Quick Reads

UK Crisps

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Crisps Rated From Best to Worst

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Crisps are not just a snack for me. They are an entire way of life. I feel as passionately about certain crisps as men do about football. So that is why I have decided to give myself the authority to bring you the ultimate crisp list.

Pickled Onion Monster Munch

I did nearly bump these down because they are not very social crisps. I never feel comfortable eating these around people though. Ultimately, I decided no matter how unsocial or tongue-hurty they are, they are still worthy of the top spot. The Flamin Hot ones naturally share the top spot, and the Beef ones are not even really worth mentioning.

Tangy Toms

The only reason Tangy Toms haven’t clinched the top spot is that they are so rare. Tangy Toms are like that elusive fish your Dad just KNOWS is in the lake but can’t ever catch. Sometimes you can get them down the Aldi or the Poundshop, and other times they are not spotted for months on end. I’m not sure why they do it but it’s been a great marketing ploy because when they do appear, my Mum, buys five bags. I’m not sure who to blame their rarity on, but if I had to hazard a guess I’d say the Illuminati.

Doritos

Any crisp brand that has their own brand of salsa as well is always going to get a massive thumbs up from me. I mainly prefer the Chilli Heatwave flavour, then Cool Original then Tangy Cheese, despite being an overall cheese lover. I love Cool Original with the hottest salsa. And yes, would you have guessed it, I still have the cheek to wonder why I have tongue ulcers.

Hula Hoops (Any Flavour)

The thing I love about Hula Hoops is how sturdy and dependable they are. You can leave a Hula Hoop in your mouth for thirty-five minutes and it is not going ANYWHERE. The only issue bumping Hula Hoops down a bit is that they are so enjoyable but there are only about five in a pack. What a mug off. Although I have written “all flavours” anyone who likes ready salted should NOT be trusted.

Pickled Onion Space Raiders

Pickled onion features heavily on my list because it is an awesome crisp flavour. However, the flavour isn’t enough on a Space Raider. Again, the hot space raiders second only the pickled onion ones and anyone that likes BBQ/Beef is a weirdo. 

Salt and Vinegar Squares

Another crisp in the tongue-hurty category. But so worth it.

McCoys (Any Flavour)

McCoys are another crisp that is in the sturdy category. Good, dependable crisp, well-worth a purchase. Any flavour McCoy is acceptable, but guys what I am going to say about ready salted?

Pringles

I used to LOVE them, but to be honest they are neither here nor there. A very “nothing” crisp. Shit. 

Skips

Minging. Make my teeth itch.

Ready Salted Walkers

Most boring crisp in the whole world.

If you enjoyed this article, feel free to swing by my Ko-Fi page to buy me a coffee for £3.00.

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My Daily Diet

Over the last few months I have been having a bit of a health overhaul and have started taking healthy eating really seriously. The main thing I noticed was how hard it was for someone vegetarian to try and jump on the health bus – because so many websites and blogs advocate things like lean turkey mince as healthy options. As someone who doesn’t even like meat substitute products I find it really hard to make balanced meals, so I thought I’d share with you how I have managed to lose half a stone.

Start the day right

I start my day with some hot water with honey, lemon, turmeric and cayenne pepper. If I don’t get a chance to have this at home I’ll grab a hot shot from Pret. Hot water with honey and lemon is a great kickstart to your digestive system and we all know cayenne pepper is. Turmeric however, has been proven to have loads of health benefits not only physically, but for your mood as well. Fair enough it does taste a bit spicy, but it will actually make you feel quite energised if you drink it first thing.

Breakfast

For breakfast I have poached egg and mashed avocado on brown toast. I know that is incredibly cliche, but it really does give you a balanced breakfast. If you are calorie counting be careful with your avocados though – sneaky little buggers have loads in. Obviously doing all of this before work can be quite the hassle, but if you have a microwave at work you can poach eggs in it and have breakfast when you get there. All you need to do is crack them into water in a cup with a splash of vinegar and put a plat on top and microwave them for about a minute. They are not perfect – but they do.

Lunch

 

Vegetable sushi. All day, every day. I love the stuff. For me, the best one is the M&S one. I’m not fussy though, I love it so much I will literally get it from anywhere. Obviously it would be amazing if I had time to pop off to Yo! Sushi every time I want lunch so somethings supermarkets have to do.

