I generally shop online a lot more than braving the shops in London. There's something a lot more satisfying about having parcels arriving for you from my favourite fashion retailers, isn't there? Even if Barry the Postman does hate me for the amount of parcels he has to deliver to my house. Soz Baz!
However, there are downfalls of online shopping. It can get rather tedious especially if I am looking for something in particular and I just want to crawl into bed and watch a film. I often open up tab after tab after tab of items I like and then end up accidentally closing the browser and lose all of the items I was pondering. Am I the only one who does this?!
I was recently introduced to Lyst which is an online wish list website where you essentially create "lysts" of your favourite things. You can shop a whole bunch of different retailers; both high street and designer in one place. It saves so much time and hassle having to hunt down the perfect LBD for example. Just pop in the search bar what you're looking for and it will present lots of different results from different retailers.
There is also a 70% sale ALL YEAR ROUND which makes things a lot more (dangerously) fun! It's so sad when seasons transition and the sales come to an end. However, you're guaranteed high street and designer bargains all year round when it comes to shopping on Lyst!
I chose some of my favourite items after having a little look around. I thought I would share them with you because no doubt someone of you will love them too!
Slightly on the pricier side of things are these Loeffler Randall Isla floral embroidered boots. I don't think they need much describing to be honest as they do the talking for themselves. However, I do love good statement boots and these paired with black skinnies and a leather jacket would look sweet. I love a quirky slogan tee so this Cotton Modal-blend t-shirt by Mango really stood out for me as I am an adventurer! As soon as I saw the Sequin Fruit Denim Skirt by Topshop; I knew it would be something I would end up adding to a wishlist. Iron on transfers are everywhere and who doesn't love fruit?!
I love back packs and I love velvet so of course it was inevitably going to be love at first sight when I saw this Skinny Dip Velvet Backpack from Topshop. It's also a really good price at just £30 for an on trend, statement bag. Winter is around the corner which means the tradition of a splurge on a new coat to keep me warm is fast approaching. The salt and pepper wool coat by Topshop really caught my eye as it looks like it would match 95% of my wardrobe and also looks super cosy. Finally, I've been after the Copenhagen Star Trainers by Topshop for ages but haven't managed to find a pair in a size 5 in-store so I may have to order them online through Lyst!
I will definitely be using Lyst in the future when I am doing a big shop or looking for one specific item. It's much easier and takes so much stress off shopping!
Disclaimer: This post is in collaboration with Lyst. All words, opinions and photographs are my own.
When we first got Elsie, she was really unwell. We was recommended by the vet to switch her food plan to a grain free diet. Despite being a large breed dog that poops A LOT; dogs actually don't have a very good digestive system and food can be hard to break down in the intestines. This can lead to bowel problems and discomfort for the dog.
Grain free dog food is a fast burning type of food that results in less food being eaten and dogs also stay fuller for long. Unless you're Elsie of course and hungry 24/7!
Feedem is a great website to buy dog food online and they actually have a whole section of different grain free dog food.
It can be very difficult finding good quality dog food which is grain free in supermarkets and even in pet shops. Having a website that stocks these foods makes it much easier especially as there are all kinds of different grain free foods available from different brands.
Since Elsie has been on a grain free diet, we have noticed a huge difference in her coat. It's a lot shinier and is really soft. She is also full of a lot more energy which she burns off a lot easier compared to when she was on other dog food that didn't allow her to release energy so she was always so hyper!
We sometimes mix a little bit of wet dog food in as Elsie does tend to get bored of having the same meal twice a day but this is more of a treat we give her a few times a week.
If you have a dog or puppy who is finding it hard to stomach certain foods or has toilet trouble; it may be worth changing their diet to a grain free one.
A little while ago, a courier arrived with two bags of delicious treats from The Polish Bakery; a Wembley based bakery that bake fresh Polish breads, cakes and pastries. It was a lovely surprise whilst I was working away in my office and feeling rather hungry!
Address: The Polish Bakery, Abbeydale Road, Wembley, HA0 1TW | 0208-998-6077
Inside was a few different loaves of breads and some special Polish cakes. The main product which is a brand new upcoming release from The Polish Bakery is their Chia Seed bread. Having a read about it beforehand, it is a sourdough bread that provides iron, copper, zinc, magnesium and maganese to your diet.
