Winter Essentials

While we are all distracted by Christmas we tend to forget about the down come after all the excitement and by the time it reaches that point we all get depressed and most of the time, ill. I think they call this JANUARY BLUES. However January doesn't have to be blue, there are ways we can pick ourselves up through those bleak months.

I've put together a few essentials which I've found useful for these colder months. First off, Kiko's energy mask personally recommended by a member of staff from the Birmingham store. Before moving to Nottingham I'd never heard of Kiko and I must of been hiding under a rock or something because this is one of the best brands I've discovered so far. The products are cheap as chips but still have an amazing quality to them and often have products on offer (not that you need a sale to afford them!) The energy mask is a detoxifying black mask which you leave to set on a dry face for 10 minutes then wash off with warm water. Kiko sell a range of masks but this particular product helps cleanse the skin from pollution and impurities which is definitely something most of us will need after all the food we've inhaled this month!

A cosy tee. Strangely I've been looking for a top like this for a while but after not being able to find one for so long I think I just gave up. Then when shopping the other week, I went into Zara and saw it for only 5.99!! Generally Zara can be quite expensive but if you have a proper mooch around you can pick up from bargains, especially from their basics! This has to be one of the softest tees I've owned and I just thought it would be perfect for a cosy winter lazy day. To add to that lazy day, whats better than warm knitted socks?! Primark is always hit and miss but I discovered these boot socks along side the ankle socks. They are the ideal socks for lounging in, not too suffocating and keep your feet at a perfect temperature.

I hope these items are able to give you some sort of joy in the new year.
Merry Christmas!

Energy Mask (Kiko, £5.90 but currently on offer for £2.90 online and possibly in most stores)

Stripped Tee (Zara, £5.99)

Boot Socks (£1.99 for a pack of 3, other colours include charcoal and dusty pink)

Gingerbread bunting

I've decided to start one of my new year resolutions early and take advantage of not working this Christmas by baking lots! Although I want to rejoin the gym next year, theres no harm in a treat every now and again, after all baking on Sundays instead of lounging in bed all day counts as some exercise right? Gingerbread is always top of my baking list during the festive season and whats better than combining baking and home decor! The recipe I followed requires very little ingredients and the method to create this bunting is super easy to follow. 

You will need:

350g of plain flour

1tsp of bicarbonate soda 

2tsp ground ginger

1tsp ground cinnamon

125g butter

175g brown sugar

1 egg

4tbsp golden syrup

Start by adding the flour, bicarbonate soda, ginger and cinnamon into a bowl and mix. Next add the butter in and mix until it looks like breadcrumbs and finally stir in the sugar. After beating the egg and golden syrup together, you should add it to the initial mixture and clump it all together. When you've created your mixture, you need to briefly knead the dough and clingfilm it in the fridge for 15 minutes. While your mixture is in the fridge, preheat your oven to 180C and line a couple of baking trays with greaseproof paper. After your dough has been refrigerated, roll it to about 0.5cm thickness and cut your shapes out (during this step make sure you flour your surface.) Before baking pierce a hole or two in the chest of the gingerbread men and then put in the oven for around 10-12 minutes. Check your gingerbread and if done move them over to a cooling rack until hard enough to thread without breaking. Thread the biscuits with a ribbon of your choice and finally hang somewhere around your house (keep away from children or pet's reach!)

Daylesford organic farm

At last I'm home for Christmas from what seem to be the longest term of my life! I'm very excited to be back with my family and preparing for my favourite time of the year! I was straight into festivities as we headed off to Daylesford Organic Farm as soon as I walked through the door!

Based in the Cotswolds (and a few other locations), Daylesford farm caters to a specific audience by supplying only organic products ranging from food to garments. You're first greeted with a small food hall displaying perfectly every fruit and vegetable you can imagine, you can then wander into the cheese room (literally a small room with cheese in every angle) or you can choose to stroll down towards the meat and cakes. If you fancy it, after the food hall you can opt to browse around a christmas area where you can pick up decorations, drinks or home products or stop off at the cafe trying some of the fresh food, which unfortunately we didn't have time for! 

The farm continues as you walk around to the next shed which is filled with gorgeous flowers and candles. This can be slightly overwhelming if you're sensitive to scents! Surrounding the buildings lay gravel gardens with ponds and fountains and also a spa and cashmere shop for the wealthier of us all!