Forevermissvanity - A UK Lifestyle Blogger : December 2015

Liverpool's Musical History

Liverpool has been home to many great musical artists over the years, giving us some of the best bands and singers the UK has ever seen and many of which have made musical history, dating back to a time known as the Merseybeat era, the late 50s and early 60s where Liverpool was the place to be for some of the UK's most talented singers and song writers. The Cavern Club is famed for being the place where Cilla Black and many more artists made their debuts and of course, Liverpool was where one of the UK's biggest bands and one of my personal favourites was born, The Beatles. Today, the Liverpool music scene is highly celebrated from the statues across the city remembering the great artists that once walked those streets to the live music played daily at the Cavern Club, where wannabe singers have their chance to shine and walk in the same footsteps as their idols and where people visit to relive some of the songs of what many believe was the greatest era of music.

A few weeks ago my husband and I went to Liverpool for the weekend and spent a few days looking into Liverpool's musical history - starting with watching the new Beatles statue being launched on St Georges dock, followed by a 'Magical Mystery Tour' of Liverpool and then a night at the Cavern club singing and dancing to the 'Cavern Club Beatles', one of the best UK Beatles tribute acts.

I have been to Liverpool several times before this visit, but only briefly and every time I have been there I've always been intrigued when the 'Magical Mystery Tour' drove past. The Magical Mystery Tour is a two hour Beatles tour of Liverpool, stopping by the childhood homes of all four Beatles, the schools where they grew up and visiting some of the iconic places the Beatles sung about such as 'Penny Lane' and 'Strawberry Fields'. The coach has a small capacity meaning that tours are intimate and there's a tour guide that tells you all about the Beatles history and answers all your questions along the way. While you take in the view and listen to the commentary, there's also Beatles music playing in the background to immerse you fully into 'Beatlemania'. The tickets are £16.95 and if you love the band like me and have two hours to spare, this is the ultimate ride for any Beatles fan.

During the tour there's a chance to get off the bus at four different locations and the first one is 'Penny Lane'. Penny Lane is one of my favourite Beatles songs and seeing the iconic sign right in front of me made me all giddy and childlike. The Penny Lane area today is still much like the song, there's a corner bank, 'the shelter in the middle of the roundabout' and there's still the barber shop what they originally wrote about, but over the years it has changed it's name and appearance.

Our next stop was Strawberry Fields, yet again another place that got me feeling all excited. The Strawberry fields stop is a giant red gate with strawberry detailing and the name Strawberry Fields spray painted against it. Strawberry Fields was one of the places John Lennon loved to play and visit when he was younger, but his aunt thought the area was too rough. The term 'nothing to get hung about' was what John used to say to his auntie, meaning there's nothing to worry about down at Strawberry Fields.

The final stop on the tour was the childhood home of Paul McCartney, the household where a lot of the early Beatles songs were written and where the band spent a lot of their time. The house today has been restored to how it would have looked when the Paul lived there all those years ago and at certain times of the year, the house is open for public viewing.

The day after our tour, my husband and I continued the Beatles theme by heading to the Cavern Club to see the resident Beatles tribute act. To the right of the Cavern Club entrance is a plaque and a wall covered in names of the artists who once played at the Cavern Club. These range from The Beatles to The Who, Thin Lizzy to Rod Stewart and many more. In recent years Adele has played at the Cavern Club and many new artists.

The Cavern club as we know it today isn't the original Cavern Club, the original building was at the opposite side of the road and closed down in 1973 due to construction work on the MerseyRail. In 1984 the Cavern Club we now know re-opened and was rebuilt using many of the original bricks to give the building a feeling of authenticity and to replicate how the Cavern Club would have looked in its heyday.

