Friday 22 August 2014

Devilishly Destructive Delights Reviews: Tea Pigs

Now I must admit about a year ago, I was not the least bit interested in tea. That's not to say that I didn't drink it nor enjoy consuming it, but for me it was all about coffee. If you asked me what I wanted to drink, nine times out of ten it would be coffee. Black coffee, white coffee, filter coffee- you name it, I drank it. However since living with Richard, coffee has rather taken a back foot which is predominantly due to living with a tea lover and my hectic work lifestyle.

However, fast forward to now and I do nothing but drink tea and have rather acquired a taste for it. My sister is a massive tea lover and with her impending 23rd birthday fast approaching I was wracking my brains to come up with a quirky, useful present that she would enjoy. After stumbling across a fellow bloggers post on a company called Tea Pigs, that specialise in a variety of tea gifts I thought I'd check them out. 

I browsed through their website and soon enough found the perfect gift. A tea 'pick n mix' selection box. This gift allows you to choose twelve sample packs of tea for £15. Once you've managed to choose from the selection of twenty one individual types of tea and added them to your basket you are greeted with a 10% off offer on your first purchase and free delivery on orders over £35. 

I perused the different types of tea for quite some time and selected the ones I thought my sister would enjoy the most, such as everyday brew, new grey and great white along with more unusual ones such as popcorn tea. I made my order and also picked out a great mug from the Aunty Acid range at Campus Gifts that fitted perfectly with my theme.

I sat back and almost forgot about my order until it turned up at my door a few days later. I was very keen to open it up and was impressed with the sturdy packaging. 



I opened the box up and was even more impressed at the contents. Not only did I receive the perfectly packed pick n mix box but also a free sachet of tea to try, a cute little card by a neighbouring company called 'Oh Deer' and also lots of helpful leaflets about Tea Pigs and their products.





I looked through these freebies for a short time before turning my attention to the main product and it's safe to say I wasn't disappointed when I opened the fairly unassuming box...







Upon opening the box I was greeted by what can only be described as the cutest little tea shop. Each type of tea was encased in a gorgeous little box, complete with individual names and illustrations, with each package containing two tea bags. 

I must say I was absolutely thrilled. Initially I felt the gift was slightly pricey for what was essentially some tea bags but it's not only the tea you are paying for but the unique tastes, quirky packaging and the knowledge that this tea is making a difference environmentally. Their service was fantastic and with so many generous freebies you really do get a lot for your money. This is certainly a company I would use again!

So go on, fall in love with tea all over again with Tea Pigs!

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Autumn Attire

So yesterday I blogged about some of the Autumn homeware that is starting to emerge in stores but what about clothing? 

I love Autumn, as I have already mentioned and this year I have a firm idea in mind of what I need and what I'd like to see in my wardrobe. 

I've had a quick search online to see what some of the high street stores have on offer and I'm certain there will be more to come when the sales are out of the way, but for now here are some of the things that have caught my eye...



One | Two | Three | Four | Five

Something I have certainly noticed already in the early Autumn season wear is the prominence of colours like mustard and burgundy. I have lots of burgundy items already so I am leaning towards getting some mustard tones in my wardrobe which look nice against my hair colour and will brighten up my outfits. 

I am a massive lover of tartan but don't have a plaid skirt anymore so I am very tempted with this one from Forever21. I think it would look great with a mustard top, black tights and some ankle boots. 

I also love this cream jumper which is pretty much an exact replica of one I have got in my wardrobe at the minute. I've had mine for years after buying it from F&F with Richard and since then I haven't been able to find anything like it. Mine washes so well and is so soft and comfortable I was really gutted when I couldn't get another so I am thrilled to see this online and I will certainly be buying it!



One | Two | Three

I really love boots in Autumn, perfect for kicking my way through some crunchy leaves. I have definitely noticed by shoe cupboard looking in a bit of a sorry looking state. All of my boots that I've had for years are worn out and in desperate need of replacing. I've had my eye on this style of ankle boot for a while and I have found two contenders from Tesco and Matalan. I think the Tesco pair might be swaying it for me however because even though they are more expensive they look as though they would last longer than the suede pair from Matalan especially in wet weather. I think they are worth the investment.

