My Netflix Recommendations

Netflix is my one true love so I thought that I would share some of my favorite TV shows and films to watch on it. Recently I have been really loving all the newly added, so good job Netflix!

1) Pretty Little Liars.
I am only on Season 3 of this show, but I am hooked! It is such an addictive tv show to start watching so if you need to be revising or doing something else important I would not recommend watching this because you will undoubtedly become addicted to it.

2) Gossip Girl.

Another addictive show to watch, but so so great, I loved this and watched it so quickly as I got drawn into the characters, so again do not start this series if you have other things to do, it is very ADDICTIVE! 

3) Merlin.

I have always loved Merlin, I have every series on DVD! But having it on netflix means I can watch it easier so if I just want to watch something but I'm not sure what then Merlin is my go to tv program. Would definitely recommend this series. 

4) Disney. 

This is a bit of an odd recommendation as there is not a specific film I would recommend as all of them are brilliant, if you just type in disney to the search bar you get over ten disney films to choose from and recently netflix have been good with their choice of new disney films (brave, hunchback of Notre dam, Hercules and oz the great and powerful), definitely the best kind of films out there! 

5) Mock the Week.

A comedy quiz show that makes me laugh every episode, this is mine and my dad's sense of humor in a nutshell, and I love it! It is my go to program on netflix when I need a laugh, it's only the older series's though so would love it if the new ones could be up too *hint hint netflix*

Thank you for reading, let me know what your favourite thing to watch on netflix is at the moment, 

-J xox

New tea purchase

Hannah here!

This winter I spent christmas with my family in Denmark, while I was there one of the things I bought was this selection pack of teas. The packaging is of course in Danish but the name of this selection is 'soul warmer', it includes; green tea with Jasmine, strawberry tea, summer-berry tea, and herbal tea with blueberry. 

I have now tried all of them and the strawberry tea is definitely my favourite of the four. It is also the nicest strawberry tea that I have ever tasted, having a very sweet (non-artificial) and refreshing flavour. 

I would love to see more selection packs of this kind in the UK as I think they are a really lovely way of trying new teas. I also picked up another selection pack called 'Evening calm', although I haven't opened it yet so can't tell you much about it. 

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this slightly different style of post! I am a big tea lover so would love to hear if you have any tea recommendations! -H xox

Ypres trip

Today I went on a battlefield trip with my school, this is honestly one of the best yet most upsetting trips I've ever been on. We visited the Ypres region of Belgium where many battles throughout ww1 took place, so all around are cemetery's and battle grounds, I could not imagine living there and seeing them every day as after even one day I felt the impact.

The vast amount of soldiers who gave there lives for us in this one area is unimaginable and when seeing the graves it is hard to fathom that there are British or Commonwealth men lying in the ground who fought for us to be here today, some of whom may be related to me, or one of my friends or you?! Here are just some of the places we visited and a fact I learnt from each:

We first visited Mening Gate, this is a memorial for 55,000 soldiers whose bodies were not found and they do not know where they were killed due to many circumstances, when building this they ran out of room to write the names so a further 34,000 names of unknown soldiers are written on a memorial at the Tyne cot cemetery.

The Flanders fields museum was the next destination we visited and this picture really got to me, straight after this picture was taken a bomb hit and all of these injured who were expecting to go home died, this was also only 1 year before the war finished so had that bomb not hit all these men would have survived the war, the person who took the picture survived as they had moved a few metres from the site the bomb hit so he was able to print this picture with its story of despair.

The next place was the Essex farm cemetery, this is where the famous poet John McRae served as a doctor, however it is also where the youngest known soldier to die in ww1 is buried, he was only 15 which is an anomaly as normally you were not allowed to join until you are 18.

We then visited Leningrad which is a German cemetery, we went here to see the difference between how the British and German bury there dead and also to pay our respects of course! One fact that shocked me is that in one grave as soon as you walk in there are 25,000 German soldiers all buried together, and what makes it more interesting is that 2 Belgian men looked up every name in the grave and found that two British soldiers got mixed up within the mass of German soldiers. I cannot write down the kinds of emotions I felt when here, these people had lives and families and it confuses me how one war can take so many.

Lastly we visited Tyne cot which is the largest grave of British soldiers in the world with 11,871 men buried here. The saddest part was reading the sentences that some family's asked to have on their loved ones graves, some were very emotional on one grave this was written 'it was as if the sun had gone out' (this was actually at Essex farm but there were many at Tyne cot too). The sheer mass of graves that were here was astounding, again how could one war take so many.

