           Send homemade cakes by mail to someone

9.           Take my niece swimming

10.        Visit The Shard UK

11.        Go to Paris with my Husband

12.        One week without social media

13.        Try Bikram Yoga

14.        Learn a new craft

15.        Host a murder mystery party

16.        Write a blog

17.        Go to 5 different museums

18.        Buy something from Etsy

19.        Clean out my closet

20.        Go to the zoo

21.        Send a secret to PostSecret

22.        Find a personally inspirational quote and work it into a piece of art or home decor

23.        See the Northern Lights

24.        Swim in the Mediterranean

25.        Read a whole book in one day

26.        Wear a skirt or dress every day for a week

27.        Eat creme brulee

28.        Donate blood

29.        Read a book in another language

30.        Make a list of the books I have read

31.        Say "yes" to something I would not normally do

32.        Get to my goal weight and maintain

33.        Go a month without buying anything that isn't a necessity

34.        Cook an Indian meal from scratch

35.        Make paella

36.        Scuba dive in the Red Sea

37.        Pass Motorbike test

38.        Make red velvet cupcakes

39.        Go to Hummingbird Bakery

40.        Drink champagne in a jacuzzi

41.        Have afternoon tea at The Ritz (somewhere in the world)

42.        Go to a live comedy show

43.        Make jam

44.        Go on a spa break with girl friends

45.        Join a book club

46.        Fly business class

47.        Treat myself to a nice piece of jewellery

48.        Do a track day

49.        Do a random act of kindness for a stranger

50.        Take my husband out for dinner

51.        Book a last minute holiday

52.        Donate to a food bank

53.        Go on a traditional picnic

54.        Read the Chronicles of Narnia series

55.        Make a pizza from scratch

56.        Go vegetarian for a week

57.        Go to a vineyard

58.        Visit Stonehenge UK

59.        Visit The Outer Hebrides UK

60.        Dance in the rain

61.        Make mojitos

62.        Finish my sketchbook

63.        Campaign against FGM

64.        Visit Loch Ness SCOTLAND

65.        Don't watch TV for a week

66.        Grow something from a seed

67.        Ask 20 friends to suggest one book, and read them all

68.        Visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela SPAIN

69.        Bake something new each month

70.        Climb an indoor rock wall

71.        Sing a karaoke duet

72.        Kiss in front of the Eiffel Tower

73.        Ride a Boris bike

74.        Got to a Westend Show

75.        Learn how to use rollers in my own hair

76.        Leave an inspirational note inside a book for someone to find

77.        Try 10 new cocktails

78.        Complete a photography course

79.        Go a month without drinking soda

80.        Enter a baking competition

81.        Send flowers to my friends office

82.        Shoot a gun at the firing range

83.        Try drawing every day for a month

84.        Read 5 classic books

85.        Participate in Postcrossing

86.        Drink vodka in Russia

87.        Go to Royal Ascot

88.        Place a bet

89.        Improve my Spanish

90.        Spend New Year’s eve in Edinburgh

91.        Change my hair style

92.        Ride a jet ski

93.        Go to Las Vegas

94.        Make a snow angel

95.        Have friends over for a BBQ

96.        Organise my photos (soft & hard copy)

97.        Fundraise for charity

98.        Got to an aquarium

99.        Take a boat trip

100.    Take a craft workshop

101.    Try 5 new restaurants in London

Has anyone else made a Day Zero list? It's a great place to organise your plans and ideas and make sure you get round to acting on them. 

That's all for now, more to come soon! 

Kx

Have you heard of GlossyBox?

I hadn't until recently. Well I knew the concept existed but never paid much attention to it. Now however, on my quest for a healthier, more preened and pampered self it has become my new favourite thing. 

