Trek America Wish List

With the evenings getting lighter and the temperature slowly creeping up, I can't help but get excited for summer.

I'm not going to America till September, but I still am getting prepared by drawing up to-do lists of what I want to buy.

I thought I would compile a wish list for the USA, which is taking inspiration from other peoples travels. Hopefully I will have the money and I can treat myself to these things to take with me on my travels.

1. Go Pro

This is every travellers dream camera, which can be used underwater and films the most amazing videos to cherish those memories forever. It does come with a hefty price tag, with a typical Go Pro costing around £94 for the cheapest model. Cheaper versions are available which I may have to resort to if I can't save the money, but this is the perfect camera to film those amazing moments, such as the helicopter ride I will be taking over the Grand Canyon, or travelling across the Golden Gate bridge in San Fransisco. This is my must have item.

2. Bum Bag

This is what I've grown up calling them but essentially its a fanny pack. I've found some funky ones with cool patterns on, and this will be perfect for walking around the cities. It holds just enough for the essentials, like money, phone and camera, and keeps it safe in front of you. Check out this cute one I found on amazon!

3. Backpack

Essential for hiking in Yosemite or for a day around Disneyland. I use backpacks when I need to carry more than the basics, such as water and a rain mac. It's so much better than a one shoulder bag and helps with the backache as well. You can also make it look fashionable, with most high street stores like Topshop, New Look etc. offering cool bags that will suit all types of outfits.

4. Iphone Charger

My phone contract needs upgrading soon, so I will be resorting back to the iPhone. The reason I ditched an iPhone last time was the disappointing battery life, but after having a Sony, it's made me miss it and this time I will prepare myself with a portable charger. This means I can charge it whilst on the go and still the able to use it for connecting with friends/family and taking pictures. I'm going for the Anker Astro E4 for around £20, but there are loads on the market for a range of prices.

5. Ray Bans

A must for traveling around sunny California with. I've never invested in a real pair, I actually opt for the fake ones. As I will be visiting Turkey this year, I will no doubt be utilising my bargaining skills to buy a new pair at the markets. That way I don't mind if they get ruined or broken.

6. Nike Air Max Trainers

Perfect for walking around and seeing the city sights, plus they can make an outfit casual and comfortable. Although they are pricey at £90, these will last a long time and can be used for exercise, worn with jeans or to dress down a going out outfit. They are also available in loads of varieties and colours, meaning I can wear them with pretty much any outfit. The classic white are my favourite and I can just picture myself wearing these with denim shorts in the American heat!

A Few of My Favourite Things: January

So blog post ideas have been lacking recently, probably due to the fact that final year project mindset has kicked in so that's all I can think about at the moment. Plus I seem to be spending all day everyday in the laboratory which makes it hard to find the time to write a blog post.

So I thought I would round off, in my opinion, the worst month of the year with the things I've been loving!

Here goes...

1. Lidl Nutrimixer

Yes that's right, it's from Lidl and it only costs £30. I can't compare it to the Nutribullet or other higher priced machines, but from using this, it is amazing! I only use it occasionally for making soups, baking and attempting to be healthy by making smoothies, and it does the job perfectly. If you don't want to spend a fortune on expensive makes, this does the same job for half the price and is perfect if you are like me and will only use it occasionally.

2. 24 Hours in A&E

For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a doctor but have never had the courage to apply to it. By watching this programme, it feeds my obsession with medicine and genuinely engrosses me on what actually happens in A&E. No one wants to end up there, so the people you see on here display their raw emotion when a loved one is sick, and it really puts your life into perspective. It makes me realise that this could happen to anyone, and you really never know what's around the corner. That's why I try and live by the motto, live every day like it's your last. It's hard, but watching this programme reiterates why it can be important.

3. Crumpets with Jam and Peanut Butter

Another breakfast discovery, in a previous post I discovered jam and peanut butter on toast, but it just got a whole lot better when spread on crumpets. Top tip, microwave your crumpets before toasting to make it fluffy!

4. Lighter evenings

As soon as Christmas is over, my next time of year to look forward to is Spring. I love seeing the nature bloom and as the evenings stay light for a tiny bit longer each day, it is so nice start to see flowers start to blossom and the sun staying out for longer. I notice a massive difference in my mood as well.

5. Metcalfe's Rice Cakes

Wow, these are amazing as a snack, and so filling! Plus, they're sort of healthy! But I love dark chocolate, so these layered rice cakes are the perfect little sweet treat. The only downside, they're pretty pricey!

