tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24216778243678272842024-03-29T03:28:49.595+00:00The Lilac ScrapbookThe Lilac Scrapbook is a lifestyle, travel and beauty blog run by Katy Gilroy, based just outside of Liverpool.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1237125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-3160382413526871352024-03-21T13:59:00.002+00:002024-03-21T15:24:36.461+00:00My 2024 reads so farI have to say, 2024 has not been the most successful reading year for me so far. I haven't been able to get through as many books as I would have liked, due to work being busy and us doing some small house renovations and so on. But with that being said, I have done *some* reading and I thought I'd share my 2024 reads so far with you...<div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Things We Left Behind </i>by Lucy Score</h3><div><br /></div><div>This is the third & final instalment in Lucy Score's Knockemout series, and I for one thoroughly enjoyed seeing the story continue through the eyes of dark and dreamy Lucian, and girl next door Sloane. The "will they, won't they" could be tedious for some but I knew they would, and I loved the tension that got them there. For spicy reads with a deep backstory, I highly recommend Lucy Score! <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3vmxPnG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Get it here</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>I Will Find You </i>by Harlan Coben</h3><div><br /></div><div>I'm a big fan of the Netflix adaptations of Coben's books, but I'd actually never read any. I picked this up while on a work trip to London without my Kindle, and it did not let me down. It follows the story of a man who's in prison for killing his son, something he's adamant he didn't do - and when it turns out he actually might not have done it, the drama really starts. It's fast paced and maybe a little far fetched, but a great read nonetheless. <i><a href="https://amzn.to/43qxzR0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy it here</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Icebreaker </i>by Hannah Grace</h3><div><br /></div><div>Ice hockey romances seem to be a big business right now, and I had to dip in - I actually really enjoyed this college-age romance, which was far spicier than expected but had some really interesting plot points and fun characters. An easy read but one that I enjoyed!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg896H4pO_6FjKytQwMLcdcq_y0ERgnnz3Ee4-2d6cG-dJ5GSYVGbxs-yevAysHyVKouWvHh2KJJf63Idh1PJasLEbuJ_Tv3GxJcOyNyX8NRjzIM-WNySsPwLFg-mZHFjaFuDIWDX21CwLi5PC6YbTvS5_UygpC4g4rxPkHIOJV937aAn3nKORTLC1srlg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg896H4pO_6FjKytQwMLcdcq_y0ERgnnz3Ee4-2d6cG-dJ5GSYVGbxs-yevAysHyVKouWvHh2KJJf63Idh1PJasLEbuJ_Tv3GxJcOyNyX8NRjzIM-WNySsPwLFg-mZHFjaFuDIWDX21CwLi5PC6YbTvS5_UygpC4g4rxPkHIOJV937aAn3nKORTLC1srlg=w427-h640" width="427" /></a></div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>None of This is True </i>by Lisa Jewell</h3><div><br /></div><div>Lisa Jewell can do no wrong, and I really liked how <b>dark </b>this story was. I listened to the audiobook version and definitely want to read a physical copy, as I'm still not sure audiobooks work for me, but nevertheless I thought the story was so twisted and interesting. Another winner for sure.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Confessions of a Bookaholic </i>by Joslyn Westbrook</h3><div><br /></div><div>I got this on Stuff Your Kindle day last year (if you don't know, <a href="https://www.romancebookworms.com/" target="_blank">get to know</a>) and I read it recently - it wasn't too long, but my god it was spicy. I mean SPICY. It follows a book blogger who's in love with her childhood best friend, and when she accidentally reveals that ...well, it's dramatic. But it's such fun, and a story that had me genuinely gasping from time to time.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>The Family Upstairs </i>by Lisa Jewell</h3><div><br /></div><div>Another audiobook I listened to, this is again a really twisted and convoluted story that in the end makes you go "duh, obviously" despite the fact you didn't see any of it coming. Cults, abandoned babies, French murders, mansions, secrets... it's got a bit of everything, and I loved it.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Two is a Pattern </i>by Emily Waters</h3><div><br /></div><div>I don't actually read much sapphic fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed this; set in the early 90s, it's a gorgeous tale of a college spy and an older woman, of deceit and heartache, of the way families and institutions can hold us back from happiness. Highly, highly recommend this one for the twists, turns, and pure love.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I've managed <b>seven </b>books so far in 2024 which, like I say, isn't many for me. But with more trips to London coming up (meaning more time on trains) and a determination to spend less time looking at screens, I'm really going to try and up this a little. I've also got a brand new 'Bookstagram' account which I would love you to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatkatyreadsuk/" target="_blank">check out here</a>!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-29373065451823446142024-03-06T13:54:00.004+00:002024-03-19T17:07:48.887+00:00Everything we ate in NYC (January 2024)Before we went to New York, I thought we would eat <i>soooo </i>much - and we spent a lot of time researching, saving and planning across TikTok and Instagram as well as other travel blogs, deciding where to eat during our trip. But as it happens, when we were there, we actually didn't eat all that much... Nevertheless, I did want to share everywhere we ate in New York in January 2024 in case this is helpful to anybody.<div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Pod 39, New York (Breakfast)</h3><div><br /></div><div>We stayed at Pod 39, a small <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2024/02/pod-39-new-york-city-hotel-review.html" target="_blank">budget-friendly hotel in midtown Manhattan</a>, and the bar/lounge area downstairs had breakfast available everyday for guests. There was free filter coffee, tea, and ice cold water - I don't drink coffee but my fiancée said it was nice! They also had a variety of bagels (plain, sesame, everything etc) on offer, which you could get for just a few dollars with jam, butter, or cream cheese. As well as this there were some different pastries and muffins available as well as cappuccinos, lattes etc if you wanted. I was really pleasantly surprised by breakfast, and the bagels were definitely filling!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0MzeJNUpf9XsWxGnic8-I461GdjpcISJn4uoW0YegBEvXdjqBmXp5oeIBadwkRKKmPkx-22temDJj8VZuCIk7P0Vt2zWiPBP3hsJzPGIdXycjIa8B6sjW3JgE0sCb8H4753N3PIr8XI2yMDWRcFwd1Xdg6jo34okriCw6J4oRvj5RPtWUHr_zlhMvJs/s958/4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0MzeJNUpf9XsWxGnic8-I461GdjpcISJn4uoW0YegBEvXdjqBmXp5oeIBadwkRKKmPkx-22temDJj8VZuCIk7P0Vt2zWiPBP3hsJzPGIdXycjIa8B6sjW3JgE0sCb8H4753N3PIr8XI2yMDWRcFwd1Xdg6jo34okriCw6J4oRvj5RPtWUHr_zlhMvJs/s16000/4.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Target and 7-11</h3><div><br /></div><div>We of course got ourselves loads of snacks at <a href="https://capitaloneshopping.com/s/target.com/coupon" target="_blank">Target</a> - a birthday cake KitKat, some Hostess brand cakes - and 7-11, like Golden Oreos and Skittles Gummies. All stuff we struggle to get over here! And of course, a huge shoutout to the Big Gulp machines at 7-11 which allowed me to fulfil my TikTok influencer girly dreams.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Bagel Express on Lexington</h3><div><br /></div><div>As happy as I was with the plain/buttered bagels at the hotel, I did want to get a proper filled bagel and found Bagel Express around the corner where I ordered an everything bagel with sausage and cheese as well as a bottle of juice, for around $7.95 - it was really big, tasted nice, and filled me up for the whole morning. I didn't necessarily love the type of cheese, as it was typical American cheese, but I should have asked for actual cheddar so that's my bad! The sausage was absolutely delicious, though, and there was no queue at all so the service was super quick.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Previti Pizza on Lexington</h3><div><br /></div><div>Also on Lexington we found Previti Pizza, where we visited twice - two huge slices of cheese pizza and a coke for $8! And honestly we could <i>not </i>fault the pizza, it was so flavoursome and the slices were huge. The staff were really friendly, and service was quick, and it was close to our hotel; we saw no reason to walk any further to grab a slice when we had amazing NYC pizza right by our accommodation! You'll struggle to find actual 'dollar pizza', in my opinion, but you can definitely find it for a reasonable price outside of the super busy areas.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp9HADOJW3RMUqiOs_LvdKA6PD8yBBCuWEHPYe5cXMn0KRBeADqH4tEuBINf430cIyRnLVsmWk_HmbV0AKSxIpxl_Kfl2Cc5FW4FqksHQKS9q5NiLd5m_bX6AmE3MTwEg3QyqskCDXELM5kiMP5GYXySBdMQGKwok8TU6gsGI-0t9eg5rkEjWMrPycLdo/s958/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp9HADOJW3RMUqiOs_LvdKA6PD8yBBCuWEHPYe5cXMn0KRBeADqH4tEuBINf430cIyRnLVsmWk_HmbV0AKSxIpxl_Kfl2Cc5FW4FqksHQKS9q5NiLd5m_bX6AmE3MTwEg3QyqskCDXELM5kiMP5GYXySBdMQGKwok8TU6gsGI-0t9eg5rkEjWMrPycLdo/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Raising Cane's</h3><div><br /></div><div>I am nothing if not easily influenced by people on TikTok and I'd seen sooo many people visiting Raising Canes in Times Square during a trip to NYC; we of course wanted to visit Times Square anyway, and we decided to eat here too. First of all the atmosphere is buzzing - there's a DJ, and it was jam packed even when the city itself wasn't so full of tourists. We did wait a while for our food, but honestly I wasn't surprised given how many orders were going through; my fiancée ordered the sandwich combo and I opted for the 3 fingers combo, both of which come with a drink. For the two meals it was just over $28, which I was chuffed with for such a tourist hotspot location and when let me tell you the chicken is soooo well cooked and flavoursome, the sauce is TASTY, and the Texas Toast is to die for... highly recommend!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9SdjWQTXVSeRvx5WTZwjNOsBkV7YABepWB4GsjvdmuvGdAnCxU1KXBcme-PPdd7XpmfTtFDl34SSmNT7WWBr6VvCF6bIb_Oi92LkTPQ-WGrw0IjtXcvX6MroNVorNHmhbrRGWGKvsEszlz3JQaUuos3rE96CUTRMVcWp3dRip7gQ5HCZ3_-PM5cp1Nk/s958/5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9SdjWQTXVSeRvx5WTZwjNOsBkV7YABepWB4GsjvdmuvGdAnCxU1KXBcme-PPdd7XpmfTtFDl34SSmNT7WWBr6VvCF6bIb_Oi92LkTPQ-WGrw0IjtXcvX6MroNVorNHmhbrRGWGKvsEszlz3JQaUuos3rE96CUTRMVcWp3dRip7gQ5HCZ3_-PM5cp1Nk/s16000/5.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Juniors at Times Square</h3><div><br /></div><div>I really wanted cheesecake (obv) and this is where we ended up going for it; we had to wait around 15 minutes for a table and it was so busy, but there was a nice vibe and a really big/varied menu. We ended up sharing a chicken salad sandwich with chips (and they were chunky chips, not fries) and a slice of Oreo cheesecake with a hot chocolate and a refill Pepsi. We paid bang on $50 with tip, which was definitely our most expensive meal but again for the portion size and location I wasn't mad about it at all! The food was all really fresh and delicious, and you get complimentary beets/pickles too if you so wish. Definitely worth a visit if the queue isn't too big.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvSKA9ZcO0xq-rOf50ha6oHGOhXO2QX1jHyFfvwMmHBxny9CAlTjcITPBI4BorjEnDLXY1IBuMajlid7JKRQd5gdWbkC0Ib-xtOUVjT7Eb7jiRcroL2x_GLNyrEwUD2g4CuP4i0PIlRObND1is4Tb63-mLQLW5GZ5jzMrZJ7fky9ZE4465WU5ilBVxcc/s958/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvSKA9ZcO0xq-rOf50ha6oHGOhXO2QX1jHyFfvwMmHBxny9CAlTjcITPBI4BorjEnDLXY1IBuMajlid7JKRQd5gdWbkC0Ib-xtOUVjT7Eb7jiRcroL2x_GLNyrEwUD2g4CuP4i0PIlRObND1is4Tb63-mLQLW5GZ5jzMrZJ7fky9ZE4465WU5ilBVxcc/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Allerton Club</h3><div><br /></div><div>The downstairs of our hotel was also home to the Allerton Club, a bar/restaurant that was open to the public too. We got 25% off a meal here with our stay, so of course we decided to eat here one night when it was too cold/we were too tired to head out and find somewhere for dinner. We both ordered the smash burger and a coke, which were tasty - the portion sizes were enough for us but definitely not as big as other places! There is just a lovely atmosphere in here, with low lighting and dark wood and a varied cocktail menu if you fancy a tipple. With our 25% off the bill came to around $30, which I was more than happy with.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasbH_LQynJ2YFdhsjJRVr7PkKbbAd0pQPUqZBRvvFdbbN2ccQJ1jaNxy6hG7zFIhq40O584Dmm00FP5RhjSwwDpBzM5g6p-lEwt0VOH-CjmUUk9jrP2vNz4dX9HbTf-tkWMIDxEA6yRiDxlt_djNa9Pmsjy3r4OVEVpMjRT0nfYzSjy7PDoVw_WiaAC8/s958/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasbH_LQynJ2YFdhsjJRVr7PkKbbAd0pQPUqZBRvvFdbbN2ccQJ1jaNxy6hG7zFIhq40O584Dmm00FP5RhjSwwDpBzM5g6p-lEwt0VOH-CjmUUk9jrP2vNz4dX9HbTf-tkWMIDxEA6yRiDxlt_djNa9Pmsjy3r4OVEVpMjRT0nfYzSjy7PDoVw_WiaAC8/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">McDonalds</h3><div><br /></div><div>I truly believe that trying McDonalds abroad is a cultural experience, and if you disagree that's okay but I'll always try and do it at least once! In terms of American McD's, I genuinely didn't think it was any different to what we have over here except the chicken nuggets weren't as nice and they have some different sauce options which were fun to try. Meh! One thing that I did absolutely LOVE that we can't get here, though, was the frozen Coke. Whyyyy do we not have those in the UK?!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>We just didn't eat as much as I thought we would - we found ourselves super busy, and the food we did eat was very filling! So here's everything we ate in NYC if you're looking for budget food in New York for your next trip...</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1g8WXh-0mb7Ibb2LMs8q-pMVf7OOcnmXovSx7enpim4YwlQp_RQ6tjVwJXZtrap7amSWDrISMS7yVt4eDo0ttAbF2lvSy9nShdz7YKwi3c4zOn_KgRbElHInueQNf_LOZFxU4TbLuIxQoRjPxCeQE2WGCjROqXBRAQlJkAhbGGxPic4NO8i5JHoRW_xs/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1g8WXh-0mb7Ibb2LMs8q-pMVf7OOcnmXovSx7enpim4YwlQp_RQ6tjVwJXZtrap7amSWDrISMS7yVt4eDo0ttAbF2lvSy9nShdz7YKwi3c4zOn_KgRbElHInueQNf_LOZFxU4TbLuIxQoRjPxCeQE2WGCjROqXBRAQlJkAhbGGxPic4NO8i5JHoRW_xs/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-53983456325714592872024-02-23T14:25:00.005+00:002024-02-26T18:03:15.408+00:00My MI-free and BoP-free make up wishlistOkay, <i>very </i>niche post but I'm sure there will be other people stuck in the same position as me: just been diagnosed with weird allergies, not sure where to go from here, and feeling frustrated. I recently had some <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2024/02/my-experience-with-allergy-patch.html" target="_blank">patch testing done on the NHS</a> and it came up with two main allergies. These are methylisothiazolinone and Balsam of Peru, and these two pesky things are in a <b>lot </b>of make up and beauty/personal care products - and I mean a lot! I've been using the <a href="https://www.skinsafeproducts.com/" target="_blank">SkinSAFE app</a>/site to scan and search products to see if they contain either of these allergens. The app is really useful and I will do a whole post about it at some point, but for now here's my MI-free and Balsam of Peru-free make up wishlist!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZSs7MAWLSiy8jzkJqfXokWz3-g5gBb8v6yGIu3M-0n5DUXFvph0qZ8MiOISH2zRBDi-DrbrvhC7JK1j7pSbLJIJkv3St8r67e852ImcaygJ-2IQlw9ZWUPEjOLLcJRR7yJ81kCBkW74qpA7xWGAwOnp5lnm9mx7j-RcaIE_4dJa805Wd5aCj6-Z4jKY/s958/full%20face%20allergy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZSs7MAWLSiy8jzkJqfXokWz3-g5gBb8v6yGIu3M-0n5DUXFvph0qZ8MiOISH2zRBDi-DrbrvhC7JK1j7pSbLJIJkv3St8r67e852ImcaygJ-2IQlw9ZWUPEjOLLcJRR7yJ81kCBkW74qpA7xWGAwOnp5lnm9mx7j-RcaIE_4dJa805Wd5aCj6-Z4jKY/s16000/full%20face%20allergy.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I've tried to put together a full face of make up for those with a methylisothiazolinone allergy, which encompasses a range of brands. So none of these products contain Balsam of Peru or methylisothiazolinone, meaning they are 'safe for me' and hopefully for those of you reading this blog post who share my silly little allergies!</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">MI-free face make up</h3><div><br /></div><div>For primer I opted for the <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2041&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boots.com%2Fnyx-professional-makeup-angel-veil--skin-perfecting-primer-10224966" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NYX Angel Veil</a> - the primer I was using isn't safe, but this one is. I've not heard much about it, but I'm definitely going to try it as I find primer to be an absolute necessity for wearing make up with my dry skin. It's more of a nice budget option too, as a lot of MI-free make up is from high end brands.</div><div><br /></div><div>For foundation I've chosen the <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2041&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boots.com%2Fclinique-beyond-perfecting-2-in-1-foundation-and-concealer-30ml-10191999" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clinique Beyond Perfection Foundation & Concealer</a>, which I've heard <i>very </i>good things about. I don't think I've ever tried any Clinique make up before, not off the top of my head anyway, and this looks like a really lovely foundation. It's high end, but then again I've always found I get on better with more expensive foundations. Just the way it is!</div><div><br /></div><div>I need a concealer too, and Bobbi Brown have quite a lot of MI-free make up including their <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2041&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boots.com%2Fbobbi-brown-skin-full-cover-concealer-8ml-10320153" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Skin Full Cover Concealer</a> - it's £30 which is a bit 'yikes' but they have loads of shades and also it's supposed to be really full coverage, as the name suggests.</div><div><br /></div><div>For both bronzer and blusher I've opted for <a href="https://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/product/cheek-to-chic-love-glow" target="_blank">Charlotte Tilbury</a>, which is a favourite brand of mine anyway. The bronzer looks a lovely cool tone, so it's perfect for contouring, and the blushers are just really nice - I do already have one of these, but it's a few years old so definitely needs replacing. Of course, they're on the pricier side: but they do last a long time!</div><div><br /></div><div>I've popped in a really budget-friendly highlighter, which is this £4 <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2041&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boots.com%2Frevolution-highlight-reloaded-10307248" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Revolution 'highlight reloaded'</a>. I adore this champagne shade, which (I've learned over time) this is definitely the highlight colour that tends to suit me best and work with my skin tone. Loveeeee.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">MI-free eye & lip make up</h3><div><br /></div><div>I don't wear eyeliner and I've absolutely forgotten to include a brow product, but for mascara I've gone for the Benefit <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2041&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boots.com%2Fbenefit-badgal-bang-waterproof-mascara-10312493" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bad Gal Bang Waterproof Mascara</a>. Another higher end option, but I've heard great things about it and there aren't loads of MI-free mascaras available in the UK.</div><div><br /></div><div>In terms of eyeshadow, I found that a few of the palettes I own are actually safe and MI-free, which is great! But I wanted to include one here, and I've opted for the <a href="https://londonlovesbeauty.com/products/colourpop-nude-mood-shadow-palette/" target="_blank">Nude Mood palette</a> from ColourPop - a brand I've used and enjoyed in the past. This is a nice small palette so it would be great for travel, too, and I like that there's a mix of mattes and shimmers. These are around £22 to buy in the UK but if you're planning a trip to the USA, you can grab them for about $14 over there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally I've added in a lip product, and this is the the <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2041&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boots.com%2Ffenty-beauty-stunna-lip-paint-longwear-fluid-lip-colour-10263137" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint</a> in the shade Uncuffed, which is definitely my kind of nudey pink shade. I've tried some Fenty products in the past and really liked them, although these lipsticks are £22 (!!) which is a bit pricey...</div><div><br /></div><div><i>And there you have it - a full face of MI-free and Balsam of Peru (BOP)-free make up. If you've tried any of these products let me know, or if you have a BOP or methylisothiazolinone allergy then let me know *your* favourite products in the comments below.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjO98eeegXG_sQ9GfeFOJsZSYpDr1lTExO6sp1By4mt3kKjjypCjhNYUrgQMptC069Ctyc-4T29dVbbCp27t1I8Ngyg3xxCFC8I7uedLZDTwBvBAXLcXrrkgmC9mhgnKQ5xdR3GsV707n0SRHO6P2RG55VsemDvfjpZeNoLmSh9__4L1XWgRNqMMfCTI/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjO98eeegXG_sQ9GfeFOJsZSYpDr1lTExO6sp1By4mt3kKjjypCjhNYUrgQMptC069Ctyc-4T29dVbbCp27t1I8Ngyg3xxCFC8I7uedLZDTwBvBAXLcXrrkgmC9mhgnKQ5xdR3GsV707n0SRHO6P2RG55VsemDvfjpZeNoLmSh9__4L1XWgRNqMMfCTI/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-6851596958493227132024-02-15T11:33:00.004+00:002024-02-15T11:33:56.707+00:00Pod 39, New York City | Hotel ReviewWhen it comes to hotels in New York, space is a premium - the bigger the room, the pricier it is to stay there and believe me, the prices shoot up quickly. We booked our NYC trip through LoveHolidays and I really wanted a fairly central location, especially one that would be easy to get to from the airport! After looking at a few different options and areas, we settled on Pod 39 Hotel New York, and I'll talk you through our thoughts today...<div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Where is Pod 39, New York?</h3><div><br /></div><div>Pod 39 is located on East 39th street, around a 5-7 minute walk from Grand Central Station New York. This is in Midtown Manhattan, and within easy-ish walking distance of Fifth Ave and Times Square, and all of the iconic landmarks/places within those areas. We genuinely couldn't have been happier with the location of the hotel, especially for the price.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVP3U7GyvauouSBp3klPdZ6zf-WTt0xgBlwac94v_2TLPp5uVLscUZ3MMB6_qcrlMMlERs5DIKwBF_vr9RdVXQ6gKi7zgnSQuFr1qrAX7g6xqM7wjMo-JU9Ere4yjvgy7DXWsMTwrfIEfbSCc2b51jCk-0R1mzOO5MSPDFe9eGjgw7yp2mvOvf0aFcb2Q/s958/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVP3U7GyvauouSBp3klPdZ6zf-WTt0xgBlwac94v_2TLPp5uVLscUZ3MMB6_qcrlMMlERs5DIKwBF_vr9RdVXQ6gKi7zgnSQuFr1qrAX7g6xqM7wjMo-JU9Ere4yjvgy7DXWsMTwrfIEfbSCc2b51jCk-0R1mzOO5MSPDFe9eGjgw7yp2mvOvf0aFcb2Q/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Pod 39, New York: first impressions</h3><div><br /></div><div>We arrived at the hotel at around 7.30pm after travelling all day, and checked in at the desk where we had to pay around $100 in fees/security deposit. We were told we would get some of this back as it was just a deposit, and as yet we haven't received it so I have chased the hotel on this. I wish I'd paid more attention to the breakdown of what was a resort fee and what was the deposit, but alas I was <i>knackered. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>The foyer area was bright and modern with plenty of leaflets and info re: things to do in New York, sofas to sit on, a concierge desk, and iPads on the wall which were free to use. We could also see that there was a bar/lounge space with a pool table, but more on that later...</div><div><br /></div><div>We were on the 5th floor, so we got in the lift and headed on up. I'd booked us a 'full room' and I was aware that it would be small... and boy, was it small. Inside there was a small desk along the wall with plug sockets, and opposite this was around 4 hooks for clothes/coats. There was a double bed, which did have drawer space underneath it, and a shelf next to the bed with a lamp on it. The bathroom was around 1ft away from the bed, with a frosted glass wall, and the bathroom itself was spacious enough with toilet, sink and shower as well as a long ledge to store cosmetics etc on. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMo4ZnQ9CNsPH0mgPRv9EkAigA6FSeLH_jRyAY3UZHzgXKS0ephW8Il2oPSO7YeKCCWa4Mtx0bC86LkwwAxGb46B4vUjOHFkQC1fnUW9ppypeC8dr-gS0wIyUVowp9jiTDfznapryf0Tr7AcVo50jSmgKejkCA-zsi0hyphenhyphenk9KoELB7v77XNe3HsZdkUGI/s958/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMo4ZnQ9CNsPH0mgPRv9EkAigA6FSeLH_jRyAY3UZHzgXKS0ephW8Il2oPSO7YeKCCWa4Mtx0bC86LkwwAxGb46B4vUjOHFkQC1fnUW9ppypeC8dr-gS0wIyUVowp9jiTDfznapryf0Tr7AcVo50jSmgKejkCA-zsi0hyphenhyphenk9KoELB7v77XNe3HsZdkUGI/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Now, when I say the room is basic it's BASIC - and on first impressions, I was a bit worried that we might have to book somewhere else as it just looked to tired and a bit grim. The door is made of a grey metal, which gives it a prison vibe and is notoriously hard to clean so it was covered in weird marks. The walls were a bit scruffy, too, and the heating (much needed) was SO loud. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Pod 39 NYC: what did we really think?</h3><div><br /></div><div>So our first impressions of the room itself weren't the best. But we woke up feeling okay - the bed wasn't the comfiest and the window was right above our heads with a draught coming through; our room was right next to the lifts, so it was fairly noisy too. However, we then went out for the day and only came back to rest our feet for an hour then back again to sleep, and do it all over again. So we just weren't in the room that much, and that's the key thing about budget hotels in New York: you're only in the hotel to sleep as there is <i>so much to see and do in the city.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Now, the good stuff: we had daily housekeeping, which is a rarity post-Covid, with the bed always made perfectly and fresh towels every day. The shower was really powerful and hot, and there was always enough loo roll - the bathroom had soap, shower gel and shampoo too. Storage might have seemed lacking at first but we had enough space to store our bags, so we just lived out of these for the 4 days.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was heating and a TV in the room, and it felt perfectly safe. It wasn't overly dirty, just a bit tired and scruffy as many of the hotels in the city are. Yes it's small, but it was everything we needed for a busy American city break. In the warmer months you can take advantage of the rooftop bar, but it was closed because of the weather while we were there - understandably! We did go up and peek through the windows, and the view looks like it'd be great.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBqzDfLfFo4T1H_qyBMIOMiWJJjOW5CvMJH1YLr_vtQ2DgfVXfnYnaQHbmpFMAqiOV77zHafpc-r4Zb3E_reqtLUTX9OrEuf_bBB8m1vVmFLrS0lYxJO0PbRlFJFlP8Y7LsurxSlynIzJp26mC6imGqd62-GtqcUJ0KMQtFR-IuJqan5b9b3LmtDSBFM/s958/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBqzDfLfFo4T1H_qyBMIOMiWJJjOW5CvMJH1YLr_vtQ2DgfVXfnYnaQHbmpFMAqiOV77zHafpc-r4Zb3E_reqtLUTX9OrEuf_bBB8m1vVmFLrS0lYxJO0PbRlFJFlP8Y7LsurxSlynIzJp26mC6imGqd62-GtqcUJ0KMQtFR-IuJqan5b9b3LmtDSBFM/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We did, however, get to experience the Allerton Club downstairs. In the morning, the lounge area has FREE tea, coffee, and iced water; you can purchase bagels, pastries, muffins and more. There are tables, chairs, comfy sofas, giant screens, and it is <b>warm. </b>This space also has the pool table, a foosball table, and other games. It also leads into the bar, which serves cocktails and beer and some really delicious food - we had the smash burgers, and they were lush; you get 25% off your bill here when you're staying at Pod 39 Manhattan, so we were thrilled with that.