Lifestyle | Turtle Bay At Home*

With more of us unwillingly spending our weekend evenings at home, what better time to try out all the incredible take aways that are on offer to us locally! Supporting these local branches in times of uncertainity is so important and it always feels nice having a lovely cooked meal when you know its helping out businesses that during this period need it. 

Last weekend my family and I were treated by the lovely team at Turtle Bay to an at home experience like none other. Turtle Bay have always been a family favourite of ours so we loved that despite the challenges this year has thrown at us, we were still able to enjoy it. Turtle Bay have created an incredible festive menu filled with their favourite dishes as well as other treats that you can, for the first time, enjoy in the comfort of your own home. The menu is honestly mouth watering and includes something that everyone can love. My mum isn't always overly keen on spice but has her favourites that she goes back to time and time again. Another important factor about their Turtle Bay at Home menu, is the addition of cocktails which are always a big favourite when visiting the branch and taste even better sat in the comfort of your own home.

When deciding what food we wanted to order, we were directed to the Turtle Bay at Home menu which was a small version of their usual one. We decided to go for two of the Island Bundles for Two which for £28 included ALOT of delicious food. The bundle included Half Jerk Chicken, Curry Goat and Coconut Rice & Peas, Spiced Fries (which were delicious), Sweet Plantain and a Sunshine Salad. We also added on an extra Chicken Curry, Wings and Caribbean Dumplings. The whole service and procedure of ordering through the phone,  payment and collection worked perfectly and the food was packaged strongly and securely to make sure it was still warm by the time we got it home to eat. The food itself was absolutely mouth watering and the goat curry is honestly one of the best things we've tried from there.

Overall our experience was extremely positive and we've already decided to order again during December to try out some of the festive favourites on offer! 

Check out their website to book your own experience! https://www.turtlebay.co.uk/delivery 

Until next time, 

*This post included a gifted experience. All photos and opinions are my own and are as always honest. 

Lifestyle | Pumpkin Decorating tips!

 

Happy Sunday! 

It's the week before Halloween and I know what you're probably thinking if you read my post of the Hallotober tag. 'You don't celebrate Halloween why are you pumpkin picking'. Well the honest answer is, I don't really know! But it's become somewhat of a tradition over the last couple of years and something I wasn't going to let COVID ruin this year too! Unlike last year I wasn't able to visit a pumpkin patch as normal as annoyingly my local and favourite patch were working on a booking slot schedule and they sold out understandably very quickly. But I wasn't going to let that be the end of my mission and managed to get one in our weekly shopping from Tesco. I won't lie, it's not the best pumpkin in the world but let's be honest it does the job! 

Once you've got your pumpkin there's a couple of options for you to decorate. You can go old school like me and carve into it. Or you could go down the different route and decorate by painting, sticking or embellishing them. I've found a couple of great examples of this on Pinterest that you can find below! I've linked the ideas which you can view by clicking on the images! 

I decided to go for a classic design for my own pumpkin and used a pen to draw the rough shape of what I wanted it to look like. After some careful carving and scraping out of the insides I was left with a cute little pumpkin that lights up exactly how I had imagined it too. Next year I might try to be a little more creative, although I'm also hoping we will be able to easily get to a proper patch too! What do you think of my little creation?

Until next time, 

Lifestyle | Hallotober Tag

Couldn't not include this photo of my gorgeous Luna! Still wish she was with us - Coming up to 2 years missing soon!

Happy Sunday - I'm loving getting back into a routine with posting on my blog! Such a shame it took a global pandemic and redundancy to get me back into the flow but here we are. 

This weeks post is something I am super excited to get involved in albeit a little different from my usual uploads! My lovely friend and fellow blogger Katie tagged me in the Hallotober post and I couldn't wait to get involved! (Make sure you go and give her post a little read as I loved her answers!) 

The Rules

1. Thank the person who tagged you and link to their post 
2. Put the rules at the beginning or after introduction
3. Answer the 13 questions 
4. Tag 13 people to do the tag 
5. Delete Question 13, add a new number one question of your own

The Tag!

