tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88763944528528777492024-01-22T19:47:42.088+00:00Curiouser and Curiouser...Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.comBlogger374125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-34964011456874904082023-04-17T16:14:00.000+01:002023-04-17T16:14:04.292+01:003 Seville restaurant recommendations<p>Seville was on my bucket list for a long time. It was a beautiful city but meal times could be quite challenging. If morning sightseeing overran and you needed a later lunch, hardly anything would be open as it fell into Spanish siesta hours where shops and restaurants close their doors and don't open up again until much later. Although restaurants technically opened again at 8pm, some wouldn't start serving food until 9pm onwards. I did struggle to eat this late as having done my 10,000 steps by 11am most days, my exhausted body had given up and wanted sleep more than it did food!</p><p>I wasted so much time walking around looking for food - some nights being at a loss of what to do when restaurants are full, it's nearing 10pm, and there are no empty seats anywhere. One night I was so exhausted, I grabbed some fries to go and that did the job! So for this reason I wanted to write this guide to mark my top three favourite places to eat in Seville, which offered something a little different, were less busy, had beautiful interiors, and above all else, had delicious food.</p><h2 style="text-align: center;">1. Burro Canaglia Bar&Resto - Centro</h2><p>One day we wandered further afield and stopped at this lovely restaurant for lunch. Being out of the way and away from the main hustle and bustle of town, it was fairly empty, but I liked that as it felt private and intimate. The interiors were magical. I'm talking exposed brick walls and beautiful tiles</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rLaxywH9OCkywmCZcvWIrQefE7Dfn_HD1a5JofXzohNQg3IR0R5Ktip_4Std7BT67pVHxY--rI2zyi5GiX1xTONq_B65Psx0jDnS6iRihwmq0DqFRfvnNmfA12CzjKI3xMGT3WZ0E2F0lcrmmcHiPlSY7mB_SLSThNEew4GEkL93Y4iVu0dTb0LccQ/s4000/Burro%20Canaglia%20Centro%20Seville%20review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rLaxywH9OCkywmCZcvWIrQefE7Dfn_HD1a5JofXzohNQg3IR0R5Ktip_4Std7BT67pVHxY--rI2zyi5GiX1xTONq_B65Psx0jDnS6iRihwmq0DqFRfvnNmfA12CzjKI3xMGT3WZ0E2F0lcrmmcHiPlSY7mB_SLSThNEew4GEkL93Y4iVu0dTb0LccQ/w640-h480/Burro%20Canaglia%20Centro%20Seville%20review.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJudN_qn7myh35YeKunGwERcqS_A6o0Q6b5n58JbmzdCOFbrl_OzynjrmbAPak1nySqln-yJVoajnMRA3FoZMrELiWw94qoH0H14OX9JnABHPwPEQECHocIfb8yPuyk777uq2S1F_o2Q_-v2HTfU13Uhlr6cNKLJqdlpyBe1Ro6aGipbtTkIhoPVoRuQ/s2047/Burro%20Canaglia%20Centro%20Sevilla.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="1356" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJudN_qn7myh35YeKunGwERcqS_A6o0Q6b5n58JbmzdCOFbrl_OzynjrmbAPak1nySqln-yJVoajnMRA3FoZMrELiWw94qoH0H14OX9JnABHPwPEQECHocIfb8yPuyk777uq2S1F_o2Q_-v2HTfU13Uhlr6cNKLJqdlpyBe1Ro6aGipbtTkIhoPVoRuQ/w424-h640/Burro%20Canaglia%20Centro%20Sevilla.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Cosy corners and greenery hanging overhead</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUu9f3Om6LWybsKfjk30QDlWlpeQwIycrnrTqGTvIRZXyoomKkz8zAVMnLLV4wRnaBUqlUJ3rGBKREukLOfD05BE3m0UKRtRx9Q77z5p7GKzVd0TB3LSi7XH87S6_7rBVcHF7yK8SJboaoG1Yn1s3wwWevoSIK8kxgTzGqq1CZLM2LGlC6PpwyWhLtA/s2047/Burro%20Canaglia%20Bar&Resto%20-%20Centro%20review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="1356" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUu9f3Om6LWybsKfjk30QDlWlpeQwIycrnrTqGTvIRZXyoomKkz8zAVMnLLV4wRnaBUqlUJ3rGBKREukLOfD05BE3m0UKRtRx9Q77z5p7GKzVd0TB3LSi7XH87S6_7rBVcHF7yK8SJboaoG1Yn1s3wwWevoSIK8kxgTzGqq1CZLM2LGlC6PpwyWhLtA/w424-h640/Burro%20Canaglia%20Bar&Resto%20-%20Centro%20review.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoFt9owRXWqJzoIcJgqTNNWopUPzD2pEkizx-EfCSWBOvfgRXdldca6FN-KZWMMnBLmsdbcKzgQrgp9pVNCe2pCJZax_caJnDY_PBYDLa4OjQ-LwzKEf38MoPqSR0OJvCizigvTuA0gZDCjJ7xPo5dCXNyIm0REmwTmXXpSOd4FxNzVP2jAkhqdShkg/s2047/Burro%20Canaglia%20Bar&Resto%20-%20Centro%20Sevilla.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2047" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoFt9owRXWqJzoIcJgqTNNWopUPzD2pEkizx-EfCSWBOvfgRXdldca6FN-KZWMMnBLmsdbcKzgQrgp9pVNCe2pCJZax_caJnDY_PBYDLa4OjQ-LwzKEf38MoPqSR0OJvCizigvTuA0gZDCjJ7xPo5dCXNyIm0REmwTmXXpSOd4FxNzVP2jAkhqdShkg/w640-h424/Burro%20Canaglia%20Bar&Resto%20-%20Centro%20Sevilla.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">And dim lighting and huge palms bringing jungle vibes</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__3O54aWskZPbi2UbL6p2Ol8AC9UYE8xgD0xkn5iWHMn_UkT24PK2vBIguAXISll1CfSrJBw-_ddEaFVYxwvmzSSVq8qHrYxQ6bakiaFdZKzB0IVchlVmQ-RY0qgaxI6GhIVUK5qmVLAuK_4SGejNgYjh8B8dwqQuYW0fU2ojhDJoEdwSVN3TMpbCDA/s2047/Burro%20Canaglia%20Bar&Resto%20-%20Centro.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="1356" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__3O54aWskZPbi2UbL6p2Ol8AC9UYE8xgD0xkn5iWHMn_UkT24PK2vBIguAXISll1CfSrJBw-_ddEaFVYxwvmzSSVq8qHrYxQ6bakiaFdZKzB0IVchlVmQ-RY0qgaxI6GhIVUK5qmVLAuK_4SGejNgYjh8B8dwqQuYW0fU2ojhDJoEdwSVN3TMpbCDA/w424-h640/Burro%20Canaglia%20Bar&Resto%20-%20Centro.jpg" width="424" /></a></div></div><p>We ate <i>arroz negro, </i>a rice dish coloured with squid ink. Whilst Valencian and Catalan versions are usually made with cuttlefish, this one contained prawns, garlic and chilli and was topped with aioli and octopus which had been grilled to perfection. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhY3ecxPbV6Ap3XQ3WBxD0vgqlGjlrHAumPbT8F4J_SjdctcTURvEgrpUjXhcIFNXEuhOhoS5YATPhjaEneTUvB8jWU9sXibGSFE_10ZEedREQXbYhGZMQImM0em1Mt6xF06-OZNw-F6krMFNhcbcPoDgpy7eEtFU7YsZUKJF0GPVRzvwlC_ZFgZ1EOw/s2047/Otopus%20arroz%20negro%20in%20Seville.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2047" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhY3ecxPbV6Ap3XQ3WBxD0vgqlGjlrHAumPbT8F4J_SjdctcTURvEgrpUjXhcIFNXEuhOhoS5YATPhjaEneTUvB8jWU9sXibGSFE_10ZEedREQXbYhGZMQImM0em1Mt6xF06-OZNw-F6krMFNhcbcPoDgpy7eEtFU7YsZUKJF0GPVRzvwlC_ZFgZ1EOw/w640-h424/Otopus%20arroz%20negro%20in%20Seville.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAE4zLbResaHrsv63gZ4-u6IuRsnT8U6h6eiEKdw8ypmiiPXyszO1FcKryBaBQwMQUG-Te9D9uLd8RHQFcUkgMSEWmuFChNIQKkxfh5bYy7uBImzPhwOfmWxOpfDVgayMcNjHodm6_zKIIc3zFw_MLHhe3wIysookX_t8FXiR5BLe5MvwPM1U-RtLcrQ/s2047/Spanish%20arroz%20negro%20in%20Seville.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2047" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAE4zLbResaHrsv63gZ4-u6IuRsnT8U6h6eiEKdw8ypmiiPXyszO1FcKryBaBQwMQUG-Te9D9uLd8RHQFcUkgMSEWmuFChNIQKkxfh5bYy7uBImzPhwOfmWxOpfDVgayMcNjHodm6_zKIIc3zFw_MLHhe3wIysookX_t8FXiR5BLe5MvwPM1U-RtLcrQ/w640-h424/Spanish%20arroz%20negro%20in%20Seville.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">It was an incredible dining experience - just like sitting in a secret garden!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgoxLyZjh1xrKvtNke0ZZV3ldLWKmrf7GLhPFEHeZ49GIEbQ7MX02C7D7Kpy4S9Tx5_YbPlGdSV8QDRQL4sxUBaYxaNaMKgmq32IXuAn8PeQZqB33TLU-8RGAsQJNVaX4OCtwf0gyBmZHtQW-dznhRcAtd3UpNKg6jOJP_7zKqND9WziBQZrJ6sKxdQ/s3264/Burro%20Canaglia%20Bar&Resto%20-%20Centro%20Seville%20review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgoxLyZjh1xrKvtNke0ZZV3ldLWKmrf7GLhPFEHeZ49GIEbQ7MX02C7D7Kpy4S9Tx5_YbPlGdSV8QDRQL4sxUBaYxaNaMKgmq32IXuAn8PeQZqB33TLU-8RGAsQJNVaX4OCtwf0gyBmZHtQW-dznhRcAtd3UpNKg6jOJP_7zKqND9WziBQZrJ6sKxdQ/w480-h640/Burro%20Canaglia%20Bar&Resto%20-%20Centro%20Seville%20review.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://burrocanaglia.es">https://burrocanaglia.es</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">_____________________________________________________________________________</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h2>2. Nación Sushi</h2></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The pleasant surprise of the trip! We'd scoped out a nice looking café for lunch which did brunch, fresh juices, salads and other lighter options, but after a long morning at the Royal Alcázar, said café now had chairs up on tables and a lady mopping the floors said they were closed. We later found out that we'd annoyingly only just missed out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At that time in the afternoon in Seville, food options are limited and most restaurants were closed. As luck may have it, Nacionsushi was something we'd passed before and it appeared to be open all hours, so we decided to check it out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We ordered <span style="font-family: inherit;">a pot of green tea and some bao buns to share. I did feel guilty for not having something local or traditionally Spanish, but Nacionsushi blew us away.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KN5Lok4co7td3iVJicFJTwIpqDJIEsJtige74DEXyZFAnh-OzELnxcJnXTXUOAxTtcl99V4NNf1eaOw4hZR0enjxW5VXlLKntGGmmLf8NxS9TKrANKfznmCxpJN0feF23gcgl8Lw-h892EG2I3IOD4cV2sU0gljAEoJoAnXFDm9Co0WPO5Qz0uhz4A/s4000/Nacionsushi%20bao%20buns.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KN5Lok4co7td3iVJicFJTwIpqDJIEsJtige74DEXyZFAnh-OzELnxcJnXTXUOAxTtcl99V4NNf1eaOw4hZR0enjxW5VXlLKntGGmmLf8NxS9TKrANKfznmCxpJN0feF23gcgl8Lw-h892EG2I3IOD4cV2sU0gljAEoJoAnXFDm9Co0WPO5Qz0uhz4A/w480-h640/Nacionsushi%20bao%20buns.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had hoisin chicken bao buns which were as fluffy as a cloud - like bao should be - but a special mention has to go to one of their new specials: <i>baos fritos de costilla de cerdo</i> or crispy pork rib bao. The golden, crispy shells were filled with finger-licking good pork and topped with crispy onions and peanuts. The textures in this dish were spot on. I'd never had fried bao before but it's the future!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkoicwPPlYH3QqXjXEsPLnsnmrkjRKBDppGWCMJ4WWGh_pmDyUP6UbsME6DJlpopKTZ0cWK9LEE9igH1KrM8K5JX2z3SrJAMz3t-zDIQORFZzLqC5gh2fimc25iHfOUkavudjLyuUK6Akj5o2gi_bzkRWWEW5m3AwxPbaUho_UfOWS9h-lTr2k4d77g/s4000/Nacionsushi%20pork%20rib%20bao%20buns.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkoicwPPlYH3QqXjXEsPLnsnmrkjRKBDppGWCMJ4WWGh_pmDyUP6UbsME6DJlpopKTZ0cWK9LEE9igH1KrM8K5JX2z3SrJAMz3t-zDIQORFZzLqC5gh2fimc25iHfOUkavudjLyuUK6Akj5o2gi_bzkRWWEW5m3AwxPbaUho_UfOWS9h-lTr2k4d77g/w480-h640/Nacionsushi%20pork%20rib%20bao%20buns.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDOQ6UclcHTH3FIIPNcbn_DkOep9ZPcdkRXBUTDrgJxZVupvEFb_sCMsdldXGw0-t_JGa0oAPEKb8IQAlpmxdVui2tnRoT1ALpRJo34U9LOqFe_Wnh9J9HBA4zcK802I389totHtmQxkjvX-azLCpegheXcniEUjLFz_uS5wpaHm94ykvFQVBVo3SbA/s4000/Nacionsushi%20crispy%20bao%20buns.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDOQ6UclcHTH3FIIPNcbn_DkOep9ZPcdkRXBUTDrgJxZVupvEFb_sCMsdldXGw0-t_JGa0oAPEKb8IQAlpmxdVui2tnRoT1ALpRJo34U9LOqFe_Wnh9J9HBA4zcK802I389totHtmQxkjvX-azLCpegheXcniEUjLFz_uS5wpaHm94ykvFQVBVo3SbA/w480-h640/Nacionsushi%20crispy%20bao%20buns.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>A special mention also needs to go to the interiors which were really quirky and memorable. I'm talking cherry blossom trees, bird cage lights, beautiful tiles, a living wall and hot pink accents, all merged with a travel theme. It was all very Instagrammable (if you're that way inclined)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83GD0Uv8fOZtqcROALM9AuV4y6Bd1XPdmCZTK9g4Dqz5NrRmpbJXlrCkRr2hVxMo2J16Bl5m6HMKup2HSk5pFl-co0fEvNxfCA21TtOGRipt8CzKAjdJeuektcx97UU_uL960L9_HNxuAHKEgqwlQkYohmC-ZBVAXYx7X4jAekc5p_IHu6gX1upSzGA/s4000/Nacionsushi%20Seville%20upstairs%20dining.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83GD0Uv8fOZtqcROALM9AuV4y6Bd1XPdmCZTK9g4Dqz5NrRmpbJXlrCkRr2hVxMo2J16Bl5m6HMKup2HSk5pFl-co0fEvNxfCA21TtOGRipt8CzKAjdJeuektcx97UU_uL960L9_HNxuAHKEgqwlQkYohmC-ZBVAXYx7X4jAekc5p_IHu6gX1upSzGA/w480-h640/Nacionsushi%20Seville%20upstairs%20dining.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51UDpZOtvo-Or52ZCQyux3AEq1XCDuGDY4w-HaMIS5RQHH1mHDncY5F1fKaEqFb6_-GKMZUBvHIvPxLTwXS-7VpG_ZDgv3cXgnKIa7JngFn_QoWO--f7_1IJuQ6UnD-zL1ELScizDrgSPdfmCB5B7meYVpdR_8kOgKNrWGPBx2mZMxI31mccIE0lGFA/s4000/Nacionsushi%20Seville%20neon%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51UDpZOtvo-Or52ZCQyux3AEq1XCDuGDY4w-HaMIS5RQHH1mHDncY5F1fKaEqFb6_-GKMZUBvHIvPxLTwXS-7VpG_ZDgv3cXgnKIa7JngFn_QoWO--f7_1IJuQ6UnD-zL1ELScizDrgSPdfmCB5B7meYVpdR_8kOgKNrWGPBx2mZMxI31mccIE0lGFA/w480-h640/Nacionsushi%20Seville%20neon%20sign.jpg" width="480" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmK-r3IV577JkC9baXicfrNNTJozB8jVpHxmNKkD6KV3ZtSgzc9W31LjFeTseKSAKFcThT2HAVz9jIUn3wcEA9Z3_0gKHxMR2ZX15xRh-6lffJ_6IFiWpvx8FdnFLpVXZuGxhvvdcuFF7wtsh98sR3a04oCCyquYHnxRQGuksXz_b2kwuc0-r2Ic80g/s4000/Nacionsushi%20Seville%20airport%20signs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmK-r3IV577JkC9baXicfrNNTJozB8jVpHxmNKkD6KV3ZtSgzc9W31LjFeTseKSAKFcThT2HAVz9jIUn3wcEA9Z3_0gKHxMR2ZX15xRh-6lffJ_6IFiWpvx8FdnFLpVXZuGxhvvdcuFF7wtsh98sR3a04oCCyquYHnxRQGuksXz_b2kwuc0-r2Ic80g/w640-h480/Nacionsushi%20Seville%20airport%20signs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08XCMDQbHhkhJ1Zb3rQcl_c7x2MYISPI1L3pIcwYxitcJnTHF59L8aUv9-0hmqoy4go3RHK8gx60Hg-yCp-wLyk_CUKV_gy_Qg0tpH7WG9xnROg_jkrMi1EflzOe2NrYB-1ZJJVQJTcsaOS9YrOSK1OADxguhChOYngkrOyQ141N11mZ89zlcVqSrkQ/s4000/Nacionsushi%20Seville%20airport%20departures%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08XCMDQbHhkhJ1Zb3rQcl_c7x2MYISPI1L3pIcwYxitcJnTHF59L8aUv9-0hmqoy4go3RHK8gx60Hg-yCp-wLyk_CUKV_gy_Qg0tpH7WG9xnROg_jkrMi1EflzOe2NrYB-1ZJJVQJTcsaOS9YrOSK1OADxguhChOYngkrOyQ141N11mZ89zlcVqSrkQ/w640-h480/Nacionsushi%20Seville%20airport%20departures%20sign.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O9E6nMqOBVe4ojfMIsTEGmBKbYemhXiR-BdFhb8iCOF3oBcZqwr9a-G2EYoquCzNZGslX9FJ5RwOwJFexDTkGHRIqWxvVK1qSZwGUwKNft5Ak4Wc9Bun8kVVwtbVsa12XT8I7VG1_f-qdxAua2atGj6Jbv_o6OeoZTQuEA0Alq70mopM9Uymp7b61Q/s4000/Nacionsushi%20Seville%20toilets.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O9E6nMqOBVe4ojfMIsTEGmBKbYemhXiR-BdFhb8iCOF3oBcZqwr9a-G2EYoquCzNZGslX9FJ5RwOwJFexDTkGHRIqWxvVK1qSZwGUwKNft5Ak4Wc9Bun8kVVwtbVsa12XT8I7VG1_f-qdxAua2atGj6Jbv_o6OeoZTQuEA0Alq70mopM9Uymp7b61Q/w480-h640/Nacionsushi%20Seville%20toilets.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nación Sushi also has a wealth of sushi, noodle and rice dishes - the choice is real! - and they have restaurants in other countries too - not just Spain - and are well worth a visit.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://nacionsushi.com">https://nacionsushi.com</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">_____________________________________________________________________________</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3. Universal People Bar de Tapas</h2><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk2UbTBzHCFKg0M1z9wR3L145rFCXkSwUvozxZTzzc7bYqxovq_7TFclTXc0J8ZJI_ncoitYtzkvzJ8HKUGc5vqfeEBiGldaNvXaki_G78oMJGiq_r4v5bylhWhs81Szz6N9h3HVal0OlZ0sCDwftcxe8qFp3MHS_Oi-jIaHGMJYLYqo9lng8gDFs_5A/s4000/Universal%20People%20Bar%20de%20Tapas%20Seville.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk2UbTBzHCFKg0M1z9wR3L145rFCXkSwUvozxZTzzc7bYqxovq_7TFclTXc0J8ZJI_ncoitYtzkvzJ8HKUGc5vqfeEBiGldaNvXaki_G78oMJGiq_r4v5bylhWhs81Szz6N9h3HVal0OlZ0sCDwftcxe8qFp3MHS_Oi-jIaHGMJYLYqo9lng8gDFs_5A/w480-h640/Universal%20People%20Bar%20de%20Tapas%20Seville.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This came highly recommend by my sister and her boyfriend and one of my ex work colleagues so I ventured here on the first night and it didn't disappoint! We had two different types of <i>croquetas </i>or croquettes which were rather filling and we quickly learnt that one plate would have been enough! The mushroom croquettes were earthy and wonderful, but we weren't so enamoured with the oxtail ones. I'd heard that oxtail was a regional speciality so I wanted to try it, but knew then and there that it wasn't for me! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha0UOZxzcHVgyJqOP0PpdJPVzq6ssl4Rd7SobPMtXb2v-X-EtI9X0P3j7v4Kb4bKVBvmSXpwRzVnLv_kSxhNU5DfhE_yTPHf44gM_0hGaNpcOp8NScDk8AwSsJm0ffiHYPrrG-O0gaA0BtBYbqYtTCI1aziecmtsFs94bDYbVtvsoXhym3spn-yYfIg/s4000/Universal%20People%20Bar%20de%20Tapas%20croquetas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha0UOZxzcHVgyJqOP0PpdJPVzq6ssl4Rd7SobPMtXb2v-X-EtI9X0P3j7v4Kb4bKVBvmSXpwRzVnLv_kSxhNU5DfhE_yTPHf44gM_0hGaNpcOp8NScDk8AwSsJm0ffiHYPrrG-O0gaA0BtBYbqYtTCI1aziecmtsFs94bDYbVtvsoXhym3spn-yYfIg/w640-h480/Universal%20People%20Bar%20de%20Tapas%20croquetas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmGtfFR0ESrWhznyNAUu3OV6Zm8-bUcrgpUJIjzqa_6QSS3iuLXR4d9zgYMpYrNsM4oga4IUihpogRw3Zufu0qNqDVGFuP0yPkAmXwDzImhWb6bIl5W1am2igqIrwurgxizo2bvApFPSLQHlQjlznIC_xQZYazzXRi2t-5dPfNVU0h4TVCadVMsyKyQ/s4000/Universal%20People%20Bar%20de%20Tapas%20croquettes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmGtfFR0ESrWhznyNAUu3OV6Zm8-bUcrgpUJIjzqa_6QSS3iuLXR4d9zgYMpYrNsM4oga4IUihpogRw3Zufu0qNqDVGFuP0yPkAmXwDzImhWb6bIl5W1am2igqIrwurgxizo2bvApFPSLQHlQjlznIC_xQZYazzXRi2t-5dPfNVU0h4TVCadVMsyKyQ/w640-h480/Universal%20People%20Bar%20de%20Tapas%20croquettes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were however two other dishes that got my stamp of approval and I highly recommend if you're ever in Seville. The slow cooked beef cheek melted in your mouth and the sauted potatoes were beautiful - especially when dipped in the very moreish accompanying sauce. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1at3WIy2GikTBGdb69mIhM88smgnT1z3kXhVhRs_OdOypA52QXl2VSaTTaCBXd6JmaCp1PoIy9yxZwMUWX7cKDpiWUvprJo9M2eh_ujl1HtRPs1x87z4bz711z8jrJT8m0SMRpKGhn2H1dhGzbRtyA8dsInavJ1gvrS3489052NXgqm0PGeTpNVgYA/s4000/Slow%20cooked%20beef%20cheek%20at%20Universal%20People%20Bar%20de%20Tapas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1at3WIy2GikTBGdb69mIhM88smgnT1z3kXhVhRs_OdOypA52QXl2VSaTTaCBXd6JmaCp1PoIy9yxZwMUWX7cKDpiWUvprJo9M2eh_ujl1HtRPs1x87z4bz711z8jrJT8m0SMRpKGhn2H1dhGzbRtyA8dsInavJ1gvrS3489052NXgqm0PGeTpNVgYA/w640-h480/Slow%20cooked%20beef%20cheek%20at%20Universal%20People%20Bar%20de%20Tapas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And last but not least, their grilled octopus. There was a bit of wait time for this one but it was worth every second. A good grilled octopus should cut like butter and melt in the mouth (anything rubbery or chewy is indicative of over-cooking) and this delivered. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6prX1MkwEvvoC8op0hBO79hb8-mA6hk2Hf5AKQEgE2YAm34Lkn4e4d7c5Y9W8kP_0-ax_3gMqR5_3CasbizStTZBJfRhUqRTQ4yMHYFYr5Up5WnM74NOk2ruMndd-tvMaeCLh5YIOk7ZgGsuRoqfC2l4fw64U9U23VUi-qK9X1jBsOsgaJEgreldmQ/s4000/Grilled%20octopus%20at%20Universal%20People%20Bar%20de%20Tapas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6prX1MkwEvvoC8op0hBO79hb8-mA6hk2Hf5AKQEgE2YAm34Lkn4e4d7c5Y9W8kP_0-ax_3gMqR5_3CasbizStTZBJfRhUqRTQ4yMHYFYr5Up5WnM74NOk2ruMndd-tvMaeCLh5YIOk7ZgGsuRoqfC2l4fw64U9U23VUi-qK9X1jBsOsgaJEgreldmQ/w640-h480/Grilled%20octopus%20at%20Universal%20People%20Bar%20de%20Tapas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had three different types of potato - these were surprise accompaniments added to our plates and not detailed on the menu - and after consuming all three portions, we were rather full and this prevented us from trying anything else. So bear this in mind when thinking about how many small plates to order!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.universalpeoplebar.com">https://www.universalpeoplebar.com</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">_____________________________________________________________________________</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Have you ever been to Seville?</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-11176543853651766062022-12-30T14:48:00.001+00:002023-02-14T18:22:46.420+00:005 reasons to visit York in December<div>York is a magical place to visit at any time of the year, but comes alive in December and is truly special at Christmas. I'd previously visited in the height of summer (my previous York travel guide can be found here <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/02/things-to-do-in-york-a-york-travel-guide.html" rel="" target="_blank">here</a>) so it was quite the contrast visiting in the colder season, with scarves and layers aplenty. York really is very beautiful at this time of the year, what with it's Christmas markets and decorated restaurant and shop fronts including The Ivy and Betty's tea rooms. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozgoWk_vcEqIIj4no3I0WfvhaHiql8aYJEFLTVeY0SeF15_FXy9Ss0PpAPBcz3v_eclFJpRlPU3DK4xBYdjNJrb1A6XqejKwrzSeCQJoCDPG1fXo6SWdsSgsMoTVQWORyYCsLgc0DZDd0ld7Oub7tmy7cabPa7SLFqzFnxeuISN8clo3UGrPBvQyXRQ/s4928/The%20Ivy%20York%20at%20Christmas%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozgoWk_vcEqIIj4no3I0WfvhaHiql8aYJEFLTVeY0SeF15_FXy9Ss0PpAPBcz3v_eclFJpRlPU3DK4xBYdjNJrb1A6XqejKwrzSeCQJoCDPG1fXo6SWdsSgsMoTVQWORyYCsLgc0DZDd0ld7Oub7tmy7cabPa7SLFqzFnxeuISN8clo3UGrPBvQyXRQ/w640-h424/The%20Ivy%20York%20at%20Christmas%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Here is my extensive guide of my top 5 things to do in York at Christmas.</div><div><br /></div><h2>Christmas at Mansion House</h2><h2><div style="font-weight: 400;"><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-align: left;">Mansion House is a beautiful early Georgian style building and was built for the Lord Mayor in 1732 and is still in use to this day for the Lord Mayors of York to reside in during their term in office. The rooms presented to the public are set out as they would have been, and at this time of the year are decorated for Christmas.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGrHvEFtOKP8U--0ulWijCAqd_TpzlvfiPvzZJMahUtXiEi9Kplf5OGtYq0p0F1oDYq2x1EtEFPBQm421zuReoBb3nYd4qPIyU70xDxsglg3nqh7uLU4EJgyDk-zObRNgZapAfkTEsFdV2p7YreL26n-sde5DjhbxCYPizAikgIW_qxwfWav944T32A/s4928/Christmas%20at%20Mansion%20House%20York%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGrHvEFtOKP8U--0ulWijCAqd_TpzlvfiPvzZJMahUtXiEi9Kplf5OGtYq0p0F1oDYq2x1EtEFPBQm421zuReoBb3nYd4qPIyU70xDxsglg3nqh7uLU4EJgyDk-zObRNgZapAfkTEsFdV2p7YreL26n-sde5DjhbxCYPizAikgIW_qxwfWav944T32A/w424-h640/Christmas%20at%20Mansion%20House%20York%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The dining room table was laid with the extravagant foods they would have eaten at their many banquets and a helpful and passionate member of staff ran us through a typical inventory with a tally of how much food and alcohol was consumed and how much it would have cost (both were astounding). </div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The working kitchen that produced these glorious feasts was simple in comparison - you couldn't imagine some of the extravagant meals hailing from there. This former working kitchen has since been restored to a fully functional eighteenth century kitchen and is now used for cooking demonstrations and workshops.</div><div style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrJkxMEGOYztCTqRfD4jur5kNln-nVBEIklK4xwzfmL2E8Ltm967aPpu0zNb_4Ysa9qiD1Q7V5QaJjNu1-uT1EOWLSE0rNm8spZITwjzbhDCur5TYJQMrYE-kuBDCshXcuUW0Z0xDpAszxjSpayKt2rpmaZzFx9bp8XbjxvWgC9or9gEkVK4v0fSBMA/s4928/York%20Mansion%20House%20kitchen%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrJkxMEGOYztCTqRfD4jur5kNln-nVBEIklK4xwzfmL2E8Ltm967aPpu0zNb_4Ysa9qiD1Q7V5QaJjNu1-uT1EOWLSE0rNm8spZITwjzbhDCur5TYJQMrYE-kuBDCshXcuUW0Z0xDpAszxjSpayKt2rpmaZzFx9bp8XbjxvWgC9or9gEkVK4v0fSBMA/w424-h640/York%20Mansion%20House%20kitchen%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">One of my favourite rooms had to be the state room. This was decorated in a beautiful light green colour not too dissimilar to Card Room Green by Farrow and Ball with elegant gold accents. </div><div style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOanTztrZNOOVERQvy9sh3hdJtCLTDEh4BV5C2UmoErc_0TeSZN6IH4v2lMIsd8-PCp5Ux1jp71GKdwYFJhtCfSeaukR2IuQdPmsbKxWlyIdl4d9XoumTw-uamAoFjN1l5RA3NR8UmUl5Wpp0v2SSGYlPWknZ-gI4VsBO9-zmGFVyYmWT_XqNfGVt_nQ/s4928/York%20Mansion%20House%20state%20room%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOanTztrZNOOVERQvy9sh3hdJtCLTDEh4BV5C2UmoErc_0TeSZN6IH4v2lMIsd8-PCp5Ux1jp71GKdwYFJhtCfSeaukR2IuQdPmsbKxWlyIdl4d9XoumTw-uamAoFjN1l5RA3NR8UmUl5Wpp0v2SSGYlPWknZ-gI4VsBO9-zmGFVyYmWT_XqNfGVt_nQ/w640-h424/York%20Mansion%20House%20state%20room%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div></h2><div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Christmas at York Castle Museum</h2><div><br /></div><div>York Castle Museum has so much to see and do (I wrote about it at length before <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/02/things-to-do-in-york-a-york-travel-guide.html" target="_blank">here</a>), that we in fact lost track of time and spent our entire first day there! Highlights include:</div><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>An indoor back-in-time street with shop fronts and<i> </i>stores you can actually walk into</li><li>Room sets from across the years</li><li>A whole section devoted to old toys and games nostalgia</li><li>Walk through the trenches experience</li><li>The old York Castle prison (complete with Dick Turpin's cell!)</li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div>The benefit of visiting at this time of the year was that lots of it was decorated for Christmas. The room sets and their signage were updated for Christmas, and for the immersive street, lit garlands were strung up with a light dusting of fake snow on the ground. </div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6DfHTRO9Qoi2hoEvov6LyAspvGbCngeHBQk2JlXucv-gYI7gfa8UDCw4zCtldunD0AGy7yQhcyJT1cLswRMMQhOl6o3Ojn1ZQFGOf7IOdl-BNyaHXbpQokXwyPVY4L43vkCZXvMiXuK4nIPnHclcesQGdDMF3I93L-7WWWENd-emWojUTqXan3R5zw/s4000/Christmas%20at%20York%20Castle%20museum%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6DfHTRO9Qoi2hoEvov6LyAspvGbCngeHBQk2JlXucv-gYI7gfa8UDCw4zCtldunD0AGy7yQhcyJT1cLswRMMQhOl6o3Ojn1ZQFGOf7IOdl-BNyaHXbpQokXwyPVY4L43vkCZXvMiXuK4nIPnHclcesQGdDMF3I93L-7WWWENd-emWojUTqXan3R5zw/w480-h640/Christmas%20at%20York%20Castle%20museum%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrSWbeYbl1NBf3N3oTN4jXdp34f1NEW0P_y3pMX196BwsaOU0C4HrGC_ZNwCBmWnznuG_kpAaCSMwZEO7nF-KtrT4BLLai_9AdKKxdgRjUu22JtQMfNBx4xzzKd-RduV-S076t_MAAhSGpkhffqSi2e0VM1vjYbpejciyVdPb9D63rZS2Eb--5N3yvw/s4000/Christmas%20street%20at%20York%20Castle%20museum%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrSWbeYbl1NBf3N3oTN4jXdp34f1NEW0P_y3pMX196BwsaOU0C4HrGC_ZNwCBmWnznuG_kpAaCSMwZEO7nF-KtrT4BLLai_9AdKKxdgRjUu22JtQMfNBx4xzzKd-RduV-S076t_MAAhSGpkhffqSi2e0VM1vjYbpejciyVdPb9D63rZS2Eb--5N3yvw/w480-h640/Christmas%20street%20at%20York%20Castle%20museum%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h2>Christmas at Fairfax House</h2><div><br /></div><div>Fairfax House is a Georgian townhouse within a stone's throw away from Clifford's Tower and York Castle Museum, and was originally the winter bolthole of Viscount Fairfax (hence it's name) and was designed by esteemed eighteen century architect John Carr. It was reportedly used as a dance hall and cinema for some time, but was later restored by the York Civic Trust in the 1980s. It's beautiful at any time, but is especially magical at this time of the year, portraying the Christmas traditions of a typical Georgian townhouse.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcRZRXt1Z4O2RM8KnXm8G0Be4AynDwwIPOk2bc5INZoI_BXYEfdO5Yk0d6xwOMhiSUHnpOr4nXnEtlXzRo34dQKN3fg0OnzB9cGSPGx-STDEleFGbDrnWtwhzcXNbGH9vHYdWHhV4M9mjtJvBLVWJaN3_gT0_5IyLl7HLW9WfG98jgLwMOvJr2gomzQ/s4928/Christmas%20fireplace%20mantle%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcRZRXt1Z4O2RM8KnXm8G0Be4AynDwwIPOk2bc5INZoI_BXYEfdO5Yk0d6xwOMhiSUHnpOr4nXnEtlXzRo34dQKN3fg0OnzB9cGSPGx-STDEleFGbDrnWtwhzcXNbGH9vHYdWHhV4M9mjtJvBLVWJaN3_gT0_5IyLl7HLW9WfG98jgLwMOvJr2gomzQ/w640-h424/Christmas%20fireplace%20mantle%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOvDwUN6bCy29xCwA_e3SQ5MrnfdzPXaFvYZYt9Rla_9C5XgyCkuD2YE5Pm6ZkezEQEuqBH_XtBxnlhM_ITeIL46IhAjrD3GVNlhiujuwe0qkNJcVtA4hg2m-uZCvdDWIw1lYL-a_GhFvScQZO_KbJfQ7b4pcG_uNzMBCVerly73lSGYqHCxuysdhDQ/s4928/Christmas%20at%20Fairfax%20House%20York%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOvDwUN6bCy29xCwA_e3SQ5MrnfdzPXaFvYZYt9Rla_9C5XgyCkuD2YE5Pm6ZkezEQEuqBH_XtBxnlhM_ITeIL46IhAjrD3GVNlhiujuwe0qkNJcVtA4hg2m-uZCvdDWIw1lYL-a_GhFvScQZO_KbJfQ7b4pcG_uNzMBCVerly73lSGYqHCxuysdhDQ/w424-h640/Christmas%20at%20Fairfax%20House%20York%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95y3naIK18mPXCttC62Me_l1xGzZEfDEOsVZyMPN7DPvqlf3X5V1aZZGsZTMoGpFmmE4B2girN1W4Lpeqct_KDiTAReAiPkmiIvX6jqq8RZe-9Lsc2VfCPfm4Ds0lifrTUewrqYQcy7gfZ6v34XunNU1XmjvewSqJgbRQ9HBnKTio58qlfbdmURdxJg/s4928/Fairfax%20House%20York%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95y3naIK18mPXCttC62Me_l1xGzZEfDEOsVZyMPN7DPvqlf3X5V1aZZGsZTMoGpFmmE4B2girN1W4Lpeqct_KDiTAReAiPkmiIvX6jqq8RZe-9Lsc2VfCPfm4Ds0lifrTUewrqYQcy7gfZ6v34XunNU1XmjvewSqJgbRQ9HBnKTio58qlfbdmURdxJg/w424-h640/Fairfax%20House%20York%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Christmas at York Minster</h2><div><br /></div><div>York Minster is somewhere I visit every time I'm in York and I highly recommend if you're as into historical buildings and architecture as I am. York Minster reportedly costs an astounding £22,000 to run each day so I always make a point of visiting there and contributing whenever I'm in York. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipKDTq5mICwHdEQPF_W7E-uzkReD5UluCnSw92A3Vc0SsRE9K-BXEyCHk-zaRVHcj5HZrKTD8pChiRrZRdFD7CZ-iHKFhtsrjYWVgQSGsENckOlzXyt6-N2sAd5YgjgPs9fIaG4aDBlIEntYLw40VW4EKViAwET0wRR8gnEUxf7WHMMDEcev2NaG6Qw/s4928/York%20Minster%20stained%20glass%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipKDTq5mICwHdEQPF_W7E-uzkReD5UluCnSw92A3Vc0SsRE9K-BXEyCHk-zaRVHcj5HZrKTD8pChiRrZRdFD7CZ-iHKFhtsrjYWVgQSGsENckOlzXyt6-N2sAd5YgjgPs9fIaG4aDBlIEntYLw40VW4EKViAwET0wRR8gnEUxf7WHMMDEcev2NaG6Qw/w640-h424/York%20Minster%20stained%20glass%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This was my first time visiting the Minster at Christmas and it was such a lovely place to be. This year in particular hosted a Christmas Tree Festival and contest, where local charities, businesses and schools all decorated a tree to a chosen theme. Visitors to the Minster all had the opportunity to vote for their favourites with the winner to receive a cash prize or donation. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBr3Vn_786Zvfeb9X_UuxIcXOaWjKQHrIL7UAvYlPLKkQzkItvqCoE0yjRZbUnRpRlvhAntFzfZWJ5EoSdkrjQJIgxn17grdeqQgBgUL7mta7WIi4dNyp_ONs3J20jJh0red-JliVGXg4R5mgpRAFR_fGNCUjttWIoWZf8gcDdNTHDKpyM9A9f8TJTQ/s4000/Christmas%20Tree%20Festival%20at%20York%20Minister%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBr3Vn_786Zvfeb9X_UuxIcXOaWjKQHrIL7UAvYlPLKkQzkItvqCoE0yjRZbUnRpRlvhAntFzfZWJ5EoSdkrjQJIgxn17grdeqQgBgUL7mta7WIi4dNyp_ONs3J20jJh0red-JliVGXg4R5mgpRAFR_fGNCUjttWIoWZf8gcDdNTHDKpyM9A9f8TJTQ/w480-h640/Christmas%20Tree%20Festival%20at%20York%20Minister%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>With about 40 trees to see and decide upon, choosing just one was tough! Highlights included:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A primary school whose tree represented their passion for reading, and each student contributed a homemade book complete with stories and illustrations (for the record, this one got my vote).</li></ul><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05QnVzLnFFFHi_qVx7TUVpag_1DV4rmwXptxpA_8fuo323jE_S5bo6SC0h9eZjXrSv5c-uXlf-fsAB9CVx1tb4-GLPNIcF1a2vi9rtMta4XACGims4f5ln40alWmkpkso1d2mtW-w8pO-5K8cn9eXn-ArLsTkeX7hj51MwTKmMJtyi329ppH2KbGB-A/s4000/Book%20Christmas%20tree%20decorations%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05QnVzLnFFFHi_qVx7TUVpag_1DV4rmwXptxpA_8fuo323jE_S5bo6SC0h9eZjXrSv5c-uXlf-fsAB9CVx1tb4-GLPNIcF1a2vi9rtMta4XACGims4f5ln40alWmkpkso1d2mtW-w8pO-5K8cn9eXn-ArLsTkeX7hj51MwTKmMJtyi329ppH2KbGB-A/w480-h640/Book%20Christmas%20tree%20decorations%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A charity which decorated their tree with all the essentials they typically give to the homeless and unemployed like toothbrushes and razors, as well as packaging from food bank donations. </li></ul></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A jewelllers that hung open ring boxes (and rings!) wrapped in cellophane bags on their tree</li></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A local ennvironment centre that recycled food packaging and made garlands, tinsel and decorations with them.</li></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Strictly Come Dancing themed Christmas tree complete with pink feather boa, glitter balls, scoring paddles and a giant cut out of Anton Du Beke.</li></ul><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlA1UkRZrLe3FHN-sVLR2rt6gjjzdrNQuqhUhCBtVh5mmMxhDViw3-9SaHZk3Id3xWyuU5yyK8up1GG5E11PPRZW7GST_Z6FcoT2dypiZMFtA5Ub8CL5nZl6gRdHIVhntCNeNjZfqEx3jxKmJrxpGNJT4XJGO1_D-6XuTTg8Em3r8q3ItfPgIhM3ilug/s4000/Strictly%20Come%20Dancing%20Christmas%20tree%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlA1UkRZrLe3FHN-sVLR2rt6gjjzdrNQuqhUhCBtVh5mmMxhDViw3-9SaHZk3Id3xWyuU5yyK8up1GG5E11PPRZW7GST_Z6FcoT2dypiZMFtA5Ub8CL5nZl6gRdHIVhntCNeNjZfqEx3jxKmJrxpGNJT4XJGO1_D-6XuTTg8Em3r8q3ItfPgIhM3ilug/w480-h640/Strictly%20Come%20Dancing%20Christmas%20tree%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div>Access to the Christmas Tree Festival is included with general admission to York Minster and runs through to January - so there's still time to visit (and vote) if you haven't already!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31UzG9ulf3kCxyfsWQqyvyD8dt5TTgDHeSJLnTnvJQQPXpcaInjh033QsSouyJoMR0CJ2I_lWdwAq8AWNohxf0X84ZMAnMcRb4eEI_Vb79kL7T2iraCyXS8Mmv_ycZh53bWxtGwbi4nSowxmaBPE6VllDmgBYCEGRKG3JujcWNw7FsxsiHW7Bz-VxBg/s4000/Christmas%20at%20York%20Minster%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31UzG9ulf3kCxyfsWQqyvyD8dt5TTgDHeSJLnTnvJQQPXpcaInjh033QsSouyJoMR0CJ2I_lWdwAq8AWNohxf0X84ZMAnMcRb4eEI_Vb79kL7T2iraCyXS8Mmv_ycZh53bWxtGwbi4nSowxmaBPE6VllDmgBYCEGRKG3JujcWNw7FsxsiHW7Bz-VxBg/w480-h640/Christmas%20at%20York%20Minster%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>York Christmas market</b></h2><div><br /></div><div>The St Nicholas Fair is the the bustling hub of York at this time of the year, and runs from mid-November to December. So if you visit pre-Christmas around Black Friday sort of time, you'll be sure to see it even then! </div><div><br /></div><div>Alpine chalet huts line Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square with a plethora of food and drink options, as well as stalls selling gifts and artisan goods such as homemade fudge. It's worth checking it out each year as there are occasionally new additions such as The Winter Hütte, a swiss style chalet offering winter favoruites like gluhwein and mulled cider, as well as a dining experience from Michelin star chef Andrew Pern, a big name in Yorkshire.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's generally worth wandering around York at your own leisure, as you will stumble upon more christmas markets and stalls. One is located right outside York Minster with plenty of seating and although on a smaller scale than the main street market, has a really lovely feel about it (plus it's quieter if you don't fancy the crowds!).