I also noticed this scarf from H&M which is currently on sale for their pre-autumn range. I'm not normally one for fashion statement scarves, instead only wearing them for warming purposes with a big coat but I think this could really make a fairly boring Autumn outfit interesting. 

This is only a handful of items and as soon as the stores realise that it is no longer Summer I'm sure they will bring out plenty more. I'm personally keeping my eyes peeled for a new winter coat complete with hood for those wet and windy days standing on the playground. 

What will you be needing this Autumn?

Tuesday 19 August 2014

That Autumn Feel...

So I have once again been looking around at the latest homeware and there is a definite trend across them all- Autumn. Hard to believe they are already ditching the Summer gear in August and looking ahead to the colder months but I guess that's just Britain summed up- we are never happy! Clintons are even stocking Christmas cards and giftwrap forgoodnesssake. 

That being said I am definitely a lover of Autumn- kicking my way through the crunchy leaves, the amazing amber colours and of course the snuggle jumpers and boots. 

So here we have some of my favourites from the big stores and ones that I am keen to make a purchase of...



One | Two | Three | Four

I have featured these fantastic 'Get Organised' boxes from Matalan on a previous homeware post but I still absolutely adore them and think they are a great investment. Super adaptable thanks to the chalkboard label and a really great piece for any styled home. I would certainly use at least one of these in the front room for all those odds and ends you accumulate such as magazines- my current box can't stand the weight so these would be perfect. 

I have also blogged about this great little unit which I think would be useful in our hallway on the table that really does collect our bits and bobs that don't seem to have a home anywhere else, such as our keys and sunglasses. There is a similar unit available also from Matalan with an extra drawer and a far simpler design.

I also like this laundry basket which is really handy when you have as much washing as we seem to. It seems crazy to me that a house occupied by two people can have so much washing. What is even more frustrating is the tedious task of sorting through it all every single time I want to do a load. I like to think this might bring some order to our lives. We shall see.



One | Two

I love a good photo frame and these two are great. I am still yet to put up my FreePrints Polaroids and I like this first frame because it would really help us change our pictures more frequently. I also like this 'You  & I' frame which would look great with a couple of nice portraits in.



One | Two | Three | Four | Five

It is here that I think the Autumn theme becomes apparent. The red, orange and grey tones work perfectly together and it is a firm favourite at the minute. This is why I love this tablecloth so much and I think it would look great with some of the other accessories I have chosen here...

Firstly I love this cute teacup lamp shade which would be perfect for the kitchen. 

I adore both foxes and hares so these little glasses are just made for me. I also like these really simple wine glasses that continue the red theme we have in the kitchen. 

This chopping board is really applicable for mine and Richards relationship, especially when it comes to cutting pizza- he always takes the biggest slices! Hopefully this might prevent that.



One | Two

I think this old fashioned calendar is great fun and quite different to some of the block ones I have seen recently. I also love this lantern and Tesco Direct have so many different varieties of this in many shapes, sizes and colours all of which are in their Summer sales so you better be quick!

There you have it. All the things that I am currently drooling over. I'm well and truly excited for Autumn now, are you?

Devilishly Destructive Delights Bakes: Jammie Dodgers

The summer holidays are great for families. It gives them all the chance to hang out, visit the park, see friends and family and just generally make the most of the good weather. 

However, let's face it after about two weeks you are done with the constant need to entertain them, everyone's gone on holiday and the weather has turned pants. It happens. It's okay to admit it because pretty much everyone goes through it. I can still remember being a kid in the school holidays and being so bored that the only real sense of entertainment was winding my siblings up and claiming innocence when my Mum used to shout out to us with the cry of "what are you up to?" 

That being said we used to do heaps of fun things together like taking a trip to the woods with a picnic and of course baking all manner of delicious treats! So here is a post that will hopefully inspire you, stop you tearing your hair out and give you that fun time together as a family. Here is my recipe for Jammie Dodgers...



Ingredients:

250g butter
150g sugar
1 egg yolk
1tsp vanilla or almond extract
300g plain flour
Dollops of jam

This recipe is just fantastic and so family friendly which means the kids can get involved in just about all aspects of it from the mixing, to the cutting all the way to the decorating which gives you a chance to start cleaning the inevitable mess in the kitchen and make a cuppa.