So what is it? Well it's a subscription based beauty product site, you sign up, do a questionnaire about your beauty preferences and then every month they take your money and post you a little box of goodies. 'But are the goodies any good?' I hear you ask, and I thought that myself so in my sceptical state of mind I signed up for a 'Miss Glossy Box' purely because its a little cheaper (£7 +p&p bi monthly rather than £10 +p&p monthly) and it would give me an example of the quality and calibre of the products I'd be receiving. Well I needn't have bothered, my Miss Glossy Box came and it was fab! I have since ordered a regular Glossy Box and I am just as pleased. 

Upon the arrival of my Miss Glossy box I was rather excited (I am cheeky and have them delivered to my office, doubly exciting on a Monday morning arrival!). The first thing I noticed as I ripped open the packaging was the scent, there was something heavenly smelling in there and I was intrigued. Inside the box was a lovely patterned draw string bag, with a little card welcoming me to the Glossy box experience and an outline of the products and how to get my hands on full size items if I so wished (I must note here that the product sizes are generally sample size, but not always - I guess you could say travel sized, so don't be thinking you are getting half a dozen full sized products for a tenner).  

Miss Glossy Box

My Miss Glossy box contained;
Full set of Kiss Nail Wraps,pink zebra print with diamanté - a little bit loud for me but I think I will still use them, they are quick and easy to apply and I do love a nail art treat. 
VO5 Plump it up spray - not a product I would normally use, it gives you the 'back combed' effect without you having to back comb and actually I have used it loads since I had my hair cut short to add a bit of texture and oomph.
Glossy box false eyelashes - a little to dark and full for me, but very good quality. 
Beyonce perfume sample - again not a perfume I would have chosen but its very nice and the little vile has made it into my make up bag for applying when I am out and about.  
Two Bath bombs - passionflower scented with glittery stars, I have used one so far and it smelled heavenly, I am saving the glittery one for a deluxe bathing occasion! ( I can't recall the 'brand' of the bath bombs but they were much the same as what you would see in the likes of Lush). 

Overall, I got a wee selection of products I wouldn't normally choose but seeing as I know have them I will make use of them. I think the 'get out of your beauty comfort zone' element of these little delights is what I like the most, it is so easy to keep going back to the same shops for the same products and never really knowing what else is out there. At the same time buying a new 'untested' full size product is a bit daunting and I know I wouldn't be the first to have a cupboard full of random products that are half used then forgotten about! I would say the Miss Glossy box seems to be aimed at a slightly younger audience than myself (albeit I am only *cough25cough*) which is why I then opted for a Beauty Box. 

My Beauty Box

The Beauty Box arrived in much the same delightful packaging, a nice little box, tissue paper and crepe to protect the products, its all very 'boutique' feeling and exciting to open. I mean who doesn't like surprise post? Okay you know you are getting it but you don't know what is in it!

My Beauty Box contained:
Urban Veda purifying day cream - this came with perfect timing as my skin is suffering from a break out at the moment, it feels light and smooth on and settles down the gloss you get from blemished skin. 
Jelly Pong Pong 2 in 1 eye liner shadow, black - ironically I had been online asking for eye-liner recommendations due to being unsatisfied with the 10 or so I already own! This is a nice chunky crayon style liner that gives a nice smooth application but also smudges out to look like a shadow. Having said that because I have a black one I will mostly use it as a liner or a smudgy smoke effect rather than an all over type shadow. 
Emite make up eye lash curler - I do use an eyelash curler for a bit more jazz, this one is much the generic curler, with nice bright red rubber in-fills.  I will be moving on to it once I have exhausted my current one. 
TRESemme Keratin Smooth - another ironic item as I am considering having a Brazilian blow dry/keratin treatment done on my hair. This one application tube is yet to be used, I am saving it for when I need a bit of 'wow' factor to my hair do however it looks like it might be a good short term smoothing solution. 
Oceane make up remover pen - not yet available for retail in the UK, this little magic pen is fabulous. Have you ever used a nail corrector pen to get rid of those pesky nail varnish smudges? Well this works the same way but it is for eye make up meaning you can create the perfect shadow or liner look regardless of how pro you are because you can touch it up with the pen. It also came with refills - brilliant. 