1. What’s your favourite thing about October? - October has always been the month that I begin to feel excited about the weather turning cold and the autumn colours begin. Nothing makes me happier than being able to wrap up warm in a cosy knit, boots and winter coat and October is usually when you can properly do this. (It also means Christmas is just round the corner, kinda!)
2. Are you a big celebrator of Halloween? - Not at all. I feel in the minority with my next statement but I have never been trick or treating or ever dressed up during the Halloween season. I personally don't get it or see the attraction to it, but each to their own! Growing up my parents were very anti Halloween so I guess that's why it doesn't bother me much. I do however LOVE to decorate for any season and any excuse to put up some pumpkin fairy lights or burn some wax melts!
3. What’s your favourite horror movie? Ermmmmmmmm... Sorry to say but I don't watch scary movies! So if we could switch this question to favourite Halloween movie then it would have to be the classic Halloweentown! I'm too much of a wimp to watch anything scary!
4. Would you rather a cosy night in watching horrors or a big night out in a costume?-  This answer will probably come at no surprise whatsoever, especially in the current 2020 lifestyle, but cosy night in 100%. Add a takeaway, fresh pjs and a blanket and I'm there!
5. Which has been your most favourite costume to date? - I'm having to think back long and hard at any time in my life where I was to have dressed up for Halloween and can only think of one! I believe I was meant to be a witch but got scared of my costume aged 6 so ended up going to the Halloween school party as a Barbie wearing normal clothes and a witches hat. Original I know!
6. Bobbing for apples or pin the hat on the witch? - Bobbing for apples! Although again, this won't be happening this year lol! I remember the only other time bobbing for apples was at Disneyland Paris! So if we could go back to then that would be great!
7. How do you celebrate Halloween? - I read Katie's response to this question and couldn't stop laughing as my family are the exact same minus dad getting sweets for the incase knock scenario! My road doesn't tend to have anybody knock, but if they do we tend to ignore it. We're just not into it and would rather just let the night go by!
8. What’s your least favourite horror? - I can't pick a favourite! I'm scared of them all haha! 
9. Do you have a favourite trick or treating memory? - I can't comment on this question as I've genuinely never been trick or treating!  
10. What’s your favourite thing about Halloween? - I love all of the themed Halloween treats you can buy in store during the month of October! My faves are the spooky French fancies! So yummy!!
11. Scary costume or Silly costume? - I would probably try to do a mixture of the two! Perhaps a normal-ish looking dress with a scary makeup look? That counts right?!
12. What’s your favourite Halloween candy? - I kind of mentioned this already but the Halloween French fancies, love me a bag of Rainbow Drops and any sour sweet!
13. What are you most looking forward to this October? - This year is going to be much different from the last couple as I suddenly have lots of time on my hands due to furlough and redundancy! So it will be nice to be around to enjoy the evenings at home. Going for walks in the autumn weather, bobble hat and coat on. Also my brother has just got a new puppy and I am so excited to get to know him too! 

Tag People to Join the Hallotober Tag

I would like to tag the following people:

1. Izzy - https://www.lebellelavie.com 
2. Eloise - https://www.eloisewrites.co.uk

Share The Questions and Change Question 13!

1. What’s your favourite thing about October?
2. Are you a big celebrator of Halloween?
3. What’s your favourite horror movie?
4. Would you rather a cosy night in watching horrors or a big night out in a costume?
5. Which has been your most favourite costume to date?
6. Bobbing for apples or pin the hat on the witch?
7. How do you celebrate Halloween?
8. What’s your least favourite horror?
9. Do you have a favourite trick or treating memory?
10. What’s your favourite thing about Halloween?
11. Scary costume or Silly costume?
12. What’s your favourite Halloween candy?
13. What's your favourite Halloween inspired drink? - PSL, Hot chocolate etc...

And there we have it, that's the tag! What do you think about my answers? Let me know if you would like to be tagged and I can add you onto my list for others to go over to read! 

Until next time, 

Lifestyle | DIY Bedside table

There's nothing I love more than a little DIY project, especially if it means up-cycling something that needs replacing but can have a little bit of extra life squeezed out of it. I was watching Stacey Solomons Instagram story where she showed a complete renovation of her bedside tables from something plain to chic and fresh. Being inspired I decided that I too could do this, lol. I initially thought it would be harder to do but in reality it took a day, a few supplies and a lot of patience. 

