Exploring the UK: Whitstable, Kent

Last weekend we decided to have a spontaneous trip to the Seaside for some fish and chips. Not really knowing where to go, we had a handful of places in Kent that were possibilities. As we were driving down the motorway, we saw a turn off for Whitstable and decided to take a chance. What a good decision that was!

Whitstable is such a quaint little seaside town full of pastel coloured houses, oyster shacks and cute, quirky boutiques. We only ventured down to the harbour which wasn't the most picturesque of seafronts but realised there was a whole other beach that we didn't discover as we drove home. Next time!

We stuffed our faces with the most delicious fish and chips at VC Jones. The crispy battered haddock, chunky chips and the curry sauce were the perfect Saturday afternoon treat. After a wander in a few of the boutiques, a quick browse of an old fashioned sweet shop for some strawberry bon bons and a pitstop for some salty cockles, we headed back. October isn't too warm by the seaside!

It was such a lovely afternoon and made me realise just how much I loved wandering along a seafront soaking up the salty sea air and gazing out longingly at the coast. I often forget we're a tiny little island in the middle of North Sea! The trip was short but sweet so I'll definitely be back as soon as the elusive sunshine appears!

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Why I love travelling to Europe

Paris, France

Up until a couple of years ago I was turning my nose up at travelling around Europe. Sure I still went but that was only because I couldn't afford to venture outside. I was desperate to go further afield and yearned to have that elusive stamp in my passport. So two years ago I booked the trip of a lifetime to New York City and thought I'd finally I'd popped my 'outside Europe' cherry. The world was my limit. I absolutely adored the States - if there's anywhere I should live, it's there. But going to America made me realise just how lucky I was to be based in Europe.

Bodrum, Turkey

Derry, Northern Ireland

Europe is easily accessible yet so culturally diverse. That's what makes travelling around Europe so bloody amazing. My trip to Poland was unbelievably different to my recent holiday in Barcelona. No two countries are ever the same.  We have the ancient Greek ruins in Athens, the beautiful Spanish islands, the rich history of Berlin and gorgeous vineyards of France all in one continent. 

I am so lucky to have such diversity literally on my doorstep aka only a few hours away by plane. If I really wanted too, I could even pop to Rome for the day if the flights were perfectly lined up. Mental! It already amazes me how people frequently just pop on the train to Paris for the day. Once you reach the mainland, you can easily drive through country to country in just a few hours. 

Thanks to budget airlines, it's so cheap. If you book well in advance, you can easily flit between countries for under £100. Crazy when I tried to book train tickets to Wales and it came up at £75. Thank the lord for EasyJet!

After speaking to people from outside of Europe, I've realised just how lucky I am to live on such an incredible continent. I'll never take it for granted again. It's pretty darn special. You're not so bad Europe!

Barcelona, Spain

Right, what country should I add to my must-see list for Europe?

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Recipe: Roast Chicken Wraps with Harissa Roasted Veg, Feta and A Mint and Yogurt Dip

I'm always after quick, filling and healthy lunches - especially now I'm at home a lot. It's all so tempting to pick at rubbish food throughout the day. Luckily Alex Hollywood has put together a delicious lunch time recipe with Mission Deli Wraps. I made a slight few tweaks as it's what I already had in the house.

Serves: 2-3 - depending how hungry you are!

Ingredients:
Leftover roasted chicken
Selection of roughly 200g of roasted vegetables. I used a leek, mushrooms, an onion and a courgette.
1/2 pack of feta cheese
1 tsp of Harissa paste
I tbsp of olive oil
Some rocket leaves
Half a lemon
Salt/pepper
175ml of plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp of mint sauce
2-4 Mission Deli Mediterranean Herb Wraps*

Method:
1. Whisk the Harissa paste, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl before coating the vegetables in the sauce. Make sure you season well.

2. Once the vegetables are roasted, spoon a small mixture into the middle of the wrap.

3. Next pop the roast chicken on top and a small handful of rocket leaves. Then crumble the feta before wrapping.

4. Mix the yogurt and mint sauce together, season to taste and use as a dip on the side.

I'd love to know if you decide to make this - make sure you drop me a tweet!

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Why it's ok to feel jealous

I'm not talking about jealously so consuming you want to cut up their clothes, key their car and boil their rabbit kinda thing. I'm talking about being a little bit envious. Feeling a little upset that they're having all the good things happen to them in life. It's totally normal to feel like this when you see someone doing well. Totally normal to want what they have.

Because what pushes us in life if it's not wanting to better ourselves? If it's not wanting what other people have? There's nothing like a good bit of healthy competition to give you the kick up the butt to achieve what you're capable of. How would we achieve our dreams if something isn't pushing us? It's human nature to think the grass is greener on the other side. But it's up to you to see if it's true by putting the hard graft in.