</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3sW0JmSMsWLOwrwIWdH1pWrkAB_vFfsBvcRvsi6Bm-C912DLOWOj9iJBF5ppkQnLjH1Fh9CVLfcambX8j6_L-fgW4lEDrQekk0cjwdzCl_3pPwncuBztGTJ9831W5iKS1e3NfRK54awrWNrroXsEmk9T1EHtuKBM7_JT7oN4lFrmw3kTvyd9s_DmUw/s4870/York%20Christmas%20Market%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4870" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3sW0JmSMsWLOwrwIWdH1pWrkAB_vFfsBvcRvsi6Bm-C912DLOWOj9iJBF5ppkQnLjH1Fh9CVLfcambX8j6_L-fgW4lEDrQekk0cjwdzCl_3pPwncuBztGTJ9831W5iKS1e3NfRK54awrWNrroXsEmk9T1EHtuKBM7_JT7oN4lFrmw3kTvyd9s_DmUw/w640-h428/York%20Christmas%20Market%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Let's be honest, there are many more than 5 reasons to visit York at this time of the year (or any time of the year for that matter) but these were just some of my top picks from a whistle-stop tour. Happy holidays!</div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpYGPILnQLHHHZOAyRMwka-Kd7R0QVxaXx5gbS-vU6r1sglPnAQ-ViFzP2CLlRPW5-rEqaBlrWlUeb-8YD4Ss1i7CgEroCgWsI4fy1xqa-oyVNCdWISR3LlMlTM6ZfRqYLppkZDXZ_Trdx3vb1ZSQexzuxOo2BVvoushMxVQcvoVm2gCuuTazyHYMKmg/s4928/Christmas%20decorations%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpYGPILnQLHHHZOAyRMwka-Kd7R0QVxaXx5gbS-vU6r1sglPnAQ-ViFzP2CLlRPW5-rEqaBlrWlUeb-8YD4Ss1i7CgEroCgWsI4fy1xqa-oyVNCdWISR3LlMlTM6ZfRqYLppkZDXZ_Trdx3vb1ZSQexzuxOo2BVvoushMxVQcvoVm2gCuuTazyHYMKmg/w424-h640/Christmas%20decorations%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-46693590428033942292022-09-23T16:44:00.000+01:002022-09-23T16:44:17.442+01:00Tomahawk Steakhouse York // The largest steak I ever did see <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7o4BXx-FD_bi-8vuqrTlfOJjLHpHZfQ1fGzyf7IkdpfGYlk9X8HYC06lVJiqQXxjiplD0j_DlaS1IXlxXz5lpQkdgzzSUGLrJugtgo6-fMfjRac9FC9A9uPWs2KkRR-stTlY5zIbSuSI8tBy0gS_tUMfz6SgoArwrWuqxJW4BKO7ENN2yBGbkuwkZ1Q/s4928/Tomahawk%20restaurant%20review%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tomahawk restaurant review" border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7o4BXx-FD_bi-8vuqrTlfOJjLHpHZfQ1fGzyf7IkdpfGYlk9X8HYC06lVJiqQXxjiplD0j_DlaS1IXlxXz5lpQkdgzzSUGLrJugtgo6-fMfjRac9FC9A9uPWs2KkRR-stTlY5zIbSuSI8tBy0gS_tUMfz6SgoArwrWuqxJW4BKO7ENN2yBGbkuwkZ1Q/w640-h424/Tomahawk%20restaurant%20review%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Whilst I'm generally a healthy eater and aim for a few meat-free days a week, I'm more of a flexitarian and won't be going fully vegetarian or vegan any time soon. I love my meat too much (take that as you will) with a good medium rare steak being a firm favourite. Forever on the hunt for a good steak or steakhouse, one day I saw Tomahawk pop up on my feed with mouth watering images of succulent steak, and joy behold, there was one located in York, a place that was next on my travels.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Location</span></b></p><p>Tucked a little out of the way, but near to Mansion House and The Ivy, I ventured down a side passage which I found to be fairly quiet, not seeing much in the way of people. Because of this I figured Tomahawk York wouldn't be all that busy. WRONG.</p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>First impressions</b></span></p><p>I arrived at a small bar area with a few raised tables and bar stools. All very industrial in look and feel with exposed brick walls. This holding area was deserted with no one at the bar which I figured may have been due to the tucked away nature of the restaurant. You could hear chatter and laughter elsewhere though, and that's when a host descended from a industrial metal staircase to welcome us and I first discovered that the restaurant was located on different levels. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStfou-o4XpyXkCL1FOKFbnbwWB3RFpwKXABladWERFc8e2EwjZgdH-xGqFoPd4ZWrlFRjokYwkfny-yDB5sHqlUJtylvTSG5Q-nktZzfVrBkdxE1C1DVNT993PauckQTJfgRimH0hYe2bu3rtIBR8OIHwo2PN3_OXBcLidtNeO5aZzqhguZRUcrkXHQ/s4928/Tomahawk%20Steakhouse%20York%20review%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tomahawk Steakhouse restaurant York review" border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStfou-o4XpyXkCL1FOKFbnbwWB3RFpwKXABladWERFc8e2EwjZgdH-xGqFoPd4ZWrlFRjokYwkfny-yDB5sHqlUJtylvTSG5Q-nktZzfVrBkdxE1C1DVNT993PauckQTJfgRimH0hYe2bu3rtIBR8OIHwo2PN3_OXBcLidtNeO5aZzqhguZRUcrkXHQ/w640-h424/Tomahawk%20Steakhouse%20York%20review%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Once we ventured upstairs, we discovered that the restaurant was deceptively large - which you didn't get a sense of from the front - and in fact stretched <i>way</i> back. We passed lots of booth seating filled with friends, couples on date night, and big groups of lads with large wooden sharing boards presented with slices of perfectly pink steak. </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Our table</b></span></p><p>I had booked a table in advance and we were led right to the back of the joint, to a table located right infront of their bustling but beautiful main bar. I'd say that being sat here was probably the low light of my visit. You constantly had members of staff rushing past you, going to and fro from the bar, so it didn't feel very private, especially when you're on a date. Also we seemed to be on top of a wobbly floorboard so whenever anyone walked past, our table (and food) wobbled about which did get a little annoying. There were so many nice, quiet, intimate corners of the restaurant and I would have preferred to sit somewhere a little more private. For this reason, I'm not sure that I'd book in advance again. I would probably just turn up and chance it, with the hope of being allocated a booth.</p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The menu</b></span></p><p>The menu was extensive with plenty of vegetarian, fish and vegan options too if you're that way inclined and are simply accompanying your meat loving friends or partner. We all know the reason why I was there. It would have been rude not to try one of their celebrated steaks. The restaurant boasts the finest Himalayan salt dry-aged steaks and Wagyu and I was excited to try these. The choice was real. Along with your usual ribeye, sirloin and fillet steak options, there were also sharing boards, and larger cuts of meat like the porterhouse (16oz), chateaubriand (18oz), cote de boeuf (35oz) and tomahawk (36-38oz). </p><p>Some of these larger cuts don't come cheap, but the sharing steaks come with 4 free sides and there was an extensive choice including the following:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Fries / Beef dripping chips / Truffle parmesan fries</li><li>Sweet potato wedges with feta and harrissa yoghurt</li><li>Mushrooms with slow roasted tomatoes</li><li>Mash / Truffle mash</li><li>Peas with bacon</li><li>Mac and cheese</li><li>Broccoli</li><li>Salad</li><li>Spinach with stilton</li><li>Garlic mushrooms</li><li>Spicy siracha slaw</li><li>Garlic prawns</li><li>Brisket and cheddar hash browns</li><li>Beer battered onion rings</li></ul><div>So much choice! Which of these sides has your name on it? I'd love to know in the comments below!</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The main event</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>We opted for the tomahawk as I'd always wanted to try one and it would have been rude not to order the restaurant namesake, right? This was a beast of a steak in the form of a bone in ribeye and was cooked to perfection. It had marbling which can be hit and miss and can sometimes mean chewy, and it was in places. Would I have it again? I would, but with such an extensive steak menu, I'd be keen to try another type of steak first.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBYn4m5Wuf83WWvBtL-vwssgI1ygW3xdSL6hjaRjNX4T0N-8qTjkUsoQtYyxtOedpYbTBcqHz8FdOW0GPTrq1eIFhAon30NURIF1aTnK6Wkl1m3eaYBQyc12fvzk1pA80TUgX_d_cjggXghWR_N9d4VEHWFfbkvF4MBhyVBn4NFOFqPUC6tOur6UoBg/s4928/Tomahawk%20steak%20at%20Tomahawk%20York%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tomahawk steak review at Tomahawk York" border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBYn4m5Wuf83WWvBtL-vwssgI1ygW3xdSL6hjaRjNX4T0N-8qTjkUsoQtYyxtOedpYbTBcqHz8FdOW0GPTrq1eIFhAon30NURIF1aTnK6Wkl1m3eaYBQyc12fvzk1pA80TUgX_d_cjggXghWR_N9d4VEHWFfbkvF4MBhyVBn4NFOFqPUC6tOur6UoBg/w640-h424/Tomahawk%20steak%20at%20Tomahawk%20York%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The sides</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Garlic prawns are usually a favourite of mine but these were very pale in colour and quite anaemic looking, so I was a little nervous about whether these were fully cooked or not (as it turns out, we had no problems with food poisoning thankfully!). I also love a good beer battered onion ring. These were ok, but I've had better. I wasn't blown away by the sides other than than fries, so next time around I'd be keen to try a few different ones (perhaps the brisket and cheddar hash browns).</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Would I go back?</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>I would, but I would choose a different cut of meat with - hopefully - a higher meat to fat ratio to it. I will happily eat a whole steak - fat included - if the fat is rendered down enough. However if the fat is tough as old boots and unchewable, it means a lot of the dish can't be eaten and it's a crying shame. It makes an already costly dish feel that little bit worse from a value for money perspective when a huge sharing steak doesn't contain all that much in the way of edible meat. </div><div><br /></div><div>I would order the fries again but with a few different sides, and I'd been be keen to try the crispy squid to start which comes with chorizo jam and roasted garlic and lemon mayo and sounds all kinds of dreamy don't you think?</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Are you a flexitarian or a meat fan like I am? </b></span></div>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-62891088996561032022022-07-25T17:26:00.004+01:002023-04-17T16:59:11.390+01:00Staying at the Hampton by Hilton York Piccadilly // Where to stay in York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44kIBr0-H96SAUn0XTd3Em_ZbSd8B9z7w4joNoZO2LnkSeIWLQPvJlrHK2B2U9jZqx6D48e2Wxaml_k5Uz83Y3m1e6nObQVw9rdKofDIyP28moVmc0xPi2ZNbCFsWkOsl7hOIEjdDrlQrlpAVTTrxwupvguNMFEurxrqtSYu4iBfRmjopZuKofPRvtQ/s4928/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20lobby%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44kIBr0-H96SAUn0XTd3Em_ZbSd8B9z7w4joNoZO2LnkSeIWLQPvJlrHK2B2U9jZqx6D48e2Wxaml_k5Uz83Y3m1e6nObQVw9rdKofDIyP28moVmc0xPi2ZNbCFsWkOsl7hOIEjdDrlQrlpAVTTrxwupvguNMFEurxrqtSYu4iBfRmjopZuKofPRvtQ/w640-h424/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20lobby%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator">Perfectly timed before the announcement of the Omicron variant - which feels like a lifetime ago - it was nice to have a few days away exploring a different city. Understandably at that time of the year, many hotels were fully booked up. Or expensive. For a short stay I don't want to be spending hundreds of British pounds per night. I found an absolute gem of a hotel... but it was fully booked. Another time perhaps. I was also keen to visit a new hotel that was being built the last time I visited York, however the final result was underwhelming with rooms not feeling worth the price point. I came about the Hampton by Hilton York Piccadilly by chance. Newly opened only last year, it looked beautifully done and was competitively priced, coming up lower than other ones in my search. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">THE ROOM</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>The room itself was really well designed and well thought out. The selling point for choosing this particular hotel was the bedroom with its seating area complete with gallery wall, as it looked like a nice place to curl up with a book. The headboard wrapped around the room and merged with built-in bench seating which had the capacity to fold out into another bed. There are two different colourways for the extended headboard and seating area - a lime green or a blue. At the time of booking I preferred the blue scheme, but you don't appear to get a say in the colour, so arrived to the green. Despite inital disapointment, the lime green felt warmer and nicer in person. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXAgSubDKV7fefglyl2O7LkWwVyx0s3cSpJKF46fwuAfaKjhNdT0RAnrYRSa1DLJ7OeplzsZqQjHE0-Tj7BDKbbiwI1WMdsXtDMtR9xippIrkMDSrk7ax7cqErTpFEaF30u2kgmBXN8t4xejdD10vKvPEV5ewXJCqk3nPz4CvymsInINvKzN5rDFfiQ/s4928/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20bedroom%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXAgSubDKV7fefglyl2O7LkWwVyx0s3cSpJKF46fwuAfaKjhNdT0RAnrYRSa1DLJ7OeplzsZqQjHE0-Tj7BDKbbiwI1WMdsXtDMtR9xippIrkMDSrk7ax7cqErTpFEaF30u2kgmBXN8t4xejdD10vKvPEV5ewXJCqk3nPz4CvymsInINvKzN5rDFfiQ/w640-h424/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20bedroom%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The bed itself was a delight to take a running leap onto upon arrival. Saying that, a lot of the sponginess and comfort was from the duvet. Once in bed, there appeared to be a mattress topper but it wasn't as comfortable or satisfying as laying on top of the duvet. I found reading more comfortable from bed - laying on top of the duvet, naturally - as the bench seating was a little on the hard side, even with the supplied scatter cushions.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKP3MYTCn_A5CqbGYrroA-mxhHLcxc-huvUpOiXfLr3u7zNW64lpTOH-c1jLIu_O3tXMgvelMiix_T2tvgUE75T5bv4I9wtKEsyIcvWosSHTuHkjS09xlmaaAZ7MjLhx4b9lLc1Zh45bC0jsBMFXRGLgIqasnJA4ffL_QzJL95Aq6H6ccm5EiLvAjqtQ/s4928/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20room%20%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKP3MYTCn_A5CqbGYrroA-mxhHLcxc-huvUpOiXfLr3u7zNW64lpTOH-c1jLIu_O3tXMgvelMiix_T2tvgUE75T5bv4I9wtKEsyIcvWosSHTuHkjS09xlmaaAZ7MjLhx4b9lLc1Zh45bC0jsBMFXRGLgIqasnJA4ffL_QzJL95Aq6H6ccm5EiLvAjqtQ/w640-h424/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20room%20%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Lighting on this side of the room was dimmer and added to the ambient feel, making it feel really cosy. Such lighting was much easier to wake up to then the rude awakening of blarring spotlights. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also on this side of the room; a desk area with a wall mounted TV. The TV dominated that wall and did feel a little excessive given the size of the room.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyZlVgJARE7gDAZhEiihww8ksC2zNtjgEFa_VGIjsJikdo6OzKCIxyCEPOsdYILDYU0Rd385Unr7oAYM4TA3_LFEA32R2QDqmrUehcJDtl9rmdju_ISpJqo_KYSYRur0O6cwJ7UlQ_bvHDCDkM5IwqJ7-bhA1u5xF5FtMv_4_y9FPBYZ9_HaBe05TsWA=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyZlVgJARE7gDAZhEiihww8ksC2zNtjgEFa_VGIjsJikdo6OzKCIxyCEPOsdYILDYU0Rd385Unr7oAYM4TA3_LFEA32R2QDqmrUehcJDtl9rmdju_ISpJqo_KYSYRur0O6cwJ7UlQ_bvHDCDkM5IwqJ7-bhA1u5xF5FtMv_4_y9FPBYZ9_HaBe05TsWA=w424-h640" width="424" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Open hanging space and wall mounted hooks made the room feel a little more open compared to having bulky built-in furniture. We always travel with back packs, so never really need that much hanging space besides somewhere to hang our coats. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhotmBQmn_PfdgsIjk0wXzc7O0ikI9KygjQRCx94uWFgz0I25c5U-1T0b2B6BMPNe9erYR4sNSpt-QMZp2Dp3VnQZLLxPNKB4OUIQ2gPsE2Sno-mbSEQ5SrgjCoQIAEdniARpdU9TF5hO1O2TP-EXCKfSuhl9hwnN4dQ9fHZ2FKWdzMkpgqzaLQI1AwFQ=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhotmBQmn_PfdgsIjk0wXzc7O0ikI9KygjQRCx94uWFgz0I25c5U-1T0b2B6BMPNe9erYR4sNSpt-QMZp2Dp3VnQZLLxPNKB4OUIQ2gPsE2Sno-mbSEQ5SrgjCoQIAEdniARpdU9TF5hO1O2TP-EXCKfSuhl9hwnN4dQ9fHZ2FKWdzMkpgqzaLQI1AwFQ=w424-h640" width="424" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>A large wall mirror also added to the feeling of space, making the room feel much bigger than it was. The lack of bezels and frame made it feel like you had access to an adjoining room and that the room continued on.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWxDKPchi908-XhylGLWqcmYRefitjbi-U3XUY_LgR5fesPvO8Rar1nVjHDkhPOLnf1GyxD8Wl46wdKE8UERlzl_7n6IHP0DGLMj-5V5X6stKAlwJhcuIEdaVqsV69m-cwhLhmZZAnp0yks_DASzRgP0pYh09jl5yJsmQkmz8XDxQMHedgeJDinHDgfA=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWxDKPchi908-XhylGLWqcmYRefitjbi-U3XUY_LgR5fesPvO8Rar1nVjHDkhPOLnf1GyxD8Wl46wdKE8UERlzl_7n6IHP0DGLMj-5V5X6stKAlwJhcuIEdaVqsV69m-cwhLhmZZAnp0yks_DASzRgP0pYh09jl5yJsmQkmz8XDxQMHedgeJDinHDgfA=w424-h640" width="424" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Also can we talk about how on point the artwork and cushions were? How lovely is this contribution to the gallery wall from a local primary school pupil?</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHmBtTekn6aDD6QlVSgIX68NPDrpHEY3erwmPMPgqMmCOv2twfujTamFmC_4P34YC60zrdtbkfBYOM0jYZNxipH43yaJNDuMpu1xbdcV5gY53KabDYvrDaBXlzkp8tJXqPi-TymkTP0ym6q05eQfvl69_U9AAB9lmRyQR1lWfVhY-DWKGXjSoiHQo2MA=s4928"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHmBtTekn6aDD6QlVSgIX68NPDrpHEY3erwmPMPgqMmCOv2twfujTamFmC_4P34YC60zrdtbkfBYOM0jYZNxipH43yaJNDuMpu1xbdcV5gY53KabDYvrDaBXlzkp8tJXqPi-TymkTP0ym6q05eQfvl69_U9AAB9lmRyQR1lWfVhY-DWKGXjSoiHQo2MA=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUW1A7Z_QjxfNfYPqv2TtoGckZ6ufpnvISMBRw6c8JXXEdg3AAbKFsPc5UzQLn6Hc_mB8ZKMvfkrNYdjBcI3TnjHdHYEd7YxdIWruie8_1OlmX-OLJwE7HjUDPDZ8kQKzMsOoPiBe-CD9j962W4U7MdHByTa9R7KELvUO8F_OAILIdNx7wXglLzZFhag=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUW1A7Z_QjxfNfYPqv2TtoGckZ6ufpnvISMBRw6c8JXXEdg3AAbKFsPc5UzQLn6Hc_mB8ZKMvfkrNYdjBcI3TnjHdHYEd7YxdIWruie8_1OlmX-OLJwE7HjUDPDZ8kQKzMsOoPiBe-CD9j962W4U7MdHByTa9R7KELvUO8F_OAILIdNx7wXglLzZFhag=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6XB8kl9mUk-Il7F_VOxsTWl_vOknWbkzraihOCCgjwedT-Zq-DDzC23ZS6KTtf-rYyz1pAaxErITQq9I0JAY2s4wWqc16RlCn6ruqJUgutvOA5Rt80VLMVffi2uc6y9N1-m-eHGH7d43bllHR1QUUojnNu_s4yLRZgUI7iPvPMkX3Krd7D4z43xcU9Q=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6XB8kl9mUk-Il7F_VOxsTWl_vOknWbkzraihOCCgjwedT-Zq-DDzC23ZS6KTtf-rYyz1pAaxErITQq9I0JAY2s4wWqc16RlCn6ruqJUgutvOA5Rt80VLMVffi2uc6y9N1-m-eHGH7d43bllHR1QUUojnNu_s4yLRZgUI7iPvPMkX3Krd7D4z43xcU9Q=w424-h640" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0p5rEwBrXJXT57pgVEgbmcVLsctEsw4hMQdaQQEu1TKwyyS9bRuPqgbJcNcgHwiJ_ox0Ib3ccl098KYjxlvpnqQ64R7Ywh-OtF58gHim6U4tiDdQZ6rGC0QD5i1vYA498sAXSbGOl8E6jqEfZ1_2IPxvz9CUUCewkHhrFM5KA7iu-2ktP4Ih6DOy7eg=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0p5rEwBrXJXT57pgVEgbmcVLsctEsw4hMQdaQQEu1TKwyyS9bRuPqgbJcNcgHwiJ_ox0Ib3ccl098KYjxlvpnqQ64R7Ywh-OtF58gHim6U4tiDdQZ6rGC0QD5i1vYA498sAXSbGOl8E6jqEfZ1_2IPxvz9CUUCewkHhrFM5KA7iu-2ktP4Ih6DOy7eg=w424-h640" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">THE BATHROOM</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>The bathroom I took a lot of inspiration from, given that the bathroom back home could really do with a glow up and is of a similar size. The sink was a thing of beauty, as was the waterfall sbower. And the mirror with its soft lighting and heating meant this stayed mist-free post-shower.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbRjpKmtV024_e3TJ8SFLndjJW_F0phfnhC1RinaN7LRzI3cy3Ekh0OLsKA-bywYynQYAmFmis8xBxo611R5FeGZbRcPOdyJDFsTFozjxtvjD626Pfdf0hUY6nI0k24kliR0GZ5aCiHs2n5XArnVhEEyNS3ioO1lUQAtjuFqu6-rmS3aw92LQbVrsCDg=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbRjpKmtV024_e3TJ8SFLndjJW_F0phfnhC1RinaN7LRzI3cy3Ekh0OLsKA-bywYynQYAmFmis8xBxo611R5FeGZbRcPOdyJDFsTFozjxtvjD626Pfdf0hUY6nI0k24kliR0GZ5aCiHs2n5XArnVhEEyNS3ioO1lUQAtjuFqu6-rmS3aw92LQbVrsCDg=w424-h640" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div>Funny quirks we found:</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The artwork behind the toilet (super cute)</li><li>The tissue box contained one single tissue 😂</li><li>There was hand soap in the shower and shower gel at the sink</li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWluvFCRP43t1CTTp6j3xg3NVqYX6x2lfUwgqi87-Z6vCSOSzscCTveR-ypsnAoOr1JaYvglFOPO2Lhz5imeu1NooExWbftY-7VZziFe8d5gdiBfaH3tPnW_Gmo0hCVk3nEHjiRKzfUkKgt5YscukCgX_8L2Bw8bcGdnEBjBKXCxyPJ0TEvHp8EsrTpg=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWluvFCRP43t1CTTp6j3xg3NVqYX6x2lfUwgqi87-Z6vCSOSzscCTveR-ypsnAoOr1JaYvglFOPO2Lhz5imeu1NooExWbftY-7VZziFe8d5gdiBfaH3tPnW_Gmo0hCVk3nEHjiRKzfUkKgt5YscukCgX_8L2Bw8bcGdnEBjBKXCxyPJ0TEvHp8EsrTpg=w424-h640" width="424" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The latter was easy enough to resolve as the toiletteries easily slid in and out of their wall mounts, so we switched these over. Having all of these wall mounted as hand pumps rather than miniature bottles was a nice touch and much easier to deal with in the shower. And for the record, both the body wash and hand wash smelled heavenly. </div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTP4jAplryVVfzfuqZe6K42IQbw1PNHFWclS7E7IzJQcSUNtu318RzVylc1QhMsvxGS_gFYKZ7q_k_5TvsfLpbF2WIHNkT8Uzx094tSYaXYz851Zcr_Q6S-cRg55vuO9mcjxkGhnvgou51loDInF77vmEPb5cfjtco-HkG7Rl6KnfLSuaNlyN20HDZJA=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTP4jAplryVVfzfuqZe6K42IQbw1PNHFWclS7E7IzJQcSUNtu318RzVylc1QhMsvxGS_gFYKZ7q_k_5TvsfLpbF2WIHNkT8Uzx094tSYaXYz851Zcr_Q6S-cRg55vuO9mcjxkGhnvgou51loDInF77vmEPb5cfjtco-HkG7Rl6KnfLSuaNlyN20HDZJA=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKX5iG8RKZ4VIcDOR7CORSCA9AhDFGgkZJ7LjH_VMF2EthBFgLlprU919spape1M3rB2vLyM8AOzUMdnaMODi9MN7WdfnPJkosESE5N73e1Q4Wb4DFMU16JcsRI5lJpE9mYzqmu8A9Lt48_d01lzcD_L_LXKUv8H6xL2zn0BRRqlz9KT9vXHCfEV1W6g=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKX5iG8RKZ4VIcDOR7CORSCA9AhDFGgkZJ7LjH_VMF2EthBFgLlprU919spape1M3rB2vLyM8AOzUMdnaMODi9MN7WdfnPJkosESE5N73e1Q4Wb4DFMU16JcsRI5lJpE9mYzqmu8A9Lt48_d01lzcD_L_LXKUv8H6xL2zn0BRRqlz9KT9vXHCfEV1W6g=w424-h640" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div><b style="font-size: x-large;">ROOM EXTRAS</b></div><div><br /></div><div>No robes or slippers are provided at the Hampton by Hilton York Piccadilly, which I was surprised about given the Hilton brand (maybe this is a Hampton thing?). But there were some nice other touches. Including quirky leather handles on the chest of drawsers and a rather snazzy SMEG fridge which we used to keep our large water bottles cold in. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoFyPT1Elkye6ZyOY5FKyqmiEjXqssuC2jj393UxwPSdRziyDSXj7UphKI5AZLySbqLB7svt7FXvUFsSQ4zZjkvFEQcP8tjNKsSSwgkc4plgY6AUmX_SxNVpXwoCj_pgcOXj0etUxrDJRmzJ3KVgGFem_9lSIO67Rv4rTErERk9zIdoVC-64H51c3uMw=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoFyPT1Elkye6ZyOY5FKyqmiEjXqssuC2jj393UxwPSdRziyDSXj7UphKI5AZLySbqLB7svt7FXvUFsSQ4zZjkvFEQcP8tjNKsSSwgkc4plgY6AUmX_SxNVpXwoCj_pgcOXj0etUxrDJRmzJ3KVgGFem_9lSIO67Rv4rTErERk9zIdoVC-64H51c3uMw=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGmbYuCE7lf78QBDg7bH5alfKLk4PlpQExzSaZebcriNqp487h2CRWvl1GiDKY8x3QyMm7tUUZY0rEtofIiYOWl4xuh8kn7Cj9zDYAGiBf527ma-XalUOnc-LIJMVQ_IkSJ1QpavQyqmTO1ImlDOnPBOH0DgvACXiL8N7_U2vJreHbjwLe5F3BX_6o4w=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGmbYuCE7lf78QBDg7bH5alfKLk4PlpQExzSaZebcriNqp487h2CRWvl1GiDKY8x3QyMm7tUUZY0rEtofIiYOWl4xuh8kn7Cj9zDYAGiBf527ma-XalUOnc-LIJMVQ_IkSJ1QpavQyqmTO1ImlDOnPBOH0DgvACXiL8N7_U2vJreHbjwLe5F3BX_6o4w=w424-h640" width="424" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>The tea and coffee station came in useful, especially when visiting York during the colder months. But there wasn't a great deal of choice if like me, you don't drink coffee or standard tea. As a heads up, York's Christmas market closes fairly early (around 6 ish) so my idea of bringing hot drinks back to the room after dinner didn't work out. And none of the big coffee chains are open that late either. Fortunately there were two supermarkets a few minutes walk away from the hotel where we found individual sachets of hot chocolate for about 40p each, so that did the job nicely. I did discover the next morning that the hotel has herbal tea available at breakfast along with a hot drink making station, so maybe next time I'd ask at reception to see if I could use it after hours and bring hot drinks up to the room.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>LOCATION</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Hampton by Hilton York Piccadilly is located smack bang in the middle of the York city centre, close to main attractions like the JORVIK centre, and within walking distance to Clifford's Tower and York Castle museum. At night we discovered lots of great looking restaurants nearby, so you don't need to venture that far from the hotel to find a good meal. Also with the added benefit of both Sainsburys and Tesco supermarkets nearby which we used to stock up on hot chocolate and large bottles of water. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE HOTEL ITSELF</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The lobby and corridors smelt really clean which was a promising start - especially during a global pandemic. There were seals on the doors so you knew that you were the first ones entering the room since it had been cleaned, and other notices around the hotel detailed the hotel's cleaning procedures. This was a nice touch and for my first experience of travelling in a COVID-19 world, inspired confidence and gave me reassurance during my stay.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiv4SZMxlyiOS_9qRXEobuWpn8ZI9FQK5Aahk3h7HrejK0OlI0KX_hYrEd2Khb9gsORPNU69pRZWyD4zAeRPz-lIvwikr-umy3xlZhpqkDIgZAMmtIpHBTCFIkibBZ81Orsg6mgljiOIHU3IXRlE39Y1cYee26rbh7dCJVbMRqbkDJH6zTyiZOsoJeZA=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiv4SZMxlyiOS_9qRXEobuWpn8ZI9FQK5Aahk3h7HrejK0OlI0KX_hYrEd2Khb9gsORPNU69pRZWyD4zAeRPz-lIvwikr-umy3xlZhpqkDIgZAMmtIpHBTCFIkibBZ81Orsg6mgljiOIHU3IXRlE39Y1cYee26rbh7dCJVbMRqbkDJH6zTyiZOsoJeZA=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnlQgnhCx_9dxOzSRKdI-ntRnxcWkpGNMmBFwxsPUWRY9bTi2Xz95FxwtTxxx9yUN0cqtxtm7Go9SR89WyeoJIk6oKVvjwGMCwmcvfGueBaaI5zsjrqXQ6CbG7SnPeHcFAPtOyvhQ6OlOO_Tz8DKkIvYKdav4RshoNVOhHJbJYxqtB4-Zq2xoAUxndEA=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnlQgnhCx_9dxOzSRKdI-ntRnxcWkpGNMmBFwxsPUWRY9bTi2Xz95FxwtTxxx9yUN0cqtxtm7Go9SR89WyeoJIk6oKVvjwGMCwmcvfGueBaaI5zsjrqXQ6CbG7SnPeHcFAPtOyvhQ6OlOO_Tz8DKkIvYKdav4RshoNVOhHJbJYxqtB4-Zq2xoAUxndEA=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>As the hotel was newly opened, everything was in a good state of repair and looked as new. The interiors were on point, including a beautiful lobby with sofas and comfortable seating in a myriad of different purples and blues. This was my favourite place to sit in the morning and I would have happily sat there longer if we hadn't pre-booked our activities (a new requirement during COVID times). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqNS--oUWBp5zQpUXrdFYSZ3eyVFtb8HYuOSC7EIJWLdZJOYMIre-WGVfcn2lpPmbOi8pLLZSAuyZrTofPpVaAu3-JOtjLhU7Q2McuucH3LFZBbmyr2jikPdDPkJFxhvYfBKjmGkKMeoLwle3dEm0zyXSTQxdJsZRKRH7R5hGGG01pCduENdEK4Jv_Q/s4928/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20lobby%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqNS--oUWBp5zQpUXrdFYSZ3eyVFtb8HYuOSC7EIJWLdZJOYMIre-WGVfcn2lpPmbOi8pLLZSAuyZrTofPpVaAu3-JOtjLhU7Q2McuucH3LFZBbmyr2jikPdDPkJFxhvYfBKjmGkKMeoLwle3dEm0zyXSTQxdJsZRKRH7R5hGGG01pCduENdEK4Jv_Q/w640-h424/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20lobby%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXc9ACjKotCQ5HhowF87tatQIQzKfNUPsZPWSbZPwM_A6o32b96itbp_umwiw_zgRRhSZKFLNu_m0WsgokiQ9Wl8GXIxCj61hAfthxSeI8Fxd1iUjBlERdb3GhlnYkC_RWqgy08pTlXUHQUGtyx_05OGmjFpn4ADDtMd9o9rouH14-1WBUTNqHzCuFTA/s4928/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20reception%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXc9ACjKotCQ5HhowF87tatQIQzKfNUPsZPWSbZPwM_A6o32b96itbp_umwiw_zgRRhSZKFLNu_m0WsgokiQ9Wl8GXIxCj61hAfthxSeI8Fxd1iUjBlERdb3GhlnYkC_RWqgy08pTlXUHQUGtyx_05OGmjFpn4ADDtMd9o9rouH14-1WBUTNqHzCuFTA/w640-h424/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20reception%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>And can we talk about how cute the bird lighting is?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMuqJgCyAvUCt0yUEfT5IZk1L9c5kNnW1q3Fc6vwrEkSe_3pG2ScLerQTuuvMWKsTf9l4TvHHNbvvuJEP8mn1dc1sHUzCAF7V5tOf4CK7w4REXIr0EYXCyiUgX6IO7e6-784ZG-e_k0E_SpCtTSLcd_JOefFxZ8lHgYBnW_jsTOttInUpoA8LX-aMMA/s4928/Bird%20lighting%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMuqJgCyAvUCt0yUEfT5IZk1L9c5kNnW1q3Fc6vwrEkSe_3pG2ScLerQTuuvMWKsTf9l4TvHHNbvvuJEP8mn1dc1sHUzCAF7V5tOf4CK7w4REXIr0EYXCyiUgX6IO7e6-784ZG-e_k0E_SpCtTSLcd_JOefFxZ8lHgYBnW_jsTOttInUpoA8LX-aMMA/w640-h424/Bird%20lighting%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-QF37rKdpRho5wyIh4t4PaiccThPIXoaDn5-8c3diyyaHRruYFXN4Bf5T-lENijeWNwmwGAJMuIcwsE2EQ0EKcbVapLRkClYFwNtpgZwSzU0FxRfMT_2PNLCnOBu359nk0i51ifOv9vMmZVzB4SKzYpcVstfEpaaXZaTChuTm7cWVmN56PxZVmjVLw/s4928/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20breakfast%20seating%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-QF37rKdpRho5wyIh4t4PaiccThPIXoaDn5-8c3diyyaHRruYFXN4Bf5T-lENijeWNwmwGAJMuIcwsE2EQ0EKcbVapLRkClYFwNtpgZwSzU0FxRfMT_2PNLCnOBu359nk0i51ifOv9vMmZVzB4SKzYpcVstfEpaaXZaTChuTm7cWVmN56PxZVmjVLw/w424-h640/Hampton%20by%20Hilton%20York%20Piccadilly%20breakfast%20seating%20-%20Curiouser%20and%20Curiouser.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>RATES AND PACKAGES</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Our hotel stay included breakfast whereas lots of the other hotels I was looking at did not. We'd originally planned to have breakfast out, but given that the room at the Hampton by Hilton York Piccadilly was cheaper than lots of the other hotels we were looking at AND included breakfast, it would have been rude not to!</div><div><br /></div><div>There was a generous breakfast spread which included both continental and cooked options, along with fresh juices and a hot drink station which included hot chocolate and a generous selection of herbal teas. Food on offer included fruit, bread, cereals, yoghurts, pastries, cooked breakfast options and freshly cooked waffles with a wealth of toppings. </div><div><br /></div><div>The waffle maker looked good fun and with Hampton by Hilton being a client at a previous job of mine and supplying a waffle breakfast to my team, <i>I knew</i> that their waffles were insanely good. However the waffle making contraption I couldn't get my head around first thing in the morning where the brain fog is real. Logistically it would have better if the waffles could have been pre-made and available at the hot food counter or made to order. Especially in COVID times where you may not want to touch things that other people have.</div><div><br /></div><div>As we had quite a taxing and long day of walking ahead of us, we opted for a cooked breakfast. This is something we don't have very often and we have as an occasional treat. The cooked offerings are available buffet style to help yourself. All very nice, but not the most extensive for choice. I probably would have preferred a fried egg or poached egg as their only egg option - scrambled egg - was on the pale side and a little under for my liking. As well as more egg choice, the buffet could have also done with some mushrooms (one of my favourite things to have on toast in the mornings). The mini hash browns however were a stroke of genius. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjumHLJQLhHKYVdtQLjlNyvHszi2dKLFpMoPFffNbGh9fIzYwAHEJe9y5PJWyye3zTI5nfk4YEym05zTUB_3q98Gt2A8__AnnwPoFxACDbhLK7_pMePk1uDBvpSYWYzujLG2KnycCyfGKcZCUobgL4rZOdmeiMwxHxZ6Pxjk39s2wn4YfROsp3usz-JQg=s4928" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjumHLJQLhHKYVdtQLjlNyvHszi2dKLFpMoPFffNbGh9fIzYwAHEJe9y5PJWyye3zTI5nfk4YEym05zTUB_3q98Gt2A8__AnnwPoFxACDbhLK7_pMePk1uDBvpSYWYzujLG2KnycCyfGKcZCUobgL4rZOdmeiMwxHxZ6Pxjk39s2wn4YfROsp3usz-JQg=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The hot chocolate from the hot drink machine comes highly recommended. I went back for a second - which is high praise indeed! - and took it back to the room while we were getting ready to go out.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SUMMARY</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>As a newer hotel, this has been done to a high spec and feels modern and well designed. The bench seating in the room was a clever use of space, but not the most comfortable. It definitely needed the provided cushions. I imagine the fold out bed wouldn't be all that comfortable either, so a word of caution if you are a party of three coming for a York city stay. The fold out bed would be more suited to children or young adults, not for the elderly. </div><div><br /></div><div>The downside of the trip was a noise complaint in our room on the second floor. The room had a high pitched noise tht we discovered later that evening after coming back from dinner and it continued all night. And by that time, it was too late to ask to be moved. There was also a continuous dripping noise coming from my side of the bed, sounding like it was coming from overhead or by the window. It sounded like there was a leak somewhere in the buiding. My partner hones into noises very easily and won't sleep, whereas I can sleep through pretty much anything. For this to affect me too, this speaks volumes. Both noises kept us both awake all night long defeating one of the main purposes of a hotel - getting a good night's sleep. Despite being in centre of town, you couldn't hear any outside noise even with buses passing constantly. So having the high pitched ringing and a possible leak coming from inside the room were irritating. </div><div><br /></div><div>I contacted the hotel afterwards and have had two responses since - one from the reception desk, the other from corporate. The reception desk informed me that it was likely rain dripping off the roof which I would gladly accept as an excuse if it had been raining(!) It was dry for the entirety of our trip. Corporate is taking our complaint a little more seriously and is more in-line with the customer service you would expect from a Hilton.</div><div><br /></div><div>Would I stay again? I absolutely loved the room and the hotel, but the room noises have put my guard up a little, and I fear coming back and having another sleepless night. Admittedly it could have been a isolated issue for that particular room or floor two, which may have since been resolved. Here's hoping.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Update:</b> Hampton by Hilton apologised and invited me back for a complimentary stay. Whilst the leak had been resolved, the high pitched noise was still present and we managed to trace this back to the TV. We wanted to turn the TV off or unplug it to test this theory, but didn't have access to a plug as this was hidden in the wall, so the TV had to remain on standby with that high pitched noise all night long. Whilst I managed to sleep a little this time, it was still a disturbed night and for this reason, I sadly won't be staying again.