First of all you start my creaming together the butter and sugar as you would with most if not all biscuits. I then put the egg yolk in a cup and added a good gloop of almond extract to add a bit more flavour to what is essentially a plain biscuit, and whipped these two together before adding them to the mix. I then added the flour and began to combine with a spoon before getting my hands in and forming a ball. 

Now I must warn you this mixture is very sticky initially but this is great fun for kids and is sure to set them in heaps of giggles.  It's also great for their language and texture knowledge, try to get them to describe how it feels or what it might remind them of. I added a bit more flour to the mixture until I could get it into a ball and out of the bowl. I then floured the work top... A lot. I underestimated it at first and it stuck a little but this is all part of the process. Work the dough until you're satisfied with the consistency, add a bit more flour to the worktop when it seems to be wearing thin and then start to roll it out so it is about the thickness of a pound coin.

I used a round cutter for the base of the biscuits but you can pretty much use whatever you like- dinosaurs, fairies, anything! Just ensure that in your design the top biscuit will have some sort of hole for the jam to be seen. These could be spots on the dinosaur or patterns on the fairies dress. I stuck to round biscuits with a heart in the middle but I was limited in terms of cutters (I used a cup for the round biscuits for goodness sake!) Make sure that you create an equal amount of bottom biscuits to top and place them on a tray. I covered mine in tin foil so that they didn't stick and were easy to take off. This is really important given that the biscuits are fairly fragile.

I then put these in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about fifteen to twenty minutes, it will vary depending on the thickness of the biscuits so just keep an eye on them and wait until they are golden brown. Once they are done allow to cool slightly before giving them a gentle twist off of the tin (this is where the foil comes in handy because it is effortless). 



Turn the base biscuits upside down and spread over the jam of your choice. I was fortunate to have two homemade jams in the fridge- strawberry jam which was made for me by a child at school and the other was blackberry jam made my Claire and George...



I used both jams, spreading them equally between biscuits which gave me seven of each. After spreading the jam place on the top biscuit. You can also sprinkle over icing sugar if you wish but I personally enjoyed the sweet, sharp taste of the jam against the biscuit. The choice is yours.






There you have it. Yummy, jammy biscuits that are simple, tasty and great fun for all the family. Enjoy!


Monday 18 August 2014

A Sting in the Tail...

So yesterday I went to my second every rugby match in High Wycombe to watch London Wasps in their first friendly against London Welsh. 



Richard purchased the tickets a month or so ago and they really were a bargain. Turns out we are still classed as 'youth' so we have a whole year to claim tickets charged at £5 a match! When you take into account the fact that the Adams Park ground is less than an hours drive away, parking is £5 for the day and that it is only £10 for us to go it really is a cheap and exciting day out. 

With kick off not until 2:30pm we could have a little bit of a lie in and take the scenic route to High Wycombe, as well as mooch around the stalls and gift shop there. We were fortunate with the weather, which when we were leaving was miserable but upon arrival we were greeted with glorious sunshine! 

Soon enough we were in the stadium and thanks to unreserved seating we could choose to sit wherever we wanted, which for us was right at the front and fairly central to the action. I must admit the atmosphere was completely different to the last game we went to but this was only a friendly and clearly a more family orientated event. I felt more at home this time round and truly got into the action even if I didn't 100% understand all of the rules. 



By half time it was a draw at 10-10 and it really could have been anyone's game. Richard was happily snapping away with his new gadgets and was clearly happy to be back in his comfort zone, if not slightly itching to be back in his own rugby squad season. The second half was a lot more upbeat, with Wasps finding their feet and pushing the Welsh to their limit leaving the final score at 38- 24 to Wasps! Not bad for their first game back this season. 

The rugby bug has well and truly got me and we are off to watch another friendly match next weekend with Wasps at High Wycombe and the following weekend Richard is off to watch the Double Header at Twickenham! 



So go on, why not get out there and watch some live sport before the sunny weather well and truly leaves us!

