Merry Christmas Everyone! End of Blogmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Hi all, 

Hope you are all having a brilliant day, we are both enjoying ourselves with our family's, Jess in England and Hannah in Denmark. We are so happy to have been able to upload each day of December up until Christmas, check it out here if you've missed it...

Thanks for reading, now go and enjoy your Christmas day, 

-J&H xox 

Day out at London Aquarium (Blogmas day 22)

Jess here,

Last weekend my family and I visited London's Sealife Aquarium and the London Eye, one of my sisters friends works for Merlin and so gave us his Merlin card to use up the free tickets before the new year. It was an amazing day and so here are some of the pictures I took .

As you walk into the aquarium you can walk over the shark tank, although this made me feel quite queazy it was loved by my nephews who were fascinated by it.

As soon as we walked into this section both my nephews shouted 'NEMO AND DORY',

My sister, her husband and my nephews in the hurricane machine and my niece Maisie Boo cuddling her pink seahorse which she loved! 

                        

Once we had finished in the aquarium we wandered down south bank and decided to stop and watch these performers, when we all turned around to start to walk away my sister noticed that my nephew was not with us so we all started panicking, running around everywhere looking for him,little did we know he had pushed his way to the front of the crowd and was then picked to be in the performance.

We then went for a meal in Strada which is a delicious Italian restaurant, and I have to say the service was excellent considering how busy it was in the restaurant, it had a very friendly feel.

Then in a quick decision we decided to go on the London Eye, my nephew was desperate to see the sites of London so because we had enough tickets we went up. There are such breathtaking views at night, especially as the sun was just setting at around 4pm. 

Thanks for reading my post about my family and I's day out, hope you enjoyed this post,

-J xox

London Aquarium and London Eye 

Danish traditions- (Blogmas day 23)

Hannah here!

As I am half Danish I am celebrating Christmas in Denmark this year. I thought for today's blogmas post I would just give you a brief insight into my Danish Christmas! 

In Denmark Christmas is celebrated on the 24th of December in the evening. This means that I get to open my presents about 12 hours before you! We also have our Christmas meal in the evening at around 7 o'clock, Danes traditionally eat roast duck rather than Turkey. However the main reason that I love a Danish Christmas as much as I do is because of the strong likelihood of snow! A white Christmas and being with all my family is what makes a Danish Christmas so festive. 

I hope you all have a merry Christmas, wherever you are this winter! I would love to know if you have any traditions! -H xox

Christmas and Holiday essentials! (Blogmas day 21)

Hannah here!

Here are a few of my christmas and Holiday essentials, for a cosy night in this winter!

1) A warm and snuggly blanket. These are a must have for the cold Christmas period.

2) Hot beverages. I am a big tea drinker although a hot chocolate is the perfect winter treat, and if you really want a treat the hot chocolates from Whittard's are my favourite. 

3) A great Christmas movie, my ultimate Christmas flick has to be 'Love Actually' but you can check out our blogpost for our Top 5 Christmas Movies.

4) Christmas jumpers, I think Primark do some of the best Christmas from the really tacky to the subtly festive.

5) Winter nail polish. I love painting my nails so a good berry red or a festive glitter top coat is a certain holiday essential.

Thank you for reading, let me know if you have any Christmas essentials! -H xox

Stocking fillers- Blogmas day 19

Hannah here!

For today's Blogmas post I thought I would share some stocking filler ideas, these are just some of the festive little items I have seen recently.

1) These Milk Chocolate Penguins from Hotel Chocolat cost just £7 and would be appropriate for any chocolate lover. 

2) I am a big fan of the Emma Bridgewater range and really like their "Christmas Joy" 1/2 Pint Mug as it is the perfect size for a hot chocolate!

3) Essie Nail Polish in "Fishnet Stockings"is the perfect Winter shade, so would be a lovely stocking filler for anyone who loves to paint their nails.

4) I don't think I would be the only one excited by these christmas socks from John Lewis in my Stocking!

5) A stocking wouldn't be complete without an orange so a Terry's Chocolate Orange with "Exploding Candy" is a fun and new take on an old tradition. 

