Lush Oxford Street: Caca Rouge!

Apologies for the big gap between this and my last post, I've been feeling really unwell lately and just staying awake is a struggle most days! The whole house has had norovirus one after the other, unpleasant to say the least! 

On a slightly happier note, I visited the Oxford Street Lush store again the other weekend and ended up in there for over two hours. How did I manage that? I decided, completely on impulse, to have my hair dyed with their all natural Caca Rouge Henna. Somewhat risky perhaps, considering I was chief bridesmaid at my sister's wedding two weeks later and henna is notoriously difficult to get rid of, thankfully, it turned out wonderfully! 

My Hair Before!

I've been curious about using henna as a hair dye for at least a few months as the chemical fumes from box dyes leave me feeling nauseous, however, I was always a little too nervous about being able to apply it correctly. Luckily for me, their huge Oxford St store has a tiny salon area for them to demo their products including henna, liquid and solid shampoos and conditioners. I had to wait a little while for them to fit me in and the lovely Mel who took over my treatment explained that she'd happily put it on for me but the store would be closed before it needed washing off. Slightly daunted by the prospect of travelling home with a head full of henna, I decided to plough on. 

Mmmm, sludgey!

To prepare the henna it required  chopping the block into small pieces, placing into a heat resistant container and mixing them in boiling water until it resembled smooth, melted chocolate. Despite being a red henna, it had a very green tinge. I was somewhat nervous. Mel and her colleague then applied the henna liquid all over my hair, a small section at a time until my entire head was well covered. I was then wrapped in copious amounts of clingfilm and chose to purchase one of their vintage look scarves to tie around for my upcoming 40 minute stint on the tube. I was warned that as things got hot up in there there could be a bit of escapee liquid. I still wasn't prepared for quite how messy the homeward journey would be though. RIP to my scarf. 

Lush's hair demo area

Washing the henna out is a fairly involved process, as your hair absorbs the liquid from the mixture, leaving you covered in swamp coloured, powdery sludge. After my fourth shampoo and rinse I felt I'd finally succeeded in getting rid of it and then slathered myself generously in conditioner. Keen to see the result I hopped out of the bath and rushed to get it dry. The first word out of my mouth upon looking in the mirror was "wow"! It had made such a drastic colour changed and seemed to have managed to lighten my hair, something I didn't know it could do. I have to admit though I was a little disappointed. I felt like it was too pale for my ghostly face and didn't particularly suit me. 

The lovely Mel had informed me that henna takes 48 hours to show it's true colour though, due to the oxidisation process that happens following the treatment and that the result would continue to develop. 

It's now two weeks since I had it done and I absolutely LOVE the colour. My hair smells incredible (still) from the henna treatment. The colour is so natural looking against my pale skin despite being a vibrant auburn. I'll most definitely be continuing to use henna hair dyes in future, I'll just ensure I allocate the entire day to do so and rope in a friend or two to help! 

Katy x

Review: Bodean's BBQ

A little while ago I popped in to Bodean's Soho Branch with the family for a late lunch. We were seated in the upstairs area for the first time, which has a totally different atmosphere to the downstairs "Rib Room" restaurant area. Personally, I prefer the atmosphere downstairs, where there are proper tables and booths versus bar stools and high counters. I find it really difficult to sit on high stools with my dodgy hips and knees but we didn't have 45 minutes to wait for a table so I made do! 

As an extra bonus, upon being presented with the kids menu we discovered that kids eat free from noon until five pm. I knew this deal ran during the week but I didn't realise it applied at the weekend also. The little man tucked in to a cheeseburger the size of his head, fries and honeycomb ice cream at the precise cost of zero pounds. Winning. 

All the food! Including munchkin's free burger back right.

My boyfriend and I decided to share the burnt ends and pulled pork combo with extra sides of chilli cheese fries (always, I'm obsessed), barbecue beans and he wanted to the try the cornbread muffins (which came served simply with butter). The portion size was hefty for one person and just a little small for two, though it's worth taking into consideration that I have a crap digestive system so eat like a mouse. 