</div><div><br /></div><div>All in all: the location is spot on, the rooms are basic but have everything you need, and at the end of the day we only paid £324 between the two of us for 4 nights. That's £40pppn, which is a bargain for anywhere let alone New York! So would we recommend it? Yes, I think we would, you just have to know that the rooms are <i>not </i>glamorous.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>PS, apologies for the lack of photos of the room - with it being so small it just looked constantly messy. The below photo (stolen from Yelp) is the room we stayed in, and gives you an idea of the size...</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoMNPnKIW8Pbks6k815BHd6gU2zjw1UcJQol9u0uXVnSfGMx_K1rKKRa3FKI0OZdvXQR2KeAfXkru6UZ1QWbDCAZuVTj2aQExSBh-ZZQJhF6D-BZ-fGJiUiQT40kuZVxGRsoFC0WDrOKZqZO-b66LawLcMKSuVI73hKWCcbMtbFyHBSgfSAs6eyQnmgM/s1000/room.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoMNPnKIW8Pbks6k815BHd6gU2zjw1UcJQol9u0uXVnSfGMx_K1rKKRa3FKI0OZdvXQR2KeAfXkru6UZ1QWbDCAZuVTj2aQExSBh-ZZQJhF6D-BZ-fGJiUiQT40kuZVxGRsoFC0WDrOKZqZO-b66LawLcMKSuVI73hKWCcbMtbFyHBSgfSAs6eyQnmgM/w300-h400/room.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0L5h-NEqUi10p_8pQUODPYOXceLMgBhCNOxTwlfSyWkz72_iMxL8Uvj1M4tFvUY1GxHpLufSp7PkoblkvucIl-bz7l8e8TBX6H_qBNN2hyAWsFrvTYAMlSLp7LgNUWc6Y1ftUXzInPTLU1MTvC1RzKrx2pWS57V4JajcldcFPkTlj5mSl-8B5qocpacs/s321/Untitled%20design.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0L5h-NEqUi10p_8pQUODPYOXceLMgBhCNOxTwlfSyWkz72_iMxL8Uvj1M4tFvUY1GxHpLufSp7PkoblkvucIl-bz7l8e8TBX6H_qBNN2hyAWsFrvTYAMlSLp7LgNUWc6Y1ftUXzInPTLU1MTvC1RzKrx2pWS57V4JajcldcFPkTlj5mSl-8B5qocpacs/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-24041328934852029392024-02-01T15:22:00.001+00:002024-02-01T15:33:57.841+00:00My experience with allergy patch testing on the NHSIf you know me or were around during my frequent beauty blogging days then you might know I am a lifelong eczema sufferer. This year I was finally able to get some allergy patch testing done on the NHS, and I thought I'd share my experience with you in case it's something you have coming up or are curious about.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4s5WhlBFXS0U-qzbPClGFHIrtWde1O9wcceIgy7_roZMcSHaX5hKvXEXLOaJhyE-O0LBEOAOgO9BwY8TVLXdawrejNzx0jw49pEqtJ4GH0Iu-eI2me4bwuRcn0U6LXsGLEuuuyQ86jJQayCr046p4q-mb-jfHz4yXeJYfjBZMFCI3It2WCRb8hIROUrc/s958/1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4s5WhlBFXS0U-qzbPClGFHIrtWde1O9wcceIgy7_roZMcSHaX5hKvXEXLOaJhyE-O0LBEOAOgO9BwY8TVLXdawrejNzx0jw49pEqtJ4GH0Iu-eI2me4bwuRcn0U6LXsGLEuuuyQ86jJQayCr046p4q-mb-jfHz4yXeJYfjBZMFCI3It2WCRb8hIROUrc/s16000/1.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Appointment number 1!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">How did I get patch testing on the NHS?</h3><div><br /></div><div>I have had several dermatology referrals over the years, but my most recent referral was around 2 years ago. I had been back and forth to the GP after regular flare ups, and was incredibly frustrated with the state of my red, itchy, dry and flaky skin. I had to wait until January 2024 for my appointment, which is a long time but not as long as others have had to wait. Small mercies!</div><div><br /></div><div>When I visited the dermatologist, she prescribed a different steroid for my body eczema as well as a new emollient and also Protopic for my facial flares. She also told me to start taking vitamin D (as everyone in the UK should, especially during winter) and referred me for blood tests and patch testing. The bloods are to check my thyroid function, as this can impact your skin.</div><div><br /></div><div>I then received three appointments for my patch testing at the hospital, spaced a couple of days apart.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Why do you have three appointments for patch testing?</h3><div><br /></div><div>Patch tests are split into three appointments - for me these were a Wednesday, Friday, and Monday. The first appointment is for the patches to be applied, all over your back and on the tops of your arms if need be, by a nurse. You then return to the second appointment where the nurse will remove the patches and make a note of which allergens you have reacted to - it's a complex grid system but they know exactly what they're doing! My first appointment lasted around 20 minutes, and I was out within about 10 minutes getting them taken off at my second patch testing appointment.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0uZg2xM0utpln7J6hps1NmTuBFho7xMfmKXDyLGBJ52Jtdbc3NN9yB-VeY8AecO0GZn1QyjtZuYxJWTeuUtoitfKj12Xk9TqJ-p_qtwgq9dpIVBSFixIvOjKQrl0J_URWJ7ONz3bnKV3oAQ9YNBZSCfLQGILynQIPn4ca6wGbYqQHla0snuSDlIQ-68/s958/2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0uZg2xM0utpln7J6hps1NmTuBFho7xMfmKXDyLGBJ52Jtdbc3NN9yB-VeY8AecO0GZn1QyjtZuYxJWTeuUtoitfKj12Xk9TqJ-p_qtwgq9dpIVBSFixIvOjKQrl0J_URWJ7ONz3bnKV3oAQ9YNBZSCfLQGILynQIPn4ca6wGbYqQHla0snuSDlIQ-68/s16000/2.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When they'd just been put on VS when they'd just been taken off</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The letter had told me to bring the products I use with me, which I did (haircare, skincare, eczema creams etc) but at the appointments they didn't ask to see them or test them or anything.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Side note: I had roughly 141 allergens tested; I was told most people have around 54 common allergens tested, but they did a lot of cosmetics and medication for me on top of those.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>The third appointment typically lasts a lot longer - this is when the dermatologist will 'read your back' and discuss with you what you have reacted to, what that means, how to avoid it and so on. They will give you printed information about each of your allergens which include common places they're found as well as other names for each one so you can be really informed of what to look for. At this appointment she did ask me about the products I use, but not in any great depth.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Is allergy patch testing painful?</h3><div><br /></div><div>The tests don't hurt at all, at least in my experience. They are, however, very annoying - mine covered my whole back and both arms, and they're stuck down with a tape which can be itchy/irritating even if you're not actually allergic to that. And then of course, if you have a reaction then that's likely to be annoying and itchy. I had four reactions, and one in particular was very red and angry looking as well as very itchy.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Side note: you're not allowed to get your back wet until your third appointment. This meant I showered Wednesday morning and then couldn't do so again 'til Monday evening when I got back from the hospital - which is gross and obviously uncomfortable, because a sink wash doesn't really cut it.</i></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">What were my allergens?</h3><div><br /></div><div>In case you're nosey like me, these were my allergens:</div><div><br /></div><div>Methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone (MI/MCI) - this is my most severe allergy!</div><div>Balsam of Peru - this is used in a lot of fragrances</div><div>Colophonium</div><div>Neomycin</div><div><br /></div><div>MI and MCI have actually been banned in 'leave on' products such as moisturiser and sunscreen, as it is quite a common allergy found through patch tests. It is still found it cleansers, shampoos, shower gel and so on. Balsam of Peru, however, is in absolutely bloody <i>everything. </i>The other two are much less common.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoIx1CWSyOriVP3Wlt1al4LR2tfDjtpYg5K68f6DfB2yvxKtDG0kYco8dKzQ2t2lrRPcFg6rvCjjgPVudQcA3_oPu4GCoPCqBltL6CprYtaIvz18i66hkrVtnX4ya5e1hwERcaB4jjmu7tK-Xv39z7jjgK7nNxRN3hle0gl7ozW3KFLjRHLqvztUX3sE/s958/3.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoIx1CWSyOriVP3Wlt1al4LR2tfDjtpYg5K68f6DfB2yvxKtDG0kYco8dKzQ2t2lrRPcFg6rvCjjgPVudQcA3_oPu4GCoPCqBltL6CprYtaIvz18i66hkrVtnX4ya5e1hwERcaB4jjmu7tK-Xv39z7jjgK7nNxRN3hle0gl7ozW3KFLjRHLqvztUX3sE/s16000/3.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of the print out you're given by the dermatologist</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>I have been using both the Yuka and SkinSAFE apps to scan and search products to see if they contain my allergens. Yuka definitely shows MI in the ingredients, but doesn't seem to show when BoP is present. SkinSAFE, however, has a BoP Free filter - but it is American, so I'm not 100% sure if the product ingredients are different in the UK. I'm erring on the side of caution, for sure...</div><div><br /></div><div><i>I think that's everything I have to tell you about patch testing for allergies on the NHS but if you have any questions I will of course be more than happy to answer them! Stay tuned to see how I get on with cutting out all of the products in my life that have these allergens in.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxzjUp2l_aDlqoup9b1Q5gi_2kxy4Qk0Bqb5Vn6W2fXywQk88jlmlJSpuYgNPOaf0MKUdYBKeA48lIw3tT2CDyQMVw6hTf2RwtaBMREAHSr75j56f18dunmj9sGojhUVFhW9AV52LYPKqgp226kJdVOAfW-P3CH8GVXewAtKFzWL4mvHq4dWM8RSw-Yw/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxzjUp2l_aDlqoup9b1Q5gi_2kxy4Qk0Bqb5Vn6W2fXywQk88jlmlJSpuYgNPOaf0MKUdYBKeA48lIw3tT2CDyQMVw6hTf2RwtaBMREAHSr75j56f18dunmj9sGojhUVFhW9AV52LYPKqgp226kJdVOAfW-P3CH8GVXewAtKFzWL4mvHq4dWM8RSw-Yw/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-28349280332678345562024-01-29T10:10:00.001+00:002024-01-29T10:10:00.135+00:00The best FREE things we did in NYC (January 2024)<p>We recently got back from New York City, where we spent 4 days having a blast and cramming as much in as possible. And a lot of what we did was actually completely FREE! We genuinely didn't spend a lot of money at all in NYC, so if you're looking for free things to do in New York then keep on reading...</p><div style="text-align: left;">The first *thing* we did was visit Times Square at night, just after we arrived. It was -8 and FREEEEZING but of course, an iconic place to visit with all the lights and billboards. We also went back during the day on our last day, when we managed to spot the famous Naked Cowboy! As it was January, the quietest time to visit apparently, we were really lucky that there were zero crowds here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5nQZ2VfZA3Zl8mdBVgp5cf7aQ1NPiTYFtDzyKmKsaBuOw_0ZafjHxMvCuf3h2vWmdpXoSuDaBiX67bXq9g8PZnb6puHPAYTn_aOJzRF9v4LDRtAElnSo58bP01VeVjYIwvZzFY7GncMj20-P5MdhUNpLHcdThhJriun9fpVhcX0Ii2Onq7UZd6TOiHU/s958/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5nQZ2VfZA3Zl8mdBVgp5cf7aQ1NPiTYFtDzyKmKsaBuOw_0ZafjHxMvCuf3h2vWmdpXoSuDaBiX67bXq9g8PZnb6puHPAYTn_aOJzRF9v4LDRtAElnSo58bP01VeVjYIwvZzFY7GncMj20-P5MdhUNpLHcdThhJriun9fpVhcX0Ii2Onq7UZd6TOiHU/s16000/1.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Times Square</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On our first full day, we kicked things off with a visit to the Rockerfeller and NBC studios to see them record the Kelly Clarkson Show - wow, what an experience. I had requested tickets in advance online through <a href="http://1iota.com">1iota.com</a> and was over the moon to be successful. I believe you can get them on the day as well, but I didn't want to risk it... honestly this was amazing, seeing the behind the scenes of how a talk show is filmed, and of course seeing Kelly Clarkson up close. What a babe she is.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdx8EZ9g131gRkNDYtkLC6lTvMWdOZB3cLJ__Yzdmt9AemqR9MdTdhSM5n7om9N_RBVyBoZMqKMWKz-LivaPSOJoar6Dfg91-b1oCvOOlWesBVd4kOQerWH9SkpMFIPSr6Zh50yA4y5lHQBrdXLf5qv-70eMzQfRf6mKluKICf1FWad0dxOQo7qhmlnc4/s958/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdx8EZ9g131gRkNDYtkLC6lTvMWdOZB3cLJ__Yzdmt9AemqR9MdTdhSM5n7om9N_RBVyBoZMqKMWKz-LivaPSOJoar6Dfg91-b1oCvOOlWesBVd4kOQerWH9SkpMFIPSr6Zh50yA4y5lHQBrdXLf5qv-70eMzQfRf6mKluKICf1FWad0dxOQo7qhmlnc4/s16000/2.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rockerfeller Center & Kelly Clarkson Show</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">New York Public Library is somewhere I've always wanted to visit, and they currently have a Treasures exhibition on which includes things like an original copy of Shakespeare's First Folio (and you know how much I love Shakespeare...) as well as Christopher Robin's actual teddies AND the Declaration of Independence, which if course I wanted to see thanks to my obsession with National Treasure. This was truly fantastic and I'd definitely recommend if you're looking for free NYC activities.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjrVVUDUzwUCn_O-3tPsB9c2rnTMFcmpdiCuA3CeT8HcWvct9_UgeaHfu8dX43h3NVscCpb-ERSLsWH_5cgWyQcHlVt0Seb_D6GIggHJ_LGgWJUHev_Iseehd-9NzeMcAlweURMY8SRxejPvj66nN17vyJqFbhEZ22GXfENf6DZTTMdyOf-lVNKj4e-M/s958/5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjrVVUDUzwUCn_O-3tPsB9c2rnTMFcmpdiCuA3CeT8HcWvct9_UgeaHfu8dX43h3NVscCpb-ERSLsWH_5cgWyQcHlVt0Seb_D6GIggHJ_LGgWJUHev_Iseehd-9NzeMcAlweURMY8SRxejPvj66nN17vyJqFbhEZ22GXfENf6DZTTMdyOf-lVNKj4e-M/s16000/5.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The free Treasures exhibit at the library</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Following on in terms of National Treasure, we also visited Trinity Church - this is the church where they find the treasure in the film, and I was thrilled to see it IRL and head inside to pretend to be Ben Gates. It's in the Wall Street area, and the graveyard attached is where Alexander Hamilton is buried. Unfortunately we couldn't see it because of all the snow, but I believe you're allowed into the area when the weather is better.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJr0kc04JT2Prq6fHQ1YdIxU7QSk7ACCvMDqOiLi0GupeeVb_FCm1ZO3epHPjGNwTQlyVXq5FJNSkhP18IR-e_zJOkqgY2cTX4FE-J018XSNBy6oe4QWMP8tBPyHInK8J6_7bw4QgYns1FGSwBlglGPpP3BrhEwAkhRQp35S9P3FGTOFHBBoqBWgVT3I/s958/7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJr0kc04JT2Prq6fHQ1YdIxU7QSk7ACCvMDqOiLi0GupeeVb_FCm1ZO3epHPjGNwTQlyVXq5FJNSkhP18IR-e_zJOkqgY2cTX4FE-J018XSNBy6oe4QWMP8tBPyHInK8J6_7bw4QgYns1FGSwBlglGPpP3BrhEwAkhRQp35S9P3FGTOFHBBoqBWgVT3I/s16000/7.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trinity Church and the 9/11 Memorial</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The 9/11 memorial is completely free, but it's worth noting that it was mostly cordoned off when we were there due to bad weather. This is definitely something to bear in mind, as we could only access a small portion of it. But it's of course very worth seeing!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We visited two parks - Bryant Park, and of course Central Park. Bryant Park was underwhelming because it was mostly covered by the Winter Village and ice rink, but I loved it when I visited in the Spring with my family. Central Park, however, was wonderful because it was <i>snowinggg. </i>We had a lovely long walk and saw both the Friends fountain and the John Lennon 'Imagine' mosaic, as well as the lake and some other beautiful landmarks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DMm4EG5OrAA5F6MtfO8f6WUwqNkTPcqoW4KcCrzyrQmJBZeJfZsejTRTJQCNwdARYHvV9-siAkyjWAhH6TndM5E1Bt_7JDGjHRlqtp_PeSQBeRxM6tGgbjrtRasZw0Je7QtW8C7QPUfzLG1Shz2tAeQZybxNKxoxMgVpHMu4MgNyqsKmJLSUjJfVeeA/s958/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DMm4EG5OrAA5F6MtfO8f6WUwqNkTPcqoW4KcCrzyrQmJBZeJfZsejTRTJQCNwdARYHvV9-siAkyjWAhH6TndM5E1Bt_7JDGjHRlqtp_PeSQBeRxM6tGgbjrtRasZw0Je7QtW8C7QPUfzLG1Shz2tAeQZybxNKxoxMgVpHMu4MgNyqsKmJLSUjJfVeeA/s16000/3.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central Park and Bryant Park</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Of course we wanted to see the Statue of Liberty, and we opted for the FREE Staten Island Ferry - you don't need to book in advance, just turn up and <b>avoid </b>the people in blue jackets trying to sell you a sightseeing cruise who will tell you that you can't see the statue from the ferry. You absolutely can, with great views, and there's plenty of indoor seating. Hands down this is one of the best free things to do in New York City, as it's so famous.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDX2KAF6-ifgFJKBbSK-eTzZX38OTzYvw63pFFJt0y6I62DJwZDbHim9azFvjdiYvJJsi-KR1zXy8USEm1SGA1cMaGAkG7_KLHW8ZB0zyLvFO0XKNxGU26lGMGI5lZFXN0ZiDJp9tPjDAzqR3T7xZAGYzvRJFgXREq8qJK_UmiZnoStty4lYHYW6_q780/s958/6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDX2KAF6-ifgFJKBbSK-eTzZX38OTzYvw63pFFJt0y6I62DJwZDbHim9azFvjdiYvJJsi-KR1zXy8USEm1SGA1cMaGAkG7_KLHW8ZB0zyLvFO0XKNxGU26lGMGI5lZFXN0ZiDJp9tPjDAzqR3T7xZAGYzvRJFgXREq8qJK_UmiZnoStty4lYHYW6_q780/s16000/6.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The FREE Staten Island Ferry</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We also went to Brooklyn on our last day, by which point our subway rides were free (the cost is capped at $34 in a 7 day period and we definitely got our money's worth!!) - we didn't walk across the bridge but instead went to Dumbo for that iconic view, and a wander 'round the Time Out Market.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13qXsHCozAM917blbGApC6TRd-jWCIoYRLTgN6MIaeZFVNbTcRBKnkcK685MLOc_ShVtpxCF_hRAzwSdZuyusUiDShRd_x10uS1ysRI5xyjcfrfeJTFjnNdKu8CcNtgmaZynFjhUhEbrUfUo4mpAEeDag9OPwVvvk5Ut0fVaglKgYZeQwKleRsAsS6r8/s958/8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13qXsHCozAM917blbGApC6TRd-jWCIoYRLTgN6MIaeZFVNbTcRBKnkcK685MLOc_ShVtpxCF_hRAzwSdZuyusUiDShRd_x10uS1ysRI5xyjcfrfeJTFjnNdKu8CcNtgmaZynFjhUhEbrUfUo4mpAEeDag9OPwVvvk5Ut0fVaglKgYZeQwKleRsAsS6r8/s16000/8.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumbo & Grand Central Terminal</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq6g_Zjgm5VSgDPLDMXmDDFfL6B_4dtInnlfRzljbpO0MDqJkYk4jLKfjgtQqzlopRjpsep0s99Q_yigsH9Yz-l44lSW1r3xRvgR1GNASULzvGXbZuyanRmJqkf_XLNwBJBCYFiUnXbc_Nqb_wH6FRHcGeDqTOhXIYrI6Egq0vG218TJmmPX4cGOr7_g/s958/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq6g_Zjgm5VSgDPLDMXmDDFfL6B_4dtInnlfRzljbpO0MDqJkYk4jLKfjgtQqzlopRjpsep0s99Q_yigsH9Yz-l44lSW1r3xRvgR1GNASULzvGXbZuyanRmJqkf_XLNwBJBCYFiUnXbc_Nqb_wH6FRHcGeDqTOhXIYrI6Egq0vG218TJmmPX4cGOr7_g/s16000/4.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macy's Wooden Elevator and the Roosevelt Island Tram</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Some other free highlights included Macy's and the wooden elevator, mooching around Target, Grand Central Terminal and the Roosevelt Island tram, which again is included in your subway rides so is kind of free but only $2.90 otherwise! You really don't have to spend a lot, as there so many free things to do in New York.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG0gnUVU7tR72fYhBh-TleaXKCYcsiI9bp8coyxQeuypvY90c1m3pAxRGBivP-OS4ICqAGAzF5TEGtmhjVy6_2kq3e6DC3rWQMazSKx0PnECacK2AXAHqNOijeJ27L6pMABD23Rh6XDF4_gvpHkDsqIIBYY0JpeF5poKiv88GYCkOGWzn217jDJXswLY/s321/Untitled%20design.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG0gnUVU7tR72fYhBh-TleaXKCYcsiI9bp8coyxQeuypvY90c1m3pAxRGBivP-OS4ICqAGAzF5TEGtmhjVy6_2kq3e6DC3rWQMazSKx0PnECacK2AXAHqNOijeJ27L6pMABD23Rh6XDF4_gvpHkDsqIIBYY0JpeF5poKiv88GYCkOGWzn217jDJXswLY/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-85784122320333558202024-01-09T11:58:00.001+00:002024-01-09T11:58:28.820+00:00Everywhere we travelled to in 20232023 was a great year for travel, both in the UK and abroad, and I couldn't resist putting together a round up of everywhere we visited - where we stayed, what we'd recommend, and so on! Without further ado, let's go...<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSo8wAJFCjBmwpY5C5bek9BKOsUPROHGZB0RXMh4IcGlQ6Ua1ejvy7QGQKFVeiFfCc8Yfy_BtU5fdsMZ2Sfhq7dfjPB3YfLhKqe-It0-2fePGtQwC87GX6NLIse8tPA3AXAbFdqwlAif40fo7Zwoux85KPsx1mU53y6A6cklaBoNyENKjcPHp8jrwmbaI/s958/My%202023%20travel%20round%20up.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSo8wAJFCjBmwpY5C5bek9BKOsUPROHGZB0RXMh4IcGlQ6Ua1ejvy7QGQKFVeiFfCc8Yfy_BtU5fdsMZ2Sfhq7dfjPB3YfLhKqe-It0-2fePGtQwC87GX6NLIse8tPA3AXAbFdqwlAif40fo7Zwoux85KPsx1mU53y6A6cklaBoNyENKjcPHp8jrwmbaI/s16000/My%202023%20travel%20round%20up.png" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Kraków and Zakopane, Poland</h3><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2019/02/travelling-to-poland-lowdown.html" target="_blank">I absolutely adore Poland</a>, as you might know if you're a regular blog reader, and I was so excited to visit with Kate (my now-fiancée!) in January. It was cold but not <i>too </i>cold, and I didn't think it was super busy either. <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/02/where-we-ate-in-krakow.html" target="_blank">Kraków</a> is definitely a lot more expensive than it was when I first started travelling to Poland, as it's much more of a tourist destination now, but you can still have a brilliant time without spending a lot. We stayed in the Podgórze area, and it only took a few minutes by tram to reach the old square.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our highlights from Kraków itself on this trip included the Be Happy Museum, visiting the <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/02/visiting-krakow-salt-mines.html" target="_blank">Salt Mines</a>, our date night dinner at the beautiful Nova in the Jewish Quarter, and for me just being back in Poland! I also enjoyed just really taking it slow, as I've been so many times I didn't feel the need to cram everything in. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdXDVRhwB8KTChVwsgJ60Is_wrCsiTAC63TZm-xS4mUnkcP9YekJYPHq2-XWiZDv6cWPO_yAxca3IAMS8OOYooDvMgPP9HCFMG9Ss500N8xVHk25XsWGOQjn_7NNbe4ItL5PzIrlEYQ4A4wVRKCxYvuZ8BUf5AjUQ1png6NbyfPNPdwJJNKSebJFc-ok/s958/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdXDVRhwB8KTChVwsgJ60Is_wrCsiTAC63TZm-xS4mUnkcP9YekJYPHq2-XWiZDv6cWPO_yAxca3IAMS8OOYooDvMgPP9HCFMG9Ss500N8xVHk25XsWGOQjn_7NNbe4ItL5PzIrlEYQ4A4wVRKCxYvuZ8BUf5AjUQ1png6NbyfPNPdwJJNKSebJFc-ok/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We also took a <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/02/krakow-to-zakopane-kasprowy-wierch-day.html" target="_blank">day trip to Zakopane</a> (on a Flixbus, which as always I highly recommend) which was a brilliant day. Zakopane itself doesn't have tons to do if you're just visiting as a DIY trip but I know you can do excellent organised excursions (<a href="https://tiqets.tp.st/nNCJm3cD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">like this one</a>) which involve tastings, guided tours, thermal spas and more. I had instead opted for us to just go it alone and booked a cable car up Kasprowy Wierch, which is a beautifully snowy mountain in a gorgeous ski resort. We had to get a taxi from Zakopane to the resort (and back) which was a bit confusing as we couldn't find any on the way back, at first, but otherwise it was an INCREDIBLE experience and one I'd highly recommend.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Sarandë, Albania</h3><div><br /></div><div>When Kate told me she'd seen some gorgeous footage of Albania on TikTok and could we go, my first thought was "yeah, right, absolutely not" because up until now, it's never been somewhere you associate with <i>going on holiday. </i>But the more I looked into it, the more I thought now is the time to go before the boom - and before the price shoots up. So we did.</div><div><br /></div><div>We travelled via Corfu, getting a <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/05/visiting-sarande-in-albania-how-easy-is.html" target="_blank">ferry across to Sarandë</a> itself, and stayed in a little apartment up approximately 4 million steps. It was gorgeous; we had good weather, incredible food, beautiful days out... everyone we met was charming, friendly, helpful and just so lovely. I'd definitely add it to your to-visit list.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYu7zSNOhijLOjCTUAHTiC3SsXcw9CUDiVipkE6g6IOyAS_SIRsfUjz6Cc-Svq1zWBKtsunUjLybXWrjW8zffjPctFCxiB4W1Dk4ickv-qY5RUZlCxmqANBK2se1yiO0Bkwm43eaTPwLEzMTn_arb2ZnWTAMBRoH9aDi5iwl_wsDbbLPSNVSadOpa7OS0/s958/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYu7zSNOhijLOjCTUAHTiC3SsXcw9CUDiVipkE6g6IOyAS_SIRsfUjz6Cc-Svq1zWBKtsunUjLybXWrjW8zffjPctFCxiB4W1Dk4ickv-qY5RUZlCxmqANBK2se1yiO0Bkwm43eaTPwLEzMTn_arb2ZnWTAMBRoH9aDi5iwl_wsDbbLPSNVSadOpa7OS0/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Personal highlights include the Blue Eye and Gjirokaster (both of which we visited <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/06/albania-minivans-tours-day-trip-from.html" target="_blank">on a tour</a> with <a href="https://minivans-tours.al/" target="_blank">Albania Minivans Tours</a>, who are amazing) as well as Butrint National Park. Kate would also give a shout out to how good the seafood is in <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/07/13-photos-that-will-make-you-want-to.html" target="_blank">this part of Albania</a>!</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Corfu Town, Greece</h3><div><br /></div><div>We tacked a couple of days in <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/08/a-weekend-in-corfu-town.html" target="_blank">Corfu Town</a> onto our Albania trip, on the way home, to celebrate Kate's birthday. We stayed in a sweet little apartment around a 10 minute walk from the old town area, and we just did plenty of chilling and a bit of exploring - we went to the old fortress, walked along the promenade area, and wandered through the beautiful little streets. It was HOT and this was only May, so bear that one in mind...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmI_Wi0fj5XnW4uWnXVNQi9SjGVWGRhYCdsXfbyAh1ZkFZhA3wXTGaDBLAZ4C4-K41Zk0gkiQQeMEcj72Ca7oVdzuveC3qNwWq4pf-6CrStvaVTW6Lp3klr-RvlgS_FQuunm3eDV3kskWT39goRNsWildVqL2yYpJBrNwGd49noL071s-qmU9e51qdso/s958/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmI_Wi0fj5XnW4uWnXVNQi9SjGVWGRhYCdsXfbyAh1ZkFZhA3wXTGaDBLAZ4C4-K41Zk0gkiQQeMEcj72Ca7oVdzuveC3qNwWq4pf-6CrStvaVTW6Lp3klr-RvlgS_FQuunm3eDV3kskWT39goRNsWildVqL2yYpJBrNwGd49noL071s-qmU9e51qdso/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Llangollen, Wales</h3><div><br /></div><div>What a special trip this was - we absolutely love Llangollen anyway, but we got engaged during this trip so it was even more magical. Especially when all our family & friends were there to meet us! We stayed at the Hand Hotel which we didn't <i>love </i>but certainly isn't a bad option, and we of course ate at the Corn Mill which was absolutely incredible as always. Highly recommend a trip on the steam train, obviously, with afternoon tea if you fancy it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOsyaWuor-3kL5UhEcRsFVHzIp21K40iGpBPf_fSKNEePVAUPtNTnb1Ui8a4nug1bpXSOAegK6XsMzzzgCTlpeG_S9EhdjQj9PYUmKh8CcU9zrmGkYaGOYJEuLjR1GNd0GPcDHwCb1nCHSEvcsOoIOr-WCJwH7g973sLuWZ_zCcWwsHhl1b-IMZUETOE/s958/My%202023%20travel%20round%20up%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOsyaWuor-3kL5UhEcRsFVHzIp21K40iGpBPf_fSKNEePVAUPtNTnb1Ui8a4nug1bpXSOAegK6XsMzzzgCTlpeG_S9EhdjQj9PYUmKh8CcU9zrmGkYaGOYJEuLjR1GNd0GPcDHwCb1nCHSEvcsOoIOr-WCJwH7g973sLuWZ_zCcWwsHhl1b-IMZUETOE/s16000/My%202023%20travel%20round%20up%20(1).png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Copenhagen, Denmark</h3><div><br /></div><div>Last year I won a £500 easyJet voucher, and I couldn't decide where to go with it - we eventually settled on <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/10/copenhagen-diaries-day-1.html" target="_blank">Copenhagen</a>, given that it can be a really expensive place to visit. So with the bulk of the holiday itself paid for by the voucher, it made sense! We really liked Copenhagen, a lot more than I was expecting actually. We missed out on Tivoli Gardens by a day, so definitely check the opening dates for that, but we absolutely loved walking the beautiful streets, seeing Nyhavn, <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/12/copenhagen-diaries-day-4.html" target="_blank">visiting the pandas in the zoo</a> and of course, my sea plane ride. top tip is to take advantage of the 7/11 or street food to really bring the cost of this trip down. Also, <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/10/copenhagen-diaries-day-2.html" target="_blank">their public transport system</a> is incredible!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2KLf5HO0XpIkjJdybwN7hfep-8eMlnJhVhlLEhQxT3G6Yg93-oXpqRESNOhj36r6nGTXWEkadcPMrqDU62gZyebVOodvXQX8DSY6tRs6uZy4rP3o4pgrbG55fmnCNjPsY_zL80ncSJFQJnId02e6GsnXFHvVeCC1rGRWqURiHmoVl4w3mqAUcHZsBtY/s958/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2KLf5HO0XpIkjJdybwN7hfep-8eMlnJhVhlLEhQxT3G6Yg93-oXpqRESNOhj36r6nGTXWEkadcPMrqDU62gZyebVOodvXQX8DSY6tRs6uZy4rP3o4pgrbG55fmnCNjPsY_zL80ncSJFQJnId02e6GsnXFHvVeCC1rGRWqURiHmoVl4w3mqAUcHZsBtY/w640-h502/4.