Wednesday 13 August 2014

Devilishly Destructive Delights Visits: St Albans

Today I found myself heading towards the picturesque town of St Albans, which is about a half an hours drive from where I currently live. You know how it is sometimes when you are trying to order something online and then end up having to go all the way to the shop to go and get it only to find that the nearest store is actually quite some distance away. Well I found myself in just this predicament and rather than just simply driving all this way to pick up an order I thought I would make the most of the sunny day and explore it a little further.

St Albans is a town that I am quite familiar with having visited the Verulamium as a child on a school trip and also mooching round a little when I used to go to the dentist there. However this being said I hadn't visited it for a long time, in fact the last time I went was with Richard a couple of years ago and we were both very disappointed. Today I went there with fresh eyes and a clear mind. My first challenge was finding somewhere to park. That was all I could really remember of St Albans when I used to visit with my Mum- it was a nightmare to park and the majority of parking was in god awful multi-storeys. I was yet to actually use a multi-storey since passing my driving test last year and sure enough I ended up at one and spent quite some time driving round and round trying to find a suitable place that wouldn't involve me crashing into a barrier or pillar. Feeling chuffed with myself I got out and took in the great views on offer.


I made my way down to The Maltings which is a quaint little shopping district with the sort of shops you would usually expect to see on the high street such as H&M, Topshop, River Island and New Look along with more upmarket stores such as Hotel Chocolat, Benefit, Kurt Geiger and Pandora. I stopped off in quite a few different shops, pleased to look around something completely different to the local towns and shops I know so well. Sometimes I think it is just nice to walk into somewhere and see that it is completely different to what you know, in many cases with a bigger and better selection on offer. I also enjoy looking at different high streets, with cute little coffee shops and independent stores which is certainly something that St Albans has to offer.



Although I have recently been shopping with both Richard and my Mum I actually ended up finding more here than anywhere local to me which is strange given they had the same selection of shops. I ended up being adventurous and trying on a selection of 'brave' outfits in H&M including some trousers that look amazing on pretty much everyone else except me. Safe to say a different location didn't change their appearance on me but it was worth a shot. I also tried on a dress which had the potential to be great but fitted in all the wrong places and not the areas that counted so that went back on the rail. I did however find success with an amazing fitted skirt that caught my eye. Thankfully it fitted otherwise I think I would have had a little breakdown in the H&M changing rooms and that wouldn't be the first time- the last time that happened it was because I was completely stuck in a dress, was hyperventilating and had no one to help me. Traumatic events aside I ended up leaving with the skirt which I like to think will have a lot of wear out of it...


For me I will always be happiest in a blazer and a pair of jeans and today was no exception. I've reached that sad point in my life where I have become slightly uninspired by clothing- I like shopping but can never find anything that I like and if I do then it doesn't fit. For months I have been looking at the bizarre fashion that has come in and out and wondering how on earth I can move with the trends. The fact is I can't. Give me a pair of jeans, a blazer and a basic top and I will be happy for ages. Same goes for a nice dress, I'll bung a blazer over that too. Safe to say that my £12 F&F blazers have done pretty well for themselves over the last two years. I wear them to death but if you find something that makes you comfortable then stick with it!


My sad clothing crisis aside I enjoyed my trip around St Albans. I moved away from The Maltings arcade and found the bustling market which had plenty on offer including fresh food, fabrics, jewellery and all sorts of other odds and ends I haven't seen locally for quite sometime. It made me realise that I really should get out and see more markets like this because you really don't know what you might find.


I also dipped in and out of different shops along this long stretch of road including a fantastic cookery store that I could have spent hundreds of pounds and many hours in.



So I implore you all to get in your car, on a bus or train and start exploring other local villages, towns and cities near you to see what they have to offer you even if it is just a new coffee shop or nik-nak shop that takes your fancy. Sometimes we forget just how generic our local high street is and actually there is a lot more out there to see...

Tuesday 12 August 2014

Bakers Paradise

As I have already mentioned in previous posts, for me holidays are all about meeting up with the people you have long since neglected due to the pressures of work and 'adulthood'. I have also mentioned however, how hard it is to catch up with these people when they have the same thing in mind with all of their friends. It really is a vicious cycle. Twin that with having a brain like a sieve much like I do and you really are in for a nightmare. Sometimes I forget to call my own mother, but equally she forgets to call me so I like to think we're even. Either that or she is glad to be shot of me...

