What I made today

Vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing

These didn't come out perfect. They were a bit too moist because I used vanilla syrup instead of vanilla essence and the cheap butter ruined the sponge and the icing (the buttercream icing is supposed to look whipped!) Other than that they were quite nice.

Hopefully they'll turn out better next time.

Hotel Chocolat's Vanilla and Butterscotch

(Please excuse the quality of the picture.

I gobbled them all up before managing to take a photo

so this is the best I could find online)

When I read the word ‘butterscotch’ on the front of the packet, I instantly had to have it. Milk chocolate enrobes a hybrid of butterscotch and vanilla in this square shaped creation. Biting into the milk chocolate shell, I instantly tasted a powerful blow of the strong vanilla taste. The butterscotch flavour is quite subtle in comparison. Nonetheless, it contributes to its creamy texture and sweetness.

I’m not a big fan of vanilla in chocolate myself but if you are or happen to be adventurous, give it a go. You might fall in love.

xoxo

Hotel Chocolat's Sticky Toffee

 I normally don't like dark chocolate but Hotel Chocolat’s dark chocolate is something else. It is full of cocoa flavour, which takes away some of the bitterness. Furthermore, the sweet toffee sauce filling in this creation added some sugary sweetness to the intense cocoa flavour.

I didn’t know what to expect of the toffee sauce in the beginning. Is it gooey caramel? Is it chewy toffee (which I detest)? Biting into the chocolate, I reached the smooth centre of the most perfectly textured caramel I have come across. The taste was beautiful but lacked enough caramel flavour found in cheaper chocolates such as Galaxy Caramel. Maybe the chocolate is too overpowering to focus on the flavour, which is a shame.

Nonetheless, it is definitely a nice after dinner treat full of cocoa flavour with caramel sweetness. If you need a quick cocoa and caramel fix, one piece is enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. But that doesn’t mean you can’t finish the whole packet of course! ;)

Making rice pudding - first attempt

I have been craving rice pudding the past few days. It's just that kinda weather. The kind that makes you wanna sit at home and fill your belly with warm food all day long. If you're British then you should know exactly what I'm talkin' about.

Since I don't like buying ready made food, I decided that the only way I could satisfy my rice pudding craving is to make it myself. I didn't realise that it takes too long to cook and when my belly craves something, it wants it now not 45 mins cooking time later! Yes it takes that long! And that is the 'quick' version! Some ask for 2 and a half hours!

So here's the recipe (The only problem I had with this recipe is that the rice wasn't soft enough so I would suggest using pudding rice instead):

1 cup uncooked soft grain rice

3 cups milk

Half cup sugar

2 tbsp butter

Pinch salt (optional)

Pinch cinnamon (optional)

1. Cook the rice according to packet instructions. This should take about 10-15 mins.

2. Once cooked, add the milk, sugar, butter and salt

3. As soon as it starts to boil, turn to low heat and allow to simmer for 25-30 mins whilst stirring occasionally

4. Once the rice pudding is nice and thick, it is ready to serve hot or cold. Add cinnamon for extra flavour.

Please remember that this is only my first attempt so if you have any tips on how to improve it then please share.

Enjoy and keep warm! x

That post binge feeling

Yes that one. I'm sure you know it. When you eat something that seemed a guilty pleasure at the time only for the pleasure to turn to pain.

No, I didn't eat chips. Or a burger. I ate a kebab. The worst kebabs of them all. A greasy donner kebab! With mayo!

As soon as I had finished I felt dirty. Full of fat and processed meat (or whatever is in that stuff. All the leftover body parts I assume). I felt heavy and I felt tired. I could taste the grease in my mouth.

A nice healthy wrap or soup on the other hand makes me feel energetic and light. It makes me feel proud that I have filled my body with nutritious goodness.

I really want to make smarter choices in my diet. And I would appreciate any advice/ support/ recipes you can give and I will do my best to share my own recipes and report my progress.

So please leave a comment below.

Thanks! x

Got that Friday Feeling?

Crunchie rocks are clusters of crunchy cornflakes and sweet and crunchy honeycomb pieces in Cadbury milk chocolate.