Overall it was a very emotional experience which I would thoroughly recommend to anyone but especially history enthusiasts!
Thanks for reading,
-J xox

My top 5 handbag essentials -H

 Hannah here!

Yesterday I gave my handbag a much needed clear out and noticed that there were a few items I always carry with me. So I thought I would share with you my current handbag essentials.

• The Body Shop "Honeymania" hand cream 30ml- This sinks in super fast for on-the-go application.
• Eos organic lipbalm in "Sweet Mint"- There's no need to stick your grubby fingers in a tin to apply this lip product. 
• Carex refreshing wet wipes- This is just the brand that I am currently using. They're a fairly standard 'does the job" product, but definitely necessary. 
• Chewing gum- To keep you minty fresh all day. I love the "Bubble mint" gum by Extra, it's definitely my favourite flavour. 
• A makeup bag- I always have a small case to keep all the necessary bits and pieces together and prevent them from getting lost. My sister gave me this one for Christmas because I love cats, it's also a great size! 

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. I would love to know what your handbag essentials are! 

-H xox

Outlet haul

Jess here, 

The other day my sister and I traveled to Gun Wharf Quays in Portsmouth which is an outlet shopping park, and it is amazing! I love discounts and when I can get a £56.50 dress down to £16 I can't say no, so here is what I bought:

From Jack Wills I got two dresses, they had the best discounted clothes, I was so tempted to get some track suit bottoms which were only £15 but I persuaded myself out of it and instead I bought two dresses: 

£56.50 down to £16 

£49.50 down to £10 

We then went to gap so that my sister could get some baby clothes for her children however I managed to find two bargains:

 

£19.99 down to £13.99.

This jacket is a different kind of purchase than what I normally buy however I thought it would be perfect as a summer jacket as it is so light, and I loved the colour of it!

I cannot remember the exact price of these stripped jean leggings however they were around £15.

Thank you for reading,

-J xox

Detox tea review

Hannah here!

This week I purchased the M&S Detox tea, it is a blend of nettle, dandelion, and milk thistle. No to mention it is naturally caffeine free, making it suitable for all. I am a great tea lover and was eager to try a calming and cleansing brew (especially when it was only £1 for 20 tea bags!). I have absolutely fallen in love with this tea and its many health benefits are a bonus. I also find that the milk thistle gives it a slightly sweet taste, which makes it all the more enjoyable. 

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post. I would love to know your thoughts on any great teas that you've come across!
-H xox

Current must-have products

Hannah here!

I hope you have all had a lovely winter break and are enjoying the new year. After a much needed break we have finally got ourselves organised and back into the swing of things. I thought I would  share with you some of the products I really couldn't live without!

The body shop tea tree cleanser
This is an absolute must have and I don't go a day without using it. It is perfect for mattifying and toning oily skin!

Tangle teaser
This was a new product to me in 2014 and I don't know how I coped before it! If anyone hasn't tried this, I don't know what your waiting for!

Real techniques stippling brush
I use this everyday to blend in my concealer and nothing does the job as well as this brush, its an absolute staple product.

The body shop shower gels
They all have such a lovely and refreshing scent, but my favourite is definitely strawberry. They're a tad pricey for a shower gel, but they last well and I feel so good using them. The scents I have are; Vineyard Peach, Mango, and Strawberry!

Vo5 "Give me texture" hair spray
I go through so many cans of this and I simply couldn't fault this product. its the perfect texturising spray with a great scent. 

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post. I am always looking for new products to try, and would love to hear what your current must-have products are! -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 

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

Hannah's top three winter time skin care products (Blogmas day 11)

Hannah here!

For today's blogmas post it was my turn to do my favourite winter skincare products! During These cold months I find that my skin really suffers so I try extra hard to maintain a good scincare routine. Here are my top three winter scincare products!

3) St Ives Face Scrub (apricot) 

This face scrub has been a real life saver this winter as I tend to get dry patches on both my face and arms. This scrub can be used anywhere on your body to gently exfoliate the skin, removing dull surface cells. I use this product in the shower once or twice a week and find that it leaves my skin feeling so much healthier. 

2) Garner Micellar Cleanser

This is a product that Jess introduced to me a few months ago and I am obsessed! After reading Jess' blogpost on the clenser I had to try it. This is a miracle product that not only cleanses your face, but can remove all makup quickly. It is the most efficient and gentle skin product I have ever tried. 

1) The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner

My favourite winter skin care product has to be The Body Shop's tea tree toner. I have a very oily t-zone making me prone to breakouts. Since using this product I have noticed a dramatic difference in my skin and would never dream of going back! 

Thank you for reading! I hope you are enjoying blogmas, and found this post both enjoyable and useful! -H 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