The Cavern Club Beatles is made up of four Liverpool based musicians who have worked hard to replicate the look, sound and feel of the Beatles. The band was formed in 2011 and have many accolades from touring the world as well as featuring on London's West End and on Broadway. In 2014, the band celebrated the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles by appearing on the Ed Sullivan show. The Cavern Club Beatles play regularly at the Cavern Club in the Cavern Club Live Lounge and play many of the great Beatles hits as well as one or two hidden gems. Tickets are approximately £20 and sell out fast, so make sure to book in advance. Both my husband and I had a fantastic night and haven't stopped talking about the band since we saw them. It was like going back in time and seeing the Beatles before us, they were faultless and fun and it was a great evening to end the most perfect weekend in Liverpool.

Are you a fan of The Beatles?

This year I have been truly spoilt at Christmas, both in gifts and love from my family. We have had a particularly large family Christmas this year with my in-laws staying over from Ireland and my parents friends coming over on Christmas day to join in the fun. As an only child, Christmas when I was younger was great in terms of presents - I admit, I always got everything I wanted and more, but the festive season was rather lonely without a brother or sister and there was only ever four of us at the table, my parents and I and my grandma up to the age of 12 before she passed away and then my auntie regularly joined us in my teens. These days I'm lucky have a large extended family by marriage and Christmas is now never quiet. In fact, part of me craves on Christmas where it can be just my husband and I sitting in front of the TV all day with very little fuss. This Christmas has been so much fun, but incredibly busy and for the first time in years it has been nearly a week since I updated my blog and my George Secret Santa reveal has been a little bit delayed.

George, ASDA* got in touch with me at the beginning of Christmas to see if i would like to take part in their Secret Santa, a gift exchange amongst other bloggers. We were given a £50 budget and could choose several items from the George clothing and gift sections of the website. If you haven't shopped at George before, £50 can go a very long way with most items on the website at really affordable prices - you could easily get a full outfit of clothes for that budget.

When my George Secret Santa arrived, I couldn't believe my eyes. All my presents were individually wrapped and there were so many of them. Christmas had come early and I couldn't wait to see what I had been given. The first item I opened was a thick black scarf and a pair of faux leather gloves. I've actually wanted a new pair of gloves as I'd lost mine and these were really comfy and smart. Admittedly the scarf wasn't to my style, but as it is black it would go with any outfit and is incredibly versatile. I then opened a pair of fuzzy white Christmas socks. You cannot go wrong with socks and these were perfect for all the cold weather we were experiencing a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I was slightly disappointed with the quality as the fluff fell to pieces all over my floor and made such a mess, but the third present I opened made up for it. The third present was this wonderful cream dressing gown that feels luxurious and a treat to wear. I wouldn't have expected this quality from George and I'm really impressed, in fact my mum thought it was more expensive than it is.

Over all I'm really happy with the items I received as part of my George Secret Santa and many of the items are things I would use over and over again. If you're interested in any of the above items, now is the best time to shop as they have Christmas sales on and you're bound to find a bargain.

Christmas is a time where many of us drink to excess and it's almost second nature to have an alcoholic beverage in our hands, but for a vast growing number of adults alcohol isn't an option at Christmas anymore. There are many reasons people abstain from alcohol, where it be previous addiction problems, health issues or the simple fact that they just don't want to. Today, I'm writing this post to say 'Hey, it's OK... to be alcohol free this Christmas'.

As I've got older alcohol is playing less of a part in my life, gone are the days where I would be out until 4am throwing up in a grimy club toilet hoping no-one would notice. For a lot of people the best thing about getting older is being able to enjoy alcohol and having the freedom to drink as much as they want, but for me the glory of alcohol has died down. I've never been a heavy drinker, but I'm starting to realise as one hangover after the next creeps in, that alcohol is the like the devil in liquid form - it feels good and naughty to begin with, but really screws you over the next day.