</div>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-28950031541130960242021-02-15T12:14:00.004+00:002021-02-15T16:41:56.299+00:006 Miss Selfridge items in my basket lately<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXx3cTc3stZ3gJRZOwFTA4hAKjLZEvVeSpRuHzhQSXId-Xk-5RLVO8LqO8ZCN2Y0ggI3p1lb848gPEpwoBl5hKJq4IUyD9CGS4IRXhN4WQSHmRyW65QX6JQ9ozjiymf0azBMaGeR_NrRlB/s1102/6+things+filling+my+Miss+Selfridge+basket+lately+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXx3cTc3stZ3gJRZOwFTA4hAKjLZEvVeSpRuHzhQSXId-Xk-5RLVO8LqO8ZCN2Y0ggI3p1lb848gPEpwoBl5hKJq4IUyD9CGS4IRXhN4WQSHmRyW65QX6JQ9ozjiymf0azBMaGeR_NrRlB/w427-h640/6+things+filling+my+Miss+Selfridge+basket+lately+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><i>This post was written before the recent </i></span><span style="text-align: left;"><i>acquisition </i></span><i>of Miss Selfridge by ASOS.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><i>To locate the featured products - or similar - head on over <a href="https://www.asos.com/search/?q=miss+selfridge" target="_blank">here</a></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The hit skirt you may have seen on Instagram</span></b></div><p>Admittedly the product images for this skirt aren't especially captivating (light green wrap around skirt as above) however I saw someone wearing it on Instagram and this was the selling factor for me. And turns out I'm not alone as the influencer picture is now on the product listing (well <i>was</i>, before the Miss Selfridge website went down).</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The print on this floaty maxi dress</span></b></p><p>It's just so versatile. I can imagine this dress being perfect for city breaks, tropical holidays, after work cocktails, date night and brunch with the girls. Like waaaay in the future when we're actually <i>allowed</i> to do these things ;) I ordered my normal size but it didn't seem to have enough space in the boob department. Miss Selfridge had a 20% off discount code so I re-ordered the same dress (top left as above) and also in the size up to compare. The size up came up too big on me. Oddly the size that was too small before was perfect on the second attempt. What I didn't realise is that the dress has ties that can loosened or tightened accordingly (doh!).</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">The LOOK AT ME bag</b></p><p>I am trying to be more mindful of the environment so when I last worked in an office environment many moons ago pre Covid I made a conscious effort to stop using plastic bags and switch them out for totes. The tote bag I have is from a blogger event but the biege colour isn't practical for every day life. I also carried around a miniature handbag, the strap of which rubbed against the tote bag and stained it. Said stain is burgundy so could very feasibly be a wine stain given my love of red wine. Whilst I was considering a black tote with a suitably witty remark on it, this mustard macrame bag (as above) jumped out at me as it's a little more aesthetically pleasing than a carrying a large black rectangle around with you. Easily my best find of the year (was £28, in the sale for just £7).</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The floral print bardot dress of dreams</b></span></p><p>This dress is just so effortlessly cool. I'm not always a fan of that elasticated corseting detail on dresses (very compressing on the boobs) but if the cut of the dress is right, it can be really flattering. Especially with a bardot neckline like this one. <i>This dress has since sold out but the same print can be found on their tea dress version <a href="https://www.asos.com/miss-selfridge-petite/miss-selfridge-petite-poplin-tea-dress-in-blue-floral/prd/21233953?colourwayid=60149624&SearchQuery=miss%20selfridge" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The fluffy knit that looks blue but is apparently grey </b></span></p><p>I'm baffled too. It's blue right? <i>Now sold out but a sneak peek available in top right hand image</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Itsy bitsy teenie weenie polka dot bikini</span></b></p><p>What's better than polka dots? <i>Rainbow polka dots! </i>I love the <a href="https://www.bluebellgray.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BlueBellGray</a> essence of the watercolour polka dots on <a href="https://www.asos.com/miss-selfridge/miss-selfridge-bikini-set-in-multi-spot-print/grp/29354?colourwayid=60015976#20189670&SearchQuery=miss%20selfridge" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this</a> bikini set which help transform a simple white bikini to something much more special. Currently in the sale with discounts within the 49-58% range, it's definitely tempting! </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-large;">Which items are your favourites?</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>You may also like: </b><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/06/things-filling-my-asos-basket-lately.html" target="_blank">11 things filling my ASOS basket lately</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<script src="https://www.dwin2.com/pub.219599.min.js"></script>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-6458573090112729752021-02-10T12:03:00.004+00:002023-01-12T08:52:56.591+00:00Future plans for our dining room // a dining room mood boardA slightly different approach to <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/06/future-plans-for-our-hallway.html" target="_blank">my hallway mood board</a> as unlike the hallway, the dining room transformation is already under way! You can follow progress on my extension <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lucy_angele/" target="_blank">here</a> on Instagram stories. <br /><br /><font size="5"><b>THE PREVIOUS DINING ROOM</b></font><br /><br /><div>The previous kitchen diner was a lovely bright space with a large picture window framing the view of the garden, a galley kitchen one side of the room, a peninsula divider, and IKEA cabinetry fitted into the fireplace alcove on the other side of the room with translucent doors which bounced the light around further, as did glossy marble effect floor tiles. This room was magnolia like all other rooms of the house (the previous owner's work).</div><div><br /></div><div><font size="5"><b>PROBLEM POINTS</b></font></div><div><br /></div><div>The marble floor tiles although beautiful, were largely white with grey veining so showed every speck of dirt and had zero practicality. The dining part of the kitchen diner was really compact. The previous owner's wooden dining table (which he took with him) ate up all the space so we opted for a glass dining table to give the illusion of space. But even with a glass table, the space was still tight. We hosted eight for a dinner party once and it was pretty snug. Thinking ahead to the future, we knew there was no space for the pitter patter of little feet to run around in.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>IDEAS</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>We wanted to create a contemporary look room but at the same time, we are heavily influenced by French style. We love visiting Versailles and all manner of historical stately homes, so were after a similar statement floor to give our characterless house some, well, character. We pick up a lot of inspiration from French bistros and restaurants and seeing as we haven't been doing a whole lot of that since the global pandemic(!) we wanted to bring that essence home to enjoy every day. </div><div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FUTURE PLANS FOR THE DINING ROOM</b></span><br /></div><br /><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/AVvXsEgpsKgojvb7o2AByMsqB4ps0ktX5bTPtvzydRj5T7Bfbw36X0ps8SVcXmgc9MDY-CO6q7o5uajxNko6G13Jeie1_jnGVxyOrwri1IWSDTZMi22vqzgpYdVnLrNcyWHRc_d5QnYCT2LVHFL4/s931/Dining+room+mood+board+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="931" height="601" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpsKgojvb7o2AByMsqB4ps0ktX5bTPtvzydRj5T7Bfbw36X0ps8SVcXmgc9MDY-CO6q7o5uajxNko6G13Jeie1_jnGVxyOrwri1IWSDTZMi22vqzgpYdVnLrNcyWHRc_d5QnYCT2LVHFL4/w640-h601/Dining+room+mood+board+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dining room mood board / Future plans for our dining room</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Flooring </b>- Wooden herringbone flooring was high on my wish list...until I found out how much it costs. Laying that aesthetically pleasing pattern takes time and labour can cost as much as the actual flooring (essentially doubling your cost), if not more. Also being in lockdown we couldn't go out and look at flooring, and there was no way I was blindly buying flooring online without seeing it or touching it first. Also after ordering samples, I learnt that the colours online never quite look the same IRL. In the end we opted for a wood effect tile (easier to maintain plus suitable for use with underfloor heating). We chose the above criss cross pattern which interlocks and creates one large pattern. It won't be everyone's cup of tea I'm sure, but for us it reminded us of French bistrots, French chateaux and French parquet flooring. I was pretty nervous as I hadn't seen anyone else with this flooring, but have zero regrets. It makes the room. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Lighting</b> - The navy blue chandelier that came with the house was a little old school, but I did ask the builder to save it as I had other plans for it. When it came to replacing the light, I wanted to warm up the decor a little with a gold or brass light fitting. A Next light fitting I loved went out of stock and any Tom Dixon lighting was out of the question due to cost (sob). I love sputnik lighting but Mr Curiouser and Curiouser wasn't so sure. Turns out we are polar opposites when it comes to opinions on lighting. The one and only light we agreed on was the above beauty from MADE. It's contemporary, it's brass, it doesn't have millions of annoying bulbs to change and having LEDs makes it a lot more efficient to run. Plus the shape mimicks the flooring and our dining table. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Table</b> - We already own the above table which was purchased to give the illusion of space in our old kitchen diner. The glass is good and thick so deals with heat well, and any spills can be wiped up easily. This will likely be replaced in the future for an extendable table now we have more space. Maybe a nice wooden number. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Seating</b> - Our Next dining chairs have seen better days. I feel like the cats sense my frustration with them and are 'helping' by ripping them to shreds. In the short term I'm thinking of investing in some velvet chair covers like <a href="https://www.maisonsdumonde.com/UK/en/p/peacock-blue-velvet-chair-cover-margaux-188947.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these</a> (colour still TBC) or having a go at upholstering them myself. But long term I would like to invest in some restaurant style bench seating to create that cafe / bistrot feel. I have already bookmarked pink and blue velvet chairs from <a href="https://www.danetti.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Danetti</a> (as above) to create a more relaxed dining experience with friends and family. Our new extension isn't one of these massive open plan kitchen / dining / living room affairs, so having a dining bench or sofa would make this a versatile space.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Decoration</b> - The fireplace is the main focus of the room and sits alongside the dining table. The previous chimney breast was a crooked affair and has now been made good. It's currently white to contrast against our dark cupboards but in the future I'd like to cover this with a statement wallpaper like <a href="https://www.woodchipandmagnolia.co.uk/collections/botanical-wallpaper/products/ava-marika-electric-floral-wallpaper-wm-104" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this</a> floral design and add a wooden mantel and an industrial style mirror like or a circular mirror. The void in the fireplace used to hold our booze collection but I'm planning to switch this out for a hurricane vase to display lit candles or pampas grass. I also want to incorporate some greenery in big pots and maybe some trailing plants like ivy on the alcove cupboards to provide a link to the garden. The dining room wall is also plain white for now but a future project is injecting some character with panelling and getting some artwork up. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Storage</b> - My vision was to replace the IKEA cupboards with something special and feeling inspired by Versailles' Hall of Mirrors, I was after mirrored cupboard doors. I had a specific company in mind and contacted them with the alcove measurements and asked for a quote. The sales rep I spoke to never got back to me. Their social media team promised they would chase this up for me. Still nothing. When said company lost access to their Instagram account and wanted support re-building their social media following, I asked if their level of customer service would be any better on this new account. They were horrified that I'd been ignored all this time and were ready to help me THEN but by that stage, the new cupboards were already in so they'd lost my business. Whilst I'd still love to have mirrored doors in the future, I at least now know which company to avoid! The cupboards that <i>have</i> been fitted are disappointing if I'm honest. In terms of look, they feel very flat. My future project is to try and mock up the mirrored look in some capacity or try applying my own panelling to get the look of the above Maisons du Monde wardrobe (dark interiors for the win!)</div><div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Which items are your favourites?</b></span></div></div>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-73764277278148889602021-01-22T12:51:00.001+00:002021-10-09T18:36:05.057+01:00Money diary // Christmas without a kitchen and goodbye Matalan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PNPSTrlMihv3A5QuP1lbFOlPlj7Qar2-Fw_7kfBOv7OmBB1euoQn7XK_wdGvKlOFgi7_GCTklgxHXtl7Fse5Pf82javHXCGdbSrQ0NTD3A5jTjuzVZ8MTVx6HtxQ0CXsM1gpB3-TLzQ5/s2048/Curiouser+and+Curiouser+-+Christmas+without+a+kitchen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PNPSTrlMihv3A5QuP1lbFOlPlj7Qar2-Fw_7kfBOv7OmBB1euoQn7XK_wdGvKlOFgi7_GCTklgxHXtl7Fse5Pf82javHXCGdbSrQ0NTD3A5jTjuzVZ8MTVx6HtxQ0CXsM1gpB3-TLzQ5/w640-h426/Curiouser+and+Curiouser+-+Christmas+without+a+kitchen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MONDAY</b></span></p><p>We are a few months into building works and have no kitchen so we've lost our sink, cooker and washing machine. All during a global pandemic. We've had to completely change the way we cook and what we eat. We did once wonder if we'd constantly be getting takeways but we've mostly managed to avoid this and have been really behaved. It is undisputedly a lot cheaper cooking yourself than ordering takeway or eating out. </p><p>It's been especially tough without a washing machine. Luckily we know of a great little laundrette with marvelous rates. Otherwise known as my family ;) We've got into a little routine as I don't want to be hounding them every week. We meet up every 2 weeks for a socially distanced swap (dropping the dirty, collecting the clean) however lockdown has since put a stop to that.</p><p>Being the amazing people that they are, they have brought over boxes of food (well, pre-lockdown) so we have some easy meals that we can microwave. To date we have had a veggie curry, beef stew, dhaal, a moroccan fish stew and tonight we have meatballs.</p><p>Today I order the next batch of birthday cards for birthdays this month. I'm still doing the surveys in my spare time to go towards our card fund. It's usually peanuts but there are occasionally some gems when you can earn a nice amount for only a few minutes of your time.</p><p>One of the biggest joys of 2020 was how I re-connected with one of my good friends. We'd sadly lost touch over the years but there are some friendships that are meant to be and it's like no time has passed at all. With her birthday card and Christmas card already in the mail, I order her a little something for her to open on her birthday. </p><div style="text-align: center;">___________________</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Greetings cards </b>- £4.58</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Birthday gift </b>- £22.00</div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£26.58</span></b><br />____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>TUESDAY</b></span></p><p>Today we tried our first ever slow cooker dhaal. It was such an effortless recipe. Yellow split peas and a variety of other ingredients and spices into the slow cooker before work in the morning and then after work, hey presto! It had a bit of bite to it so I may soak the dried peas overnight next time, but flavour wise, it tasted pretty authentic and was chuffed to bits with it. </p><p>My find of the day: TeaPigs (bear with me).</p><p>TeaPigs and me go way back. I once received a box of their <a href="https://www.teapigs.co.uk/products/rhubarb-ginger-tea?_pos=1&_sid=ba2743687&_ss=r" target="_blank">rhubarb and ginger tea</a><span style="color: #323232;"> at a blogger event in a goodie bag. I don't even like rhubarb but this tea is seriously good. I also </span><span style="color: #323232;">got my sister into them too and seeing as she doesn't do tea in any capacity, it's the ultimate </span>compliment. </p><div><span style="color: #323232;">The problem is that you never see this particular flavour at the supermarket. So starting last year, I started ordering directly from the Teapigs website <a href="https://www.teapigs.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a> as it was the only place I could find it. </span></div><div><span style="color: #323232;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #323232;">This time last year I bought my sister some but also some different flavours for the office to bulk up the order as it's a minimum £15 spend for free delivery.</span></div><div><span style="color: #323232;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #323232;">This year they are doing a job lot of tea in a bundle offer.</span> Monetary wise it sounds like a lot to be spending on tea, but as I have £10 left in my budget for my sister, I can give half the boxes at Christmas which will keep her going until her birthday when she can have the next lot as part of her birthday gift.<span style="color: #323232;"><br /></span><div><span style="color: #323232;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #323232;">Admittedly it's nicer to receive the tin as a gift, but the tin is less good value for money (and she has already has a tin from me from another time), so boxes it is.<br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline" /></span><div><br /></div></div><div>When I ordered this time last year one of my favourite flavours was Apple and Cinnamon so imagine my joy when I found this great hack.</div><div><br /></div><div>Basically if you order from Tea Pigs and have a basket of £15 or more, if you add a box of x15 Apple and Cinnamon tea bags and enter the promo code APPLE, you get that box free.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last year I added on a box of these for myself and I could again this year - but this time they were FREE</div><div><span style="color: #323232;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #323232;"><div style="color: black; text-align: center;">___________________</div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><b>A LOT OF TEA </b>- £22.94</div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£22.94</span></b><br />____________________</div></span></div><div><span class="gmail-order-summary__emphasis" style="color: #323232;"></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>WEDNESDAY</b></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Christmas gift wise I haven't gone too crazy this year. I started a spreadsheet last year to manage my spending and adopted it again this year. With the pandemic, there is a lot of financial uncertainty and I didn't want to stretch myself in case either of us are out of work. Plus we're regularly paying installments for building works which is a pretty signifcant drain on the finances(!).</div><div><br /></div><div>I did a lot of my shopping earlier in the year and made use of sales and Black Friday to make my money stretch further. I also sourced discount codes and used <a href="https://www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/lucyangele" target="_blank">TopCashBack</a> where I could (really recommend signing up if you haven't already!). Some sites I hadn't ordered from before so could use their new customer discount code. If you already have an account, you can always get around this by setting up a new account with a new email address.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also recommend shopping around. I ordered some chocolate to form part of Mr Curiouser and Curiouser's Christmas gift and found it cheaper on the Next website than directly through Hotel Chocolat - weird!</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b><br />____________________</div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">THURSDAY</span></b></p><p>I've been really disappointed with some of the delivery services lately. I ordered a few gifts from Marks & Spencer and at checkout was asked if I wanted to reduce carbon emissions and receive as one delivery rather than multiple parcels (always yes). Despite ticking this box, I received my order in 4 or 5 parcels. A couple of parcels contained a single (small) item nestled amongst a crazy amount of packaging. I'm sure you can understand how annoying it is to answer the door every day and all times of the day, not to mention incredibly wasteful in terms of cardboard boxes and packaging. There are so many companies that need to work on their eco footprint. </p><p>We continue to cook in bulk, freeze leftovers, and defrost the batches we made pre-building works <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/11/money-diary-building-works-and-life-without-a-kitchen.html" target="_blank">here</a> (still going strong!)</p><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b><br />____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FRIDAY</b></span></p><p>Ok, so Matalan has overtaken Marks & Spencer in the irritation department. My parcel came in the nick of time before Christmas but I discover that they have sent slippers with two left feet and also that an item is missing. I ordered pyjamas a gift where you had to order the top and bottom components separately. I ordered a silky camisole, trousers and also shorts so it was interchangeable for different times of the year. The trousers and shorts turned up, the top did not. When I reported the missing item, I got told it was now out of stock. So I now have an complete set that I can no longer give as a gift. If I was in-store and the top wasn't there, I wouldn't have bought the trousers and shorts. Same for online. If their stock levels were accurate on their website, I wouldn't have ordered half the set without the top. </p><p>Matalan customer services have been an absolute nightmare and are unwilling to help. There is a no returns label in the parcel so I would have to pay to return the items even though the error was on their side. This is ridiculous out of principle. I have been shielding for the sake of my family and given the pandemic, I don't feel comfortable going to a post office right now. </p><p>Customer services 'helpfully' stated that I could return the items to store (again going outside) which is nonsense given there is a national lockdown and stores are currently closed. Also I don't have a store near to me which is why I always shop online. Matalan customer services have since stopped responding to me. I am done with this ridiculous company. With so many companies going under since the pandemic, you would have thought that customer satisfaction and maintaining company reputation would have been of upmost importance right now. Goodbye Matalan. </p><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b><br />____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">SATURDAY</span></b></p><p>One of my favourite discoveries of the year has been jerk chicken wraps. I ordered a Levi Roots meal kit in an online shop and fell in love with his Reggae Reggae sauce which is a sweet BBQ sauce with the heat of Scotch bonnet chillies. The meal kit is much like a fajita kit. It contains wraps, sauce and a sachet of seasoning which you stir-fry with your protein source and veg. The jerk seasoning in the kit was disappointing and didn't taste of much so I was determined that I could re-create a tastier version for less (meal kit £3.30). I used chicken and veg I already had and bought wraps (95p), jerk seasoning (90p) and the star of the show, Reggae Reggae sauce (£1.50). Whilst these incredients exceed the price of the kit, you only need a small amount of the jerk seasoning and Reggae Reggae sauce (especially the latter which is <i>spicy</i>) so it equates to a low cost per use each time. Meaning that it's overall much cheaper than the meat kit (AND a lot tastier). Warning, if you're a chilli wuss like me, trial a few drops of the Reggae Reggae sauce first - it is HOT!</p><div style="text-align: center;"><div>___________________</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tortilla wraps </b>- £0.95</div><div><b>Jerk seasoning </b>- £0.90</div><div><b>Reggae Reggae sauce</b> - £1.50</div><div>____________________<br /><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£3.35</span></b><br />____________________</div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>SUNDAY</b></span></p><p>Today I'm inconsolable as we learn we can't spend Christmas with the family. It's the first Christmas <i>since my birth</i> that I won't be with them and it's really hitting me hard. With the year we've had, it was something I was really looking forward to. </p><p>I posted on social months ago pleading for people not to take risks and be stupid and cancel Christmas for everyone. And look what happened. I've seen it all. The people who have one 'bubble' one day and a different one the next. Our neighbours who constantly had friends over during lockdown. Whilst they're not British, if you choose to go and live in another country, you need to abide by that country's lockdown rules. Large groups of people in London not social distancing the eve before a new enforcement. People who went on UK mini breaks during UK lockdown when they should have been home (travel is a privilege not a right!). 2020 was the year that highlighted those with intelligence who are sensible and those that are godamn stupid. And sadly we have more of the latter in this country. </p><p>I made so many sacrifices in 2020 hoping things would get better. I listened to the guidelines. We barely saw our friends and family. Some of my best friends gave birth and I haven't been able to meet their babies. I haven't physically been to a supermarket since before the first lockdown in March 2020. I haven't travelled. I stayed at home. I took extra care of myself so I could step in to help my vulnerable and at risk family if anything was to happen to them. </p><p>It felt like a year of sacrifices for a non Christmas. We still don't have a kitchen so can't even cook a roast here. I have preemptively ordered a gammon, turkey and a beef joint for Christmas, all which can be popped into the slow cooker. I may not be able to do roast turkey or roast beef, but this year will be an alternative sort of Christmas with pulled turkey in brioche buns and slow cooked Italian beef ragu with lots of herbs. Not the same, but we will make it work.</p><p>Today we had a lovely food hamper delivered which really lifted my spirits. Turns out my Mum ordered it way back in March as she was so sure we'd all be separated at Christmas (turns out she was right!). I am even more excited by the fact that it's an Aldi Christmas hamper. I <i>love</i> Aldi. </p><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b><br />____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>TOTAL FOR THE WEEK</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>£52.87</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">____________________</span></span></p><p>The festive season can be an expensive time with night outs and drinks and catch ups but lockdown put a stop to all of that. Money was saved from not having to commute and also by spreading the cost of Christmas and buying gifts across the year rather than having a big bill in December or money woes in January. </p><p>Hope you are well and safe and healthy and sending you much love xxx</p><p>Writing it all out like this does make the little things hit home. If you decide to give this money diary a go yourself - or have any money saving tips - do let me know in the comments below!</p><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">MY PREVIOUS MONEY SAVING DIARIES</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/03/money-diary-coronavirus-edition.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">COVID-19 edition</a></div><div><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/08/money-diary-what-i-spent-last-week.html" target="_blank">What I spent last week (ouch)</a></div><div><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/08/money-diary-travel-savings-and-pewdiepie-wedding-at-kew-gardens.html" target="_blank">Travel savings & PewDiePie's wedding at Kew Gardens</a><br /><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/11/money-diary-curry-night-sales-and-savvy.html" target="_blank">Curry night, sales and savvy substitutions</a><br /><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/01/money-diary-chinese-new-year-and-mattress-shopping.html" target="_blank">Chinese New Year and mattress shopping</a></div><div><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/08/money-diary-the-savvy-saving-of-london-based-blogger.html" target="_blank">The money diary of a London blogger</a></div><div><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/11/money-diary-home-grown-vegetables-and-vegetarian-week.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home grown veg and a largely vegetarian week</a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/11/money-diary-building-works-and-life-without-a-kitchen.html" target="_blank">Building works and life without a kitchen</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo by freestocks on Unsplash</i></span></div>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-60607670998797745722020-11-13T18:09:00.005+00:002021-01-05T11:48:14.948+00:00Money diary // building works and life without a kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlO4dm8IFJGGcShIsfXmWnQC0MSSRLDg1ixbprvxZ5XokqqwlwnJ2UUASCj9zrX-r74LJ4vdbGhxPw_sJHir2S4JNB2rRGj675wg-cX3d1h0o1DR-JEMReOBZe0ifZplS9OFpnq6FE7pH/s2048/Building+works+and+life+without+a+kitchen+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlO4dm8IFJGGcShIsfXmWnQC0MSSRLDg1ixbprvxZ5XokqqwlwnJ2UUASCj9zrX-r74LJ4vdbGhxPw_sJHir2S4JNB2rRGj675wg-cX3d1h0o1DR-JEMReOBZe0ifZplS9OFpnq6FE7pH/w426-h640/Building+works+and+life+without+a+kitchen+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MONDAY</b></span></p><p>Building works have started after months of waiting. The main annoyance is that because our <i>charming</i> neighbours got party wall surveyors involved, the foundations of the build have had to be changed which meant we lost our kitchen immediately rather than later down the line. I wouldn't recommend living without a kitchen to anyone. I really miss having an oven. It means things like pies are out of the question. Which is ludricious during the autumn winter months, if you ask me.</p><p>Sure, I could buy ready meals and takeaways during this time, but I really want to limit doing this. Ready meals can be full of salt and sugar, plus I question the nutritional value of say the Hearty Food Co. range at Tesco which costs a tiny 69p. How much meat is that spaghetti bolognese actually going to contain?! And takeaways can really add up. As much as I love pizza, I'd much rather make my own as takeaway pizza is extortionate and is it just me, but are they getting more and more stingy with toppings? If I pay for toppings, I want toppings damnit!</p><p>So for the last month or so, we made use of our kitchen whilst we had it, and made meals in bulk which went straight into the freezer. This gives us easy meals, saves a bit of money and unlike ready meals, we know exactly what went into each meal. A fully extensive list of what we made:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>x8 portions of lentil ragu</li><li>x6 portions of veggie lasagne</li><li>x2 portions of veggie bolognese</li><li>x6 portions of cottage pie</li><li>x6 portions of gnocchi bake</li></ul><p></p><p>... and then we ran out of space in our freezer! It won't last us for the entire 3-4 months, but it's a start.</p><p>We also cooked up a cauliflower curry and a potato and black eyed bean stew which we had to keep in the fridge because the freezer wasn't having it. Other than that, we also have leftover stirfry and leftover fish stew. Organised much?</p><p>We have some of the black eyed bean stew today for lunch. It doesn't taste anywhere near as good as my Mum's even though I followed the recipe. But nothing that some seasoning can't fix. For dinner we have the leftover beef stir fry with rice. </p><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<b><br /></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>TUESDAY</b></span></p><p>Today the back of the house has come off and the house is starting to feel draughty. I find an old tin of ratatouille which is best before August 2020 but I find that tins last forever. It's a cold day so the soup-like consistency works a treat for lunch, although saying that, the ratatouille is nowhere near as good as the homemade one I attempted <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/11/money-diary-home-grown-vegetables-and-vegetarian-week.