Dinner

I absolutely hate meat substitutes like Quorn, so as a veggie that leaves me with a seriously small amount of options. Usually I’ll make a vegetable curry. I love vegetable curry because you can put anything you want in. I often put potatoes in – they get a bad reputation thanks to unhelpful sayings like ‘no carbs before Marbs’ but they are actually really good for you. If you want to be super healthy you can use brown rice. One of my most amazing discoveries recently was Coyo Coconut Yoghurt. This is easier than putting in coconut milk and yoghurt separately and it is dairy free so you can use it if you are vegan.

Drinks

My one downfall is coffee which I know I drink too much of. Aside from this I am really good and manage to get through at least a couple of jugs of water a day. I only let myself have one Diet Coke a day unless I’m out and about of the evening, where I may go mad and treat myself to a fat Coke.

Alcohol

I gave up alcohol a couple of months ago. Obviously it’s a bit of a drastic weight loss action but it really has helped. I appreciate not everyone is going to ditch the wine just to lose a few pounds or be healthier – but at least cutting down will help a lot as there are just so many hidden calories in alcohol.

Snacks

Luckily for me, I don’t actually like chocolate. So the good thing is – I haven’t had to give it up. One thing I am a bit terrible for is crisps. I do eat healthy snacks like fruit and Edamame bean pots through the week but I do treat myself of a weekend. I am a firm believer that if you just diet and diet forever without any treats this is what makes you stick to it less, so if I do want something I know isn’t good for me I’ll just work harder at the gym that day.

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How To Lose Weight Like A Pro

Scales

As I stepped off of the scales during my gym induction, I tried to work out where it had all gone so wrong. I’m a vegetarian and I can’t stand meat substitutes so my diet consists of a lot of vegetable based meals including at least one daily dose of vegetarian sushi. When I mentioned this to the personal trainer at my gym he asked me how much alcohol I drink.

Erm. A lot?

The nail was firmly hit on the head. Despite the fact that I live on vegetables and walk from Fenchurch St to Bank and back every single day, I was unwittingly drinking about 5000 extra calories a week. You really don’t need to be a big drinker to fall into this trap. Even that one glass of wine a night adds up to about 2100 calories if you do it every day. I know how shoddy my willpower is. If I were to say I’ll only drink now and again, now and again will become more and more often until I fall back into my old habits.

So I overhauled my life. I gave up alcohol, joined the gym and downloaded MyFitness Pal to track my calories. It’s now been six weeks and these small changes have worked in a big way – I have so far lost half a stone. It can seem super, super daunting when you start your weightless journey so here are some tips on how to be successful.

Think about giving up alcohol

If the thought of giving up alcohol absolutely horrifies you – then you are probably one of the people that could benefit from a break the most. You don’t need to give up alcohol forever, but having a clean break from it when you start your weight loss journey will changes your relationship with it enough to help you to make more sensible choices in the future. If you really are intent on losing weight then feeling headachy and hungover on weekend mornings is not going to help you motivate yourself to go to the gym and the junk food you will be tempted to eat certainly won’t help either. You could even change your mind about it so much that you decide drinking just isn’t for you now that you lead a more healthy lifestyle.

Make small changes to your daily routine

As Miranda Hart says, the simplest key to losing weight is to eat a bit less and do a bit more. The ‘do a bit more’ part is actually achieved quite easily. So you may not have time to go to the gym as often as you would like to, but there are definitely ways you can up your physical activity. Get off the bus a stop before you need to. Go on a walk for your lunch break. Take a trip to the toilets on the other side of the building. It all adds up.

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Treat yourself when it comes to joining a gym

There are plenty of inexpensive gyms around nowadays but if I have learned one lesson it is that you really do get what you pay for. My gym cost’s me £50 a month but it has a swimming pool, a sauna and a steam room and the staff create a personal fitness plan and help you track your journey. For one thing the lure of a sauna and steam room after my workout really gives me a push to exercise harder and also I don’t track my swimming as exercise on my calorie counter so it all adds up as a little bit extra. If you cannot afford to join a gym that has the little extra’s take your time and ask for a tour of all of your local ones in your price range. You don’t need to jump into a decision just because the first gym you look at is nice and affordable.