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Malmö, Sweden</h3><div><br /></div><div>In my bid to tick off 30 countries before I turn 30, we decided to do <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/11/copenhagen-diaries-day-3.html" target="_blank">a day trip to Malmö in Sweden</a> during our time in Copenhagen. I'd read plenty of people say it wasn't worth it, but I wanted to decide for myself... and sadly, they were right. We just felt like there was very little to actually see or do, but we did have some amazing Swedish meatballs so it wasn't all bad! And crossing Europe's second longest road-and-rail-combined bridge was a pretty cool experience... PS, we used Flixbus again.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tVwH1aN24iIsRduVtdVWwpwCP-itdF1NBoXjHs6Xl4ji7Rk3WSKfejIhHgttr-aNnIhOGJf2CIr5AwdqOHebmrlJKmZu48iRXDlmfyyvaSER76wjm_gl7rnzG126lzfLKTSBO5hVPh4miWhMB4oxp47efL893XQPi0qFIgn0e6QFyoxWNIY9QtCCFCM/s958/5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tVwH1aN24iIsRduVtdVWwpwCP-itdF1NBoXjHs6Xl4ji7Rk3WSKfejIhHgttr-aNnIhOGJf2CIr5AwdqOHebmrlJKmZu48iRXDlmfyyvaSER76wjm_gl7rnzG126lzfLKTSBO5hVPh4miWhMB4oxp47efL893XQPi0qFIgn0e6QFyoxWNIY9QtCCFCM/s16000/5.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Mallorca, Spain</h3><div><br /></div><div>We booked this all inclusive as a chance to literally do nothing for a week, but we quickly realised that 'doing nothing' isn't really for us. It was nice to relax but we did find ourselves a bit bored, and there were way too many kids for our liking. Also, it was very clearly a budget hotel - watered down drinks, really not very nice food, tired surroundings and so on. But we had decent weather overall, and did a nice little trip to Porto Cristo as well as a trip on the mini tourist train.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fX9O1YXza9mJzCYDl3N94Jntyd7TNE-JrO6ag0XqhDqDCr78BcNzuRTjkMJUr8RqUxJQsQR5Zyt1QEMvE3q49Zse-0YK8xl75TiBXG72RIIKkbQbN2F2QuGwTOPuFOatRa6MDwcyxxFjf_bnMlncQ81hORphIpRi24wQDpcqCbQtBb7TlmwhP15lldk/s958/7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fX9O1YXza9mJzCYDl3N94Jntyd7TNE-JrO6ag0XqhDqDCr78BcNzuRTjkMJUr8RqUxJQsQR5Zyt1QEMvE3q49Zse-0YK8xl75TiBXG72RIIKkbQbN2F2QuGwTOPuFOatRa6MDwcyxxFjf_bnMlncQ81hORphIpRi24wQDpcqCbQtBb7TlmwhP15lldk/s16000/7.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Stratford-upon-Avon, England</h3><div><br /></div><div>Our last trip of the year was a UK-mini break to the gorgeous <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/12/ad-what-we-got-up-to-in-stratford-upon.html" target="_blank">Stratford-upon-Avon</a>. I'd been invited to a review the <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/11/hotel-indigo-stratford-upon-avon-review.html" target="_blank">Indigo Hotel</a> there, and as it's somewhere I've always wanted to go I literally jumped at the chance. It's such a stunning location and we found there was loads to do, especially if (like me) you're into Shakespeare. Really easy to get to by train, too, and just overall a wonderful way to wrap up an amazing year of travels. Highly recommend the gin distillery, the RSC, the butterfly farm and the Woodsman restaurant as well as the Shakespeare walking tour.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5AwU0-gDILlrJhc_RUgav74Q1BknfqDIaVLL2O6EW9alDafQG5zd9gp4hVuBzQGwN8MnemANU-6R9oOiKBnKe_Gukc1jAREtAZVB795CETWHFDlmDvn1uSVhGGFQ4pUKkx5QgHQe2aIUPgH_ts0mf-ghzDR9KZ_mkevlE6XCP-p4C5fzaQc9J5heeVI/s958/6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5AwU0-gDILlrJhc_RUgav74Q1BknfqDIaVLL2O6EW9alDafQG5zd9gp4hVuBzQGwN8MnemANU-6R9oOiKBnKe_Gukc1jAREtAZVB795CETWHFDlmDvn1uSVhGGFQ4pUKkx5QgHQe2aIUPgH_ts0mf-ghzDR9KZ_mkevlE6XCP-p4C5fzaQc9J5heeVI/s16000/6.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>What a year of travels! Let me know in the comments the best place you visited this year...</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r_OVdzukoVdKaN3XTsiWR613o3UQyirJIxoI0IYtSLn4PVmKGzwLsVcgoi9ir9GpKzcQpOEit_OHJe841OY5utvOZXQzwt8Z2mov2R4Pobw68_8HxnlzM6EG9oRMWWFCVjZpal0xYFO5i2pL-wyeNJIjOlJZDLgRGvJojXJOoldc2_OJ8lMgVPrGIEs/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r_OVdzukoVdKaN3XTsiWR613o3UQyirJIxoI0IYtSLn4PVmKGzwLsVcgoi9ir9GpKzcQpOEit_OHJe841OY5utvOZXQzwt8Z2mov2R4Pobw68_8HxnlzM6EG9oRMWWFCVjZpal0xYFO5i2pL-wyeNJIjOlJZDLgRGvJojXJOoldc2_OJ8lMgVPrGIEs/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-2014811386218899572023-12-15T18:13:00.003+00:002023-12-15T18:13:56.679+00:00Copenhagen diaries: day 4I recently realised that I never got around to writing about our final day in Copenhagen; we had an evening flight home, so we got pretty much a full day at the end of our trip which was lovely! Here's what we got up to, including two of my favourite things to do in Copenhagen...<div><br /></div><div>After a final hotel breakfast, we checked out and stored our luggage before making our way to the bus stop - this was the first time we'd actually used the bus on this trip, and we were able to use the city pass on the DOT app for these journeys too. Our destination? Copenhagen Zoo, which I booked on <a href="https://trip.tp.st/vJaJKisA">Trip.com</a> before we travelled. I don't often go to the zoo on holiday as we live fairly close to Chester Zoo, which is brilliant, but I absolutely <i>had </i>to visit Copenhagen Zoo as they have pandas!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73So9wyzj0gN-Zfxa2dJI5qDLu4GCSS2_EHIfYqy8j-v6zyy5qp6avRBIatXQNtoMnAbm8t7uFLYg4feE0zVMzRuhi-oejl1MoHnBruE9vLKDEZkjiQfup5Z0cs0XdJqJH-uqP0HFxuIzORs0Lf0YAeZHRGkrPQZMoqAA5ZkN67LVdQqrKTMNo37El1o/s958/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73So9wyzj0gN-Zfxa2dJI5qDLu4GCSS2_EHIfYqy8j-v6zyy5qp6avRBIatXQNtoMnAbm8t7uFLYg4feE0zVMzRuhi-oejl1MoHnBruE9vLKDEZkjiQfup5Z0cs0XdJqJH-uqP0HFxuIzORs0Lf0YAeZHRGkrPQZMoqAA5ZkN67LVdQqrKTMNo37El1o/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOV1HA_uhIfBHZ5uBECmRheAXOBjzQ_59epPLbAmuKbu2KwEut8FSHiqKzlYHIAbJWTY0WQ86Dp4qSdLiJ9eNAyZox-tzGSisi28QHy0M-5riHFvvR6T1f2IIrEAFSZD4c1Kq5LAAyvaIpXp20-JVOK-1vymQyb8mw9FCDacUGGHz_tqn9Vxg_wvchBt4/s958/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOV1HA_uhIfBHZ5uBECmRheAXOBjzQ_59epPLbAmuKbu2KwEut8FSHiqKzlYHIAbJWTY0WQ86Dp4qSdLiJ9eNAyZox-tzGSisi28QHy0M-5riHFvvR6T1f2IIrEAFSZD4c1Kq5LAAyvaIpXp20-JVOK-1vymQyb8mw9FCDacUGGHz_tqn9Vxg_wvchBt4/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>My aunty is obsessed with pandas and has seen them across the world; I also work for a brand called Panda, so they're a pretty big part of my life. I'd never seen on in real life before and I was soooo excited to do so. They didn't disappoint - big, fluffy, lazy, adorable things. We went to see them first before exploring a variety of other animals as well as the petting zoo. As zoos go, this one is large and clean, and the animals all looked well taken care of and happy. You can even have lunch 'with' the pandas, although this is quite expensive so we didn't bother but you'd get a fantastic view of them if you did.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_RBpUWZcxPMhgiLwCWy63uAJWZB-zUmtkHm4BaFcRExMkcJVFT8BbXs42Xtg8TRP-dYijyNjVnusunKgDNPIggFT4UekLeDmLEL17PRqdNwMZM1kCyINd1cOO-6guo2fAA8murM60pjjq_YtrIchJzAkGHvDIPHOVnKzxNFZVy3AoEwA_nqB5N_r1os/s958/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_RBpUWZcxPMhgiLwCWy63uAJWZB-zUmtkHm4BaFcRExMkcJVFT8BbXs42Xtg8TRP-dYijyNjVnusunKgDNPIggFT4UekLeDmLEL17PRqdNwMZM1kCyINd1cOO-6guo2fAA8murM60pjjq_YtrIchJzAkGHvDIPHOVnKzxNFZVy3AoEwA_nqB5N_r1os/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXWfVG0yEk4OlDbkHT0Snb6Nz-49ss9g1Os1qRN6tNaMaR_BvteWIlACMpmIq76rF6jsw9WDDX8BDlO-zsZaO_a6VFfsOpUQxIVxO5VO7HAFFHwT_RzvrJcfyycasZeFj_tJiNIXm3af2Fy7q1ivQwWdxTseF8r1gXGErL7zcqlZng3ojgK-yZltIZkg/s958/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXWfVG0yEk4OlDbkHT0Snb6Nz-49ss9g1Os1qRN6tNaMaR_BvteWIlACMpmIq76rF6jsw9WDDX8BDlO-zsZaO_a6VFfsOpUQxIVxO5VO7HAFFHwT_RzvrJcfyycasZeFj_tJiNIXm3af2Fy7q1ivQwWdxTseF8r1gXGErL7zcqlZng3ojgK-yZltIZkg/s16000/4.png" /></a></div><br /><div>A zoo is a zoo, so there's frankly not much more to say, but we did really enjoy it and the weather was beautifully sunny. It's the perfect way to spend a couple of hours on a nice day, especially if you're visiting Copenhagen with kids. When we left, we headed across the road to the beautiful Frederiksberg Gardens - it looks absolutely stunning, and we were ready to enjoy a lovely mooch around.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, no sooner had we entered the park than I got a phone call - I had booked to do a sea plane ride in the afternoon, and they wanted to see if I could come along for the earlier flight as there weren't enough bookings for the time slot I'd chosen. Of course I said yes (lest I have to miss out!) and we hot footed it from here to the Langelinie area on the bus and metro.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnujVOYP306XbghiwCi87c6N2LTHA8V8aiv67lcmWjlGMwxKdWeNRorsS5zTm273vowxzFu8_LIoApocZFN88IQofkp_DUSsjHmqClbZfD5GH-CHA8ejjJsMlhOTAadsiT1oxo0JGfJUfmdo-f5qG6umV9x8vzTDRRg_e8IfhO_Wtnv3fALtn3tu3BNLA/s958/5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnujVOYP306XbghiwCi87c6N2LTHA8V8aiv67lcmWjlGMwxKdWeNRorsS5zTm273vowxzFu8_LIoApocZFN88IQofkp_DUSsjHmqClbZfD5GH-CHA8ejjJsMlhOTAadsiT1oxo0JGfJUfmdo-f5qG6umV9x8vzTDRRg_e8IfhO_Wtnv3fALtn3tu3BNLA/s16000/5.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I checked in and then it was time for my first ever sea plane ride; I'm a bit of a transport nerd and having never done one before, I was really excited to have the chance. The ride costs £90 per person although they did kindly offer me a 50% media discount, so a huge thank you to <a href="https://www.seaplanes.dk/" target="_blank">Nordic Seaplane</a>s for that. This was an absolutely amazing experience and I'd highly recommend it for a birds eye view of beautiful Copenhagen! The plane is super small and you can see right into the cockpit, and all in all the journey took around half an hour including taxiing through the water and the flight, then landing back into the water. Genuinely a mesmerising and really exciting way to see the city - you fly right over towards Malmö so I saw the bridge we'd crossed the day before too.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFd799oK4U89jBqv2pSTN0jJ3ArJLDhoQpagsFCi6FvSi5rUiw18mLgrlaoN_hmkMGuQSABedZk6nhAR0KdDqzx16eES5fA4wIYt7-9Q_kMi_qzI04lIw4PRPsRQ8xd49M9NPCXrtesEsLBdocZHNqLDLFmq08VDMGVJfkTGrIXs6Dj8iNr_IMzWMPzY/s958/6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFd799oK4U89jBqv2pSTN0jJ3ArJLDhoQpagsFCi6FvSi5rUiw18mLgrlaoN_hmkMGuQSABedZk6nhAR0KdDqzx16eES5fA4wIYt7-9Q_kMi_qzI04lIw4PRPsRQ8xd49M9NPCXrtesEsLBdocZHNqLDLFmq08VDMGVJfkTGrIXs6Dj8iNr_IMzWMPzY/s16000/6.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After my flight, we stayed in the area and visited a sort of artisan food shop which was right nearby - it's called Løgismose, where Kate got a sandwich and I got a massive bag truffle crisps. We sat outside and I showed her all of my videos from the sea plane ride over Copenhagen. Then it was time to move on, and when I opened my maps app to see how to get back to the city centre I noticed we could get the ferry!</div><div><br /></div><div>Again, I'm a transport nerd and Kate loves a ferry, plus the little yellow ferries are again included in the city pass on the DOT app. So we decided why not - it's yet another vantage point to see the city, so we jumped on with a few commuters and made the short journey across the water to beautiful, colour Nyhavn. We decided this time to walk down the opposite side and see Hans Christian Andersen's house, then we stopped for a quick (but expensive) drink. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbmEx0hK8wLtnZej8wpJFjs7Xt3saUZ8JhfhARcwRWlnMo5zcxaOgVqgdbYH0FCpSMSt5F4oLTLL_UHMJI2nD_rtI1DrjkZEKA84H3rrEjQCAo9z2_KdFx4deWW_X8SMq3h3UjMpPt8C2T7MaoP7pfjOEtA8UBdetIVTXcFQdV6q5PfU0Z6B-ZQFrzP4/s958/7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbmEx0hK8wLtnZej8wpJFjs7Xt3saUZ8JhfhARcwRWlnMo5zcxaOgVqgdbYH0FCpSMSt5F4oLTLL_UHMJI2nD_rtI1DrjkZEKA84H3rrEjQCAo9z2_KdFx4deWW_X8SMq3h3UjMpPt8C2T7MaoP7pfjOEtA8UBdetIVTXcFQdV6q5PfU0Z6B-ZQFrzP4/s16000/7.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNdd_S4GtS_XYMWF4EsYwlYlLqxNLPs4GJIHWcxQxyXxEsTUeaAR73q3x_VovOTEF4UVdMx1cXR-b7H4quPw_OOYNZoCltZ66JaTAly_nQOcAngd5Fsv4xrKx53dLUd5cD0BzBinasM8q8-QxL47HwbaokAMd1Pzu2FODRhYRlCW-0HDq1GZBcDNpPew/s958/8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNdd_S4GtS_XYMWF4EsYwlYlLqxNLPs4GJIHWcxQxyXxEsTUeaAR73q3x_VovOTEF4UVdMx1cXR-b7H4quPw_OOYNZoCltZ66JaTAly_nQOcAngd5Fsv4xrKx53dLUd5cD0BzBinasM8q8-QxL47HwbaokAMd1Pzu2FODRhYRlCW-0HDq1GZBcDNpPew/s16000/8.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Then it was time to head back to the hotel, where we had the chance to charge our phones, freshen up a bit, grab our luggage and have another can of coke each with our vouchers for not getting our towels changed each day. We got the metro back to the airport, and it was time to go home after another amazing adventure.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVRFwyW4oLrShhX0HelhiLEZdJIBfvAHeWIwW_7Lx7BodzXlLK4GPgmRqaBO8RMp3qRmuSzMXNGfZhyphenhyphen7aFrjEvTibjS4Bv6eRz8u6EkGe4nc05nSv1aNFBE9auyj45rr3V8dmIcgVHQfRuVIvJ5G0FwBoM5Bc-ztmsOTExhQCbmQRXUHCH6sz-P0bkzE/s958/9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVRFwyW4oLrShhX0HelhiLEZdJIBfvAHeWIwW_7Lx7BodzXlLK4GPgmRqaBO8RMp3qRmuSzMXNGfZhyphenhyphen7aFrjEvTibjS4Bv6eRz8u6EkGe4nc05nSv1aNFBE9auyj45rr3V8dmIcgVHQfRuVIvJ5G0FwBoM5Bc-ztmsOTExhQCbmQRXUHCH6sz-P0bkzE/s16000/9.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBK008m1DmhI7AbN_9EJx6eEj_8CUTQDcjmI5e7Af-YVxS0eUrjboysRNjGP0BPxqrA9kndrZVs4sTaLHl30t8xBXmZBn8n7NOnTAlMEmmx8U017SKcVMACk4H0cuLAxLMO5oaNSJ2QpmclYfKnZDPVCJjKDkFbVikkOaHk1RRPyPeo9qZR6sPNx5aVI/s958/10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBK008m1DmhI7AbN_9EJx6eEj_8CUTQDcjmI5e7Af-YVxS0eUrjboysRNjGP0BPxqrA9kndrZVs4sTaLHl30t8xBXmZBn8n7NOnTAlMEmmx8U017SKcVMACk4H0cuLAxLMO5oaNSJ2QpmclYfKnZDPVCJjKDkFbVikkOaHk1RRPyPeo9qZR6sPNx5aVI/s16000/10.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The zoo is definitely a great one if you want to see pandas or have little ones with you, and if you want to treat yourself and see Copenhagen from up high then the sea plane is well worth doing it. The yellow ferries are an absolute <i>must </i>in my opinion, especially as they're technically public transport making them a really affordable way to travel on water in Denmark's capital!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzTocbrQo9FBr9WeSiHVkFBW9bzERIYv7LSuMeClUpz1I3fEUkoH4V3ySRrm0AH8YxJwHA36P3XKdZzc195NNIOGcrTEMzmi3EQlUjuVmCPLn5fOl8qklfOFM1sVF_AUiql95BrP0w10YhcY3yC09EW-osUyOpdifhx3wpRqHWpFmF12pTwMnnmCsPpE/s321/Untitled%20design.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzTocbrQo9FBr9WeSiHVkFBW9bzERIYv7LSuMeClUpz1I3fEUkoH4V3ySRrm0AH8YxJwHA36P3XKdZzc195NNIOGcrTEMzmi3EQlUjuVmCPLn5fOl8qklfOFM1sVF_AUiql95BrP0w10YhcY3yC09EW-osUyOpdifhx3wpRqHWpFmF12pTwMnnmCsPpE/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-76510761567741120502023-12-12T15:33:00.000+00:002023-12-12T15:33:00.174+00:00Wirral Food Bank Donations: Christmas 2023Donating to food banks, if you can, is important at any time of year but particularly at Christmas and especially right now during the cost of living crisis we find ourselves in. If you're anything like me you'll have seen a real growth in the number of Facebook posts asking for help and support - so I thought I'd put together a post about what to donate to the Wirral food bank this Christmas<div><br /></div><div>Based on their website, the Wirral food bank are after some specific things currently:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdplWojqt7dVKJsB0cazC3hSS7DRGihWD2Bok2j7v5kfhz1Zm7zfGoqhW5pm5XWl-qrctMJ2_Y7ECOKcRbF6N4EmRvse7kW6iYZURtDaPjyMIsxtZVe6MwG-rG78f6JUUBaUQZHSKo8RKuaUBfrtkAleBz_RED_xf-lc-pu6sjvySYGu_maDltXy-xRc/s958/Wirral%20Food%20Bank%20Donations.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdplWojqt7dVKJsB0cazC3hSS7DRGihWD2Bok2j7v5kfhz1Zm7zfGoqhW5pm5XWl-qrctMJ2_Y7ECOKcRbF6N4EmRvse7kW6iYZURtDaPjyMIsxtZVe6MwG-rG78f6JUUBaUQZHSKo8RKuaUBfrtkAleBz_RED_xf-lc-pu6sjvySYGu_maDltXy-xRc/w502-h640/Wirral%20Food%20Bank%20Donations.png" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are some other things, not on this list, that would be great to donate to the Wirral food bank in the run up to Christmas and generally. These include:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Tin openers (a lot of the suggested donations include tinned food which is no good if people don't own a tin opener!)</li><li>Selection boxes</li><li>Christmas pudding/Stollen</li><li>Crisps</li><li>Yorkshire pudding mix</li><li>Razors</li><li>Body butter/lotion</li><li>Christmas crackers</li><li>Popcorn</li><li>Tea bags</li><li>Peanut butter</li><li>Syrup/honey</li><li>Granola/cereal bars</li><li>Cheese and crackers</li></ul><div>Be sure to check all food you donate has a good shelf life on it so it lasts people longer than the Christmas period. Remember you can donate money to your local food bank too, in case you're not in a position to get out to the shops with everything going on during the festive season.</div><div><br /></div><div>Share this post far and wide so we can ensure as many people as possible in Wirral benefit from generosity during the Christmas season.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jcDV-Da3EjkMutdtfjfEvj_uq3BhYUtWZipCwUSTssqV2MPG-f6RDCHoCRDbxxyNyCm0sDFwg-mlZuUyrXtF4JmTs5NqrxSWoZGTxdVXDTEm-w69LDLbY2BF3ka1b2nvEP0hLUnmg9KuMwcFeyKkBd7R-ipu8PvOnrrACfdQt1kzhyphenhyphenl0iHSt3AeUhVs/s321/Untitled%20design.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jcDV-Da3EjkMutdtfjfEvj_uq3BhYUtWZipCwUSTssqV2MPG-f6RDCHoCRDbxxyNyCm0sDFwg-mlZuUyrXtF4JmTs5NqrxSWoZGTxdVXDTEm-w69LDLbY2BF3ka1b2nvEP0hLUnmg9KuMwcFeyKkBd7R-ipu8PvOnrrACfdQt1kzhyphenhyphenl0iHSt3AeUhVs/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-48690289094643975012023-12-10T11:41:00.005+00:002023-12-10T11:46:35.349+00:00(AD) What we got up to in Stratford-upon-Avon<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Experiences marked with a * were press/gifted experiences.</i></div><div><br /></div>Our recent staycation to the gorgeous Stratford-upon-Avon was jam packed, and we still could have done more! We really had the best time, and it's somewhere I'd definitely recommend visiting. I thought I'd give you the lowdown on everything we got up to, with prices and reviews... we had plenty of recommendations from the local Facebook group, which is a good tip if you're travelling somewhere new. The locals always have good ideas on where to go!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxiBOaX5HNxMZ1HF-ZedKwL2KnfymBsxQ62IFibdTamSTeuTwlgF23ONzKOqtOlm_NVu6sQeffsIc694tkTgua5aJ2sDlrixf38DHgNkJFbijMEI5Bkh9nUeicdRuFAkk4FGevFva0Ju5GURMeoApzw_k0DXbPr5uTtkTlGR9aWa8zpsbi8cSMij0Ew1Y/s958/8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxiBOaX5HNxMZ1HF-ZedKwL2KnfymBsxQ62IFibdTamSTeuTwlgF23ONzKOqtOlm_NVu6sQeffsIc694tkTgua5aJ2sDlrixf38DHgNkJFbijMEI5Bkh9nUeicdRuFAkk4FGevFva0Ju5GURMeoApzw_k0DXbPr5uTtkTlGR9aWa8zpsbi8cSMij0Ew1Y/w640-h502/8.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div>For reference, we stayed right in the centre of town in the beautiful Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon. We had dinner at the restaurant, The Woodsman, on the Friday evening when we first arrived - this was incredible and I couldn't recommend it more if you want somewhere for a really special meal. Read my full review of the hotel and restaurant <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/11/hotel-indigo-stratford-upon-avon-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Shakespeare Distillery Tour*</h3><div><br /></div><div>So on Saturday morning, after a lovely breakfast, we asked the hotel reception to book us a taxi to our first activity - a gin tour and tasting at the <a href="https://shakespearedistillery.com/experiences/distillery-tours/" target="_blank">Shakespeare Distillery</a>. This is slightly out of town, but I would SO recommend. We arrived and sat down in the café/bar area, before we were given a really insightful and genuinely hilarious talk on the history of gin and distilling by the wonderful Sarah; after this, Sam took us to see the 'stills' (named after Shakespeare characters, of course) as well as where the gin is stored, bottled and so on. They do everything themselves at the distillery; it's a small business with so much passion for what they do.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygl1MjV30zGePaalDMkLJ2PzsJlytVn9sGJTfcIRSih05YWsF2bsB5Lq2VALCfdkg7yMKVtlhC0AVixe483dXt4rGVOwYt4F2bDN7xvf13rX6WPYv1qFcTZILHPsiGb1Uxw6SvtdplBPSKQt-Q4ZBNJW4bigIFZSCnrkrRO1ODB6rvjgQs9Rxz9kbPSs/s958/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygl1MjV30zGePaalDMkLJ2PzsJlytVn9sGJTfcIRSih05YWsF2bsB5Lq2VALCfdkg7yMKVtlhC0AVixe483dXt4rGVOwYt4F2bDN7xvf13rX6WPYv1qFcTZILHPsiGb1Uxw6SvtdplBPSKQt-Q4ZBNJW4bigIFZSCnrkrRO1ODB6rvjgQs9Rxz9kbPSs/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH50mH35l_AH2awqGwaf98jF3seZRk-V8ym8NeXWUaCtWdfIT0YvARBrZvzoUfL31AMyz-d35-jZjxk1ICGcTwXTf3IxvdAqrSbTAVdAdYzbWG4vR0cIAb0Pj-beRDSm0pN6oqpX9MDdyqnx1LwiUARNPaQD5NzuYVgCdX5uAML2Sum_MGOM06kOi7KY/s958/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH50mH35l_AH2awqGwaf98jF3seZRk-V8ym8NeXWUaCtWdfIT0YvARBrZvzoUfL31AMyz-d35-jZjxk1ICGcTwXTf3IxvdAqrSbTAVdAdYzbWG4vR0cIAb0Pj-beRDSm0pN6oqpX9MDdyqnx1LwiUARNPaQD5NzuYVgCdX5uAML2Sum_MGOM06kOi7KY/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><br /><div>The second part of our experience here (which costs £19pp if you're interested!) was the gin tasting, which we were very excited about. You try three different gins or two gins and a rum, which Sarah talked us through - they do various flavours, and there are plenty of mixers, so it's important to know which should be paired together! You try each one straight and then each with a tiny bit of mixer, and then you're treated to a full size drink. If you're driving, you'll get a miniature to take home instead of having the full drink which I think is the perfect touch. You also get 10% off in the shop so we bought a glass each, a tote bag, and a miniature to take home. I so highly recommend this and we might even do it again when we go back with my parents!</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Shakespeare Walking Tour</h3><div><br /></div><div>We couldn't visit Stratford-upon-Avon and not see all the Shakespeare highlights, and somebody in the local Facebook forum recommended we book a <a href="https://tudorworld.com/whats-on/shakespeare-tour/" target="_blank">walking tour with the man himself</a> ...okay, somebody dressed up as him! For £7 each we met at the Tudor World Museum in Sheep Street (slightly early so I popped down the next alleyway and treated myself to a Biscoff cookie from the <a href="https://thecookiecottage.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cookie Cottage</a>!) then set off with our guide, dressed as the Bard, to see the relevant parts of town. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAA_nQkJw2y0hN7zQ2cnQptOeQh8ZVxaYT-LAQzGb27ZSeuvPsSFWcgOl2R4YB6lR4fH7NNDyfTxJ5zduTcVcO4SdVUoSq399_PHTrIah9uOvDyHcVs9WMq93ErrIuDG4pA4moOb2i0NaXXiKn45GIklgVG3L0noH2XpTzQV-MndsbWMvB0S8yA0rWSA/s958/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAA_nQkJw2y0hN7zQ2cnQptOeQh8ZVxaYT-LAQzGb27ZSeuvPsSFWcgOl2R4YB6lR4fH7NNDyfTxJ5zduTcVcO4SdVUoSq399_PHTrIah9uOvDyHcVs9WMq93ErrIuDG4pA4moOb2i0NaXXiKn45GIklgVG3L0noH2XpTzQV-MndsbWMvB0S8yA0rWSA/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OO6PdabPMT8sliqU-Atmrx2JT1r_gLFg4g1uoePcCDho4nqIPvNg-zaKEgALvLaqwnn8zlGqUhHRJKotvGhnf3fqvfYVXUYGkPisAmXk5KCb9vyy8V8akH5yyvKcsr77lRpBj9Ox0n-FXKD3jcSEPnHhu86pIGjq7ayxsd8VRwqj1X9pReDCQa6XAEQ/s958/4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OO6PdabPMT8sliqU-Atmrx2JT1r_gLFg4g1uoePcCDho4nqIPvNg-zaKEgALvLaqwnn8zlGqUhHRJKotvGhnf3fqvfYVXUYGkPisAmXk5KCb9vyy8V8akH5yyvKcsr77lRpBj9Ox0n-FXKD3jcSEPnHhu86pIGjq7ayxsd8VRwqj1X9pReDCQa6XAEQ/s16000/4.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lkjWA5pNjZ_yhzINgioVT4TQw5X4g8SYW7VtDQ2NdSUZc98YS84tbp-9-tq15I1fmGAKkjXc8gJjsFCWe6rgK4FV36_qA05Scqs0I-RqzQAU1P9jaGkAl0dRMC_Hd9GCzKRub8vZFdH0iVNs5C_S3yoDNoNyLe0bMnr6jGpqtn6EvDTGyTbJUo2mzng/s958/6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lkjWA5pNjZ_yhzINgioVT4TQw5X4g8SYW7VtDQ2NdSUZc98YS84tbp-9-tq15I1fmGAKkjXc8gJjsFCWe6rgK4FV36_qA05Scqs0I-RqzQAU1P9jaGkAl0dRMC_Hd9GCzKRub8vZFdH0iVNs5C_S3yoDNoNyLe0bMnr6jGpqtn6EvDTGyTbJUo2mzng/s16000/6.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfG9KDC62KsuP_CxBBGoiP7Z2Bl2g4pDJM0cKAyo7q4JMd5i5smctxYN5DqY41P1btV-mukQb5IR1Cp8FVxOYK6ukgmFFzFcPtx9ovC_T-4Wx-NTIdj9RhEQwh9FCUJrZtv9MzRAo3PW9TNwYSYNwUlAcfNMj_ztMX6SQ66trn15MtX8f4eYhwplQn3M/s958/7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfG9KDC62KsuP_CxBBGoiP7Z2Bl2g4pDJM0cKAyo7q4JMd5i5smctxYN5DqY41P1btV-mukQb5IR1Cp8FVxOYK6ukgmFFzFcPtx9ovC_T-4Wx-NTIdj9RhEQwh9FCUJrZtv9MzRAo3PW9TNwYSYNwUlAcfNMj_ztMX6SQ66trn15MtX8f4eYhwplQn3M/s16000/7.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We headed to all the hotspots and heard a wealth of information about each place, with some fun jokes and stories along the way. I'd highly recommend this tour if you want to see the highlights and learn some history! It ends at the church where Shakespeare is buried; you do have to pay to go in and see his grave, it was a suggested donation charge of £4 which seemed pretty unavoidable so I paid it to go in. We also managed to catch a choir rehearsal at the church which was beautiful!</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Garrick Inn</h3><div><br /></div><div>There are plenty of pubs in town, and we had heard that the <a href="https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/warwickshire/garrick" target="_blank">Garrick Inn</a> is one of the oldest; it's now a Greene King, so the food is pretty standard, but I'd booked us a table here for dinner. It was absolutely RAMMED, so much so they closed the doors in the end. The staff were friendly and the service was quick, so I would recommend popping in for a drink but I would imagine there are some much nicer restaurants down Sheep Street for food that's a bit more up-market. Just after dinner we also wandered back up through town as the Christmas lights had been switched on, which was super pretty.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HYzstNPDCB54y4JfC9yeFX6jvmYAHnlODQaky94BZOGfbA5yd5GVKpTGSeVPnKEmJ0f_JGqsTVoAFAL8S2BbVIzTk8TG7NlwoOnTZM44v9cPA5JLoZCMPBst364upBLCMdXKMN48TBZnDUQ5hXylDUmS63hikUnOfKVoRT9l8nqn1kWJau7_a-vEx0w/s958/12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HYzstNPDCB54y4JfC9yeFX6jvmYAHnlODQaky94BZOGfbA5yd5GVKpTGSeVPnKEmJ0f_JGqsTVoAFAL8S2BbVIzTk8TG7NlwoOnTZM44v9cPA5JLoZCMPBst364upBLCMdXKMN48TBZnDUQ5hXylDUmS63hikUnOfKVoRT9l8nqn1kWJau7_a-vEx0w/s16000/12.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The RSC*</h3><div><br /></div><div>Of course, I was desperate to see a show at the <a href="https://www.rsc.org.uk/" target="_blank">RSC</a> - sadly there wasn't an actual Shakespeare play on at the time, but we were gifted a pair of tickets to see The Box of Delights. This is a really family-friendly festive play about a young boy tasked with saving Christmas after a chance encounter with a Punch & Judy man on the train home from school. It wasn't exactly my kind of play but the talent was brilliant and the set looked great too, and the RSC is such an iconic venue that it's a *must* if you're wondering what to do in Stratford-upon-Avon of an evening.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrRZUbTq4fm0AeeRDxt5TaUzhUR3WYwcAjfRwdfS7BiGiLuUMAf-oMxLamLom2zz4PPE9R_Mx0sZYa-yEmD9ijNRN39jnd6oiO_Yr99rnLkLDHjfDOiTxNLIpIPEEb_F2mPCBOz4sNRHMnBl5tomGQaCN1k_1krHuDqTyGu3UtEV9JkmftzAD6BPEiOY/s958/9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrRZUbTq4fm0AeeRDxt5TaUzhUR3WYwcAjfRwdfS7BiGiLuUMAf-oMxLamLom2zz4PPE9R_Mx0sZYa-yEmD9ijNRN39jnd6oiO_Yr99rnLkLDHjfDOiTxNLIpIPEEb_F2mPCBOz4sNRHMnBl5tomGQaCN1k_1krHuDqTyGu3UtEV9JkmftzAD6BPEiOY/s16000/9.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Old Thatch Tavern</h3><div><br /></div><div>I really wanted to pop in to the Old Thatch Tavern for a drink because it was opened 400 years ago this year (2023) which was the year Shakespeare's First Folio was published AND the year Anne Hathaway, his wife, passed away. It was fairly expensive for a pub but really cosy, so we stopped for a drink and played some trivia on the TV just to say we'd been in! Shoutout to Owen of the <a href="https://stratfordtownwalk.co.uk/" target="_blank">Stratford Town Walk</a> who gave me soooo much info and facts about the local pubs before we visited, if you can get on one of his tours I'm sure it'd be amazing.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Stratford Butterly Farm*</h3><div><br /></div><div>Sunday morning was a really crisp, windy day and we were booked in to visit <a href="https://www.butterflyfarm.co.uk/attraction/" target="_blank">Stratford Butterfly Farm</a>. We walked here, which took us over the River Avon so that was nice - there is a foot ferry that I really wanted to try but it doesn't run during the winter months. We arrived at the Butterfly Farm and dumped our coats, then headed into the tropical area fullll of butterflies, the odd moth, a whole section about cocoons, an area with snakes, stick insects, a crocodile and more. This was a really fun way to spend an hour or so, and perfect if you're looking for child-friendly activities in Stratford-upon-Avon. There is a fantastic gift shop, too!