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. I serve with cous cous which may become one of our staples because all you need is a kettle. </p><p>The only expense I had today was my monthly phone bill. Just £6 with GiffGaff (sign up <a href="https://www.giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/lucygeorge1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and receive free £5 credit when you activate your SIM). The beauty of being based at home for most of this year has been that I haven't used any data and constantly connect to the home wifi. And rather than making phone calls, I'm mostly using Zoom, Microsoft Teams and all manner of vid tech, all through my laptop rather than my phone. These changes have allowed me to slash my phone bill to the cheapest possible monthly tarif. </p><p>Cauliflower curry for dinner. The recipe has spinach in it but we're all out of spinach so this time we use the cauliflower leaves instead and it's a revelation. Never throw out your cauliflower leaves - they're the best bit! The disadvantage of cooking in the lounge is the smell. Now the whole room smells of curry. </p><div style="text-align: center;">___________________</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>GiffGaff </b>- £6.00</div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£6.00</span></b><br />____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>WEDNESDAY</b></span></p><p>We have leftover fish stew for lunch with our own home grown tomatoes and if you thought the curry smell last night was bad... Come evening I've lit an autumnal apple and cinnamon candle to drive the smell away. Or mask it at least. </p><p>Later we have gnocchi bake for dinner. Obviously the cheese isn't crispy because of the freezing process, but all the flavours are still there. I'd usually use mozzarella but I was all out so I used extra mature cheddar instead and it added so much more flavour. Definitely a keeper. </p><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<b><br /></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>THURSDAY</b></span></p><p>We order an extension lead for our makeshift kitchen and a shelving unit as everything we need to cook with is currently in a sea of boxes and it's not an ideal arrangement. The shelving unit will be a makeshift larder for now and later moved to the office. We were always planning on ordering a shelving unit for the office, but it means it gets an added use now.</p><p>We have the last of the potato and black eyed bean stew for lunch. And with that, our fridge is looking decidedly empty. For dinner it's a game of freezer lottery and we end up having cottage pie. </p><div style="text-align: center;">___________________</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Extension lead </b>- £13.99</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Shelving unit </b>- £52.26</div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£66.25</span></b><br />____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FRIDAY</b></span></p><p>I get paid weekly and wake up to find the money in my account. It feels like more money leaves your account than goes in during building works so this is a nice change!</p><p>Today the shelving and extension lead arrive. Our hallway is now 50% fridge freezer and 50% cardboard boxes. </p><p>We both have a defrosted roll from the freezer for lunch today with the last of our sandwich meat as we're both working through lunch today so it's a grab and go affair. For dinner it's another day of freezer lottery (veggie lasagne this time).</p><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<b><br /></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>SATURDAY</b></span></p><p>Our next shop is coming next week and we're getting really low on supplies. We use the last of our bread from the freezer for toasted cheese sandwiches and watch a scary movie over lunch. Because it'd be criminal not to on Halloween!</p><p>Today we build the shelving unit and it makes a world of difference. Now we can physically see all our plates and cups and ingredients. No more guessing which box contains the herbs and spices! </p><p>We have a little table top hob for these next few months as we didn't want to be eating microwave meals for 3 months. Tonight is our first experiment with it so have something super lazy just so we can test that it's working. We heat up a Pataks curry sauce and add white fish and serve with naan bread. Simple but does the job.</p><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<b><br /></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>SUNDAY</b></span></p><p>Feeling a little more confident with the hob, we attempt an omelette for breakfast using black olives and extra mature cheddar cheese. We're out of milk and bread so we're having to be a little more creative with our breakfasts until we get our next shop. Eggs are a blessing at times like these. </p><p>As we're out of bread, we have cheese and biscuits for lunch. I alternate between sundried tomato & balsamic chutney and a mild chilli chutney, both of which I find in the back of the fridge and are still well within date (expiry 2021).</p><p>For dinner we brave the portable hob again and try our first properly from scratch meal (fajitas). I have frozen peppers in the freezer from when Tesco made a mistake with an order, so it gives me an excuse to use those up finally, and I defrost some wraps I have in the freezer. The meal works a treat and we portion off some of our homemade spice mix to use next week for tacos.</p><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<b><br /></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>TOTAL FOR THE WEEK</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>£72.25</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">____________________</span></span></div><p>A big part of saving lately has been:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>planning meals in advance and bulk cooking</li><li>avoiding takeaways and over-priced ready meals</li><li>rummaging through cupboards and the freezer for veg and pulses to bulk out meals</li><li>striving for zero waste and using everything up before buying new</li><li>being based at home resulting in a reduced phone bill and zero commuting costs</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Writing it all out like this does make the little things hit home. If you decide to give this money diary a go yourself - or have any money saving tips - do let me know in the comments below!</p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">MY PREVIOUS MONEY SAVING DIARIES</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/03/money-diary-coronavirus-edition.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">COVID-19 edition</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/08/money-diary-what-i-spent-last-week.html" target="_blank">What I spent last week (ouch)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/08/money-diary-travel-savings-and-pewdiepie-wedding-at-kew-gardens.html" target="_blank">Travel savings & PewDiePie's wedding at Kew Gardens</a><br /><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/11/money-diary-curry-night-sales-and-savvy.html" target="_blank">Curry night, sales and savvy substitutions</a><br /><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/01/money-diary-chinese-new-year-and-mattress-shopping.html" target="_blank">Chinese New Year and mattress shopping</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/08/money-diary-the-savvy-saving-of-london-based-blogger.html" target="_blank">The money diary of a London blogger</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/11/money-diary-home-grown-vegetables-and-vegetarian-week.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home grown veg and a largely vegetarian week</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo by Janine Meuche on Unsplash</i></span></div>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-41489370303100557092020-11-02T11:27:00.008+00:002021-11-29T18:10:40.802+00:00Money diary // home-grown vegetables and a largely vegetarian week<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MONDAY</b></span></p><p>One of my biggest annoyances is food waste. People who buy more food than they need. People who bin uneaten food when leftovers can form other meals. A large basis of my meal planning revolves around use of <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/04/the-spreadsheet-that-is-helping-me-keep-sane.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my zero waste spreadsheet</a> where I examine what has expired or is expiring soon. My spreadsheet flags sweet potato, spinach and butternut squash. As the spinach is still in good condition and hasn't wilted too much, I decide this would be a good basis for a vegetarian salad. I find some lentils in the cupboard and we always have a variety of cheeses in the fridge, so locate some feta cheese. I chop the sweet potato and butternut squash into cubes and roast for 45 minutes, turning them often. Once cooked I stir these into the raw spinach, feta cheese and cooked lentils and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Simple but delicious!</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/AVvXsEjVol8mQrSgtPTQBimRWLDk9UirPVdga3rb5cSCKoTe1GZHj4REtmMVog9dWLHqlqvbVVgE7XXyjHwAq0LbXiV6WyPUoQArnshrbFx1ZLLRUeysdznV8612WgqFQdUT5hUnbDXLoz5dotGK/s2048/Sweet+potato%252C+butternut+squash%252C+lentil+and+feta+salad+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVol8mQrSgtPTQBimRWLDk9UirPVdga3rb5cSCKoTe1GZHj4REtmMVog9dWLHqlqvbVVgE7XXyjHwAq0LbXiV6WyPUoQArnshrbFx1ZLLRUeysdznV8612WgqFQdUT5hUnbDXLoz5dotGK/w480-h640/Sweet+potato%252C+butternut+squash%252C+lentil+and+feta+salad+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Butternut squash, sweet potato, lentil and feta salad</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b><br />____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">TUESDAY</span></b></p><p>I love ratatouille but I've never made my own before which is criminal now I've learnt how easy it is! We had an accumulation of home-grown produce which screamed ratatouille. Tomatoes from our garden and a huge rounded courgette from my parent's garden. Our pepper plant, although growing, only has little miniature peppers on it at the moment, so I had to use shop bought peppers for now. I roasted the vegetables in olive oil and oregano for almost a hour, regularly turning. I then pan fried some garlic, added tinned tomatoes and incorporated the cooked veg and heated through. It's a relatively low effort meal but also cheap and healthy! </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/AVvXsEi6NqoRM7WuP5e7kxA_jVNNwiFYxf7jF9iFChAcDBtNVl7WSd43n2wcOuCFAFQ9y1KgGJzWlV0i24IYEo0l01xXKLUqUuyangTldjojXj8SgM2sIHscbcQzNyg89aj-0hqRYO-jCh6cdghH/s2048/Roasted+mediterranean+vegetables+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NqoRM7WuP5e7kxA_jVNNwiFYxf7jF9iFChAcDBtNVl7WSd43n2wcOuCFAFQ9y1KgGJzWlV0i24IYEo0l01xXKLUqUuyangTldjojXj8SgM2sIHscbcQzNyg89aj-0hqRYO-jCh6cdghH/w480-h640/Roasted+mediterranean+vegetables+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Roasted mediterranean vegetables</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><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/AVvXsEjq75VKrsRMzZzHyp_c_FbVYUcXGfpPuYeyKDIGcS6sPhVr8SEv6sN5-HSGpByLtlw10Lyz_jit0cnNsT3jkh3E7OOIFHEGQx1Q3kJLRrQ9_s5BRrG8J-G_vjI6g38jpZueLX1TA5ZsHtSV/s2048/Ratatouille+recipe+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq75VKrsRMzZzHyp_c_FbVYUcXGfpPuYeyKDIGcS6sPhVr8SEv6sN5-HSGpByLtlw10Lyz_jit0cnNsT3jkh3E7OOIFHEGQx1Q3kJLRrQ9_s5BRrG8J-G_vjI6g38jpZueLX1TA5ZsHtSV/w640-h480/Ratatouille+recipe+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ratatouille from scratch!</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b><br />____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>WEDNESDAY</b></span></p><p>As we prepare for building works to start, the initial plan was to have the extension built up with the knock through being relatively last minute so we could keep use of our kitchen. Due to party wall difficulties and nightmare neighbours, the foundations for our extension have had to be tweaked and with that, it means that the old and new floors will have to be done in one - meaning we will lose access to a kitchen right from the start. This has been a massive blow as this means we will be entering the colder months without a kitchen. As of now, I am starting to make and freeze meals ready like lasagne, bolognese, pies and curries that can easily be defrosted and warmed through in the microwave. </p><p>I've been incredily behaved with clothes shopping this year as I don't fancy the faff with returns. I try to talk myself out of most things and then only proceed if it's a 'safe' buy (in other words guaranteed to fit). One thing I've been obsessing over lately is a beautiful autumnal mustard coloured sweater from <a href="https://tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tu at Sainsburys</a>. It was only £18 which is pretty good going considering that a similar item at ASOS or Topshop would set you back £30+. I resisted, telling myself I didn't <i>need</i> it. Then one day it was on sale and I knew how gutted I would be if I logged on the next day and it was gone. So I took a gamble and the sizing is perfect. It's slouchy, comfortable and an absolute dream to work from home in. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbyxx6S9Wlq8-60xzARI-dnNvrcVbiuRAemrTqWhUs0LaAAUALK_eMR_fpGskoA6xCPVRTN77z9Q_ur6VmuPDtVMxbimBOtICMN_8e5sGMBmbTX5QfhCZvQPj2bVqBxlOLmotgQAuRExx/s588/Mustard+Yellow+Bobble+Jumper+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="437" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbyxx6S9Wlq8-60xzARI-dnNvrcVbiuRAemrTqWhUs0LaAAUALK_eMR_fpGskoA6xCPVRTN77z9Q_ur6VmuPDtVMxbimBOtICMN_8e5sGMBmbTX5QfhCZvQPj2bVqBxlOLmotgQAuRExx/s320/Mustard+Yellow+Bobble+Jumper+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">___________________</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Knitwear </b>- £13.50</div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£13.50</span></b><br />____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">THURSDAY</span></b></p><p>My money diary I did in association with The Nottingham has gone live. I really recommend writing a money diary yourself, even if it's in a notebook and kept private. I find that writing it all down helps rein me in. Mind you, being home so much since the COVID-19 outbreak has really helped with expenditure as I'm no longer doing the commute and am avoiding the usual temptations.</p><p>Tonight we have bolognese with courgetti using courgettes grown from our own garden. It's so much ligher than spaghetti and a great way to get more of your five-a-day.</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/AVvXsEhfdwSrdshp6nfyA6K4BOFzzvVp5zjtY6vF7LQlBhok1YT6OF1VxgVPZFnKolRlAeh8BQMWWriZ47amf4Q7-lPH_k9Mq2RhoRkYDk7xVo9-Bc0Ou5IuwaYAWwy8RsqyK82RZnp9c66C5e_5/s2048/Courgetti+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdwSrdshp6nfyA6K4BOFzzvVp5zjtY6vF7LQlBhok1YT6OF1VxgVPZFnKolRlAeh8BQMWWriZ47amf4Q7-lPH_k9Mq2RhoRkYDk7xVo9-Bc0Ou5IuwaYAWwy8RsqyK82RZnp9c66C5e_5/w640-h480/Courgetti+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Courgetti using our home-grown courgettes</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><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/AVvXsEjWCUyH1-wxv1sDtjhJj7NqMNxGcUUWUqVsZd8YCgOwzQ-bmcytcY_uzCGEKRlctg_Q9SrCOWFKY946ShiBHNQmzzi0e6Iq7KP9yjbDQ2ASZ5RPcUDZ9UH2WDSj4jjHxRT8Hc4PkIGOcCBJ/s2048/Grow+your+own+courgettes+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCUyH1-wxv1sDtjhJj7NqMNxGcUUWUqVsZd8YCgOwzQ-bmcytcY_uzCGEKRlctg_Q9SrCOWFKY946ShiBHNQmzzi0e6Iq7KP9yjbDQ2ASZ5RPcUDZ9UH2WDSj4jjHxRT8Hc4PkIGOcCBJ/w480-h640/Grow+your+own+courgettes+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The size of this courgette!!</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b><br />____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FRIDAY</b></span></p><p>I've started at a new job lately and come 5.30pm I don't have the enthusiasm to cook anything too complicated which is where the slow cooker has come into its own. As we are facing a future without an oven once the building works start, I have grabbed a large sharing pizza from Tesco. I usually buy a cheaper pizza from Tesco but as it's our last home cooked pizza for some months, I choose one from the Finest range. It's still a lot cheaper than Pizza Hut or Dominos. We wouldn't usually buy sides but they currently have a meal deal where you can get pesto flatbread thrown in for not much more. Even though the pizza is vegetarian and minimalist, it's packed with flavour. In all honesty, I probably wouldn't bother with the flatbread again - garlic bread for the win! With that we have a movie night and watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d0Zf9sXlHk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Enola Holmes</a> on Netflix (recommend!)</p><div style="text-align: center;">___________________</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Pizza meal deal </b>- £5.00</div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£5.00</span></b><br />____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>SATURDAY</b></span></p><p>I see a recipe in an interiors magazine for frittata muffins which sound amazing. I don't have any spring greens or peas like the suggested recipe, but you can use any vegetables in a recipe like this. I don't have a whole lot of veg left as we are due a shop next week, so I use spinach and mushrooms which I cook up with garlic in a pan. I then mix in a bowl with 4 eggs and some grated cheddar cheese. I pour into a greased muffin tin and bake. It takes a lot longer than the recipe says it will, so I watch it like a hawk and prod with a metal skewer until I'm happy it's cooked through. And the result? SO SO GOOD. Perfect for picnics, breakfast and lunch boxes.</p><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<b><br /></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£0.00</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________</div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">SUNDAY</span></b></p><p>The clearing of the kitchen and prep work for the extension has officially begun. And with that, we've started ordering bits and pieces to help us survive in a world without a kitchen and more specifically a sink, dishwasher and oven. For now we've ordered a washing up bowl and a drying rack. My partner is all about Joseph Joseph so ordered <a href="https://amzn.to/31ZJVB8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this washing up bowl</a> (yes my eyes are watering too). I was adament I didn't want some white plastic coated monstrosity for the drying rack and found this <a href="https://amzn.to/3jJvck3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">copper drying up rack</a> which is supposedly anti-rust. </p><p>"<i>Do we need a copper drying up rack?</i>", my partner asks.</p><p>"<i>Do we need a £36 washing up bowl?</i>" I fire back at him</p><p>And with that, nothing more was said about the copper drying up rack.</p><div style="text-align: center;">___________________</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Washing up bowl </b>- £36.00</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Drying rack</b> - £15.99</div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<b><br /></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOTAL</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">£51.99</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>TOTAL FOR THE WEEK</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>£70.49</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">____________________</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>It's been weird seeing my outgoings shrink, but then again, I guess it makes sense. I no longer have commuting costs or naughty station purchases like breakfast or hot drinks. I'm spending a lot less on clothes than I usually would. It's become an occasional treat once every few months. Some days I feel down and in need a little pick me up, but I'm trying to get out of this mindset. I've been growing my own veg this year and you can really taste the difference, particularly with the ratatouille this week. Still not sure how I feel about the washing up bowl purchase, but one word comes to mind. Ouch.<div><br /></div><div>Writing it all out like this does make the little things hit home. If you decide to give this money diary a go yourself - or have any money saving tips - do let me know in the comments below!</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">MY PREVIOUS MONEY SAVING DIARIES</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/03/money-diary-coronavirus-edition.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">COVID-19 edition</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/08/money-diary-what-i-spent-last-week.html" target="_blank">What I spent last week (ouch)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/08/money-diary-travel-savings-and-pewdiepie-wedding-at-kew-gardens.html" target="_blank">Travel savings & PewDiePie's wedding at Kew Gardens</a><br /><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/11/money-diary-curry-night-sales-and-savvy.html" target="_blank">Curry night, sales and savvy substitutions</a><br /><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/01/money-diary-chinese-new-year-and-mattress-shopping.html" target="_blank">Chinese New Year and mattress shopping</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/08/money-diary-the-savvy-saving-of-london-based-blogger.html" target="_blank">The money diary of a London blogger</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-11354039649204492412020-10-23T17:13:00.004+01:002020-11-10T09:29:55.908+00:006 quick and easy ways to transform your kitchen<p> AD | This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own.</p><p>We are spending more time at home than ever before, and for many of us, the more we are at home, the more certain rooms begin to bug us. Cue the onset of questions. Why has this room not been decorated yet? Why did the previous home owner think that magnolia was a good idea? How have I lived with [insert grotty feature here] for so long? </p><p>Now is as good a time as any to assess what you have to work with, the funds you have at your disposal, and how you want to transform your surroundings. But for the sake of this piece, we're going to focus on the kitchen and six little things that will make the world of difference.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgCrCszhtZ4UZ4mGFKvva0TjO1bJy37ehPt376ihAI_EVFejLuBJQevuvmzmZZYnWxjcSm2Wn7c0WXHeNftSImtEh6n9qlVoJ6Z4-70eAr6bySCQofA6SgWkCL6gTw_eGNq0ZRhKr0sCf/s2048/Scandi+kitchen+with+kitchen+island.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scandi kitchen" border="0" data-original-height="1370" data-original-width="2048" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgCrCszhtZ4UZ4mGFKvva0TjO1bJy37ehPt376ihAI_EVFejLuBJQevuvmzmZZYnWxjcSm2Wn7c0WXHeNftSImtEh6n9qlVoJ6Z4-70eAr6bySCQofA6SgWkCL6gTw_eGNq0ZRhKr0sCf/w640-h428/Scandi+kitchen+with+kitchen+island.jpg" title="Scandi kitchen" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Give your splashback a makeover</b></span></p><p>Does the splashback behind your cooker and sink look dated? Or have you inherited a style that isn't practical or very 'you'? Changing your splashback is one of the quickest and easiest ways of making an impact. Cover unsightly wall tiles with <a href="https://amzn.to/2FSSqGq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tile decals</a> (also known as tile stickers) or alternatively paint them with <a href="https://amzn.to/31AvXFA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tile paint</a> to give them a new lease of life. For dark or north facing rooms, paint in a lighter colour like a bright white which will help bounce the light around. If you currently have tiles with white grout lines, update with a more practical colour like black or dark grey using <a href="https://amzn.to/35pEEnn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">grout paint</a> or a <a href="https://amzn.to/37A97ly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">grout pen</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Find your light</b></span></p><p>If your kitchen is north facing or doesn't have a skylight, roof lantern, or bifold doors, you may find that light is in short supply. For a less gloomy room to cook in, look at decorating in light shades like bright whites or soft greys and come up with a lighting scheme. A good kitchen lighting scheme is all about layering with different lighting for different zones. Spot lights are tried and tested and work in all manner of kitchens. Target lighting in specific food prep zones like strip lighting under kitchen wall cabinets and <a href="https://www.lightsupplier.co.uk/led-pendant-lights" rel="follow" target="_blank">pendant lights</a> which can add extra interest to a kitchen island. Be sure to look at models with LED bulbs which are more efficient and can be 80% cheaper to run.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Treat yourself to new kitchen accessories</b></span></p><p>Something as little as a new tap can help transform the look of any kitchen. Why not switch out a limescale covered tap that has seen better days for a highly coveted <a href="https://amzn.to/2Hu9NOe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gold tap</a> or <a href="https://amzn.to/3jpQIde" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">black tap</a> which are all over social media right now. Whilst some models can cost a pretty penny, try looking at IKEA or eBay for more budget friendly options as updating your kitchen doesn't have to be expensive. In a similar vein, stock up on new accessories like fun <a href="https://amzn.to/3jm7sC7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tea towels</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/31AkUwi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">oven gloves</a> and tea and coffee containers. A simple change of accessories can inject a splash of colour, or bring a luxe element if you incorporate gold or <a href="https://amzn.to/2Hmbf5M" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">copper accessories</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Give your kitchen units a face lift</b></span></p><p>This is another one of the easiest ways to make an impact. Prime and paint your kitchen units or else use <a href="https://amzn.to/34mwaxX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">chalk paint</a> for an instant new look (do check this with your landlord first if you are renting!). Another way of achieving this is by covering your kitchen doors with vinyl, <a href="https://amzn.to/2HrqR7W" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">washi tape</a>, or <a href="https://amzn.to/2HuzGh2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">removable wallpaper</a>. This being ideal for renters as you can always peel these off when you move out. Another quick and easy way of updating your kitchen units is by replacing your cupboard handles. Try <a href="https://amzn.to/2HjyI7D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cup handles</a> for a classic and timeless look synonymous with shaker kitchens. Or maybe en vogue <a href="https://amzn.to/37Ac8Co" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gold handles</a> if you fancy something a little more modern.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Sticky back plastic is your friend</span></b></p><p>If your worktops have seen better days but you don't feel comfortable having someone come and replace them at this time (and I wouldn't blame you), try a temporary fix in the form of vinyl or <a href="https://amzn.to/2TxhJBj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sticky back plastic</a>. If you like marble worktops, it's an easy way to achieve the look for less. Sticky back plastic is one of my hero products. I used for a marble table <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/02/diy-how-to-make-a-marble-table.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> which I'm currently sitting at and using as a desk while I'm working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Next I want to spray paint the legs gold (<a href="https://amzn.to/3kpJ7wD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">spray paint</a> being another great quick kitchen hack!)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Get patterned floor tiles for a fraction of the price</b></span></p><p>If your flooring doesn't bring you joy or is a pain to clean, it's time to act. Update drab floor tiles with a <a href="https://amzn.to/37zByQl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tile stencil</a> kit. The best way of achieving a good finish is dabbing paint onto the stencil with a sponge and layering the colour on gradually rather than using a paint roller or paint brush. Or for a quicker fix, try using peel and stick <a href="https://amzn.to/2HyGIS0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">floor tile decals</a>. There are tons of pretty patterned floor tile designs out there at the moment which can help take any kitchen flooring from drab to fab.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Have you made any changes to your kitchen since COVID-19?</span></b></p><p><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arimo;">This post contains affiliate links. While we earn a small commission for products purchased through these links, it doesn’t change the price you pay in any way, nor will it cost you to click through to view any of these items. Affiliate links help keep Curiouser and Curiouser running so we can continue to bring you free content. Thank you for your continued support</i></p><p><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arimo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: </span></i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arimo; font-size: x-small;"><i>Christian Mackie </i></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arimo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">on Unsplash</span></i></p>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-56559679493555884322020-10-12T12:59:00.002+01:002021-10-09T19:37:26.230+01:00How to maintain a better work-life balance when working from home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Working from home can be a double edged sword. Sure, you no longer have the commute or need to set your alarm at stupid o'clock any more, but it can also be really lonely. Whilst you can still chat away to your heart's content on Whatsapp or Slack with your colleagues, it's just not the same as being face-to-face. Working from home once or twice a week can be respite from the commute, but for an extended period of time like it has been with the COVID-19 outbreak, it can be increasingly hard. You miss work lunches. You miss Fridays in the pub. There are so many things you want to see and do, but are advised not to. You are home so much that the work-life balance is starting to blur around the edges and you no longer have that separation or discipline. So how do you get out of a funk like this? Try following these simple pointers to help promote a healthy work-life balance when working from home.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><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/AVvXsEh63-Yeq9dhI9a_V1CN6wOCAKunFtTV7VASNsQy9oCvQhlUvArbP-naitqevTq7xBO8uhp9bWZa47pQ6iEcS2CG3XQAmz2w87l1YoL5J_JGoD_evNg5r_4QhgfwOVI3dhAskRyEtGip5w9p/s2048/How+to+maintain+a+better+work-life+balance+when+working+from+home+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63-Yeq9dhI9a_V1CN6wOCAKunFtTV7VASNsQy9oCvQhlUvArbP-naitqevTq7xBO8uhp9bWZa47pQ6iEcS2CG3XQAmz2w87l1YoL5J_JGoD_evNg5r_4QhgfwOVI3dhAskRyEtGip5w9p/w640-h426/How+to+maintain+a+better+work-life+balance+when+working+from+home+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tips for a better work-life balance when working from home</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-large;">Designate a specific working zone</span></b></div></b>
<br />
Whilst it may be tempting to take your laptop into the main living area with the TV on in the background, don't do it. Go hole yourself away in a separate room where you usually wouldn't be. At the end of the working day, remove work emails and alerts from your phone (if applicable), close the doors on the space you worked in, and walk away. This is now <i>your time.</i><br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">Come up with a plan for co-working arrangements</b></div>
<br />If you live with a partner, friends or family, what happens if you only have one home office space? Should you both work in the same room? Everybody works differently so it's best to talk this through with your partner / friends / family and be honest wth each other. Here we have a study with a long desk which is perfect for two people working alongside each other, however due to the nature of my partner's work (noisy and on video call constantly), it just wouldn't work. For me to perform at my best, I have to put myself in another room, on another floor. If you have children and they have gone back to school, plan a rota of who is picking up from school on which days and if pre-school, come up with a rota for childcare so you can avoid video call interruptions of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh4f9AYRCZY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this scale and hilarity</a>. <br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">Don't forget to take breaks</b></div>
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I've heard so many stories of people forgetting to take lunch breaks when they work from home, or only grabbing a quick bite to eat. It can be so easy to lose track of time when you are deep in a task. Look after yourself and have a proper nutritional lunch and give yourself the full hour. Besides lunch, get up every so often to walk around and grab some water or a cup of tea. Stay hydrated and keep your body and mind active. I cannot tell you the number of times I have been stuck on something, had a break and a quick walk away from my desk, and then the solution has come to me instantly. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">Do your hours - nothing more, nothing less</b></div><br />This kind of falls in-line with the previous point. Yes, have breaks and a full hour for lunch, but at the same time, don't abuse the system and take an extended lunch break because 'no one can see me'. Whilst a longer lunch is heavenly, it can make it harder to get back into the swing of things, resulting in less motivation and productivity. At the same time, don't overdo it at home or do more hours than you are paid. I am incredibly guilty of this and have been known to start work at 8-something rather than 9.30am and then work past 5.30pm in the past. Finish on time and avoid working late into the night so you get the time you are entitled to in order to unwind properly before starting all over again the next day.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">Make sure you have the right access</b></div>