So all my Beauty Box items are fabulous, I like that I have things that kinda of match up, i.e. 3 eye related products as it makes a nice collaboration of products to add to your collection. 

I am really chuffed with what I have received so far and I am looking forward to my next delivery! Want to know more? Visit www.glossybox.co.uk or check them out on twitter @GlossyboxUK

K x

Fairy cakes with fairies on!

I've been moonlighting over on my family's crafty blog, check out the link below to see how I made these scrumptious fairy topped fairy cakes! 

Fairy Cakes with Fairies on!

And while you're there why not take a bit at the other crafting goodness we all get up to! 

Would love to see other people's cakey creations, feel free to share with me and I will put a blog together to showcase them all. 

Kx

A day at the races

I have never been to horse racing before, it has never been something I felt compelled to partake in – well watch, those poor horses wouldn't be running anywhere with me on their backs.

So when we were invited by a friend to go to GloriousGoodwood to celebrate his birthday I thought, well why not? 

I popped on-line to check the dress code, where the racecourse was and how to get there. Hubski and I ended up getting a last minute deal the The Ship Hotel which is such a lovely boutique hotel.

It took us a couple of hours to get to Chichester, where the hotel is, and we then got a cab to the racecourse, which took around 15 minutes. Upon arriving it was swarming with people, dressed in their best, fascinators and Panama hat galore! Although I was disappointed to see that a fair few people slipped through the dress code net, stronger policing would be nice to keep the standard high. 

The Hubski and I enjoying a G&T on the roof terrace

We grabbed a G&T in the Gordon’s bar and mingle around to get our bearings. Knowing absolutely nothing about horse racing or betting I had various questions for my friend who was ‘in the know’ about it all and got myself up to speed, well a little anyway!

The atmosphere is quite interesting because everyone gets really hyped up for each race (there were 7 in total) but the races are say 30 minutes apart so in between things relax a little, the bars get busy and then everyone gets back to their viewing spot to watch their horse come in.

The view from the grandstand

Are there any tricks to betting? Probably, but I don’t know them. For me it was a case of picking a horse with a name that I could manipulate to be relevant to me or one that had pink in the jersey. This is how I stumbled upon Pal of the cat – a fair maiden (which means it has never won a race, not that it’s a female horse…). Off I popped to put a tenner on the last race. Would you believe it, Pal of the cat won its first race and I won £280 on my first bet! Hoorah, winning makes the day even more fantastic.

When the buzz died down we went back to Chichester on a private bus that is put on for the race goers. Being on top of a double decker bus on country lanes after a day of drinking G&T’s and Pimm’s is a bit interesting….

We got back to the hotel exhausted, the excitement really takes it out of you but we did still manage a quick dinner at the hotel restaurant, which has an AA rosette. There were mixed reviews online about the restaurant, mainly picking fault at the service so we were a little sceptical but we needn’t have been. Our food came out promptly, it was delicious (I had tagliatelle with gorgonzola, caramelised onions and kale – light summery and hit the spot with its generous portion size) and the service was polite. The breakfast the next morning was just as good, with me opting for something that wasn’t on the menu and hubski having the eggs Benedict (duck egg, in a fresh cob with Parma ham and béarnaise sauce).

All in all I rather enjoyed myself and will most probably be booking myself a day at Royal Ascot next year! 

Kx

Boisedale of Canary Wharf - 3 Forks

The 1^st of August marks my wedding anniversary, this year it was our second year of marriage that we were celebrating. What better way to reminisce on our Scottish wedding than with a visit to a Scottish restaurant?

I booked a table at Boisedale of Canary Wharf months ago, not because you need to but because I am that organised (and I got chatting to a man that was promoting the restaurant in the Excel Exhibition Centre when I was visiting the Grand Designs show in May).

