White Chocolate Sweetie Bark

This fantastic mix of sweets and chocolate is so easy to make. It doesn't involve any baking and can even be made using a microwave. Firstly, I got the idea from Milk Bubble Tea who made it with a mixture of chocolate and gummy sweets. It is a really cheap and simple recipe to make and cost me less than £2 for all the ingredients. I used 300g of white chocolate and and approx 150g of sweets.

All you need to do is break the chocolate into small chunks and place in a microwaveable bowl and heat for 1-2 minutes. Make sure you pause and stir the mixture throughout to make sure that the chocolate doesn't burn. Once this is done, empty the melted mixture onto a plate covered with greaseproof paper. Then sprinkle the sweets all over and wait for the mixture to cool. I was inpatient and wanted to tuck straight in so I put it in the freezer to cool. Once your happy that it has 100% set then you can snap it into bite size pieces. I was surprised at how well the sweets and chocolate worked and want to try it in other combinations.

Face Wipes: The Devils Work

I will admit that if you searched my dressing table a few years ago it wouldn't be long until you found a stash of face wipes tucked away. Using them morning and night to take off my make up, they were a staple in my non existent skin care routine. At the time I knew nothing about skin care, and still don't claim to be an expert but I do take a lot more time investing in my skin as none of  us are getting any younger. I remember raiding my mums draw for her Clarins cleanser, toner and moisturiser and feeling like a princess after using it. I don't know why this didn't make me jump on the skincare bandwagon sooner to be honest. 

Face wipes are soaked in a bunch of chemicals which help to keep them saturated for extended periods of time. These nasties can be incredibly damaging and drying to your skin leaving it feeling sore and tight. Although you may feel that quick sweep of the face wipe is all you need, they will only take off the top layer of dirt that is visible on the skin. Your skin is delicate and needs gentle care to remove dirt and grime that gets locked deep into your pores. Face wipes do have their place in the world, as Caroline Hirrons states they should only be used for the three f's...face, fanny and festivals. 

If you buy face wipes because you feel you can't justify spending money on cleansing products then I would recommend working out how much you spend on face wipes over three months and I'm sure it is likely to match the price of a decent cleansing balm. I used to hate taking my make up off as I just wanted to jump  straight into bed, but now I take pleasure in giving my skin a treat and I make time to remove my make up properly.

I agree with Caroline when she notes that make up will only look good after you've taken good care of your skin. If you haven't seen the video then I highly recommend watching it. Although, a pre-warning that you may spend the following hour drooling over items on beauty bay and Feel Unique.

Lizi's Granola

Gifted PR sample

I was recently contacted to see if I would be interested in reviewing a brand of granola that is sure to hit the world by storm. Of course, I agreed as I absolutely love cereal. I would definitely choose it over toast in the mornings, providing the milk is in date. When I went to pick it up from the post office I was so excited to see which flavored I had been sent I opened it on my walk home. I was sent the Original flavour and I am so grateful for the introduction to this fabulous product.

Lizis Granola is made up of oats, nuts, seeds, and coconut mixed together with water a little bit of black treacle. As well as Original, it can also be found in 5 exciting flavours: Treacle and Pecan, Pink Apple and Cinnamon, Organic, and Belgian Chocolate.

One of the unique selling points of Lizi's Granola is its low glycaemic load (GL) per serving. This means that the energy is released slowly after eating and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. It is recommended that a 50g serving should keep your tummy happy until lunch time comes so you can avoid those naughty mid morning snacks.

The granola is extremely delicious and will give you a very generous portion of chopped mixed nuts including cashews, almonds, hazels, and walnuts. It provides a welcome change from most of the bowl being drowned in plain rolled oats and having to ration the treats. I enjoyed it with a cup of tea whilst flicking through the latest edition of The Simple Things magazine.

I will definitely be purchasing this product when I have finished the bag and I am keen to discover some recipes to use it in. It's a feel good product that will put a smile on your face and say goodbye to elevensies.

All Hail Bargain Sunglasses

As the sun has been showing its face over the past few days I thought it would be an appropriate time to update y'all on my new shades. I bought these a while ago from Primark for a shocking £1. I bought a few pairs but the design of these are definitely my favourite  As you can see they are clear plastic with a floral print all over. When you hold them up to the light they give a stained glass window effect. The shape and size of these glasses are perfect for me as they are quite round and seem to suit my face shape. I remember piling loads of glasses into my basket in hope that I would encourage the sun to come out, and perhaps my efforts paid off. I am not expecting them to last more than one season but for £1 I really don't think you can argue. What things have you stocked up on in preparation for the sun?