The main ingredient are chia seeds which are considered a "super food" as they are packed full of nutrients but have very little calories. We tried it out toasted which was very yummy, but it tastes great with soft cheese and salmon too!
The Polish Bakery Chia Seed Bread is available in local shops and selected ASDA stores.
We also tried out their other breads which were really nice alternatives to our usual white bread in the mornings. I don't particularly like cranberries but the rest of the family really enjoyed The Polish Bakery's 100% Rye Bread with cranberries.
Obviously, I was always going to save the best till last which was a few sweet treats they included in the care package.
The Vienna cheesecake or Sernik Wiedenski was the one I was most excited to eat as cheesecake is my all time favourite dessert of choice! We noticed their cake portion sizes are HUGE so we was actually able to split this into 4 different portions for us to all try.
We was surprised to see that instead of the traditional biscuit base that most cheesecakes have; the base to this was almost sponge-like. The cheesecake filling itself was light, fluffy and almost melted in the mouth. The topping was perfect too and far from sickly. It was just one of the most perfect cheesecakes I've had in a long time!
Finally, went on to try the Apple cake or Jablecznik which lived up to all of my expectations and beyond. I am partial to apple crumbles and danishes; so was really excited to try this polish apple cake. It was incredibly soft and moist and again, very cake like rather than a crumble or shortcrust based apple dessert. The apples inside were really delicious and you could tell were fresh alongside the added raisins every now and then. The topping was almost fumble like with a little icing and went down a treat!
This is the first time we have ever tried out Polish bakery delicacies and I have to say; we was left all very impressed!
Disclaimer: These products were sent in consideration for review. All words, opinions and photographs are my own.
Over the last few weeks, I have been trying out the PersonalityMatch app which is available both on the App store for iOS and also Google Playstore. It's basically a quiz app that asks you a select number of questions to test what kind of personality you have.
It's completely free to download and you can either sign up or log in through Facebook which for me is a million times easier!
I filmed a YouTube tutorial which shows you how to use the app and who to test your personality which is down below should you want to watch it!
Once you're logged in, the quiz will begin. There's a fair few amount of questions but each one is carefully selected to measure your personality the best it can. Some questions ask you what you would do in situations for example. Whereas, some questions ask you to describe your personality with multiple question answers.
Once you have worked out what kind of personality you have; you can challenge your friends and family to take the test. Once they've answered the same questions, you can compare your personalities with one another. This is great for working out whether a potential future partner or friend is a good match for you.
When I tweeted about the app, I challenged my followers to take the personality test so we could test our results together. Someone called Katy (hello!) was the first person to test her personality against mine. It gives you a great breakdown of our individual personalities and we sound like we would get along really well!
It's a really fun little app and something I'll definitely be recommending to new people who come into my life. Of course, as a little disclaimer; it's in no way a 100% accurate answer that a person is or isn't a good person to have in your life. However, it certainly is interesting and rather accurate when it comes to looking at the results.
Watch my YouTube tutorial below on how to use the app and find out what kind of personality I have!
I was never much of a cat person until we ended up adopting a cat called Albert that wandered into our house one day and has never left since. We have always had dogs in the family so we have learnt a lot since adopting a cat.
These are things that are are completely different when it comes to owning a dog. So, here's a guide on getting a furry little friend!
1) Adopt!
There are millions of cats in need of good homes. If you're after a younger cat, then PLEASE pop to your local cat shelter and see what cats are in need of a new family. For sure, it's nice getting a kitten from a breeder but it's also important to remember that many kittens and cats end up in shelters and rescue homes due to neglect or being given up.
2) Get a litter box and litter.
We are lucky in the sense that Albert comes in to eat and maybe snooze; but then leaves when he has had enough or wants to go outside to do his business. However, if you are a new cat owner or thinking of getting a cat; then it's probably it's a good idea to get a litter box if you want them to be an indoor cat.
