New Things #8

Strawberry Laces Hand Gel (link here) - I carry anti-bacterial hand gels everywhere so when I saw this one, I just had to pick it up. I'm still in two minds about the scent as I was expecting it to be a fruity strawberry smell but it's a little different to that. It does smell like strawberries but it's more on the synthetic side however, I still prefer this to the strong chemical scents.

Green Tea Ice Cream - It might be the end of September but it's never too cold to try out something new. I've heard a lot of people go on about how much they love green tea ice-cream so I picked up a small pot when I was shopping. Unfortunately, it tasted like I was eating green tea powder. I'm not sure what I was expecting really...

DVD (link here) - In the hunt for a DVD to watch, I picked this one up. It's not something that I'd instantly go for as the trailer didn't really intice me much - all this "end of the world" business is a bit dull to me but nevertheless, I gave it a watch. I have to say, my concentration span when it comes to sitting down to watch a DVD is extremely low so my mind did float away at some parts but it was a good film.

Laundry Handwash Liquid (link here) - It has only recently occurred to me that a lot of clothing items that I own are supposed to be handwashed. Oops.... Who knew that you couldn't just chuck it all in the washing machine? I guess it does explain why my stuff gets old so quickly and torn apart. I'm not sure if I'll be religiously checking through every single label just yet though.

Card Games - These are both Happy Families card games. One of them is based on Frozen and the other is a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse one. These came free with a £40 shop at Morrison's and although I collected quite a few different card games over the weeks including Domino and Guess Who, these two are my favourite because Happy Families is such a good game. I can't believe I've never heard of it before!

Review: Wrapped For You - Personalised Chocolate Bar

If you read this blog often enough, you'll know about my love for all things personalised. Recently, I came across Wrapped For You, a company specialising in chocolates and sweets for all occasions. You can choose from a range of designs or get your own design printed. 

I was sent the "I'd Give Up Chocolate" chocolate bar* and I had it personalised with a name on it for my friend as a sweet good luck gift for a new job. 

My friend really liked it and thought that the design was simple but really nice. Sometimes simple is really all you need. No fuss, no frills, just a cute slogan and a personalisation. 

The most important part is of course the taste test! I'm pleased to say that my friend really enjoyed the chocolate bar but then again, wouldn't most chocoholics? 

There are other designs on their website including ones for occasions such as birthdays, christenings, and weddings. For anyone who loves chocolate, they'll love a personalised chocolate bar. It makes a simple gift for times when a bigger present would be too much, or when you want to give them an extra little gift. I can imagine that these would also make brilliant stocking fillers this Christmas.... Too soon? 

Wrapped For You have kindly offered my readers 10% off any order from their website. Just use the code linderella10 at www.wrapped4you.co.uk. Enjoy!

Autumn 2014 Lust List

Images on collage are from their respective websites.

Autumn is well and truly underway now and I am most certainly looking forward to wrapping up for the colder weather. I could probably spend all day making a gigantic collage of all my favourite Autumn wardrobe pieces but for the purpose of this post, I've cut it down to nine!

1. Black Boots. I've been lusting after these all year. Duo boots are high quality and you can purchase them to suit your calf size. This is a bit of a splurge but I have a feeling that these may just be making their way into my life before the end of the year.... The only thing putting me off buying these is the next item...

2. Brown Water-Resistant Boots. These are also from Duo and they're new to the website. These are water-resistant which means they'll be far more practical than the previous pair. Plus, I don't own wellington boots as I don't like the look of them so these would be a great alternative.

3. Monochrome Coat. Do I need a new coat? Probably not, but every September I find myself lusting after a new one. This one has a gorgeous texture with a pretty skirted bottom.

4. Collar Knit Dress. I love a bit of burgundy during the Autumn months and, as some of you may remember, I also love collars. Perfect Autumn dress right here!

5. Heart Elbow Patch Jumper. I have to say that I've never really been into the whole elbow patch thing but these heart patches are adorable. Adds a little something extra to an otherwise plain jumper.

6. Botanical Bloom Print Wrap. This is perhaps more reminiscent of Spring but nothing wrong with a few florals in Autumn, especially when they're this pretty.

7. Teddy Jumper. When I saw this, it made me think of Christmas. I can't wait until all cute jumpers make an appearance nearer towards the festive season.

8. Faux Suede Biker Jacket. Another burgundy item on the list, it's such a gorgeous shade. I like having big coats during Autumn but there's times when they become impractical such as when you're going to a shopping centre. I'm usually the person who ends up carrying out a massive coat in one hand and then loads of shopping in the other.

9. Pink Floral Lace Shift Dress. This isn't exactly an Autumn item but I just love the cut and pattern on it. Pink isn't a colour I'd often wear but I do make an exception when everything else ticks the boxes.

If you want to see what else I'm currently lusting after, visit my brand new page - Shop My Favourites.

Do you love Autumn fashion?

Introducing: Battle Oats

Having immersed myself into a health & fitness regime these past few months, I was quite keen to try out some protein bars to see what all the fuss was about. I was recently sent two protein bars from Battle Oats to test out - Cranberry & Blueberry Fusion* and Dark Choc Chip*.