What you need

• Marble vinyl
• White wood paint
• Silver wood paint
• Decorative drawer knobs

The steps for this little project are so easy and need little explanation, but I'll briefly let you know how I did it. First of all I cleared my side and gave it a complete wipe down. Depending on what material your side is made out of you might need to sand it down too, but I didn't need this step and was able to apply the vinyl directly to the top and paint to the surfaces. I would say the vinyl application was probably the hardest out of everything to do. My only advice to make it easier is to roll it onto the table whilst rubbing it down and smoothing. The great thing about vinyl is if you make a mistake it is relatively inexpensive to replace, or you could just pull off and try again. Next I decided what colours I wanted to use for the sides and drawers. I went for white and silver to match the jewelled drawer knobs I had found in TKMaxx. After removing the old drawer knobs I started to paint a couple of layers to the drawers until I was happy with the colour. The final step is to add the new drawer knobs and to put into place. 

Overall I was super happy with the outcome of this little project! I was planning to replace the unit completely but as money is now a little tight thought this was a great alternative for now.

Let me know if there's any other DIY's that you've been up to and are as easy as this one!

Until next time, 

 

Fashion | ZARA SUMMER HAUL

Anyone else get caught out during the hot spike last week? Because I certainly did! So much so I decided to pull together a little Zara order to fill the missing spaces in my wardrobe of clothes I threw out last year, and thought I would be able to replace a lot easier this year! Zara isn't always my cup of tea, but when they've got some good pieces online they're one of my favourite places to shop. Hopefully these staples will be easy to wear with what I already own and be perfect for Summer days out in the garden, because let's face it we're not going on a holiday anytime soon! 

I loved how simple this white t-shirt is. The frilly pocket makes what is something boring a little more fun and I know I will get lots of use during the summer with shorts, but also in the cooler months as a layering piece. I also needed some updated denim this year, especially post lockdown! Zara is usually a hit or miss with bottoms so I ordered these in a couple of sizes. I would say these hi-rise shorts with ripped detailing fit true to size but would suggest ordering one size bigger if you want them to be super relaxed. 

I saw this relaxed vest with bows and fell in love! It was actually out of stock when I placed my first order but put my email down to be reminded and got it the next day. Much like the white t-shirt above I love how simple this is and I know it will be easy to style. The polka dot skort is also a favourite of mine from this order. It's simple but can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Although I am happy with this purchase I have decided to order again one size up as the fabric is a little tight and I want it to be comfortable. 

Then I saw this relaxed t-shirt dress for £7.99 and thought I would see if this style suits me. Sadly I don't think it does, and it's a little shapeless for my liking, but I love the idea of it! I am going to be keeping this one despite my views on it, as know it will be great when the weather gets even hotter to sit in the garden in! 

I then found this cute gingham dress with a small puff sleeve and fell in love. I love the puff sleeve trend going around at the moment and think this dress will be great on a summer picnic, even if it is just in the garden. I also loved the idea of dressing this up with a pair of wedges on holiday when the time comes! 

Again, I needed another pair of denim shorts so tried out this style. If I'm honest I am not sure if I will be keeping them as they make me feel...big. They fit perfectly on the waist but the leg holes just don't sit right and the weird panel on the front looks odd to me. I'll be having a think about these ones! 

Finally, I saw that I owned 0 maxi dresses so decided to try out this little beauty. I love the gorgeous coral colour, ruffles and the fabric of this. The neckline is more plunging than I probably would have chosen, but the straps are adjustable to give some support. 


So there we have it, my little Zara haul. I know my picks aren't that adventurous but what can you do on a furloughed budget! There were a couple of misses that I haven't shown above as they didn't fit correctly. I think Zara's sizing has and will always be a risk when it comes to ordering online. At the moment I vary from size 8-14 depending on what the product is which isn't great. 

Until next time, 

Living life in the new 'normal'

It still blows my mind how different life has become over the last 2 months. If you had told me this would be the state of the UK back in January I would have called you a liar. The country seems to be all over the place with varying views depending who’s doing the daily update.... let’s not even begin discussing Boris addressing the nation with what could possibly be THE most confusing instructions in the world. It seems when we think things are beginning to feel somewhat normal another change is made that makes the world seem uncertain again. This week has been highlighting World Mental Health Awareness, and I couldn’t think of a better time when it could be needed more. It’s not secret I’ve struggled with my own mental health, but if I’m being open the last few months have been tougher than ever. I’ve been taking certain steps to make sure I’m looking after myself and my MH during this time. 