Recently I have had to give up alcohol for health problems - drinking alcohol causes my stomach to go into painful spasms as my bile ducts aren't working properly and trust me, after one of those attacks, drinking alcohol doesn't seem worth the risk anymore. Cutting down and almost eliminating alcohol has been a real learning curve for me and a great eye opener. I have realised that life can still be fun if I don't drink and I don't need alcohol to fit in with my real friends, that said I've also encountered the stigma that goes with being teetotal and pressures from people I wouldn't have expected to be like that. 'It's okay to have a few drinks you know, it won't kill you' one person said...well actually if it reacts to my medication it might...'you'll be boring without alcohol' said another....are you implying that I'm boring on a day to day basis as I'm not permanently drunk you know. Final most absurd comment "you're bringing the party down"...how does my life choices bring a whole party down?

These comments have been from a few short months of not drinking...well drinking to bare minimum when not on medication. As an adult society we place too much emphasis on alcohol when it comes to having fun and as a nation, many of us need to work on being more accepting to those that do not want to drink. In fact, a lot of people can be even more fun without alcohol as they're not throwing up, getting aggressive from having one too many or crying on someones shoulder for no apparent reason.

For those looking to have an alcohol free Christmas, there are more alcohol free substitutes in supermarkets now more than ever before. From Aldi's Raspberry Prosecco to Eisbergs alcohol free wine in red, white and rose. M&S have also brought out an alcohol free mulled punch, something I'm definitely looking forward to drinking this Christmas.

So this Christmas don't criticise those who do not want to drink alcohol, make them feel welcome and if you dare, give it a go yourself. Alcohol may be fun and exciting, but not drinking can be just as fun and exciting too.

Have you tried cutting down alcohol

I don't know what it is about this year, but every day seems to be going incredibly fast and my mind still isn't ready for festive period despite it being a few short days away. I've spoken to quite a few friends and colleagues who have been feeling the same and asking the very same question, 'where has 2015 gone?' Some of them haven't even started their Christmas shopping yet and I still haven't bought any snacks or booze even though the in-laws land in the UK in less than three days. If you're feeling a little bit overwhelmed like many of us this year, here's two last minute Christmas buys that may tick the Christmas present box for one or two people you know.

You can never go wrong with flowers and Debenhams flowers make the perfect gift all year round, especially at Christmas. Debenhams flowers are luxuriously gift wrapped, a delight to open and they look fantastic too. Every bouquet is styled to perfect and arrives fresh and elegant. A few months ago when I had an operation one of my best friends bought me a big bouquet of Debenhams flowers and they were the prettiest flowers I had ever received until recently when Debenhams sent me this gorgeous Cinnamon Spice Christmas flower set. The Cinnamon Spice flowers consists of the brightest red roses, festive cinnamon sticks, luscious green leaves and pretty red berries, they really do evoke a sense of winter and Christmas. To get 25% off you can use the code DFBLOG25.

If you're looking for a last minute gift for a female friend or family member, these cute Fifi Lapin gift sets from Boots may be more up their street. Followers of my blog will know I'm a big Fifi Lapin fan and my husband picked me up this Fifi Lapin doll from Mama's and Papa's a few months ago. On a recent visit to Boots I came across their Fifi Lapin Christmas collection and fell in love. The collection has everything from notebooks to beauty products, Fifi Lapin stationary and Fifi Lapin travel mugs and lunch boxes. The Fifi lapin collection is great for all ages - I have friends in their 30s who love the Fifi illustrations, similarly I have young family members who would also love to have many of the items in their Christmas stockings. Two of my favourite products has to the Fifi Lapin nail polish kit with the cutest little charms and polishes in pastel colours and the stylish travel mug that I will definitely be using for my hot chocolate this winter.

Have you completed your Christmas shopping yet?

*This post contains PR Samples

When I was younger and in my late teens and early twenties, I wouldn't have left the house without wearing incredibly high heels. I would wear heels come rain or snow and even when I was just popping to the shop for groceries. My heels were the only things that gave me confidence as they would elongate my legs and make me stand tall and proud. When I wore my heels, I felt ready for anything the world would throw at me. In fact, when my husband and I started dating, I wore heels so much that he would often sing to me the line 'hey, pretty baby with the high heels on'. As I've got older, wiser and arthritis in my foot, my choice of shoes have dramatically changed. Gone are the days where I would judge a pair of shoes on their heel height, now it's all about comfort.