6. Uniqlo Disney Collection

How amazing is this Disney collection? I've never bought anything from Uniqlo before but as soon as I saw their collection of Disney sweaters, that soon changed. They aren't pricey at only £20, and they have the perfect choice of cosy sweats to wear on any occasion. I went for the navy blue one, but they have a good choice of colours and styles including hoodies, sweatpants and t-shirts. Here is the link if you want to check it out: http://www.uniqlo.com/uk/store/feature/uq/disney-magicforall/women/

7. Benefit Porefessional Primer Balm

I don't usually join the hype for high end, expensive facial creams and primers, in fact the most expensive skincare product I own is a Mac primer, but I received this in the Benefit beauty advent calendar and boy does it do wonders. I'm not sure if it is actually doing what it says in the fact that I don't tend to address the issue of pores and blackheads (too many better things to think about), but I love the way this feels so silky and smooth, the way a primer should feel! I apply this before any make-up and it means that applying foundation and concealer feels so much easier to blend in than my usual moisturiser. It's also nude in colour which means it kind of acts as a tinted moisturiser as well, so spending £25 on a primer, tinted moisturiser and something that's gonna minimise the appearance of pores is not too bad!

My Travel Essentials

As we roll into the new year my attention always turns to which destination I will be travelling to next.

It seems I'm not the only one thinking the same as seen from the amount of adverts on TV selling holidays. It does nothing to help those January blues but once you've got something booked up then the anticipation of going on holiday begins!

Whether it's a week spent lying on the beach, or a long weekend exploring the city sights, there are some things that I cannot leave without packing in my suitcase.

Obviously due to baggage limits, we want to take as little as possible, and also so we have enough weight allowance for all the souvenirs we will buy!

So here are my top tips on what to pack when travelling that I never leave behind...

Dry Shampoo

A lot of time and effort is saved using this and it will always rescue my hair in those times when it's too difficult or not possible to have a shower. You can get travel versions but the normal size offers better value for money and will last. This is perfect for a long haul flight and spruces up dull hair in a second, just make sure you get the under 100ml version. Plus, if you forget shampoo and conditioner then this covers your back, and I buy shampoo out there to save space.

Lipbalm

My lips get super dry and flying doesn't do anything to help this, so I make sure it is always in my carry on luggage.

Spray Deodorant

Travelling can be stressful and can make you sweat! To avoid smelling like I've just ran the marathon, a little can of spray deodorant is always helpful to keep you smelling decent no matter where or how you are travelling.

Travel Wallet

A couple of years ago I stumbled upon this travel wallet from Paperchase, and I don't know how I coped without it. This wallet holds my passport, boarding tickets, insurance documents, ID cards, money, a pen and so much more. Having everything in one place is amazing and its a decent size as well.

Currency Card

Nowadays most places had chip and pin devices, or a nearby ATM machine, so to avoid carrying around huge amounts of cash, I simply use Fair ex's currency card. You use it just like a debit card and can pay for meals, souvenirs and attractions using the card. All you have to do it preload money from your account on to it. Withdrawing from an ATM will charge, so I tend to use it directly on a chip and pin machine. You can even download the app to top up and check your balance from your phone. Very handy and comes in euros/dollars.

Make-up Essentials

I don't always pack my entire make-up bag, so there are a few items I always take with me. These are mascara, concealer and powder foundation.
The concealer is for covering up any blemishes and dark circles, the powder is for taking away the oily shine I get from wearing make up for too long, and the mascara is a must for me because I think it can brighten up your eyes and can add a hint of glamour. I don't take anything else, just my staple items.

Water

This is my number one essential that I never travel without. After security if you are at an airport, or whenever I can I always buy a bottle of water. Not only is it important for hydration and good for your skin, but it gives me a sense of security knowing I have a drink if something were to happen, for example being stranded somewhere. I couldn't think of anything worse than feeling thirsty when there are no shops around.

Depending on the type of trip, there will be other items, but these will always be in my bag. Feel free to share some of yours!

A few of my favourite things: December Edition

Goodbye November, Hello December!

I hope you are counting down the days till Santa arrives by opening each window of your advent calendar, I sure am!

As we are officially in the festive season, I thought I'd share with you my favourite festive things.

Christmas Lights

There is something so magical about Christmas lights, and seeing the streets filled with sparkling lights in all different colours just makes me feel so happy! I'm loving the array of different themes in London, as well as the bright and colourful Christmas tress that are dotted around.

Brighton Lanes

Advent Calendars

Nothing counts down to Christmas better than chocolate. This year I've gone for Mars, and I just love the little treat I can have each day! I've also invested in a beauty advent calendar from Benefit, although it's only a 12 day one so will have to wait a little longer before I can open that!