Have a cheat now and again

I would absolutely go crazy if I couldn’t ever eat crisps again. The same with pizza. Sometimes you just need a little bit of junk food and that’s more than ok. I have found my main triggers for wanting to eat food that I know is terrible for me is when I am anxious or when I am ill. Luckily neither of these things occur very often – so when they do I treat myself and eat whatever I want. It is near on impossible to put on weight in one day so if you do have a day where you feel a bit rubbish and want to eat everything in sight just get back on the wagon the next day. Obviously you can’t let a little cheat day outweigh the diet days but you would go crazy if you didn’t eat a little bit of what you fancy every now and again.

Find an exercise you like

Just because you don’t like Yoga it doesn’t mean that you are not going to be successful with exercise. There are so many fad exercise plans around like high intensity work outs but not every single thing works for every single person. Find a routine that you like and won’t get bored of that mixes up a bit of cardio and weights. I actually don’t mind spending 40 minutes on the treadmill for the pure fact that my gym’s treadmills have Netflix and it’s an episode of Gossip Girl. After that I do a few weights circuits and it works out perfect for me.

Don’t Skip Meals

I’m terrible for eating breakfast. It takes me so long to be hungry I literally forget. Unfortunately this isn’t a good weight loss plan. Your metabolism needs to keep working to keep working, if that makes sense. So because lunch is usually my first meal of the day, I’ll eat dinner and then snack afterwards on something healthy. This way I’m still getting my three meals – I’m just having them all later. Eating little and often is a proven method to keep your body healthy and happy.

Monitor your portion sizes

My worst habit is inadvertently making enough food for 387 people. Although we save a lot for lunches etc it is still massively tempting to pile my plate really high when I overcook. the worst offender for me is mashed potato. I literally love mashed potato so much I’ll easily get through a serving fit for 2 people. When I realised this I actually realised that all of my portion sizes were on the large side. The thing is – as humans we will just literally eat what is put in front of us without question. This means that no matter how small or large your portion size is you will put it away without thinking, so decrease it by a bit and see how it goes.

 

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Things I’ve Learned About Dieting

Just over a month ago I decided enough was enough with being incredibly unhealthy. Getting a weigh in for my gym induction was a massive eye opener, and I couldn’t believe someone as genuinely vain as me had let themselves go so much. Not only did I decide to diet and exercise, I also completely gave up alcohol (have done just over a month so far without murdering anyone – yay). Being completely honest I LOVE drinking, so I was expecting this part of my new healthy living to be the hardest. When it came to it – I actually found dieting to be the hardest part. There are a few little things I have learned along the way, so hopefully they will help anyone else who is just starting their healthy living journey.

You can’t cheat

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I know, I know, it’s terrible right? So I have learned by using My Fitness Pal that you can’t cheat on your diet and still actually lose weight. Life is so unfair isn’t it? Even that one little sweet adds up in the grand scheme of things, and the less you track of your daily calories the worse you will feel when you jump on the scales. It sounds cliche but if you are going to cheat the only person you are cheating is yourself. Remember to be strict about what calories you are eating and stop using excuses.

Alcohol counts for a LOT of calories

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Guys, I can’t stress this enough after putting the ‘lot’ in capital letters – you really do not realise how many calories you are drinking.  There are 496 calories on average in a bottle of prosecco. Two of those on a night out and that’s 2/3 of your calories intake for the day. You really don’t realise how much those couple of glasses of wine per evening can add up. Cocktails are also a serious offender when it comes to hidden calories. There are loads of low fat options like gin and slimline tonic, but even then drinking alcohol puts you in a seriously unproductive pattern when it comes to being healthy. We’ve all woken up hungover and eaten the world right? No one is saying you need to completely give up, but you might be surprised at the effects if you do give it a try. Once you give up completely you stop the pattern of wanting a drink as a ‘treat’ and honestly – you really do not fancy having one. When you do decide that you are going to have a treat and have a glass of prosecco you will find that because you haven’t drunk alcohol for a while you really will drink less.

You can’t just cut out a food group

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“No carbs before Marbs” has been drummed into us since the very early days of TOWIE. Yes, cutting out carbs will make you lose weight – but only in the short term. You simply cannot cut out a food group entirely to maintain a sustainable diet. Your body relies on the different food groups to perform different tasks so even though you might lose weight, cutting out a food group entirely can give you symptoms like bad skin and tiredness. Again, this is where I like to use My Fitness Pal as it tells you the percentages of each food group you have already had and need to have to remain on target.