Thank you for reading, I hope you find this post useful (even if it just gives you a few things to add to your own christmas list)! -H xox

Visiting Father Christmas on a Barge (blogmas day 18)

Hi all Jess here,

At the weekend me and my family traveled to Chicester to visit Father Christmas, I'll be honest I did not have high hopes as I thought it would be like every other Father Christmas visit however it was brilliant.

We arrived at Chichester canal and ventured into a Christmas decorated barge, we then proceeded down the canal and were served sausage rolls, mince pies and teas or coffee (and fruit shoots and biscuits for the kids.)

Once we reached the end of the canal there was Father Christmas waiting to board the barge with a sack full of presents. My niece and nephew loved it, they were so excited! 

When Santa came on board we started to make our way back up the canal and Father Christmas called each child up individually and had a chat, picture and gave them there present. 

It was a lovely day, my niece and nephew absolutely loved the Father Christmas experience!

After we had finished visiting Father Christmas we went out for my nephews birthday meal (he was 6 on Monday) at a cowboy restaurant, he loved it, especially the massive dessert that they do especially if it is someone's birthday.

So overall it was a lovely day and I would really recommend the Father Christmas trip for families with kids! 

Thank you for reading! 

-J xox 

Christmas Wish List (Blogmas day 16)

Hi Hannah here,
With christmas fast approaching I thought I would share my christmas wish list with you. This is a combination of things that I would like for christmas, and other beautiful things I would like.

1) I have asked for the first naked eye shadow palette by urban decay, and would be delighted if I recieved it this Christmas. It has some beautiful shades and I would love to experiment with them! 

2) I have a few of the real techniques brushes already and really enjoy using them, so would love to own the core collection. 

3) I would really like the "they're real push up liner" by benefit as I am a great lover of eyeliner and have never tried this type of applicator for gel eyeliner. 

4) I have owned several pairs of Joni jeans from Topshop and they are the most comfortable jeans I have ever tried.

5) I have not asked for an iPad for Christmas and would never expect to receive one, however a girl can dream...

Third five days of the YouBeauty advent calendar (Blogmas day 15)

Jess here,

This year for christmas I have got the YouBeauty advent calendar, this is an advent calendar filled with skincare products, makeup and general beauty products and I thought I would share what I get in my calendar every five days. So here is the third five days of the YouBeauty advent calendar 2014:

Day 11) A vita liberata self tanning lotion and a mit, I'll be completely honest when I opened the calendar and saw this self tan lotion I was not as excited as I have been about other days, I have never fake tanned (mainly because I'm scared I'll go streaky/it won't suit me) so this product did not really draw me in, however I am willing to give it a try so I have done a patch test on my belly to see how well it works and I can safely say (even though my knowledge of self tanning products is not very good at all) that this product works well and definitely does what it says on the bottle! *sorry this review is a little pointless but I'm not a fake tan kinda person* 

Day 12) A glam glow tingle exfoliate facial treatment, I am really looking forward to trying this product out, it is meant to tighten your skin and so I am waiting until the spots I have at the moment to clear up before I test this product out. 

Day 13) A Sally Hansen nail rehab strengthener, I tried this out the day I got it and it really does what it says on the bottle! I like to grow my nails out long so a nail strengthener is essential to me and this one really does work.

Day 14) A John Frieda volume increasing blow dry lotion, I prefer to let my hair dry naturally, however when I have enough time to I do use a hair dryer and so this serum will be perfect for when that time comes around! This serum smells delicious and I cannot wait to use it.

Day 15) A Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier, this fragrance smells lovely it is very floral and sweet and just the scent I like, so I am very happy to have received this and I shall be wearing it until it runs out!!

Thanks for reading, 

-J xox

Jess's top three winter time skin care products (Blogmas day 9)

Jess here,

For today's Blogmas I will be counting down my top 3 winter skin/body products:

3) Number three is my Soap and Glory Butter yourself moisturiser, I love to use this throughout the winter time because during this period my skin gets dry so using this once every two days (because I'm too lazy to do it everyday) really helps keep my skins moisture up.

 

2) Number Two is my Clinque facial soap and toner, this two step process makes my skin feel clean and it feels like it really cleans out all the impurities, I do this routine once a day.

1) And finally my Number One product for the wintertime is my evening moisturiser, this is a really intense moisturiser so because I have an oily complexion I only use this once every couple of days, but when I do it works wonders on my skin.