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgziezsoCT5iJDnLI1xpeDkOkNivNt01N2gtaMDSOhntx0KIZWud7xFHREHp-UdavhTsvVNG6SXEC44LT_KJt9dr6Z4MqXfKjKYvuXeNcd3SYpXqLZyfM_sBAraipAuGiLU8alNoLRmM7O7_OEr3lEgfC-WvzI-biOsLTGC6d8DwGCmjAh08I3560nbC00/s958/11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgziezsoCT5iJDnLI1xpeDkOkNivNt01N2gtaMDSOhntx0KIZWud7xFHREHp-UdavhTsvVNG6SXEC44LT_KJt9dr6Z4MqXfKjKYvuXeNcd3SYpXqLZyfM_sBAraipAuGiLU8alNoLRmM7O7_OEr3lEgfC-WvzI-biOsLTGC6d8DwGCmjAh08I3560nbC00/s16000/11.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7hkJrw2fM0BeAe-JzTqi7JYDFX6uqSLdowz1IuZ4qC7p7RC0-ckvNezw5VYIuMGFyRZI3nXsUVVlHIS14eOKU8V8PuPPQG6Krtmt5jI3CKPsiPj-a7ykeDXjXH2x3W7knwcocQCAMXzgjs-p6DSUa61oqaTifzLlDLVNXfoi23Qqk6mTVA-ab8smHEs/s958/lighthouse%20sweatshirt.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7hkJrw2fM0BeAe-JzTqi7JYDFX6uqSLdowz1IuZ4qC7p7RC0-ckvNezw5VYIuMGFyRZI3nXsUVVlHIS14eOKU8V8PuPPQG6Krtmt5jI3CKPsiPj-a7ykeDXjXH2x3W7knwcocQCAMXzgjs-p6DSUa61oqaTifzLlDLVNXfoi23Qqk6mTVA-ab8smHEs/s16000/lighthouse%20sweatshirt.png" /></a></div><br /><div>We of course popped to see Shakespeare's house one last time on our way to the station - and I wanted to show off my cute new sweatshirt* from <a href="https://www.lighthouseclothing.co.uk/collections/womens-sweatshirts/products/haven-jersey-berry-teal-stripe" target="_blank">Lighthouse</a>, which I adore!</div><div><br /></div><div>There is plenty to see and do in Stratford-upon-Avon, especially if you're a Shakespeare fan! The gin distillery tour and the walking tour were my highlights for sure, but everything we did was well worth doing if you're looking for things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhS6oZ7fIo9lFyFkbm7WAB3SfQHkH6KT5SQwqQZWDzxHFMPI3Qxp0_wLG2_qsJnx4D2RvEoCeuLo_H6QMaJWWTmhNaNEQHkqP7aaBV4Rwjz_uEmanCejZbeFjxtmyWh8tSWuC_G67wgnIK0upmbb9VVFduUn4OYEzirIm2Rf2_AuZRTe-vh8saGfmSUo/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhS6oZ7fIo9lFyFkbm7WAB3SfQHkH6KT5SQwqQZWDzxHFMPI3Qxp0_wLG2_qsJnx4D2RvEoCeuLo_H6QMaJWWTmhNaNEQHkqP7aaBV4Rwjz_uEmanCejZbeFjxtmyWh8tSWuC_G67wgnIK0upmbb9VVFduUn4OYEzirIm2Rf2_AuZRTe-vh8saGfmSUo/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-8038412909305361212023-12-04T08:44:00.001+00:002023-12-04T10:46:37.469+00:00AD: Stocking Fillers with Wicked UncleChristmas is creeping closer and I've been loving sharing my gift guides - and I've got another one for you today! <a href="https://www.wickeduncle.co.uk/?utm_source=snacks&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=44" target="_blank">Wicked Uncle</a> are an online toy shop where you can buy gifts for kids of all ages, from babies through to teenagers, making you the favourite family member - honorary or otherwise. I've selected some brilliant stocking fillers from them, which I'll talk you through today...<div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Sugar Mice</h3><div><br /></div><div>Starting off with a 3-pack of <a href="https://www.wickeduncle.co.uk/childrens-presents/3-sugar-mice?utm_source=snacks&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=44" target="_blank">sugar mice</a> - sweets are a <i>must </i>when it comes to stocking fillers, and these are something a bit different to your usual selection box or bag of Haribo. These are super cute and traditional, and for £3.99 they make the perfect thoughtful gift for a stocking. They're raspberry and pineapple flavour, so super sweet and tasty.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMYCiKqOUVLNJEWizhJNs-CURSM2DJz5PwjRcqbKTxfX2svrJNrte7x8o9GytbwGav8I7b6IJt64sG6ndqJSpZozSTM6itSUhFMAHG0PjU8l5vCWXH_Q2u8ufOr5RdOeBUPhWsj6FdkS7asQTelSN9UESzq93xRDBsgxtWqbj94UbQ7uSVWXn_K8lvkQ/s958/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMYCiKqOUVLNJEWizhJNs-CURSM2DJz5PwjRcqbKTxfX2svrJNrte7x8o9GytbwGav8I7b6IJt64sG6ndqJSpZozSTM6itSUhFMAHG0PjU8l5vCWXH_Q2u8ufOr5RdOeBUPhWsj6FdkS7asQTelSN9UESzq93xRDBsgxtWqbj94UbQ7uSVWXn_K8lvkQ/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">David Walliams Awful Auntie's Wonderfully Witty Word Games</h3><div><br /></div><div>My nephew loves David Walliams' books, and I thought this would be the perfect stocking filler for him - however it's definitely aimed more at younger kids, which is fine as I have plenty of those in my life too. It's a well made gift in terms of the physical quality of the cards, and it's something we can all join in with over the Christmas period. I'm taking my nephew to see the stage show of this specific book next year, and if you have tickets too then this would be the perfect stocking filler gift to go with them!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZp_wYOkzL7BZCwB-ezSNxPsagcG2DdhPIwhvOgKB808tsDpZyhIK8h5EolFQiAUKz5Xs3Rhaglxmmzkk9MumSXLx6t9F9D8GzeealHLsL7CXQBhYBLT8056OAJop5oVJatGXyfVqJxKjBXqgJjFD0TaXo8151WGtp3zvZR11NSrjDnldDBWSenEEef9g/s958/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZp_wYOkzL7BZCwB-ezSNxPsagcG2DdhPIwhvOgKB808tsDpZyhIK8h5EolFQiAUKz5Xs3Rhaglxmmzkk9MumSXLx6t9F9D8GzeealHLsL7CXQBhYBLT8056OAJop5oVJatGXyfVqJxKjBXqgJjFD0TaXo8151WGtp3zvZR11NSrjDnldDBWSenEEef9g/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The House of Riddles - Exit Game</h3></div><div><br /></div><div>I absolutely love escape rooms, and the fact you can now get games to play at home that resemble that excitement is so cool; this is <a href="https://www.wickeduncle.co.uk/childrens-presents/the-house-of-riddles---exit-game?utm_source=snacks&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=44" target="_blank">a game full of riddles and challenges</a> which takes around 1-2 hours, and is perfect for the older kids in your life. It's something you can only play once, but it's the perfect gift for someone who loves using their brain and enjoys playing games with friends/family. I'm SO excited for this one, which we are actually keeping for ourselves! At £16.95, it's the ideal stocking filler in my opinion.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7IQHuOyTGK8-95wdI035VXxPIg7qVtGgsybeuk7V1keF3pkM8hmVviMnzqgIRAx7zlgtR6ZZiLsJLA129DEbE9QnvICFF9xFMnTTVhkmK8rSyTQR8kt3RfuR4w6J-u9sIjRBG4Gp5oteea-zJ63vG5Eqhz81Dkbe0SH2hf-Nvt6AStgpu_3rz7auV0g/s958/4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7IQHuOyTGK8-95wdI035VXxPIg7qVtGgsybeuk7V1keF3pkM8hmVviMnzqgIRAx7zlgtR6ZZiLsJLA129DEbE9QnvICFF9xFMnTTVhkmK8rSyTQR8kt3RfuR4w6J-u9sIjRBG4Gp5oteea-zJ63vG5Eqhz81Dkbe0SH2hf-Nvt6AStgpu_3rz7auV0g/s16000/4.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Hair Accessories - 4 Stacking Tins</h3><div><br /></div><div>For my little goddaughter Ivy, who is 4, I picked up these stacking tins for storing hair accessories - she's got gorgeous curly hair and I thought these would be the perfect addition to her bedroom (and her mum loves organisation so this will go down well for sure!). They're great quality, so cute and colourful, and can fit a good amount of bits in. At £12.99 they make a great stocking filler for girly girls.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVwMZHLPGJGgOT5s-sO9kAzLQV_cRH0vClbW7cA887KMmQbiMKLrLvhN1D7CG5UGLn5A0WWMzTBRqEHbQFGvp01Q94e_giLnmLvCb5cY4edIt6xaqf6kmhn6UkLq6hspdl1xS7LL7HeWdNc-u8h2ifMPAO8ApGEj7cWAFRD1txXu8sr170qlBh-byWtU/s958/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVwMZHLPGJGgOT5s-sO9kAzLQV_cRH0vClbW7cA887KMmQbiMKLrLvhN1D7CG5UGLn5A0WWMzTBRqEHbQFGvp01Q94e_giLnmLvCb5cY4edIt6xaqf6kmhn6UkLq6hspdl1xS7LL7HeWdNc-u8h2ifMPAO8ApGEj7cWAFRD1txXu8sr170qlBh-byWtU/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I absolutely love <a href="https://www.wickeduncle.co.uk/?utm_source=snacks&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=44" target="_blank">Wicked Uncle</a>; their website is easy to order from and you can get everything gift wrapped too, as well as cards and gift notes if need be. Perfect for sending goodies to the little ones in your life that you don't see as often. Their price points are really decent, and it's a brilliant way to support a family-run business. Highly recommend if you're shopping for stocking fillers for kids this Christmas!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGArEuVG7c7m1cYS6jyCrH-MdqW9W4_7GhrdzEjN9l9avbl4RkHVaE9jfcdYXxps1GdqtceBJHsOhRcNk3FjV0D-8CVPu9c-Kw4Ysb60kclShVUZt5xoyaXfSaYeGbUuCiSUNIEmQ0xoiC8KYrJS7pFObrHaUt1-hlxeOG4jnaVCQWJpjcSRAfjxVZzaQ/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGArEuVG7c7m1cYS6jyCrH-MdqW9W4_7GhrdzEjN9l9avbl4RkHVaE9jfcdYXxps1GdqtceBJHsOhRcNk3FjV0D-8CVPu9c-Kw4Ysb60kclShVUZt5xoyaXfSaYeGbUuCiSUNIEmQ0xoiC8KYrJS7pFObrHaUt1-hlxeOG4jnaVCQWJpjcSRAfjxVZzaQ/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-91556233503660751492023-11-29T20:33:00.007+00:002023-11-29T20:40:59.810+00:00Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon | Review<div style="text-align: center;"><i>I was invited here as a PR stay, but all words & opinions are my own.</i></div><div><br /></div>If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I absolutely love a weekend away or a little hotel stay, and we recently visited Stratford-upon-Avon for a whirlwind (and jam-packed) trip. We stayed in the <a href="https://booking.tp.st/FA5egCmS" target="_blank">Hotel Indigo</a>, right in the centre of town and super close to a lot of the Shakespeare-related things to see. So how was it?<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipACtHciw7hvLJoxt6fxsND8OsI52ZeNTSkcjZ-nygCCUw8V4E9OhUVjMve3hOe-I1uZJN34P8zzInloMV1Y5diSOzUGKY6kz1hWNCpmg2D1aDcCmQsVSoYsHbJxW9XiO3yTmpyZD7WE698rBmsZKrBewXub7Tl9k_GxnVzSL2PWX0ENa4gU8CCKc0_0w/s958/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipACtHciw7hvLJoxt6fxsND8OsI52ZeNTSkcjZ-nygCCUw8V4E9OhUVjMve3hOe-I1uZJN34P8zzInloMV1Y5diSOzUGKY6kz1hWNCpmg2D1aDcCmQsVSoYsHbJxW9XiO3yTmpyZD7WE698rBmsZKrBewXub7Tl9k_GxnVzSL2PWX0ENa4gU8CCKc0_0w/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon</h3><div><br /></div><div>We arrived and walked from the station, which took around 15 minutes, and checked in quickly; at check-in we were able to book our breakfast slot for the next two days, and then we headed up to our room. The hotel has both Tudor rooms and contemporary rooms; we were in a gorgeous contemporary room, and it did <i>not </i>disappoint. We had a large Hypnos bed (super comfy) as well as plenty of Shakespeare-themed decor... but it was subtle and stylish enough not to feel like overkill, which I think is no mean feat. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieU2aeFEy8NEmozSnl8r4I7LJ3GWfg22YK24BJJPkQCEHPhfrUv8P2So1rqlSAwKvkSFk_befmngD8EAV19WMFX72HF1HzhvntBO9heCc3ydJkLXdSZe8GPX9XQhdnhyphenhyphenFRa6NqOhyphenhyphenkx01ffORiyqznH5L-J1EPMYfaDUeLw7JsqC8uxC6tyqu_x3B7Xs0/s958/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieU2aeFEy8NEmozSnl8r4I7LJ3GWfg22YK24BJJPkQCEHPhfrUv8P2So1rqlSAwKvkSFk_befmngD8EAV19WMFX72HF1HzhvntBO9heCc3ydJkLXdSZe8GPX9XQhdnhyphenhyphenFRa6NqOhyphenhyphenkx01ffORiyqznH5L-J1EPMYfaDUeLw7JsqC8uxC6tyqu_x3B7Xs0/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRK8jimqI40nAq-xzFm-CilYHtGXCrRB_qE4p86Etc9r4l0hU9zQnq0IH3-I1QJCZES9CelkUjOASrP9v8Y4pFCsANv5uaFrdcUbKtvTmmTyLf8h59PWWxC3lSUY1ZHPJTynJA_0Fx1_9-13VZws72_tsFR_EgW7XEcU5SBVUlHk68qSOSpZO6xf9HnM/s958/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRK8jimqI40nAq-xzFm-CilYHtGXCrRB_qE4p86Etc9r4l0hU9zQnq0IH3-I1QJCZES9CelkUjOASrP9v8Y4pFCsANv5uaFrdcUbKtvTmmTyLf8h59PWWxC3lSUY1ZHPJTynJA_0Fx1_9-13VZws72_tsFR_EgW7XEcU5SBVUlHk68qSOSpZO6xf9HnM/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The room had the bed, as mentioned, with a bedside table on each side, a desk & chair, another comfy chair with a little table (the perfect reading nook...) and a wardrobe complete with hanging space on one side and a world of excitement on the other. This side had a fridge, stocked with water/soft drinks/milk as well as a coffee machine with everything you'd need for tea and coffee. There was a hairdryer and ironing board too, should you need them. The bathroom was huge, with a sink, mirror, toilet and spacious shower. I loved the pattern of the tiles in the shower, and I loved it even more that the sticker on the toilet roll perfectly matched the tiles! It's the little things...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59fx-AXH6M_rOI0tUqwh4TFnB33Mw5gvtoYSfExlJCjipzoc3pYOai-nSLRrcCbAxzp_OUvbPtfqBvbsUJN1_gQeHN6Yn9bgE0rGYjNwzMxUZW3KYQl6srX3KfAfsnQw4T6BADjRGBaw4BwGTu3n9FtQKJeNqPpmXouPiu9rvHGl6pDVTPANTDIX2Njc/s958/4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59fx-AXH6M_rOI0tUqwh4TFnB33Mw5gvtoYSfExlJCjipzoc3pYOai-nSLRrcCbAxzp_OUvbPtfqBvbsUJN1_gQeHN6Yn9bgE0rGYjNwzMxUZW3KYQl6srX3KfAfsnQw4T6BADjRGBaw4BwGTu3n9FtQKJeNqPpmXouPiu9rvHGl6pDVTPANTDIX2Njc/s16000/4.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgEkjbvcI5y8N8Hbl8qip6SM2EpyfnanpFlB64WuF7huH0c7wl1Jc4e8H7aZKGphyfDZi3pnwVBoiOvXocw7jg3vchStbg-UHmQdTDVv7k3QxCywO0M6AjEPv9Kh42WxlwJrr-yOEen9HEUqfXb7KNfzD4cqjrQ0-udInU5V6stId6VcI2PhplK3tOGo/s958/5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgEkjbvcI5y8N8Hbl8qip6SM2EpyfnanpFlB64WuF7huH0c7wl1Jc4e8H7aZKGphyfDZi3pnwVBoiOvXocw7jg3vchStbg-UHmQdTDVv7k3QxCywO0M6AjEPv9Kh42WxlwJrr-yOEen9HEUqfXb7KNfzD4cqjrQ0-udInU5V6stId6VcI2PhplK3tOGo/s16000/5.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There is also a TV with plenty of channels, and some really roomy drawers should you have a lot of clothes with you. There's two mirrors in the room, too, great for getting ready! So that's the room, which I was so impressed with. The staff were generally really friendly, too, and there's a lovely garden area as well as various nooks to sit in and relax. They use <a href="https://www.bramleyproducts.co.uk/collections/hand-washes-creams" target="_blank">Bramley toiletries</a> which all smell AMAZING and feel lovely on the skin/hair. I'll definitely be buying myself some as a treat in the future... There is parking on site too, if you need it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbLTgkGbHQsjR-4OMjhxTk4va27FLPiW9CHj4HaQS2kGsIw9GrVt0SBrxwuXxwfeZNT_uvJ8ztywhD7yLmayg0i8q7eaZIzpHj9M3UYTW42Gy-cfyz8d__upfsMRAs2A1i0LOZzKlkPLnqEzPF5O8YAjxBsFQQgOgmzGZGcPrXAoKnL0NlCmiK75ibLY/s958/12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbLTgkGbHQsjR-4OMjhxTk4va27FLPiW9CHj4HaQS2kGsIw9GrVt0SBrxwuXxwfeZNT_uvJ8ztywhD7yLmayg0i8q7eaZIzpHj9M3UYTW42Gy-cfyz8d__upfsMRAs2A1i0LOZzKlkPLnqEzPF5O8YAjxBsFQQgOgmzGZGcPrXAoKnL0NlCmiK75ibLY/s16000/12.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Breakfast was amazing, I have to say; you get a continental breakfast included and can then pay extra for hot dishes. The standard breakfast included toast and pastries, juices, smoothies, coffee/tea, cereal, cheeses and other bits & bobs. The hot menu included French toast, a full English and so on - my fiancée had the full English while I asked for sausage and hash brown on a brioche bun, which was just gorgeous. The breakfast manager on duty was SO friendly and couldn't do enough for us.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Hotel Indigo: the location</h3><div><br /></div><div>As mentioned, the hotel is smack bang in the centre of town - many of the Tudor rooms have views of Shakespeare's New Place, which shows you how central it is. It's within walking distance of everything, pretty much; Shakespeare's School is around the corner, and Sheep Street is super close which is full of restaurants, bars and so on. The river and RSC theatre are around a 5-10 minute walk away, if that, and the station is around 15 minutes away on foot. So, honestly, you couldn't get better in terms of the location of the Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQqlz7AaIx0rpgFIRqlo_qM9FqspsjgV0XW_dIfxIjLMPv9h_h9GX_kBLeIZzRxhfDQLXynW8G_gVFMcUMLb5_vBh7sbHYQ05ZRuXzS8a0y3_OSa-F7_pwvRBTbtvhFbJm4GKCRTZVtM7I8XeuafHCvhaiktt2cXUN4XrQ513YsXA0XCDuyppECZll_s/s958/13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQqlz7AaIx0rpgFIRqlo_qM9FqspsjgV0XW_dIfxIjLMPv9h_h9GX_kBLeIZzRxhfDQLXynW8G_gVFMcUMLb5_vBh7sbHYQ05ZRuXzS8a0y3_OSa-F7_pwvRBTbtvhFbJm4GKCRTZVtM7I8XeuafHCvhaiktt2cXUN4XrQ513YsXA0XCDuyppECZll_s/s16000/13.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosu-0HJjLQ-tXyy9fdfW7nIrCtSYnt8hcuVjr9H7hnmurZKSt_vtiEFYf2MPA_ZbgOi6eDFm_Mn1J0L0_y-fYDVujfuG6JfXNVpKo0GBvDp9NRA977PM8bO1-cT4OvQYrHT_oPsuLT3Pn4WAILoQ1l5KIQDIuMtuAAaWm_xnTlASP-sfEb_tA4bLIizU/s958/14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosu-0HJjLQ-tXyy9fdfW7nIrCtSYnt8hcuVjr9H7hnmurZKSt_vtiEFYf2MPA_ZbgOi6eDFm_Mn1J0L0_y-fYDVujfuG6JfXNVpKo0GBvDp9NRA977PM8bO1-cT4OvQYrHT_oPsuLT3Pn4WAILoQ1l5KIQDIuMtuAAaWm_xnTlASP-sfEb_tA4bLIizU/s16000/14.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I should also mention there is a gym and a lovely lounge within the hotel, so you don't even need to leave if you don't want to... but there really is so much to do in this beautiful part of the UK!</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Woodsman at the Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon</h3><div><br /></div><div>Attached to the hotel is a stunning restaurant called <a href="https://thewoodsmanrestaurant.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Woodsman</a>, owned by restaurateur Mike Robinson. And let me tell you, the food is spectacular. I knew it would be, as he owns the restaurant at the Chester location which we visited earlier in the year, but WOW. We were blown away! I had a Shakespeare Distillery gin with lemonade and my other half opted for a glass of red wine, then it was time to order the food... We ordered the Raviolo of wild Rabbit & Berkswell cheese with butternut squash, pickled mushroom, brown butter and garden sage to share. Let me tell you, I wish we'd ordered one each. It was absolutely sensational, everything about it, and I could have eaten a whole bowl of them!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKIKvDfljSTkTlCswJkfzNaddD-GQ20Q1ackY_-ATYWneyA_be2xLVTbV__Nh1CN6X_dhS8Kki8SNueo4ISsfBiPYByxhNgrSbAtfjTIKd_SQd8mmV7y9_3coVlN3jCmW9b7ZTzGPDHYgYZCOaFEKeJn6be8Z-_TVnPtzyeGN0t8DIqKdiVK4KUfZ3LY/s958/6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKIKvDfljSTkTlCswJkfzNaddD-GQ20Q1ackY_-ATYWneyA_be2xLVTbV__Nh1CN6X_dhS8Kki8SNueo4ISsfBiPYByxhNgrSbAtfjTIKd_SQd8mmV7y9_3coVlN3jCmW9b7ZTzGPDHYgYZCOaFEKeJn6be8Z-_TVnPtzyeGN0t8DIqKdiVK4KUfZ3LY/s16000/6.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YaC9-KeDIjsa_O5cb1KwtwgYVT7qt_fZaTaW0zIb2hDwmnK4w0zVAk5dXM1Fz69hCn54_nvrgDJdkXcHhyphenhyphenAw35jIae1maZKtJUchuDgU7CCs-b2s7rKTU8hIrCYM0XGH5gSr_h3xIzHTtJZpBpiTtHXuWFtsC6e2-GdzWA6e5psB9XJ6-wXWN654x2M/s958/7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YaC9-KeDIjsa_O5cb1KwtwgYVT7qt_fZaTaW0zIb2hDwmnK4w0zVAk5dXM1Fz69hCn54_nvrgDJdkXcHhyphenhyphenAw35jIae1maZKtJUchuDgU7CCs-b2s7rKTU8hIrCYM0XGH5gSr_h3xIzHTtJZpBpiTtHXuWFtsC6e2-GdzWA6e5psB9XJ6-wXWN654x2M/s16000/7.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR5vXa0ArvJXL_lyZJDSH70cT9nCNcSz7C67jbFxpOM3MOnq79KH71CS5fdJlsVFLhGO8ZuZW-TpNpxtj7gfOd5CxE0yNvpFyUNwk2G8bGWvqW99QO-hZ4CpzydMG_Dz0QSv6Vjb_0BeorgsOiEFEKYQPycUQSEOIEyO72iPfm9zbbV8F4S3bDsEU018/s958/9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR5vXa0ArvJXL_lyZJDSH70cT9nCNcSz7C67jbFxpOM3MOnq79KH71CS5fdJlsVFLhGO8ZuZW-TpNpxtj7gfOd5CxE0yNvpFyUNwk2G8bGWvqW99QO-hZ4CpzydMG_Dz0QSv6Vjb_0BeorgsOiEFEKYQPycUQSEOIEyO72iPfm9zbbV8F4S3bDsEU018/s16000/9.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>For our main, we opted for the £60 sharing platter; this was a lamb shoulder with crispy garlic potatoes, hispi cabbage with a yoghurt dressing, and woodfired aubergine. The lamb was so tender, just falling right off the bone, and full of flavour. The potatoes were 10/10 and the aubergine was so tasty too; I liked the cabbage, although I wasn't so keen on the dressing, but all in all this platter was unreal. There was probably enough food for three!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDe1LfE0hLAqY833JphxczwGBwOGtndY7jhr6ZysGTL3obIkegfI3fx9Z2rN8bbaqG6MYcio_55G0XqqMjLitBJ-z_wS6pAhdSNleJYJbW0nZVUUyxYBMPt91s9DdEjcUYhJMoztRuXJcDFcMv88o5_S_dxTTtw4q4UfZGEGeC2kzhRLZT4410uUi2lng/s958/8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDe1LfE0hLAqY833JphxczwGBwOGtndY7jhr6ZysGTL3obIkegfI3fx9Z2rN8bbaqG6MYcio_55G0XqqMjLitBJ-z_wS6pAhdSNleJYJbW0nZVUUyxYBMPt91s9DdEjcUYhJMoztRuXJcDFcMv88o5_S_dxTTtw4q4UfZGEGeC2kzhRLZT4410uUi2lng/s16000/8.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkolOBp7gnqIOOFw8-Sp2sfB_JPKUqqQzclnUNqEP-Gd4nGCPC78dHuKSpaDpSXyoiq6hVUjpqWuIH5900PyIhtLRnitlnReL8lZLMWdz4twyKp1_cjwF3GNfPPJjjXaz9iwoW6YC4o-DJl9UB9hEp25lFPIQ7TqcrX7svHWed94IGLUxMqrJJx0IVdQ8/s958/10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkolOBp7gnqIOOFw8-Sp2sfB_JPKUqqQzclnUNqEP-Gd4nGCPC78dHuKSpaDpSXyoiq6hVUjpqWuIH5900PyIhtLRnitlnReL8lZLMWdz4twyKp1_cjwF3GNfPPJjjXaz9iwoW6YC4o-DJl9UB9hEp25lFPIQ7TqcrX7svHWed94IGLUxMqrJJx0IVdQ8/s16000/10.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_bk8oz2vA1PIUKEHchE3HdsB0fou-V4Z8PGgyRdxrOnLfO0jkZ3EGgV5w7nCKSIeOs07EdCGijKjferVKO9T3yVL7Su2rouyQpJ4ocBYfy2TJ7xyTV7-CrkoKmQJmCKZR2CvjHuj69QA47Vy3iY12ZIMUjyfJ__91y9oE7Q5Ilqb50_86mwiDzl0_j0/s958/11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_bk8oz2vA1PIUKEHchE3HdsB0fou-V4Z8PGgyRdxrOnLfO0jkZ3EGgV5w7nCKSIeOs07EdCGijKjferVKO9T3yVL7Su2rouyQpJ4ocBYfy2TJ7xyTV7-CrkoKmQJmCKZR2CvjHuj69QA47Vy3iY12ZIMUjyfJ__91y9oE7Q5Ilqb50_86mwiDzl0_j0/s16000/11.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The staff within the restaurant were SO knowledgeable about the food and drinks; the table next to us had the tasting menu with wine pairings, and everyone seemed to know everything about each dish and beverage which is a testament to how well the restaurant is run. There is even a private dining area (photo below) which would be *perfect* for special family events. Sooo rustic and charming. Even if you're not staying at the Indigo, I'd highly recommend a visit to the Woodsman in Stratford-upon-Avon!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkMj7VmLMomm-UbUlbGJsfgE-n6ogE_rcVm6N1fmkC3DgZAcQW3J1jmIZxmD2H-xmOnlMgdOd-m1cNrxr9DjNNnj2QojmR_5gw1SM_Nh27y564yEQsEUc0wrRBm0T16coBrZxJb-2U42XZuty3rCBGClePAZhMWjH2EoA418WemEP_G3xpwJJYn3pp9I/s958/private%20dining%20area.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkMj7VmLMomm-UbUlbGJsfgE-n6ogE_rcVm6N1fmkC3DgZAcQW3J1jmIZxmD2H-xmOnlMgdOd-m1cNrxr9DjNNnj2QojmR_5gw1SM_Nh27y564yEQsEUc0wrRBm0T16coBrZxJb-2U42XZuty3rCBGClePAZhMWjH2EoA418WemEP_G3xpwJJYn3pp9I/s16000/private%20dining%20area.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>All in all, the <a href="https://www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/gb/en/stratford-upon-avon/cvtsa/hoteldetail" target="_blank">Hotel Indigo in Stratford-upon-Avon</a> is definitely on my list if you're looking for Stratford accommodation. We're hoping to head back next year, and I already can't wait...</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizykzzaqOPEdpiN4ZndjCiCx3NSeYdW8zo4qfni4vjOQZmTIYXNRIhAIBY02g0aLkRORAVb_8uryW-bIld_HFP2U6oMwOpCM2r8medXVfakMOaw6QEVZzyBxmAKH9QdbGukhuwgrW8TKOm1DbgSWpE2udcLSrngCCm6ABuedQ6KvT_dWuQZ2kBJkOe6y0/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizykzzaqOPEdpiN4ZndjCiCx3NSeYdW8zo4qfni4vjOQZmTIYXNRIhAIBY02g0aLkRORAVb_8uryW-bIld_HFP2U6oMwOpCM2r8medXVfakMOaw6QEVZzyBxmAKH9QdbGukhuwgrW8TKOm1DbgSWpE2udcLSrngCCm6ABuedQ6KvT_dWuQZ2kBJkOe6y0/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-82425002671057024072023-11-21T19:55:00.001+00:002023-11-22T12:21:44.784+00:00Christmas 2023: miscellaneous gifts<p>I've been sharing some incredible Christmas gift ideas here on The Lilac Scrapbook, covering home and beauty so far with more to come. I also wanted to share some other great gift ideas that don't necessarily fit into any of these categories, but still make <i>fantastic </i>Christmas presents. Most of these are catered towards my interests in particular, so just think of them as general product reviews - but if you know anyone who's into similar things that I am, you might get some good ideas...</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Literary Emporium*</h3><p>One thing I'm really into is Shakespeare/reading/literature. I couldn't be more obsessed with this Ophelia t-shirt from the Shakespeare's Heroines collection from Literary Emporium, which I've worn *loads* - it's stayed really good quality, wash after wash, and it's so soft and comfy. I love pairing it with 'mom' jeans and Docs for a casual/chilled outfit. There are a few different designs to choose from, and they're subtle but very cool. I also got a gorgeous 'Beatrice' <a href="https://www.literaryemporium.co.uk/collections/enamel-pins/products/beatrice-much-ado-about-nothing-enamel-pin-shakespeares-heroines-collection" target="_blank">Much Ado About Nothing pin</a>, which I wear allll the time on different tops/shirts/jackets etc. Love love love - everything is great quality and there's loads to choose from, including Jane Austen, Greek mythology, dystopian lit and more...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoxqWMpZGHKhFJ8nJTMHlcpADX1PsaAIgBwbYDEwDLC4FiIp8tWpRm6ru4sv4n_FO7kKXVueXBQYuHOcPSgtG4rhrQvN9_C5hWD4ijEQjB5iI5n5DYwOPt0I704VoyR0xO54DDbwAHs5qCpeEth6EauUl-L1M78hphLjZKYJVu766YTaZ9tQDBBVDk1Y/s958/6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoxqWMpZGHKhFJ8nJTMHlcpADX1PsaAIgBwbYDEwDLC4FiIp8tWpRm6ru4sv4n_FO7kKXVueXBQYuHOcPSgtG4rhrQvN9_C5hWD4ijEQjB5iI5n5DYwOPt0I704VoyR0xO54DDbwAHs5qCpeEth6EauUl-L1M78hphLjZKYJVu766YTaZ9tQDBBVDk1Y/s16000/6.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx1tfz6TWZ8mipfZEDqycNRGaFZGcdJESQVn7XHwahm_IUvKvzAGLNS6cDWEype-ghyphenhyphenSPUw3X-SECFLwsgI5VH6R7MghVe9_UDr_RzXIfFsuO_2hjANMnfg5oMll8FeATXv6YdqeE-UmWTg4uW5M2EHPG0Fxkwp_jPhTPDJSCjz_DflpHwfQwNIVHNiQ/s958/8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx1tfz6TWZ8mipfZEDqycNRGaFZGcdJESQVn7XHwahm_IUvKvzAGLNS6cDWEype-ghyphenhyphenSPUw3X-SECFLwsgI5VH6R7MghVe9_UDr_RzXIfFsuO_2hjANMnfg5oMll8FeATXv6YdqeE-UmWTg4uW5M2EHPG0Fxkwp_jPhTPDJSCjz_DflpHwfQwNIVHNiQ/s16000/8.png" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Xander Kostroma*</h3><p>I've definitely been getting more into jewellery this year, and I'm <i>loving </i>my new Black Obsidian necklace from Xander Kostroma; it's so dainty and pretty but you can tell how well made it is! Everything is handmade in small batches, making it even more special, and this came beautifully packaged making it the perfect Christmas gift. I don't know much about crystals and stones personally, but here's some more information about Black Obsidian:</p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: ".Apple Color Emoji UI"; font-size: 13px;">🖤 </span>it is a truth-enhancing stone<br /><span style="font-family: ".Apple Color Emoji UI"; font-size: 13px;">🖤 </span>it is a protective stone<br /><span style="font-family: ".Apple Color Emoji UI"; font-size: 13px;">🖤 </span>it stimulates growth & opens new horizons<br /><span style="font-family: ".Apple Color Emoji UI"; font-size: 13px;">🖤 </span>it brings clarity to the mind and clears confusion<br /><span style="font-family: ".Apple Color Emoji UI"; font-size: 13px;">🖤 </span>it can dissolve emotional blockages</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I would definitely recommend Xander Kostroma if you're looking for some affordable but really special handmade jewellery as a Christmas gift this year!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7ywbHK6put7makaPN4BlTdFWCDANPUDsBHc9hUtkqqwfG7FD2sMkbHsJL0mp3cGRy0G8AZiXndaFXc2qRIqhCOznbP8Fx6dq6cXjw0gJlwEsKSvVItvt5ma6ZH_AU_o05GYk2SiV46mTcgWsK3aBQoR3RHId-IRV8OXK6Lj5zMezp1H035Dam-xu-AY/s958/5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7ywbHK6put7makaPN4BlTdFWCDANPUDsBHc9hUtkqqwfG7FD2sMkbHsJL0mp3cGRy0G8AZiXndaFXc2qRIqhCOznbP8Fx6dq6cXjw0gJlwEsKSvVItvt5ma6ZH_AU_o05GYk2SiV46mTcgWsK3aBQoR3RHId-IRV8OXK6Lj5zMezp1H035Dam-xu-AY/s16000/5.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Seedball*</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">These are literally the cutest Christmas gifts for pretty much anyone, and would make the perfect stocking fillers - they're little matchboxes filled with wildflower seed balls. You get a pack of three, each containing 6 balls of around 30 seeds, for £9 - and they say Happy Christmas on them which is super cute. I can't wait to use them, and this is how they recommend to do so:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><i>Throw onto soil or compost in a garden bed or planter in Spring or Autumn, leaving at least 10cm between each ball. Your Seedball has everything it needs to grow and, once the ball becomes moist and the temperature is right, your seeds will germinate!