Training kittens can be difficult but it's not much easier than training a puppy on training mats. Make sure you place your kitten or cat into the litter box every morning, afternoon and evening and they should pick it up within a few weeks. It's also important to clean out the litter box every time they do their business and place down new litter. Cats are very clean animals and you wouldn't like to do your business in an unflushed toilet!
Whiskas have put together this cute little video to educate cat owners about litter trays and training kittens or young cats.
3) Invest in a scratching post and lots of toys.
We have leather sofas so it's essential for us to have a scratching post and many toys for Albert to keep himself occupied. Before we got a scratching post, he has been known to attack wooden blinds and scratch at cushions. Cats are incredibly intelligent animals so love having toys to play with and love playing games with their owners.
Owning a cat is without a doubt MUCH easier than having a dog. They are much more independent and only need seeing to when they need feeding or their litter needs changing. Cats are great first time pets to have if you're not at home all the time. However, please make sure you're a responsible cat owner if you do decide to get one!
Disclaimer: In collaboration with Whiskas. All words, opinions and photographs are my own.
Maybe I am biased having lived in London my whole life; but it's my favourite city in the world. Living in East London means I can be in Central within half an hour and on the other side of London within an hour thanks to the London Underground.
I completely take London for granted and don't adventure out and about as much as I would love to. Usually because I'm too busy with work or there's no one free to hang out with. There's always something going on at the weekends and there's a million and one different places to eat. Bars, pubs and clubs are everywhere and secret places are hidden away behind cobbled streets, dark alleys and on roof tops.
Cheapflights recently posted a blog post guide on spending 24 hours in London and it really got me thinking. What would I do if I was to spend 24 hours in London? Where would I go? What would I see?
6AM
I'd start the day by catching one of the first trains into London and head straight to Whitechapel to a coffee shop called Foxcroft & Ginger. It's a cute coffee and breakfast shop where you can grab a tea or coffee in a chic china teacup and enjoy a croissant with the morning's newspaper.
Foxcroft & Ginger, 69-79 Mile End Road, Whitechapel, London, E1 4TT
8AM
I would then head over to St Paul's and spend an hour or two on the grass outside the cathedral and read a book. There are benches around which is another option but with the current weather being really generous; there's nothing quite like reading a book in the sunshine whilst catching some rays on your pins at the same time. Multi-tasker or what?
I would then head over to The Tate Modern which is only a few minutes away from St Paul's. I love visiting here during the summer as there's always something new going on. I can quite easily get lost in the place and lose track of time too.
Obviously it's time to get another drink and snack at the coffee lounge in the Tate Modern. It has a balcony you can sit out on which overlooks all of the city which is one of the prettiest sights to see when you have good weather or when the sun is setting.
1PM
It's now time to head over to Liverpool Street and take a 10 minute walk over to Brick Lane. This place is definitely one of my favourite places to go at the weekends; purely for the fashion, markets and general hipster vibe. It's the best place to pick up rare and one-off pieces, vintage garments, street food and to hunt for all the hot bearded men.
2PM
2PM
There are chain restaurants everywhere including a Nandos and then of course there's Spitafield's Market. This place is amazing if you want to grab lunch/dinner (maybe even breakfast!) and do a spot of shopping amongst the many market and stall traders. There's a really lovely vibe at Spitafield's. Everyone is bustling, looking around or trying to make sales. It really shows off the iconic East London stereotype. I dare you to count how many bearded men you can find.
6PM
After lots of shopping and watching a few entertainment shows; it's now dinner time. This is extremely hard to just choose ONE place out of London's ridiculous amount of restaurants it has to offer.
However, after much deliberation, I would most definitely return to Barossa in Fulham. You may remember I reviewed it about a year ago which you can still catch if you missed it. It's an Australian kitchen and coffee house but don't let the word 'cafe' put you off at all. The food is cooked with such love and fantastic presentation; it's hard to believe you're in a one off chain restaurant only run by one manager. I really recommend the burgers which come with a generous amount of home made chips and a gorgeous, fresh salad which is when I discovered my love for pomegranate seeds. SO good.