Thanks for reading,

-J xox

Gingerbread Recipe (Blogmas Day 8)

Hannah here!

Gingerbread is my favourite Christmas treat, so here is my simple and foolproof recipe for gingerbread cookies!

Ingredients:

90g clear honey

175g soft dark brown sugar

60g soft unsalted butter

350g plain flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice (I always add a touch of ground cinnamon)

1 medium egg beaten

(Its difficult to say how many gingerbread cookies this recipe makes as it depends on the cutters you use, but it definitely makes a decent batch)

Method

1. Over a low heat, melt together the honey, sugar and butter. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile sift the flour, baking powder and spices in a bowl and add the egg.

3. Pour the sugar mixture and mix well to form a soft dough. Cover the dough with cling film or a plastic bag when its not being.

4. Roll out the dough on a floured surface an cut it into whatever shapes take your fancy.

A festive idea is to make a hole in your biscuits with a straw, then a ribbon can be placed through the hole and they can be hung from your christmas tree as a decoration.

5. Place the cookies on a baking tray lined with a sheet of baking paper and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 180C/ 350F/ Gas 4.

6. Leave to cool and then decorate with icing and any sweets or treats you have to hand.


I had a lovely time making these gingerbread cookies at the weekend with my 4 year old godson. Here is a picture of our marvellous creations, its safe to say I had a helping hand!

Hope you enjoyed reading, let me know if you try out this recipe!
-H xox

Christmas decorations (Blogmas day 7)

Jess and Hannah here,

We both love Christmas (as you can tell) and one thing that gets us into the Christmassy mood is decorating our house so in this blog post we thought we would share our top three Christmas decorations with you!! 

Hannah's top three: 

I absolutely adore Christmas, and coming from Denmark we have lots of wonderful decorations all over our house. Here are my top three:

3) This Christmas house is one of my favourite decorations as it fascinates me as a child, a tea light can be placed inside to make it look extra cosy.

2) As most people know Cinderella holds a very special place in my heart.

1) In Denmark it's tradition to make these paper hearts to decorate your Christmas tree with, so making these with my mum and hanging them on our tree is one of my favourite parts of Christmas.

Jess's top three:

It was so so so hard to choose my top three Christmas decorations because as soon as December 1st rolls in our house is filled top to bottom with all different kinds of decorations from stockings to buntin to nativity scenes, however I have managed to whittle it down to my top three: 

3) Number three is our display nativity scene, we have two nativity scenes, this one which is my favourite mainly because of the intricacy on each figure, and then we have a wooden (unbreakable) set which can be played with by the children in the family.

2) At number two I have chosen this Disney Noel sign, my mum bought this one year in Disneyland Paris and it has been on the shelf throughout Christmas time ever since.

1) And finally at number one I have chose our indoor Christmas tree as my favourite Christmas decoration, mainly because of the soft toys underneath which I have many memories of playing with as a child. 

   

Thank you for reading all about our favourite Christmas decorations, we hope you enjoyed reading it.

-J&H xox 

❄️ Book review: 'Let it snow' ❄️ (Blogmas Day 6)

Hannah here!

Recently I read the rather festive book 'Let it snow' and thought it would make the perfect book review for day 6 of blogmas!

 It is a winter themed book of three holiday romances, written by three different authors. The authors are Maureen Johnson, Lauren Miracle, and John Green. Each author has written their own "winter romance" themed short story that all intertwine slightly. I loved the variety it offered in both characters and writing styles. I was also very impressed by the consideration the three authors had given for the other stories to create a well-written, and festive collection. This is a book I would thoroughly recommend to anyone who enjoys a light read and wants to get into the Christmas spirit! 

Thank you for reading, and lt me know if you, read 'let it snow'! I hope you are all enjoying December and all its wintery fun!

-H xox 

First five days of the YouBeauty advent calendar (Blogmas day 5)

Jess here,
This year for christmas I have got the YouBeauty advent calendar, this is an advent calendar filled with skincare products, makeup and general beauty products and I thought I would share what I get in my calendar every five days. So here is the first five days of the YouBeauty advent calendar 2014:

Day 1) A Liz Earle cleanse and polish mini set, I am so happy to have received this as I have been wondering whether to buy this skin care product for months and now I can test it out, when I tried this I loved it, this product made my face feel so nice and the idea of having the muslin cloth to wipe your face is very clever.