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Nothing sucks more than working from home and discovering that you don't have the right access / permissions / equipment. This in itself will set you back. Make sure you have everything in place ready ahead of working from home.<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">Get dressed</b></div>
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Whilst it's incredibly tempting to stay in your pyjamas all day, avoid doing this to better your work-life balance. The act of getting dressed sets you up ready for the day and puts you in the right mindset. When the working day is over, go and get changed. Change into either looser, more comfortable clothing like joggers, or your pyjamas. This will help reinforce a sense of routine that work is done for the day and now it's <i>you time</i>.<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">Get up at a reasonable time</b></div>
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Whilst it's tempting to leave the alarm off completely or set it just before your official start time, don't do it. Logging onto work when you've just woken up isn't the one. If something complex comes in first thing that requires serious attention, imagine the headache that will come your way if you're not ready. When I work from home I usually allow myself an extra hour in bed - so my alarm is set for 7am rather than 6am - as I no longer have the commute. It is so important to have enough time to wake up fully and for much needed you time. Other than the essentials of showering and getting dressed, make sure you give yourself some quality time. Read the newspaper. Sit down and have a proper breakfast. Do a sudoku or morning yoga. Go for a run. Whatever you choose to do, get yourself into a routine and in no time at all, it will come naturally to you.<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">Try and get outside if you can</b></div>
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This stems from my point earlier about how sometimes taking a break and going for a walk can sometimes encourage new ideas. You don't even have to go far. Go down the road or around the corner. Spend some time in the garden (if you have one). Fresh air can be so invigorating and always perks me up if I'm having a bad mental health day.<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">The chair you use is so important</b></div>
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Don't let a poor chair be the cause of an early onset of back problems. If you are going to be working from home a lot (particularly with the COVID-19 outbreak), it's wise to invest in a decent chair. We have one decent work-from-home chair in the office which my partner uses, but if I'm home I find myself hopping about from chair to chair as the dining room chairs are only comfortable for so long. If you feel an ache in your back, act on it quickly and don't just 'put up with it'. Change your location and try another chair. Use extra cushions to support your back. If budget allows, order yourself an ergonomic chair or executive chair with padding and a fully supported back (I recently ordered myself <a href="https://amzn.to/3jMcx7M" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this one</a> and it's an absolute dream!). Some companies have a working from home allowance and can provision you with a chair and desk (or budget for them), so it's definitely worth asking around.<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-large;">Give your day some structure</span></b></div>
<br />Start each day with a quick brainstorm of what needs to be done that day and create youself a To Do list. There is nothing more satisfying than ticking things off a To Do list (or is that just me?). Plus if your boss is checking up on you making sure you are <i>actually</i> working, you can come back with a whole host of things you've completed and be smug as. When you approach the end of your working day, if there is anything outstanding or to be rolled over to the next day, note it all down. This is beneficial in two ways. First, it's a weight off your mind and allows you to fully switch off that evening and not think about work. Secondly it means you have the makings of tomorrow's to do list already forming itself (WIN).</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Do you have a good work-life balance when working from home?</span></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><i><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arimo;">This post contains an affiliate link. While we earn a small commission for products purchased through this link, it doesn’t change the price you pay in any way, nor will it cost you to click through to view any item. Affiliate links help keep Curiouser and Curiouser running so we can continue to bring you free content. Thank you for continuing to support Curiouser and Curiouser</i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i><br /></i></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Image credit: Roberto Nickson on Unsplash</span></i></div>
Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-34042626944155408502020-10-02T18:54:00.002+01:002020-10-15T09:29:40.235+01:00How to take better food pictures with #TheFoodieBag<p>This post contains a gifted item</p><p>If you can start eating a plate of food without documenting it first, I applaud you. I have long given up the hope of ever eating a hot meal. So why do we do it? Food is first and foremost functional. We need it for nutritional purposes and to, well, survive. However sometimes a pretty plate of food is worth documenting. That one photo can serve as a reminder of a special event, a perfect date or a memorable holiday. We share snaps of our baking successes and on some occasions, our food is so aesthetically pleasing, it's bordering on art and worth being immortalised in a photograph.</p><p>Taking a truly special food picture is an art. I see professional food bloggers with all the right kit, regularly invited to the swankiest joints, sharing dark, out of focus food pictures where the colour levels are all wrong. Then comparatively I see influencers with smaller follower counts - or your average Joe - who use a mobile phone and get it spot on. My point being that taking a great photo is well within your reach and easily achievable with just a few small pointers.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Frame your shot</b></span></p><p>It's all about the background. Whilst we are not all blessed to have marble worktops, the key is having a work surface with colour variation or a bit of texture to add interest. A concrete look surface always works well with food photography and can add an industrial feel. Or for a more luxe look, opt for a marble effect surface paired with gold utensils. To get a high end look surface for a fraction of the price, try backdrops like <a href="https://cottonbagco.co.uk/the-instagram-bag-from-cotton-bag-co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these</a> which are perfect for food photography. My simple vegan aubergine and chickpea stew looked a whole lot more exciting when I tried it against the different backgrounds.</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/AVvXsEjFjrsSjtj-iS95Gr3E3dSUCIQjjdqSoiJGFjPNoYQHaEk0C0LQ8m16ZoCOjSWQtMDt3nD9cNi3Lx7HTwXF6Mnk4K1XlDRferLqwv3IfLPeba04YBvhOh0AYk-q4fZv1siE11W56nQgZuVY/s2048/Vegan+aubergine+and+chickpea+stew+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Vegan aubergine and chickpea stew" border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjrsSjtj-iS95Gr3E3dSUCIQjjdqSoiJGFjPNoYQHaEk0C0LQ8m16ZoCOjSWQtMDt3nD9cNi3Lx7HTwXF6Mnk4K1XlDRferLqwv3IfLPeba04YBvhOh0AYk-q4fZv1siE11W56nQgZuVY/w640-h424/Vegan+aubergine+and+chickpea+stew+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" title="Vegan aubergine and chickpea stew" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Vegan aubergine and chickpea stew</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>For a fully authentic magazine style food shot, frame your dish with crumbs, a smattering of herbs or a lovingly torn French baguette. But don't overdo it. You want the shot to look homely, not messy (and not excessively staged!)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5RH2ADedU73ErImP5xoaLMwjO7bHa5_82J6PbfX7slWQC0zndbbdGHLmYPI1mPp2Xo9cXkjmnOlu2EkK7k-6L93MTrZReNxsjlNcBgU81b2BwGLqv_N8AEx-0Es3nk8cYwiSdWf5JGL2/s2048/Copper+cutlery+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5RH2ADedU73ErImP5xoaLMwjO7bHa5_82J6PbfX7slWQC0zndbbdGHLmYPI1mPp2Xo9cXkjmnOlu2EkK7k-6L93MTrZReNxsjlNcBgU81b2BwGLqv_N8AEx-0Es3nk8cYwiSdWf5JGL2/w640-h424/Copper+cutlery+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Get the lighting right</b></span></p><p>Natural light always works best, but at this time of year, good light can be hard to come by which is where you may need assistance in the form of a lighting kit. Circle lights can help in the winter months but beware, as artifical light is no match for natural light and can cause glare and over-saturated images. To help control the lighting your photo receives - whether natural or artifical - consider using a reflector and diffuser like this 5 in 1 one <a href="https://cottonbagco.co.uk/the-instagram-bag-from-cotton-bag-co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> to eliminate shadows and glare.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Edit with caution</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">Sometimes the perfect photograph requires some editing work, especially if you are not blessed with natural light. Increasing the contrast levels can add richness to your image, and low light can be remedied. Edit with caution though, as many professional food bloggers make the mistake of over-saturating their images, leading to the colour of natural food products appearing, well, unnatural. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Experiment with angles</b></span></p><p>Flat lays are always effective in food photography, but playing with angles can add interest. See what a difference it makes below. The bird's eye view looks a little flat, whereas shooting from an angle makes the dish look multi-dimensional (what of course it is!). Re-shooting the flat lay with a slight angle rather than from above makes the toasted pinenuts in the recipe look more 3D.</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/AVvXsEj7y9WDLQTwdxyWQAOnEsx8Q8TUDq_FlZo-ZGoEg5eXyx75pCCcJGPXhhRTOS1T3Iy0CGmd0i08hJVusVg0XRlj-40RPM72ZB-MHlk5rq6n1drtaujEG_baF-rIB5aeHz58oBShzEq_sF6T/s2048/Food+flat+lay+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Food flat lay" border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7y9WDLQTwdxyWQAOnEsx8Q8TUDq_FlZo-ZGoEg5eXyx75pCCcJGPXhhRTOS1T3Iy0CGmd0i08hJVusVg0XRlj-40RPM72ZB-MHlk5rq6n1drtaujEG_baF-rIB5aeHz58oBShzEq_sF6T/w640-h424/Food+flat+lay+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" title="Food flat lay" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Example of a flat lay</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><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;"><img alt="Playing with angles" border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhR2w0m8lGhiw0Pq720rNDVbbxtIa5R2ABhM_E4Ap0sqYKge61n9Y2Ts5f19ByjIZhACmxv6gsSevKRv-2DnLpE4mHprxEHyyyfJWEcAitsEvzzl-Oy-PpnJebTWBaFmq35npuzVK6Rb5p/w640-h424/Playing+with+angles+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Playing with angles" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Experiment with angles</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></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/AVvXsEgJ2FRir26PF9wFGsGvYuWI_AeCUiIy-ol-hmYKbA4KY6py86GKu7R02pI9HcFnV8bEm4mj2AHYof5I5KRcLUMvdUXbQSLbdLN4nOUg29F69lXyCdr3-qYTBtR7eCIAHDVPfpIJioJ1B0ln/s2048/Food+photography+flat+lay+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Food photography flat lay" border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2FRir26PF9wFGsGvYuWI_AeCUiIy-ol-hmYKbA4KY6py86GKu7R02pI9HcFnV8bEm4mj2AHYof5I5KRcLUMvdUXbQSLbdLN4nOUg29F69lXyCdr3-qYTBtR7eCIAHDVPfpIJioJ1B0ln/w640-h424/Food+photography+flat+lay+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" title="Food photography flat lay" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The ingredients in this flat lay look a little more 3D as it's not shot directly over head </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">Give your food a face lift</b></p><p>Examine your plate and how colourful it is. Is it a fairly beige meal? Or is it all mostly one colour? In food magazines the most captivating recipes we want to try ourselves are colourful and attractive. Greenery always works wonders and can help bring food alive - so top your meal with fresh chopped parsley, chives or your herb of choice. Other options include cheese and chopped chilli - anything that adds colour and interest. Puncture the yolk of your poached egg in a brunch shot for an image that leaves your audience salivating. Wipe up any other spills and add cutlery to give it that ready to eat feel.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Listen to the experts</b></span></p><p>I am by no means an expert and if you check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lucy_angele/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my Instagram</a>, I'm sure I have commited a multitude of sins when it comes to food photography. That being said, life is full of lessons and food photography is something that takes time and practice. If you want expert advice on how to improve your work, check out <a href="https://cottonbagco.co.uk/the-instagram-bag-from-cotton-bag-co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these polaroid style notelets</a>, each depicting a picture of a delicious plate of food and on the reverse side, tips and tricks. Admittedly some of the advice is common sense, but I have learned a lot and I'm really pleased with how some of my recent food shots have turned out.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mUcsEIy9_U1q80RGrvxd6UlVuOHi1AgvaKAPlmBtkGhy-CVRigQKziWQSK57rxafysqfJAs2zcyZzwq6EBuqs5FLD2q480iccQ4kRUXyB7zInx_Kra4XbgFDNcWc7aI1KusM-zDtT8xN/w640-h424/Black+Velvet+styling+backdrop+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></p><p><br /></p><p>If you are a budding food blogger or just enjoy taking food photos and want to up your game, check out #TheFoodieBag (also known as the Instagram Bag) <a href="https://cottonbagco.co.uk/the-instagram-bag-from-cotton-bag-co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> which has everything you need to get started. The kit is just £39.95 including P&P & VAT and contains the following:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>a HUGE tote bag (perfect for lugging your kit around!) with zip fastening and internal mesh dividers and pockets</li><li>A 15-inch 5 in 1 pop up lighting reflector and diffuser</li><li>4 backdrops (marble, grey concrete, green-grey hybrid and rust-look)</li><li>8 beautiful postcards with extra tips and tricks for getting the perfect shot</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>I've had a lot of fun experimenting with the different backdrops - although admittedly this has made me cringe over some of my past food photography!</div><p></p><p>_________________________________________________________________________________________</p><p><i>* This post features #TheFoodieBag from <a href="https://cottonbagco.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Cotton Bag Company</a> which wa</i><i>s sent to me in exchange for a review. As ever all views (and love of food photography!) are my own. </i></p><br />
<script src="https://www.dwin2.com/pub.219599.min.js"></script>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-67562667009895626592020-09-25T17:54:00.004+01:002020-10-15T09:29:23.012+01:007 ways how to have a productive writing day<p>This post contains a gifted item</p><p>Whether you blog, are writing the next big thing, or work in editorial, some days the words come less easily than others. One day you find you can easily knock out 1,000 words of a morning, the next you find yourself staring at your screen, willing the words to come to you. Writing is a craft that requires a lot of discipline, but sometimes that motivation can be hard to come by. So what can you do to help keep the words flowing?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Start the day right</b></span></p><p>If you wake up all groggy and half asleep and start writing straight away, the words won't come to you naturally. Make sure you find the time to put some fuel in the tank with a nutritious breakfast, a cup of tea or coffee, and a big glass of water. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Light exercise can work wonders</b></span></p><p>By no means tire yourself out or your writing could fall lacklustre. Do some light exercise like a quick morning jog or bike ride, or my favourite, morning yoga. I find this eases me into the day but at the same time gets my heart racing and blood pumping around the body (great for the brain).</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Identify how you write best</b></span></p><p>For me personally, my best ideas come when I physically write in a notebook. I don't know if it's something about looping those letters in joined up writing to bring a sense continunity to the words which help them to keep on coming. It just works. I find myself getting lost in a story a lot more when I write by hand. But each to their own. Your stream of consciouness may be better aligned with typing on a keyboard. Also have a think about which time of the day you write best. The mornings work best for me so I make sure I am up good and and early and get the bulk of any writing done then, leaving the afternoons for editing and reviewing (and image sourcing if for a blog post).</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Invest in a shiny new notebook</b></span></p><p>Nothing motivates me more than a brand new notebook, especially an aesthetically pleasing one with a witty or inspirational quote. A new notebook to me symbolises a fresh start. A new story. A new beginning. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHMR2S7god4pWEb-7VcTJh2BTEWKmpKfDGAo3_aho38ZSmzUss5vyD931mX7amQkhIQZ8cdG4tVRABWpPsZzsMFMvM2OYDU753tbQ6rE8xoNORSTgYn0NaKRChmUzraCgGPGcLU8DXvqo/s2048/My+brain+has+too+many+tabs+open+notebook+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="My brain has too many tabs open" border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHMR2S7god4pWEb-7VcTJh2BTEWKmpKfDGAo3_aho38ZSmzUss5vyD931mX7amQkhIQZ8cdG4tVRABWpPsZzsMFMvM2OYDU753tbQ6rE8xoNORSTgYn0NaKRChmUzraCgGPGcLU8DXvqo/w640-h424/My+brain+has+too+many+tabs+open+notebook+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" title="My brain has too many tabs open" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC6Z5BGXbs7uwT6zSfArj56hIMnx8wlkpWg91GSpQzU0FZv_1GrO0AySbakMyBysz-qJhV7G7swg7JCqOkvrLEAbJzxwDL9YR_2VyoQ5sWPelvl8FY0NUsJp7HeKpai2HETbWL1iAUc_S/s2048/Old+English+Company+too+many+tabs+open+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Old English Company too many tabs open" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC6Z5BGXbs7uwT6zSfArj56hIMnx8wlkpWg91GSpQzU0FZv_1GrO0AySbakMyBysz-qJhV7G7swg7JCqOkvrLEAbJzxwDL9YR_2VyoQ5sWPelvl8FY0NUsJp7HeKpai2HETbWL1iAUc_S/w424-h640/Old+English+Company+too+many+tabs+open+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" title="Old English Company too many tabs open" width="424" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Get the room temperature right</b></span></p><p>If you feel too hot or too cold, you could be prone to fidget and have bouts of restlessness. Much like the importance of getting your bedroom temperature right for a good night's sleep, make sure your working envirionment is equally comfortable. On stifling hot days, invest in a fan or sit outside and be at one with nature. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Find a workspace free from distractions</b></span></p><p>Much like the previous point, carve out a comfortable work zone but one that is also free from distractions. Don't work in front of the TV or around anything that could cause distraction. If you work from home, do you have a good work-life balance? If not, consider leaving the house to achieve that balance so at the end of the day, you can come back home and switch off. If you have a summer house or garden studio you can use, this would be a great writer's haven with guaranteed privacy. Libraries offer hushed tones and are another peaceful sanctuary. Otherwise if you are comfortable around other people and aren't easily distracted, consider a co-working space.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Don't push yourself too hard</b></span></p><p>Know your limits. If the words aren't flowing and you've tried making subtle changes to your routine and these aren't working, don't force it. Give yourself a break and have some time away from your desk or screen. I usually find that I get a whole new wave of inspiration once I step away from the problem and mull it over in my mind for a little while. Giving yourself this time is important for the development of new and existing ideas. </p><p>_________________________________________________________________________________________</p><p><i>* This post features <a href="https://oldenglishprints.com/collections/personalised-notebooks/products/too-many-tabs-open-personalised-foil-notebook" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this lovely notebook</a> from Old English Company and like all their other notebooks, comes in pink, grey, white or black. They also stock homeware, stationary, greeting cards and much more! </i><i>This notebook was sent to me in exchange for a review and all views are my own. </i></p><p><i>For 15% off your next purchase at Old English Company, use the code OESPECBR15 <a href="https://oldenglishprints.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5665sFb3I0-9OlAuWawkYx9hxKpWQOA1VbVnTHdw-j6XouduzV26qhy2M9cw7WaYLzf6_QtY_bGjUywqZhvCxRBlk5LzYhbz7aLSlXVGMQ68OlJeKlwehgoemNq1gkQ39uqh3W5rYdWbP/s2048/Old+English+Company+notebook+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Old English Company notebook" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5665sFb3I0-9OlAuWawkYx9hxKpWQOA1VbVnTHdw-j6XouduzV26qhy2M9cw7WaYLzf6_QtY_bGjUywqZhvCxRBlk5LzYhbz7aLSlXVGMQ68OlJeKlwehgoemNq1gkQ39uqh3W5rYdWbP/w424-h640/Old+English+Company+notebook+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" title="Old English Company notebook" width="424" /></a></div>
<script src="https://www.dwin2.com/pub.219599.min.js"></script>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-79899162876781853802020-09-11T17:17:00.000+01:002020-09-11T17:17:09.609+01:009 things to be mindful of on travel deals sites<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You know the drill. An email pings into your inbox from one of the many travel deals sites you are signed up to with a thumbnail of a paradise island with palm trees and crystal clear waters. Said email seductively trying to entice you into a trip to the Maldives because it's 50% off. But is this 'deal' all it's cracked up to be?<br />
<br />Disclaimer: I have nothing agaist travel deals sites like these (I myself are signed up to Secret Escapes, Voyage Prive and Groupon), but rather than immediately losing your head because you've always wanted to go to [insert country here] and it's super cheap and you'd be stupid not to, exercise caution. Why? I'm about to tell you why.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xi-ytFi7yC0g9bwmUuSia4sAOTWnr9URpbvSFoQn5FG539L8gNoLN0EsrWgMZadaveVtvHp3b85K7q5aZDe8iAZUNFadura4IrVp6OLJ4_2k9OJQM7mtqHUf-ao_CELI4kRh2sg030I0/s6000/Maldives+hanging+chair+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maldives hanging chair" border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xi-ytFi7yC0g9bwmUuSia4sAOTWnr9URpbvSFoQn5FG539L8gNoLN0EsrWgMZadaveVtvHp3b85K7q5aZDe8iAZUNFadura4IrVp6OLJ4_2k9OJQM7mtqHUf-ao_CELI4kRh2sg030I0/w426-h640/Maldives+hanging+chair+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" title="Maldives hanging chair" width="426" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Remember 50% off is still 50% on</span></b></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
It's an inherent fact of life: We love a bargain. Why buy something full priced when you can get the same thing for less? But you have to remember that whilst 50% off sounds like a great deal, if in the greater scheme of things it's a more expensive holiday, you could actually be <i>spending more</i> overall. Take discounts with a pinch of salt. Is it a destination or hotel that you would consider going to ordinarily if it wasn't on offer? And remember, 50% off is still 50% on.<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Is that 'deal' as much of a deal as you think?</b></span></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Deals sites like these are generally able to offer promotions due to the power of buying in bulk. As long as they get enough people interested in the deal and meet demand and sell it, they aren't out of pocket and can still make their money. My advice? <i>Research</i>. Look around. If you find a hotel you like the look of, go to the actual hotel website and check how expensive the hotel is normally. I remember clicking on a holiday offer where I was told it was 40-something % off however when I consulted the hotel's website and checked their usual rate, the travel deal was in fact only offering 17% off their normal rate. So yes, still a saving, but not as big as they were claiming. One that doesn't justify me getting all riled up and hitting that book button like it's going out of style. If you find a hotel you like, don't take that price as a final offer. Do your research and use travel and hotel comparison sites to find the best price out there.<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The room pictured may not be the room you get</b></span></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
You've been there. You've been drawn in by an image of an over water villa. In reality these may just be example thumbnails to lure you to the holiday listing. Scroll down the page and study the rooms offered in the deal. For deals on holiday destinations like the Maldives, they usually offer you the cheaper and lowest grade room. Likely on land, not water (sorry). If it sounds too good to be too true, it probably is.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6NHT2x9pg0-HIUeVPf2CTGxuYonxv8qEKz9Ewa9x-ElezrpHDWUKBHELTMYczlX1hgMXkOTJvd1WFGi1mrbKVyPg-M_DkUySeMbjL7DpFATmlHxOcYQpWhZDRY6Qd2yrIljUUrTk5keZ/s6000/Over+water+bungalow+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maldives over water bungalow" border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6NHT2x9pg0-HIUeVPf2CTGxuYonxv8qEKz9Ewa9x-ElezrpHDWUKBHELTMYczlX1hgMXkOTJvd1WFGi1mrbKVyPg-M_DkUySeMbjL7DpFATmlHxOcYQpWhZDRY6Qd2yrIljUUrTk5keZ/w640-h426/Over+water+bungalow+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" title="Maldives over water bungalow" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Read the small print</span></b></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
You find an incredible deal for a sunshine holiday and it's 400-and-something in your given currency for 7 days and your cursor is hovering over that book button. STOP RIGHT THERE. Scroll down and read the small print first. Check the board basis. Countless times have I been caught out by something that sounds incredible but in reality is bed only or bed and breakfast. For a trip to Europe that's not a deal breaker as such, but if you're looking further afield at caribbean destinations where your hotel is the only one for miles (or the only hotel full stop), then some sort of food is a must. Some hotels will offer upgrade options where you can pay slightly more for a nicer room or better board, but not always. This depends on the hotel. Do some digging and double check if the offer includes food, flights and transfers and what seasons / months / days of the week are valid. Out of season is generally cheaper, but can have terrible weather, so that could be how the price is so low.<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Beware of hidden costs</span></b></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />It's worth double checking about any hidden extra costs. A holiday deal may claim it includes dinner, but in the small print it may say that dinner is only provided for one night. So you'd have to be mindful that you'd need to pay for dinner for the majority of your stay. Some destinations have city tax. And some holidays may throw in a free diving trip, but said diving trip may require you to pay for the equipment hire. You'd be surprised how many hidden extras there are. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">You book a holiday but it's no longer there</span></b></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Booking through sites like Groupon, Wowcher and the like, they act as the middleman, so this is more like a voucher or credit towards a holiday and isn't an actual booking. Then it's up to us the consumer to contact the hotel / travel site we are using and quote the unique voucher code we received. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I've read several case studies where people have booked a trip on sites like these, contacted the travel provider, and said travel provider have told them the trip to x at the advertised price has now sold out. Some are palmed off with a lower spec hotel or travel package. Others are given something more expensive so end up having to shell out more. You may not be happy and want your money back. Which is when you are told that your voucher is non refundable and non transferable.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Sites like these have some lovely sunshine breaks abroad, but it's definitely worth bearing the above in mind. I'd personally be more inclined to book up a domestic trip with them as in the event of a booking changing or no longer being available, I'd be a little more confident finding an alternative in a country I am more familar with. But that's completely up to you. Just ensure that you are ATOL or ABTA protected.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTO7kWkIQE_7bAbbhlFCZxURd7JDFfiD0wAnZ1Y1vduog3dnkHcuHUyGYoRF2HHFeb4aDjyKZ755CYmWIExBZllPkuvGXnLxO5NSM7d73TG5BwHotCXODVoiAuVumVEGQ_lSR5xXRaQZju/s6000/Exploring+the+Maldives+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maldives holidays" border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTO7kWkIQE_7bAbbhlFCZxURd7JDFfiD0wAnZ1Y1vduog3dnkHcuHUyGYoRF2HHFeb4aDjyKZ755CYmWIExBZllPkuvGXnLxO5NSM7d73TG5BwHotCXODVoiAuVumVEGQ_lSR5xXRaQZju/w426-h640/Exploring+the+Maldives+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" title="Maldives holidays" width="426" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Watch out for scam travel sites</span></b></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
There are lots of travel deals sites. Take your pick. But beware. There are scammers out there who create fake websites, fake listings and fake social media accounts drawing people to holiday deals and competitions. Scam sites like these can promote accomodation and holiday packages that don't exist, or sell fake airline tickets. Before booking, always check out the website in question. Google it for reviews and stories of other people who have booked through them. Make sure they are ATOL and / or ABTA approved. Avoid paying through bank transfer or cash. Always try to pay by credit card where transactions can be easier to cancel or block. And remember, if in doubt or if the deal looks too good to be true, don't proceed.<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Don't be pressured by the countdown timer</span></b></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
You know the one. The countdown that is sat in the sidebar, counting the number of days, hours, minutes and seconds until this once-in-a-lifetime deal expires. I remember frantically getting wound up by it when I found a holiday that was about to expire and I was hurriedly trying to suss out the deal and if it was something I wanted to persue. Anything with a countdown is stressful. Don't let it consume you. When deciding whether you want to book or not, think about how you'd feel if you logged on too late one day and the deal had gone. Would you feel sad and like you'd royally missed out?<br />
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Some deals are repeat offenders</b></span></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
Other than the pressure from the countdown timer, another stress point is being told that this is a one time deal and this is your last chance. Not true. I use sites like Secret Escapes and I've seen the same destination pop up several times before. Just because it's expiring in 2 hours time, doesn't mean it won't be back again at some later date. It's always better to wait, do the research, and be better prepared, so if it comes back around again, you can have more confidence booking (or not booking!).<br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>All images are my own. Please credit me and link back to this article if used.</i></div>
Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-14350672444105420402020-09-04T17:15:00.002+01:002020-10-15T09:28:59.413+01:007 ways how to get your home Halloween ready<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Create a welcoming entrance hall</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyx_tE1qeYQZefuN5PoLNLngljFEpF-mbPIuqmhulRFIfo8vfCUrb1P08fV_J0-RhyKDpFWikhbFlf1hkm_za2hPkICVFMVtCOvqDKq8VnFVUrO-UnQzZkkHdleXJG75DezTQYEUU2WbA/s821/Hello+pumpkin+door+mat+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="821" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyx_tE1qeYQZefuN5PoLNLngljFEpF-mbPIuqmhulRFIfo8vfCUrb1P08fV_J0-RhyKDpFWikhbFlf1hkm_za2hPkICVFMVtCOvqDKq8VnFVUrO-UnQzZkkHdleXJG75DezTQYEUU2WbA/w640-h462/Hello+pumpkin+door+mat+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Autumn being the season of warm colours like burnt oranges, rusts and reds will help any entrance hall or hallway come alive. Many us decorate our homes with Christmas wreaths, so why not consider an autumn wreath for your front door? The colours of <a href="https://amzn.to/2EL8w4z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this autumnal wreath</a> are so warming and pleasing to the eye. In similar fashion, string up <a href="https://amzn.to/3gWj6Tl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">garlands of autumnal leaves</a> to run up your staircase or over your fireplace, and welcome your visitors with the ever popular <a href="https://amzn.to/32SYk1V" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hello Pumpkin door mat</a>, guaranteed to be a frequent sight on your Instagram feed again this year.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Bring the taste of the season into your home</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SK0u8_avkV9vkfWbQFumwUT2Gc1KnsNbEf6rOmtGYWv9C4K0oPw6YZUqVhL2YermswTQCvKjI94QsY_dKdOnTXSWdx_JBXqiyiNmTX48i3IzjcAjVMyqe3fF2ZYJlpTou1bRqpDA3bbb/s845/Halloween+drinks+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="845" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SK0u8_avkV9vkfWbQFumwUT2Gc1KnsNbEf6rOmtGYWv9C4K0oPw6YZUqVhL2YermswTQCvKjI94QsY_dKdOnTXSWdx_JBXqiyiNmTX48i3IzjcAjVMyqe3fF2ZYJlpTou1bRqpDA3bbb/w640-h542/Halloween+drinks+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>One of the most wonderful things about this season are the magic words: Pumpkin Spice. For a warming taste of autumn, stock up on autumnal themed limited editions like <a href="https://amzn.to/3bsCeqH" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pumpkin spice gin</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2Z5mO6Z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pumpkin spice chocolate liquor </a>(I've tried the standard Mozart chocolate liquor and can confirm it is <i>divine</i>) and <a href="https://amzn.to/2EUh7ln" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pumpkin spice syrup</a> to give your coffees and hot chocolates an added<i> je ne sais quoi.</i> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Come up with a table setting </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2d2aFOHaTugZ63W9zDv3ofqRG9f0_S54WUsfuLyDCn-2u-GaAaeSKN3IyhAnwe5eygDHwOwPTxr-FYZJ-sZIPeAo4HHD4MNfkHb1rDEWx3T6inCAKhEvcfNUdbHDwxnSmDpKNiLWiLph/s811/Halloween+table+setting+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="811" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2d2aFOHaTugZ63W9zDv3ofqRG9f0_S54WUsfuLyDCn-2u-GaAaeSKN3IyhAnwe5eygDHwOwPTxr-FYZJ-sZIPeAo4HHD4MNfkHb1rDEWx3T6inCAKhEvcfNUdbHDwxnSmDpKNiLWiLph/w640-h634/Halloween+table+setting+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Laying the table for Halloween doesn't have to mean spider webs and plastic spiders. It really depends on you as a household. If you have young children, you may want to inject some fun and decorate the space together. Otherwise you could always focus on more of an autumnal theme with a pumpkin centrepiece. Decorate with cutesy, miniature, real pumpkins or go artifical for longevity so you can use your pumpkins again year after year. <a href="https://amzn.to/3lPD99k" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">These white pumpkins</a> would suit monochrome, farmhouse or country style decor, or if you fancy something a little glitzier, how about these <a href="https://amzn.to/2ZknJ3F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">rose gold light up pumpkins</a>? You can still make a nod to the season by simply changing the colours of your candles to something like <a href="https://amzn.to/3bnwHSk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these black candlesticks</a> which have great impact. And for pumpkin soup season, why not invest in some cute pumpkin bowls? Whilst many come in traditional 'pumpkin orange', if you fancy something a little more muted, how about <a href="https://amzn.to/3lLy1Db" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this white ceramic pumpkin bowl with lid</a>?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Update your soft furnishings</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNuybneF0cqFS_6JAgsHJ7htZac0xL6WfFU9ftieWXxPN6k5L0AYLYRnkvYw8QQt14PJp7TkdHAHeg5LdxVu-Kh1bWMplJ6PgkW_G0UMiAUycHl9S61sDkQOMrzjifU861E9nABwr0Pqw/s1219/Halloween+cushions+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1219" data-original-width="832" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNuybneF0cqFS_6JAgsHJ7htZac0xL6WfFU9ftieWXxPN6k5L0AYLYRnkvYw8QQt14PJp7TkdHAHeg5LdxVu-Kh1bWMplJ6PgkW_G0UMiAUycHl9S61sDkQOMrzjifU861E9nABwr0Pqw/w437-h640/Halloween+cushions+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" width="437" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://amzn.to/320FQ0d" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Autumn cushion cover</a> // <a href="https://amzn.to/3i0Qt8P" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pumpkin spice latte fabric</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3jNrjuQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pumpkin throw</a> // <a href="https://amzn.to/3btKve7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hello autumn cushion cover</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3jNrjuQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">White and gold pumpkin cushion</a></span></div><p style="text-align: left;">Soft furnishings are one of the easiest ways to help transform a space. It's always good to have an excuse to buy more cushions! Alternatively you can seek out cushion covers that will enable you to keep your same cushions, but give them a seasonal refresh. Once autumn is over, cushion covers are easy to fold and put away as they don't require much in the way of storage space. If you're feeling crafty and are good with a needle and thread, why not source some autumnal fabric and make your own cushion covers? I just love <a href="https://amzn.to/3i0Qt8P" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this pumpkin spice latte fabric</a></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Give your bedding a refresh</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Bxr9lWd-5xSYNDTC5jI7DOYXOE3auuD4hM5cx3nIPTXSKi7kqtYMEPqaeBwssy2JpN1IKHw2PFldSqnM2xnms0wwhxJH07FInr9H_mCYnrTYHDBXEBG65R2Qfr811R5Zd-IDkLOJONO2/s1458/Halloween+bedding+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="992" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Bxr9lWd-5xSYNDTC5jI7DOYXOE3auuD4hM5cx3nIPTXSKi7kqtYMEPqaeBwssy2JpN1IKHw2PFldSqnM2xnms0wwhxJH07FInr9H_mCYnrTYHDBXEBG65R2Qfr811R5Zd-IDkLOJONO2/w435-h640/Halloween+bedding+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" width="435" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://amzn.to/32Szjnw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Warm tone pumpkin bedding</a> // <a href="https://amzn.to/2EL06dr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pumpkin spice and everything nice bedding</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2QQqqVP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dark Halloween bedding</a> // <a href="https://amzn.to/2YZ2O5O" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pastel blue pumpkin bedding</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2ENJiT8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grinning pumpkins bedding</a> // <a href="https://amzn.to/3jV57iz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black and white Halloween bedding</a></span></div><p>Alas the <a href="https://www.matalan.co.uk/product/detail/s2797593_c438/reversible-pumpkin-print-duvet-cover-cream" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matalan pumpkin duvet cover</a> of dreams has sold out, but there are plenty of other good ones out there. <a href="https://amzn.to/32Szjnw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This set</a> is just as lovely as the Matalan one. Alternatively if you and your family prefer the monochrome look, how about a black and white design like <a href="https://amzn.to/3jV57iz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this one</a>? If soft pastels are more your thing, these are a little harder to find as everything is so <i>orange</i> at this time of the year, however I located two examples (above). Isn't <a href="https://amzn.to/2EL06dr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this pumpkin spice and everything nice set</a> adorable? </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Create a cosy atmosphere</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFobG5LcYHmLe8cMOOw7_f0Cg8GOefFSW_hlnAeuusYKMe1OhErYusxg8t6R6S8KTreVB_Ilqv9Llsiha5a9zf7U6tGZCqnQKfM4s0QhRsTKIFezUFqt-Ax3ihCTlN94oPoTNbXhyj4ayh/s805/Night+in+with+Halloween+films+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="805" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFobG5LcYHmLe8cMOOw7_f0Cg8GOefFSW_hlnAeuusYKMe1OhErYusxg8t6R6S8KTreVB_Ilqv9Llsiha5a9zf7U6tGZCqnQKfM4s0QhRsTKIFezUFqt-Ax3ihCTlN94oPoTNbXhyj4ayh/w640-h354/Night+in+with+Halloween+films+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>When the temperatures start to plummet and the leaves begin their metamorphosis, it's the perfect time to watch Halloween movie favourites (Hocus Pocus anyone?) with a <a href="https://amzn.to/3jNrjuQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cosy throw</a>, hot chocolate in an <a href="https://amzn.to/2DzDCvm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">autumn ready mug</a> and a soft lighting scheme. For ultimate cosy vibes, you can't go wrong with <a href="https://amzn.to/2F5YwCJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fairy lights</a> and a <a href="https://amzn.to/3bsQwaR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pumpkin spice candle</a>. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Just have fun with it!</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzLDu2HdhLu9iTtA8nHvD9thYfHson0QXpcXvOn_ImG3rBK_yFJC3tijVYYiTJZPk9CJe_dV7x_0HpNyGFo9V0g9WXdQVP8UAUQYoWUecdf-0iCnMLIZ7SPU4NnYiaVCX2I5-v87QMimc/s811/how+to+get+your+home+Halloween+ready+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="811" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzLDu2HdhLu9iTtA8nHvD9thYfHson0QXpcXvOn_ImG3rBK_yFJC3tijVYYiTJZPk9CJe_dV7x_0HpNyGFo9V0g9WXdQVP8UAUQYoWUecdf-0iCnMLIZ7SPU4NnYiaVCX2I5-v87QMimc/w640-h628/how+to+get+your+home+Halloween+ready+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>If cobwebs and spiders aren't your thing, there are plenty of alternatives out there that you can hang on your walls. If you have a bar cart or a designated drinks area, this <a href="https://amzn.to/31Wq8TD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Drink Up Witches banner</a> may be up your street. Or if you want to play more towards an autumn theme rather than Halloween, opt for a farmhouse style sign with a wooden frame like <a href="https://amzn.to/31X09eM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this one</a>. Wall art like this can easily be propped against a wall and doesn't necessarily need fixing to the wall (perfect for if you are renting!). Same story with <a href="https://amzn.to/2EWWnt6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this crow print</a> which doesn't just have to be for Halloween, and would be perfect all year round on any gallery wall. If birds don't freak you out, <a href="https://amzn.to/2QRsSLI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these ravens</a> can easily be dotted around your home. At the top of the stairs. On the fireplace. In the bookshelves. Above a wardrobe or kitchen cupboard. The possibilities are endless! If you have children, they can help you place them, otherwise why not have a family game of find the ravens? </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Which items are your favourites?</b></span></p><p><i>This post contains affiliate links. While we earn a small commission for products purchased through these links, it doesn’t change the price you pay in any way, nor will it cost you to click through to view any of these items. Affiliate links help keep Curiouser and Curiouser running so we can continue to bring you free content. Thanks for continuing to support Curiouser and Curiouser! <3</i></p>
<script src="https://www.dwin2.com/pub.219599.min.js"></script>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-32735798188690649532020-08-07T15:39:00.001+01:002020-08-07T16:12:47.265+01:00Why you will never take skirting boards for granted ever again<div>AD | This is a sponsored post but all thoughts are my own</div><div><br /></div>"Why do we have skirting boards?" Mr Curiouser and Curiouser asks me one day. "Do we even need them?" Admittedly I am rarely ready for what comes out of his mouth and this was no different. But to be honest, I've never questioned skirting boards (also known as baseboards, mopboards and trim) before. Whether you live in an older property, a new build or a flat, they all tend to come with skirting boards. Skirting boards just <i>exist</i>. But do we need them?<div><div><br /></div><div>Skirting boards are assumed to have come about in the 1800's during the Victorian era, as these were the earliest use cases on record. Damp proofing had not yet been established so skirting boards were there to prevent rising damp on the walls as well as to protect walls from bumps and knocks, and to reduce draughts as Victorian homes weren't as well insulated as our modern day counterparts. While some classic features like dado rails and picture rails have been phased out of some homes - and not added to new ones - the humble skirting board is still a prevalent feature today.</div><div><br /></div><div>So with that, some of the many reasons why you should cherish your skirting boards.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOP6EHX-jWb4hhENCMQi7RHmSCcWSAknsNLmKin3csKIlHxqwW_E2bYgKVpdHWDaIhkojakFv2P-aXrcFineKKx51Pv1yJwZANVH41HgkNQM8zq3pIv6QtyLgQVEJWaKHZERQnPOzMV3oO/s1042/mint+skirting+boards+mint+trim.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1042" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOP6EHX-jWb4hhENCMQi7RHmSCcWSAknsNLmKin3csKIlHxqwW_E2bYgKVpdHWDaIhkojakFv2P-aXrcFineKKx51Pv1yJwZANVH41HgkNQM8zq3pIv6QtyLgQVEJWaKHZERQnPOzMV3oO/s640/mint+skirting+boards+mint+trim.jpg" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="6"><b>They protect your home</b></font></div><div><br /></div><div>Skirting boards protect the wall from any knocks and bumps from pets, the vaccum cleaner, children's toys and if like me, exercise equipment has somehow accumulated in your home. Skirting boards also protect the wall from moisture (say you spring a leak, the house floods, or you have an accident prone family / pets) by forming a physical barrier, and some types even have <a href="https://mdfskirtingworld.co.uk/skirting-boards/bullnose-mdf-skirting-board/" target="_blank">moisture resistant capabilities</a> which make them the perfect candidate for bathrooms or alongside floors that require frequent mopping.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="6">They are practical</font></b></div><div><br /></div><div>They create a neat join between wall and floor. Skirting boards also seal off any gaps where pet fur, dust, and the like may otherwise gather. A good quality <a href="https://mdfskirtingworld.co.uk/skirting-boards/bullnose-mdf-skirting-board/" target="_blank">Bullnose skirting board</a> is rounded in design meaning there is nowhere for dust to hide and is easy to clean. They also have the added bonus of hiding any imperfections you may have lower down on the wall like a bad paint job or exposed plaster. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="6"><b>They look great painted </b></font></div><div><br /></div><div>Whatever the colour, skirting boards can give nice clean lines. I'm a big fan of dark interiors and a white skirting board can look crisp against a dark wall. I have in fact opted for white in many of the rooms here. In the lounge to lift the dark inky blue walls and wood flooring. In the office to frame the sumptious brinjal walls. And in the bedroom to contrast against the cocooning grey walls. Skirting boards can also give the illusion of high ceilings in rooms with low ceilings if you paint the skirting board the same colour as the walls. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwxl4GRKctojKTGHyb_TX2WmN-WNY0av_1KYaGAJlSq2jV7qpBoJyF0muk0RDu6yPtX_Hiwx8pQWXB56lbn5rDo2ThORRZWxcKmw9W51EW5iRM8I2-OMqccztP0LpW_JPi2sg6bhuEFn2/s1600/Pink+wall+pink+skirting+boards.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1199" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwxl4GRKctojKTGHyb_TX2WmN-WNY0av_1KYaGAJlSq2jV7qpBoJyF0muk0RDu6yPtX_Hiwx8pQWXB56lbn5rDo2ThORRZWxcKmw9W51EW5iRM8I2-OMqccztP0LpW_JPi2sg6bhuEFn2/s640/Pink+wall+pink+skirting+boards.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Skirting boards also have great longevity in that you can always paint them another colour in the future if you fancy a refresh. Interiors are becoming braver and braver in this regard with an influx of coloured skirting boards. Pink skirting boards are having a moment, as are pastel shades like soft blues and greens. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghV7R3yaXNqIyZy8M5ZRJxPkQXflC4aWfVfp1LNh112BQl3xHWviuosHMNem75f0oBCSMZi2MxgB8RZ7Li63gVYPQHg6ztHkrUP2cldqaeJYxt2LXic9D8j_ltCb1joUVhU9HklYviPrPe/s1198/baby+blue+skirting+boards.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="790" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghV7R3yaXNqIyZy8M5ZRJxPkQXflC4aWfVfp1LNh112BQl3xHWviuosHMNem75f0oBCSMZi2MxgB8RZ7Li63gVYPQHg6ztHkrUP2cldqaeJYxt2LXic9D8j_ltCb1joUVhU9HklYviPrPe/s640/baby+blue+skirting+boards.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBryPfJop6tcEFETnGbhJqzUiYWRNP9Y9jo7VYk5yHhkG2giTkosrZdwpKPxNwcvUlFwIka9pvO2LvisL7zoVBpo0wi75IP8D6Iw73AYj6eVLw-s9TVBpDVEB4AJhoCsMMZARAWn8X9pY/s2048/Pink+skirting+boards.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1347" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBryPfJop6tcEFETnGbhJqzUiYWRNP9Y9jo7VYk5yHhkG2giTkosrZdwpKPxNwcvUlFwIka9pvO2LvisL7zoVBpo0wi75IP8D6Iw73AYj6eVLw-s9TVBpDVEB4AJhoCsMMZARAWn8X9pY/s640/Pink+skirting+boards.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglw12C26T7UXbIO820UCXKSKSSxgSDdEeoPmniQZFXsy-S0mlRdDGPwIZdXRtv5Tjyzqb2S0n1lKIV7NWZcRPJ7yhtrXvg1YXY0lX-tACzWKO_9ruGRjhLFvjhY961j-2jTsxvA-SffmYq/s2048/Sage+skirting+boards+sage+trim.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1514" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglw12C26T7UXbIO820UCXKSKSSxgSDdEeoPmniQZFXsy-S0mlRdDGPwIZdXRtv5Tjyzqb2S0n1lKIV7NWZcRPJ7yhtrXvg1YXY0lX-tACzWKO_9ruGRjhLFvjhY961j-2jTsxvA-SffmYq/s640/Sage+skirting+boards+sage+trim.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Dark skirting boards are also very much en vogue. Navy blue skirting boards look incredible with navy stairs and railings against a white or soft grey wall. As do black and grey skirting boards.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dg6irSDvwKzqabck4RzyK03mJ7heudsuQpk_b2RjNfu9ehQsoSRdj7va4757wi5xRoAZ63R6xTHcBCQz-jKROxyXLw9USRJAzyaa6gV_MQiRgmkvcdQMCi8EQw7sVs8uQt55oUnjpfjI/s922/Grey+skirting+boards+grey+trim.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dg6irSDvwKzqabck4RzyK03mJ7heudsuQpk_b2RjNfu9ehQsoSRdj7va4757wi5xRoAZ63R6xTHcBCQz-jKROxyXLw9USRJAzyaa6gV_MQiRgmkvcdQMCi8EQw7sVs8uQt55oUnjpfjI/s640/Grey+skirting+boards+grey+trim.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nBOWFHpjHb7KpL9nuF9vAam8OD2j20XxASHnSonfask5jbQ64FK9KReKW8HWAxYvqDowAtUqzE5Ya-u_GXsc5Teh5eq_m3C_nDh_5liH6UR2c0BgUBLJWfvAPsJ85LJC3BgjzEDEmpWG/s663/Black+skirting+boards+black+trim.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="425" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nBOWFHpjHb7KpL9nuF9vAam8OD2j20XxASHnSonfask5jbQ64FK9KReKW8HWAxYvqDowAtUqzE5Ya-u_GXsc5Teh5eq_m3C_nDh_5liH6UR2c0BgUBLJWfvAPsJ85LJC3BgjzEDEmpWG/s640/Black+skirting+boards+black+trim.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wyRjZVSSV7Dr5VaWBwrWgwNdd2bfJ2oO44VG4GYoOe1K3adn5pD1_uxyH8jCbOWK5zEKV-AqbEQDKhFr9fugbKqEfHslNzimXxWHU-IME0niucgnXjMd7fkmd84n1mJyPTQgIcfAJfGX/s986/Black+skirting+boards.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="986" data-original-width="660" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wyRjZVSSV7Dr5VaWBwrWgwNdd2bfJ2oO44VG4GYoOe1K3adn5pD1_uxyH8jCbOWK5zEKV-AqbEQDKhFr9fugbKqEfHslNzimXxWHU-IME0niucgnXjMd7fkmd84n1mJyPTQgIcfAJfGX/s640/Black+skirting+boards.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yXENUt7GFUCDVzR-QE2m-7kDLzoCY6p7hQv1dkqzzBZ7I1f9gLn3pbAsAVCZsZXatPa8pVJTzw-UxcPPcuFO3V5e2V0Bfs37BDaiD16h5ggGcqjdTplbYJxw-R4jvHa61YoIrcVZk6d6/s2048/Navy+skirting+boards+navy+trim.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1637" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yXENUt7GFUCDVzR-QE2m-7kDLzoCY6p7hQv1dkqzzBZ7I1f9gLn3pbAsAVCZsZXatPa8pVJTzw-UxcPPcuFO3V5e2V0Bfs37BDaiD16h5ggGcqjdTplbYJxw-R4jvHa61YoIrcVZk6d6/s640/Navy+skirting+boards+navy+trim.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="6"><b>They add character</b></font></div><div><br /></div><div>Particularly if you have nice ornate ones. Taller skirting boards can add grandeur to a room. Our ancestors installed these to give the impression they were wealthier than they actually were. Last but not least, skirting boards can look really smart against a statement wallpaper. Especially if you pick out an accent colour from your wallpaper and paint the trim to match. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfYCMQKGldhLdcDl6gtpZiJV7sYhmqSieD-ssKeVDavceYIRYS9hqqrFEvrD7GYefQGKZI5apo71Hb8q76Wlsu9JBmSM1V1Qbe1GaFO-V_TmhF1qLNyX4fLmgt1dI5Im1FugQsodBX_oj/s1080/Wallpaper+with+navy+trim.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfYCMQKGldhLdcDl6gtpZiJV7sYhmqSieD-ssKeVDavceYIRYS9hqqrFEvrD7GYefQGKZI5apo71Hb8q76Wlsu9JBmSM1V1Qbe1GaFO-V_TmhF1qLNyX4fLmgt1dI5Im1FugQsodBX_oj/w400-h400/Wallpaper+with+navy+trim.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MGNoYzcvxYpKaA_MNwMx4-NSCHozmde7WfCbRnaBoLWsYeMeDKUls9iPPUR-20BHMhj7iKkFabpe3g8uD_gBW3r2T_wxhmphtki3xuNTawNYG26X6aPRM49FtaptU5616jHDOun7s9lm/s945/Wallpaper+with+yellow+trim.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="945" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MGNoYzcvxYpKaA_MNwMx4-NSCHozmde7WfCbRnaBoLWsYeMeDKUls9iPPUR-20BHMhj7iKkFabpe3g8uD_gBW3r2T_wxhmphtki3xuNTawNYG26X6aPRM49FtaptU5616jHDOun7s9lm/w400-h400/Wallpaper+with+yellow+trim.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcyFQ8DnKQAP8Q0tFKWPicp-4dRwo9p0Buh5zgJ1k4s8k8B2SOnU-wnAyDEiczPLLoieOO8DdktmiW2QVdJfmDGxxKry_twgFlav3KBpGCecB6zFYGU0UGkhagaH0IqxGGgC0JGBehRlH/s435/Yellow+wallpaper+with+yellow+trim.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="290" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcyFQ8DnKQAP8Q0tFKWPicp-4dRwo9p0Buh5zgJ1k4s8k8B2SOnU-wnAyDEiczPLLoieOO8DdktmiW2QVdJfmDGxxKry_twgFlav3KBpGCecB6zFYGU0UGkhagaH0IqxGGgC0JGBehRlH/w427-h640/Yellow+wallpaper+with+yellow+trim.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29UMP_TF-1j926Iq4M6plupv4vdaf8jAVOaPNfPUnRQVNVNn0LUOu0dB8eA0eEl4GpfA4Q7n0rWTdAq2Hl3L6o5WgGf7fHHELHJWV6E24xsb6ms0Sy2ycdad1v3i9ehVkavJqt6du67QX/s800/Wallpaper+with+grey+trim.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="527" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29UMP_TF-1j926Iq4M6plupv4vdaf8jAVOaPNfPUnRQVNVNn0LUOu0dB8eA0eEl4GpfA4Q7n0rWTdAq2Hl3L6o5WgGf7fHHELHJWV6E24xsb6ms0Sy2ycdad1v3i9ehVkavJqt6du67QX/s640/Wallpaper+with+grey+trim.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>So there you have it. Skirting boards exist for practical reasons but can also bring fun, colour, drama or grandeur into your home. It all depends on the type of skirting board, and how you paint them. Writing this feature has me yearning to pick up a paint brush and run riot in the hallway. The only stumbling block is deciding between pastel skirting boards and a matching staircase, or going to the dark side with black or navy blue skirting boards for a monochrome look. Thoughts?</div><div><br /></div><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: arimo; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">All images <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/lucy_angele/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> (original source unknown). If any of these images are yours, please reach out to me so I can fully credit you!</span></i></div><div><br /></div></div>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-63076134718470240482020-07-10T11:29:00.002+01:002020-07-10T11:46:55.334+01:00Interiors trends I don't get // Pink and greenI like pink. I like green. I just don't always love them together. And turns out I'm not alone. <div><br /></div><div>On UK interiors show Best House In Town, a highly commended house which was ticking all the right boxes hit a stumbling block once the judges entered the master bedroom and came face to face with bright green walls paired with light pink bed linen. They were lost for words. And not in a good way. <div><br /></div><div>For me personally, not all greens work with pink, but I find that there are exceptions to the rule. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="6">THE GOOD</font></b></div><div><br /></div><div>1) A deep green with blue tones so that it's veering on a teal or a dark inky blue. This sort of green works amazingly with pink whether its a soft pink or a bold look-at-me number. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5LEW7wdaUCBAo2hKZVn7xeFU9WxZqRixW4775lMQkJqRgiyLimTXM0PQYo73ZT8JpvYU9p9zkcACWHuH8KNyDpPlGdJ2rK7NPQyG3akC7josp_8ke1_YKbYUJ-ooOZpkL9U6eb5F-VFA/s788/Wall+Paint+in+Amsterdam+Green.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5LEW7wdaUCBAo2hKZVn7xeFU9WxZqRixW4775lMQkJqRgiyLimTXM0PQYo73ZT8JpvYU9p9zkcACWHuH8KNyDpPlGdJ2rK7NPQyG3akC7josp_8ke1_YKbYUJ-ooOZpkL9U6eb5F-VFA/w520-h640/Wall+Paint+in+Amsterdam+Green.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBzh1eK7Hqk1UF9WqkHcXeQnMmv3L6K3t-z_NYBG4ptBewwoZd6RqWi5cOaBTK0VbkJjF7tCl42UuRTBy2_Cmccja5U6tdYKjVXSuEjZot85WT6SBBddw6jAADa1T6Ski7GuIEqM6E-5B/s981/20+Photos+That+Will+Prove+Decorating+with+Pink+and+Green+is+the+Next+Big+Thing+-+Living+After+Midnite.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="981" data-original-width="736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBzh1eK7Hqk1UF9WqkHcXeQnMmv3L6K3t-z_NYBG4ptBewwoZd6RqWi5cOaBTK0VbkJjF7tCl42UuRTBy2_Cmccja5U6tdYKjVXSuEjZot85WT6SBBddw6jAADa1T6Ski7GuIEqM6E-5B/w480-h640/20+Photos+That+Will+Prove+Decorating+with+Pink+and+Green+is+the+Next+Big+Thing+-+Living+After+Midnite.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGd-Vh6p_ljjflN4zkKV-nY_ixTqtIztjnXRszBjJV0JTWweQYX6AP4EZT9hVWYURIAVVJdK7eoWQ8FJ9sxio3-bhUPmhmgBQ-niNOxGs-uJjy8X2rZQ-4Yb0ekS4W2qM-YyN-3e63F0e/s1280/10+Ways+to+Transform+Your+Garden+on+a+Budget+-+Melanie+Jade+Design.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGd-Vh6p_ljjflN4zkKV-nY_ixTqtIztjnXRszBjJV0JTWweQYX6AP4EZT9hVWYURIAVVJdK7eoWQ8FJ9sxio3-bhUPmhmgBQ-niNOxGs-uJjy8X2rZQ-4Yb0ekS4W2qM-YyN-3e63F0e/w480-h640/10+Ways+to+Transform+Your+Garden+on+a+Budget+-+Melanie+Jade+Design.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div>2) pink paired with greenery in the form of plants. For me that works. Maybe because it's reflective of what you would see in nature. Green grass. Green moss. Largely green flower beds. Pink roses. Pink hydrangeas. Pink peonies.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTkJGhsCnU3ud4EFnIGUvZi6gNHP-5LBtsXrpwmtav-6J201nIlVzVNOtGAO-lZOcrQ0FXN0X-4CL-3-aobbFEF8f329iKUJFtInrySze56uwjGiVuFbMrfu-5IKbTc3lhVz6vFxIgpPb/s630/Botanicals+%2526+Blush+_+Jungalow+by+Justina+Blakeney.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="630" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTkJGhsCnU3ud4EFnIGUvZi6gNHP-5LBtsXrpwmtav-6J201nIlVzVNOtGAO-lZOcrQ0FXN0X-4CL-3-aobbFEF8f329iKUJFtInrySze56uwjGiVuFbMrfu-5IKbTc3lhVz6vFxIgpPb/w400-h393/Botanicals+%2526+Blush+_+Jungalow+by+Justina+Blakeney.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>3) A backdrop which features other colours rather than just the one shade of pink or green. For example a leaf print wallpaper with a white background to it. An entirely green foliage wallpaper can work here too as long as there are several hues of green to make it multi-dimensional (case in point below). Or pair white walls with green and pink furniture or soft furnishings to make those pops of colour sing.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhP-LTDRBX4Imj584HJRxkkbSA3mbT9wGMYrCLhO0Ey04nqI591lDJVr-CVusLq_rWD7HP0m-adBkaBGLvLZAWRA8-vXuYEPTB_H01MvLvTAgyY0Xf08kf9KJoyHME2yHuAItk4QrNgmt/s1280/Colour+Trends+%25E2%2580%2593+Pink+and+Green+Should+Always+Be+Seen+%25E2%2580%2594+Melanie+Jade+Design+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhP-LTDRBX4Imj584HJRxkkbSA3mbT9wGMYrCLhO0Ey04nqI591lDJVr-CVusLq_rWD7HP0m-adBkaBGLvLZAWRA8-vXuYEPTB_H01MvLvTAgyY0Xf08kf9KJoyHME2yHuAItk4QrNgmt/w480-h640/Colour+Trends+%25E2%2580%2593+Pink+and+Green+Should+Always+Be+Seen+%25E2%2580%2594+Melanie+Jade+Design+%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTsEwavb5odWTTOlU7zbAr0ZI9GDRK1xsIi7pfAE7z2KoqbMV8FMTlSTyCNNgKmWdk8zKeKNewJ9qkM0wl_hES6QP-tsCET2q21SsfzBznro4zCzAtrxi1n6CsECa8PpV3lIffc1P2LqQ/s991/Dark+Leaf+Wallpaper+Mural+Reusable%252C+Wallpaper+Peel+%2526+Stick+Wall+Mural%252C+Watercolor+Wallpaper+Removable%252C+Olive+Branch+Wall+Paper+Leaves++%252383.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="794" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTsEwavb5odWTTOlU7zbAr0ZI9GDRK1xsIi7pfAE7z2KoqbMV8FMTlSTyCNNgKmWdk8zKeKNewJ9qkM0wl_hES6QP-tsCET2q21SsfzBznro4zCzAtrxi1n6CsECa8PpV3lIffc1P2LqQ/w512-h640/Dark+Leaf+Wallpaper+Mural+Reusable%252C+Wallpaper+Peel+%2526+Stick+Wall+Mural%252C+Watercolor+Wallpaper+Removable%252C+Olive+Branch+Wall+Paper+Leaves++%252383.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7SJEJQnkQBZIWAGKruTsuutUT1tyRjN9BYTWKv3BWHQbvi4ZrUiwySjUjhbO1IouKva99ieEPKfGeVhfzyBdg1XaAxOHa60Lqggf9mzoZBK-L_OgS-aEcro3Jmxl2Nj557HbQy22AOvd/s625/What+Instagram+Taught+Me+in+2019+and+2020+Trends+-+Melanie+Jade+Design.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7SJEJQnkQBZIWAGKruTsuutUT1tyRjN9BYTWKv3BWHQbvi4ZrUiwySjUjhbO1IouKva99ieEPKfGeVhfzyBdg1XaAxOHa60Lqggf9mzoZBK-L_OgS-aEcro3Jmxl2Nj557HbQy22AOvd/w512-h640/What+Instagram+Taught+Me+in+2019+and+2020+Trends+-+Melanie+Jade+Design.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="6">THE BAD</font></b></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Pair the wrong pink with the wrong green, and you'll soon see how these interiors don't quite work on the same level...</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrr7wbbJYfOnAV_EmrH2vSG5lF-lXyrWACaV8GHbfSJJlzj4T4srbEc66712mco3R2BECAHy4Go7WVma1GVtjGmY4eULnKwv7Gu4ilx3aOfEmYuPQ6OvEQbvpIX0SacrVrwYplIc99WVJn/s950/Prettiest+Houses+in+London+-+Where+to+Find+the+Best+Houses+in+the+City.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="633" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrr7wbbJYfOnAV_EmrH2vSG5lF-lXyrWACaV8GHbfSJJlzj4T4srbEc66712mco3R2BECAHy4Go7WVma1GVtjGmY4eULnKwv7Gu4ilx3aOfEmYuPQ6OvEQbvpIX0SacrVrwYplIc99WVJn/w426-h640/Prettiest+Houses+in+London+-+Where+to+Find+the+Best+Houses+in+the+City.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfR7xgwQnSFw6DkqwFGev7s2MnASuRi0f-qCQazFEXfBbRZcHaKcVv48Gx9olfDoT_svAt7UEWxgY-iEmqjVEqAVFtTt6wj1wZbqQ_f9e7sQXrA5oHcetv2VE1mB6qh1o37UVew3ykH8cN/s1600/Jenny+Tamplin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfR7xgwQnSFw6DkqwFGev7s2MnASuRi0f-qCQazFEXfBbRZcHaKcVv48Gx9olfDoT_svAt7UEWxgY-iEmqjVEqAVFtTt6wj1wZbqQ_f9e7sQXrA5oHcetv2VE1mB6qh1o37UVew3ykH8cN/w426-h640/Jenny+Tamplin.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3sIMr480OJCjcXwZDXBnc59mRGpljmxTk_K3-l1VBshtAX6nDtVIttYcrYWI8qyyhbWhIwlrEgQPsTeAW4rAgrzPkeY6d_lp-y-BwqqT9YmcnxdC3AK8v0Kz4rbFESsFcGidlcmQKBXz/s1199/%25E3%2580%259A+Green%252C+blue%252C+pink+-+unusual+combination+for+excellent+English+kitchen+%25E3%2580%259B+%25E2%2597%25BE+%25D0%25A4%25D0%25BE%25D1%2582%25D0%25BE+%25E2%2597%25BE%25D0%2598%25D0%25B4%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B8%25E2%2597%25BE+%25D0%2594%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B7%25D0%25B0%25D0%25B9%25D0%25BD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3sIMr480OJCjcXwZDXBnc59mRGpljmxTk_K3-l1VBshtAX6nDtVIttYcrYWI8qyyhbWhIwlrEgQPsTeAW4rAgrzPkeY6d_lp-y-BwqqT9YmcnxdC3AK8v0Kz4rbFESsFcGidlcmQKBXz/w428-h640/%25E3%2580%259A+Green%252C+blue%252C+pink+-+unusual+combination+for+excellent+English+kitchen+%25E3%2580%259B+%25E2%2597%25BE+%25D0%25A4%25D0%25BE%25D1%2582%25D0%25BE+%25E2%2597%25BE%25D0%2598%25D0%25B4%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B8%25E2%2597%25BE+%25D0%2594%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B7%25D0%25B0%25D0%25B9%25D0%25BD.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxk0h6bumMvCoNCxiMzN485fz0d9hBX8GesTUh_V9rlNdBmhsA50ObgepsKLIf2ghd7y5CTi0rlmX7DJvkf1wf4AmatTp8erGxr99fOitdJ9_zgeowNAxVUo-lRI2BTOUASPFf0uXuURGY/s1091/%25E3%2580%259A+Bright+London+apartment%252C+where+eternal+summer+dwells+%25E3%2580%259B+%25E2%2597%25BE+%25D0%25A4%25D0%25BE%25D1%2582%25D0%25BE+%25E2%2597%25BE%25D0%2598%25D0%25B4%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B8%25E2%2597%25BE+%25D0%2594%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B7%25D0%25B0%25D0%25B9%25D0%25BD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1091" data-original-width="727" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxk0h6bumMvCoNCxiMzN485fz0d9hBX8GesTUh_V9rlNdBmhsA50ObgepsKLIf2ghd7y5CTi0rlmX7DJvkf1wf4AmatTp8erGxr99fOitdJ9_zgeowNAxVUo-lRI2BTOUASPFf0uXuURGY/w426-h640/%25E3%2580%259A+Bright+London+apartment%252C+where+eternal+summer+dwells+%25E3%2580%259B+%25E2%2597%25BE+%25D0%25A4%25D0%25BE%25D1%2582%25D0%25BE+%25E2%2597%25BE%25D0%2598%25D0%25B4%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B8%25E2%2597%25BE+%25D0%2594%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B7%25D0%25B0%25D0%25B9%25D0%25BD.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">See the difference?</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In other news, I have typed 'green' so much that the spelling now looks wrong to me </div><div style="text-align: center;">.... don't you just hate it when that happens?</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">What are your thoughts on pink and green interiors?</font></b></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><i><font size="1"><br /></font></i></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><i><font size="1">All images Pinterest (original source unknown). If any of these images are yours, please reach out to me so I can fully credit you!</font></i></span></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-87435623314173904282020-06-26T09:50:00.005+01:002020-08-19T16:47:20.095+01:009 ways to bring more light into your home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">AD | This is a sponsored post but all thoughts are my own</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: left;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="text-align: left;"><font size="5"><b>Identify</b></font></span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> any </b><font size="5"><b>light</b></font><b style="font-size: x-large;"> blocking </b></span><span style="text-align: left;"><font size="5"><b>sources</b></font></span></div>