Barossa, 277 New Kings Road, Fulham, London, SW6 4RD
8.30PM
We are lucky the sun is still shining at this time due to the summer we are currently having in London. Therefore, it's essential to unwind after dinner to watch the sun setting across the capital. There are prime locations to do so but my number one spot has to go to Primrose Hill. Sadly, I've never actually been but it's on my "to do" list as of now.
The hill is situated a walk away from Camden and is pretty much what it says on the tin. A hill you walk up and you can sit at the top. It's the one place in London where you can see a clear and pretty 360 angle of our amazing city. Wash down with a bottle of wine and some strawberries.
10.30PM
It's now getting late so it may be a good idea to start heading away from dark parks and find other human beings again. I would probably visit Clerkenwell & Social which is another hotspot situated near St Pauls. They are open till quite late and have some of the most amazing cocktails (and pizzas!) available. It's a great little place to go with the girls after work or even on a date.
Clerkenwell & Social, 2-5 St John Square, London, EC1M 4DE
1AM
Obviously, I would personally book a hotel way in advance for this so I can truly stay out in London for 24 hours. There's still 5 hours left of the challenge so I would definitely book the Cafe Royal Hotel on Regent Street; which has a spa you can unwind in for however long you like. Whether it's a facial you want or maybe you're in need of a back massage; you're guaranteed to unwind and feel more than relaxed by the time it's time to hit the sack for the night.
Hotel Cafe Royal, 68 Regent Street, London, W1B 3DY
Telephone: 0207-406-3333
4AM
You could either decide to stay the whole night in the hotel or just go to one purely for the spa and then leave ready for the first train home. Or, if you're like me... then go for breakfast and THEN go home!
What would you do if you spent 24 hours in London or any city of your choice? I'd love to know your thoughts below!
Disclaimer: In collaboration with Cheapflights but all words and opinions are my own. First image and Barossa images are my own. The other images are stock images from Pixabay.
It's true when they say blondes have more fun but it's the biggest pain in the world when you're naturally brunette. I have been blonde for nearly 3 years now and have probably re-bleached my roots about 101 times during this time. I generally have to re-bleach my roots around every 6-8 weeks but I do try to leave it as long as possible.
When I was emailed the press release about these products, I was rather intrigued to say the least. The Hair Experts have created these root touch-up products which are designed to tone down your roots within seconds.
I have been trialling out the shade 'cool blonde'* which is perfect for me as my hair is a very white blonde. The product itself is a chalky like consistency which comes with a double ended brush for application. You simply brush the product onto your roots and it significantly makes them less bold (or more bold if you're naturally blonde with dyed dark hair). It takes about 2 weeks for my roots to start growing out so these root touch-up products are a god send for in-between my roots growing out and looking fierce by week 7-8.
They have 4 different shades: blonde, brown, red and black so there's a shade for everyone. You could also try getting a completely different shade to your actual hair colour and creating an ombre effect! Dark roots and blonde hair - I'll have you know it's what everyone's rocking at the moment!
I will definitely consider getting another one of these again when I run out of the blonde one. I've had so many issues lately with hating my roots (thus cancelling plans with people!), but not having enough time to bleach them; so cheating with a product like this has been an absolute god send!
The Hair Experts root touch up products are available at Boots for £6.66 (usual RRP £9.99).
Disclaimer: PR samples but all words, opinions and photographs are my own.
There's nothing better than unwinding at the weekends or in the evenings after work with films and enough food to feed an army. There is no argument about this either.
I've been really enjoying trying to watch a film on two evenings of the week over the past few weeks and these are the top 5 films I have really enjoyed and thought deserved a mention!
I should mention that these films were sent over to me by a PR company who included a blue ray disk and we sadly don't have a blue ray player! However, I am trying to persuade my family to upgrade the family TV to the new release, Panasonic 4K TV; which of course we would get a blue ray player to accompany it too.
The brand new release features a professional cinema display and boasts outstanding colour clarity, contrast and brightness. It's also tuned by Hollywood film makers so you're guaranteed to have the BEST TV experience when watching films on this one!
Luckily, I had already seen The Intern when it was released in cinemas earlier this year and it's remained one of my favourite films of 2016 so far!