Day 2) A Laura Mercier foundation primer, I had not heard of this product before so I am very excited to try this out, when I tested it on my hand it felt very light and smooth so hopefully it will be the same when using it on my face (which I have not done yet as I do not wear facial makeup on weekdays as I am just going to school) 

Day 3) A Molton brown orange and bergamot body wash, this smells delicious and I'm so disappointed its so small as I am in love with the smell! 

Day 4) An Essie nail polish, this is he colour peak of chic, I think this nail polish an be used by itself or as an over coat, however I personally think it would look nicer over another colour nail polish! I really like this as it is sparkley and Christmassy!!! 

Day 5) A caudalìe nourishing body lotion, this is an anti oxidant moisturising body cream (however I think I will put it in my bag as a hand cream as it is the perfect size), I am not sure how to describe the smell, and at first I was not sure if I liked it however it is definitely growing on me each time I use it! 

Thanks for Reading,
-J xox

Christmas Wishlist (Blogmas day 3)

Jess here,
For our third blogmas post I will be writing my ultimate Christmas wishlist,this includes presents that I am asking for this year but also presents that I know I will not get but I would love to have and I'm sure many of you will agree with some of them!

Firstly here is the list that I am asking for from my family this year:
1) This blue and green tartan cape, I tried this on in the shop and fell in love with it, it was very comfortable and I loved how it looked on so I decided to put it on my Christmas list. http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/accessories/dark-green-check-blanket-wrap-cape_316716630

2)I love topshop jeans and I always get the leigh style however Hannah has always raved about the Joni jeans and I do love high waisted skirts and shorts so why not try some high waisted jeans?! I didn't want an ordinary style so when I came across these I fell in love and decided to ask for them for Christmas. http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/clothing-427/jeans-446/joni-super-high-waisted-jeans-1108/moto-prince-of-wales-joni-jeans-3347037?refinements=category~%5b941191%7c208527%5d&bi=1&ps=20

3)I love to have TV programmes on DVD and this year I have been loving two series in particular, Modern Family and Game of Thrones, so of course I have asked for both of these on DVD.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Modern-Family-Season-1-5-DVD/dp/B00LGJT9ZG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417553154&sr=8-1&keywords=modern+family

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Game-Thrones-Season-1-3-DVD/dp/B00AQGE5BS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417553295&sr=8-1&keywords=game+of+thrones

 And now for my ultimate Christmas list:
1) A St Bernard dog, they are so cute and fluffy, this is my ideal dog for when I am older. I never used to like dogs but when I saw a St Bernard I fell in love!!!

2) Even though I haven't passed my driving test yet a car would be an ideal present, and my dream car would be this gorgeous light blue mini! 

3) My final dream Christmas present would be a trip to Disneyland Paris! Disneyland Paris is my happy place and is my favorite during the winter season so a trip over Christmas is my ideal present! 

Thanks for reading my Christmas wishlist and Dream wishlist. 

Hope you enjoyed this post, let us know whats on your wishlist by commenting or by tweeting us on our twitter @livesofHandJ 

-J xox

A Christmassy day out in London (Blogmas Day 1)

Hi all
Last weekend we went for a shopping trip on Oxford street and a cozy sleepover, which made us feel very christmassy.

We started the day with a trip to Costa for a Christmas drink and a catch up, both of us had the brownie hot chocolate which is delicious!

We then went to the Brandy Melville shop near liberty's where Hannah wanted to buy EVERYTHING. Next we made our way back to oxford street and of course went to Topshop and H&M, where we tried out the fun photo booth. 

We then had a wander down Oxford street towards Primark and admired some of the lovely Christmas decorations on the shop fronts. 

We had a good look around Primark and decided to buy matching Minnie Mouse pyjamas which are so soft and fluffy!!

After we finished with our Christmas shopping up London we went back to Jess's house for a movie night; we watched The Fault in Our Stars, F.R.I.E.N.D.S, and ate way too much food!

It was a lovely weekend, and has got both of us in the Christmas spirit!

Thanks for reading,

-J&H xox