Zalando: Nice Things Wallet + Competition

Sponsored content 

I was really happy last week when I opened up my emails and spotted a new message from Zalando which contained a £20 voucher to spend online. Before I was contacted, I am afraid to admit that I had never heard of Zalando, but after a browse on their website I soon had a shopping basket full of beautiful items. As I am being quite strict with my budget this month I decided not to go too much over the £20 mark. I looked through the clothes and homeware section and have book marked some items to buy at a later date. I have been pining over the Ted Baker Effima Matinee Purse but with a steep price tag of £99 it isn't going to happen anytime fast. You can imagine my excitement when I came across this incredible fushia pink purse by Nice Things for only £25. 

The purse is made up of two faux leather panels with card compartment and a lined zipped pocket. The bright pop of pink and sandy brown complement each other perfectly and are a fresh addition that brighten up my day. I was really pleased with the service from Zalando and would definitely recommend going and checking out their stuff as they stock over 600 brands. 

I am so pleased I picked this purse as it introduced me to the company Nice Things. It is based in Barcelona and was created by a team that believe their clothes and accessories complement the soul and make you feel unique everyday. Thank you Zalando for my new purse and introducing me to a fantastic new brand. Why not visit Zalando and see what you can discover?

Also! Here are so beautiful birthday cupcakes to celebrate Zalando turning 2 this weekend. To celebrate they are offering a selection of £300, £100, and £50 to vouchers to 8 lucky bloggers. All you need to do to enter is display a picture wishing Zalando a happy birthday in one of your blog posts between the 22nd April - 5th May (just like I have!), then link back to the competition page which is here, and then tweet your post using #zalandoturns2. It's as simple as that! Good luck.  

Super Facialist by Una Brennan

Superfacialist is a new brand to the skincare market that has been created by Notting Hill faciliast, Una Brennan. It's an affordable range that is made up of great formulations and ingredients. The range has been developed with different skin care types in mind and therefore can be suited to individuals skincare regimes. Una has created 16 different products in total, which fall into three categories: Hydrate/Rose, Deep Clean/Tea Flower, and Firming/Neroli. 

I purchased the Deep Clean/Tea Flower Purifying Cleansing Wash which is now available to buy in Boots for £7.99 (150ml bottle). It has a beautiful, calming scent which oozes with sweet orange and ylang ylang tones. It is a light foaming gel wash, which is Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) and Paraben free. On my recent mission to invest in my skin I have discovered that SLS is a foaming agent that can dissolve the natural oils on your skin causing your skin to become unbalanced and lead to more problems. Products containing Parabens are also to be avoided due to the chemicals that are used as preservatives to kill bacteria and prolong the shelf-life of the product. Una Brennans range gets two ticks for avoiding both of these. The key ingredient is salicylic acid which aids in helping open the pores and exfoliate any blockages to let to your skin breath.

The Deep Clean/Tea Flower Purifying Cleansing Wash comes in a light foaming gel wash that is easy to apply to the skin. I use it after I have removed my eye make up and applying it to a cleansing sponge. I then create a small lather all over until all my make up is off and my face is left feeling refreshed. It foams into a small, delicate bubbles which don't irritate your nose and make you want to sneeze. After using this product twice a day for a week, I really started to see a difference as uneven skin tones and blemishes were significantly reduced. 

When I bought this product I was keen to move away from using face wipes and needed something to break the ice in terms of starting my own skincare regime. This proved to be the perfect product for me and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is slightly overwhelmed by the choice of skincare products on the market. I have nearly finished my bottle and will be looking to repurchase eventually. However, I am now looking to delve deeper into whats available and am eager to try using different cleansing formulations such as cleansing balms.

Floral Pattern

This is the pattern I created on my first time using a Wacom Cintiq 21UX. I have used a tablet before but I didn't really get on with it. I didn't like how I had to switch from looking at the tablet and the screen to see what I was creating. However, I didn't have this problem with the Cintiq 21UX as you draw straight onto the screen as if it was paper and it displays your image as you draw. I created this floral pattern by drawing straight into photoshop and I am pleased with how it has come out. I really love drawing patterns and want to create more designs like this. I think it would look great printed onto fabric and made into tea towels and tote bags, or even on mugs and kitchenware.

Have you ever used a tablet to draw before? What do you think of this floral pattern?

We Baked A Bloomer

I've always liked cooking and enjoy eating almost anything (except meat now) but always feel compelled to cook dishes that usually have an element of risotto, cous cous or pasta in them. I often feel inspired to cook after flicking through my ever growing recipe book collection or when I see something on TV that I can imagine myself recreating at home. However, I haven't mastered baking yet as flapjacks and basic muffin recipes seem to be my limit. With this in mind you can imagine my excitement when I heard that Paul Hollywood (the silver fox from The Great British Bake Off) was to star in his own show spreading knowledge on how to bake bread. The show is aimed at all skill levels and has clear instructions on how to create spectacular baked dishes. 