I’ve made sure to take some time for me as and when it’s needed. This can sometimes be the last thing on your mind especially if you’re feeling anxious but it’s so important. Keeping busy has helped me to focus on something other than the continual negative news we’ve been receiving on a daily basis. I’ve been keeping busy by being creative and using my time on furlough to restart my crafting business. If you’re in need of cake toppers, cards or anything else personalised I’m your gal! Staying connected with family isn’t a new concept, especially with the introduction of Zoom to my life, but it is so important. My wider family and I have been talking on zoom every Sunday as a way to just talk, have a little quiz and to catch up. It’s been so nice to speak with everyone and ironically I feel like we’ve become closer than ever before. Now, for something I could never have thought to read on my blog...exercise!! Yeah I know, I hate myself for saying it too! But exercise has really helped me focus my energy on something positive. I downloaded the BBC couch to 5K app and find it easy to follow and quite enjoyable to do. Take it from someone who could run for less than 20 seconds at the start, the fact I’ve just ran my first 5K after 5 weeks should speak millions! Dare I say I’m actually finding it a little bit enjoyable now?!?! Again, I HATE MYSELF TOO! Finally, keep talking. It’s easy to want to curl up into a shell when times get tough, believe me I've been there, but making sure to keep conversations open with family and friends is so important. Sometimes a quick little 'I'm ok, but would like to spend my day sitting in bed playing Animal Crossing' is enough to get the message across and lets them know you want some time out. I've certainly been using that excuse on more than one occasion! Talking with family/friends also helps you to check in and make sure they're ok too. Times are weird for everyone and people cope in different ways, showing you care can help you feel loved and supported. 

This week I plan on taking some time to reflect on the good things I have learnt and the skills I have gained since lockdown began. Perhaps I will share them in a post soon! For now stay safe and stay positive. 

Until next time, 

Lifestyle || MY week, a recap!

I'm writing this in the most perfect blogging atmosphere ever. Rainy day, sat by the window cosied up with a cup of tea. Today's post consists of my week in the form of OOTDs. I know I've done this once before, but it's certainly about time I gave a little update! I work in a relaxed dress code office where there are literally no boundaries of what you can wear whatsoever! This sounds amazing, but it does often mean my day to day wardrobe becomes quite repetitive as I don't have a separate work/life wardrobe. This week didn't quite turn out how I thought it would, so I'm glad I have this blogpost to look back on! Side note: I apologise in advance for the badly lit photographs! They were all taken at 8am pre work!

Mondays outfit was probably the only one I planned for over the weekend. I have had this H&M shacket for over a month but had debated to and fro whether I was actually going to keep it, or if it was going to be returned. I finally decided that I loved it so Monday I took it out for a spin. This photo doesn't show the whole outfit look as I wore my grey University jumper under with the hood popping out slightly. Monday was going so well until the sad news that my contract at my current position wasn't being renewed which has led to a very anxiety filled/stressful week! 

Jacket - H&M

Jeans - Topshop

Belt - Topshop

Shirt - Stradivarius

Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday. I decided to choose something a little different today as the rest of my wardrobe had become a little tiresome! Luckily I changed over my summer/winter wardrobe last weekend and I found this little leopard print beauty! I love the cute little tie and it works perfectly with jeans or a dressed up with a leather skirt! 

Shirt - River Island

Jeans - Topshop

Belt - Topshop

Wednesday. Time for something a little more casual. You can probably notice a little theme by now, but it's so much easier when travelling into London to wear jeans and a cute top. On Wednesday I knew I would be lugging boxes around the office so needed something a little more loose and comfortable. 

Blouse - Topshop

Jeans - Topshop

Thursday consisted of all the casual cosy vibes. On a Thursday I have to commute a little further out to our main head office which is located on the complete opposite side of London (17 central line stops, you feel me!). I always try to wear something comfortable on a Thursday and nothing screams cosy quite like this oversized knit and leather look jeans!