Burnt Ends and Pulled Pork Combo

Bodean's pulled pork is some of the most succulent and flavoursome I've had. It's fast becoming a favourite of mine and Bodean's would likely be my first choice destination to head to scratch the itch if I was craving. They also do a delicious pulled pork quesadilla as a starter, which I've previously ordered as lighter lunch time option with no problems, I'd highly recommend it. Burnt ends are the boyfriend's favourite and we throughly enjoyed them, though a few of our chunks were a little fatty which made them fiddly to eat. The fries were pretty much just fries, same with beans, yummy but nothing outstanding. The chilli cheese fries similarly were kept simple and classic but oh so tasty! The chilli itself was pretty dry allowing them to keep their crispness on the outside while being fluffy on the inside, rather than turning obscenely soggy as usually happens. 

I decided to try dessert for the first time, having saved room on sharing a meal. I opted for one of the great value coffee and dessert combos offered at £5, for a half portion of brownie or apple cobbler or a whole portion of Key Lime Pie plus a coffee of your choice. My latte was a little too bitter for my tastes but the Key Lime Pie was sensational! The topping was so creamy, light and smooth interspersed with small slivers of lime peel. It was refreshing and not at all sickly, I'd definitely order again. 

They have a few branches dotted around London, if you're planning a visit ahead of time be sure you get online and register yourself for their Q card loyalty scheme, giving you access to perks such as free deserts (Thursday) or free shots (Friday and Saturday). 

Katy x

Please excuse the poor lighting in the photos, there was only a neon pink light near our table!

Review: Marco Pierre White's Rudloe Arms

This year I decided to buy my boyfriend an experience gift, rather than an object, as his main Christmas present. Coincidentally, it also happened to be a treat for myself too. How did that happen?! Wink wink nudge nudge! 

I purchased a Groupon voucher for a night away, including three course evening meal and full cooked breakfast for two, staying at the Marco Pierre White Rudloe Arms at a cost of £125. This seemed like a really good offer and after spending ages tossing up between a weekend away or a luxury mini break in the UK, seeing this sealed the deal. I was lucky to be able to get my first choice of date when booking the voucher and we set off on Saturday afternoon, very much ready for some time to ourselves without our small humans around! The hotel is located just outside Bath and was very easy to find travelling from London. In this part of my review I'm going to focus on the hotel itself. I'll review the food separately so as to avoid this becoming too lengthy! 

Upon arrival we drove up a narrow, tree lined driveway and were greeted with this beautiful old building. Check in was straightforward and we were told our room would be in the newer building a minute or two by foot back down the driveway. I have to say, I was a little disappointed by this but only due the fact I struggle with too much walking. 

Entering our room I was blown away by the size of it! There could definitely be no complaints about it being cramped! We walked into a living room with two large sofas and a chair, off which was a small kitchen complete with cooker (but no equipment, other than basic tea and coffee facilities). Through the living area was the bedroom, with a double bed and small tv. To the right was the bathroom, which was one of the only areas I felt slightly let down the overall feel of the room as it had marks on the walls where it seemed to be mid refurbishment. Overall, I was hugely impressed with the room and suspect we were actually allocated a suite. 

We made our way up for dinner and enjoyed a drink in the bar beforehand. They had a wide selection of wines and spirits. Personally, I loved the quirky decor, particularly the welcoming signs and jukebox!

As we made our way through to the restaurant I started to pay a little more attention to the surroundings around reception. I'd read more than a handful of reviews deriding the decor as "weird", "freaky" and "strange". Upon seeing it first hand, I have to totally disagree! It was perfect for our personalities and a cheeky weekend away. Many of the large black and white photos on the walls did heavily feature fetish themes, such as rope bondage and latex, but they were never vulgar. I found them both beautiful and tasteful. Perhaps not the place to book for your grandparents or parents though! ;-)

The restaurant itself was lovely, and very well presented for both dinner and breakfast. All staff we encountered were fabulous and extremely helpful. I'd definitely recommend this place to any of my friends for a weekend away! 