I tried these today and they taste amazing. I have almost finished the whole packet which is really bad considering I'm supposed to be on a diet :S Oh well, it was strictly for research purposes (Yeah that's my lame excuse)

At the moment they're only £1 at Morrisons (I'm not sure about anywhere else) so they make a cheap and cheerful Friday treat (or any day of the week really)

I hope your Friday is just as sweet as this yummy treat!

xoxo

Coconut water - Fab or Fad?

Vita Coco is drink made entirely from Coconut water. This is the water taken from inside baby coconuts, which are famous for being high in electrolytes so they're perfect for an after gym snack.

Vita Coco is loved by many celebrities including Jessica Simpson...

... Sienna Miller....

... and Anna Paquin and Steven Moyer...

Madonna loves it so much much that she has invested $1.5 million into the company that makes it!

But is this drink worth all the craze? Let's see...

Taste:

I don't like the taste of the coconut water at all. It has a similar taste to the coconut water you get inside ripe coconuts (which I love) but it also has a tangy-ish taste too.

Smell:

One of the things that ruined the taste was the smell. I can't describe it but it is not very nice at all.

Price:

£1.69 for 300ml. If you normally spend this much on a sports drink then this might be a reasonable price for you. But for the taste and smell, it is not worth it at all. Especially when there are many different products that offer the same benefits...

Nutrition:

According to the Nutrition Diva, coconut water doesn't really offer anything different to what fruit and vegetables already do. Click here to learn more about coconut water from the Nutrition Diva herself.

Vita Coco - fab or fad? Nutrition-wise, I think it is a fad. But if you enjoy the taste (which I clearly didn't) then it is a healthy alternative to most drinks out there.

Have you tried coconut water? What do you think of it?

xoxo

The Three Hour Diet

No this isn't a diet that lasts only three hours!

This is based on Jorge Cruise's diet where you eat every three hours. I wouldn't even consider it a diet as you are simply regulating your body's natural balance of sugar, energy and metabolism as you should be doing anyway! This is the only diet that has worked for me.

Where most diets involve restrictions on what you can eat, the Three Hour Diet involves eating whatever you like (just as long as it doesn't go over a certain amount of calories). The only difference is that you eat every three hours.

"You are when you eat" - Jorge Cruise

This is because after three hours, your sugar levels drop too low, your metabolism slows down and you start craving sugary food. You might then overeat and because your metabolism has slowed down too much, your body can't burn off as many calories as it should. But by eating right before your blood sugar and energy levels drop this low, you are avoiding sugar cravings and your metabolism stays normal meaning you burn calories quicker.

This is a safe diet and it allows you to cater to your body's energy and sugar requirements exactly when it needs it and not after these levels have fallen low enough to affect your cravings, energy, metabolism and even your mood (Don't you crave junk food when you feel irritable? I know I do!).

Whether you are looking for a long term healthy eating plan or just want to lose a little weight for the summer, I recommend it 100%. I have lost weight with it and kept it off as I was happily eating what I wanted (including chocolate) so I never felt like binging after the diet.

Eat chocolate and lose weight?

I never got hungry on this diet because

a) I felt like I was always eating and

b) I ate before I got hungry

I am no doctor and only recommend it based on my own experience. However, it has been recommended by many experts including doctors and nutritionists.

If you're interested in this diet, Jorge Cruise has written books on it, which you can find here.

You can also watch Jorge Cruise talking about the Three Hour Diet on the Tyra Banks show here.

Have you tried it? Have you lost any weight on this diet?

Do you want to try this diet?

I'll keep you updated on my progress!

xoxo

Eat yummy food and stay slim

For the first time in my life, I've joined a gym. I'm actually quite excited but I have to wait until Monday, which is the day of my induction.

Until then, I can keep myself busy by stocking up on low calorie food. Below are a few healthy things that I actually love to eat/ drink and which I'll be incorporating into my Three Hour Diet. If you are planning on losing weight then I hope it helps you make simple substitutes in your diet to save on calories.

My shopping list...