Jumper - River Island

Jeans - River Island

TGIF! Finally Friday. This has been a LOOONNNGGGG week. We have had a rat infestation in our office this week so I was made to trek all the way back to our head office. I'm just pleased I had a cute top to wear that's a little smarter for the head office environment! I've actually had this top for a couple of weeks now and have found it to be the best transitional piece in my wardrobe. I've worn it without a vest, with a vest and shirt open, tucked into jeans and tucked into a slip skirt. It's the best ££ I've spent in ages!

Shirt - Topshop

Jeans - Topshop

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, I know it's very different to the ones I usually post. It didn't really turn out the way I thought it would, and the negative start to the week really threw me off a little but I am pleased that I continued with my OOTD post as it gave me something to think about. Plus I now have a cute selection of outfits to look back on when I need inspo! 

Have a lovely week! 

Until next time x

Lifestyle || Where have I been?

I know there has already been a few of these 'I'm back' posts on this blog, but hopefully this one will be my last. It's taken me a good couple of weeks to bring myself around to writing this, but I am so happy that I have finally got a few hours to myself, and a fully functional laptop, to pull something together. 

This year has been one of the hardest yet. Mentally and physically. I have been struggling. For those who might not be aware, or have missed all of my miserable tweets -soz, my gorgeous cat Luna went missing back in January and truth be told I haven't been the same since. I know how crazy it sounds, and trust me before I owned our two fur babies I wouldn't have understood it myself, but the day Luna went missing a small part of me left with her and my life has been left upside down. It's now October and to this day I struggle to mention her name without me feeling like I am going to burst into tears, something I am trying my best to work on daily! Coming to terms with the Luna hole in my life hasn't been helped by complete strangers constantly phoning reigniting the hope of a reunion that let's be honest probably isn't going to happen anytime soon (although my fingers are always crossed!). 

Work has been challenging as well. As someone who suffers with anxiety and finds change a hard thing to deal with, working in fashion PR has been some what of a mountain to climb. I am now in my second year of working within my company and although I still feel anxious every time the phone rings, a press event, meeting people for the first time and travelling into work, I am slowly reaching the other side and starting to feel more comfortable within my position. With this being said, my current contract runs until December and although there have been conversations about me being kept on nothing has been set in stone. For a worrier like myself this is something I am trying not to focus on too much, but it's always in the back of my mind. For now I am trying to put these worries aside and concentrate on other things, hence my sudden return to the blogosphere world. 

Blogging has always been something I wanted to do. It took a lot of courage for me to start talking about my blog with IRL people, so for me to just set it aside for months this year has been such a shame. I am a creative person and this blog had always been one of the best outlets for me to release  my emotions and express myself. I can't wait for me to get more involved with the blogging world again and hopefully I will get back to the point where I post every weekend and more to a schedule. For now, I am not going to put too much pressure on. If I want to post every night? I will. If I want to post once a month? I will. I guess what I am trying to say is I want to start blogging for me again rather than for the sake of it. Since I've been gone (cue the Kelly Clarkson hit!) the only social media I have really kept up has been Instagram. I even started a second account to share my love of homeware, something I didn't really delve into on this blog. I am still debating whether I want to keep them separate or if I will at some point merge the two, but for now I am enjoying capturing moments and posting. So what have I been up to? Below is a quick snapshot of the past few months in photo form. 

Disneyland Paris with Emma

My gorgeous Alice has really come into her own since Luna has left. She's such a good girl, and completely my little shadow. She has helped to fill the gap her sister left 💔 

My brother Daniel, graduated from his Master's this year and I was lucky enough to attend the ceremony.
SO proud of him and all of his achievements! x

One week trip to Mallorca!

Disneyland Paris trip with Emma

Disneyland Paris with Daniel and Emma

Disneyland Paris with Daniel 

Disneyland Paris with Daniel and Emma. 

Spice girls concert - Fun fact I was anxious the whole evening, but had to put on a brave smiling face. It's funny what a picture can hide!

Daniel's graduation with Emma. I am so thankful to have her in my life ❤️

Mallorca nights, in one of my favourite Zara dresses!

Mallorca with mum ❤️

Another Mallorca night

Hopefully this gives a little insight into my world for the last months, and we're all caught up. I am genuinely excited to finally get back into it and sharing my love for all things fashion, beauty and lifestyle. This time there will be nothing to stop me from being more open and honest and I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts. 

Until next time, hopefully sooner rather than later! 

My lovely Luna ❤️