Katy x 

Lush: A Lesson in Amazing Customer Service!

A little while ago (Black Friday to be exact) I found myself around Oxford Street, five year old in tow, on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. After the usual musings that I must be a little daft to even attempt going near a busy shop with legs that don't work properly and a penchant for fainting in queues, I decided to head to Lush's Oxford Street store. 

It was my third visit and each time I go in I'm always struck by how fantastic the staff are. Laid back yet approachable, they never make me feel rushed and they're utterly untroubled by my granny stick (I have a fabulous floral walking stick, it resembles your grandmother's carpet or such like). As alway they were super busy, despite not offering any Black Friday discounts and the mini me and I headed in. The entire shop is a treasure trove of magic to us, like the Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory of the body product world. No sooner had we stepped through the door and we were greeted with a bath bomb demo in the biggest sink you've ever seen! 

We made our way to the back, stocked up on our favourites, including everything Rose Jam and then jumped in the lift up to the next floor where all the fizz banging, glitter popping, bath bombs were to be found. 

Little Snow Fairy gift box, Dashing Santa Bath Bomb, Peeping Santa Bubble Bar, Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment, Butterbear, The Comforter Bubble Bar, Luxury Lush Pud. 

The customer service we received was truly above and beyond! Trying to make decisions and fill my basket with walking stick and child was difficult, I was soon rescued by a member of staff, who offered to take him to play with their fun. A magic squidgy soap-slash-play doh hybrid. While they were busying themselves making Santa, I took the opportunity to sneak the bath bombs I wanted for his Christmas Eve box into my basket, mission accomplished! After I wandered back over and thanked her profusely we continued browsing, until she tapped me on the shoulder and presented him with his own set of Santa Fun to carry on the fun at home. If you ever happen to see this, thank you so much Georgie! 

He then spent a full five minutes trying to decide whether to buy the Snowman Shower Jelly or Fairy Dust (pink, sparkle body dust) from his pocket money. We had another interaction with a fab staff member who let him test them both and he finally settled on the Fairy Dust. Happy with our lot, we wandered over to the till but a small tap on Edward's shoulder stopped him. He'd been presented with another gift, the shower jelly he'd been pining over! 

Overjoyed, we finally went to pay. The cashier asked if the Fairy Dust was his and he suddenly became flustered and embarrassed. He whispered that it was and I explained that my munchkin is often picked on by the other boys at school for liking pink, taking ballet lessons and being too "girly". We chatted and I paid but instead of handing over the bag, she strolled over and grabbed the Intergalactic bath bomb. Popping it in a bag, she turned to my gorgeous squish boy and said it was her gift to him, so long as he promised to carry on being himself because he was great and he should never let the nasty comments of the other boys at school get him down. 

By that point the generosity and kindness shown to us by staff was just too overwhelming and we both cried in the lift back down. I honestly want to thank those staff members from the bottom of my heart for making my boy feel accepted and worthwhile, what you gave him, a certainty that it's okay to be himself, was priceless. 

After leaving the store we saw a homeless man and his dog sat outside. Partially to teach my monkey that it's also important to give, we decided to pop in to a nearby Boots and buy him food and supplies. He was so grateful that I ended up shedding further tears. Now, every time we walk past someone who sadly has no place to go but the cold pavement, on little squish's request, we go into the nearest shop or cafe and buy them a meal.

After all, it's important to pay it forward. 

Katy x 

Welcome to a Shiny New Year!

At the end of my last post I mentioned wanting to set myself some aims, rather than resolutions, for 2016. A list of ambitions for the next 366 days (no, that's not a typo folks, this fine year is a leap year. Engagement rings at the ready ladies *wink wink*). 