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Is there anything blocking or obscuring the windows and doors in your home? Is there a large piece of furniture in the way? Do you have too much furniture in the room? Is your furniture too dark? Is there a large tree outside? </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Once you identity the root of the problem, it can be easy to remedy.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Rearrange your furniture. Alternatively identify if there are are any pieces of furniture not being used - or not being used to their full potential - and use this as an excuse to have a clear out. Your room will instantly feel bigger and lighter. Or simply replace taller pieces with lower level items like a lower sofa or lower storage solutions like sideboards rather than floor to ceiling cupboards. Or replace darker furniture with lighter furniture. The possibilities are endless.<br />
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If there is a tree or tall shrub obscuring a window, either cut it back or move it. If it's a smaller tree or plant which you simply don't want any more, why not offer it to a friend, neighbour or family member?</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">And another common light blocking source... dirty windows. Run a cloth over each of your windows and inspect - the cloth will be dirtier than you think! Cleaning your windows regularly - both inside and out - will ensure that more natural light can filter through into your home and who doesn't love sparkling windows?</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGbS0CPwnQwbiZkHKLoEEDe2OqDzSFjjv2NcopdfwiZRKsXXnO97xzhaQQcdTbaO3_6HuZ-o6whbFYSpaS9WO7rivrUZA1tYQ8DvJHDURMqh4xMRHpoGIKgBZALxGimSwMEyySOzs_r9Y/s5112/logan-nolin-EvceCyopkKI-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image source: Logan Nolin on Unsplash" border="0" data-original-height="3408" data-original-width="5112" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGbS0CPwnQwbiZkHKLoEEDe2OqDzSFjjv2NcopdfwiZRKsXXnO97xzhaQQcdTbaO3_6HuZ-o6whbFYSpaS9WO7rivrUZA1tYQ8DvJHDURMqh4xMRHpoGIKgBZALxGimSwMEyySOzs_r9Y/w640-h426/logan-nolin-EvceCyopkKI-unsplash.jpg" title="Image source: Logan Nolin on Unsplash" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;" trbidi="on"><b><font size="5">Go for lighter window fittings</font></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Are your curtains and blinds too heavy and not working for that particular space? Consider lighter window fittings like voile curtains that flutter in the breeze, or for privacy <i>and </i>light in say your bathroom (or any other rooms where the neighbours can look in!) try window film. Forget traditional, boring, cloudy window film - nowadays there are lots of lovely prints and patterns out there which will allow you to add interest to your windows whilst at the same time allowing light and privacy.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Consider your colour scheme</span></b></div>
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Keeping your walls light and bright will help create a light and airy space. Avoid bright whites (which can look cold and clinical) and instead opt for off-whites, pale greys, pastels or brights like sunny yellows. Be brave. Paint isn't expensive so you can always change your mind later! </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;" trbidi="on"><b><font size="5">Design a lighting scheme</font></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Poor lighting isn't just in relation to natural light - this also extends to artificial light (think lamps and light fittings around the home). The best artificial light will enhance any natural light coming into your home rather than take away from it. Consider LED bulbs (which are 90% more energy efficient than regular bulbs) and dimmer switches or additional lighting such as sconces and table lamps, which will allow you to both soften and layer the lighting in your home.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Get clever with mirrors </b></span></div>
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Place a large mirror on the wall opposite to or adjacent to a window to help bounce the light around the room. Same applies with glass and / or mirrored furniture which can help a smaller space feel bigger.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Go for gloss</span></b></div>
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Whether it's paint, wall tiles, floor tiles, worktops or kitchen units, glossy surfaces reflect the light (similar to the way that a mirror would). I used to hate the glossy white wall tiles in our bathroom but now I appreciate that they keep the space light and bright and make what is a small room appear much bigger. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Install skylights or a sun tunnel</b></span></div>
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An instant way to brighten up an extension or a dingy hallway is to add skylights (think Velux windows) or a sun tunnel which will allow natural light to come flooding in from above.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Install bifolds or sliding doors</b></span></div>
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Another way to brighten up a new extension - or an unextended home - is by installing bifolds or sliding doors. In both cases the slim frames and large expanses of glass help draw the eye to the outside space and help frame the view. Bifold doors open up completely which can provide more of a link to the outside, however the glass panels are often narrower, meaning you get less of a picture frame effect when the doors are closed. Sliding doors on the other hand, tend to have larger panes of glass so whether open or closed, can offer a less obscured view of the outside. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Glass is your friend</b></span></div>
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Hallways can be dingy spaces and whilst you can paint your wooden banisters and railings white, thicker banisters and railings can still be blocking precious light from filtering through the different levels of your home. One way of counteracting this is by replacing your staircase with a glass option like one of these <a href="https://www.tuffxglass.co.uk/products/glass-balustrades-and-balconies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">glass balustrades</a> from TuffX Glass so the light can pass through without any obstacles. I know from personal experience that having cats and wooden banisters is not the one (my banisters are so clawed up they could easily be mistaken for a woodworm infestation!) so the idea of having hardy metal railings or slimline glass would make our hallway look a little more polished as well as lighter and brighter!</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCakYfCD_MpPQgCfJktpJeLMOPy2-iDGCWvQpDN-JNnKaLwd82xmPMYcaLXTb4Zf5tvm1j09qdfIorhFawPYjUHFH9-f_kyv2aUnNHHMSDizH4rb2gbD8745jmSptLGIkgJsC5yBuesQs/s1080/64980273_832680133782198_1693003788947550058_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><img alt="Image source: TuffX Glass" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCakYfCD_MpPQgCfJktpJeLMOPy2-iDGCWvQpDN-JNnKaLwd82xmPMYcaLXTb4Zf5tvm1j09qdfIorhFawPYjUHFH9-f_kyv2aUnNHHMSDizH4rb2gbD8745jmSptLGIkgJsC5yBuesQs/w320-h320/64980273_832680133782198_1693003788947550058_n.jpg" title="Image source: TuffX Glass" width="320" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhR50Flqt-qyTrmCRTCh-NUUOJv_jsyAzdSfFaF5OGG7svx94RgR2SaIHX3PoSvPD9sE_s-kfcwCJRODe9uG5pwXtqZQPB8t1zDu2lgxOvDg9prNnwzEcfEhPoZH4tSaco_Lvyd9FSu-EM/s2000/tough_lam-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image source: TuffX Glass" border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1335" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhR50Flqt-qyTrmCRTCh-NUUOJv_jsyAzdSfFaF5OGG7svx94RgR2SaIHX3PoSvPD9sE_s-kfcwCJRODe9uG5pwXtqZQPB8t1zDu2lgxOvDg9prNnwzEcfEhPoZH4tSaco_Lvyd9FSu-EM/w214-h320/tough_lam-min.jpg" title="Image source: TuffX Glass" width="214" /></a></div>
<script src="https://www.dwin2.com/pub.219599.min.js"></script>Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-37091124390841486732020-06-12T14:43:00.001+01:002021-02-15T12:18:05.447+00:0011 things filling my ASOS basket lately<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwepOn5nSeTLTpibU1ly1XuXHm0Zmqx_WXwk0gvOKaeCvo6TkWe06JFJr12h2SlJzX_9Rh5QgCU7f_tmgLMttCilkEsAXI0fxPVHd3hNMzeOX67D2ThogtC2Wh-iLS8gjPThwBRBF0aA5-/s1600/ASOS+broderie+and+dobby+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="965" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwepOn5nSeTLTpibU1ly1XuXHm0Zmqx_WXwk0gvOKaeCvo6TkWe06JFJr12h2SlJzX_9Rh5QgCU7f_tmgLMttCilkEsAXI0fxPVHd3hNMzeOX67D2ThogtC2Wh-iLS8gjPThwBRBF0aA5-/s640/ASOS+broderie+and+dobby+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Broderie collar shirt (currently in the sale <a href="https://www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-long-sleeve-shirt-with-broderie-collar/prd/12506179" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>) // Wine broderie dress (also in sale <a href="https://www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-broderie-mini-dress-with-frill-shoulder-in-berry/prd/13313603" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>) // Pink knit (also in sale <a href="https://www.asos.com/miss-selfridge/miss-selfridge-bobble-jumper-in-pink/prd/14660435" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>)<br />White dobby dress <a href="https://www.asos.com/vila-petite/vila-petite-dress-with-textured-print-in-white/prd/14801032" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> // Khaki tie waist linen shorts <a href="https://www.asos.com/only/only-tie-waist-linen-shorts-in-green/prd/13789856" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> // White dobby shirt <a href="https://www.asos.com/miss-selfridge/miss-selfridge-dobby-tie-front-shirt-in-white/prd/13981730" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>White broderie collar shirt</b></span></div>
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I've been toying with this shirt for the longest time but is it too extra? Turns out it's not. The balloon sleeves help balance out the wide shoulders brought on by the collar. My only slight criticism is that the body of the shirt is just way too big. Tucking the shirt in seems to help with this but I have re-ordered in a smaller size to see if a smaller size is the play here.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Another</i> broderie collar shirt</b></span></div>
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From one broderie collar shirt to another (not pictured but you can find <a href="https://www.asos.com/pimkie/pimkie-short-sleeve-shirt-with-broderie-collar-in-white/prd/20375803" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>) however this one is a little more low key with short sleeves and more of a normal fit. I can imagine it looking lovely peeking out from under a chunky knit.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Broderie dress</b></span></div>
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Most broderie dresses are white, long and free flowing, so I really liked this shorter version in this gorgeous wine colour with a square neckline. The dress is every bit as lovely in person and looked great on, however this enthusiasm quickly waned once I noticed a questionable crispy white stain on the front of the dress (there are no words).</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>White dobby shirt</b></span></div>
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I have an obsession with anything dobby and while white can be a bit of a soul less colour - particularly in interiors - this raised texture gives it an added dimension and interest. The good news? Dobby textures are starting to appear <i>everywhere</i>. Light boho inspired curtains and table cloths. Bedding (I have been longing over <a href="https://www.marksandspencer.com/iris-spotted-dobby-cotton-bedding-set/p/hbp22430318?color=CHAMBRAY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this bedding</a> plus <a href="https://www.marksandspencer.com/tufted-spot-cotton-bedding-set/p/hbp60377747?color=WHITE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this</a>). And of course clothing. I already have two white dobby shirts so why the need for a third? Because they are timeless and by far one of the most used things in my wardrobe. Perfect for a day at the office, worn casually with shorts, or as a beach cover up.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>White dobby dress</b></span></div>
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Another dobby inspired find (can you tell that I'm obsessed?). It felt a little too restrictive (and conservative) when buttoned to the top. I actually preferred the dress worn back to front with the buttons behind me - is that weird?</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Pink bobble knit jumper</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A very similar concept in terms of that lovely raised detail to run your hands over, whilst at the same time adhering to my new found love of the colour pink as touched upon <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/02/4-things-i-have-been-loving-lately.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. This sweater just looked so slouchy and comfortable and I imagined it looking amazing with one of the above broderie collar shirts worn underneath. In person it <i>is</i> slouchy and comfortable as well as being softer than I ever imagined. Definitely a keeper.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Tie waist shorts</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm a big fan of khaki and high waisted trousers / skirts / shorts so these ticked many boxes. I love how ASOS have paired them with a white shirt which is exactly how I would style them and has me thinking back to that white dobby shirt (damnit).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fqb9VLPJka26HWOU2S1TlhiY9W5kas3sVzO0WYG2KEf36kT9dnQ2gAI0PThI4i3pt9DlwchGNv0XuEKb9f9d15RCRhyphenhyphenWvg9BXBeRR_awyBPJF7Ycn83GCKgPPXFfUTESBZfOjz_Vh3w4/s1600/ASOS+espadrilles+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="721" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fqb9VLPJka26HWOU2S1TlhiY9W5kas3sVzO0WYG2KEf36kT9dnQ2gAI0PThI4i3pt9DlwchGNv0XuEKb9f9d15RCRhyphenhyphenWvg9BXBeRR_awyBPJF7Ycn83GCKgPPXFfUTESBZfOjz_Vh3w4/s640/ASOS+espadrilles+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.png" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tie ankle espadrilles (currently in the sale <a href="https://www.asos.com/london-rebel/london-rebel-espadrille-wedges-in-ecru/prd/13672048" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>) // Leaf print shirt <a href="https://www.asos.com/missguided/missguided-co-ord-oversized-shirt-in-leaf-print/prd/20137254" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a><br />Leaf print shorts <a href="https://www.asos.com/missguided/missguided-co-ord-shorts-in-leaf-print/prd/20136032" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> // Vero Moda cut out sandals <a href="https://www.asos.com/vero-moda/vero-moda-flat-sandals/prd/13270982" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tie ankle espadrilles</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ankle tie espadrilles are taking the world by storm. It can be tricky to find the perfect heel - not too high, not too low - but these fit the bill perfectly. And let me tell you now, these shoes go with <i>everything </i>and I will treasure for years to come. A huge thank you to <a href="https://twitter.com/whatjosiedidnxt/status/1266079060578484225" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Josie</a> who first brought these to my attention through her amazing #ootd posts!</div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Grey cut out flats</b></span></div>
<br />
I'm getting old and I just can't deal with heels any more. They ruin your feet and I just don't have the patience for them any more. I love a bit of grey and I thought the cut out detailing of these sandals was a bit more interesting than say a traditional sandal. What I've been impressed with is how incredibly comfortable they are due to the padding underfoot.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Patterned shirt and shorts</b></span></div>
<br />
First things first. This isn't leaf print like they claim. It's more like jungle print or tree print, but trees do have leaves so I'll allow it. Introducing the weirdest fit ever. The shorts are very close fitting (I prefer shorts to have a little more give in them) whereas the shirt is stupid big. I actually had to return the UK size 8 and reorder in a UK size 6. And even that was huge. So if you order for yourself I'd recommend sizing up on the shorts and sizing down for the top. It's quite a jazzy coord set for something that is designed for everyday use (something that I can't get my head around). I ordered primarily to use as pyjamas as I love pyjama shirt / shorts combos and you can't usually find them in such interesting prints, however I will be returning due to the weird sizing. Had the shirt been a normal fit, it would have been a completely different story.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Which items are your favourites?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>You may also like:</b> <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2021/02/6-miss-selfridge-items-in-my-basket-lately.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">6 Miss Selfridge items in my basket lately</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>PIN FOR LATER:</b></span></div>
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Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-28371424899282604602020-06-02T10:52:00.001+01:002020-06-02T10:52:28.794+01:00I found a 2 year old voucher the other day and this is what I spent it on<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You know how it is. Those gift vouchers that end up in a drawer. Or an e-voucher which gets lost in your emails, never to be seen again (or in my case, two years later). Don't get me wrong, I love gift vouchers and gift cards, but I'm not someone who spends vouchers straight away. I like to take my time and consider my options (it also doesn't help that I'm the most indecisive person EVER). But this latest experience makes me want to reassess that as I was cutting it fine.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>THE STORY</b></span></div>
<br />
I re-discovered an old e-gift card from two years back and wanted to check it before getting too excited. As luck may have it, it was still active. Even though technically the 'use by' date had been and gone. So what to spend it on? Clothing, beauty or something for the house?<br />
<br />
My body never knows what it size it is so clothing was risky - especially during lockdown where the likelihood of needing to return something is circa 92%.<br />
<br />
I see this as an opportunity to buy one or two Charlotte Tilbury products I've had my eye on, but as much as I'd love to try the <a href="https://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/product/charlottes-magic-serum-crystal-elixir" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charlotte Tilbury Magic Serum Crystal Elixir</a>, I cannot justify £60 on just 30ml (smaller than the smallest tube of toothpaste!). It just doesn't sit right with me.<br />
<br />
I then put my sensible hat on. What can I get that will last? What can I order that doesn't run the risk of returns?<br />
<br />
My mind then wanders to homeware in the hope of finding something useful for the house. But to be honest, there is nothing I really <i>need</i>. And the ideas I <i>do</i> have are all out of stock (turns out everyone is baking and gardening during lockdown!)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>THE REALISATION</b></span></div>
<br />
It is then that I realise that I need a compromise. I need a treat - just not Charlotte Tilbury on this occasion - but I also need something practical which I'll get a lot of use out of. Enter the Hotel Chocolat velvetiser.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1btNgzxID2gsegsrpBUG6c2Aj7dpKah7UwT8GSeCtvV3VsVwU0-kdeOOMC-yxeQswRqdzICZ_o37nXZoZhyVM_aYk5rgepxwuqZbwG5SRQA60f1MeHJK5oO4cV9EOJ5oiXmmPrpoPT75/s1600/Hotel+Chocolat+velvetiser+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1btNgzxID2gsegsrpBUG6c2Aj7dpKah7UwT8GSeCtvV3VsVwU0-kdeOOMC-yxeQswRqdzICZ_o37nXZoZhyVM_aYk5rgepxwuqZbwG5SRQA60f1MeHJK5oO4cV9EOJ5oiXmmPrpoPT75/s640/Hotel+Chocolat+velvetiser+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Xjswla" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hotel Chocolat velvetiser</a></td></tr>
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<br />
The velvetiser is a product I've been lusting over for the last two Christmases, but at £99, it's not cheap and I've never been able to justify the cost. It's also not the sort of thing you can casually pop on your Christmas list due to the price point. It was a now or never situation so I let fate decide. If for some inexplicable reason I went to checkout and the e-voucher had suddenly decided to pop its clogs (or the item had gone out of stock) this would be a sign that it was not meant to be.<br />
<br />
Turns out it was meant to be. I managed to place my order and here it is.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZMup2q55VGJKh85OuBAGmsg7dkLbIlMnRQnG4vWJIkRDqs2BDHn1K6hodod_1P_46UYXaPpbgw0sqBE3AYbkeCsY2agmBnJ6LAPE3YG56mNqS1_zww2BvhpkqvOK7G86hBzxGZa8i5AP/s1600/Copper+velvetiser+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZMup2q55VGJKh85OuBAGmsg7dkLbIlMnRQnG4vWJIkRDqs2BDHn1K6hodod_1P_46UYXaPpbgw0sqBE3AYbkeCsY2agmBnJ6LAPE3YG56mNqS1_zww2BvhpkqvOK7G86hBzxGZa8i5AP/s640/Copper+velvetiser+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/velvetiser-hot-chocolate-machine.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Copper velvetiser</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The velvetiser comes in matt black, copper or white gloss. Whilst the matt black design looked sleek, I'd seen them in-store before and although you can wipe clean, the matt finish means it never looks as pristine as it does when box fresh and new. I could just imagine the finger prints and that would have driven me crazy. The white was an instant no for me as it's a very glossy white which makes me think of laundry room white goods and for lack of a better word, a bit cheap? I opted for the copper because I'm all about copper / gold / brass tones when it comes to home accessories. So far it's been easy to wipe clean and you don't notice finger prints on it like how I imagine you would with the matt black.<br />
<br />
Whilst the velvetiser comes at a cost, it also comes with cups and a selection box type tray of different hot chocolates to try. These being 70% dark chocolate, a more intense 100% chocolate, praline, milk chocolate and salted caramel. I've been trying a different one each day and will be posting a review shortly on the Hotel Chocolat velvetiser and if it's worth the money. Watch this space!<br />
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Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-83985738590627786892020-05-29T15:39:00.001+01:002020-07-01T11:11:58.979+01:00Why it's ok not to have a master plan during lockdown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>"What have you been up to?"</i><br />
<br />
This is the question we find ourselves being asked - and asking others - on a daily basis. And with it comes pressure, an expectation. There is this idea that we need to be learning a new language, instrument or skill, taking on home projects, and constantly learning and improving ourselves.<br />
<br />
First be honest with yourself and identify how you as a person work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXIzJZHxyr6HNZEk66pSVfsFRzq6zCTCEQdhpvX9EpB8c7MMaGTA-dfVT7Q8S9Aw1A8aTcCjV2JyjjjiRm1RNRaZ6klHwEgPWmKhvaRQn6xK5GnWtr__7mmZ1zC7QsUSJo8HL5DaUz3DM/s1600/Fox+and+Ivy+mug+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1183" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXIzJZHxyr6HNZEk66pSVfsFRzq6zCTCEQdhpvX9EpB8c7MMaGTA-dfVT7Q8S9Aw1A8aTcCjV2JyjjjiRm1RNRaZ6klHwEgPWmKhvaRQn6xK5GnWtr__7mmZ1zC7QsUSJo8HL5DaUz3DM/s640/Fox+and+Ivy+mug+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me personally, I love cats and hot chocolate</td></tr>
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<br />
If your coping mechanism is keeping yourself busy with home projects / cleaning furiously / writing the next big thing / learning a new instrument / whatever else floats your boat... good on you.<br />
<br />
If however you want to catch up on throwback TV and films and be glued to your sofa, that's absolutely fine too. Don't beat yourself up or see yourself as a failure if you're not doing much these days. It's ok. Take things at your own pace. Do what feels right for you. And can I add, just because everyone is playing Sims 4 and Animal Crossing at the moment, doesn't mean you have to too. You do you.<br />
<br />
I've been in both camps. Some weeks ago I was restless and couldn't face sitting around doing nothing. I tidied the house. I cooked up a storm. I didn't want to sit around watching TV because I felt guilty if I wasn't doing anything. I woke up at 4am or 5am a lot because I was so wired and couldn't sleep. I had so much excess energy.<br />
<br />
Lately I've taken it down a notch all in the name of #selfcare. I still cook and tidy and busy myself, but I try and balance my day with both work AND down time. Getting into a morning routine really helped. I get up early each morning, drink a ton of water, do 20-30 minutes of exercise followed by a 30 minute yoga class, eat a nutritious breakfast and get dressed. Some days I wear pyjama trousers or loose trousers, but mostly I get dressed as I normally would to try and keep a sense of normalcy. I re-discovered old games like the original Sims (imagine!), Theme Hospital and many more which I have been trying to play in compatibility mode as touched upon <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/04/happy-things-that-are-bringing-me-joy.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I've also been watching lots of interiors shows (crazy happy that Your Home Made Perfect is back!) and discovered Masters of Flip #obsessed<br />
<br />
Whilst my mind never completely settles, taking some time out with a candle / book / film / episode / magazine and a mug of tea / gin is a good first step. Taking time for yourself is not laziness or failure. It's about respecting your body and keeping it fully charged at this uncertain and let's be honest, mentally exhausting time.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>What have you been up to? I'd love to know!</b></span></div>
Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-82801368681896014432020-05-21T16:40:00.000+01:002020-05-29T15:36:38.238+01:00The Amazon wishlist items I opened on my birthday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This year's birthday was bit of a different one (as touched upon <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/05/diary-of-a-birthday-during-lockdown.html" target="_blank">here</a>). The best possible gift would have been to see friends and family, but alas the covid-19 pandemic and lockdown cruelly shut that down. I mostly had cheques and vouchers this year which will come in useful for pending building works (once we can start the build...) I didn't want anyone to risk going to the post office or post box on my behalf, so set up an Amazon wish list this year which friends and family kindly ordered from. Some gifts are delayed due to lockdown snail mail so here's a small selection of what I opened on my birthday...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Drink Tea, Read Books, Be Happy tee</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC09r5BkfWeXP9Mq2dhcl26NzA5EwtOw65wHzb_E1M2REk9iilCaUf6r4vwn6EICj8uOle97ytjKD4gdGShZnWARzaQH1Oqz4BGCuySeRTe2qH13CUYkJz1Gn3mjUODS36Y6nPNt8g7-J/s1600/Drink+tea+read+books+be+happy+tee+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC09r5BkfWeXP9Mq2dhcl26NzA5EwtOw65wHzb_E1M2REk9iilCaUf6r4vwn6EICj8uOle97ytjKD4gdGShZnWARzaQH1Oqz4BGCuySeRTe2qH13CUYkJz1Gn3mjUODS36Y6nPNt8g7-J/s640/Drink+tea+read+books+be+happy+tee+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slogan tee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Can we please talk about how cute <a href="https://amzn.to/3e52aZv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this tee</a> is? I love a slogan tee and I love crisp, white t-shirts, so this ticked all my boxes! I have the small which is the smallest size they do, but at a glance, it does look quite big and like it will be more of a relaxed fit. Also available in other colours like black, pink, blue and grey (seriously tempted to order more in other colours!)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Clinique products</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAfp5sfqa9feNbZt8VJ9b0abUl6DKgzqEDOa3OhQofUhh_IR7_X28wiVCT4QPIvuf50_bWsPqMObbqDk4ptLk3hf35Lim2zicHkngzkksMs-LV6BITq1sPgH0B1draq6v8S1aUUehu3L-/s1600/Clinique+moisturiser+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAfp5sfqa9feNbZt8VJ9b0abUl6DKgzqEDOa3OhQofUhh_IR7_X28wiVCT4QPIvuf50_bWsPqMObbqDk4ptLk3hf35Lim2zicHkngzkksMs-LV6BITq1sPgH0B1draq6v8S1aUUehu3L-/s640/Clinique+moisturiser+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clinique products</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Fun fact: I've never tried any Clinique products before, but have always wanted to try products from their moisturizing range, so am pretty excited to try these out! My skin has been extra dry since lockdown (excessive hand washing no doubt the culprit here) so these moisturising products couldn't have come at a better time! I will do a separate review post on these products as Clinique isn't cheap and I don't know about you, but I'm interested to see if they're worth the money!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXtweu2h7U_mDB9cjAv4FXOyhdftnuQtESPDK_bya3dTAx7CgAsDHNsiKgzyqXfqtvuiE0k-4u_3FFYWHAiBtgm3MI-kVByX99k7TzHzIB3WtlSl0s8D2AWDG81Qt5Zm8MMeAnOJAdewk/s1600/Clinique+redness+solutions+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXtweu2h7U_mDB9cjAv4FXOyhdftnuQtESPDK_bya3dTAx7CgAsDHNsiKgzyqXfqtvuiE0k-4u_3FFYWHAiBtgm3MI-kVByX99k7TzHzIB3WtlSl0s8D2AWDG81Qt5Zm8MMeAnOJAdewk/s640/Clinique+redness+solutions+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/36iHg6F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clinique redness solutions</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxveIGufYoonYF37hWEdqKq4KRdL59P4O6vVk6T2IzWHEBYWt-3Grt1-MLvS5qHI4O_BH52402eVf_ldtRZ-lhE2o_KDbokLHxRppA8BcAwG0QkU7sVJax_5ke3_tU04eg8Az7M4t5pzXm/s1600/Clinique+moisture+surge+overnight+mask+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxveIGufYoonYF37hWEdqKq4KRdL59P4O6vVk6T2IzWHEBYWt-3Grt1-MLvS5qHI4O_BH52402eVf_ldtRZ-lhE2o_KDbokLHxRppA8BcAwG0QkU7sVJax_5ke3_tU04eg8Az7M4t5pzXm/s640/Clinique+moisture+surge+overnight+mask+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/36l2r8b" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clinique moisture surge overnight mask</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-nhmc1NKMjuM_WejsldeHWcr2ZDtj2sSbSodW-TTJehcMHevSCIJGsdd_5fl9cXbO9k-OfBAVfC1FBqPAkQPysFMEWmrNliCXgVLrJVtPM3zEFu2tJGLah7AisLb_kOuq2i2A4ON8XSO/s1600/Clinique+dramatically+different+moisturizing+lotion+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-nhmc1NKMjuM_WejsldeHWcr2ZDtj2sSbSodW-TTJehcMHevSCIJGsdd_5fl9cXbO9k-OfBAVfC1FBqPAkQPysFMEWmrNliCXgVLrJVtPM3zEFu2tJGLah7AisLb_kOuq2i2A4ON8XSO/s640/Clinique+dramatically+different+moisturizing+lotion+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2LLWlEv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bumper pack of Aero bubbles</span></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHx2UqoWK7vwPUFU5RFojIBa3g9mZgRFmYLfzn83RYu8lcEzARdXrpvfM8rfENGgT3j7lpsfwyNyfQ2u_u7encdez4ImcYj7sagYuo9dkvspd9cAa6qDN659PvjSHuSBze3nMKeFTyCRS/s1600/Aero+bubbles+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHx2UqoWK7vwPUFU5RFojIBa3g9mZgRFmYLfzn83RYu8lcEzARdXrpvfM8rfENGgT3j7lpsfwyNyfQ2u_u7encdez4ImcYj7sagYuo9dkvspd9cAa6qDN659PvjSHuSBze3nMKeFTyCRS/s640/Aero+bubbles+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aero Bubbles</td></tr>
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Aero Bubbles (the originals not the mint ones, blergh) are my absolute favourites. I could easily get through an entire sharing bag to myself so it takes some real restraint ;) I see the mint ones EVERYWHERE - in cinemas and at the shops - but rarely the plain ones. <a href="https://amzn.to/2z7L5zA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This bumper pack</a> of - I kid you not - EIGHT BAGS will keep me going for a while. Maybe ;)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Busy B weekly planner</b></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVxY9VNm2Dbcgw3EDF5m-kfIS69VlDL28v56NECN-l-APwYM-2-qMnDziWk7QPto0-wQ2v3swkpWBaXDBg7_oRc5FKcVc314Ujk90sU_xPyMcqHyPe8Czi7-78JoUKuVg6YbeoBd8ILhq/s1600/Busy+B+meal+planner+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVxY9VNm2Dbcgw3EDF5m-kfIS69VlDL28v56NECN-l-APwYM-2-qMnDziWk7QPto0-wQ2v3swkpWBaXDBg7_oRc5FKcVc314Ujk90sU_xPyMcqHyPe8Czi7-78JoUKuVg6YbeoBd8ILhq/s640/Busy+B+meal+planner+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Busy B meal planner</td></tr>
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I have been using these planners for years and they are an absolute godsend when it comes to planning meals for the week ahead. One side has a seven day meal planner, the other, a shopping list. It also comes with cutesy fridge magnets so you can tear off the current week and stick it on the fridge along with your shopping list. This French feel Breton stripe planner is my favourite but they also have in several other designs <a href="https://amzn.to/36f3beQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Just saying aloe</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07KQK3BSB/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B07KQK3BSB&linkCode=as2&tag=curiouser01-21&linkId=25ef711edbd40d0820084dfb8d9f6f10" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=GB&ASIN=B07KQK3BSB&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=curiouser01-21" /></a></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=curiouser01-21&l=am2&o=2&a=B07KQK3BSB" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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How cute is <a href="https://amzn.to/36jWus1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this pot plant</a>?! I've always wanted an aloe plant for the kitchen as I watch a lot of cookery shows and I've seen how aloe plants can help with burns. All you do is a snap off a piece of the plant and use the gel to help soothe your burn.<br />