You actually have to exert yourself during exercise

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I know right, this is total BS as well isn’t it? So it turns out you can’t just walk at a slow pace on the treadmill for ten minutes a couple of times a week and still lose weight. Actually exerting yourself is the only way you are going to manage to burn off enough calories to allow you to actually eat anything during the day. Obviously this is horrifically bad news but the good news is once you have been at it a couple of weeks your body will totally toughen up and you won’t feel like crying in the middle of every gym session.

You need to put more thought into food

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Becoming vegetarian has made me have to put a lot more thought into food – but dieting as well has made it like a military operation. Prior planning is your friend while dieting. If you prepare yourself lovely nutritious meals the day before, or you are least have an idea of what you are going to make, then you will be less tempted to get fast food or food that is quick to cook and incredibly bad for you. If you are really busy during the week why not set aside some time one weekend day to complete your meal prep for the week? Remember you can freeze literally more or less anything so even if you need to make ten or fifteen meals to se you through the next week or so you can always make them last.

It’s ok to fall off the wagon

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Do you know what my biggest diet fail is? It isn’t the evenings, it isn’t a savagely addictive craving for chocolate, and it isn’t hangovers – it’s being ill. Yes unfortunately when I am unwell although I still crave things like soup (seriously show me someone who doesn’t love soup when they have the sniffles), I also crave things like huge amounts of mashed potato, pie and anything else that is generally terrible for you in large quantities. A couple of weeks back I had a cold which inevitably went to my sinuses. For the first couple of days I tried my hardest to not comfort myself with food mainly because I wasn’t feeling up to exercise. After the first couple of days I stopped being so strict with myself and had a couple of days tucked up with my fluffy blanket eating pure crap. No, you can’t do this all the time, but if you fall off of the wagon now and again the worst thing you can do is give up entirely. Just get back on the health kick the next day you are feeling up to it. Trust me a couple of larger servings of mash isn’t going to hurt if you are feeling in need of some comfort food.

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Andi Walker Pop Up – Riverside Inn, Chelmsford

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I must admit I am always on the go. This is great (although tiring), but it does mean sometimes I reply to emails about blogging events way into the future and forget about them until nearer the time. A nifty trick I have now is to add them to my calendar straight away with an alert a couple of days before. So you can imagine how exited I was when and alert popped up on Monday to remind me that I GET TO EAT ALL THE GOOD FOOD THURSDAY.

Andi Walker was a semi finalist on the 2015 Masterchef which isn’t an easy feat when you see the talent on the show. His pop up at the Riverside Inn has quietly been making waves since it opened a few months ago and it isn’t unlikely to call up for a table and find it fully booked. Andi takes over the top floor of the venue from Thursday to Saturday every week and offers a 6 course tasting menu for £39 per person. One of the things Andi has the incredible ability to do is to take a few ingredients that are in season and turn them into something amazing. After a bland experience at Reids Bar in Billericay last weekend, I was looking forward to trying some great food. I don’t know about you but cooking things like a roast and a fry up petrify me because everything happens at once, and not only did Andi cook for a huge amount of people at this event, but he also made sure myself and my guest had vegetarian options.

The tasting menu was compiled of 6 different dishes. Each dish was made from ingredient’s that are currently in season and everything was put together beautifully.

Course 1 – Leek Bhaji’s and Artichokes

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I did take my notepad but unfortunately it is a bit awkward to sit at the table writing in a massive £14.99 Paperchase number. This means you need to forgive me for not remembering exactly what was in the artichokes. The leek bhaji’s were pretty unforgettable though. When I do dare to treat myself to an Indian onion bhaji’s are my absolute go to but the only thing I don’t like about them is the fact they can be terribly greasy. The leek bhaji’s Andi made were light and fluffy and he succeeds in compiling dishes that are the perfect amount of food. After all ,there’s nothing worse than going home after a meal feeling like a potato with arms, legs, and a face.

Course 2 – Sourdough Bread with Marmite Butter

Legend has it I was born with a jar of Marmite which I was eating from the jar with a spoon on the way out. That was a lie – but I do love the stuff. I’ve had everything in Marmite flavour but I have never tried Marmite butter. There were a few people at our table who were less than fans of Marmite (love it or hate it right?) and even they loved the Marmite butter. This is something I am absolutely going to try and make at home. The creaminess of the butter manages to negate the harsher flavours of the Marmite so you get a little bit of an experience of the flavour without it being overwhelming.