</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEWw2q_I3Ylr8HdXmfU24wSmb4vVF1r4wZSQJ1OTaQDgaRYlBsTE-Y2bAP8WtU70d3-fy9eL9fZlNhNWw07AJjLKCWsyl-Pkz000Sxz_cjVnmEAMHvqPsrB3ajGN9w8AAEZ8B5FmKsz26WEheFWsWr5J6t-vzxrpRHwnsgQNwmNIDuRFWaMXko-R8uhg/s958/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEWw2q_I3Ylr8HdXmfU24wSmb4vVF1r4wZSQJ1OTaQDgaRYlBsTE-Y2bAP8WtU70d3-fy9eL9fZlNhNWw07AJjLKCWsyl-Pkz000Sxz_cjVnmEAMHvqPsrB3ajGN9w8AAEZ8B5FmKsz26WEheFWsWr5J6t-vzxrpRHwnsgQNwmNIDuRFWaMXko-R8uhg/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><div><i><br /></i></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Barefoot Coaching*</h3><div><br /></div><div>This one is super random, but I think they're a good idea; these Coaching Cards are a great alternative to paying for an actual coach of some sort, and can be really helpful in terms of bringing some balance to your life (and your family's life), reducing stress, working through emotions and more. Perfect for the person into your life who's really into all that good stuff, and the cards themselves are really good quality (they won't rip or anything) with some interesting questions etc.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvk2wx04Gam4tq5tmkoSVmFiFaoDtVDqxgbQYP9nq4pCpcQZ-vYyXoEvRc1jc3oxa-CzzBMbd1lZoIuZPq_xBIRe1pvpEZ2-vqJnXhPmaNOFYbHItDe0niCwrhLl-VDo8WcOrtkSs32q1tWh3-oeaKCBTY6d52UhF-oEWhrh0aCnvHFRI8YnDvaOFMllk/s958/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvk2wx04Gam4tq5tmkoSVmFiFaoDtVDqxgbQYP9nq4pCpcQZ-vYyXoEvRc1jc3oxa-CzzBMbd1lZoIuZPq_xBIRe1pvpEZ2-vqJnXhPmaNOFYbHItDe0niCwrhLl-VDo8WcOrtkSs32q1tWh3-oeaKCBTY6d52UhF-oEWhrh0aCnvHFRI8YnDvaOFMllk/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Pandora*</h3><div><br /></div><div>Pinch me! I'm over the moon to be working with Pandora on the gift guide, because you simply cannot go wrong with a Pandora bracelet or charm as a gift; it's something that keeps on giving, because you can then buy new charms for every occasion. I absolutely adore mine; I opted for the silver bracelet with a rose gold clasp, and I'm aiming to only add rose gold charms to it. Brilliant quality, not extortionately expensive, really pretty. Definitely a winner!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0xGyJXQfsVeHGoqTO43RVIJRGrBvEYmzMead8s3gbg4EkoqlLnJCZCVQ4WHLcXVmc5w-bzojqf3_4IMYYPIB0d1ZD4cW7mZEJ07xaeCOB0TA4xWWJd-8qwh381K7KRrm8pwRLru5XzfGxMLbP5h1ygpSe1oOakcBiaiiEsTt87iiOB3rYNGoTDq8l3Q/s958/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0xGyJXQfsVeHGoqTO43RVIJRGrBvEYmzMead8s3gbg4EkoqlLnJCZCVQ4WHLcXVmc5w-bzojqf3_4IMYYPIB0d1ZD4cW7mZEJ07xaeCOB0TA4xWWJd-8qwh381K7KRrm8pwRLru5XzfGxMLbP5h1ygpSe1oOakcBiaiiEsTt87iiOB3rYNGoTDq8l3Q/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">House of Hetty*</h3><div><br /></div><div>If you know me, I'm aaalll about the statement earrings - and I love anything country & western themed. These cowboy/cowgirl boot earrings are EVERYTHING and they get soooo many compliments. Made of clay, they're just super pretty and I love having two different colourways to choose from. Hetty's shop has all sorts of polymer clay earrings from Christmas designs to studs to mystery bags, and they're all stunning. I can't wait to purchase more! You can use the code LILAC20 for 20% off anything <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6091&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fuk%2Fshop%2FHouseOfHettyJ" target="_blank">on her Etsy</a> or <a href="https://www.houseofhetty.com/" target="_blank">website</a> - would highly recommend, as they're brilliantly made and so cute.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09rjBJhqbuC5trNjhzU5cOlHql2Jb9rZNXq_zUk57HSP6BpvN5PWzd2_T9E8hVN2OIoTxbTeiI9pjGFdJ4lk4YEy66f8CAmWUXFm-deG1eD87dz66Hy0PyCcFqxgD1Ap7C_cvnqIYahKX8GL_lyvmOP1X43vpntH_IlObCrFTZZ4RxyiAjW5KkmddVQE/s958/7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09rjBJhqbuC5trNjhzU5cOlHql2Jb9rZNXq_zUk57HSP6BpvN5PWzd2_T9E8hVN2OIoTxbTeiI9pjGFdJ4lk4YEy66f8CAmWUXFm-deG1eD87dz66Hy0PyCcFqxgD1Ap7C_cvnqIYahKX8GL_lyvmOP1X43vpntH_IlObCrFTZZ4RxyiAjW5KkmddVQE/s16000/7.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Festive reads*</h3><div><br /></div><div>This is kind of an overall idea, although this specific book is right up <i>my </i>street. <i>A Holly Jolly Ever After </i>by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone is the story of an actress and an ex-boyband member who end up in a spicy holiday movie together... I think Christmas-themed books are a great idea, especially as an early Christmas gift so they can be enjoyed right through December. So if you have any recommendations, pop them in the comments below!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOXPA6ck4gTJ4Uiot3zpiuipg_FKlVVKab-vuzj8xnfP_X70s5Pnv93VZd8DQVa_eFHiDTeptndKszYiA50V1ADTIzDyiUv6k_SAN7UgIaep8luqjcKGtx70tOq3HTAokdPhIgeKSUbEvbuWJfjVrvA9HNV7J4zt6OdJ74x03jhrOtJPI7APCCiDbXFo/s958/4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOXPA6ck4gTJ4Uiot3zpiuipg_FKlVVKab-vuzj8xnfP_X70s5Pnv93VZd8DQVa_eFHiDTeptndKszYiA50V1ADTIzDyiUv6k_SAN7UgIaep8luqjcKGtx70tOq3HTAokdPhIgeKSUbEvbuWJfjVrvA9HNV7J4zt6OdJ74x03jhrOtJPI7APCCiDbXFo/s16000/4.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>I hope you enjoyed reading this post about some miscellaneous Christmas gift ideas for 2023 - hopefully it's given you a few good ideas for things to buy for your loved ones this year. Let me know!</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL__Exsp1omKrHBQlVHjYrgaWzkmsyNfCCdzLLoP3pme2gJf_3-Roo2HrGg6HTH8V9dxxYcErguXdKr44cqmeCIv6zGQzrw_j9e2lcdKkET_0rn80BXUz1tFmanOK4NE0vuHNqEMpsuk33j8-pdBQksA8FLJP11JIkw_ixhijQRSFuYnHa3DyuCOE4nN4/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL__Exsp1omKrHBQlVHjYrgaWzkmsyNfCCdzLLoP3pme2gJf_3-Roo2HrGg6HTH8V9dxxYcErguXdKr44cqmeCIv6zGQzrw_j9e2lcdKkET_0rn80BXUz1tFmanOK4NE0vuHNqEMpsuk33j8-pdBQksA8FLJP11JIkw_ixhijQRSFuYnHa3DyuCOE4nN4/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-76111891844192742052023-11-21T11:21:00.001+00:002023-11-21T11:21:06.865+00:00Harmonious Havens: Crafting a Garden That Delights All Your SensesGardening is absolutely *not* something I'm good at, but I do love the idea of having a beautiful garden space full of colour and life and nature. Today I'm bringing you a guest post on that very topic, so we can <i>all </i>get some tips on bringing some more beauty to our gardens as we head into 2024.<br /><br />S<i>tarting your very own picture-perfect garden from scratch is an exciting adventure, a blend of creativity, patience, and a little bit of elbow grease. Let’s dive into some truly creative ideas that will turn that patch of land into your personal paradise.</i><div><i><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Getting to Know Your Space</i></h3><i><br />First things first, you’ve got to understand the lay of the land. Take a good look at your garden area. How much sun does it get? What’s the soil like? Is it more of the Sahara Desert or the Amazon Rainforest? These little details are super important because they determine what will happily grow there.<br /><br />And hey, if you’re working with a tiny space, think up! <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/vertical-garden/s?k=vertical+garden">Vertical gardening</a> is your new best friend. Use walls, or create a trendy trellis to grow up instead of out. It’s like building a living, green skyscraper right in your backyard.<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Dreaming Up Your Design</i></h3><i><br />Now, let’s talk themes. Your garden is a reflection of you, so what’s your style? A peaceful Zen corner, a wildflower wonderland, or maybe a neat geometric pattern? Decide on a vibe and let that guide your choices.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicB6x_uKSmSE_yfHUPDzO8e4lW6Xl5VBtR7F2WwpdtYyo4chjP90ZF9YI9s2tEWt57G1trsHU0rKJzT3O6j_MR9tIFoIy6NYp8f556v1-JdubtGLWttoLtzQrmpTLq833H3GFvT3Av6K94wp-JMOEujXfo0Ocz_uL36-Kazk8YdPlZ5xvapzA2a4lMP0Q/s6720/mike-erskine-nO7CzM6e5eA-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicB6x_uKSmSE_yfHUPDzO8e4lW6Xl5VBtR7F2WwpdtYyo4chjP90ZF9YI9s2tEWt57G1trsHU0rKJzT3O6j_MR9tIFoIy6NYp8f556v1-JdubtGLWttoLtzQrmpTLq833H3GFvT3Av6K94wp-JMOEujXfo0Ocz_uL36-Kazk8YdPlZ5xvapzA2a4lMP0Q/w640-h426/mike-erskine-nO7CzM6e5eA-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><br />Also, how about making your garden a place you actually want to hang out in? Add a cute pond, a winding path, or a chill-out zone with some comfy chairs. It’ll be like your own little outdoor living room.<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Picking the Perfect Plants</i></h3><i><br />Variety is the spice of life and your garden. Mix and match different plants – tall ones, short ones, and colourful ones. Think about adding some <a href="https://www.bostonbulbswholesale.co.uk/allium-bulbs-612">allium bulbs</a> for that ‘wow’ factor with their starburst-like blooms. They’re like nature’s fireworks!<br /><br />And why not throw in some edible plants? Imagine plucking fresh herbs or veggies right from your garden for dinner. It’s like your kitchen just got an outdoor extension!<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>The Dirt on Soil and Composting</i></h3><i><br />Your plants need a comfy home, and that means good soil. You might even want to get your soil tested to see what it needs. It’s like a health check-up for the ground.<br /><br />And let’s talk about composting – it’s gardening gold! Start a compost pile with your kitchen scraps and garden clippings. Not only are you recycling, but you’re also making superfoods for your plants.<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Going Green with Your Garden</i></h3><i><br />Water is precious, so let’s save it. Collect rainwater or set up a drip irrigation system for an eco-friendly watering solution. It’s smart, and your plants will love it.<br /><br />Pests – the uninvited guests. Ditch the chemicals and go natural. <a href="https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/news/g4188/companion-planting/">Companion planting</a>, where certain plants help each other out, or homemade insect sprays can keep your garden healthy and happy.<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Tech Meets Nature</i></h3><i><br />Gardening’s gone high-tech! Use smart gadgets like soil sensors or automatic watering systems. There are also tons of apps out there to help you track your garden’s progress.<br /><br />And for inspiration, hit up social media. Platforms like Pinterest and Instagram are full of incredible garden ideas. It’s like scrolling through an endless garden magazine.<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Regular Love and Care</i></h3><i><br />Your garden needs regular TLC. Set a schedule for pruning, <a href="https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/gardening-and-yard-care/ideas-and-how-tos/lawn-care/weeding-101-get-m-while-they-re-young#:~:text=Leave%20No%20Roots%20Behind!&text=Just%20ripping%20and%20tearing%20the,working%20in%20softer%2C%20loamy%20beds.">weeding</a>, and feeding. It’s like having a spa day but for your plants.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1ziKqbh3T9XlXU2I0sdDS9zQmFIauG7s2R6KwOr7shXNQ5t38T-57wkfqE1EFggHywT-f6ReNVvP15a3GxeIa-dAoNGUPo4uY3T1pMgTHazfOIq8g0B79YZAJ5LS3__CuL6ktUGjFDgEQu7VEtYtB_hBFNe95CYc-Yjpqw5gnyv8dkqD-ATgOSLI7CQ/s3600/vero-manrique-9OflqNWhcrE-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1ziKqbh3T9XlXU2I0sdDS9zQmFIauG7s2R6KwOr7shXNQ5t38T-57wkfqE1EFggHywT-f6ReNVvP15a3GxeIa-dAoNGUPo4uY3T1pMgTHazfOIq8g0B79YZAJ5LS3__CuL6ktUGjFDgEQu7VEtYtB_hBFNe95CYc-Yjpqw5gnyv8dkqD-ATgOSLI7CQ/w640-h426/vero-manrique-9OflqNWhcrE-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><br />And remember, as the seasons change, so do your garden’s needs. Be ready to mix things up with new plants or different care routines as the weather shifts.</i><div><i><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Personalise Your Green Space</i></h3><i><br />Now for the fun part – decorations! Get crafty with homemade ornaments like painted stones or upcycled planters. It’s a chance to let your personality shine in your garden.<br /><br />Keep a garden journal, too. It’s not just practical for tracking your garden’s journey, but it also becomes a beautiful record of your green-thumbed adventures.<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Share the Love</i></h3><i><br />Why not share the joy of your garden? Host a garden tour, swap plants with neighbours, or donate some of that bumper crop of veggies to a local charity.<br /><br />And don’t forget to <a href="https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/home-garden/gardening/ideas/join-the-gardening-club">join a gardening club</a> or an online forum. They’re great for swapping stories, getting advice, and making friends who don’t mind getting their hands dirty, too.<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Embracing the Unexpected</i></h3><i><br />Let’s talk about embracing the unexpected in your garden. Nature has a way of surprising us, and sometimes, the most beautiful moments in a garden are those unplanned. Why not leave a section of your garden a little wild? Let it evolve naturally. <br /><br />This ‘wild card’ area could become a sanctuary for local wildlife, and who knows, you might find some beautiful natural species popping up. It’s like having a mystery guest at a party – exciting and always full of surprises!</i></div><div><i><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Nighttime Magic</i></h3><i><br />And here’s a whimsical twist: think about how your <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com">garden</a> transforms at night. Imagine a space that comes alive in the moonlight. Integrate plants that bloom at night or emit sweet fragrances in the evening. <br /><br />Consider installing soft, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Solar-Lanterns-Garden/s?k=Solar+Lanterns+for+The+Garden">solar-powered lights or lanterns</a> to create a magical nighttime garden. It could become your tranquil haven for stargazing or a unique backdrop for those summer night get-togethers. A garden doesn’t have to sleep when the sun goes down; it can be a 24-hour experience.<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>The Garden of Sound and Sensation</i></h3><i><br />Alright, let’s jazz up your garden with a bit more than just looks. Ever imagine having a garden that’s not just a feast for the eyes but also a concert for the ears? Think about planting some grasses or bamboo that rustle softly, kind of like nature’s version of a whisper. And hey, why not throw in a cute little water feature? A fountain or a babbling brook can add that perfect, soothing background sound, like your garden’s very own soundtrack.<br /><br />And for a little extra sparkle, how about some wind chimes? They can tinkle and chime away, making your garden feel like it’s got its own little melody going on. This is all about creating a garden that’s a full-blown sensory experience – a place that dazzles your eyes, soothes your ears, and just wraps you up in its charm. Picture yourself chilling out there, just soaking in the sounds with your eyes closed. It’s like your garden is giving you a personal, nature-made lullaby. Absolute heaven, right?</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8YEWQFr_39WlG90Hn06eWdz0WRmGr_ERQk5DKpjE3Azf0nqnqV0nTQHz5ZeAU_qXpK_sF0OB7lVavrjhBxb3LFDnrYs4UDnqFKB88rSmjd6e57GTfMHuysyWN5SBlAKOGpMMO8jZTobdDD4BuBB8S957ArI4nzLmT7LHyH5KJjci1gUSLy4HsS6iAq0/s4752/glen-michaelsen-AqhonQ89zZY-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="4752" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8YEWQFr_39WlG90Hn06eWdz0WRmGr_ERQk5DKpjE3Azf0nqnqV0nTQHz5ZeAU_qXpK_sF0OB7lVavrjhBxb3LFDnrYs4UDnqFKB88rSmjd6e57GTfMHuysyWN5SBlAKOGpMMO8jZTobdDD4BuBB8S957ArI4nzLmT7LHyH5KJjci1gUSLy4HsS6iAq0/w640-h426/glen-michaelsen-AqhonQ89zZY-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><br />Are you ready to create your dream garden? It's a beautiful journey that evolves over time, reflecting the love and creativity you pour into it. With these awesome tips and a sprinkle of imagination, you're all set to start a garden that's not just beautiful but uniquely yours. So, let's get started and enjoy the joy of gardening together. Happy gardening, friends! May your blooms be many and your alliums awe-inspiring!</i></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Hopefully we've all learnt something from this wealth of incredible information... I know I have.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL__Exsp1omKrHBQlVHjYrgaWzkmsyNfCCdzLLoP3pme2gJf_3-Roo2HrGg6HTH8V9dxxYcErguXdKr44cqmeCIv6zGQzrw_j9e2lcdKkET_0rn80BXUz1tFmanOK4NE0vuHNqEMpsuk33j8-pdBQksA8FLJP11JIkw_ixhijQRSFuYnHa3DyuCOE4nN4/s321/Untitled%20design.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL__Exsp1omKrHBQlVHjYrgaWzkmsyNfCCdzLLoP3pme2gJf_3-Roo2HrGg6HTH8V9dxxYcErguXdKr44cqmeCIv6zGQzrw_j9e2lcdKkET_0rn80BXUz1tFmanOK4NE0vuHNqEMpsuk33j8-pdBQksA8FLJP11JIkw_ixhijQRSFuYnHa3DyuCOE4nN4/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-13233550399499202622023-11-08T10:49:00.004+00:002023-11-10T14:03:54.762+00:00Christmas 2023: gift ideas for the home<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Products marked with a * were sent to me as PR samples.</span></p><p>When it comes to gifting as an adult, I always find that home-related gifts are really well received. Having not long moved out myself, I've really enjoyed putting my own touch on our lovely little house; we've done loads of decorating and really accessorised. But it can get expensive, which is why gifts for the home are such a good idea at Christmas! Here are some of my favourite picks this year...</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Our Place*</h3><p>I was over the moon to receive a set of <a href="https://fromourplace.co.uk/products/cookware-set" target="_blank">pans from Our Place</a> - they're sage green, meaning they match our kitchen <i>so </i>well. Not only that, but they are the best quality pans I've ever used: super sturdy, with little notches to hold the accompanying wooden spoons. The set contains the Always Pan 2.0 (full size), the Always Pan 2.0 (mini size), Perfect Pot (full size) and Perfect Pot 2.0 (mini size) - you can get the set for £350, which is a 30% saving compared to buying all four individually. They are honestly such a luxurious touch and I'm so in love with mine; they'd make the ideal Christmas gift for new homeowners! The pans are packaged beautifully, so they'll be easy to wrap up, too... <i>Currently up to 45% off for Black Friday.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixH0BHrlLiEKldOIkhlvjSpiAW_4lBjbqwbrBg1tSQ2Mt824MkOjCwPqjkmMrMPaCwFzjSiPfyZzszb2N6lFhdMIXK9uhKDxLVU_FdN9KAXTPF_6Qm0r-oWwjMKB3V_VJhxYgVw1CTOxZTIX20cTuHkjAA1F3Ap7wfVF76ipwSes5OWAkcZbFxa8nOEGc/s958/5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixH0BHrlLiEKldOIkhlvjSpiAW_4lBjbqwbrBg1tSQ2Mt824MkOjCwPqjkmMrMPaCwFzjSiPfyZzszb2N6lFhdMIXK9uhKDxLVU_FdN9KAXTPF_6Qm0r-oWwjMKB3V_VJhxYgVw1CTOxZTIX20cTuHkjAA1F3Ap7wfVF76ipwSes5OWAkcZbFxa8nOEGc/s16000/5.png" /></a></div><i><br /></i><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">We Made Something Nice*</h3><p>I love love love prints, and this one is no exception - it's sage green, to match our pans and our kitchen, and it's a <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6091&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fuk%2Flisting%2F1536535508%2Fretro-pizza-poster-food-print-modern%3Fga_order%3Dmost_relevant%26ga_search_type%3Dall%26ga_view_type%3Dgallery%26ga_search_query%3Dpizza%2Bprint%26ref%3Dsr_gallery-1-1%26local_signal_search%3D1%26referrer_page_guid%3Df74710b0a95.02ec98f43af9ed233fd0.00%26organic_search_click%3D1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">retro pizza-related design</a>. Literally everything I love, in one gorgeous print. It looks so lovely in its little oak frame, too! This particular print starts at £14.99 and there are also <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6091&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fuk%2Fshop%2Fwemadesomethingnice%3Fref%3Dshop-header-name%26listing_id%3D1536535508%26from_page%3Dlisting%26page%3D5%23items" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">plenty of other prints</a> themed around food, drink, star signs, destinations and more. Prints are a great Christmas gift idea because you can really match them to somebody's personality or decor, and this one is particularly amazing quality.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik17hN6wW73F4J65ttWzFdxsypJEQV0tg_5gSRMUkw_WVApVOTaN-GTZY9Tflk94YMOnNzs3BXpCflosKYqmAjv4mTO-wp8dEcU_KFXhp4K-OAKiBxa9M_AbsGd2bkT6i3RyN1vRzVIAMZEv6FY1Fy2K5FwzIbRZoJQcLnSepd6CMNakoS1nV4AqsTmmQ/s958/6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik17hN6wW73F4J65ttWzFdxsypJEQV0tg_5gSRMUkw_WVApVOTaN-GTZY9Tflk94YMOnNzs3BXpCflosKYqmAjv4mTO-wp8dEcU_KFXhp4K-OAKiBxa9M_AbsGd2bkT6i3RyN1vRzVIAMZEv6FY1Fy2K5FwzIbRZoJQcLnSepd6CMNakoS1nV4AqsTmmQ/s16000/6.png" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Bonnie Bombs & Soap Bars*</h3><p>I love candles and I got my hands on a gorgeous one from <a href="https://bonniebombsandsoapbars.co.uk/" target="_blank">Bonnie Bombs & Soap Bars</a>, a lovely small business based in Scotland. It's one of their 'amber candles' in the scent <a href="https://bonniebombsandsoapbars.co.uk/collections/diffusers-candles/products/soy-candle-sweet-shop-1" target="_blank">Scottish Woodland Whispers</a> - and oh my, it smells amazing. It really smells like you're in a forest so if that's your thing, definitely have a look. It's inspired by the NC500 route so if you know anyone who's done that, it would be the perfect gift! I also got some <a href="https://bonniebombsandsoapbars.co.uk/collections/wax-melt-mini-melters/products/mini-melters-highland-rose" target="_blank">wax melts from Bonnie Bombs & Soap Bars</a>, called 'mini melters' - mine are the Highland Rose scent, complete with dried rose petals. They just look so special and luxurious. Finally, I got super cute wax melt clams, which is a sheet of hearts that you snap off and use as you need them, in the scent <a href="https://bonniebombsandsoapbars.co.uk/collections/scottish-inspired-wax-melts/products/a838-the-scottish-coast-scottish-inspired" target="_blank">Scottish Coast</a>; it's a super fresh and outdoorsy smell, and I love it. Everything is beautifully packaged, eco-friendly, and really well priced. Highly recommend checking them out when shopping for homeowners this Christmas! <i>Free delivery on orders over £50.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VS_gM2rVeRlgD4qPtktE0pZ3mirV2QBHmDukIlFnPgMoCkPdIbIPgX_d25ZxQ5dW5ifN1JM5TMYzaBJ3HgN88fjzv71EuD0vnvWv2Sz2iriOIlkAGTwQ5MqUdHAAC_PPdT90roxypSLkLbn9eYcVsb1zCJG7uDzgjcTjMuZOYGQIpq_pkI0VE-ZhmjU/s958/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VS_gM2rVeRlgD4qPtktE0pZ3mirV2QBHmDukIlFnPgMoCkPdIbIPgX_d25ZxQ5dW5ifN1JM5TMYzaBJ3HgN88fjzv71EuD0vnvWv2Sz2iriOIlkAGTwQ5MqUdHAAC_PPdT90roxypSLkLbn9eYcVsb1zCJG7uDzgjcTjMuZOYGQIpq_pkI0VE-ZhmjU/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><i><br /></i><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Jadey's Wax Melts</h3><p>I recently found myself on wax melt TikTok, and I absolutely love it. I decided to order from <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jadeysmelts" target="_blank">Jadey's Wax Melts</a> on there (through TikTok shop) as she does £1 mystery eggs - she opens up each egg and it has a wax melt shape inside, then she'll pick a random scent in that shape for you. There's a <i>huge </i>range of scents inspired by perfumes, Lush, cleaning products and more, and loads of different shapes too. If you know someone who's obsessed with having nice scents in their home, then getting them a bundle of wax melts is a great idea - and of course you can just order and <a href="https://www.jadeysmelts.co.uk/" target="_blank">choose your own scents</a>/shapes, to really tailor it to somebody's favourites. Highly recommend!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBG_h2JaheoSAJTEf9vwsQwXaxy1tvirZr6QdqjXVZOf3qHBK5XXNXYocJx0GrZRoVVHYep41PlaCn7fQgxGoMZuExPzKek3GBHbMCHFkwbXzHU6TcHPoiiPaNqLX2kSyhyphenhyphenXsDki08fV8I16S7KwRr19X2rUd4OHXM6dIe-wjkrEYdh95xj-NCOBKV5vU/s958/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBG_h2JaheoSAJTEf9vwsQwXaxy1tvirZr6QdqjXVZOf3qHBK5XXNXYocJx0GrZRoVVHYep41PlaCn7fQgxGoMZuExPzKek3GBHbMCHFkwbXzHU6TcHPoiiPaNqLX2kSyhyphenhyphenXsDki08fV8I16S7KwRr19X2rUd4OHXM6dIe-wjkrEYdh95xj-NCOBKV5vU/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Southern Roots UK*</h3><p>If you know me, you'll know I adore country music - and when I got my hands on this lovely '<a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6091&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fuk%2Flisting%2F1361457601%2Fwestern-country-music-gift-alexa-google%3Fclick_key%3Dc4ad4f1c76133c48bf18580409db485e800e12a1%253A1361457601%26click_sum%3Db8fde71e%26ref%3Dshop_home_active_55" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alexa, Play Luke Combs</a>' print I was thrilled. The teal will go so well in our gorgeous spare room, and the design is really fun. It's nice quality and will fit perfectly in an A4 frame. There's <i>plenty </i>of other country-themed homeware, clothes, jewellery and more on the <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6091&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fuk%2Fshop%2FSouthernRootsUK%3Fpage%3D2%23items" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Southern Roots UK</a> etsy shop!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0fomBIIzbf5miTtjIcSL_px5vyH_dzGd_h8vvDTxyocJPq65Pxy0iPg3_2-3j-RXepTTKkKgxpI3PoTYO64R4Az8STQKFz7XUFYd75ga5S_qL0fKy1VgM3XtveBS2DkT2mee3pjSzRP7Z-YoN8mDpD-fUfFYkv1yw7n2LU0PEsUyEJg7sx3RiQbBUPE/s958/xmas%20-%20LC.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0fomBIIzbf5miTtjIcSL_px5vyH_dzGd_h8vvDTxyocJPq65Pxy0iPg3_2-3j-RXepTTKkKgxpI3PoTYO64R4Az8STQKFz7XUFYd75ga5S_qL0fKy1VgM3XtveBS2DkT2mee3pjSzRP7Z-YoN8mDpD-fUfFYkv1yw7n2LU0PEsUyEJg7sx3RiQbBUPE/s16000/xmas%20-%20LC.png" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Paper Starlights*</h3><p>At first glance this looks like a Christmas decoration, but it can be used for any occasion or just left up all year to add a beautiful glow to your home. Easy to put up, this <a href="https://paperstarlights.com/collections/all" target="_blank">3D paper star</a> looks gorgeous and you can buy an LED light to pop inside and light it up - otherwise, put it over a bulb/torch/battery-operated candle and so on. They're perfectly safe and an absolutely love addition to your home. Keep an eye on <a href="http://instagram.com/katy.gilroy" target="_blank">my Instagram</a> to see it styled! <i>PS, get 10% off your first order when you sign up to the newsletter.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6B_qzisGzf2izR6P-5hL2dN-TeFYfuXxHp9Jo5ULRXBkuvc8EEtPtCtYgz2t7y1SutxLxANXZwe76pyFNMcrU3_rw1MI-u8MUA41jq-wU4ezP19PRe_8l4HpFVfTlgUFVDJuXCUFYen5YOBol-O60GAin1IqkDXy8jR7GNMNmE-J0-KfU-DI9_KTKfs/s958/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6B_qzisGzf2izR6P-5hL2dN-TeFYfuXxHp9Jo5ULRXBkuvc8EEtPtCtYgz2t7y1SutxLxANXZwe76pyFNMcrU3_rw1MI-u8MUA41jq-wU4ezP19PRe_8l4HpFVfTlgUFVDJuXCUFYen5YOBol-O60GAin1IqkDXy8jR7GNMNmE-J0-KfU-DI9_KTKfs/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-17eByB_qs8RowHs-R00N_c9-wGOs2X_5rdJiMzZzo8Ux5Ubz-0RxgEEIYDLD0CLnTQB-0q53hIizg8H8HD0IOYtWP0L0NgTlZqU2sAUpPStrDTW1GNSdJ8FZVQQurcqSr3GxwHFO6RETvDiEe7HjltzmN3gc-dLCVXgzLUSkQt8qVdlja-sqhTEBmI/s958/4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-17eByB_qs8RowHs-R00N_c9-wGOs2X_5rdJiMzZzo8Ux5Ubz-0RxgEEIYDLD0CLnTQB-0q53hIizg8H8HD0IOYtWP0L0NgTlZqU2sAUpPStrDTW1GNSdJ8FZVQQurcqSr3GxwHFO6RETvDiEe7HjltzmN3gc-dLCVXgzLUSkQt8qVdlja-sqhTEBmI/s16000/4.png" /></a></div><i><br /></i><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Panda London</h3><p>Bedding is an absolute winner in terms of Christmas gifts, and Panda do *the* softest bedding out there - choose from 100% bamboo or the bamboo & French linen blend, which is a bit more textured and my personal favourite. It's boujie, good for the planet, and feels absolutely lush. All packaged up in its own matching storage bag, it makes for the perfect Christmas present. <i>Black Friday deals now on.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTQrbg80sP2Le0m9uR941VvJcj921XRwWBZkHjv3VFgDflPjJdhQLwDsFDytTsy8QzK9l3xKYQMteJLwhUWrCIG7TNmTtP5MGl72A6KRe4ZRCtPSGOp3wXY4IqeXKtGn2wgZWNVIoJE6K7O_jhFH2LiJ1hDiLKJ5R2witsbSVa9JbqIHcgD_OuU2OT4U/s958/7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTQrbg80sP2Le0m9uR941VvJcj921XRwWBZkHjv3VFgDflPjJdhQLwDsFDytTsy8QzK9l3xKYQMteJLwhUWrCIG7TNmTtP5MGl72A6KRe4ZRCtPSGOp3wXY4IqeXKtGn2wgZWNVIoJE6K7O_jhFH2LiJ1hDiLKJ5R2witsbSVa9JbqIHcgD_OuU2OT4U/s16000/7.png" /></a></div><i><br /></i><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Click Style*</h3><p><a href="https://clickstyle.co.uk/" target="_blank">Click Style</a> have some <i>gorgeous </i>homeware, really stylish and great quality. They have a stunning range of silver <a href="https://clickstyle.co.uk/search?q=stag&options%5Bprefix%5D=last" target="_blank">stag themed items</a>, and I got my hands on this gorgeous candle holder - it's heavy and beautiful and I just know it's going to look amazing with a big chunky candle on it. Stags are pretty festive but also look nice all year round, especially if your style is 'classy countryside'. The whole website is <i>full </i>of absolutely beautiful homeware, and I'd highly recommend having a look for yourself... <i>Get free delivery on orders over £50.