Substitute no breakfast or an unhealthy breakfast with Cereal

You've all heard it many times before: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is especially important if you want to lose weight. Wholegrain cereal, such as Oatibix and Bran flakes can keep you full for longer. I need to hunt down Kallo Organic Wholegrain Puffed Rice as I am obsessed with Kallo.



Substitute sweet snacks with Cereal bars


It is smart to keep a cereal bar in your bag to eat when you're out.  However, there are cereal bars with crazy amounts of calories and sugar so always read the label.



Substitute biscuits with Weight Watchers Double Choc Chip Cookies

A box contains 6 packets containing 2 cookies each so you can pop one in your bag for when you need a treat. They're nowhere as nice as Maryland Cookies (yum!) but they're pretty decent biscuits with a nice cocoa flavour. However, I personally won't be buying these as I want to keep my diet as natural as possible.

Cost: 70p from Sainsburys

Calories: 98 per 2 cookies

Fat: 1.2g per 2 cookies

Substitute crackers with Kallo Organic wholegrain rice cakes - slightly salted

I always make sure that we have a packet of these at home at all times. I love them so so much! It's literally organic wholegrain rice and organic salt. That is all! Whenever I feel peckish, I just grab one of these ricecakes and eat it plain or top it with different ingredients depending on what I feel like eating.

Cost: 95p from Sainsburys

Calories: 28 calories per rice cake

Fat: 0.2g per rice cake

Substitute crisps with Kallo wholegrain corn cakes

These corncakes are made from organic corn and salt. Nothing more, nothing less. They are crunchier than the rice cakes so they're a great alternative to crisps. You can top these with whatever you like but I tend to munch on them straight out of the packet.

Cost: £1.35 from Holland and Barrett

Calories: 16 calories per corn cake

Fat: 0.2g per corn cake

TIP!!!

Top your rice cakes and corn cakes with these yummy toppings:

• Cheese spread, smoked salmon, lemon juice and dill.
• Dairylea Extra light spread
• Cottage cheese
• Philadelphia light
• Thin layer of light peanut butter with a little jam or sliced banana
• A little drizzle of honey (how about some sliced banana or strawberries on top too?)

Substitute full fat cheese with Low fat cheese

You may have noticed from my tip that there are different cheeses that you can eat whilst losing weight. I won't go through each one in detail but these are the cheeses that I personally eat...

• The Laughing Cow/ Dairlylea spead or triangles - Extra light
• Philadelphia - light (Extra light isn't nice at all)
• Cottage cheese - you can get these mixed with pineapple or chives but I prefer it plain. Remember to read the labels well as some have more fat than others.

Substitute full fat milk with Skimmed milk

If you are used to drinking full fat milk, it is best to start drinking semi skimmed milk first and then move onto drinking skimmed milk so that the difference in taste and creaminess isn't too different. Milk can be used in many low fat breakfasts such as smoothies, porridge and cereal.

Substitute full fat desserts with Low fat yogurt/ fromage frais

Yogurt is perfect for dieting as it is so versatile. You can have it as a dessert, snack or breakfast and mix it with different toppings such as a little honey, nuts, fresh fruit, dried fruit, cereal or seeds. You can also use it to make smoothies. So keep a tub of this in the fridge and you will always find something healthy to eat.

Be good to yourself 0.1% Natural yogurt from Sainsburys

Cost: 85p for 500ml

Fat: 0.2g per 100ml

Calories: 54 calories per 100ml

Be Good to Yourself 0.1% Natural fromage frais from Sainsburys
Cost: 85p for 500ml
Fat: 0.1g per 100ml
Calories: 49 per 100ml

Substitute coffee for Green tea

Green tea is known to have both metabolism increasing and detoxing properties so it can help burn calories faster and flush toxins out of your body, which tend to hold onto fat in your body. It also has many other health benefits.

I have dried tea leaves at home but you can find green tea in most supermarkets and health stores such as Holland and Barrett and Julian Graves.

Lemons

To make lemon juice! Stir some lemon juice into either hot or cool water. You can add a little honey if you wish. This helps detox your body and flush out the toxins which are holding onto some of the fat in your body. It has many other benefits such as helping to prepare your liver for the day ahead.