If I was going to master bread baking, I had to first check that I was able to get hold of the equipment and ingredients. I realised that I didn't have any scales and had been guessing weights for far too long. I grabbed my purse and paid a visit to my local Wilkinsons store. They have a  great kitchen range for reasonable prices. I bought  The Wilko Kitchen Scales Pastel Green 5kg for only £7, and oh my goodness! I love everything about them. Originally I was buying scales that would fit neatly into the kitchen cupboard, but after getting these scales home and unboxed there was no way that they were being denied the right to shine in all their glory.

I followed this (recipe and video tutorial) bloomer recipe step by step and the result was a little loaf of perfection. I had it served slightly warm as part of a ploughmans lunch. The whole baking process was exciting as you can see the dough growing before your very own eyes. If you are thinking of baking a loaf just be warned that it is quite time consuming as you need to allow your dough to prove for up to 4 hours (maximum). 

I've always thought that baking bread was such a hard task and assumed it is much easier to just grab a loaf in the supermarket during your weekly shop. But after baking this glorious loaf I can say that I am converted. I'm not promising to bake every week, but when I've got the urge to bake I will no longer shy away from it.

Have you been baking anything lately? I would love to hear your favourite recipes and any tips you might have for a beginner baker.

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March In Photographs

1. Cupcakes from Waitrose for my Grandma's birthday / 2. Having a cuddle with Lily / 3. Banoffee Waffle from Sprinkles Gelato in Southampton / 4. Using the Cintiq to create some illustrated patterns / 5. Victoria Spunge made by my Grandma / 6. Having a banana milkshake at Little Pickle Delhi Cafe in Boscombe / 7. Fishtail plait on my mummy / 8. Our milkshakes at Little Pickle Delhi Cafe in Boscombe / 9. New fringe / 10. My Dorset Blue Vinney and apple sandwich from Little Pickle Delhi Cafe in Boscombe / 11. Beautiful flowers / 12. New album from Bonobo - The North Divide / 13. View of our feet which are taking us to eat some delicious food

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Wishlist 005

Belle & Boo Party Bunting £8.00 / Cath Kidston Tea Rose Stripe Tea Towels set of two £4.50 / Big Decs Easter Wreath £20 / Wild & Wolf Happy Jackson Mini Notebooks, Pack of 3 £7.95 / Liberty Stationery Collection £19 / Ted Baker Natasa Pencil Case £19 / Emma Bridgewater Coronation Tea Towel £10

I visited a flagship John Lewis store in Southampton the other day and as soon as I stepped inside I remembered exactly why I have always loved it. Unfortunately, Bournemouth only has a John Lewis At Home store which is about 2 miles away in Poole. I think I've been spoilt previously living so close to the Southampton store that nothing can quite compare to how incredible it is. Each department is huge and full to the brim with beautiful stock. I didn't buy anything whilst I was in there but I saw so many items that I would love so I thought I could create a wish list with them. 

I absolutely love the Belle and Boo party bunting which is made up of little vintage characters each carrying gifts to a party. It would look lovely strung up against a plain white wall to decorate a room ready for a party. The characters reminds me of Christopher Robin and friends so I think it reminds me of my childhood and reading A.A. Milne books. 

The Cath Kidson tea towels are lovely and were on offer for £4.50 for a set of two. This is a great deal and would be a great collection to my ever growing tea towel collection. I remember my Grandma used to have a draw full of amazing tea towels and I always questioned why she needed so many....now I'm beginning to realise you can never have too many.

John Lewis have really impressed me with this decorative Easter wreath which would look so beautiful placed on the front door to welcome your guests during the Easter season. The colours are beautiful and I love how it's wooden structure is decorated with eggs and floral pieces. I guess an Easter wreath is the adult equivalent of a child's Easter bonnet!

The three set of Notebooks by Wild & Wolfe caught my attention from the vibrant colours paired with the simplistic font style. I don't normally like items with quotes on but in this case I thought they were quite fitting. My favourite one is "I Love Lists" and I'm certain a few people I know would be fans of these too.

You can never disappoint with a Liberty Stationery Set. I'm a massive fan of stationery anyway but when it's dolled up in a beautiful Liberty print it's borderline holy grail material. Every detail of these books is perfect from the hard bound cover to the dark navy ribbon ties. A little pricey, but totally worth it.

The final piece in this wishlist is a tea towel by Emma Bridgewater. I love the bright purple background colour and the cut out white detailing used instead of black outlines. It reminds me of Rob Ryan designs which are equally as beautiful. I'm a big fan of anything royal and lap up any chance to buy memorabilia It's nice to know that new designs are still being created that our future generations will hopefully be keen to collect. 

Do you have a John Lewis store near you? What pieces have caught your eye?

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