Category Archives: Things I Love

This Week I’m Loving: Lush Mesuline Bath Bomb

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I am not paid for any of the reviews I write and products that I review are paid for with my own money. Read more on my disclaimer page.

It’s no secret that I love a bath bomb, and this one might just be a new favourite.

I was advised by one of the ever-enthusiastic sales assistants that as a lover of Avobath, I was bound to love Mesuline. According to the description:

…perfumed with zesty Avocado Co-Wash perfume and sure to make waves. Sweet lemony litsea cubeba and cheerful bergamot oil lift your senses, while olibanum will have you floating in no time. Finally a pinch of carrageenan extract hydrates the skin…

Lush Uk

Personally, I didn’t get any of that. I thought it smelled like toffee apples but it was an absolutely delicious scent. Fortunately, I learned many years ago that Lush products do NOT taste* as good as they smell!

Regardless, it was the ideal thing to enjoy on a cold and blustery autumnal evening. If you’re after an indulgent, relaxing and warming bath, try one of these beauties. I’m definitely going to treat myself to some more.

Thanks for reading,

FFF

*FFF once licked a (clean, newly-purchased) bar of Honey I Washed the Kids. FFF is sometimes an idiot. Don’t be like FFF: Lush cosmetics are NOT meant to be ingested. Or even licked.

This autumn I’ve been loving – baking

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I love a sweet, baked treat. Unfortunately, in the past, I’ve been known to enjoy them rather more often than is probably good for me. In fact, I’m sure there have been times where cakes, biscuits and pastries have formed the staple of my diet!

I’ve noticed though that mass-produced, shop-bought goodies never taste as good as homemade versions do, and sometimes, don’t even taste very nice at all (not that that’s stopped me eating them!).

With this in mind, and inspired by this years’ series of the Great British Bake Off, I’ve broken out my rolling pin and substituted lots of shop bought ‘treats’ with occasional homemade ones.

I’m a believer in the legend that is Mary Berry’s philosophy when it comes to baking: don’t try to reduce the calories by cutting out fat or sugar; instead, reduce your portion size. To help me to do this, I’ve been sampling each of my bakes, enjoying one or maybe two portions over a couple of days, but giving the rest away to friends, family and colleagues.

I was originally only planning on baking whilst the GBBO series was on but I’ve really enjoyed trying new recipes and looking forward to my home-baked treats has helped me to resist the temptation to succumb in shop-bought items. So I’m looking forward to keeping my baking going over the next few months.

Have you got a favourite baked-treat recipe? I’m always looking for inspiration so please share your favourites in the comments section.

Thanks for reading,

FFF

This week I’m loving – Philadelphia Milka

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I am not paid for any of the reviews I write and products that I review are paid for with my own money. Read more on my disclaimer page.

As regular readers of the blog will know, I LOVE cheesecake. But why does it have to be so flipping calorific?! Ditto both points for chocolate.

So when I spotted Philadelphia Milka on a recent supermarket trip, I HAD to try it and I’m pleased to report it might just be the best £2 I’ve ever spent!

It tastes just like a good chocolate cheesecake filling and is rich, sweet, tangy and creamy in all the right proportions.

At only 4 Smart Points for a rather generous 30g serving, it’s delicious spread on WW Shortbread Biscuits or a good old digestive for a little cheesecake hit for a fraction of the Smart Points/calorie spend.

If you love a bit of cheesecake too, you might like to make my Breakfast Cheesecake and read my review of Costa’s Baked Vanilla Cheesecake.

Thanks for reading,

FFF

This Week I’m Loving: Toft Studio HQ

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As I’ve written about previously, I have been learning to crochet over the summer. A friend of mine, who also crafts, was visiting from the USA and had found a knitting and crocheting company, Toft, near to my house that she wanted to visit. So, being a good friend, I dutifully took her and was rewarded with being introduced to a real jewel of a place.

The TOFT Studio is home to the TOFT luxury British DIY knitwear and wool company, offering alpaca and wool knitting yarns and exclusive easy-to-make knitting and crochet patterns. TOFT was founded in 2006 by Kerry Lord, who is also the writer and designer of the Edward’s Menagerie crochet pattern series. 

Toft UK

Their studio is at Dunchurch in Warwickshire where you can buy supplies, attend workshops, visit the lamas or just enjoy some of their fabulous cake.

The place itself is gorgeous. Set on the outskirts of the village, the studio is housed in a large, modern barn conversion. Exposed beams and brick, a polished concrete floor and display racks made from crates give it an industrial yet cosy feel.

I’ve now visited twice and on both occasions, the staff have been friendly and welcoming, happy to have a chat and offer advice. I didn’t feel pressured to buy and you’re quite welcome to sit with a cuppa working on one of your projects.

They sell a great range of products including easy to use kits which contain everything you need to crochet one of their fabulous patterns. The patterns they offer range from animals to dolls to scarfs and hats. There are plenty of sample projects on display around the shop so you can get an idea of how the finished product should look and each one has a tag on it giving all the information you need to purchase the materials you’d need to make your own.

Each of their kits is marked by level of difficulty so you can easily choose a project to suit your skill level. Even better, they have a huge number of videos available on their YouTube channel to show you how to how to do the different types of stitch.

They have a number of pattern books including some where you get to mix and match bodies, heads and limbs to create your own unique creatures. A range of subscription services is also available including kits, yarn and a magazine.

To top it all off, you get a complimentary tea or coffee with each purchase.

I haven’t yet tried one of their workshops, but I plan to get one booked in the near future.

I think I may just have found a new favourite place.

Thanks for reading,

FFF  

This week I’m loving – Lush Tadaima Okaeri Bath Bombs

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Today was my first day back at work since the beginning of July. Having enjoyed just over 8 weeks of relaxing and pleasing myself, the beginning of the new school year can be a bit stressful as I try to get my head around timetables, displays, class lists and remembering how to teach and get the kids to do what they’re told!

So, as part of my preparation in the last couple of days, as I make sure that my clothes for the week are ironed, my bag is packed and my new school shoes ready to go, I also take time to relax.

This year, that has taken the form of luxuriating in a Lushious bath with a Tadaima Okaeri Bath Bomb. Their website promises:

Make yourself at home with woody sandalwood, syrupy tonka absolute and sweet vanilla. As it dissolves, this sugary but spicy blend fills your bathroom with the reassuring scent of freshly baked cinnamon buns. Known for its soothing effects on the skin, sandalwood is a gentle emollient that will leave your skin feeling calm and comforted.

Lush UK

At first splash, it was one of their ‘soft’ baths bombs that foams rathers than fizzes. But once the star part of the bomb got going, it started to bubble and fizz and opened up to reveal a golden coloured cave of fizzy loveliness. My bath was filled with a golden, shimmery lustre (that is ok for the evironment) and my nostrils were filled with the exotic spells of a Morrocan souk. Not that I’ve ever been to Morroco, but it’s how I imagine it would smell wandering around the spice stalls. It was enough to prolong the summer holidays for just a little bit longer anyway!

Thanks for reading,

FFF

What do you do to help you prepare to go back to work after a holiday? Let me know in the comments section.

I am not paid for any of the reviews I write and products that I review are paid for with my own money. Read more on my disclaimer page.