Mulled Cider

I love the traditional mulled wine but I decided to try something different this year, and I had a taste of Rekorderlig mulled cider. It was heaven! It's like having the perks of a summer cider drink but in winter and its warm so it makes you feel all cosy.

Festive Drinks

I won't go into too much detail about the holiday themed drinks from many high street coffee stores, but these are A-mazing!! So good that they will feature in a review post of their own, in which I'm taste testing all of them! Some of the cup designs are awesome as well.

Christmas Jumpers

I bought one from Primark last year and let me tell you, it is the warmest jumper I own! I'm practically living in it all the time and it saves me having to put my heating on. I'm especially loving the disney collaboration in Primark; two of my favourite things together!

Amazon Prime

Ok so not Christmassy as such but you can watch Christmas films on it so it is kinda related! As I'm a student, I get a free Amazon Prime account, which has so many benefits such as free next day delivery on selected items, plus the use of streaming music from their spotify-like service and movies from their netflix-like streaming site. This is fab for me as I hate paying subscription fees and can't afford it at the moment, but here I've been able to listen to the latest albums such as One Direction and Little Mix, as well as catching up on my favourite films and TV series. I've been loving Grey's Anatomy which has been a long time favourite, and I've just started rewatching The Hills! Also, they have their own series such as The Man in the High Garden. Very recommended!

Let me know if you have any favourite things about Christmas!

A few of my favourite things...

Another day, another blog post!

This time I am going to share with you what I have been loving recently!

1. Breakfast

I love breakfast, I think it is actually my favourite meal of the day as you can have savoury, sweet, a bit of both and endless possibilities for breakfast. That includes cake as well! I go through phases of having the same breakfast everyday, then going of it for a few weeks then craving it again. At the moment I'm obsessed with toast topped with crunchy peanut butter and jam! Basically peanut butter and jelly! It's amazing and the flavours just go so well together! Simple, yet so delicious.

2. Christmas Songs

I walk to uni everyday and listen to my iPod, but recently I've added every kind of Christmas song I had in my iTunes. These are all I listen to at the moment. As you can probably tell, I am and have been feeling very festive since September really, so I am savouring every moment I can listen to Christmas songs. It really puts me in the festive mood and makes me feel warm and fuzzy! Michael Buble will forever be my favourite.

3. Imperial Leather Fruit Salad Shower Cream

This smells amazing! It's like being transported back to my childhood where I used to get fruit salad sweets in my pick n mix. Plus it was on offer for only £1!

4. Miniature Mince Pies

These are amazing because you can have your daily fix of mince pie goodness without the excess of sugar and calories. Mince pies are not the healthiest things in the world but I still crave one everyday. Now I can have these up until Christmas and still eat other chocolate as well (oh yes, priorities!)

5. Cosying up in winter coats

The weather has actually been quite mild for November but that hasn't stopped me from wearing my hat, scarf, gloves and thick winter coat everyday. Even if it does mean I turn up to lectures sweating from all the layers, I still love the cosiness you feel from wrapping up!

6. Baking

I've been making up for the lack of baking I did this summer by taking every spare moment I have to experiment with new recipes. In fact, I made another blog (which you can visit here... ) that is solely for my baking recipes! Recently I've baked brownies, raw millionaires shortbread, cheese biscuits and apple and cinnamon fairy cakes. I can't wait to start festive baking as well!

Apple and Cinnamon Fairy Cakes

7. Glittery Nail Polish

Nothing screams Christmas than wearing the most sparkling nail polish you can find. I've recently been wearing all sorts of colours as the base coat and layering the glitter over, and it looks so cool! My favourite so far is wearing black and layering with gold glitter.






8. London

I love London anytime of the year but seeing it at Christmas with all the lights on is so magical! When I went recently it was freezing which just made it so much better, as I was able to snuggle in my cosy hat and walk around the markets looking at all the festive gifts!

Portobello Road Market

Review: A Day at the Spa

As a middle of exams treat, today I visited the Imagine Spa at the Hilton Heathrow hotel (T5). It was part of a groupon deal which included 4 hours use of the spa and a mud bath treatment. Now four hours in a spa is a lot so we didn't actually end up spending that long in there, but we spent a good four hours overall (including about an hours worth of the mud bath treatment). The spa was small and only included a hydrotherapy pool, sauna and a steam room as well as a salt mineral room (my favourite).

Altogether with the deal, it cost around £30. I wouldn't recommend paying full price for the spa as it's not that big and there was no proper swimming pool. 