Cost: About 30p each

Calories: Zero!

Fat: Zero!

Water

Since a lot of the time we think we're hungry we're actually thirsty, it is important to make sure that you drink enough water especially if you're exercising.

Cost: 35p for 2 litres at Sainsburys

Calories: Zero!

Fat: Zero!

My list might seem long and daunting but once you buy the low fat/ calorie alternatives to what you normally buy, you will realise how simple and tasty it really is to save on calories/ fat.

Are there any low fat/ calorie foods you love?

xoxo

Cookies and cream

Walking into Hotel chocolat is like walking into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Your eyes are attracted by all the different chocolate they have. Dark, white, 40% cocoa, 50% cocoa, truffles, praline, small bar, large bar... It is a difficult choice having to pick just one. But no worries, I have done the tasting for you. It's a hard job but someone's gotta do it! Sigh...

Cookie Creme white chocolate

I normally adore white chocolate. I love the milky taste as it instantly melts in my mouth. I enjoy reminising my carefree childhood filled with white chocolate bars and buttons. I expected Hotel Chocolat to take my relationship with white chocolate to the next level. I expected a small punch of Hotel chocolat’s cocoa to complement a seductively creamy taste.

I was pleased with its creamy taste and texture (I’ve never tasted white chocolat as creamy as this) but anticipated some cocoa (just a little? Please?) The creaminess was so intense that I do not recommend taking large bites or eating too much of it as it becomes quite sickly.

The cookies funked up the bland texture of this ‘chocolate’ (is it even legal to call it chocolate?) whilst the cocoa flavoured cookie balls gave me the cocoa fix I needed.

However, one thing I enjoyed about this product is the smooth milky texture, as it melted so delicately in my mouth. But only in small doses, as, like I said, the creaminess does become quite sickly.

It costs £3.50 a bar. For a fraction of the price, I could've bought a Milkybar instead, which is a lot yummier in my opinion.

I give it 6/10

Have you tasted it? What do you think of it?

xoxo

Handmade truffles

Mmmmmmmm.... what do you think of the truffles I made? They tasted so so good!

I would normally pay a lot of money for a box of truffles that look and taste as good as these. But why buy them when you can make them yourself for a fraction of the price and have fun with it too!

I wish I could give you all some to taste but the best I can do is to give you the recipe.

To make 10 pieces all you need is 100 grams of chocolate (I used dark chocolate that we had leftover), 100ml double cream and a teeny weeny bit of butter.

If you're not using chocolate chips, grate the chocolate yourself. It might take a while but you'll be toning your arms while you're at it :D

Heat the double cream over medium heat. Once bubbles appear, add the butter. You only need a small amount - about a quarter of a teaspoon. Stir in the butter really quick so that it completely melts before the cream starts to boil then remove from the stove immediately.

Stir this mixture bit by bit into the chocolate until it is nice and creamy. Leave it in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

Take the chocolate mixture out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for half an hour.

After half an hour, take out any ingredients you want to use to coat your truffles. I used the Caramel Kiss Mix hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat (it's grated chocolate with little white chocolate hearts), cocoa, icing sugar and ground almonds. It's all I could find in the cupboard. You can also use desiccated coconut, melted chocolate or whatever you like really.

Roll the truffles into small balls and roll into the toppings. I returned them to the fridge for a few minutes to set a bit more as the rolling caused them to melt a little.

Now they're ready to eat!

Enjoy!

xoxo

Thorntons Praline Melts

Bite into the smooth milk chocolate to release the melted praline centre of these NEW Praline Melts from Thorntons (£3.99/ 297g). I love the mild nutty taste of the creamy praline but the best part is how you can actually feel it melting in your mouth.

They come individually wrapped so you can pop a few in your handbag for when your chocolate cravings kick in.

These nibbles come in a pack made to share but come on... when they taste this good, who is going to share really?

Have you tried them yet? What did you think?

xoxo

A Muffin for Nuffin'

If you buy a muffin from Greggs, you get another muffin for absolutely nuffin'*! How amazing is that! On second thoughts, should I really eat two muffins? Well it's free so I can't say no.