1) The Intern
Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) is a 70 year old retired guy who wants a new challenge in life. He applies to become an intern at an online fashion side run by Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway) and obviously it's very unexpected by her and the other office workers.
It's a really good film with a great comical side to it but also gives you a fantastic representation of what it's like to intern in a busy fashion office. A must-watch if you enjoy comedies and chic-flicks... and just about any film with these two award winning actors in!
I've been really enjoying trying to watch a film on two evenings of the week over the past few weeks and these are the top 5 films I have really enjoyed and thought deserved a mention!
I should mention that these films were sent over to me by a PR company who included a blue ray disk and we sadly don't have a blue ray player! However, I am trying to persuade my family to upgrade the family TV to the new release, Panasonic 4K TV; which of course we would get a blue ray player to accompany it too.
The brand new release features a professional cinema display and boasts outstanding colour clarity, contrast and brightness. It's also tuned by Hollywood film makers so you're guaranteed to have the BEST TV experience when watching films on this one!
Luckily, I had already seen The Intern when it was released in cinemas earlier this year and it's remained one of my favourite films of 2016 so far!
1) The Intern
Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) is a 70 year old retired guy who wants a new challenge in life. He applies to become an intern at an online fashion side run by Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway) and obviously it's very unexpected by her and the other office workers.
It's a really good film with a great comical side to it but also gives you a fantastic representation of what it's like to intern in a busy fashion office. A must-watch if you enjoy comedies and chic-flicks... and just about any film with these two award winning actors in!
2) The Lego Movie
I remember this coming out at cinemas a few years ago and I was in no rush to go and see it. It's an animation about the lego characters coming to life and is definitely one for the kids. I saved it for when my little cousin came to stay over for a few days and he thoroughly enjoyed it.
The movements of the characters are rather static so I personally found it hard to concentrate watching it but it's a great film to put on for the kids! After all, I'm not seven years old.
3) Pan
I have loved the original and remake of the Peter Pan story since the first time I ever saw them. It was a natural step to watch the latest adaptation from 2015 which features the likes of Hugh Jackman and Amanda Seyfried.
It has a very similar feel to the other films but is definitely a fantastic and current version. I love Hugh Jackman as an actor so I had high hopes for this film and it definitely lived up to my expectations for acting, story line and graphics. It's a must see if you love the story of Peter Pan in Neverland.
4) The 33
Based around the real life story of a gold and copper mine collapsing; this film is serious and had me on the edge of my seat at all times. The 33 miners are trapped underground for a grand total of 69 days. It's emotional, shocking and leaves you feeling so uncomfortable at times... especially if you get claustrophobic easily.
5) In The Heart of The Sea
Despite being released in 2015, I never knew that this film existed; despite being an adaptation of Moby Dick's novel.
The story is set in New England in 1820 and is about a ship that sinks because of a giant whale beneath the sea's waters. It has a slow start (most probably down to the period it's filmed in) but it definitely had me wanting more and I was definitely imagining if this actually happened today! Scary!
What film have you watched this month so far? I'd love some new recommendations!
Disclaimer: The films are PR samples and is in collaboration with Panasonic but all words, opinions and photographs are my own.
Tweezers. We all need them to maintain our brows but did you know there are many other uses for tweezers? There are so many different things you can use tweezers for and many different types of tweezers you can get with different purposes.
Tweezers aren't something I have ever really thought about in-depth before. I have cheap ones and I have slightly more up-market ones. I have slanted ones and I have pointy ones. Yet even having a little collection of the metal tools; I still didn't know much about them.
Moo have put together an interesting and fun little infographic which is all about the history of tweezers and what the different types can be used for. They have also tested 80+ tweezers so they definitely know their stuff! I'll definitely be paying more attention when shopping for a new pair of tweezers in the future!
infographic source: moo.review
Disclaimer: Infographic placement. All words and opinions are my own. Image provided.
Tweezers aren't something I have ever really thought about in-depth before. I have cheap ones and I have slightly more up-market ones. I have slanted ones and I have pointy ones. Yet even having a little collection of the metal tools; I still didn't know much about them.