As a twenty-something year old with arthritis, finding comfortable and supportive shoes can be rather difficult. My doctor is forever telling me to wear orthopaedic shoes, but most orthopaedic shoes are designed for people at least thirty years my senior. As a fashion conscious young woman, 'grandma' shoes are not the look I want to go for.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by the team at Hotter shoes and asked if I would like to visit the opening of their brand new Leeds store. Unfortunately I was really poorly that night and had to cancel, but a few days later, I was emailed back and asked if would like to pop by one night to check out the range and discuss my shoe fitting problems. I immediately said yes as I knew it would be a fantastic opportunity to discuss my arthritis and see if they had any comfortable, supportive shoes that would help my problems and a few days later I visited the store.

Hotter shoes are a British footwear brand that have been making shoes for over 50 years. They are passionate about making shoes with built-in comfort, so much so that their shoes are meticulously designed and cared for before they reach the store shelves. Hotter shoes has a large variety of footwear for men and women and they also offer wide fit fittings. Not only do they sell fantastic shoes, they also have a range of beautiful handbags and accessorises crafted with quality and made with 100% leather.

I really enjoyed having a chat with the Hotter Shoes Leeds branch manager and she helped me pick out several pairs to try on, taking my foot concerns into consideration. She told me that Hotter shoes are often recommended by podiatrists and doctors for their comfort and I was surprised that when I rocked up to the doctors a few weeks later wearing my new shoes, she instantly recognised the brand and for once, I felt like I was in her good books.

Before I left, I was offered a pair of shoes to take home with me and after much consideration and trying on each of my favourite pairs again for the third and fourth time, I chose these stylish Shipley shoes in tan. These shoes are really comfy and look great too. I've been wearing them a lot lately and noticed considerably less pain and I feel like I could walk for hours in them. These will definitely be the shoes I take with me on my next trip to Frankfurt.

Have you shopped at Hotter shoes before?

I don't know what it is about Sundays but I always end up in my own little dream world, wondering about all the things I've done right and wrong throughout the week and dreaming about the future and the things I could do if I had more time, energy and money. Travel is one thing that I would love to do a lot more of during the next few years. I never went on a gap year like most of my friends and I've barely been out of Europe apart from Thailand - an opportunity I was so gratefully given thanks to my blog as I never would have been able to afford otherwise. I decided to turn my blog into a lifestyle/travel blog to encourage myself to travel more and write about my journey. Many travel bloggers these days have seen most of the world and write about their epic adventures. I haven't been to many places, but I want to start my journey with my blog so that everyone can see my travel plans unravel and be with me when I first explore places. I'm just an average woman with big dreams living a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget...but if I did have money, my travel plans for 2016 would look a little bit like this... a girl can dream, right?

African Safari

I have always loved animals and I have always dreamt of going on an African Safari. It would be a dream come true to drive past lions, zebras and elephants in their natural habitat and I love the idea of visiting Africa. I've had friends that have been on an African Safari and have said it was one of the most unforgettable experiences of their life.

Helicopter Ride over Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon wasn't on my bucket list until recently. When I went to Amsterdam a few months ago, my husband and I met a lovely American couple who told us that one day we should visit the Grand Canyon. I didn't think much of it until a few weeks later when their words sprung to mind and I began researching trips to America. I came across a website that offers Helicopter Tours around America and the Grand Canyon was on their list. The helicopter tour starts in Las Vegas overlooking the bright neon lights and swiftly moves on to the Grand Canyon where you can observe one of America's most natural wonders from the sky. Having researched the Grand Canyon a bit more since their suggestion, it has definitely got me thinking of saving up for a trip one day.

Dive the Great Barrier Reef

My childhood was full of water sports and water activities as my dad was a scuba diving instructor and we had a boat that I spent every weekend on growing up. I have always dreamt of visiting Australia and diving the Great Barrier Reef as it is known as one of the best places for watersports in the world, but I've never had money or time to look into a holiday to Australia. If I haven't been before I'm 30, I'm hoping that I can book a trip for my 30th birthday in six years time.