Choose from: Sticky Toffee, Sicilian Lemon and Triple Chocolate! I think I'll have two Sticky Toffees please :)

Check out the toffee sauce oozing out of the centre. Droooool!

Just fill out your details here and they will send you a voucher.

* For a limited time only! So get going before I eat them all!

Love it or hate it

Hate it. I've only ever tasted it once many many years ago and I can still remember its bitter taste. As Marmite's slogan suggests, I'm not the only one who hates Marmite but that isn't stopping Marks and Spencer from introducing a Cheese and Marmite sandwich to its stores (can you image how it would be described in their seductive tv ads?)

At 99p though, I can afford to give it another chance. Maybe I'll end up joining the Love it crowd... or maybe not.

Marks and Spencer's Cheese and Marmite sandwich - love it or hate it?

xoxo

My Mother's Day meal

I hope you all had a wonderful day! I certainly did. It's a nice feeling knowing that your mother feels appreciated and I've learned that I should treat her every now and again no matter what day it is because everyday is a Mother's Day really, isn't it?

Today I went to my mum's chosen restaurant - Mogo Grill and Juice, which serves African inspired meals. I've never tried Sub-Saharan food before because I could never find any locally so I was very pleased about this discovery. I'd love to tell you all about it in detail but there is only one Mogo in the UK at the moment and it will be unfair to tempt you knowing that a lot of you can't make it here. But if you are ever in town, this place have my seal of approval.

Choosing a meal from the menu was so difficult because not only am I the most indecisive person in the world but it all sounded delicious. Eventually, after the whole family ordered, I ordered a quarter of a Kalahari Sweet Chili Chicken, which, like all mains, comes with crisps, salad and a choice of either mashed potato and gravy, steak chips or capsicum & chickpea rice. I was too hungry for mash and I'm not a chips fan so I went for the rice.

We didn't wait very long for the food but we were told that one of our meals will take another six to seven minutes so they gave us a complimentary Caldera Garlic Ciabatta, which is toasted buttery garlic bread that comes with 2 sauces to dip them in. Very yummy but the bread was a little to soft to dip into one of the sauces, which has a soft cheese kind of texture.

The meal arrived as soon as we had finished the complimentary appetiser. My chicken thigh was covered in a sweet (but not too sweet) sauce and tasted beautiful with the rice. However, I wasn't pleased with the silly amount of crisps and salad I got. They were both only about a tablespoon's size! I covered the very little amount of salad I got with salad dressing, which they had lined up with ketchup and chili sauce on a table nearby.

Since we like to share our food, I got to taste everybody else's meals. My sister's Succulent Sunset Steak, which came with a jug of onion gravy, was nice and tender and so was my mum's Sizzling Serengeti Beef, which was mixed with grilled vegetables. My mother would have gotten her meal for free if we had known about the pre-booking offer. Ah never mind! My brother ordered the Zuri Chicken Spears, which were skewers made up of cubes of chicken, mushrooms and spicy red peppers. He also had the steak chips which were very nicely seasoned. I think I will have the chips next time I go!

The Zuri Chicken Spears

And no I didn't take this picture myself

Not quite alfresco weather just yet... sigh!

The price is very reasonable. Main meals, along with (a very small amount of) crisps and salad, and a choice of either mashed potato, steak chips or capsicum and chick pea rice start from £5.49. There are also three different lunch menus and a 10% student discount if you go on a weekday.

If you don't live anywhere near Mogo, then I hope my experience has inspired you to try something different. You might enjoy it.

xoxo

Mother's day meal offers

Now that you have breakfast sorted, how about lunch and dinner? There are currently a few generous restaurants offers that could mean your mum can eat for free! Just click on the pinky-links for the vouchers and your nearest restaurant.

Where: Gourmet Burger Kitchen
Offer: 2 burgers and fries to share for £10.95. Perfect for lunch for the two of you.

Where: Pizza Hut
Offer: 2 for 1. So you buy a main and mum gets hers free!

Where: Zizzi
Offer: 2 for £12

Where: Handmade Burger Co.
Offer: Mum gets a free burger!