The restaurant itself is rather majestic in its location and setting. The vibrant red walls, tartan carpet and eclectic mix of furniture and art work make for great surroundings. The female waiting staff wear kilt style skirts, but much to my disappointment the men are in trousers. The menus are in a Rennie MacKintosh reminiscent font, and the ‘Ode to a Haggis’ is printed on the menu, with other little quirks and quotes throughout which make it feel that bit more Scottish.

Renowned for its Whisky selection, the inventory of bottles behind the bar should be viewed with awe, and really I do not know how anyone can ever make a choice with such a selection on hand. The whisky list comprises of over 40 pages and really is a sterling selection, with over 7 varieties of Rosebank – distilled in the town where my family were drug up in Scotland and hard to get your hands on! The piece de résistance has to be a Macallan at over £1300 a measure… 

Boisedale interiors

We stopped off in the bar downstairs for a pre-dinner drink, Pinot for him a Georgia Mint Julep for me. The downstairs area is somewhat more relaxed than the main restaurant, as it is a ‘bar and grill’ with an oyster bar and seafood prominence. We soon got uncomfortably hot, what with being sat by the windows and the sun streaming in (there was a ‘beach party’ on the terrace so for our own privacy we stayed inside) and it seemed there was no air conditioning circulating. We made our way upstairs and took our seats near the window (after requesting not to be at the window to avoid the whole too hot to eat, sweaty and stuck to the leather seat scenario).

So let’s get to the food; I passed on having a starter to allow for a calorific dessert however Hubski opted for the Wester Ross Scottish Salmon Gravadlax though wasn’t keen on the cold poached egg, which I happily relieved from his plate. We both went for steaks as mains, 14oz sirloin on the bone for me and 10-12oz fillet on the bone for him. The ‘Special Meat’ of the day was a 1kg porterhouse on the bone, which we were shown raw on a chopping board, even with my repertoire for devouring steak it would have been a tad too much for two, but at £74 would have been a value for money option for a party of say 4 people.

I come from a family of meat lovers, and if there is one thing we are good at it is eating steak. I take mine medium, closer to rare than well, which to me means a nice shade of pink in the middle and a bit of juiciness. Whilst I had the colouring in my sirloin I did find it a tad dry (even with my café de Paris butter on top), however it wasn’t to the point of not being edible and my anticipation and appetite meant I had no problem getting through it.

I never toot about side dishes but the hispi cabbage, chorizo and caraway seeds was delicious, as was the broccoli with lemon and toasted almonds, and may even try making them at home.

The real indulgence was the desserts, I chose the chocolate and peanut butter parfait with peanut brittle and he went for sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream. For me it was borderline sickly in an ‘I can’t stop eating it way’ and I quickly recovered so no harm done, other than to my waistline. Naturally I washed this all down with a celebratory glass of champagne, and him a glass of Malbec. 

Elements of my meal

Whilst there are elements of silver service, it is not entirely so and there seems to be an element of waiting staff trying to be informal but being formal at the same time which works for some but makes others a little rigid. There were several larger parties seated at a similar times to us and the clockwork for the staff serving caused a little confusion but nothing to really write home about. Though I must admit, for me, having used empty glasses left of the table for the duration was a little annoying but there’s my pinch of salt.

The damage came in at just under £150 for the two of us, that’s for 2 glasses of wine, a bottle of water, a glass of champagne, 1 starter, 2 steaks, 3 sides, 2 desserts and service. To us, not unreasonable given that it was a special occasion and is what you would expect from this calibre of restaurant in London.

In terms of my fork scoring I am going to award Boisedale of Canary Wharf with 3 forks. I can’t put my finger on why, I am just not ravenously keen to get back there, and whilst yes I would recommend it and may well suggest a family meal there in future I don’t think I will be a regular in the restaurant, the bar on the other hand I can see myself frequenting for a dram or two.

Kx