Sail around the South of France

As a daughter of a sailor, a part of me wants to follow my fathers footsteps in the future and take up sailing. My dad always speaks highly of his sailing trips around Europe, in particular France and the Medditerean when he was in the army and I would love to do the same. If money was no object, I'd be sailing around Monaco, Cannes and the French Rivera...although I'd probably have to buy at least a 50ft yacht to fit in there.

What would be on your 'If Money was No Object' bucket list?

When it comes to choosing hotels, I admit I'm a bit of a snob and I spend quite a lot of money ensuring I get a good night away. I'm not wealthy, in fact I'm completely the opposite despite spending on average at least £100 a night on a hotel away. My secret is usually planning in advance, saving up a few months beforehand and searching all the discount sites. I was recently approached by the Travelodge team to see if I would like to go budget for the night and see if they can persuade me to save some of my cash in the future and book Travelodge* for my trips. I admit I was a little bit hesitant, I've had bad experiences at some budget hotels in the past, but I decided to give it a go. There has been far too many times I've passed on a trip just because I couldn't afford a more luxurious hotel, even when there have been Travelodge's nearby.

Last weekend we checked into the Liverpool Strand Travelodge for a mini break away before Christmas. When we arrived, I was really impressed with the location - it was across the road from the Albert Dock, within a five minute walk to Liverpool One and there were a Tesco below the hotel. That Tesco came in really handy later that the day as I realised I had terrible blisters on my feet when we got to the hotel, so I sent my husband down to buy a pack of plasters.

One thing that did upset me from the start about Travelodge is that you cannot leave your luggage there until you check in. I understand this in smaller locations, but this is a city hotel and many people would not want to drag their suitcases around Liverpool all day. According to the website, none of the Travelodge's have a left luggage area, which really disappoints me. Luckily my husband and I read this on the website before we got there and avoided the embarrassment of asking the reception staff. Instead we left our luggage at the left luggage area in Liverpool Lime Street station and for one day and two suitcases it cost us £18...it's a good job we didn't need to leave our suitcases on departure day.

The room as I expected was very basic, but it was comfortable and had most things you would need for a few nights stay. There were plenty of teas and coffees and it also had 24 hour food menu consisting of pizza, chips and most things you would want coming in from a drunken night out or food in a hurry. I did miss having a cold bottle of water in my room like a lot of hotels have and there were no biscuits which disappointed me, something that I'm used to having at other hotels. The plugs were at the opposite side of the room, but a lot of hotels are like that these days so I didn't really mind and the room was clean, which of course was the most important things.

Another bugbear about Travelodge is the lack of free WIFI. You have to pay £3 per 24hours that you are there to use it. Most places offer free WIFI these days and it really angered me that Travelodge didn't offer this service. If you were staying for several nights, this cost could soon add up. Let's say you're staying for 7 nights - that is an extra £21. Luckily I had enough data on my phone to get me through the weekend, but usually free WIFI at a hotel is one of the most important things I look for.

The bathroom in our hotel room was really clean. It was basic and you have to request a hairdryer at reception if you need one, but it was very clean and unlike a lot of hotels, it didn't have grimy tiles or silicone.

Breakfast was one of the highlights of my stay at Travelodge and unfortunately I didn't manage to get a picture because I ate it far too fast. Being a vegetarian can often be difficult in most places, never mind a budget hotel, but I felt well catered for at Travelodge. They had an all you can eat buffet with continental or English breakfast options and the English breakfast option had Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages and they were a delight. It was a nice change from scrambled egg on toast, even though it is my favourite. A Travelodge breakfast will set you back £7.95 a day, but it is worth it as everything is unlimited and you can fill yourself up before the day ahead. My husband and I had a big breakfast so that we spent less money snacking when walking around Liverpool.