Where: ASK
Offer: Mum gets a free meal!

Where: Haha! Bar and Grill
Offer: 2-for-1, £10 off and mother's eat free

Remember to read the T&C's and book in advance (if you can)! You wouldn't want to disappoint mother!

Last minute Mother's Day treats (Tsk tsk!)

It might be too late to buy mummy a present online at most (if not all!) websites, but thank God for the high street. It might be less than two days away but you can find the perfect present with my guide. Just click on the pinky-links to find your nearest location.

If fashion is her passion

If you don't know what her size, get her some accessories. Sometimes all an outfit needs is an accessory to completely transform it. So it would be like buying her a whole outfit!

If you're completely stuck on what she likes, buy her a gift card/ voucher from her favourite store. Make sure that it's enough. There's no point in getting her a £50 voucher if it isn't enough to get her even one item. It is worth asking if the store has a personal shopper service too and arrange a convenient time for mum.

Rush to:

Her favourite store!

For the beauty babe

Your mum is already beautiful inside and out but make up can give her the confidence boost she deserve. Make up needs to compliment her skin and hair so if you don't know what colours and textures to get, take in a photograph of her and ask an advisor.

Instead of a photograph, take your mother instead. Many make up booths give makeovers so it will give her the chance to choose the colours she wants using the make up artists advice and learn how to apply them. It would be best to visit the stores a few days early to find a make up brand within your price range and to book an appointment for the make over.

Some make up brushes would be very handy if she doesn't have any already. Professional ones can be expensive but any cheap set do the trick fine.

Rush to:

Boots

House of Fraser

Debenhams

Selfridges

M.A.C.

John Lewis

If she has more than enough make up, why not treat her to a mani or pedi from Nails Inc? If you don't have one nearby, book at any reputable nail bar.

Rush to:

Nails Inc.

Your local nail bar

For the smelly mum (pretty smelling that is)

Perfumes are tricky as we all have different tastes. What smells delicious to one person might smell vile to another. Even our skins are different so perfumes smell differently on everyone.

As I already mentioned in my last post, if your mother has a favourite perfume then you can get her that. For something different, you can get her the newer version of the perfume or the latest one from the same range. Or ask an advisor instore for a similar scent.

Rush to:

House of Fraser

Debenhams

The Perfume Shop

John Lewis

Boots

Superdrug

Selfridges

For some lovely flowers, the best choice is her favourite. Otherwise, choose flowers in her favourite colour.

Flowermeaning.org not only gives the meaning of the flowers, but gives a lot of interesting information on colours.

Rush to:

Marks and Spencer

For the chocoholic

Thorntons and Hotel Chocolat are the most obvious ones... and the best in my opinion. But supermarkets stock some yummy ones too so you can get a box of chocs while you buy your milk and bread!

I tend to steer away from filled chocolates as my mother is very picky with her chocolates and doesn't like to be biting into a piece only to find it filled with something she doesn't like. So make sure you read the ingredients carefully to make sure that she will enjoy every last piece.

If you do pop into Hotel Chocolat, ask for a sample if you are unsure how something will taste (or if you just want free chocolate!) You can do the same at Thorntons but I assume they will charge you for the piece.

Rush to:

Thorntons

Hotel Chocolat

Selfridges

House of Fraser

Debenhams
Marks and Spencer

For the queen of diamonds

White crystals or diamonds (if you're feeling extra generous) are a safe option. I can't imagine any women hating white stones. But if you know your mum's favourite colour, get her that. If she loves every colour of the rainbow, then pick a multicolour piece that's perfect for spring.

Rush to:

Swarovski

House of Fraser

Debenhams

H Samuel

Ernest Jones

For the book worm

Reading can be very relaxing, which is one reason why I love it. Make sure that your mother doesn't already have the book before you buy it and never purchase a sequel of a book she has never read. Also, I wouldn't recommend a recipe book unless she is a chef or really loves cooking. How Clean Is Your House is a definite no-no!

If you're not sure what kind of books she likes, you can always get her a book voucher or if you want to splash the cash, get her a Kindle.