Battle Oats are a new company who produce 100% natural high protein oaty flapjacks. Their bars are free from gluten and are suitable for vegetarians. They use ingredients such as natural butter, coconut oil, gluten-free oats, and isolated soy protein. Each bar contains 22% protein, making it a great choice for refuelling and topping up your energy levels. 

Before I get onto the taste and all that, I'd just like to point out my one little gripe with the packaging. The side of the packet states that "snacking never tasted so awesome" and, personally, I've always had a bit of an issue with energy bars being marketed as snacks. For me, an energy bar, particularly one high in protein, should really only be eaten if there is a need to refuel and/or if you can't get hold of any food such as when you've had a workout, when you're commuting, or even if you're going on a long walk. If you've just been sat down most of the day and fancy a snack, you're better off picking up a piece of fruit and ensuring that you're eating/cooking healthy meals. Otherwise you'll just be overloading on nutrients, which can actually be quite harmful to your body. There IS such a thing as "too much of a good thing". Let's not forget that you'll also be consuming more calories too.

Right, now that I've cleared that up, onto the taste.... As much as I love flapjacks, I often struggle with large flapjacks as it's a bit of an oat overload so I was pleasantly surprised to see that this didn't really resemble a flapjack at all when I looked at it. The taste is oaty but it's been mixed in well and it kind of reminds me of a mix between a flapjack and a cake, and it's a little bit powdery.

The first one I tried was the Cranberry & Blueberry Fusion which I had high hopes for because I love anything fruity, and it definitely didn't disappoint. It had a distinct taste of berries without tasting like I was eating a fruit bar. I actually split this one in half and had the fist half an hour before my workout, then I had the second half straight after my workout. Not sure if it was the bar or the placebo effect but I definitely felt more energised during my workout and it was a great way to refuel too. Plus, it's so tasty!

The second one I tried was the Dark Choc Chip one which I was initially apprehensive about as I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate but I like to try everything so I gave it a go and although I do prefer the Cranberry one, this one wasn't bad either.

I really like the texture of these bars and I hope that Battle Oats make some more flavours in the future, ideally fruity ones! I'm still in two minds about whether I need protein bars in my life but these are tasty enough for me to want to purchase for a pre-workout or post-workout snack.

What are your favourite protein/energy bars?

Be A Kid

Who says we have to grow up so fast? It's almost like once education is over, you're an adult and you're expected to act a certain way and speak a certain way. Responsibilities and pressure starts to increase, fun starts to become a thing of the past. 

Now I'm not saying that we should all throw away our responsibilities, in fact, that's absolutely not what I'm saying but it's okay to have fun. It's okay to be a kid and enjoy all the wonders of the world. It doesn't matter if you're 12, 22, or even 62. If you want to build sandcastles at the beach then go for it. If want to swing on a tree then that's completely fine. If you want to tip out your old lego bucket and start constructing lego houses then that's okay too. As long as you're not harming anyone then there really isn't a problem.

Whatever your age, it's important to maintain a youthful spirit. There are so many amazing things in this world, and so many small things that can bring a lot of joy and magic. Don't let a number define when you have to suddenly stop having fun.

Review: Aquis Microfiber Hair Turban

Hairdryers - who needs them? I for one like to let my hair dry naturally and I guess I'm lucky that my hair actually dries straight. The only time I use a hairdryer is if I'm in a rush, so I was very excited when this Aquis Microfiber Hair Turban* arrived through the letterbox for me to test out.

I have to admit that the colour isn't to my taste and I think this would like much more appealing in a different shade, perhaps something brighter, but I guess I'm not exactly going to go out shopping with it in my hair so no one is going to see it anyway!

This is made from a special fabric containing fine microfibers to make it lightweight yet super absorbent. It's designed to speed up natural drying time which will then reduce the amount of time you need to blow dry your hair. Of course, I don't really blow dry my hair often so this just speeds up the natural drying time for me. 

I normally use a small towel to wrap my hair up onto the top of my head but it always ends up unwrapping and falling off because my hair is so long and heavy! With this, it has a button and a loop so you can securely fasten it to the top of your head. My hair is quite long, it reaches to my lower back so I was a bit unsure as to whether it would fit into this hair turban but it just about squeezed in. My hair stayed secure which was such a welcome change as it made it so much easier for me to apply body lotion and get changed whilst my hair dried off a bit.

Although I don't use this everyday, it always comes in handy when I'm in a rush and it means that I use the hairdryer even less now which is a massive bonus for me. It doesn't dry my hair completely but it absorbs more water than the average towel and it stays put. In fact, the hair turban still felt so light when I took it off my hair that I actually placed it on my bed, and then I came back about 15 minutes later to find a massive puddle! That's how much it absorbed without me even realising. So definitely make sure you hang it up somewhere to dry afterwards.

This is available online in celadon, white, and pink. The RRP is £14.99 but it is currently on offer at £9.95.