Filling my boots in The Body Shop - Middlesbrough Store Event

The Body Shop is one of my favourite stores. Adorned with colour, I could spend hours in there trying out all their new products and filling my nose with new smells. Recently I was invited along to a blogger get together at the Middlesbrough store to find out more about The Body Shop products and get into the Christmas range.

The team welcomed us with a glass of Bucks Fizz and a selection of festive treats. As we pursued the shelves we were told about The Body Shop's philosophy, the new products they've been creating and what would be best for us to start using.

There was the opportunity for us to ask the burning questions we've wanted to ask about our favourite products and get samples of anything we have been looking forward to trying out. As we had a special discount for the night, I picked up a basket and went shopping. As an avid user of The Body Shop's skincare ranges, I wanted to know a bit more about the tea tree range and the new products that were available. I ended up picking up a gift set including the Imperfection Daily Solution and the 3-in-1 Wash, Scrub & Mask for £18 which was a great bargain considering the cost of each of the products separately. 

Whilst pursuing the skincare, I managed to amass a few samples. I had always wanted to try The Body Shop's Vitamin C range since it launched as it looked very similar to Origins Ginzing range which I was a lover of. Helping with my many questions was employee Keisha who was super knowledgeable about the numerous ranges, recommending many products and showing me her favourite items. She offered me a sample of the face masks ushering me towards trying the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask which looked very much like the Glam Glow mud masks. 

As well as this mask, Keisha gave me a few sachets of the Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask which looked very interesting as it's like a putty! With only good words from Keisha about the mask, I can't wait to try it out.

As we were all fawning over this year's Christmas scents - Spiced Apple, Vanilla Chai & Frosted Berries - I couldn't leave without picking up a few bits. I chose a Spiced Apple and Frosted Berries shower gel, a Spiced Apple Foaming Bath as well as the candle.

We were given a little goody bag on our departure which was filled with some great festive treats including a polar bear sponge, a Christmas shower gel & a nail polish. When everyone said their goodbyes, I tottled along home, very excited to try out my haul of new purchases and many samples.

What is your favourite product from The Body Shop?
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Spa life | Ramside Spa, Durham

I'd never visited a spa until I was kindly invited along to try Ramside Spa. Going to a spa had always been on my list to do, but with the cost and the time associated with it, I had just never got round to booking an experience.

When an email dropped into my mailbox to go along with other local bloggers to try out the luxurious Ramside Spa, I instantly responded saying YES, please!

Opened last year, the spa was part of a £16M redevelopment of Ramside Hall bringing a whole host of added extras for guests and locals. The spa boasts five pools, one of which is a full size 25m swimming pool, a wellness spa, 14 treatment rooms with a long list of gorgeous treatments available and a number of thermal suites.

We were given a tour around the facility by membership co-ordinator, Jasmin, who showed us the extensive gym which has a number of fitness classes daily as well as the latest technology, gave us a tour around the spa with highlights of a gorgeous manicure/pedicure hub and dreamy treatment rooms then walked us back through the spa's on-site restaurant, Fusion, serving Pan Asian cuisine.

When the tour was complete we had a few nibbles and then got our robes and flip flops to enjoy the spa. I think the spa is like a playground of adults, full of interesting parts which you want to try out as soon as possible, getting excited as to which one you will start with. Myself and my friend, Kirsty, got into our swimsuits and started in one of the UK's largest hydrotherapy pools testing out the numerous massage jets. It was such a relaxing experience that we could have spent all night just in that pool alone, but we knew we had more to try out!

From the hydrotherapy pool, we ventured outside searching for the outside vitality pool which was lit up like a disco. It was cold outside but once emerged into the pool it was boiling! A lovely experience to be in a warm pool surrounded by a cold breeze, this was another great pool. Although the pool was lovely, it got a little too warm for our liking so we braved the cold to go back inside.

Now it was time to try out the different steam/sauna rooms of which there are 5! There is a Herbal Sauna, Himalayan Salt Steam, Aroma Steam, Tepidarium and a Sunken Amphitheatre Sauna. We experienced all of these different rooms apart from the Tepidarium as we couldn't get the door open.  To save our embarrassment, we passed on that. They were all brilliant but my favourite was the Aroma Steam. I think because it was similar to other steam rooms I'd been in before but much more modern in comparison.

Finally, we topped off our visit with fruit water and another dip in our favourite, the hydrotherapy pool. After some more chatting, we went to get showered and set back off to Middlesbrough. I must add that the locker room and showers are top-notch. I could have stayed in the shower all night, and with the addition of ESPA products to use whilst in there, it was brilliant.

Overall I had an amazing first experience at a spa. It was so relaxing and turned into a really fun evening. I'd definitely visit another spa, and would definitely consider it being Ramside Spa. Although I don't have much to compare this against, Ramside Spa was super clean, very modern and offered all you would need for a relaxing time at the spa.

Exploring Sunderland's foodie scene - Sunderland Restaurant Week 2016

Trying new restaurants and new types of food is my favourite hobby. If I could eat, eat and eat and not get fat, I definitely would. I love cooking at home, but you can only do so much until you fancy someone else cooking up something fabulous for you.

I was recently invited to a 'Safari Supper' which involved a food-laden tour around some of Sunderland's brilliant eateries. In preparation for Sunderland Restaurant Week, Sunderland BID invited local bloggers down for an evening of delicious food.