Rush to:

Waterstones

WHSmith

John Lewis (The Kindle is available here too)

If she needs bubbles for all your troubles

Make bath time even more relaxing with treats such as bath bombs, face masks and candles.

Rush to:

Lush

Body Shop

Marks and Spencer

House of Fraser

Molten Brown

Boots

If you take mother to your local Lush store this Sunday, not only can you let her pick what she likes but they will give her a complimentary foot mask (while stocks last) and feed her cakes at their tea and cakes party! I bet she'd love that.

If you have extra cash to splash, book an appointment at Clarins, or any reputable spa or salon, for a relaxing treatment. You can't go wrong with massages and facials!

Rush to:

Clarins

Champneys

The Sanctuary

Elemis

Bliss

Molten Brown Day Spa

Marriott Hotel

Now get going!!!

xoxo

Mother's day treats

Mother's Day is less than a week away and, unless you are extremely organised and have bought, wrapped and hid a gift for your mother, then you are probably panicking. Well, panic not, my friend. For I have some gorgeous goodies to show you.

Perfume

You can never fail with mum's favourite perfume. But for something different this year, try Flora by Gucci, which starts at only £24 for eau de toilette and £35 for eau de parfum at Debenhams. Spend £25 and you also get £5 back onto your Beauty Club Reward Card.

Marks and Spencer have a wide range of fragrances at their stores and on their website. Florentyna (eau de parfum £19.50) is a good choice. As the name suggests, it has a beautiful floral aroma that is bound to put a spring in her step. And with their buy one get one half price on their fragrances, how about a treat for grandma too?

Amazon.co.uk currently have many discounted frangrances, including Anais Anais Perfume by Cacharel 50 ml Eau De Toilette Spray for Women and Kenzo FLOWER Eau De Toilette Perfume 30ml 1 Fl.Oz EDT Spray, which are also floral and perfect for spring.

Beauty

There are also great deals on beauty gift sets such as Burt's Bees Head to Toe Starter Kit, Burt's Bees Essential Body Gift Set and Dove Pro Age Heavenly Hands Gift Set. No Mother's Day can end without a relaxing hot bath. Soap and Glory Soaper Heroes has all she'll need for a home spa. 

Chocolates

I don't know a single woman who can say 'No' to chocolate.

Hotel Chocolat have a bunch of sets perfect for mother's day. My favourites (must I choose?!!) are Pretty in Pink Goody bag and Little Gifts of Love.

Diabetic mums can still say 'Yes' to chocolate with the Diabetic collection from Thorntons. Why not get some flowers while you're at it too. This bunch of roses, gerberas, lilies and berries come with a cute mini box of milk chocolates - the perfect size for nibbles with a good book.

Pretty like mama. Buy me here :)

Books

Bobbi Brown shares her profession make up advice in her book 'Bobbi Brown Living Beauty. This book is especially written for women over forty, including advice on how to look younger without going under the knife as well as inspiring quotes from from beautiful women such as Vanessa Williams and Susan Sarandon.

                                          

Buy me in paperback...                                     ... as well as hardback

For women over 50, why not make mum Feel Fab at 50? Here Sue Donnelley shares her expertise as an image consultant in areas such as style, hair and make up.

What are Lulu secrets to looking good? Find out from her brand new book, where she shares her secrets on confidence, diet, exercise, style, make up, hair and skincare!

Lovely Lulu

A glamorous outfit is never enough. Glamour has to come from within too. And that is why I LOVE The Mums' Book of Glamour, which not only advises on how to dress for your shape, but also how to fill that body with yummy and healthy food, sweet dreams, confidence and positivity to name a few! One of the chapters is named 'Don't judge a glamorous mum by her cover', which is very true. But with a glamorous pink and silver hardback cover, this book really is as glamorous as it looks.

If mum is already glam, as well as everything else, then there's a book that is perfect For The mum who's best at everything! This book states that it appeals to mothers of all ages but unless you would appreciate your mum planning a pirate themed birthday party for you, then it might not be every mother's cup of tea.

Speaking of cups of tea, look out for the Mother's Day posts on breakfast in bed, luscious lunch and places to dine very very soon!

Until then!

xoxo