I didn’t get a picture of this course because I wanted to eat it so badly.

Course 3 – Salt Baked Celeriac with Apple Mustard and Pickled Onions

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I’d never had celeriac before. I mean, I probably have but not in an ‘I remember what that tastes like’ kind of way. The ingredients for this course were so simple but the mustard and pickled onions really livened up the taste of the celeriac. I also enjoyed the crunch the apples and the onions provided which balanced out how soft the celeriac was. The only downfall to this was that because I love mustard I got over excited and ate too much in one go which is why I couldn’t finish the dish. Unfortunately I am slightly like a 5 year old and if I like the food I will just continue to eat it regardless of how hot or spicy it is.

Course 4 – Mushroom Risotto with Goats Cheese and Granola

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If there is one thing I love – it’s rice. You can imagine how thrilled I was that the vegetarian main course was risotto. The mushroom risotto served for the main was so sooth and creamy and it was almost like eating silk. The goats cheese was a wonderful addition and as a cheese fan I wholeheartedly advocate adding cheese to anything. The interesting ingredient for me was the granola topping. Again, like the celeriac dish, it just gave that bit of texture to an otherwise smooth dish. I really enjoyed this one but by now I had started to get full and there was no way I was going to run out of room before I could sample the chocolate torte.

Course 5 –  Chocolate Torte with Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Caramel and Peanuts

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Usually I am not a dessert fan but this one blew me away. I tend to prefer savoury over sweet but peanuts and peanut butter will always hold a soft spot in my heart. Andi came over to explain each dish personally and the peanut butter only had two ingredients in it. Madness! how can something taste that good with only two ingredients?! The chocolate torte was delicious. I’ve had a lot of chocolate torte experiences in my time. You could say I am a chocolate tart. Some good, some bad, and some a little bit strange. This was one of my favourites. Dessert tends not to be my favourite because it is heavy and stodgy and I dislike the idea of basically being rolled to the car after dinner. Andi Walker’s was perfect. It was light and airy and tasted like a little chocolate cloud (I am aware they do not exist – but let’s face it they should).

Overall the dining experience was wonderful. Very Berri PR are an incredible company to work with and possibly one of the most friendly PR companies I have ever worked with. One of the other huge benefits to the evening was meeting Claire from Club Forty. She is in the going sober club as well (although she has done a lot longer than me) and it was lovely to be on a table with someone as interesting and fun to talk to as her and her partner, as well as Zoe from Very Berri.

I’ll be booking up to go back here as soon as possible after my holiday in September, and if Chelmsford isn’t too far for you I would really recommend getting down there while And is still there. Be quick though – after the glowing reviews of the press event start appearing I am sure Andi will be getting quite booked up.

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Tips For Giving Up Alcohol

At one time or another we have all sworn off of drinking after a heavy night on the gin. I personally have woken up countless times to no recollection of what I have done and who I have offended and wondered if it was all really worth it. Recently, I have given up alcohol for good – and reading other peoples blogs on this has made me realise I am part of quite a large club. So whatever the reason there are a few things to make it that little bit easier if you decide to go teetotal.

Don’t view it as a punishment

For the longest time I saw not being able to drink alcohol as a punishment. My mindset was “why me?”. I always wondered why it had to be me that suffered from medical conditions and had to take medication that meant I really shouldn’t drink alcohol, especially when all of my friends were able to drink without issues. But then one day, something just changed. I joined the gym, I started eating healthy and even though it has only been a couple of weeks the thought of putting something as bad into my body as alcohol is severely unappealing. I changed my mindset from “Why shouldn’t I drink alcohol?’” to “why should I?”.

Replace it

I met an amazing lady at a blogging event called Claire (from Club Forty) who has done incredibly well and given up alcohol for months and months. She said she tends to eat a bit more chocolate now, and I must admit I have had a few more treats than I should on a diet, but do you know what guys, you CAN. Alcohol has so, SO many empty calories in it, so it you want to enjoy a Dairy Milk when you would have been drinking go for it!

You could also think about replacing it with something healthy. I have got massively into traditional Chinese tea since I gave up drinking. I get all of my tea from Mei Leaf in Camden, and I have even gone as far now to get a Chinese tea set. I even had a camomile on a recent dinner with the girls, and I may have looked a bore but I spent £1.50.