My first aim for the forthcoming months is to continue to write regularly on my blog! Thank goodness, I hear you all cry. No, but seriously, I'm really enjoying having somewhere to write about things I've found fun or interesting and I'm hopeful that this time next year, I'll be able to look back on a catalogue of memories that I've written out here, sharing my life with both you and my future self. I'm also planning to eat at a new restaurant or visit a totally new place at least once a month to help keep things fresh!

Secondly, I'd like to achieve some bookings to look after other peoples' pride and joy(s). Of course I'm talking about their pussycats! I've recently decided that cat sitting could be a small income for me that would work well around my illnesses and the fact I often need to nap. Frankly, I can't think of a better way to spend my time than being a paid cuddle buddy to a super cute kitty! I'm also looking at doing a feline first aid course over at Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, an awesome cat cafe that I blogged about here last week. My own furbies (furry babies = furbies) seem prepared to vouch that I'm highly qualified, should anyone request a professional reference, I'm currently typing from under a Siamese scarf! Much skill!

Maintaining my mental and physical health (as far as I possibly can) are also top priorities! To do this I'll be focusing on continued self care, taking time out to ensure I'm looking after my body and mind. I've recently had a little mini splurge on a new set of beauty products and I'll be focusing on making sure I keep on top of a new facial skincare routine, aiming to help clear up recent breakouts and stave off signs of ageing, I'm closer to thirty than twenty now after all! My recent Lush sale haul means relaxing, candlelit baths will be a frequent feature and I can't wait to make my way through the veritable mountain of bubble bars and bath bombs I have stashed! I also ordered one of the beautiful 100-Day Happiness Planners on a whim in between Christmas and New Year. They're currently on pre-order and it's due to arrive any day. I'm curious as to it's contents, having not seen a lot but I've heard wonderful things. I'll be sure to keep you all updated on how I progress with it! 

Finally, I want to ensure that I continue to build and grow my current friendships and family relationships. To put as much time and love in to being there for people as I possibly can, building on friendships that currently only have basic foundations and keep polishing those that are already big, shiny skyscrapers. To work on my communication and be sure to call my grandparents to check in on them at least once a month is something I'm currently feeling very passionate about, having recently called my grandad and literally heard his smile over the airwaves (or whatever these things work on)! 

I'd love to hear your goals for 2016 if you've set any! 

Katy x

My 2015: Year in Review

At the beginning of this year I decided not to make resolutions but rather, to set myself aims instead. With this being New Year's Eve it strikes me as the perfect time to review them. 

As you can see, my first aim was to work on my physical fitness and hopefully start an adult ballet class. My second, to find a paid, part time job and third, begin an accounting qualification. Unfortunately, these have ended up not being possible due to the worsening of my health conditions. That said, during the latter part of this year I have been working on trying to think of  alternative income sources that will work around my illnesses and I'm hoping to continue to develop on those during 2016. I always try not to be beaten and I'm aiming to publicise that I'll be offering a cat sitting service soon, allowing me to earn a small income that's flexible to the needs of my health and my family. Plus I'll get to stroke kitties, purrfect! 

Of course there's a disappointment during reflection, this time last year I was hopeful my health was on the up finally but there's also been a sense of freedom and acceptance in knowing that the ailments I've been plagued by since my teens are now undergoing full investigation and in my eyes this can only be a good thing, after all, it's easier to fight with eyes open :-). 

My fourth aim was to move in with my boyfriend which I'm super happy to say I accomplished at the end of August. I love our home together and I've also thoroughly enjoyed the excuse to shop for homewares, a lot of my favourite bits having come from Sass & Belle, including a good few of their gorgeous cushions! 

