A Cup of Shai

On the 23rd of March, The Athena on Queen's Street played host to a Vegan Festival. Situated in the Cultural Quarter, just opposite The Curve, it was a hotspot for any vegan enthusiast, (or if you even just fancied having something to do on an otherwise eventless weekend.) I was actually on a Hen Weekend with my friends, and we went to this as we found out about it! Why not hey? I'm not vegan myself, but being careful to buy cosmetic products which are against animal testing, I knew that this would be a common value at the fair. What is Veganism? So firstly, I needed to get this clear so I could put the festival in context! So Veganism is basically avoiding using all animals, insects included for any purpose. That's the most simple way I can explain it. I knew that Vegans were Vegetarians, but also found out that it's a wider, lifestyle choice. For example, Vegans may avoid visiting the zoo or circus as animals are exploited in the process. Related off-topi...

            Hello! With Easter soon dawning on us, I've put together a few crafty ideas you can make with your little ones to develop their fine motor skills, their creativity and to just have plain old fun! I've tried to think of crafts which don't require much fancy bits. They'll be things that you'll probably have lying around the house anyway. You don't need to use the exact same products so don't worry if say, you don't have googly eyes. You can just replace with two white circles and black dots marked with a pen. This is just a guidance. Have fun and adapt as you want! Improvise! :) I've been helpful and highlighted the materials in green. 1. Paper Plate Sheep ( www.redtedart.com) 1. Fold a paper plate in half. 2. Draw two rectangles and a circle out of black card. 3. Stick the rectangles to the bottom to make the legs. 4. Stick the circle to the side to make the face. 5. Stick googly eyes onto the face. 6. ...

The 'City of the Bikes' they call it. What a beautiful city to wander around! I forgot to say hello in my excitement of writing this blog post :P "Hello." Ok, so back to the blog post, this city was just really calm and relaxing and enjoyable to walk around. Smart houses line either side of the street, a glistening river in the middle with reflections sparkling off of it, a barge cruising down the canal, tourists taking pictures and holding hands, and then you hear it...the tinkling of a bicycle bell. Ring ring!! Which means 'I'm coming!! Move outta the way!' Imagine all of this topped off coolly with a gentle breeze making the tree branches dance and a comfortable heat radiating from the sky. Bliss. I'll rewind a little and tell you about my trip from the beginning. So, this was a siblings holiday, (well, I say holiday, but it was more of a weekend-break.) Day 1 We caught a cruise liner from the Port of Tyne from Newcastle all the way t...

           Can you ever get too much of a great thing? No siree! This evening I spent my time at a VIP event for The Body Shop, which meant skincare consultations, makeup demos and a goody bag full of some treats. More on that later… Did you know that The Body Shop have a brand new product launching soon? Here’s a sneak peek! Their new smell, launching in a couple of weeks is the Cactus Blossom , a refreshing scent intended for Spring/Summer 2019. To be honest, I’m not really a fan of novelty scents, preferring the originals any day. I wasn't a fan of the Vanilla Pumpkin , the Frosted Cranberries or even the Spiced Apple range.  'Here we go', I thought in my head sceptically as the Sales Consultant came around smearing samples of the Body Yoghurt on our hands. 'Just another limited edition which won't impress me.' Let me tell you that sometimes it's delightful to be proven wrong hehe :P  I was surprised that the Body Yoghurt...

Hey everyone! How have you been doing? I've had a really exciting weekend and I have to fill you in on it! Yesterday, I finally decided to use my Secret Santa voucher. I received one of these Beauty crackers (see below), and inside was a little cute card which entitled me to a free makeover! Time was running out so I thought, 'Right! Time to get this booked.' So off I went to Debenhams in the Leicester Highcross.  I've never had my makeup done professionally as an adult, normally it's just me swiping and blending colours on my own face before rushing out to a wedding! But to be able to sit back and relax, whilst someone pampered me for a full hour felt like heaven. I was well and truly spoilt.  I have a warm skin tone, so I asked for a warm, matte look. The consultant, Umaimah (above), took her time; she didn't rush and explained all the steps to me properly. First, I was treated to a skincare routine, and then the fun began! Benefit cosmetics s...