Put the money away you would have spent on alcohol

As well as clocking up the calories, alcohol is mega expensive. It isn’t outrageous to spend £50 – £100 on a night out – especially if you live in London. Every time you go out, calculate how much you would have spent on alcohol and put it in a pot somewhere. Then when you hit a milestone and and buy ALL the make up’s.

Make your intentions known

If you have good friends and family they will understand you want to give up alcohol and won’t give you too much aggro about it. When people ask me why I am giving up alcohol and meat I point them in the direction of Lucy Watson. Now if I look REMOTELY like Lucy Watson by giving up alcohol then I will not drink for the rest of my life.

Make it part of a larger lifestyle change

Ok, I’m not saying you need to become a Buddhist. But if you are giving up alcohol you are probably doing it because it is good for you. If you mix up the giving up alcohol with a few healthier choices when it comes to food your body (especially your skin) will start to love you for it. Most of the benefits of giving up alcohol will start to appear after around a month but one of the main ones for me I noticed a week in was my sleeping pattern. I’d started to sleep incredibly well and then wake up ACTUALLY feeling refreshed in the morning. In the past I would wake up and think “dear God how many hours until I can go back to sleep?”.

Enjoy it

Giving something up that isn’t good for you isn’t a negative thing. People tend to forget that alcohol is a poison and many of the effects it has on your body are due to your liver frantically trying to filter it all out. Once you get going, the thought of a hangover will terrify you and you will be loving life getting up early and actually having your weekend days back.

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Tetley Super Green Tea Sunshine With Lemon And Orange

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You know you are getting older when you start getting bang on the herbal teas. I tend to favour a bit of Chamomile now and again because it helps me calm myself down a bit and not murder any commuters on my journey to and from work. I do also like Green Tea but I must admit the taste isn’t my favourite. 

When Wildcard PR got in touch and asked me if I wanted to try the new Tetley Super Green Tea sunshine With Lemon And Orange it actually came at a time when I was looking for some new tea to try and give me a little boost without living on coffee all day, which as much as I know is bad for me, I still do because isn’t that what you are supposed to do as an adult?

One thing that has always put me off Green Tea is that I am not a massive lover of the taste. I mean I don’t mind it but it wouldn’t be my first preference if there were other options available. The lemon and lime in the new Tetley tea give the tea a lot more of a fresher flavour and the actual Green Tea flavour is a little less strong than ‘straight up’ Green Tea.

The great hook of Tetley’s newest addition to their herbal tea’s is that it has vitamin D in it. 23% of the daily allowance no less. Vitamin D is essential to healthy skin, teeth and bones, and humans tend to get it from sunshine but not humans in the UK considering we get about one day of sunshine per year. So a few cups of this a day and  you will reap the benefits of vitamin D without having to even think about supplements or consciously adding it to your diet.

I also found that having a couple of cups of this per day gave me a lot more energy and not just a little boost like coffee, but actually enough energy to stop me falling asleep on the tube or the overground on the way home. If like me you are a lover of all things tea I would 100% recommend popping down to your local supermarket and getting some of this for your drawer.

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Holi Fest 2017

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I am one of those people that can have fun anywhere. You could honestly put me alone on a desert island alone and I’d probably still get up to some mischief and have some fun. So when my friend asked me to go to Holi Festival for her birthday there was no way on this earth I was going to turn down the opportunity to have a few drinks in Wembley Park and chuck paint all over people.

In the lead up to the event the weather was looking more and more grim but like the true runners we are we decided we were not going to waste our ticket money and were still going to give it a good go. I woke up in the morning to some sunshine which was shocking so I had high hopes for the day. To be honest though my friend was so spectacularly late (4.5 hours – a new world record) we just about managed to get there before it got dark.

Wembley Park is literally just below Wembley Arena. It isn’t a massive area, and I must admit I can see the rain having done us quite a favour because at full capacity I can imagine an area as small as Wembley Park getting quite packed. After we made the wonderful journey of about 356 stops on the Jubilee line we were welcomed to the heavens opening just as we walked to the queue and literally no where to go to the toilet. Now I like to remain positive but when you desperately need the toilet and you are shitting yourself about your eyebrows washing off it is mildly challenging to try and stay positive.