It is time for the big question, would I stay at Travelodge again? I have to admit my stay at the Liverpool Strand Travelodge wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and yes there were a few things that I was unhappy with, but the location was so on point that I probably would stay there again. My stay last weekend has made me realise that Travelodge could be an option for my future mini breaks and it is something I would look into if I'm cash-strapped, but I don't think I'm willing to give up my luxuries just yet.

Have you stayed at a Travelodge recently?

*This stay was complimentary in exchange for this review

I'm a girl that loves cocktails and subscription boxes, so imagine my delight when I came across the Microbar subscription box. The Microbar subscription box* is perfect for those who love a tipple or two and love trying out new cocktails or alcoholic beverages. You can buy a one off boxes or sign up to their monthly tasting club priced at £24pm and you can cancel anytime. The monthly boxes contain original and artisan products and include a small recipe card for you to try making the cocktails yourself. A typical box may include 3 x 50ml spirits or liqueurs, 1 x 187ml of wine, 2 x non-alcoholic mixers and a snack.

When given the option to review a pre-existing box or a surprise November box, I opted for the surprise box so I could really see what it would be like as a monthly subscriber of the Microbar box. I had no idea what my box would contain and I was excited to try it out. I'm only allowed to drink in very small amounts on my current medication so I thought that the Microbar box would be the perfect little treat and a chance to try something new that would be worth drinking.

My November box came with a can of soda water, a Hope Bay bottle of wine, a mixed olive pack, brandy, martini, vodka and a mixer. The cocktails I was able to make with this box were a Vodka Martini, Americano, Apricot Brandy and an Apricot Crush. All the cocktails seemed very autumnal and it was nice to see the classic Vodka Martini in there. I loved the little bottle of wine as I'm partial to a glass on a weekend and the little bottle was the perfect amount for me. I admit that the cocktails weren't really my favourites in this particular box, but that it the chance you take when ordering any surprise subscription boxes. I do like the sound of the Apricot Brandy though and will be making that at Christmas with my mum as she loves brandy.

Overall I really like this box, the price is fair and I think they would make ideal Christmas presents. I'm really intrigued to see what their other boxes are like and once I'm able to drink more again, I will definitely be exploring their other options.

If you would like the chance to win a tasting box of your own, fill out the form below before Christmas Eve 2015. The competition is open to those 18 and over who live in the UK.

Liverpool has always been one of my favourite places to visit, but it wasn't until last weekend that I truely got to see what Liverpool is all about. Growing up I used to visit Liverpool quite frequently on the way to Wales, but these were on pitstops in our journey and I never spent more than a few hours there. As an adult, I've always wanted to go back and spend a full weekend sightseeing in Liverpool and a few days ago, thanks to the people at Visit Liverpool and Travelodge, I finally ticked a weekend in Liverpool off my UK bucket list.

Liverpool is an English city that dates back to 1207 and resides in the Metropolitan borough of Merseyside in North West England. The city is steeped in history and has a strong musical heritage, mostly renowned for being the birthplace of one of the biggest bands in the world, The Beatles and many other stars of the Merseybeat era during the early 1960s. During that particular time period, a popular song about Liverpool rose to fame by the band Gerry & The Peacemakers, that song was called 'Ferry across the Mersey' and depicts Liverpool's most loved river. That song along with it's impressive history made the River Mersey one of the most recognisable rivers in the world.

So why visit Liverpool? Firstly there's so many things to do. You can jump on a sightseeing bus and visit a number of Liverpool's 33 attractions including plenty of free-to-enter museums. If you're a Beatles fan you can also hop on the Magical Mystery Tour for a two hour ride to visit where they grew up. If you like shopping, Liverpool One has almost every high-street shop you can think of and if you're a foodie, Liverpool has a large variety of restaurants from A-La-Carte Michelin star restaurants to plenty of traditional style pubs with hearty grub.