My final aim was to embrace and accept any support offered to me for my mental health and I'm very proud of myself in being able to say I have wholeheartedly achieved this final resolution. I am feeling more stable and mentally well than I ever have in my adult lifetime, due to a combined effort of having attended weekly sessions and taking the time out to indulge in a little self care when necessary. I've become a connoisseur of lush bath bombs over the last year, haha. I'm confident that I can carry the principles I've learned over into next year and continue to improve my happiness and wellbeing. 

To finish off, I thought I'd also take a little peak at my 2015 best nine over on Instagram. I have to say I was amazed to learn I'd received over 11,000 likes to my photos in the last year! More importantly though, it becomes clear that a lot of the photos are selfies or focus mainly on my body as the object of the image. While this may seem conceited or vain, to me it's actually an enormously positive achievement. Having previously suffered from an eating disorder, this year was finally the year I learned to accept my body, to love it and nurture it, rather than destroy it. To put myself out there and be confident enough in who I am to stand proud and show myself to the world. There's also a pretty hefty amount of Black Milk clothing featured and in a strange way, that's probably one of my biggest things I've accomplished this year.  The online community I've met thanks to these awesome clothes has led to me forming friendships with some fantastic people and I hope to continue these long into 2016 and beyond! 

I've been reflecting on what I'd like to achieve next year and have decided to make a second post, a part two if you will, to avoid making this one too lengthy!

Katy x 

Review: Meat and Shake Ealing

Due to my health issues I find myself eating out fairly often, mainly as I'm physically unable to chop ingredients or stand to cook a proper meal. As such, I thought I'd add a recent culinary experience for you guys to read :)

A couple of weeks ago, the boyfriend and I decided to head up to the relatively new branch of Meat and Shake in Ealing Broadway. We're both suckers for a good burger and can't get enough of American barbecue style food right now! It's also a fairly safe bet for my ridiculous digestive system if I stick to mostly plainer meats and fries (alas, not so good for the waistline but definitely preferable to starving). I'd checked out their menu online and spotted the delicious sounding truffle fries, which I knew I HAD to try!

We arrived fairly late, around 10 pm and were seated quickly as it was pretty quiet. I had a gorgeous cherry flavoured drink to get me going, which came in a handled mason jar, something I love and have been meaning to purchase for our home for months. Anything served in a jar just seems to instantly taste a little more special. 

I ordered the plain Jane cheeseburger with no salad (I can't digest it, makes me violently ill, no fun). Alas, the waitress got confused as it's fairly rare to be unable to digest lettuce, so my burger came with salad and without cheese! I was too embarrassed to correct her so plonked the greenery to one side and tucked in. Burger was amazing! Definitely on a par with the best burgers I've ever sampled. It was super tender and juicy. 

Due to my suspected gastroparesis I'm only able to eat tiny portions at a time. Taking this into account we decided to share a side of the truffle fries and pit beans. Both were out of this world, quite honestly. The truffle balsamic glaze and Stilton Mayo complimented one another perfectly, giving a strong but in no way overpowering taste that I couldn't get enough of. I played it safe with the beans as they're high in fibre (aka danger food) but I couldn't resist a forkful. They were hands down the best I've eaten, rich bbq spices followed by a gorgeous, almost treacle like, flavour. I'd have devoured the lot had I been able to properly digest them! 

To make up for the sadness of missing out on the beans I decided to go ahead and treat myself to dessert. As a true chocoholic I often plump for the most chocolatey item on any dessert menu and the Mississippi mud pie did not disappoint. It was rich and creamy without being overly sickly, with a delightfully chewy base. As the kitchen was quiet I was also offered a choice of flavours for the accompanying ice cream scoop, though I stuck with vanilla. Despite having a rep for being boring, a properly vanilla ice cream is delicious and when I order dessert I prefer not to complicate things with too many flavours! 

All in all, I loved the experience and the interior decor had been really well done, staff were attentive without being overbearing and the food was delicious. I think we'll definitely end up visiting again in the not too distant future! I'd highly recommend you check them out if you can, they currently have branches in Tooting, Ealing and Watford. 

Katy x