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The kit comes with pot, aloe plant, compost discs and googly eyes. All you need to do is re-hydrate the compost discs in water for 2 hours minimum or ideally overnight. These little discs soon expanded and once done, I cut them free of their netting and crumbled them into the pot, introducing the aloe plant. If you're bad with plants, this is a fairly hardy variety and only needs watering once a week (or so the accompanying manual tells me!).<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Hotel Chocolat hot chocolate</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0757TZ7KV/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B0757TZ7KV&linkCode=as2&tag=curiouser01-21&linkId=5278a7bbc704cdf3f9bb3a90756e7696" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=GB&ASIN=B0757TZ7KV&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=curiouser01-21" /></a></div>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=curiouser01-21&l=am2&o=2&a=B0757TZ7KV" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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Hotel Chocolat is one of my favourite places in town to go for a hot chocolate (it's just sad that you don't see many of their cafes around!) so I was interested to see if this product compared (especially at a rather pricey £9 price point!). Inside the pack are the most divine smelling chocolate flakes which you stir into hot milk (dairy or dairy-free, the choice is yours!). And yes, I can confirm that the at home version of their hot chocolate is every bit as special! I have the Hotel Chocolat <a href="https://amzn.to/2zjw25F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">classic hot chocolate</a> but they also have other varieties like <a href="https://amzn.to/2zTuDTB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">chilli chocolate</a> (not my cup of tea!) and <a href="https://amzn.to/2ymIukJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">salted caramel</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Sweary cook book</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56ZVDm-tpXm3iC9qn8l5Jp6Bfs6k1tZ3zfX7GnyvGR0G2b9G9adQgbafQWVTHs1qtIUimHvSJUJTgBUIgNvYLVPtG4COqfLzzyfgaX3-e1Sr9HDIGM0rMfvSrkUOLHOUcKhkKAqAVi90S/s1600/Sweary+cook+book+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56ZVDm-tpXm3iC9qn8l5Jp6Bfs6k1tZ3zfX7GnyvGR0G2b9G9adQgbafQWVTHs1qtIUimHvSJUJTgBUIgNvYLVPtG4COqfLzzyfgaX3-e1Sr9HDIGM0rMfvSrkUOLHOUcKhkKAqAVi90S/s640/Sweary+cook+book+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the f should I make for dinner?</td></tr>
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The most hilarious cook book I've ever laid my eyes on! Open the book to a recipe and if you don't like any of the ingredients (or the meal itself), the book repeatedly uses the f word and will refer you to another page later in the book. I tried it out on Mr Curiouser and Curiouser and the book swore at him and referred him away to a basic chicken soup recipe! You can find more excerpts of the book <a href="https://amzn.to/3cO3wYF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAynTnhxsGRFbGl_jtoQnhUbomg8DLVcGMHIo6Nc2Mly96B0XJfgCJjb8G_5uHc50EkI1NBQ_o2ePmIFQLWIwtnAx0MfWYQgGezA1We5zC-RUraymVNNsGCejdO0SsEKaEygXmDQIFdvDx/s1600/Carbonara+recipe+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAynTnhxsGRFbGl_jtoQnhUbomg8DLVcGMHIo6Nc2Mly96B0XJfgCJjb8G_5uHc50EkI1NBQ_o2ePmIFQLWIwtnAx0MfWYQgGezA1We5zC-RUraymVNNsGCejdO0SsEKaEygXmDQIFdvDx/s640/Carbonara+recipe+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carbonara recipe</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Gardening treats</span></b></div>
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My lockdown gardening endeavours meant lots of things were gardening orientated this year! From catnip to grow for the cats, a <a href="https://amzn.to/2Zq9ISD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">garden kneeler</a> to ease my yoga punished knees, and get this - a fig tree! Fresh figs are one of my favourite things. I just love them with mozzarella and prosciutto, either simply on the plate with freshly baked bread, or on pizza.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1tDAqyOyoZQWnpBxioIJ5vPR-uDmihULJ5EBAML5uv0jGc0MwVVaSFlFcqeEye39ou6LfHZcTTp8TeArRv1uaOHVI4ACnuaZmT4EFvl9m4adrZOJehabovRzxJaA0NoUpO2CCeKExbZ0/s1600/Grow+your+own+catnip+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1tDAqyOyoZQWnpBxioIJ5vPR-uDmihULJ5EBAML5uv0jGc0MwVVaSFlFcqeEye39ou6LfHZcTTp8TeArRv1uaOHVI4ACnuaZmT4EFvl9m4adrZOJehabovRzxJaA0NoUpO2CCeKExbZ0/s640/Grow+your+own+catnip+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grow your own catnip</td></tr>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Fig reed diffuser</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EEzuCAQBcjSfwocrnyL64Cw1yjNY24JN99NBbeUJ5eZFx0bev90pMOsxzORowIuM84BI6BlCy-_zd6cv9iUKlVfXsTSv86SHIIIaoWKpEIAP6U50oSRzpRX837s8q1a83UbM1MsHsny9/s1600/Fig+reed+diffuser+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EEzuCAQBcjSfwocrnyL64Cw1yjNY24JN99NBbeUJ5eZFx0bev90pMOsxzORowIuM84BI6BlCy-_zd6cv9iUKlVfXsTSv86SHIIIaoWKpEIAP6U50oSRzpRX837s8q1a83UbM1MsHsny9/s640/Fig+reed+diffuser+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2zUrBOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wax Lyrical exotic fig reed diffuser</a></td></tr>
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I have always loved candles (and still do!) but lately I've been OBSESSED with reed diffusers (which I think I made pretty clear <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/12/the-adulting-hard-gift-guide.html" target="_blank">here</a> ha). I love how they can change up the feel of a room when you introduce a new scent. I love citrus fresh scents in the bathroom and kitchen, and something a little spicier and more unisex in the study. Fig is another fresh scent that I love which lends itself well to candles and reed diffusers. I cannot wait to open this up and get this bad boy started!<br />
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<b>Links to everything are above in case there's anything you've seen that you would like to add to your own Amazon wishlist!</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Which items are your favourites?</b></span><br />
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<i>Some links in this article are affiliate links. While we earn a small commission for products purchased through these links, it doesn’t change the price you pay in any way, nor will it cost you to click through to view any of these items. Affiliate links help keep Curiouser and Curiouser running so we can continue to bring you free content. Thanks for continuing to support Curiouser and Curiouser! <3</i><br />
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Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-14766641153578181562020-05-18T16:02:00.001+01:002020-05-20T10:47:30.392+01:00Lockdown diary // dealing with anxiety and trying to find home delivery slots<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>How has life changed?</b></span><br />
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Life has obviously changed, but in other ways, life hasn't changed at all. Mr Curiouser and Curiouser usually works from home four days a week and now he works all five days from home (so hardly a big change for him!). We have always been happy pottering around the garden, cooking together, sorting bits around the house and huddling under blankets watching episodes and movies. So being enforced to stay at home isn't a big deal for us compared to couples who go out lots or take lots of holidays who will have more of an adjustment at this time. I just feel so lucky that we live together and have each other. But like I spoke about <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/03/positive-things-which-will-help-make-us-better-people.html" target="_blank">here</a>, there are aspects of 'before' that you suddenly feel all the more grateful for.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Home delivery slots are like gold dust</b></span><br />
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The shift we <i>have</i> been finding difficult is getting our hands on supplies. At one stage we weren't able to get a home delivery for love nor money. At the start (before the #stayhome enforcement) we would stay close to home, picking up supplies from the local shops. When it all ramped up, we collectively agreed not to go out as it wasn't worth the risk. Then there was a surge of crime of opportunity with local muggings and house robberies (just disgusting), and 'delightful' groups of teenagers spitting on people ("now you're infected!"). So understandably we have zero desire to step outside for the foreseeable future. But if supplies ever ran out, we'd of course have to reassess that.<br />
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This has been easier said than done. All home delivery slots were snapped up. Certain supermarkets weren't accepting new customers and would boot you off the site if you tried to sign up. Others were prioritising the vulnerable and NHS (this I applaud and can't get mad at).<br />
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After a few sleepless nights, we were up early one morning and by stroke of luck, managed to find a home delivery slot FOR THE VERY NEXT DAY (how we managed this, I still don't know). It was the biggest (well, most expensive) shop we've ever done as we couldn't guarantee when we would next be able to get food. Only six items couldn't be delivered and we had 16 substitutions - so overall we were really impressed with our first ever Asda home delivery.<br />
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The earliest home delivery we could get after that was for a <i>month</i> later which came from Tesco and was even better (everything delivered and only 6 substitutions). I'm not confident how we will be looking this time next month, but I'm currently planning three weeks of meals at a time (largely thanks to <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/04/the-spreadsheet-that-is-helping-me-keep-sane.html" target="_blank">this spreadsheet</a>) so I'm prepared if we have a wait ahead of us!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Being resourceful</b></span><br />
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Amid the fear of running out of food, I have been saving scraps and seeds from fruit and vegetables and putting a few garlic cloves and potatoes aside, which fingers crossed I can grow more from. Fresh herbs from the garden have gone into meals (rosemary roast potatoes being a highlight) and I have also been ransacking the cupboards and finding out of date ingredients which are still perfectly fine. The out of date baked beans and ginger cake were both full of sugar, so perfectly preserved. I also found a TGI Fridays sriracha rub which expired in 2018 (ha). It used to be orange / red in colour and had clumped together into a sad looking grey colour. I scooped the contents out into a pestle and mortar, crushed it into a fine power and revived it back to its original colour (plus it smelt the same as it did before which is always a good sign!). I added a dash of olive oil and salt to made a marinade and added steaks which bathed in the mixture for a few hours. It was the highlight meal of the week (and still super spicy despite being years old!).<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Panic (but not at the disco)</span></b><br />
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Around the time the lockdown enforcement occurred, I needed the post office and walked alone to our nearest one, only to find it was closed and not advertised as so online. I was panicked enough about going outside, so discovering I had gone outside for nothing, was frustrating. Particularly as the people I passed had no concept of social distancing.<br />
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I came back home, paid for online postage, walked down the road to the post box, and legged it back. Whilst I was quick and kept my distance from other people, the panic I experienced wasn't worth it. I came back and my head was pounding, my chest tight, and I found it hard to breathe. All classic signs of a panic attack. But naturally, I was fearing the worst at this point.<br />
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So whilst the prospect of potentially not being able to get a food delivery next month terrifies me, I know that going outside terrifies me more! I am already a hypochondriac and worrier by nature, but I fear once this is all over that I will be a fully fledged agoraphobic!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">#BeKind</span></b><br />
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Nestled amongst the negativity on social media and tales of d**kery of some people, it's been lovely hearing about communities and families coming together (even if in different households). I received a call from my family one day saying they had managed to score a home delivery and was there anything I needed. I didn't want to take advantage so only asked for a few things that we couldn't get in our shop. My family stopped by the following day to drop a bag off at our door, plus collect the one I'd left for them (I didn't have much to offer them, but gave them fresh herbs from the garden, wine, books and magazines). Considering I'd only asked for a couple of things, I was blown away when I brought this bag inside:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUgXlctBLBx7-PWElp9vPZmnn5l58dBiusEpvC2WyNhUjn19yWfqTkiDe-LN2oVrzeMArcuaaSCnYZAWd7VByHKIaNnexslMmdUBLYdzrrcIitiHbJUvoDU5OLTDa-3-XChWMl2OLPmjU/s1600/Food+box+home+delivery+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUgXlctBLBx7-PWElp9vPZmnn5l58dBiusEpvC2WyNhUjn19yWfqTkiDe-LN2oVrzeMArcuaaSCnYZAWd7VByHKIaNnexslMmdUBLYdzrrcIitiHbJUvoDU5OLTDa-3-XChWMl2OLPmjU/s640/Food+box+home+delivery+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lockdown care package</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I'd almost forgotten what fresh fruit looked like! It was a very emotional moment. Not just because of their generosity, but also the sadness of having to wave from the window and not be able to hug them or make contact. My Mum had even made a lemon drizzle cake and brought that round. She even apologised afterwards saying she took it out of the oven and it was under so she put it back into the oven and that was a mistake as it's now black around the edges. But that's the amazing woman she is. Always thoughtful and always thinking of other people.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">How are you lovely lot doing?</span></b><br />
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Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-53479692317140645182020-05-07T17:05:00.003+01:002021-10-09T19:41:13.064+01:00The reality of a birthday during lockdown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that my birthday would be in the midst of lockdown. I naively thought that the lockdown measures would lift in April or something, and kept my fingers tightly crossed. Suddenly cocktails, dining out and catching up with friends was out of the question. I couldn't get a grocery home delivery near to my birthday so that ruled out cakes, decorations and the ingredients for my afternoon tea idea. The reality is I don't have access to gold balloons displaying my age, or huge gold letters spelling out HAPPY BIRTHDAY (so you won't find any of that sh*t on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lucy_angele/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my Instagram</a>). I don't have banners or bunting or fancy cake toppers or cupcakes. The only telling that it was my birthday was birthday cards coming through the post (now all stuck on the wall as a glorified wall mural like we did last Christmas with our Christmas cards) and a sh*t ton of deliveries. And with that, a diary of a birthday during lockdown...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqmdejjPTB6IhyphenhyphenNanFH6X7xmfx2Sxbm-W2lAnL1zxlOK7xYCkjqpAwctw9hoqUx6On_NvYe66H36ris8XOqCc6dWfBQW5zPsQM1cA5hEibwR5ZsWVdOPcrC6sJJBuCUQNTVayqC5NNbLy/s1600/twinsfisch-sQoIRY84a2E-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1271" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqmdejjPTB6IhyphenhyphenNanFH6X7xmfx2Sxbm-W2lAnL1zxlOK7xYCkjqpAwctw9hoqUx6On_NvYe66H36ris8XOqCc6dWfBQW5zPsQM1cA5hEibwR5ZsWVdOPcrC6sJJBuCUQNTVayqC5NNbLy/s640/twinsfisch-sQoIRY84a2E-unsplash.jpg" width="508" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">MORNING (AND BREAKFAST)</span></b></div>
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Lately I've got myself into a morning routine of yoga to gradually ease myself into the day and then more strenuous exercise to fully wake up. It's my birthday so I feel I can be exempt from exercising on today of all days ;)<br />
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Mr Curiouser and Curiouser is working today, but I am not. He offered to take the day off but is there any point taking holiday during lockdown? It's not like we can go anywhere. I'm not worried as we know we can make an awesome day of it until lockdown eases and things start to re-open again.<br />
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My partner surprises me with a scroll and it turns out to be a love letter which he has done in the form of a poem (this guy is smooth AF and always has been!). He was sneaking about the night before, printing, and running up and down the stairs so it all makes sense now! He takes my hand and leads me downstairs where he has prepared pancakes for breakfast.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zlFy5Ty6Gr89pxdRsY9-YdFK8-iBYQ4xTHl1uKekzhkP5OS2Qms1GTQ5bX642zgfiNslre0bklyTK2cYikOtdVwkTGreYZ0UNEWqMqvHBv7xRllbadrF3fdZ_1zKr4xI0oaRzbPDXRfR/s1600/Birthday+pancakes+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zlFy5Ty6Gr89pxdRsY9-YdFK8-iBYQ4xTHl1uKekzhkP5OS2Qms1GTQ5bX642zgfiNslre0bklyTK2cYikOtdVwkTGreYZ0UNEWqMqvHBv7xRllbadrF3fdZ_1zKr4xI0oaRzbPDXRfR/s640/Birthday+pancakes+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He makes the best pancakes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQRs0EijIcvaqpaqXtFPCqNntrzAm_65SUx2tDXnkDC7H2-S0_1n9DbTNKmLvRcCX0kvX-bR1XY74xrT63mIscmQafbaSonLnRimI-y9JYO0ZXeiiKtaD3SFQ3W_q7g9xWtWlNWg8CS3X/s1600/Maltesers+chocolate+spread+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQRs0EijIcvaqpaqXtFPCqNntrzAm_65SUx2tDXnkDC7H2-S0_1n9DbTNKmLvRcCX0kvX-bR1XY74xrT63mIscmQafbaSonLnRimI-y9JYO0ZXeiiKtaD3SFQ3W_q7g9xWtWlNWg8CS3X/s640/Maltesers+chocolate+spread+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maltesers chocolate spread is always a winner!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We have two pancakes each and share the last one (that's love right there!). Very happy and in a mini pancake coma (poma?), I then start opening some of my birthday cards and gifts. Friends and family have been very kindly ordering from my Amazon wishlist so it's a bit of a mystery knowing who sent what and it turns it into a guessing game.<br />
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Mr C & C starts work at 9 and I take some time getting ready. Today I decide to wear one of my favourite <a href="https://www.oliverbonas.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oliver Bonas</a> skirts with a black cropped tee and a spritz of my favourite Chanel perfume. I also ditch my glasses - which I've been wearing for the last two months - and dig out the contact lenses again. It feels so good wearing them again.<br />
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It's a fairly slow morning. I reply to birthday messages, take some calls, discover some lovely messages from blogger friends, watch Catfish, but mostly do some writing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>LUNCH</b></span></div>
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Mr Curiouser and Curiouser asks what I'd like for lunch and I really fancy something crunchy with ketchup. I love, love, love chicken dippers, chicken nuggets, chicken goujons and the like, but we don't have any in the house. We do however have fish fingers which really hit the spot. Over lunch we watch one of my favourite shows and tuck into biscuits afterwards (standard).<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">AFTERNOON</span></b></div>
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As the day goes on, the realisation of having a birthday in lockdown kicks in. It's a weird feeling. I keep getting reminders on social media about how I was celebrating my birthday last year and on previous years. I see the pictures taken with friends. I see pictures of <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/06/the-plant-based-afternoon-tea-with-a-difference-at-farmacy.html" target="_blank">this wonderful plant based afternoon tea</a> I went to with my sister last year. Whilst it sucks being stuck inside, I know it's the right thing to do.<br />
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With Mr Curiouser and Curiouser back at his desk it does feel a little lonely, but I count myself lucky that we live together and have each other. I cannot begin to imagine how people on their own during lockdown must be feeling. That afternoon friends and family call me to see how I am doing and with that the afternoon flies.<br />
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On my birthday I usually chance a lottery entry and this year is no different. The jackpot today is 42 million but to be honest, I'd be perfectly happy with two zeros let alone a six zero number (every little helps!).<br />
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I receive an email with a voucher for my birthday and with that I discover a John Lewis voucher I received for my birthday 2 years ago which has a life of ... 2 years. I can't recall using it and panic. Cue a panicked online shopping session to see if I can spend it still. As luck may have it, the voucher is still active and I get on it ASAP.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>DINNER</b></span></div>
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Dinner is a bit of an interesting one as I ordered a birthday meal (and pud) in our last shop but both went out of stock and couldn't be delivered. As luck may have it, I find some scallops buried deep in our freezer which I bought especially for Christmas and somehow forgot about. The main course is another case of digging about in the freezer, but to be honest, I'd be perfectly happy with a chicken kiev (breaded chicken again for the win!) or a pizza.<br />
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Tesco has imposed an item limit on their online shops so we didn't have any wine for a while (we instead prioritised the essentials). My partner raised a valid point recently: Order a box of wine and it will count as three bottles of wine but at the same time it will only register as only one item... GENIUS. So in our last shop we ordered some random box of red wine which we didn't have high hopes for, but it's actually pretty decent which is lucky considering we now have three litres of the stuff. For dessert it's a slice of the chocolate birthday cake Mr Curiouser and Curiouser baked for me (a cake meets brownie hybrid with tons of dark chocolate). It's HEAVENLY. Especially when heated (which is what we do).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrti525HnCNZs6XigrMXOFKH-_oLGRQ9YFj3s_9KzLkEi_EgG1xTW246d-KiFXdiPJYU3YHLxM77hlZ5aTaBfw-5TXWLk7qg99yBGIO-FLeMC0etpUHfc2Qkm0rwSF7XLxgfdjcpBnHLK4/s1600/Chocolate+cake+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrti525HnCNZs6XigrMXOFKH-_oLGRQ9YFj3s_9KzLkEi_EgG1xTW246d-KiFXdiPJYU3YHLxM77hlZ5aTaBfw-5TXWLk7qg99yBGIO-FLeMC0etpUHfc2Qkm0rwSF7XLxgfdjcpBnHLK4/s640/Chocolate+cake+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't beat a chocolate cake!</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">EVENING</span></b></div>
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A quick, early dinner means a good long evening. Later on we watch one of my favourite French films (which luckily Mr C & C likes too) with wine and blankets. Later still I have a video call with my family. The last big call we did was over Easter so it's lovely to be all together again. I hazard a guess at who ordered what from Amazon and some how guess all of them correctly! I'm not sure how, but we end up talking for an hour and a half and it's now pitch black outside.<br />
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Whilst I couldn't have predicted a birthday like this, I feel like we made the best of it and although simple, it didn't make it any less special. It just goes to show that it's not <i>things</i> that make a day special, it's the people in your life.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>First image: <a href="https://unsplash.com/@twinsfisch" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">twinsfisch on Unsplash</a> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>All other images my own!</i></span></div>
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Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876394452852877749.post-3063198310953616712020-04-28T17:27:00.001+01:002020-07-01T11:12:45.994+01:0010 happy things that are bringing me joy during lockdown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Celebrating a new baby during lockdown</b></span><br />
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Well, that got your attention didn't it!! No, I'm not pregnant or about to give birth any time soon. I'm in fact referring to one of my best friends who recently gave birth to a healthy baby girl. She had a really difficult pregnancy and at one time there was a terrifying 'it could be you or the baby' scenario so words cannot express how relieved I am that both mother and daughter are healthy and doing well. She is the definition of a miracle baby and a fighter just like her awesome Mum.<br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Unearthing old video games and playing them again</b><br />
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Sure, not all of them are going to work with the latest computer operating systems - but you don't know unless you try, right? And the gamble has already paid off with some of our old PC games. Admittedly we couldn't play anything on the old wii for a while as we discovered that a cat had chewed through the lead to the sensor bar (typical) however we found the part on Amazon so we were soon playing Guitar Hero and Mario Kart again!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Re-watching classic movies</span></b><br />
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One weekend we polished off all the Matrix films and the nostalgia brings SUCH JOY. Now we're planning on re-watching all the Back to The Future movies and I low key want to re-watch some of the older Men In Black movies as we watched the new 2019 Men in Black reboot lately and NOT A FAN. Sometimes you just can't improve on a classic!*<br />
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* the exception to the rule being the Jurassic Park films which are all class<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The little plant that could</b></span><br />
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I surprised my Nan on her birthday last year and gave her an orchid (her favourite). I bought one for myself at the same time (I love the pink ones as seen <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/04/can-a-silk-pillow-case-really-make-a-difference-to-your-hair-and-skin.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2020/02/casper-mattress-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Every time I speak to her on the phone she's raving about this plant and how much it's grown and the number of flowers it's had. My plant in comparison is not a grower and is certainly not a shower (ha). That is until recently. Suddenly three pink orchid flowers have opened up and they are much bigger than the original flowers on the plant - so I guess I can count that as a win!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxKbHnfk2799UJWkTFp50d8HreBbj_zdzt1Ak00YCXShDiFQAuZSNim9UKx6tk6uEZ-mHgBr8VXjtHCaZ2blx2ejppO_q5zxk4gEVh00PIGACGp6Ks89m2d7XmJwcRSgti0lJ0RMEWMYk/s1600/Black+grey+pink+bedroom+theme+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxKbHnfk2799UJWkTFp50d8HreBbj_zdzt1Ak00YCXShDiFQAuZSNim9UKx6tk6uEZ-mHgBr8VXjtHCaZ2blx2ejppO_q5zxk4gEVh00PIGACGp6Ks89m2d7XmJwcRSgti0lJ0RMEWMYk/s640/Black+grey+pink+bedroom+theme+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink orchid in grey bedroom with black furniture</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Saving leftover seeds and egg cartons</b></span><br />
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I've been planting a whole host of things (taken from our food scraps) in leftover egg cartons which under normal circumstances (pre lockdown) would have gone straight into the recycling box. I've been considering growing my own fruit and vegetables for the longest time but this pandemic has given me the kick up the bum I needed!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Looking out at the garden and seeing everything in full bloom</b></span><br />
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First came the daffodils. Then came huge heads of tulips in red, yellow and orange. Shortly after bluebells and forget-me-nots followed. Now we have foxgloves emerging. Suddenly our garden is as colourful as all the rainbows displayed in windows celebrating the NHS and our carers <3<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZoSFVV_cIBg-2dyjn7nkHovqTvAsOzxLZun1z8fVFoOTz9Y1pymtYBTZSsqdd2LmKG1Hr3tPTqft0mr8bcgg7CCVQtGNy0GFhYynznLZgI-1KmoF8whJFm71v76LXNqZ5JZ3jFzyilWe/s1600/Gardening+blog+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZoSFVV_cIBg-2dyjn7nkHovqTvAsOzxLZun1z8fVFoOTz9Y1pymtYBTZSsqdd2LmKG1Hr3tPTqft0mr8bcgg7CCVQtGNy0GFhYynznLZgI-1KmoF8whJFm71v76LXNqZ5JZ3jFzyilWe/s640/Gardening+blog+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow tulips and other curiosities</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Waving to my family from the window </b></span><br />
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... and exchanging supplies on the doorstep. My Mum really outdid herself. Around that time, we hadn't been able to get any supplies or a home delivery slot (whereas they had) and when asked what we needed, I just asked for the bare minimum. Things like toilet roll, yeast, hand soap and flour. Because if I can make bread and pizza dough, I'm set. My Mum turned up with bars of chocolate, lentils, sliced bread, fruit and get this - a home baked lemon drizzle cake. I was so emotional afterwards because of their kindness (and the frustration of not being able to get closer). I did a bag for them too but didn't have much to offer them (low supplies). Just things like books, magazines and wine (sounds like a cracking night in)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotoUqOl4E_k_XFpDjU56z6MxySv7mXZPcWlFSI8IHlDlpvtJ5jb77hK4ilZU8vXTSmMM9YigTq-ylq9yPSP28xUxvUVDZ8p-G6CpbM6K8SyiGm6EtvR5cr2M62PApcFscxwdlGN0ltlUp/s1600/Food+box+home+delivery+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotoUqOl4E_k_XFpDjU56z6MxySv7mXZPcWlFSI8IHlDlpvtJ5jb77hK4ilZU8vXTSmMM9YigTq-ylq9yPSP28xUxvUVDZ8p-G6CpbM6K8SyiGm6EtvR5cr2M62PApcFscxwdlGN0ltlUp/s640/Food+box+home+delivery+-+Curiouser+and+Curiouser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Essentials food box home delivery</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Embracing a more natural look</b></span><br />
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I've hung up the straighteners and have been avoiding all heated hair care products and my hair is the best it's ever been. It's been naturally drying into the most perfect curls which look like I've spent hours with a curling iron (I haven't). My hair suddenly has great volume and glossiness as I'm no longer stripping it of moisture or its natural oils. It sounds silly but it feels like my hair is rewarding me for being kinder to it!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Writing to my heart's content and feeling inspired </span></b><br />
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I wrote about how the struggle is real with blogging and working <a href="https://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk/2019/07/how-i-balance-blogging-and-working-full-time.html" target="_blank">here</a> but lately I've had a massive wave of inspiration and I've found myself jotting down ideas for future blog posts as well as ideas for books that I am working on. I managed to write 5,000 words for a book in the space of two days and sent it to a publisher with a proposal - so here's hoping! I love writing and whilst I'm not sure I'm any good at it, I find it hugely therapeutic - particularly at a time like this.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Unapologetically making time for myself</span></b><br />
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I have a whole other blog post on this going live soon where I touch upon the initial pressure I felt at the start of lockdown to busy and better myself. Because it felt like that was what everyone else was doing and that I should too. I busied myself with decluttering the house, getting the washing out on the line, cleaning, etc, and felt guilty whenever I sat down or stopped for a few minutes. What I've come to realise is that our mental health and wellbeing is key at this time where many of us are feeling isolated and alone. I've now got myself into the habit of taking some time out each day to do something that brings me joy. Things like sitting with a candle and magazine, reading books, doing some yoga, writing, and colouring.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow tribute in progress dedicated to our hardworking NHS healthcare workers and carers</td></tr>
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As a result, I'm a lot less jittery and anxious, and I'm actually sleeping now (and longer!)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Have you found any silver linings to lockdown so far?</span></b></div>
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Curiouser and Curiouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225601205084360100noreply@blogger.com0