None the less we got there, I purchased a £2 rain mac and got myself two vodka and cokes and my spirits lifted considerably. So I am going to get the negatives out of the way first. For a start, they operate on one of those ridiculous systems where you pointlessly top up a card instead of using cash or you own debit card. This means twice the queuing and while I can see the benefit of this for a weekend festival it is only a day one so this was frustrating and unnecessary. The second issue was that they didn’t sell Gin. I mean, was I really in London if I couldn’t get a G&T?

Anyway with those minor annoyances out of the way I focused on the best thing about the day – the music. I really wasn’t expecting much I actually liked considering I listen to house and techno but it was actually really good. Sure, a few commercial songs were thrown in for the crowds but it mostly was house music so I actually felt like I was at a real festival. Well, a real festival where you get powder painted chucked at you every hour on the hour. I have to say this was by far one of my favourite elements of the day. Every hour after a certain time, you just literally open your bag of paint and duck it over whoever you fancy. I know there is more to it and the original Holi Festival has a lot of religious significance, but I think it is great that they now make it something everyone can join in with. There really is nothing more liberating than standing in a giant car park having paint thrown all over you while you dance to house music.

The organisation of the day was actually pretty good. Obviously I wasn’t a fan of the token system but the rest of the facilities like the toilets, bar and food stalls were well managed and the queues were not as long as they can get (if anyone went to Dance Crusade years ago at Orsett Showground you will remember the four hour queues for the bar).

Tickets are only £20 – £30 depending on when you buy them and it really is worth going if you want to do something different.

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Blogging – My Best Bits So Far

I always try to be one of those bloggers that balances out talking about others things with talking about blogging. I see my friends eyes glaze over when I go into a long chat about blogging so aside from other bloggers I don’t expect people to want to constantly hear about it.

That being said I have been lucky enough to go to some great places and be part of some great things due to my blog. So of anyone that is interested I thought I would run down the five highlights of my blog career so far.

Lifehouse Spa

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When spabreaks.com approached me to do a blog on Lifehouse Spa there were two reasons this excited me. The first was that they had found me in the first place and decided my views were important and the second was because Lifehouse Spa is my favourite spa and I think always will be.

I’d already visited a couple of times for a generic spa break but I hadn’t actually managed to try the treatments yet. For someone who is as busy as I am the chance to relax in a sauna and steam room and have a little swim is fantastic anyway, so I don’t often book a treatment when I go to a spa. On this occasion I had a full body massage. I’ve always had a hit and miss relationship with massages, mainly because I don’t like people touching me, but this one was amazing. Safe to say with the added bonus of lunch being included I went home feeling very relaxed indeed.

ITVbe Launch Party

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This was another one I was actually quite shocked to be invited to. It may seem like ITVbe has been around forever but trust me they haven’t and they had quite a spectacular launch party in 2014. The reason this one sticks out in my mind is because my Mum got to meet Peter Andre and she’s a huge fan of him. After telling her for weeks he was presenting the live TV show about it and she shouldn’t get her hopes up he would have time to chat, he literally stopped us as we walked in to say hello. He is a seriously nice guy and it was a seriously good night.

Lakeside Everyone’s Invited

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I’m going to be brutally honest. In the past Lakeside have been known for throwing quite boring blogger events. So I don’t know how this got back to them but the past couple I have made it to have been really good. Last year I went to their summer blogger event. This was great for two reasons. One because it was just a really good event and two because I got to take my aspiring blogger friend who is a bit younger than me. I even got to make my own Lush bath bomb which was probably one of the highlights of my entire life.

Cafe Rouge Blogger Meetup

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A couple of years ago Cafe Rogue very kindly offered to put on a blogger meet up. I’ve always found all of the other Essex bloggers to be really friendly and I love finding people I can actually chat to about blogging without boring them to tears. So as well as good conversation there was good food, I love anything French! It’s sad now that a lot of the blogger community seems to now be based on witch hunts and constant focus on what other people are doing because events like this are really enjoyable and let’s be honest you can never have too many friends.

King William IV Chigwell

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If you are from Essex then Chigwell is pretty much the motherland so I am not at all surprised I’ve been invited to review the King William IV twice. The first time I took a few of my friends and we had a lovely evening meal there. After that we had the most Essex evening ever and went to Kosho to meet Mark Wright. You only live once don’t you?

The second time I was invited there was more recently. I went down on a Sunday to check out the roasts and I wasn’t disappointed. The food and the atmosphere in the King William make a good case for me being a returning customer and it is now one of my favourite places in Essex.

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