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXyYsY7dXD6Kze3qbJcQvkzIPT9weosL8DKogjSJ7mBIqcnuy79fLilbdFNyzqrZ5HwyG-QJWaKPRsUE0_QLrqO1iqb9ND5nxamuA_GKShNvkJzSX9CvqP5wnFR3Blsx38CYTQrGRPZUO3eeKeuEvqaKOaBIbdvei1BE7UchFxwFlgEIf_7s4I77qGBM/s958/8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXyYsY7dXD6Kze3qbJcQvkzIPT9weosL8DKogjSJ7mBIqcnuy79fLilbdFNyzqrZ5HwyG-QJWaKPRsUE0_QLrqO1iqb9ND5nxamuA_GKShNvkJzSX9CvqP5wnFR3Blsx38CYTQrGRPZUO3eeKeuEvqaKOaBIbdvei1BE7UchFxwFlgEIf_7s4I77qGBM/s16000/8.png" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Arrow Gift Co*</h3><p>If fun and quirky is your vibe (or, you know, that of whoever you're buying for...) then Arrow Gift Co are a great place to look. I got my hands on two of their coasters - one if perfect for that woman in your life who just <i>loves </i>her dog, and the other is great for someone you know who plays the drums. Random, but they have options to suit so many people with so many hobbies! The coasters are just a fiver each, which is brilliant - they're a perfect Secret Santa option, in my opinion, and you'll find plenty of other gifts on the site such as mugs, acrylic blocks and more. <i>Get 10% off your first order when you sign up for the mailing list.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9c-hoeRtcHqwbCjRnGWIG9Mmuql-962En_s0-K8AGaBOAA7rpapQjGddEbBJLOz_mOcnXvlsSSGpMqww7AckzBzP6O68iKwmgj2O2AojXECzvCRs94XALzsSdjZPRsMKKJCkenRG-p3cDXhKM6xJ26cSDQpyNYPEZwFLtSyavtLhWzfPiLn0_2MYOfx4/s958/xmas%20-%20arrow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9c-hoeRtcHqwbCjRnGWIG9Mmuql-962En_s0-K8AGaBOAA7rpapQjGddEbBJLOz_mOcnXvlsSSGpMqww7AckzBzP6O68iKwmgj2O2AojXECzvCRs94XALzsSdjZPRsMKKJCkenRG-p3cDXhKM6xJ26cSDQpyNYPEZwFLtSyavtLhWzfPiLn0_2MYOfx4/s16000/xmas%20-%20arrow.png" /></a></div><p></p><p style="font-style: italic;"><i>Where are you up to in terms of your Christmas shopping? If any of these homeware gifts catch your eye, be sure to let me know in the comments!</i></p><p style="font-style: italic;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-o4pAzO65Fp_p1MWS9p9tySKJQ9E1vQvmiZ_d1aJAiNFx26QoHkVcyVMuU_u4O6q-RfAAF2jjl_dKuH26Ri3YMYE6Obmmg-kPi7WwZTV1jyQr6IrjzAQrtd_6DrWHeAc4s-b2tKu6FPv2uWq9XWDzBgxMzkJRr3kcRo-4gmmz1ws5LPxYWPw1VIXSBg/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-o4pAzO65Fp_p1MWS9p9tySKJQ9E1vQvmiZ_d1aJAiNFx26QoHkVcyVMuU_u4O6q-RfAAF2jjl_dKuH26Ri3YMYE6Obmmg-kPi7WwZTV1jyQr6IrjzAQrtd_6DrWHeAc4s-b2tKu6FPv2uWq9XWDzBgxMzkJRr3kcRo-4gmmz1ws5LPxYWPw1VIXSBg/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="font-style: italic;"></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-48780023167434597972023-11-02T08:00:00.003+00:002023-11-02T11:34:00.490+00:00Copenhagen diaries: day 3Our third day in <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/10/copenhagen-diaries-day-1.html" target="_blank">Copenhagen</a> wasn't really a day in Copenhagen at all - we took a day trip across the bridge to Malmö in Sweden! I will start off by saying I had heard that it wasn't worth the trip, but in a bid to visit as many countries as possible <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2022/09/my-30-before-30-travel-list.html" target="_blank">before I turn 30</a> I wanted to check it out for myself.<div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Copenhagen to Malmö: getting there</h3><div><br /></div><div>There is really only one way to travel within Europe for me, and that is via <a href="https://www.flixbus.co.uk/" target="_blank">Flixbus</a>. I am absolutely obsessed with them as a company and really do think they should consider making me an ambassador. If you can't get there by Flixbus it probably isn't worth going! I booked our tickets in advance, paying around £32 return for the both of us. <i>You can also get a train which is faster but more expensive.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>The night before, we made sure to navigate <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/09/absalon-hotel-copenhagen-review.html" target="_blank">from our hotel</a> to the coach departure area which is 'the station' but isn't really the station at all - it's over the road to the side of the station, which is kind of up a ramp. I was glad we'd checked it out in advance so when it came to the morning of our trip, we got up & ready and headed straight there after a filling hotel breakfast.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdltq4pDvmqPjMEeGH8rhN8GZJanOh1OJJyK8shjPbPcMtn8GGnjLIs8J1ZbkSQD8Aj41nkg4ZkzeYDH8JkYyeoJzQMapEf95A34nEZBe0kMkleAGoEXIHdesAttFNTYrUcg63rPxo5fhDrARaOC9rjG77DrhLy3JnQnRv6bSAdzUVm3HPuf8Cfl8O-I/s958/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdltq4pDvmqPjMEeGH8rhN8GZJanOh1OJJyK8shjPbPcMtn8GGnjLIs8J1ZbkSQD8Aj41nkg4ZkzeYDH8JkYyeoJzQMapEf95A34nEZBe0kMkleAGoEXIHdesAttFNTYrUcg63rPxo5fhDrARaOC9rjG77DrhLy3JnQnRv6bSAdzUVm3HPuf8Cfl8O-I/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The journey takes just over an hour, and you go over Øresund Bridge, right across the North Atlantic. The views were <i>amazing </i>and I thought this was a really cool experience, as someone who is quite interested in transport and travel. It's the longest bridge in Europe to combine both road AND rail, and it has a tunnel and an artificial island too. Whew! Our coach actually got pulled over at the border (just a random check) and they had us all get off and line up, show our passports and answer a few questions about why we were travelling etc. So be sure to pack your passport, because <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2020/01/a-day-trip-from-szczecin-to-berlin.html" target="_blank">I got stopped at the German border</a> without mine once and it was terrifying...</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Arriving in Malmö</h3><div><br /></div><div>We arrived in Malmö just after midday, and we didn't really have anything planned so we started off by walking into the central area of the city. This took us to a lovely square with some beautiful architecture as well as a fountain and statue; we saw signposts to St Peter's Church, the oldest in the city, so decided to head there first and foremost.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtuxZ3QqEnxoTlOxF5gnD7vw6i0b_fcQ2OJVtJv4t_S5nXUIVG3Dk9HmcPqAaL6fXaGY__v1ZuQZah068GEpeLdon0ENf5srmBISKjCCoTSwRyhetRW-60hDOullgSwDADfUyoR7QMSY2mxswBp5ye15BiLZx03Dm9UVg7KA4uLPeyQfckYpi4a_GTTw/s958/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtuxZ3QqEnxoTlOxF5gnD7vw6i0b_fcQ2OJVtJv4t_S5nXUIVG3Dk9HmcPqAaL6fXaGY__v1ZuQZah068GEpeLdon0ENf5srmBISKjCCoTSwRyhetRW-60hDOullgSwDADfUyoR7QMSY2mxswBp5ye15BiLZx03Dm9UVg7KA4uLPeyQfckYpi4a_GTTw/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The church is stunning inside and out, and we decided to sit at a café opposite called Kava. This has such stunning contemporary decor, very much my style, and it also wasn't too expensive for a coffee and a fizzy drink. We took a table outside and it was so peaceful just watching people go by in the shadow of the church.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_pFapP_jimHctESIGMRmbrBJzyg0EqpLq_JSKm1YrViL_AR7lAEY8SgvEqy9HLu_8yFp1WPPwQBO8GdZx-a9KWdkvGdcWOCmnpJrSgqQ4O0IU3japad4r2lgmqtPHeg7LrxFseTt2C15GWbLumfCAOcQrOdCox0FDGqT0yuqbx68hJy-WZ81uqA-KTk/s958/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_pFapP_jimHctESIGMRmbrBJzyg0EqpLq_JSKm1YrViL_AR7lAEY8SgvEqy9HLu_8yFp1WPPwQBO8GdZx-a9KWdkvGdcWOCmnpJrSgqQ4O0IU3japad4r2lgmqtPHeg7LrxFseTt2C15GWbLumfCAOcQrOdCox0FDGqT0yuqbx68hJy-WZ81uqA-KTk/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><br /><div>From here we walked through little streets to reach Kungsparken, the city's oldest park with walking paths, sculptures, a lake and more. We wandered through here, taking it all in, although honestly it was fairly underwhelming.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Where we ate in Malmö</h3><div><br /></div><div>I had booked for us to have lunch at Bullen which, according to Google, is where to get the best Swedish meatballs in Malmö. Of course, that was a must. We walked from the park to here, and arrived slightly early - luckily our table was ready, so we settled in and ordered. There was other stuff on the menu but we were set on having meatballs and they didn't disappoint! It was 239 Swedish Krona (around £17.50) for a portion of veal meatballs with mashed potatoes, whisky cream sauce, lingonberries and pickled cucumber. Think IKEA but 10x better. The meal was absolutely delicious, and the setting was really cute too. This is one thing I would definitely recommend in Malmö!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquTGcXvuiu_i7o8rgyw4sJ6zI9D2u8tTEOgTU_gbqQI1S23MV5zSV-ilYXMTftXo7JzLpw_vUgu3TXGSO591ioQ1kYS40hm5lGq7MLEptH50TY_RzJlv9wgp_9jHj8M46nWWWrg0Mb2DbS6mUBKPXLT_OGjc27vaz00Q24B5EFaFrQNhhEakeo0nlMIw/s958/4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquTGcXvuiu_i7o8rgyw4sJ6zI9D2u8tTEOgTU_gbqQI1S23MV5zSV-ilYXMTftXo7JzLpw_vUgu3TXGSO591ioQ1kYS40hm5lGq7MLEptH50TY_RzJlv9wgp_9jHj8M46nWWWrg0Mb2DbS6mUBKPXLT_OGjc27vaz00Q24B5EFaFrQNhhEakeo0nlMIw/s16000/4.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The rest of the day</h3><div><br /></div><div>After lunch we'd decided to go to the castle which, unbeknownst to us, is actually connected to Kungpsarken. So it was back the way we came, through the park, and round to the castle itself. We paid for entry, and went in to explore. The castle is now mostly a gallery, and we saw some really interesting classic and modern art as well as where the King lived and his old furniture. We also went into another part of Kungsparken where there's a pretty windmill, then it was time to head back to the train station to grab our Flixbus home - with some souvenir shopping on the way...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapZ3qufD3EZp_zvm9ELidwEQ0T_8YwFxkJZbmWbufwkFPprsEropkKtBSBx2k0lH1aeo08v6naR-0UMu9Rc-jYDB_i5511zSsR5s3j30GFINr3vDpPVW0fFUpZex4IgP0Dqz3taf3sd9OYqWccChG91eVr47Wy1CPrxguYYTRtSdw1LH1Bz9j7q1mBq8/s958/5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapZ3qufD3EZp_zvm9ELidwEQ0T_8YwFxkJZbmWbufwkFPprsEropkKtBSBx2k0lH1aeo08v6naR-0UMu9Rc-jYDB_i5511zSsR5s3j30GFINr3vDpPVW0fFUpZex4IgP0Dqz3taf3sd9OYqWccChG91eVr47Wy1CPrxguYYTRtSdw1LH1Bz9j7q1mBq8/s16000/5.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsA9_oH9ygsVXFn_YQ8Z-wp_GWS75zPQP7XK-m2qtLWk0aryOpUgMmwUo3MXiLR5q6ZQoZpdmTx9r9-fM9RMvu5FM0xxOl3kuMpUnBfGDFYj29gEXmT0IE0wJGt4MnZQV2URaHV2V4J3IIw62FK3pwTQ8oVU_EQn3DRT8yspOvXWMA5IMKA6S77hc5U4/s958/6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsA9_oH9ygsVXFn_YQ8Z-wp_GWS75zPQP7XK-m2qtLWk0aryOpUgMmwUo3MXiLR5q6ZQoZpdmTx9r9-fM9RMvu5FM0xxOl3kuMpUnBfGDFYj29gEXmT0IE0wJGt4MnZQV2URaHV2V4J3IIw62FK3pwTQ8oVU_EQn3DRT8yspOvXWMA5IMKA6S77hc5U4/s16000/6.png" /></a></div><br /><div>The castle was fairly interesting and the meatballs were delicious but I think I agree with most of the naysayers who told me that Malmö just isn't worth the trip from bustling Copenhagen. I'm glad we did it, because it was a country I had wanted to visit and it was quite a peaceful day, plus the bridge was <i>excellent, </i>but if you're only spending a few days in CPH I wouldn't bother making the trip!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOBzoVKTxj6hzbynbApNAfavB4Llsgm48U4v9uiRfNPGvnagcuoyIm6YJEbHv-yWR5NC4RUeM-acePsmeV-LuIwPQJCUo7rvea6O7VqxpDAYxhuHrjW1tAi7s1r2k6D2prH-v6RN3cte6sazQLCF_JqC_GXZ6x8V0T_dEQdp5xTGF9xltRInR_J2-7-I/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOBzoVKTxj6hzbynbApNAfavB4Llsgm48U4v9uiRfNPGvnagcuoyIm6YJEbHv-yWR5NC4RUeM-acePsmeV-LuIwPQJCUo7rvea6O7VqxpDAYxhuHrjW1tAi7s1r2k6D2prH-v6RN3cte6sazQLCF_JqC_GXZ6x8V0T_dEQdp5xTGF9xltRInR_J2-7-I/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-56088066287600854292023-10-29T11:20:00.003+00:002023-12-19T10:06:46.896+00:00Christmas 2023: beauty gift ideas<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Products marked with a * were sent to me in PR.</span></i></div><div><br /></div><div>We all know somebody who <i>lives </i>for all things beauty, and those people are generally pretty easy to buy for - even if it's just a top up of their favourite foundation, you know they'll appreciate it. I've collected some fantastic beauty gift ideas, reviewed below for you...</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Beauty Crop Oui Cherie Primer & Setting Spray Duo</h3><div><br /></div><div>I have a full review of these which you can <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/07/the-beauty-crop-oui-cherie-primer.html" target="_blank">read here</a> but essentially, these are a TikTok-viral duo featuring an amazing primer and a matching setting spray. My make up really does last SO much longer when I use the <a href="https://thebeautycrop.co.uk/collections/best-sellers/products/oui-cherie-duo" target="_blank">Oui Cherie Duo</a>, and I'd highly recommend! Ordering through TikTok Shop often means you can get these much cheaper, so keep an eye out there but if you're not on TT have a look on <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=15526&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beautybay.com%2Fl%2Fthebeautycrop%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beauty Bay</a> instead...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBz0p0EDIS1UKrGJ2rYakkoGdvzVwHCWa4MeAjsxCbdyE5YM7Ulj1ksxq9If3msD3lmdpQdNqzpyoDiT-4aDO8EzENv-BaVkdyrLgGuy7GSrYd-xtjYU6-LV7EHm3ETd7qQ2j1VxWX7md15Joo38lrXwVT5EyIsa3hvyyZZuhX6u0OhRwPXgwkygrpqHo/s958/the%20beauty%20crop%20oui%20cherie.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBz0p0EDIS1UKrGJ2rYakkoGdvzVwHCWa4MeAjsxCbdyE5YM7Ulj1ksxq9If3msD3lmdpQdNqzpyoDiT-4aDO8EzENv-BaVkdyrLgGuy7GSrYd-xtjYU6-LV7EHm3ETd7qQ2j1VxWX7md15Joo38lrXwVT5EyIsa3hvyyZZuhX6u0OhRwPXgwkygrpqHo/s16000/the%20beauty%20crop%20oui%20cherie.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Lush Christmas range</h3><div><br /></div><div>Snow Fairy is one of my favourite scents <i>ever </i>so I always stock up at Christmas time and use it throughout the year. This year I was lucky enough to get my hands on the giant <a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/p/fairy-christmas-gift?gclid=Cj0KCQjwhfipBhCqARIsAH9msbkhRoZeVcHnO4yNqEDFjDgx6g_FUZrAcEBVUfDo1EEsIEJXgB6iJhgaAkpuEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Fairy Christmas gift set</a>* which includes eight Snow Fairy products all wrapped up in a stunning gift box for £70. This is the perfect prezzie for the Lush lover in your life, or you can buy it to split between people for stocking fillers and so on. Huge win, and super sustainable which I <i>love</i>!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tsVeesdOG6H-xc4dbZczci_W7FSRY6l6FEQlHaEhz1hvlDTxUNjQHc3M60qeAZ_6i_QJhfwgF8e7wjfEGJkL1AEydK31WNOgUySWxJtlZiAsmfwoeEwwlvvGVykzms2aIq3Dw4HbCN97S2n8quYBEeSu1dtL66yStaU5LaSswwJZkzPPmEm4GbPcbEk/s958/8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tsVeesdOG6H-xc4dbZczci_W7FSRY6l6FEQlHaEhz1hvlDTxUNjQHc3M60qeAZ_6i_QJhfwgF8e7wjfEGJkL1AEydK31WNOgUySWxJtlZiAsmfwoeEwwlvvGVykzms2aIq3Dw4HbCN97S2n8quYBEeSu1dtL66yStaU5LaSswwJZkzPPmEm4GbPcbEk/s16000/8.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Scilla Rose</h3><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of gift boxes, I also got my hands on a pamper hamper* from <a href="https://www.scillarose.co.uk/collections/scilla-rose-bundles/products/christmas-pamper-gifts-2022-self-care-gift-hampers-scented-candle-crystals-bath-bombs-essential-oils-hair-towel-himalayan-salt?variant=42955548459163" target="_blank">Scilla Rose</a> - perfect for those who love crystals, skincare and good old r&r. This beautiful box came adorned with fairy lights, and had so much inside: a hair turban towel, crystal-infused candle, two bath bombs, some essential oil, soap roses, a bag of crystals and a Himalayan salt soapstone. Absolutely loads for £44, and so delightfully presented. Everything smells soooo good, and we have the candle out in our living room currently; so pretty.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd1vW1WTagYVqlpcrULIShyphenhyphenj1wTQPyKzTqL-rAiOKuPjIP840KJRI_InxU4e-TSY_-hSbQ251wJZD3GpmU3yK726jfea6GLw0xsopnf8liN1Y3LpvSJjkTzRuPZ4r9cQdeSntMVTqQdEhML9reBwdIguhNJAx3FYl9KBBdhIOrGjESK-H4n-k706PX9Q/s958/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd1vW1WTagYVqlpcrULIShyphenhyphenj1wTQPyKzTqL-rAiOKuPjIP840KJRI_InxU4e-TSY_-hSbQ251wJZD3GpmU3yK726jfea6GLw0xsopnf8liN1Y3LpvSJjkTzRuPZ4r9cQdeSntMVTqQdEhML9reBwdIguhNJAx3FYl9KBBdhIOrGjESK-H4n-k706PX9Q/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxXLAePHC_EDl8d5QJpIuuJyw7pf-IHiq2yqsMO_WvjF6OPh3hu9yzflUTv0J5SswtiGvQnXnCucp0_FRzepmFdauAcGT2DxN3ua6qpXm7CC3pAOTfebmHNEZKvEcXbt399FF3MnbBiXN0A-cPpQIjQV7easLmcOKkqw_6rKHuHhERHb-5sg8qxQoad4/s958/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxXLAePHC_EDl8d5QJpIuuJyw7pf-IHiq2yqsMO_WvjF6OPh3hu9yzflUTv0J5SswtiGvQnXnCucp0_FRzepmFdauAcGT2DxN3ua6qpXm7CC3pAOTfebmHNEZKvEcXbt399FF3MnbBiXN0A-cPpQIjQV7easLmcOKkqw_6rKHuHhERHb-5sg8qxQoad4/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Floragy Skincare</h3><div><br /></div><div>UK-based and vegan friendly, Floragy are a small natural skincare brand; I got my hands on their <a href="https://www.floragy.co.uk/products/the-facial-set?variant=39936025297029" target="_blank">Facial Set</a>* which comes with a clay mask and an oil. The great thing about this is you can build your own set, picking which mask and which oil you want - mix and match, so it's totally personalised to whoever you're buying for. I love that! It comes beautifully packaged in a cardboard tube with a spoon for scooping out the clay mask and a lovely face cloth too. At £32 I think this is a brilliant gift idea for the skincare lover in your life...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqglFiqQmEAPZdL0qlTLjg4O1pdY1B2F7kudgcU4CPJurd7AdaSiNyhwXfinzpTWgFBZ3zxoTD71h2tfVzEMk7HtoWu4U9EZrApP4k8X6giRdgOoOHSZXJufnN27318OVtdcnRkDRWRdASMm0WT_3802TrNWeBLeQw5gTkWf5RBmLlCYon5ZNpmFlItc/s958/7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqglFiqQmEAPZdL0qlTLjg4O1pdY1B2F7kudgcU4CPJurd7AdaSiNyhwXfinzpTWgFBZ3zxoTD71h2tfVzEMk7HtoWu4U9EZrApP4k8X6giRdgOoOHSZXJufnN27318OVtdcnRkDRWRdASMm0WT_3802TrNWeBLeQw5gTkWf5RBmLlCYon5ZNpmFlItc/s16000/7.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Kind Patches</h3><div><br /></div><div>These are *such* a good idea, and I think they would make great stocking fillers for teenagers or your other half - or they'd even work for Secret Santa! There are 13 different types of patches*, most of which come in packs of 30. You stick them on and they work for different things - there's anti mosquito patches, ones that boost your immune system, hangover recovery patches and more. They all have different vitamins and ingredients in them which are absorbed through your skin to help you be healthier and even more beautiful. Very cool idea and <a href="https://kindpatches.com/collections/all-patches" target="_blank">such a fun gift</a> at £11 a pack, which is really good value for money if you ask me.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlitAkM133O_deuLHn1OXmpF9fQDUOUkEqV1Zugqjtl_TzyNq_tgnu_LSmz-ok3fgDyBUkHtRHcI9KtMtExnxubSQKIQEc8L4ZeC6ZVybBzNyoAUbtRrSn_YSk0O3VQWwT-78wj73OchSgEonbun1oixK9umoaXUdKOkx5zR10wrLeCeN0PVJvD55uatY/s958/5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlitAkM133O_deuLHn1OXmpF9fQDUOUkEqV1Zugqjtl_TzyNq_tgnu_LSmz-ok3fgDyBUkHtRHcI9KtMtExnxubSQKIQEc8L4ZeC6ZVybBzNyoAUbtRrSn_YSk0O3VQWwT-78wj73OchSgEonbun1oixK9umoaXUdKOkx5zR10wrLeCeN0PVJvD55uatY/s16000/5.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOnJfdYws9GcqQzgg8FZKO91M6GsH3-8ZNBQzzxK8rnoCN1dRlMX3E7lZiOsob7KBJdH7l5QuyJKQ_R4AV1iPITn2cHCsS9nrCmDiq8Mdc496E6IcAjAoO3yIleq2IMmFpCTVsPbYbf4w2iNr9uuu_Ge9CRIdk45K0P9b2qKNn0kzTofbdBBAeHBHGh0/s958/6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOnJfdYws9GcqQzgg8FZKO91M6GsH3-8ZNBQzzxK8rnoCN1dRlMX3E7lZiOsob7KBJdH7l5QuyJKQ_R4AV1iPITn2cHCsS9nrCmDiq8Mdc496E6IcAjAoO3yIleq2IMmFpCTVsPbYbf4w2iNr9uuu_Ge9CRIdk45K0P9b2qKNn0kzTofbdBBAeHBHGh0/s16000/6.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Made by Mitchell</h3><div><br /></div><div>This is another viral TikTok brand that makes for ideal gifting - mostly because you can usually get some sort of mystery set for a bargain price, which you could then split between different people as stocking fillers and so on. I recently got 6 products for £15, with a retail value of well over £70: it's a great way to save money on your Christmas shopping and the products are actually brilliant, too. The <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=15526&awinaffid=220977&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beautybay.com%2Fl%2Fmadebymitchell%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Made by Mitchell</a> 'Blursh' liquid blushers are somewhat of a cult classic, so the make up lover in your life would be thrilled to receive one.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zJTeYKHHOgaD_rzqIUoXqTGhjDkny_7wO1fLj0abTBt7DEjH5OBzaLcDbnrWB4UCS1aMVyg89EYDkjRDxnXak_H9auJHrJFfI5m-GSDLEN_7Unky_49a6IbHMxdlQIVLSXQYEWaJ6w8Ue6QBfEUuOYUz0IAjMcAu-VzS7TxtXcDvKdiPVBzcM5qzpf4/s958/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zJTeYKHHOgaD_rzqIUoXqTGhjDkny_7wO1fLj0abTBt7DEjH5OBzaLcDbnrWB4UCS1aMVyg89EYDkjRDxnXak_H9auJHrJFfI5m-GSDLEN_7Unky_49a6IbHMxdlQIVLSXQYEWaJ6w8Ue6QBfEUuOYUz0IAjMcAu-VzS7TxtXcDvKdiPVBzcM5qzpf4/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Dolma Vegan Fragrance</h3><div><br /></div><div>Gifting perfume is a classic at Christmas, but it can be expensive and you don't want to buy the wrong thing! This is where Dolma come in with their gorgeous Perfume Discovery Set* - you can pick it up in a bundle with a £25 voucher your loved one can use to buy the full size of their favourite. There's all 12 fragrances in the discovery set, and they are all beautiful in different ways. I'm yet to pick a favourite! And these minis are perfect for travel, so it's a win win. The discovery set and voucher bundle is less than £60 and I think it's a great idea; of course, all the perfumes are vegan and cruelty free!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtty295re4RUCgzbr_bpAK1wXxzdlbuVWLHAj_9eOn_JdlE322hJnklNpsIO-_yIR_obZjz4lzaETKC7Xw_26S5oAMnx6GlzZjwCCZAhtpA70ssQpK-paRd7zoBpAoWFuCu3sE8TRn8m4sc93gw9lJOFDev3_IqK80vaiUhJezLPL94PYrD7uxHBn71Jc/s958/dolma.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtty295re4RUCgzbr_bpAK1wXxzdlbuVWLHAj_9eOn_JdlE322hJnklNpsIO-_yIR_obZjz4lzaETKC7Xw_26S5oAMnx6GlzZjwCCZAhtpA70ssQpK-paRd7zoBpAoWFuCu3sE8TRn8m4sc93gw9lJOFDev3_IqK80vaiUhJezLPL94PYrD7uxHBn71Jc/s16000/dolma.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>There are some brilliant gift ideas here, perfect for the beauty lover in your life! Let me know if you pick up any of these, and keep an eye out for some more detailed reviews of some of the products mentioned here...</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFZHLvbGRZsO-sK1Mga2zmhN7JPkY9j1I_TZE98cPKh8Vo7_sez1lK-fPww7lthF537iZo3pgu0aCTCXrIQYFxKiSpMWP2JqQX31mwPYsCgVjJWctJtVS_obQ1CQwwHngbRSy4nAK6O5WR8CxcHH8cvU8DpXcwHX151SmkjVgdeaKvdWzjlNGbpv6yz0/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFZHLvbGRZsO-sK1Mga2zmhN7JPkY9j1I_TZE98cPKh8Vo7_sez1lK-fPww7lthF537iZo3pgu0aCTCXrIQYFxKiSpMWP2JqQX31mwPYsCgVjJWctJtVS_obQ1CQwwHngbRSy4nAK6O5WR8CxcHH8cvU8DpXcwHX151SmkjVgdeaKvdWzjlNGbpv6yz0/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-50566582279024441982023-10-07T10:00:00.001+01:002023-10-07T10:00:00.144+01:00Copenhagen Diaries: day 2On our first full day in Copenhagen we got up nice and early, had breakfast then decided to venture out and see how much we could do on a budget; it's an expensive city so it was nice to explore some free things to do in Copenhagen and make use of the public transport system. <i>PS, you can <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/10/copenhagen-diaries-day-1.html" target="_blank">read day one here</a>!</i><div><i><br /></i></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Marmorkirken Area</h3><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Our first stop was the stunning Marble Church, located just outside of Marmokirken metro station; I had bought us each a city pass through the <a href="https://www.publictransport.dk/app" target="_blank">DOT app</a>, covering 4 zones, for roughly £9 per person - this covers the metro, trains, buses and even the ferries. Luckily our hotel was super close to a metro station, and we headed straight to Marmokirken. The church is right there as you exit the station, you can't miss it, and it really is beautiful. It was just about to open for visitors so we walked around the exterior then popped inside to see the stunning swan organ and admire the beautiful ceiling.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi633yE52fBTPJvou5_yY8t8rrUNd5FnXxqiVomyNdzC8xENa566DrVofUmZhx6gxhvE-84-VV8JAPKMlmwSfcPnC430gGxnnu6Bf71lHcBmUiLCKPznm-hOTNZfRNQZgqWw2qH-UfF5ZIw0A01jajwkTxPFiAPfGGryJTAfK0dbGpEGwruhGkWVvHwynM/s958/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi633yE52fBTPJvou5_yY8t8rrUNd5FnXxqiVomyNdzC8xENa566DrVofUmZhx6gxhvE-84-VV8JAPKMlmwSfcPnC430gGxnnu6Bf71lHcBmUiLCKPznm-hOTNZfRNQZgqWw2qH-UfF5ZIw0A01jajwkTxPFiAPfGGryJTAfK0dbGpEGwruhGkWVvHwynM/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQ4YUI9y5HPT5uplSqGPGgFyUZAG8vnGsI4rqOIg3KlkCMzoTPjwnF-E8dPpAgDMIY9ziFDlm9-WTh89oc9woWueaE2Fg9CpS_f65g-JruTfrpjHNONOVnbwSn7nIO-pRqBaYzd2A1yoGibjbuB8u5SQP3leTRVDX9-ykuJTZuQ1ozw7gn1lnCE_XVjo/s958/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQ4YUI9y5HPT5uplSqGPGgFyUZAG8vnGsI4rqOIg3KlkCMzoTPjwnF-E8dPpAgDMIY9ziFDlm9-WTh89oc9woWueaE2Fg9CpS_f65g-JruTfrpjHNONOVnbwSn7nIO-pRqBaYzd2A1yoGibjbuB8u5SQP3leTRVDX9-ykuJTZuQ1ozw7gn1lnCE_XVjo/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE15-35RVUCiBhrTBZmWp2RenipfRwYwD41LAp0wJzap4ERr_4_WvVFbT8idRSiaiw6fA6Oxzoh-_JLe-ITrV2eiQx8kYLI9VCtKyWx3Q6bSgoUfMlkaV2ZqV73h5MwgZopR6rEP0JGy9ulvcmQQcrZj7FdJkWAIz1rGAxagKjGE7nGsxYYS4uGrqwZDs/s958/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE15-35RVUCiBhrTBZmWp2RenipfRwYwD41LAp0wJzap4ERr_4_WvVFbT8idRSiaiw6fA6Oxzoh-_JLe-ITrV2eiQx8kYLI9VCtKyWx3Q6bSgoUfMlkaV2ZqV73h5MwgZopR6rEP0JGy9ulvcmQQcrZj7FdJkWAIz1rGAxagKjGE7nGsxYYS4uGrqwZDs/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As we exited, I was about to turn left when Kate (my other half) noticed everyone heading in the other direction; we decided to follow suit, past some unsightly scaffolding, to see where everyone was off to. On our right we saw an open garage full of Rolls Royces, one of which had a royal emblem on the front, so we guessed we were near the palace - and we were! This is Amalienborg, the official residence of the Danish royal family. It's made up of 4 identical buildings with a large statue in the middle, and there is a museum although it was closed on the Monday when we were there. We did, however, get to see the Royal Life Guards who stand outside; it was coming up to noon, so we saw the changing of the guard take place which was really cool. I'd definitely recommend, even if we did just stumble across it...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaepwBF_x4xHhfJAWHiXbhuxSfluvOn0nmIqhYFaDN7lL12tbdxVEyIntNrFV0Tccvv3WPNba5skrxs2uJSWgm6cWd3p3uSJDFE1Xu1eyriJtSOSv1jG234E1hvKgroxBh35FZtBTUNXtOLCXW0p2UnbilbEhex5qTHo2VRccWfTvkTHUoSwTIHzPKwoM/s958/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaepwBF_x4xHhfJAWHiXbhuxSfluvOn0nmIqhYFaDN7lL12tbdxVEyIntNrFV0Tccvv3WPNba5skrxs2uJSWgm6cWd3p3uSJDFE1Xu1eyriJtSOSv1jG234E1hvKgroxBh35FZtBTUNXtOLCXW0p2UnbilbEhex5qTHo2VRccWfTvkTHUoSwTIHzPKwoM/s16000/4.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSJ8XM4sQvtemuyCr-7Uu3lDQuiaBeTtS579t4k9kHpwJNTHgG3xTMUS9S-pQl3QZiN1-5uh8hqWXxE_g-5BPwz2-5OziZYXQM8ny81I81_8ztg56p5OGmPVgPf4-E0ChO85fIFqnyGTFMslQGsSUE9i7jTcbtU-yKPDxPyKvyooGfVLCabEu64Z0DC8/s958/5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSJ8XM4sQvtemuyCr-7Uu3lDQuiaBeTtS579t4k9kHpwJNTHgG3xTMUS9S-pQl3QZiN1-5uh8hqWXxE_g-5BPwz2-5OziZYXQM8ny81I81_8ztg56p5OGmPVgPf4-E0ChO85fIFqnyGTFMslQGsSUE9i7jTcbtU-yKPDxPyKvyooGfVLCabEu64Z0DC8/s16000/5.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>From here we carried on walking, dodging the <i>thousands </i>of bikes and cyclists, and found ourselves on the waterfront. We intended to just have a short walk then cut back up towards Marmorkirken, but there was nowhere to turn and all of a sudden we'd found a lovely park with a church and fountain - we crossed a bridge here down back onto the harbour, where we saw a huge crowd of people. We'd stumbled upon the Little Mermaid statue, one of the Copenhagen must sees, which is absolutely tiny but definitely worth ticking off the list. There are steps pretty much all the way down to the statue, but it is a bit of a rocky area so be careful.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPUiDNf_OPzyv_MD4H45RqNz1yX3ayqVVPGn5aL1gjSsJj7YlHwsGPmWrzNfo__-y_tqhX7gbCbPH5Z1wXDV3Dv8ST1XIbUP3Pana4ZpvnQo8q_kx3jZw-UZJNGR6h2FcBP1ZW-4JuJ3DbmnADpXzBa9f8Z_iTeNv-lTUI94KgkrX50UXAApNVjUd1bI/s958/6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPUiDNf_OPzyv_MD4H45RqNz1yX3ayqVVPGn5aL1gjSsJj7YlHwsGPmWrzNfo__-y_tqhX7gbCbPH5Z1wXDV3Dv8ST1XIbUP3Pana4ZpvnQo8q_kx3jZw-UZJNGR6h2FcBP1ZW-4JuJ3DbmnADpXzBa9f8Z_iTeNv-lTUI94KgkrX50UXAApNVjUd1bI/s16000/6.