For the 'Safari Supper,' we had the chance to eat at five different restaurants/bars sampling what they had to offer during Restaurant Week. I've never been to Sunderland so having the chance to visit and see what amazing food places they had was brilliant. We started off in Cafe Purple which was a stunning bar filled with luxurious seating and extravagant lighting. In here I met up with all the other local bloggers, finding pals Tasha and Sarah amongst the bunch, and we enjoyed lots of different cocktails with an enormous cheese board! The variety of cocktails that were brought out was staggering, they pulled out all the stops for us. I, of course, loved the Cosmopolitan but I was definitely also a fan of their gin-based cocktail too.

From Cafe Purple, we headed next door to Port of Call. This bar was right up my street as it was decorated all nautical with lots of ship memorabilia adorning the walls. Here we were plied with more cocktails and other nibbles including mini cheeseburgers which were the cutest and tasted really good. We didn't spend long here before we were carted off to the Funky Indian for our first course.

Situated underneath a Prosecco Bar, the Funky Indian serves up Indian street food in tapas-style. Our guide at the restaurant spoke about how at the Funky Indian they wanted to do things a little different and take inspiration right from India with a twist of cultures that have over the years found their way into the food. We were given some delicious food consisting of masala fries, spiced chicken poppers, Bombay pav, deep-fried cauliflower and seekh kebab. It was all utterly gorgeous and I'm dying to go back!

When we'd pulled ourselves away from our Indian food, we walked along to Angelos Ristorante where we were served some great pasta, pizza and meat dishes fresh from England's top Italian chef, Nello who works as their head chef. There was a mushroom pasta dish that we tried which was absolutely beautiful, I'd definitely have it if I visited again.

After all our savoury food, it was time for the sweet! We walked again to Sweet Tooth Delivery, which we actually also have in Middlesbrough. There was cake galore in their display case in all different colours and flavours. We all chose a piece of cake to try, I decided on Chocolate Mud Pie. As it was getting late, I opted for mine to go and had it at home. It was lovely, just what I needed with a cup of tea after the drive back from Sunderland.

Having the chance to try so many fabulous places in Sunderland has definitely wet my appetite for going back in the future. If I can spare the time, I'll be popping up in Restaurant Week when I can get more for my money!

Happy Hour Party at Lush Middlesbrough feat. Easter products

Lush is one of my favourite shops. Whenever I visit I always want to buy everything they sell as it's all so colourful, smells amazing and has incredible benefits. I've already been to one Lush blogger event and it was a lot of fun, so when another invite popped into my inbox I was quick to accept. This time the girls in the shop planned to show us their Happy Hour Party. Although Lush has always had parties in its shops, more recently they've made the events more structured and provided packages for different occasions. We were invited down earlier this week to experience the Happy Hour Party and see some of the new Easter products.

Being in Lush past opening hours is a bloggers dream. We take get to take a billion pictures (as you can see from this post) of the amazingly beautiful products and we get to try them all out with no-one around. It's amazing. So after we'd drooled over the products we got down to the party. The girls had us playing all sorts of fun party games involving shower jelly, their own brand lipstick and knot wraps. 

After all the giggles, the girls had a surprise, we had a sneaky peek at the new Easter range which looks amazing. You can see from my pictures a few of the new releases including Humpty Dumpty Bath Bomb (with a fried egg bath bomb inside) and Bouncy Bunny shower jelly (smells of oranges!) with old favourites such as Bunch of Carrots bubble bars and Keep it Fluffy bath bomb back for another year. I'll definitely be getting my hands on a few of these!

To finish the night off we got to make a Creamy Candy bubble bar. We mushed all the ingredients together and created our own shape bubble bar. I love taking part in things like this as it's great to see what goes into the product and how they're made.

The party lasted around an hour and I had such a good time. The girls at Lush do an amazing job and are so passionate about the products. If you are into Lush products I'd definitely consider having a party there. They can tailor the Happy Hour Party for young children, teenagers, baby showers, hen and birthday parties! It's £15 a head with £5 shopping experience (making products is additional).

Is this something you'd consider? Also what Easter products are you most excited about?

Boutique Fashion in Yarm

Recently I had the chance to visit fashion outlet, Kiwi Boutique, for a night of cakes, drinks, blogger chats and most importantly clothes. With a shop already in Guisborough, Kiwi Boutique opened up another in Yarm which is proving to be just as popular! Fellow blogger and employee of Kiwi Boutique, Lucy, organised the event to promote the Yarm store. 

The girls in the shop spoke to us about the Autumn/Winter fashion and gave us a tour around the store. The shop was quaint and cosy but filled with some great fashion. I had the chance to try on a few pieces but unfortunately, I didn't come away with anything. I'll definitely be checking them out in the future to see what new pieces they get in store.

If you are in the area make sure to give Kiwi Boutique a visit! I was kindly given a voucher code to pass along to my lovely readers to provide you with 10% off purchases (on non-sale items).

Happy Shopping!

The Body Shop - Seize the Summer!

During a social media browse at lunchtime, I saw that a few of my blogger friends were in town for The Body Shop event. I thought I'd pop down to see everyone and find out what was happening. The girls at The Body Shop had laid on a brilliant event providing snacks and fancy drinks. I did gatecrash the event as I was supposed to RSVP but everyone was very welcoming.

We were shown their Summer body care including the new scent - Virgin Mojito! It smells SO GOOD! The way I'd describe it is that it smells like them Solero Shots that used to be around when we were younger. It's so fresh with a big hint of lime, however when you apply it you can definitely smell the mint coming through. It's so refreshing and perfect for the Summer months. I picked up a body butter.

There was also a raffle and a lucky dip raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust in which people picked some amazing goodies. It was a wonderful event and I wished I had time to stay longer but I had to get back to work. I will definitely be stocking up on everything Virgin Mojito before it disappears!