Moo have put together an interesting and fun little infographic which is all about the history of tweezers and what the different types can be used for. They have also tested 80+ tweezers so they definitely know their stuff! I'll definitely be paying more attention when shopping for a new pair of tweezers in the future!
infographic source: moo.review
Disclaimer: Infographic placement. All words and opinions are my own. Image provided.
Wow, it's been such a roller coaster of a ride the past few months. I touched upon this lightly in my post about making changes in my life but now I'm a few weeks into making those changes and am generally becoming a lot happier with my life. Of course, I miss the adventures and the cuddles; but I have a puppy for those things.
Top & Sandals: M&M Direct* | Shorts: H&M Coachella | Sunglasses: Raybans*
Actually becoming single. Again.
In all honesty; I have felt like I have been single for ages but I never lost that loyalty and commitment. Therefore, I am finding it quite easy to deal with and haven't cried about it as I'm SO past the stage of crying and eating ice-cream in big Bridget Jones knickers. I have nothing to cry about anymore. I am finally happy and free.
Of course there are days when I wish things could have been different but I don't regret anything at all. Everything happens for a reason, remember.
Obviously, breakups suck. I wouldn't have got into a relationship if I knew this one would last a year and then that be it. I don't believe in temporary relationships or friendships. If I commit myself to you then that's it. You get all of me and I'll stay committed always.
However, this relationship was completely different. I wouldn't exactly say a year is long-term at all but there was sadly no future for "us". 6 breakups and 123456 arguments squished into a year is an awful lot of issues for any one person to deal with. Therefore, I could never see myself getting married or having children in the future with him. Those thoughts just never entered my mind because I knew one day it would end for good and I was right.
It was my choice to walk away for good and it was 100% the right thing to do. I could no longer go on feeling unhappy every day, crying with frustration every day and wondering if things would ever get better every day. I no longer felt in control of my life and felt like I was letting someone else control my feelings and happiness.
I would have liked things to end on good terms as there was never any need to be nasty about things. However, things are now bitter and twisted. I ended the relationship officially a long time ago and stuck with my decision every day for weeks. To others, it looked like I was stringing him along and being unfair but I wasn't. I stopped seeing him and barely even spoke to him; at least not in the same way. Nobody knows what went on behind closed doors other than me and him. We know the facts.
I have nothing bad to say about him this time round. However, he did make a few mistakes throughout the relationship which I have never gone into detail about and it doesn't need to be discussed. We basically just wasn't right for each other and things should have ended for good a long, long time ago. However, I guess when you love someone you never want to give up on them.
All I ever wanted was a best friend. I have never had that kind of relationship with someone since I was 17. I just wanted to go out and adventure the world with that one person. If you have read my blog since day one, you will know I like to see new things, photograph cool stuff and travel to new places. I was never able to do these things with the one person I wanted to do them all with.
I saw a quote the over day that read "true love never has an ending". I guess one day I'll find the person I am supposed to be with and it will work out perfectly. I hope there is a happy ending soon for the both of us.
So, how am I doing?
I am fine and concentrating on myself for myself. I started to spend time again with someone who meant a lot to me once upon a time. I was happy going places with him and finally laughing about life again; not once thinking about everything going on. Driving around London late at night and not having a care in the world about what time it was. However, that recently never worked out either and even though it sucked at the time; I can once see again how we just wasn't compatible with one another either. Let's just call that one a personality clash. I will never allow another man to control me or try to make me feel bad for having feelings and a heart.
As for now, I am far too busy with my life at the moment to worry about men, dating and relationships. I have started to re-build my life and am starting to really feel like my old self again. I really lost myself a few months ago and didn't know who I was anymore but I now feel like Ashleigh Dougherty is back and she will be ready to get out there and back on the dating scene one day soon.
It feels great right now not to be involved with anyone. I don't have to worry about texting anyone back to keep them interested. There's no pressure to get an outfit perfect ready for dinner at the weekend. A single life is a care-free and worry-free life. It's grand and I've missed being alone in this sense.
So, that's it. Another breakup documented and archived which I can look back on and laugh about when I'm married to Tom Hardy. If only...
As for now? Tonight will consist of a pizza for one, Netflix (and chill) alone and maybe even a few swipes to the left and right... if ya know what I mean.
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