You can imagine how thrilled I was when I was contacted by a colleague of mine, keen to meet up and keep it to a budget. This is my kind of date. Initially she came up with taking a drive to our friends canal boat in Leighton Buzzard with Murphy but knowing how awful he is in cars and how bad his legs are I knew I'd be either killing him in the back seat of my car or carrying him back from the boat. Instead I came up with the idea of having a cake making session at her flat and soon the plans were made. 

Today I headed over, caught up with the latest gossip and we made our way over to her local Asda to pick up some ingredients. The problem was we hadn't decided what we wanted to make, she was incredibly indecisive and I was terribly polite. This resulted in us snowballing numerous recipes as we walked around the supermarket. We left once, got some lunch over the road only to end up back in Asda realising we had forgotten several things, in this time we changed what we were making and picked up even more things to then leave again and remember something else. We ended up in Asda three times. Wondering if I would go mad or die of boredom from queuing we eventually made it back to the car and drove back to her flat to start the baking at long last! 

My colleague actively admitted that she was an utter novice and that the last time she made a cake, it caught fire. Hoping not to repeat this event I did most of the actual baking while she snowballed further ideas to me, pointed to where everything was, grated her finger and washed up. In many ways I don't think she quite knew how the cakes were even made because I had no recipe in front of me, no measurements and ta dah- there was a cake! In fact, two! 

We eventually settled on lemon drizzle cake and a Victoria sponge with strawberry jam and cream centre covered in whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Here are the final, yummy results...







And there you have it! A perfect afternoon baking with friends, proving that the more spontaneous you are, the better! 

Four Years Strong

On Sunday Richard and I celebrated our four year anniversary. I say 'celebrated', we basically spent the whole day at home, in comfy clothing, watching movies and eating... A lot. The previous year we had a house party to celebrate us moving in together and the year before that I'm not even sure that we saw each other. We are so romantic. 

I guess this chilled out approach is why we work so well. I'm not the sort of girl who wants a huge fuss made out of her and Richard is the sort of guy who is happy to make the most of our time together, wherever we may be. Money also factors in a lot too, seen as August is quite possibly the most expensive month for us out of the whole year, with numerous birthdays and events such as our anniversary. We did however enjoy a delicious roast dinner and a bottle of champagne which had been given to us for our 21st birthdays but seen as we were so busy wasn't consumed until last night. I also received some beautiful roses from Richard the day before, proving he is still an old romantic at heart. We have also said we will find the time to do something exciting next month when our calendar isn't so crazy!


I already explained our not quite so romantic tale of how we first met and how we came to be in my post 'My partner in crime' but I guess the real question is how did we get to this chapter? Four years together, no arguments and now living together with a dog. Not many twenty one year olds can claim this. The amazing thing is that if you were to take it back four years ago to when we first met, neither of us would have believed you if you said any of this would happen. We didn't even expect it to last four months let alone four years! That's not to say we didn't like each other it's just that we were realistic. We were both young, care free and not ready to be tied down to anyone or anything thank you very much. So what changed? Well without sounding terribly cliché, we fell in love. We realised that when you really like someone you will make it work no matter how difficult, no matter what the distance is or the expense. That really takes us up to now.


Four years with no arguments is a big claim and I'm sure many people that read this will say "yeah right!" This is however completely true. We hate the idea of arguing with or shouting at each other. Seeing other people doing so makes us feel uncomfortable and we both look at each other with wide eyes as if to say 'this will never be us'. We like each other too much for that. It sounds pathetic, obvious even to say but for us it's as simple as that. It was such a long battle to get to where we are today to throw it all away, to argue over something as stupid as most break ups are, is just not an option. 95% of the things that annoy me or frustrate me are forgotten and laughed off the next day. I don't even mention them. Why? Not because I'm scared but simply because I know all I need to do is mull over them for the night and the next day I will wake up having discussed it with my brain and realise that it was stupid, that it's not worth mentioning and that in relation to what we have, it is pointless. The other measly 5% are still stewed over but I will then talk about them with Richard later and rationalise them with him. The great thing about this is that Richard does exactly the same thing. Therefore we don't argue and blow things out of proportion in the heat of the moment and end up hating each other, instead we talk about it like rational, normal human beings. Simples.