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XD6BqeL-UZNiEpJefcFliZncUkjMmACHOxgzCi__Wbq5NRldi9yjideytwloYM6znLbURj9o0sgoAM9AgtqvBUk6oG-XbIE6Evzp1jtTotLn6ZSPE02m0GT34T9n8YBkJU8UF-5jAYRyjCofJLBSpHYUdGLAwUOT1y7yk7DoIfmI83qPeV6UzWYzIB0/s958/7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XD6BqeL-UZNiEpJefcFliZncUkjMmACHOxgzCi__Wbq5NRldi9yjideytwloYM6znLbURj9o0sgoAM9AgtqvBUk6oG-XbIE6Evzp1jtTotLn6ZSPE02m0GT34T9n8YBkJU8UF-5jAYRyjCofJLBSpHYUdGLAwUOT1y7yk7DoIfmI83qPeV6UzWYzIB0/s16000/7.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS96q5iv_wKuXKkhAoyHDFkA1pIf3dAMzwpJQghzn32zb7G9fUGjyB4_TiYxPhhxi9cRBIh9yK9qWvWJSlgdHHKb4NfW2-TlbO_SQCvpTTvOipB4ifyNqs2Wax39nW_UU4YW7SpyA62T9QxECdqFK6Yq29j77dBA4UX2grntB-O5hlPewRmlHKqAK2fFM/s958/8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS96q5iv_wKuXKkhAoyHDFkA1pIf3dAMzwpJQghzn32zb7G9fUGjyB4_TiYxPhhxi9cRBIh9yK9qWvWJSlgdHHKb4NfW2-TlbO_SQCvpTTvOipB4ifyNqs2Wax39nW_UU4YW7SpyA62T9QxECdqFK6Yq29j77dBA4UX2grntB-O5hlPewRmlHKqAK2fFM/s16000/8.png" /></a></div><br /><div>We walked back up, past a small marina, and found ourselves at the entrance to Kastellet: the fortress or citadel, which is really well preserved and forms a pentagon shape with a bastion at each corner. It's very impressive, and we walked right around it - very peaceful. Then we headed out towards a more town-like area, and managed to see the Nyboder houses: they're a few rows of gorgeous yellow houses, commissioned back in the day by King Christian IV for the seafaring men and their families.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARVIGSpV3szc2rLJn6Go107Nc8k7GwhRVvep1HWCievYJ8viYgTG1QcDJD1_PWyE8H4YWeOT6QOMEGTmOEtHAd4SL-CyjC4Ur3bm5A559x5dSwIwNIR5tJ_zWObLUTyiljF7E04nf3a55x-P8wIDikoA8VvjvmxuRqeuE5pSFEU_pVvl6Ln5SrXm4muo/s958/9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARVIGSpV3szc2rLJn6Go107Nc8k7GwhRVvep1HWCievYJ8viYgTG1QcDJD1_PWyE8H4YWeOT6QOMEGTmOEtHAd4SL-CyjC4Ur3bm5A559x5dSwIwNIR5tJ_zWObLUTyiljF7E04nf3a55x-P8wIDikoA8VvjvmxuRqeuE5pSFEU_pVvl6Ln5SrXm4muo/s16000/9.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQ5SKO4C89z889Z28_3z-x8624bKDKe3v5115iIK8jtKdtChn7AjAxXkY0zCPJubBpb_eqNr8I0xKHJt9jIFhYFyjQoOE87JsxH9LRFLke76JdvGNfXm0OrubWq8WMTr8PiCSXBe0JPZTckqNuspVKaLMidcwbjm7KAb-5ImCuzxfDnQGn26pgG73Fjs/s958/10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQ5SKO4C89z889Z28_3z-x8624bKDKe3v5115iIK8jtKdtChn7AjAxXkY0zCPJubBpb_eqNr8I0xKHJt9jIFhYFyjQoOE87JsxH9LRFLke76JdvGNfXm0OrubWq8WMTr8PiCSXBe0JPZTckqNuspVKaLMidcwbjm7KAb-5ImCuzxfDnQGn26pgG73Fjs/s16000/10.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LT3j0Ge-K-1F3VeO1PuZVFkvdBmjaa-6qfdPkZL3LDh0sZcXVQdSXfR29IUd3_CUT7ZzP2BYb1vZMCnnkXQA4xDgESpPl7238IPMjmVnIRaQ2crzXEvU-M45oZi5fjHS7pPSba02HbTOgvnmg047vOQz2krmcZ8cpMmSW1Td-Gs_LNGwUoUznRuh81Q/s958/11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LT3j0Ge-K-1F3VeO1PuZVFkvdBmjaa-6qfdPkZL3LDh0sZcXVQdSXfR29IUd3_CUT7ZzP2BYb1vZMCnnkXQA4xDgESpPl7238IPMjmVnIRaQ2crzXEvU-M45oZi5fjHS7pPSba02HbTOgvnmg047vOQz2krmcZ8cpMmSW1Td-Gs_LNGwUoUznRuh81Q/s16000/11.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Christianshavn Area</h3><div><br /></div><div>We'd already managed to see so much on this day, but we weren't finished yet; we jumped back on the metro and got off at Christianshavn, where we stopped for a coffee/coke/cookie at a little social enterprise kind of place. This area doesn't feel like the nicest part of the city, but if you want to visit Free Town Christiania then this is where you need to go; we had planned on visiting (it's a small commune which you can <a href="https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/christiania-gdk957761" target="_blank">learn about here</a>) but there were some warnings on the news to say it was particularly unsafe during the time we were there, so we skipped it. But I know a few people who have been and said it's worth a visit!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsBCuwWIZHC8J__yOj96EjYeIL8-sopu8EyLMq_0J8FzG519uQFYxKj6th7W1p5wVOuz5RKZ101Nxe4vR74BiJtDSpJeEYCWA6TLwOZ4HK1j8ux5uOKLPKA91pCRKjmptu2eKo-9APbVhaZfV_uUpufsbZwqQMtW86w7Wb7HY6MkS8GZLTEurtKBgGwI/s958/12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsBCuwWIZHC8J__yOj96EjYeIL8-sopu8EyLMq_0J8FzG519uQFYxKj6th7W1p5wVOuz5RKZ101Nxe4vR74BiJtDSpJeEYCWA6TLwOZ4HK1j8ux5uOKLPKA91pCRKjmptu2eKo-9APbVhaZfV_uUpufsbZwqQMtW86w7Wb7HY6MkS8GZLTEurtKBgGwI/s16000/12.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK03Hfb7m3CtyNmimR5XVs1FXW2bLmi56EWNWsV6tu3ao5_m-VuQy14MIi9abxd17NL-QgZID-g88OIShSEfGFrsiKLePzY4ciN6QrxGskQoBJOt_HMoNLMDGrX-x6yfhO9mO99JJ6DU5UdEkK9DuhWAQkRaHCWZCNKkm6alJXYxtFawERe4x7phI92Rc/s958/13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK03Hfb7m3CtyNmimR5XVs1FXW2bLmi56EWNWsV6tu3ao5_m-VuQy14MIi9abxd17NL-QgZID-g88OIShSEfGFrsiKLePzY4ciN6QrxGskQoBJOt_HMoNLMDGrX-x6yfhO9mO99JJ6DU5UdEkK9DuhWAQkRaHCWZCNKkm6alJXYxtFawERe4x7phI92Rc/s16000/13.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@katygilroy879/video/7285289529831902496" target="_blank">Watch my TikTok from this day here</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily, this area also had something else we wanted to see: the Church of Our Saviour. It's free to get in and it has a very tall spiral tower which you can pay to climb up - we both went inside to have a look around, and it's very pretty, and then I decided to climb up the tower. This costs around £8, and I paid on the day without booking but they do recommend you book during busy seasons. It's a long, narrow and sweaty climb up to the top but the views are sensational from up here - it gets incredible windy though, which is worth bearing in mind...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGbmY39oNFLzpBSWH8iNtFkPbZbPhRu5iAyVvV9TmvLbrQat2QMuA_r1VlTFMKZ6mXoLiqQNvWlkq4wTA7c_W1DyWKhndQCFvpPAfR42752QhFogPeDJOXpo8QNtycT8zBRc9e8fHiCZYXVWIVw3Qr6Gd9mVQs_u1ZvkICIO9MIHzH_z70W3ff0GYzqY/s958/14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGbmY39oNFLzpBSWH8iNtFkPbZbPhRu5iAyVvV9TmvLbrQat2QMuA_r1VlTFMKZ6mXoLiqQNvWlkq4wTA7c_W1DyWKhndQCFvpPAfR42752QhFogPeDJOXpo8QNtycT8zBRc9e8fHiCZYXVWIVw3Qr6Gd9mVQs_u1ZvkICIO9MIHzH_z70W3ff0GYzqY/s16000/14.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu3tUUl-oQH2xTPvy_AIrQjSg29Fo5xCPZ-jxfCjnfaoBTz9Rv7A2T6sAWjifGeV91IrzalS4K8BVzA_5jEDrXmraMVxB95n7grcxiFC1benDmN_VFcDc0xD9DedOBe08ZveFMG0Wd7EHcp-IOxfLaMxMPHMMZQQadFGPK-LngS68UKk6Bp__Lq89Xa4/s958/15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu3tUUl-oQH2xTPvy_AIrQjSg29Fo5xCPZ-jxfCjnfaoBTz9Rv7A2T6sAWjifGeV91IrzalS4K8BVzA_5jEDrXmraMVxB95n7grcxiFC1benDmN_VFcDc0xD9DedOBe08ZveFMG0Wd7EHcp-IOxfLaMxMPHMMZQQadFGPK-LngS68UKk6Bp__Lq89Xa4/s16000/15.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The rest of the day</h3><div><br /></div><div>From here we got back on the metro to see some other things Kate had found - at the metro stations you can pick up a leaflet which shows you the best things to see near each station, so we went off that. The first stop was Amager Strand for the manmade beach, just to have a look - there are volleyball courts and quite a nice view, but given that it was a windy day in September is wasn't really worth the journey. I can imagine it's lovely in the summertime, though! We hopped back on the metro and made our way to Nørreport, where we wandered up to Kultorvet (the 'Coal Market' area) to visit one of the food halls. We didn't buy anything, but it was still nice to walk through it and see all the street food, meats, chocolate and flowers on offer.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTFfUJXhHcPyyniW3FK-7A9vZ0_0JLoIdndJys8wNUhk5RlVoCYAjjudXmrqyIVi62Qy6H_jLM35VTYUKZiKzPwlpTBECG_lSNpvOt5Vh0Ue_EZlyFpOJ3cV1YyQhX-b7mcjHevUwFAK_HSO8_NybCJAcNxyblDtY9_Cjwh91cpS6ghq10Ww_E3PYGBA/s958/16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTFfUJXhHcPyyniW3FK-7A9vZ0_0JLoIdndJys8wNUhk5RlVoCYAjjudXmrqyIVi62Qy6H_jLM35VTYUKZiKzPwlpTBECG_lSNpvOt5Vh0Ue_EZlyFpOJ3cV1YyQhX-b7mcjHevUwFAK_HSO8_NybCJAcNxyblDtY9_Cjwh91cpS6ghq10Ww_E3PYGBA/s16000/16.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWjprYqBLiSs4baS-6aRfEMPbEsP74vbvmqmKzayfODK2X7l_VnP_ywce9-rilKs_Eop2f9HHbnGdk08Ny3t4aERGZHVVCj-4gb8K6dfRLQpNOCbewQHd0Hd13b0HRWkUjKAD4wha6QIFfjk9A2R_NvrzrRewcRPEqMfZdi0SeUFZcZj4aZNcwq0S2Co/s958/17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWjprYqBLiSs4baS-6aRfEMPbEsP74vbvmqmKzayfODK2X7l_VnP_ywce9-rilKs_Eop2f9HHbnGdk08Ny3t4aERGZHVVCj-4gb8K6dfRLQpNOCbewQHd0Hd13b0HRWkUjKAD4wha6QIFfjk9A2R_NvrzrRewcRPEqMfZdi0SeUFZcZj4aZNcwq0S2Co/s16000/17.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, we made our way back to the hotel for a well deserved rest. We'd walked so much and seen <i>a lot </i>of Copenhagen on a budget - we'd barely spent much at all, except for our city pass tickets, climbing the church tower, and some snacks/a cheeky McDonalds. After a little chill, watching the sunset from our hotel window, we ventured back out to Kongens Nytorv station to see Nyhavn in the dark - it was beautifully lit up, the restaurants were full, and there were some buskers playing guitar. The atmosphere here during the evening is really lovely, and well worth seeing!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>So there you have it - our very busy second day seeing a lot of the free things to do in Copenhagen. It's an expensive city but it doesn't *have* to be, and I think we managed to see and do a lot here without spending too much money. Our highlights from this day were definitely Kastellat, the Church of our Saviour and changing of the guard.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKttdNcVMVD4yoYySqgQlbqUK4yzFYkYkvkY5_Nz1QGdEnFCJzxBg_RwQr3ThutLGzzPf6J3wNqvjGL3B8OZlSQed1UWzhdDJC1T4MGyAtWEqTQZ0kp6pbttyxMWMpBcrtpjYXjPjXmoCI89JhqxWpDq4LDadv4lbxfniKhlUV6UKB21DKa_bvEA31lY/s321/Untitled%20design.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKttdNcVMVD4yoYySqgQlbqUK4yzFYkYkvkY5_Nz1QGdEnFCJzxBg_RwQr3ThutLGzzPf6J3wNqvjGL3B8OZlSQed1UWzhdDJC1T4MGyAtWEqTQZ0kp6pbttyxMWMpBcrtpjYXjPjXmoCI89JhqxWpDq4LDadv4lbxfniKhlUV6UKB21DKa_bvEA31lY/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-24271174621190858172023-10-06T10:33:00.003+01:002023-10-09T08:56:05.269+01:00AD | 3 important stages of justifying a home renovationWe are currently looking to renovate our little back room into a utility room and downstairs bathroom; it's a big job, and we have to make sure it's worth doing before we dive in. Today I'm sharing a collaborative post based on this topic - justifying a home renovation!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzPCqGnCbZMfZz8tFoFRNBZBWgFs6HLQ7qNb_QMWyEO7mw77t0CszMdqeWbu-MvEZeyqbdIUdAd6mUZKqCLgHaPjFOhhaoT6zhBsrP2RB7nc9PaHfYGE603QKo8HMODdRd22YcbFYOahrXM1zz9vYSH3yXTy9NbDGrPcUSoyHu86NdvVgg1UYgWXU5XM/s958/Utility%20room%20moodboard.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzPCqGnCbZMfZz8tFoFRNBZBWgFs6HLQ7qNb_QMWyEO7mw77t0CszMdqeWbu-MvEZeyqbdIUdAd6mUZKqCLgHaPjFOhhaoT6zhBsrP2RB7nc9PaHfYGE603QKo8HMODdRd22YcbFYOahrXM1zz9vYSH3yXTy9NbDGrPcUSoyHu86NdvVgg1UYgWXU5XM/s16000/Utility%20room%20moodboard.png" /></a></div><div><i>It’s not always easy to renovate your property over time. It takes time, energy, effort, and no uncertain amount of funds. Of course, if you have these, then you deserve to renovate to <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/09/absalon-hotel-copenhagen-review.html">your heart’s content</a>. That said, for some people this decision can be harder to pull the trigger on. Should we renovate the bathroom or bedroom this time, given that our next renovation might not be possible until next year? Questions like this can abound.<br /><br />For this reason, you may be looking for clear guidelines that help you figure out a path forward, and if you can justify this particular renovation in the first place. It might not be that now is the best time to sort out your garden and a possible koi pond when you could refurbish the kitchen from top to bottom during the winter instead.<br /><br />With that in mind, let’s consider how you might justify a home renovation, and the methods it could take to get there. Without further ado, please consider some of the following efforts going forward:<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Project Deadlines & Timetables</i></h3><i><br />A <a href="https://www.budgetdumpster.com/blog/ultimate-home-remodeling-project-plan/">home renovation</a> will take time to complete. In that time, parts of your house may not be as functional as they could be. For example, if your kitchen is being torn out and replaced from the ground up, you may need to make separate arrangements for cooking, using a hot plate in a different part of the house and managing the fire safety considerations around that. If you can plan around the renovation or have alternative living arrangements, odds are scheduling this for a certain time has become more feasible.<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Cost & Soft Budgets</i></h3><i><br />A renovation rarely costs the exact figure you forecast, even with the quotes from the trade professionals you’re using to construct it. This is because sometimes you may need to alter the materials used in the space, supply may be limited, you may accidentally damage tiles that were being removed or a thousand other unforeseen considerations. As such, no renovation should be scheduled on a highly tight and inflexible budget. A soft landing for unexpected costs, being able to pay the serviced professionals sooner for a small discount, and also shopping around for the best deals take time, and having a little extra to your budget grants perfect peace of mind.<br /><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Warranty & Repairs</i></h3><i><br />It’s not just how the home renovation is scheduled now, but what it will look like in a number of years that matters. It may be that one particular roofing system offers a five year extended warranty over another, and that can inspire your selection of that option. That can apply to many measures, like repair and replacement of your bathroom fixtures, or <a href="https://www.theprogroup.co.nz/deck-fence-pro/">deck maintenance services</a> that will be happy to come and resolve any problems you’ve encountered. Having this peace of mind can help you plan out your household budget in the long term, as opposed to it becoming a regular or corrective expense.<br /><br />With this advice, you’re sure to justify a home renovation in the best way. We wish you the best of luck in your approach!</i><br /><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Let me know if you're planning any home renovations, I'd love to know...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKttdNcVMVD4yoYySqgQlbqUK4yzFYkYkvkY5_Nz1QGdEnFCJzxBg_RwQr3ThutLGzzPf6J3wNqvjGL3B8OZlSQed1UWzhdDJC1T4MGyAtWEqTQZ0kp6pbttyxMWMpBcrtpjYXjPjXmoCI89JhqxWpDq4LDadv4lbxfniKhlUV6UKB21DKa_bvEA31lY/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKttdNcVMVD4yoYySqgQlbqUK4yzFYkYkvkY5_Nz1QGdEnFCJzxBg_RwQr3ThutLGzzPf6J3wNqvjGL3B8OZlSQed1UWzhdDJC1T4MGyAtWEqTQZ0kp6pbttyxMWMpBcrtpjYXjPjXmoCI89JhqxWpDq4LDadv4lbxfniKhlUV6UKB21DKa_bvEA31lY/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-24834542531783835842023-10-04T10:06:00.006+01:002023-10-04T13:25:52.214+01:00Copenhagen Diaries: day 1I've recently got back from a 4-day trip to Copenhagen, Denmark; we booked through easyJet Holidays, and stayed at the lovely Absalon Hotel. I'm going to share what we got up to in a diary format, spread across the four days of our trip. Enjoy!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAaRbq8NIPpt4VPYPV6uUKo5rG5QraTfWGAbCTCZngD1SPeT5dcBSZgPzFlRvGtfDDT8Ujy53SINfjY_eQNVo5So0cMNlsF5n67v7yUg_95AYyAEmK_qOl1raisyxyt_gBDcfnQqFwGR3PGoo2vTHz6d9bhQB1mZlmSREyySne2YHiE0RyRO-0ArtOAA/s958/copenhagen%20day%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAaRbq8NIPpt4VPYPV6uUKo5rG5QraTfWGAbCTCZngD1SPeT5dcBSZgPzFlRvGtfDDT8Ujy53SINfjY_eQNVo5So0cMNlsF5n67v7yUg_95AYyAEmK_qOl1raisyxyt_gBDcfnQqFwGR3PGoo2vTHz6d9bhQB1mZlmSREyySne2YHiE0RyRO-0ArtOAA/s16000/copenhagen%20day%201.png" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div>We flew out of Manchester, and landed at around 11am. After a bit of a lengthy walk from the plane to passport control, we were through and with our cases ready to really get the holiday started. Our first question was <i>how to get to Copenhagen city centre from the airport, </i>and it turned out to be pretty easy. We followed the signs for the trains, and I used the DOT app to book 2 tickets to the centre which cost around £7 for both. I would *highly* recommend having the DOT app on your phone if you're travelling to Copenhagen.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpb5cGu3J91t70I-SvWDxLwnhlU9vebTs00E_p97GZRPKJA-VSYMZ-BDJ4wUWNBuKmmp9EzWOsMKCjKfzf4nsLy4fFCiIcXpVCNkElu_KyHXhUMuE_osNMwN9LVrtDUTIpZ4EJLQThavNX5xlNEEUT8_1ZSuA93nJKkAEEPKc7DvxOsNsknrmsew8CZH8/s958/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpb5cGu3J91t70I-SvWDxLwnhlU9vebTs00E_p97GZRPKJA-VSYMZ-BDJ4wUWNBuKmmp9EzWOsMKCjKfzf4nsLy4fFCiIcXpVCNkElu_KyHXhUMuE_osNMwN9LVrtDUTIpZ4EJLQThavNX5xlNEEUT8_1ZSuA93nJKkAEEPKc7DvxOsNsknrmsew8CZH8/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The train only took around 10-15 minutes, and it was really spacious with plenty of seats and room for our luggage. I then used the maps app to direct us to the hotel, which was around a 3 minute walk from the station (or it would have been, had we gone out of the correct exit). We checked in, early <a href="https://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/2023/09/absalon-hotel-copenhagen-review.html" target="_blank">thanks to our complimentary upgrade</a> (!!), and freshened up before heading out to explore some free things to see in Copenhagen.</div><div><br /></div><div>We decided to head out on foot to get our bearings and see what we could see, and walked in the direction of Nyhavn. This took us down Strøget, one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in the world - if you're after H&M, Tiger, souvenir shops, Pandora, the LEGO shop, Gucci, Uniqlo... it's all there! We also saw some nice fountains and a church, as well as some street performers. Our plan for the whole trip was to just have 'snacky' meals as Copenhagen is so expensive, so we each got a ham & cheese panini from 7/11 (they're literally everywhere) which was actually quite tasty.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjgaSG4dwNbfWbT4EDOWp-KueQ5LsvAm3nXLwtM4I3_-ldlSFdl0rCUA_MitqtMWS7AjSPXTjkKRwxpHdxHzW1G3YK8cA36FCx8a2ewbFUXjSXJaDFwFH4panm628npyhEh-VkTplkiJmzY7m__4p4lHqclSIKgmqP36qnkXh0-mHWGub7nC_Uns98Mc/s958/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjgaSG4dwNbfWbT4EDOWp-KueQ5LsvAm3nXLwtM4I3_-ldlSFdl0rCUA_MitqtMWS7AjSPXTjkKRwxpHdxHzW1G3YK8cA36FCx8a2ewbFUXjSXJaDFwFH4panm628npyhEh-VkTplkiJmzY7m__4p4lHqclSIKgmqP36qnkXh0-mHWGub7nC_Uns98Mc/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDItUbUVSR4y09M2K2e372koENkvceiESWVp16puij0t1zfHi_3DPKeOvCIzht1p7zwdNIGdaiXIoJ4GXgCRBdoc6MMr8e804q3aSlPEgGXBF1P_4kutK6JAkull4jW_Ihaea6iDNYS880YiuiuXeBf2lulAO7I3nQtAzRJEYtH7hpGSCD1BX1Ilni18/s958/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDItUbUVSR4y09M2K2e372koENkvceiESWVp16puij0t1zfHi_3DPKeOvCIzht1p7zwdNIGdaiXIoJ4GXgCRBdoc6MMr8e804q3aSlPEgGXBF1P_4kutK6JAkull4jW_Ihaea6iDNYS880YiuiuXeBf2lulAO7I3nQtAzRJEYtH7hpGSCD1BX1Ilni18/s16000/2.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>At the end of Strøget we reached Kongens Nytorv, a cobbled square with a statue in the middle and some really picturesque buildings around it. There is a metro station here too, and that's where you would get off to visit the famous canal area known as Nyhavn. We walked on and turned right to see it for ourselves: the colourful houses, the sail boats, and of course the <b>masses </b>of people waiting for boat trips or generally admiring the area. We walked down one side and back up the other (one of the best free things to do in Copenhagen), snapping the obligatory photos, before deciding to get out of the Sunday afternoon crowds and head back towards Strøget.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv_AWLWsVe5muYY5vjXKP2X7DtqWbqb0bpEDUrwLWBJh9ueewkLRX16UVyIAIgpJHivkpT4Tz7FrqUyhW062dGOZdAEyCuASd1O0AA9bbpY0Rk-ISjl8Ri__9_I3Cc3QuUibggBbcxvlnHE7xRaXOS-7t9ceRV1ZiqUbL0iHVSQSHfV_SAlCBmjKfZ5M/s958/4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv_AWLWsVe5muYY5vjXKP2X7DtqWbqb0bpEDUrwLWBJh9ueewkLRX16UVyIAIgpJHivkpT4Tz7FrqUyhW062dGOZdAEyCuASd1O0AA9bbpY0Rk-ISjl8Ri__9_I3Cc3QuUibggBbcxvlnHE7xRaXOS-7t9ceRV1ZiqUbL0iHVSQSHfV_SAlCBmjKfZ5M/s16000/4.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsdG7W32zb7eV9PnvncAiu5RcXX7mrEmwGm6w0hp3VZMH7Qk3myGDkeTYf9DhbJp7-TxQbNxRFXEHqW-ESAtvyq2claJQShqCDRFRLmaFluFqtedbqjyh1MElQ-j3Kn5bEiyjj3aNeeyF5gr19ZZVxPz8H5dMG5N6JKQOguf8fgc4xwMvGa7Anq_7oxY/s958/5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsdG7W32zb7eV9PnvncAiu5RcXX7mrEmwGm6w0hp3VZMH7Qk3myGDkeTYf9DhbJp7-TxQbNxRFXEHqW-ESAtvyq2claJQShqCDRFRLmaFluFqtedbqjyh1MElQ-j3Kn5bEiyjj3aNeeyF5gr19ZZVxPz8H5dMG5N6JKQOguf8fgc4xwMvGa7Anq_7oxY/s16000/5.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbgBWfGImD-ZFo-jfFX4_lN14pQLvRdSV0h7wbTZH1KekCCJ67aVPfVVu5gsE_Io7HUJL2pVTSZakTk_umavR8aQAC5ldEwuNTTYwFKKpBKw9y1EGUBCJZjNQoP15lrZ7c9VkI-1lVe5apn61sgS9cn2lTF1fG7jUn-IrE13M3Uw-nWdJJbePcGFd22Q/s958/6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbgBWfGImD-ZFo-jfFX4_lN14pQLvRdSV0h7wbTZH1KekCCJ67aVPfVVu5gsE_Io7HUJL2pVTSZakTk_umavR8aQAC5ldEwuNTTYwFKKpBKw9y1EGUBCJZjNQoP15lrZ7c9VkI-1lVe5apn61sgS9cn2lTF1fG7jUn-IrE13M3Uw-nWdJJbePcGFd22Q/s16000/6.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOx5NxzL4kQ1M1lnXLEiqHALisGBrxGLguR4oRk2tE8CFgVRZJmr_b3McqxRwMeZ_8B4mF3tSutIbz4Mp36_HPjIhLrAyxPl-3KwTEu8BDTlIA1c7E7KQ5h4_SCvc0JpjaZTcDYHOOjtBV0yUxSS6eh5puRKRL91Us7AHR6Ro8TWTU7XmSSpXVsr7wzM/s958/7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOx5NxzL4kQ1M1lnXLEiqHALisGBrxGLguR4oRk2tE8CFgVRZJmr_b3McqxRwMeZ_8B4mF3tSutIbz4Mp36_HPjIhLrAyxPl-3KwTEu8BDTlIA1c7E7KQ5h4_SCvc0JpjaZTcDYHOOjtBV0yUxSS6eh5puRKRL91Us7AHR6Ro8TWTU7XmSSpXVsr7wzM/s16000/7.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>From here, we wandered left down some smaller streets with bars, cafés and galleries on either side. This led us to the Latin quarter and Centralhjørnet - which claims to be the world's oldest gay bar! Of course we stopped here for a quick drink before making our way back in the direction of our hotel. It was a Sunday and we are creatures of habit which meant we needed to find somewhere to watch the football; we'd spotted both an English and Irish pub, next door to each other on Vesterbrogade, and knew at least one would have the matches on. The Irish pub did, so we settled in for the afternoon - Carlsberg is only around £2 here, as it's local, but if you want cider that'll set you back around £7 a pint.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CgnLM3Tu5Csih0oeqaIFVorHMThFZ96vT9arM01-Wh-EEUPtsQV7yZFXFjLadYVtqNt44pzdtDcbcBAXV85etHODjsg9qLin-o86NrGcVbtt5cCkQVTMahjCM82MrXo-va960W_M3E-u8lvZYR4tCPBnxgrFhe_bPOnziObiEPTN6kulC_HNdIQGd5E/s958/8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CgnLM3Tu5Csih0oeqaIFVorHMThFZ96vT9arM01-Wh-EEUPtsQV7yZFXFjLadYVtqNt44pzdtDcbcBAXV85etHODjsg9qLin-o86NrGcVbtt5cCkQVTMahjCM82MrXo-va960W_M3E-u8lvZYR4tCPBnxgrFhe_bPOnziObiEPTN6kulC_HNdIQGd5E/s16000/8.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98yHWdoywFGacoEOnwB0spAZ97BuIkvuJW1Z0fLMCgnbPARGDu_4LuXQitBjd-XS-MM2uT1DyioZ66EXO6S4G0x7xeSeVD4fMG1Ao9Tor9ksopQY4IGM1rIoGyOLyKlCSlRXvQBfG6anmo5ako6iYgMRyLeYdnDtAdHB_CuNBY5Kd2MW_JL1T6Y3sGak/s958/9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98yHWdoywFGacoEOnwB0spAZ97BuIkvuJW1Z0fLMCgnbPARGDu_4LuXQitBjd-XS-MM2uT1DyioZ66EXO6S4G0x7xeSeVD4fMG1Ao9Tor9ksopQY4IGM1rIoGyOLyKlCSlRXvQBfG6anmo5ako6iYgMRyLeYdnDtAdHB_CuNBY5Kd2MW_JL1T6Y3sGak/s16000/9.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After we'd finished watching football (both the Liverpool and Newcastle games) we headed back to the hotel where we had a final drink, ordered a pizza and had ourselves an early night, after having been up since 1am... I felt like we'd had a pretty good first day exploring some free areas of Copenhagen and relaxing ahead of the next few days!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>If you liked this post, be sure to keep an eye out for the next few Copenhagen diary posts coming soon.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77MINNom4ef_BJ8quLayWiUF-4iGwG8z8NIiMpg_fZ5zzFmGD6ZJR8s4kLNCH8MXY_EeYy-_mMuLOhAqcyd1ca1NFc91GZ-liDmMz5XDiR7fFH5PAChGKjmCgYhvuPvEa5Rw77W_LbV1gHPnDX0Fgd2PgaYl79tWDqrH9e2TlB_Sahutr15UEPCWJznU/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77MINNom4ef_BJ8quLayWiUF-4iGwG8z8NIiMpg_fZ5zzFmGD6ZJR8s4kLNCH8MXY_EeYy-_mMuLOhAqcyd1ca1NFc91GZ-liDmMz5XDiR7fFH5PAChGKjmCgYhvuPvEa5Rw77W_LbV1gHPnDX0Fgd2PgaYl79tWDqrH9e2TlB_Sahutr15UEPCWJznU/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-67964147378277363912023-09-30T15:57:00.002+01:002023-10-02T09:03:44.754+01:00Absalon Hotel, Copenhagen | reviewWe recently returned from a 3-night, 4-day break in Copenhagen, Denmark. I booked this trip as a package through easyJet Holidays, as I had a £500 voucher which I won on twitter (?!) - the trip cost around £680 for the two of us, so we paid the rest off and we were ready to go.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7uRfCHgw_Bp99m5VJyLxZ3IqhhGp1uF3Q1CHZZS08WWYzEoo1P1J-w4eTNZJ-Lh0mMQYAOupEfEXXZA2cbuEEiQ5hSMUkxYRdRViDG1W0FGImhYVH7UBLwsnUbhyEeaARdr0Ew4j5BvargjMKTwF7fv5xvSuJCWKA2nCbGrS9W6Cg4KbjwmYLYvHafo/s958/absalon%20hotel%20review.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7uRfCHgw_Bp99m5VJyLxZ3IqhhGp1uF3Q1CHZZS08WWYzEoo1P1J-w4eTNZJ-Lh0mMQYAOupEfEXXZA2cbuEEiQ5hSMUkxYRdRViDG1W0FGImhYVH7UBLwsnUbhyEeaARdr0Ew4j5BvargjMKTwF7fv5xvSuJCWKA2nCbGrS9W6Cg4KbjwmYLYvHafo/s16000/absalon%20hotel%20review.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Absalon Hotel, Copenhagen - location</h3><div><br /></div><div>I chose this hotel based off the location, mostly; having never been to Copenhagen before I wasn't 100% sure what would be the best area to stay in, but the Absalon Hotel is (very) near the central train station so it seemed like a safe bet. And it really was; it was super easy to get to, just a couple of minutes walk from the station (trains and metros) with bus stops nearby too. It took us around half an hour or so to wander to the Nyhavn Canal area, and there were plenty of places to eat/drink near the hotel too. And with the central station literally on the doorstep we could get pretty much anywhere, so I'd definitely recommend in terms of location!</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Absalon Hotel - checking in & our room</h3><div><br /></div><div>We arrived at the hotel at around midday after being awake since 1am - check in isn't until 3pm, but I'd read that we could leave our bags while we went out to explore so that was the plan! But here's where it gets interesting... a few months ago, I'd emailed the hotel to let them know we were planning to come and stay to celebrate our engagement, and so would love to be considered for any upgrades. Don't ask, don't get! They'd emailed back letting me know how much it would cost to upgrade, and I didn't really think any more of it. Alexander on the front desk, who was absolutely charming, saw this as he was checking our booking; he immediately congratulated us, and found us an upgrade to a superior room with early check in. We were over the moon, and he promised to do his best to do something else for us but we didn't think any more of it...</div><div><br /></div><div>Our room was on the 5th floor so we got the lift up and walked in; the room was gorgeously decorated with a super comfy bed, two chairs and a table, wardrobe, coffee machine, fridge, bottled water and clothes steamer. We had a spacious en suite with lights that you can change the colour of, which was pretty fun; the bathroom had a toilet, sink, bath and shower with a long counter under the mirror so plenty of space to store my excessive amount of skincare. The only let down was the shower, which didn't stay up properly making it pretty awkward to actually have a wash. But other than that, the room was perfect with air-con and big windows!</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Absalon Hotel, Copenhagen - green concept</h3><div><br /></div><div>One of our favourite things about the hotel was their green concept; you can decline housekeeping in exchange for a gift of either a 100DKK bar voucher, 50% off bike hire or a Ren bodycare product. This is such a great idea, and with a brilliant incentive - we ended up getting 4 free drinks with our vouchers when we declined, all for the sake of not having fresh towels each day etc. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Absalon Hotel - bar & breakfast</h3><div><br /></div><div>We had breakfast included each morning - pastries, delicious bread, ham, cheese, cereal, fruit, yoghurt, juice, water, coffee, eggs, pancakes and tiny frankfurters as well as the usual jam, Nutella and so on. There was plenty of it, and plenty of seating too; even when it was busy we didn't struggle to find somewhere to sit. We also had a couple of drinks at the bar, which was lovely. The bar staff were always friendly, the drinks lovely & cold, and again there's plenty of seating as well as a little outdoor courtyard.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Absalon Hotel, Copenhagen - checking out</h3><div><br /></div><div>Checking out was a super easy process; we left our bags in the luggage storage room, and held onto our key card for when we came back. After another day of exploring, we headed back to the hotel and swapped our key for a different card which opened the luggage room as well as an area with two bathrooms - perfect for freshening up before the flight, meaning I could take my make up off and brush my teeth etc. There's loads of seating around this area too, and they were happy for us to hang around/charge our phones/relax until it was time to head to the airport.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Would I recommend the Absalon Hotel in Copenhagen?</h3><div><br /></div><div>100% - it's a really lovely hotel with comfortable beds, friendly staff, plenty of space and a brilliant green concept. It's also in a central location, easy to get to, and felt completely safe. If you're looking to book a Copenhagen city break either yourself or through easyJet Holidays, you won't go wrong if you book the Absalon Hotel, Copenhagen.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>PS, sorry for the dire lack of photos... but I have done <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cxxn4kDtnEx/" target="_blank">a reel</a> showing the hotel much better!</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzZSgk4H3nUNKF4JNcSeZlhq734rEvZPSrvHOC5-9y_Y_EyR_Q6j06H_WB3wcwb3vV7aWYeNdPI6RpGx0r52-c04bF305HXRIxZhTRjyzzN7msDsOHx9hmiEQVr-tvxiXDmD_cvwahSr17ueFqyI1Y5iTzz6TCRk1MFfX-lHmu1wQV8wEZLwLBDpGUMk/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzZSgk4H3nUNKF4JNcSeZlhq734rEvZPSrvHOC5-9y_Y_EyR_Q6j06H_WB3wcwb3vV7aWYeNdPI6RpGx0r52-c04bF305HXRIxZhTRjyzzN7msDsOHx9hmiEQVr-tvxiXDmD_cvwahSr17ueFqyI1Y5iTzz6TCRk1MFfX-lHmu1wQV8wEZLwLBDpGUMk/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-42837989157712718252023-09-22T16:10:00.003+01:002023-09-22T16:10:33.360+01:005 recent reads | September 2023<p>I've had a fairly decent reading month so far in September, and I'm just about on track to read 100 books this year! Here are my 6 recent reads with quickfire, spoiler-free book reviews in case you're looking for some good ones. All of these were NetGalley ARCs, so if they're not available to buy yet they'll be coming out soon...</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Suddenly, A Murder by Lauren Muñoz</h3><p>I LOVE a YA thriller and this didn't disappoint - it centres around Izzy, who is a working class girl in a school full of rich kids where her mum teaches. She heads off to a stunning island with a manor in the middle of it, straight from a 1920s movie, with her friends to celebrate their graduation ...and typically, one of them ends up dead. Stranded on the island in a storm with a dead body and a pair of police officers, Izzy tries to uncover the truth about what happened and why. I thought there was maybe one too many characters in the friendship group, to the point where at times I was a bit confused about who was who, but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this and did not see the twist coming at all. Be warned, it's fairly dark...</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Mayhem in Circulation by Leak Dobrinska</h3><p>If you like cosy crime, you'll love this - it's the second in a series, which I didn't realise, but that didn't matter too much. It follows a librarian who has a bit of an interest in detective work (and in a particular detective...) as a spate of crimes takes place in her local area. This is a really lovely small town mystery, not too dark or scary but with a decent enough twist. There are some great characters in this one!</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Small Secrets by Lucy Goacher</h3><p>If you're a podcast kinda person, like me, then this will be an interesting one for you - it follows Nate and Stevie, two best friends with their own true crime podcast. They started off focusing on a case local to them, and years on they've done nearly 200 episodes. After a brief hiatus, they notice a case that very closely resembles the first one they ever covered; this snowballs into a new season of the podcast, with some very dangerous consequences for the pair. I somewhat guessed the twist, and I didn't <i>love </i>the way the podcasts themselves were written, but otherwise this is a great thriller.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSLQT6sdSfw3LZfY62pIGRsWCzawoT3oCpHx-f_2RO8aVFbX0QM1AO9IpXC3sOLXCFB5coti_Xg_2AFWlOGu5FALq3gnlrzkKc3YXIPAc__Q-LIwWf2zQ6MQ4fQI3DQPX8VChKI-FDOqE-WEm6V6cnGgmwt3P4SQeeC9WUYCAOJuDGJatihF6Ah9D57A/s1500/5rr%20blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSLQT6sdSfw3LZfY62pIGRsWCzawoT3oCpHx-f_2RO8aVFbX0QM1AO9IpXC3sOLXCFB5coti_Xg_2AFWlOGu5FALq3gnlrzkKc3YXIPAc__Q-LIwWf2zQ6MQ4fQI3DQPX8VChKI-FDOqE-WEm6V6cnGgmwt3P4SQeeC9WUYCAOJuDGJatihF6Ah9D57A/w426-h640/5rr%20blog.png" width="426" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Soulmate by Iain Maitland</h3><p>This seemed right up my street in terms of being a classic of the thriller genre; it follows a woman who has lived an incredibly miserable life, as she falls in love with her new soulmate - a woman (Pippa) from her bookclub. She becomes obsessed, and the story documents her attempts to become close to Pippa. I found the narrator to be incredibly unlikeable, which was probably the point but she just made me feel sick, and the storyline was quite farfetched. The writing style wasn't great either so as you can probably imagine, this isn't one I'd personally recommend.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Roommates by Ola Tundun</h3><p>If you're looking for a contemporary romance set in the UK, you could do far worse than this one; it follows well-off corporate girly Ariella, engaged to the love of her life and living the dream - or so it seems. Then she does a 180 and moves in with self-confessed player Caleb, and it throws <i>everything </i>up in the air. If you're into authors like Beth O'Leary and Emily Henry you'll definitely enjoy this fun friends-to-lovers slow burn!</p><p>I head off to Copenhagen in the next couple of days, so there'll be plenty of reading time in the airport and on the plane etc - I went <i>very </i>hard on Stuff Your Kindle Day, so expect plenty more book reviews coming your way soon...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAS39IemTV9tlv5cD1rbV9fsIfUr88ovURcsnKfDxGD0Mi5fwnaheuwmXgpq2F9DXX1EAGi2wGUV8WTnGlv2MQ_hvYc6F4hOAfNqIUW1dNLCKffn1HWXbL0etlvjd516FLyfWgxjjMSjo5_5wulx9eJi-58iuyBVWgAQ8zIYY3lTN9vT8I-yi-yu01nE/s321/Untitled%20design.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAS39IemTV9tlv5cD1rbV9fsIfUr88ovURcsnKfDxGD0Mi5fwnaheuwmXgpq2F9DXX1EAGi2wGUV8WTnGlv2MQ_hvYc6F4hOAfNqIUW1dNLCKffn1HWXbL0etlvjd516FLyfWgxjjMSjo5_5wulx9eJi-58iuyBVWgAQ8zIYY3lTN9vT8I-yi-yu01nE/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-11454924627276796942023-09-11T16:40:00.006+01:002023-09-11T16:44:32.516+01:006 recent reads | August 2023<div style="text-align: left;">Since getting a Kindle for my birthday, I've been reading even more than normal - and the Kindle hasn't stopped me buying physical books! If you're interested in book hauls, I share them on <a href="http://instagram.com/katy.gilroy" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@katygilroy879" target="_blank">TikTok</a> when I get new ones. Anyway, it's time to share my 6 most recent reads with you; they aren't necessarily new releases, but they're <b>my </b>recent reads with quickfire, spoiler-free reviews.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Lido by Libby Page</h3></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I recently got SO lucky in my local charity shop and picked up six books, many of which were already on my TBR - at 50p each I was over the moon. One of these books was The Lido by Libby Page, which is an achingly beautiful look at Brixton and the changing of local communities over time as well as multi-generational friendships and the power of peoples' voices. I just loved the way it shone a light on so many people, all of the individuals who make up the fabric of a community in a way that is so realistic. And the storyline, about two very different women coming together to save their local lido, was just gorgeous. I highly, highly recommend this book and I know there is a sequel coming very soon...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2023 has been the year I've *really* got into romance novels, and this is my second Tessa Bailey book; it's the sequel to <i>It Happened One Summer, </i>which I adored, and I really liked this one too. It follows Hannah, who works in film and loves all things music, as she returns to the small seaside town she was born in - for work, but also for the hot fisherman she met last time she was there. The sexual tension between them is evident from the get go, and there's a lot of will-they won't-they... it was formulaic in the way that friends to lovers romance novels usually are, but in a good way. I love the characters in these books and this was a definite reading highlight for me!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Book Lovers by Emily Henry</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've had this on my shelf for <i>ages </i>and I've been putting off reading it because it's so hyped, I wasn't sure if it would live up to my expectations. I did enjoy the book and the storyline, but I found it a bit too cutesy for my tastes. Small town romances are something I'm a big fan of, but I felt that I didn't really get to know the town that much which was a shame! It's definitely one for you if you're looking for a fun and lighthearted romance, maybe as a holiday read. I'm intrigued to see how I get on with some other Emily Henry books though...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dJFVVFld1KV11dU3qxBnfAAUSf2Lb1w0q29CTWo2M-bChK2RDYJjnSEGxmLOilSzAtLqOAvh7Iw_Pys9MCnHohtG85nH1Nu6K-H7lQr_dhO-uvZ5nQB1yyfxX86RqSQYh-P2hf1QQB2BKSOSCYnU9wsVdz5K-Z88wFnS1I33iKe7zCSCiLnsRTbswGQ/s1620/6rr%20blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dJFVVFld1KV11dU3qxBnfAAUSf2Lb1w0q29CTWo2M-bChK2RDYJjnSEGxmLOilSzAtLqOAvh7Iw_Pys9MCnHohtG85nH1Nu6K-H7lQr_dhO-uvZ5nQB1yyfxX86RqSQYh-P2hf1QQB2BKSOSCYnU9wsVdz5K-Z88wFnS1I33iKe7zCSCiLnsRTbswGQ/w426-h640/6rr%20blog.png" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the aforementioned lucky charity shop haul, I managed to pick up books 1 and 2 in the AGGGTM series - book three was there, but for reasons unbeknownst even to me, I didn't buy it. It took me a few tries to get into the first book, but once I was on board with the writing style (it flits between third-person narration and first-person notes as well as visual elements) I found myself invested. The first book of the series follows Pip, who is doing her EPQ at college and wants to look into the disappearance and murder of fellow student Andie Bell, allegedly killed by her boyfriend (Sal) who then went on to kill himself.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Pip gets to the bottom of what happened on that fateful night, and finds herself falling for Sal's brother Ravi along the way. She also decides to turn her EPQ research into a podcast; the whole thing has some pretty bad consequences for Pip, and she calls it a day after just one season of the podcast. But of course, there are 2 more books and 2 more reasons for Pip to keep going with her investigative work and podcast. As the series develops, it only gets darker and more sinister; there are some scenes that really made my heart race. I really enjoyed the way it was written, in terms of the characters and plot but also the addition of scanned documents, interview transcripts and so on - it's really well put together.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you're a fan of YA thrillers then this is 100% up your street and I can see why it's so popular; I ended up finishing all 3 books (I bought the last instalment on my Kindle!) in about 4 days. Definitely got me out of the mini reading slump I've been in. Even if YA isn't usually your bag, I'd say give it a go anyway!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>What have you been reading lately? Feel free to let me know in the comments or send any recommendations my way...</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WUcPh-d7uimc_yZuAkTEAMo_C_TGfLEW6LB_gKrzTOanO41x2KsjkHHHKRQKQiG6vjCouwcvh8rEYqzRrvO4Em28pcB_kjReOpkGdezlJZQRBzT-dEBrBCEUp6gecpj6ZJVkl765KUa4RWYDTQd-ku5l9MjCHekFV5AAYrr2_YuNTItSfCzFsZ00A2I/s321/Untitled%20design.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WUcPh-d7uimc_yZuAkTEAMo_C_TGfLEW6LB_gKrzTOanO41x2KsjkHHHKRQKQiG6vjCouwcvh8rEYqzRrvO4Em28pcB_kjReOpkGdezlJZQRBzT-dEBrBCEUp6gecpj6ZJVkl765KUa4RWYDTQd-ku5l9MjCHekFV5AAYrr2_YuNTItSfCzFsZ00A2I/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-78541851178564302432023-09-08T17:20:00.001+01:002023-09-08T17:20:06.743+01:00Our heatwave garden accessories (2023)<p>My fiancée and I have (slowly) been doing up our lovely little garden over the year, and I thought I'd share my favourite new pieces with you as summer seems to be sticking around a little bit...</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Metal plaque decorations</h3><p>We already have a couple of these up in the garden but I was dying to add some more and make it a whole feature corner - but everywhere I looked they were so expensive or just didn't look that great. When that TEMU app launched and the free credit for signing up was doing the round (I ended up with over £100 credit in the end) I happened to spy some of these on there. Of course I was unsure what the quality would be like, but they're actually spot on. They're slightly smaller than the two we already had up, but they look and feel great and make the perfect addition to our little garden. We attached them with screws in the top holes and 'no more nails' along the bottom <i>because we didn't have enough screws </i>and they've held up great.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIoFu2EYfpM_k1R5uaXjPh8Pg9MI_EYgEBMuyg_UsY0TWGO7VdAgRIETm-LC0f_qontpiXAW1DfHN0FDk2rFOiC-EbuwhZ4ed08IUIrQbK3cnnyobGSL1n8P_goFo3xh9pj-8gYXHKhfBvl4_ZlnltGHXEhFqYRVz4WoirD6NyqkpFVe7z22izC8tRzQ/s958/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIoFu2EYfpM_k1R5uaXjPh8Pg9MI_EYgEBMuyg_UsY0TWGO7VdAgRIETm-LC0f_qontpiXAW1DfHN0FDk2rFOiC-EbuwhZ4ed08IUIrQbK3cnnyobGSL1n8P_goFo3xh9pj-8gYXHKhfBvl4_ZlnltGHXEhFqYRVz4WoirD6NyqkpFVe7z22izC8tRzQ/s16000/2.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jack Daniels and Budweiser plaques we already owned; the rest are from TEMU</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Robert Dyas Table & Chairs</h3><p>Originally we were looking for a table with 6 chairs and a parasol, then we realised we definitely didn't need 6 chairs and when I found this set including a table, 4 chairs and a parasol for £125 with free delivery it was too good of a deal to pass up. They were delivered quickly and the table was easy to put together - it did unfortunately have a couple of scuffs on it, but nothing majorly noticeable. It's the perfect size for our decking, alongside the egg chair (see below) and the chairs themselves are pretty comfy. I'm on the hunt for the perfect cushions to go with them now! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9wz2rFjmUjlMkpVfLvITi-9w0sFpWJT9o7Ykb9lDuTwLdOUdB_59knKBpdrGExNP1sFNmAHBfpmaXT6SQE95J87RMDVRNRfJ7hI5BxYc5DJ_xPgsGQ3ZR7m25T10jx11je7qwo5LhNjCxzcxjCPjJDBR0v2r3D1dhzF_MVSZTDFWyvdQ6sBN-lDNWHU/s958/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9wz2rFjmUjlMkpVfLvITi-9w0sFpWJT9o7Ykb9lDuTwLdOUdB_59knKBpdrGExNP1sFNmAHBfpmaXT6SQE95J87RMDVRNRfJ7hI5BxYc5DJ_xPgsGQ3ZR7m25T10jx11je7qwo5LhNjCxzcxjCPjJDBR0v2r3D1dhzF_MVSZTDFWyvdQ6sBN-lDNWHU/s16000/4.png" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Ella James Sorrento Egg Chair*</h3><p>I have wanted a hanging egg chair for SO long, and when Ella James offered to send me one to complete our garden I was simply over the moon. It arrived on a palette which I had to break apart to then get the pieces of the chair out and into the garden - then began the task of putting it together! The three pieces are the base, arm, and chair itself. The base has little plastic clips to attach which help keep the chair from sliding around, and the arm slotted into it easily with some bolts. The seat itself then hangs from a metal chain and you screw through the top to attach them together. Our screw was the wrong size so it wouldn't go in at all - luckily my dad came to the rescue and sorted it out, it's not perfect but it's definitely attached!</p><p>The chair is so comfortable with thick cushions, and it feels SO sturdy. I've already spent hours upon hours just sitting in it with a book - before work, after work, at the weekend. It has genuinely made my entire year and I can't recommend it more; this is the <a href="https://ellajames.co.uk/collections/egg-chairs/products/indoor-outdoor-hanging-egg-chair-grey?variant=43043529162993" target="_blank">Grey Indoor Outdoor Sorrento Egg Chair</a> and it's my favourite thing ever.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlh-l6IAxj5CWvOSA3xIaLpE1IsVIo8aw-1bL3I04_mtbuvCG7deZgaFuhvd0PzXffNePmfrk-RlK0pjEQmebC8qEAwgOVVmHw2-ticuEL_u0HAleRTx_YLRLYjVoVZvaq7CmZG22i0MAwfJ_vmfOMExe8iO1VuDIdjzehfpJIWQadCigCEH0pkN70pM/s958/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlh-l6IAxj5CWvOSA3xIaLpE1IsVIo8aw-1bL3I04_mtbuvCG7deZgaFuhvd0PzXffNePmfrk-RlK0pjEQmebC8qEAwgOVVmHw2-ticuEL_u0HAleRTx_YLRLYjVoVZvaq7CmZG22i0MAwfJ_vmfOMExe8iO1VuDIdjzehfpJIWQadCigCEH0pkN70pM/s16000/1.png" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Garden Rug</h3><p>This grey and white patterned outdoor rug is waterproof and I think it looks great under our table and chairs - in my opinion, it really helps the space come together and provides a finishing touch. I do find it rolls up at the corners when it's windy, but it's not a big deal! It feels really good quality, and it's only from Home Bargains. I think it was around the £10 mark, and they still had them in store last time I was there.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZIpja0BKlczPvpspnxZbOsWd0i0__hidc93XoCcpOg0M5P5f6mz3x5mXL79IV0qlOsUaTfE6s9trI2iNf0S32IKZ77b3qWaJaboUvLuKlUqum5t6j0d0exODjR-u0oqa1G3bMxoy-W2VvtAYwbDe-Gj8tNzsoLxNASBrfO2guWISu2XMtaqOvwAuE4I/s958/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZIpja0BKlczPvpspnxZbOsWd0i0__hidc93XoCcpOg0M5P5f6mz3x5mXL79IV0qlOsUaTfE6s9trI2iNf0S32IKZ77b3qWaJaboUvLuKlUqum5t6j0d0exODjR-u0oqa1G3bMxoy-W2VvtAYwbDe-Gj8tNzsoLxNASBrfO2guWISu2XMtaqOvwAuE4I/s16000/3.png" /></a></div><p><i>Next year I plan to add some colourful cushions, and repaint some of the areas that need some love and attention. But summer is technically coming to an end & spooky season is around the corner, so that's it for now!</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHASD9jFa30JWYHbPpkzYxg3Ayif0nQQmWqM7GU_6Uhk0f6GunpqGTwqJVE32cyXCWm5m5UmWmcWarSp17fvq6FrF5tZl0SNk6ObtgG_Lc8Vvn_zZdIc91UQ6otm6uVB3L_1xoGbrQLKchwSDw7_dFGbgu5JsTsZdrM-k1-WK2h-chlgCLDCM2f8U_HRc/s321/Untitled%20design.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHASD9jFa30JWYHbPpkzYxg3Ayif0nQQmWqM7GU_6Uhk0f6GunpqGTwqJVE32cyXCWm5m5UmWmcWarSp17fvq6FrF5tZl0SNk6ObtgG_Lc8Vvn_zZdIc91UQ6otm6uVB3L_1xoGbrQLKchwSDw7_dFGbgu5JsTsZdrM-k1-WK2h-chlgCLDCM2f8U_HRc/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421677824367827284.post-73676980354533491722023-09-05T11:41:00.001+01:002023-09-06T13:13:21.509+01:00The cheapest Christmas market breaks from Liverpool in 2023Liverpool is my closest airport, and as such I'm always looking for cheap flights and city breaks from here. Below you'll find a range of affordable Christmas market breaks from Liverpool in winter 2023 - there are some great locations in here! <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphdslQ81CMYdN1O-TLa8PAa7QP2HAUWyl3HFxmED3NQm7aq_oGZl07tBE4tGAztyPum2GlA6pvbngX-vvxwIHMwckgigCVaCRDVYMUEBijCt26xlMb5M22pt7WWP42NN9lkJxb5ISrJ7G8OO8aWAfjl4D8jm9HVuVGxs-xw-qy4HJca0izc5HQUl97-g/s958/xmas%20market.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphdslQ81CMYdN1O-TLa8PAa7QP2HAUWyl3HFxmED3NQm7aq_oGZl07tBE4tGAztyPum2GlA6pvbngX-vvxwIHMwckgigCVaCRDVYMUEBijCt26xlMb5M22pt7WWP42NN9lkJxb5ISrJ7G8OO8aWAfjl4D8jm9HVuVGxs-xw-qy4HJca0izc5HQUl97-g/s16000/xmas%20market.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>All of these deals are ones I've found on <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/qKpTJrxH" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LoveHolidays</a>; this isn't an ad, but I have used them a fair few times to book trips and I find them to be affordable with good customer service. The prices you'll see in this post include flights AND hotel, but no luggage or transfers. You can pop these dates into Skyscanner and <a href="https://booking.tp.st/dfAjGyFb" target="_blank">Booking.com</a> if you want to book it yourself instead or see alternative accommodation options.<div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Budapest, 23rd-26th November</h3><div><br /></div><div>A <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/POYBzBiI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">three night break in Budapest</a> during the Christmas market season costs as little as £180pp - this is to stay on the 3-star City Hotel Ring, which is pretty cool also, but you can bag the Royal Park Boutique Hotel for just £203pp across the same dates. <a href="https://www.budapestbylocals.com/christmas-markets-in-budapest/" target="_blank">Budapest's markets</a> are likely starting on the 18th November, but the 23rd looks to be the cheapest date to fly out of Liverpool. I haven't been to Budapest yet but it's SO high on my list!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">🇭🇺 <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/CbCmR6rP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Book this trip</a> 🇭🇺</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Krakow, 24th-27th November</h3><div><br /></div><div>This trip falls on the first day of <a href="https://christmasmarkets.io/poland/krakow-christmas-market/" target="_blank">Krakow's Christmas market</a>, which lasts til Boxing Day. It's located in the city's main square, and you can book a <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/axZ7LPIt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">three night trip from Liverpool to Krakow</a> in November for just £172pp at the Abella Suites and Apartments. Or for only £209 per person you can stay at the Hilton! It's a gorgeous city and made even more magical at Christmas time, so I'd definitely recommend a visit.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">🇵🇱 <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/x3Ur43Pb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Book this trip</a> 🇵🇱</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Warsaw, 25th-28th November</h3><div><br /></div><div>I love Poland and they do Christmas really well, so is it any surprise there's already two Polish cities on this list? Warsaw is the capital, and it's such a brilliant city; the <a href="https://christmasmarkets.io/poland/warsaw-christmas-market/" target="_blank">market is due to start on the 24th</a>, so landing on the 25th is perfect timing. For 3 nights at the Plaza hotel you'll pay just £177pp - one of the most affordable 2023 <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/kAO6hZmh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christmas market breaks from Liverpool</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">🇵🇱 <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/WyGAk2e4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Book this trip</a> 🇵🇱</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3ZXTd_v2X0JkhWt80kwtZ60bNWbWbllCvr7vePhjxf-ZajmIT1ykg3ArzaGGEf661T8HFph_K3NzRCj8Ln_eOcD85jf-ZrZuwAEnBniPHHK0bI6ryr3vf8TgHQlxtOUE63KJzTXmCDPPMTKRRNodO51Za0WPbtEO5R0yZoaNIEgMCREit1qn3QBSXPw/s958/xmas%20market%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="958" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3ZXTd_v2X0JkhWt80kwtZ60bNWbWbllCvr7vePhjxf-ZajmIT1ykg3ArzaGGEf661T8HFph_K3NzRCj8Ln_eOcD85jf-ZrZuwAEnBniPHHK0bI6ryr3vf8TgHQlxtOUE63KJzTXmCDPPMTKRRNodO51Za0WPbtEO5R0yZoaNIEgMCREit1qn3QBSXPw/s16000/xmas%20market%202.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Rome, 6th-9th December</h3><div><br /></div><div>Typically, Rome is quite an expensive city - but like many Catholic hotspots, it does Christmas nicely. You can stay about an hour out of the city centre across these dates for just £156pp - meaning you can pop into the city each day using their brilliant public transport network. Alongside <a href="https://help-tourists-in-rome.com/en/holidays-events/christmas/christmas-in-rome-christmas-markets-opening-hours-and-christmas-mass/" target="_blank">the Christmas market itself</a>, Vatican City has a lot going on in December so that's well worth a visit. An <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/pmGGEOG4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">affordable trip to Rome from Liverpool</a> at Christmas? Check!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">🇮🇹 <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/y295aP1n" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Book this trip</a> 🇮🇹</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Apeldoorn, 6th-9th December</h3><div><br /></div><div>This might be somewhere you've not heard of before, but this little city in Holland has something called the <a href="https://spiritofwinter.nl/spirit-of-winter-2022/" target="_blank">Spirit of Winter</a> in the grounds of the palace each Christmas season. It looks like a great example of a Christmas market in Europe and it's one you can access via Liverpool (you'll fly into Schiphol Airport) - you can currently <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/3exQ6bXb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">book a 4* hotel in Apeldoorn</a> for just £158pp for these 3 nights. Bargain! It looks like a really sweet place, and it's always fun to go somewhere a little off the beaten track.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">🇳🇱 <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/RtXQMrD9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Book this trip</a> 🇳🇱</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Valencia, 17th-20th December</h3><div><br /></div><div>By this point you'll probably be feeling *really* festive, so what better time to pack a carry on bag and head off for a budget Christmas market city break from Liverpool? You can spend <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/PYNAdhaN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3 nights at Hotel Villacarlos</a> over these dates for just £130pp - the cheapest Christmas market holiday on this list. There are actually 7 <a href="https://www.valenciarevealed.com/valencia-christmas-markets#:~:text=Plaza%20de%20la%20Reina%20Christmas%20Craft%20Fair,-Dates%3A%20From%20November&text=The%20newly%20remodelled%20and%20pedestrianised,largest%2C%20Christmas%20markets%20in%20Valencia." target="_blank">Christmas markets in Valencia</a>, so it's definitely one to consider.</div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">🇪🇸 <a href="https://loveholidays.tp.st/PYNAdhaN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Book this trip</a> 🇪🇸</div><div><br /></div><div><i>If any of these Christmas market holidays from Liverpool catch your eye, I hope you have a fab time! 3 days is a decent enough amount of time to explore a city without having to use too much annual leave... Be sure to also keep an eye on sites like Wowcher/Groupon to see if they have any Christmas market city break deals, but always read the small print.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdcNPQU6P_guFnUXmczeAEuzE_pwpLm4AD1mgZvQ9JFR9plUR7YM3pqfoet18y4FPtm6DaJMnwGd20Sc3PnIqepBT2kC-jBIkdkwVJoMEH--KNDy8wr4WD_HJlPQlPbnmmZHAnioEkiHA-Er-PTDlT0Uwm6SerQylGO-bb7nVi3m6sPbixRN_p4SKCj8/s321/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="321" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdcNPQU6P_guFnUXmczeAEuzE_pwpLm4AD1mgZvQ9JFR9plUR7YM3pqfoet18y4FPtm6DaJMnwGd20Sc3PnIqepBT2kC-jBIkdkwVJoMEH--KNDy8wr4WD_HJlPQlPbnmmZHAnioEkiHA-Er-PTDlT0Uwm6SerQylGO-bb7nVi3m6sPbixRN_p4SKCj8/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="320" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4