However, with the treatment included in the deal, it was ok and the mud treatment is great for your skin, as well as smelling amazing! Seriously, it smelt like chocolate so it was hard not to eat it! Plus you do it yourself which gave you time to relax by yourself and go at your own pace. Other treatments available include massages and beauty treatments. Take a look at the range of treatments from the link below!

As a treat this is a good place to go, however I know there are plenty of spa's set in nicer locations and with bigger facilities. The hotel was a heathrow one so there was issues with accessing it. We ended up driving but it is hard to get to via tube. Also, we got there early to eat before but the hotel cafe and restaurant was majorly overpriced and although there were a few local pubs around, it is not near any town or central London meaning there was a lack of choice.

These sorts of deals come up on Groupon on a daily basis, however I would recommend you choose a location that is either pretty and has bigger facilities, or is in a central area. Head over to Groupon to see the latest deals, but one this you have to be is quick as they don't last long!

http://imaginespa.co.uk/thamesvalley/beauty-treatments/

Spring Staples /15

An inspired blog post that came from my recent visits to New Look and Topshop. I noticed that they are just beginning to bring in there spring wardrobe and thought I would post my spring staples for a wardrobe. These are items that I think should be in everyone's wardrobe and keep coming back into trend every year, so they will not be a waste of money. They're not so much 2015 trends, but I based them around the practicalities of spring, where it starts to get a little warmer and sunnier but is still cold. Here I've tried to address the same dilemmas I have, like should I wear a coat? Will this be warm enough? And wanting to add a little more colour to spruce up your wardrobe.

My first staple item is a biker jacket. Not only does it go with tons of outfits, its also perfect for days when the sun is out and it's warm (we're talking end of march/mid April). It's also a worthwhile investment as you can wear it in any season and it will never go out of style. Team this with a floral dress for a pretty spring outfit, or tone is down with jeans and a plain tee for a more casual look. This one is from New Look.

£49.99 New Look

My next item is a patterned skirt. I think the style can be bodycon, skort or skater, it doesn't really matter but I tend to stick to the bodycon style as usually there is windy weather in spring so this avoids flashing everyone you see, which is totally embarrassing. This is great worn with tights, or without depending on the weather. It can be casual when paired with a plain tee or it can spruced up for a night out by teaming it with a bralet and heels. Patterned skirts will never go out of fashion and they are still wearable in winter (and obviously summer). It's great with the above biker jacket along with black boots, but is also ideal with heels, flats and trainers. Here is a selection of monochrome skirts from New Look and Topshop that caught me eye. Brighter colours tend to come out nearer to summer but these can be worn year round.

£14.99- New Look

£17.99- New Look

£35 Topshop

One trend that will always keep coming back is stripes. It's here for this spring this year but I know I will always own and wear at least one item of clothing that is striped. Great for a more casual look when paired with jeans, but it can also be tucked into a plain skirt or worn with shorts (if it's warm enough). They also come in many styles. You can find striped crops, tees, skirts, jumpers and many other forms, so you're spoilt for choice. For a current trend, I picked a striped crop from New Look.

£9.99 New Look

A denim jacket is a must for spring. It tackles the same dilemmas as the biker jacket but is more suited to warmer weather, plus the lighter colour are perfect for lightening your spring wardrobe. It's perfect for chilly summer evenings and to wear in the day in spring. A staple that will never ever go out of style. Pair with trainers and leggings for a casual day look, but it looks great when paired with floral shorts/skirts which can be worn with tights. Just be careful when teaming with denim. This perfect jacket below is from Topshop.

£39 Topshop

My final piece of clothing that's perfect for spring is a knitted jumper. I like to go for lighter knits due to the weather warming up, but its still pretty chilly. This is a great casual weekend look when paired with jeans/leggings, whatever! Lights colours such as pastels will be perfect for adding colour to your wardrobe. It will ensure you don't get cold on nippy days, but you won't sweat as much  if you were wearing a chunky knit. The denim jacket would be perfect over this jumper from Topshop.

£38 Topshop

To round off my spring staples, I've included a big trend over the last two years, a Fedora hat to complete a spring look. Perfect worn in all seasons, but spring is the season where you can wear it the most. For sunny days team with sunglasses for a casual yet sophisticated look. Just be careful the wind and rain doesn't appear! It has the added advantage of keeping you head warm as well!

Check out this amazing one from Topshop. Perfect with any of the above items.

£25 Topshop

I hope this has helped you spruce up your spring wardrobe, or given you ideas where you could use clothing that you most probably already have. This only includes items from Topshop and New Look, both affordable high street stores. I will definitly be making some of these worthy buys.

Now, time to plan my spring outfits...