We also have a brilliant sense of humour- I can take the piss out of him just as much as he can out of me. I don't act like a diva and he doesn't act like a dick. We have a mutual respect of one another, knowing when to stop the sarcasm and when to be there to support the other. We also don't take one another for granted and we learn more and more about each other everyday. I've learnt that Richard is the sort of man that needs to be told to do something rather than being asked and Richard has learnt that I am someone who likes to be in control.


To claim that we are the 'perfect' couple would be completely wrong. No couple is perfect and just because we have outlasted many other couples our age and seem to have it all together doesn't mean that we do. We make just as many mistakes as everyone else. We get on each other's nerves, we do like to spend time apart sometimes and we do tell it how it is but we make it work because we want to make it work. I guess the bottom line is that you need to appreciate one another and what you have, rather than constantly nit picking and finding reasons not to like one another. You have to ask yourself; when the going gets tough can this person really look out for 'us'? 

What does this next year hold for us or even years to come? Well saving some money, that's for sure. We've managed to make it over a year now of living together and working our way up from measley apprenticeship wages to liveable income, in the sort of years where people think you should be out drinking and partying constantly. We've made sacrifices, however big or small they might seem to others and we've gone through some rough patches that only we know about, to make it to where we are today.


I guess this post is all about appreciating who you have, not making every day a chore and really just re-evaluating what you class as a 'drama'. Hopefully next year I can be writing a post all about where we managed to get to in our five years together. Watch this space...

Friday 8 August 2014

Family Fun at Mentmore Park

Summer holidays and half term breaks are really my only opportunity to catch up with family and friends and even then it's a struggle. Everyone is either working, on holiday or already booked up with their own plans to make amends with people they haven't seen in ages. Weekends fly by so quickly and are so jam packed that it makes the time gap between seeing friends and family even bigger. Soon enough months are flying past before you even realise it and then you feel guilty for not seeing the ones you love the most. 

Thankfully most people are in the same boat and there are no hard feelings but it does make you realise how important holidays are for everyone, even if it is just the odd bank holiday weekend here and there.

So with this in mind when Richard's cousin Claire contacted me wishing me a happy birthday I just had to seize the opportunity to ask if she and her son George were free at all. Luckily they were and yesterday we spent a wonderful evening with them and had tremendos fun. Every time we see them I marvel at just how much time has passed and how much he has grown and changed. For someone so small he has a big personality which is just wonderful! 

We headed over to their flat and caught up on the past few months events before settling down to a delicious meal of homemade fajitas and chips, which were quickly polished off! Seizing the beautiful summers evening we took a trip to their local green space; Mentmore Park which is just a five minute walk away. It's great for such an energetic toddler like George and a photography enthusiast like Claire. As for Richard and I? Well we just like to be out at a kids park, acting like we were toddlers not twenty something's. 

It was a really warm, pleasant day and perfect conditions to take some shots of us all clowning about...



George has grown so much in confidence and is such a little adventurer. He is keen to try out everything and even when he takes a tumble or two puts on a brave face and doesn't let it phase him. As he is becoming more vocal he is also becoming far more interested in the world around him, trying to communicate not only his questions but also what he has learnt through the experiences that have happened to him. He really is just a pleasure to be around and listen to. Hats off to Claire for everything she has done for him and her constant positivity with him that has led him to be such a lovely little boy.







It is sometimes hard however to tell who is enjoying themselves more- the actual kid or the big kids..?



It is also lovely to see Richard with George. In my line of work with children I have always found two trends with them and socialising: 1. New people fascinate them and 2. They love men. This can definitely be seen in George's eyes when he looks at Richard, who is effectively a big kid who he doesn't see all that often but whenever he comes to visit has all the time in the world for George. I could watch them mess about together all day! 




It's safe to say we were all rather tuckered out, especially Richard!


We made our way back to the flat and snuggled down to a cup of tea and cake, looking over all of the hilarious pictures and videos of the trip. To me this is what family is all about and these are the sort of memories that will last a lifetime. 

So call that person you've been meaning to catch up with, make a date and just get out there!