If you like art and sculptures, you're in for a treat in Liverpool. The city of Liverpool has the most number of public sculptures than any other city or location in the UK aside from London. There's everything from royal statues such as the Queen Victoria bronze sculpture outside St.George's Hall to Scientists and Philosophers like the Charles Darwin statue at Sefton Park. The statue above is the newly unveiled Beatles statue near Georges dock.

Liverpool also has impressive architecture that can be seen all around the city with buildings such as The Royal Liver building, the Cunard, The Port of Liverpool building and the stunning Georgian Anglican Cathedral as seen above. In 2004, Liverpool was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City for it's Maritime history and well preserved buildings.

Liverpool is a city that can capture the heart of anyone, young or old and it really has a hold on mine. If you're looking for a day out, a weekend away or even a week to immerse yourself in culture, Liverpool should really be on your UK bucket list.

Have you been to Liverpool before?

Last night I was going through my camera and looking at all my photographs from Amsterdam and came across these beautiful pictures from Vondel Park, the park we visited on our final day before heading to the airport. Vondel Park is the largest park in Amsterdam and attracts over 10 million visitors each year. The park is kept in excellent condition and is a beautiful place to walk around, especially in autumn when the leaves are falling on the ground and everything has that autumnal red and burst orange colour.

Vondelpark was named after a Dutch poet, Joost van den Vondel and was founded in 1864 by noble and business men. The park is very popular with cyclists, walkers, families and art and history enthusiasts, as well tourists just wanting to pop by to see the true beauty of the park.

The park has large ponds, plenty of wildlife and several monuments. There is a large sculpture of the Dutch poet Vondel, constructed by Louis Royer in 1867, an abstract 'Fish' from 1965 by Pablo Picasso and a bronze Caribbean woman called 'Mama Baranka' designed by sculptor Nelson Carillho.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our little stroll through Vondel park and it's a perfect way of escaping the hustle and bustle of the city for an hour or two.

Have you been to Vondel Park?

Buying for someone you know can be really difficult, never mind buying for a complete stranger. I recently took part in this years John Lewis Secret Santa where I was paired up with the lovely blogger Touch Screens and Beauty Queens and we had to secretly buy each other gifts. We were both given free reign of the John Lewis Christmas gift section* and asked to thoroughly research each others blogs and purchase a gift with our allocated budget. I really enjoyed playing Secret Santa and it was great to get to know another blogger - I even realised we have quite a lot in common. Once we had chosen the gifts, we handed over our list to the Santa and the Elves at John Lewis and eagerly awaited the big surprise.

I have spoken a lot on my blog about wanting to travel more, especially in Europe and India picked out this lovely book as my Secret Santa gift. This book is probably the best present that anyone has bought me and I know over the next few years I will making use of it. The book has three day itineraries for every city in Europe, with recommendations of places to eat, drink and stay. I'm going to Frankfurt in March and I've already learnt a lot about the city from reading this book and I have a vague idea of the places I want to see. I'm also a big fan of travel in the UK and I believe travelling around UK is totally underrated. This book goes into detail of the best places to visit in Britain as well as abroad and I cannot wait to test this book when I go to Liverpool this weekend.

My Secret Santa also picked out this beautiful Charlotte Tilbury 'The Gift of Red Carpet skin Travel Giftset'. The giftset comprises of travel size versions of the best Charlotte Tilbury skincare products, a brand I've always wanted to try. The packaging is really cute and I've heard so many good things about the Charlotte Tilbury Miracle Cream, I can't wait to try it.

Thank you to John Lewis for letting me take part in this years Blogger Secret Santa and thank you India for two very lovely gifts.

Have you shopped at John Lewis this Christmas?

Liverpool's Musical History

George Secret Santa & Christmas 2015

Alcohol Free at Christmas

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Hotter Shoes, Leeds

Sunday Dreaming: If Money Was No Object - Travel Bucketlist

Bloggerlodge Liverpool

Micro Bar Subscription Box

Why Visit Liverpool?

Vondel Park, Amsterdam

John Lewis Secret Santa