I'm going to hold my hands up and say I often get a bit down in the dumps that certain bloggers have all the best campaigns to work, get taken to exotic places, get to do their hobby as their blog and get dressed head to toe in ASOS for free. It's completely normal to think 'why them and not me'. The reason it's not me is because they have worked 10 times harder than me on their blog. They have lots of time to dedicate to their little space on the internet. I can have that too if I really want it - I just need to pull my socks up and push myself to be bigger and better.

Next time you feel green with envy, don't feel like an awful person. You're not. Simply use it fuel yourself to achieve bigger and better things. After all, you're capable of having what they have. Anyone is capable of anything. People who have achieved your dream have just put in the hours to make that dream their reality.

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Introducing the new Bol Flavours

We all know my life revolves around food on this blog. I love eating and even more than that, I love finding healthy options so I don't feel guilty about what I'm putting in my body. I especially love find healthy dishes for when I'm in a rush. Putting good food in your body doesn't need to take hours to prepare. This is where Bol is a lifesaver.

Inspired by local chefs and market stall traders, the brand has created three new recipes. Jamaican Jerk Chicken - pictured above - , Keralan Chicken Curry and Kansas BBQ chicken - the first ones in the range to contain meat. They make the perfect lunch. Nothing too heavy to make you feel groggy but packed with enough protein to keep you full throughout the afternoon.

The Jamaican Jerk Chicken - my personal favourite - is a mouth-watering combination of spiced, marinated pulled chicken in a habanero chilli and coconut milk sauce. It's served with generous helpings of sweet potato, mixed peppers, sweetcorn and pineapple on top of black barley, pinto beans and peas. Delicious!

The Keralan Chicken Curry was designed by chef Meera Sodha who specialises in Indian dishes. The tasty meal is cooked in a black pepper and coconut sauce. The chicken is layered with lemon-spiked cauliflower and rice before being topped with a beetroot thoran. I would never in a million years have paired earthy beetroot with curry but it goes together perfectly. It's the star of this dish.

Finally the Kansas BBQ Chicken is inspired by the Deep South. The pulled chicken is paired with a lightly pickled cabbage slaw, sweetcorn and a yummy blend of quinoa and black rice.

The meals will be available in supermarkets from mid-October nationwide at £3.79 each. Keep your eyes peeled!

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Beauty: How to maintain a fringe

As someone who has had the same haircut for the past 22 years - why fix what isn't broken?! - I reckon I have a pretty good idea of how to keep a fringe in check. It can be high maintenance but really you just have to know the tricks of the trade. I wouldn't be without mine. After all, the world doesn't need to see my forehead. Ever.

1. Dry Shampoo
Dry shampoo will be your best friend. My fringe always gets greasy ten times quicker then the rest of my hair so this bad boy will help keep it looking fresh. That way if you're a lazy kid like me, you won't have to wash your hair every single day. Nobody has time for that. It also helps to keep it from looking as flat as a pancake.

2. Regular trims
My fringe grows like wildfire and need to be trimmed practically every two weeks. If it's left any longer than that it starts to resemble a shaggy haired dog. I splashed out on a pair of hairdressing scissors from Boots for when I'm in desperate need and can't make it to my hairdressers. I don't recommend trimming it yourself all the time but in emergencies these will be your best friend.

3. A barrel brush
In order to keep your fringe looking smooth, a barrel brush will be a lifesaver. Dry it in sections. Never dry your fringe flat as it'll look limp and lifeless. Always blow-dry it under so it has some oomph. You want it to look fierce right?

4. Hairdryer
A hairdryer is the bane of my life. I cannot wash my hair without one. If I let it dry naturally, it will go frizzy and limp. Even if the rest of my hair is left to dry naturally, my fringe must always be given a blow-dry. It's a bit of a diva like that.

5. Hairspray
The final step in keeping your fringe in shape is hairspray. Give it a quick spritz to help keep it in one piece. That way you don't get the dreaded curtains scenario. Only David Beckham could pull that off in 1993.

So there you have it. My foolproof tricks to help keep your fringe looking pretty good. Does anyone else have anything to add to the list?

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OOTD: Snakeskin shoes

Outfit:
Cream camisole: Topshop
Black smart culottes: Topshop (similar)
Snakeskin courts: Carvela (similar)

As much as I like lairy, bright colours and imposing, patterned clothes, sometimes I just want to wear something a little more classic. Which usually means monochrome. You can't get more classic than monochrome eh? Thanks to my unstable income, I'm having to root around in my messy wardrobe to work with what I have. I stumbled across these culottes that hadn't been given much love recently and stalked Pinterest for some inspiration. Previously I'd paired them with a warm polo jumper and a sparkly green crop top but this has to be my favourite combination. A combination I reckon I'll be wearing time and time again.

This weekend will be spent within the bosom of my family. My uncle is getting married today so no doubt I will be feeling a little delicate tomorrow. My cousins always seem to bring out the worst hangovers. In the world. But it'll be worth the headache, sore feet and empty purse. You just can't beat a family get together eh?!

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OOTD: Red Gingham Midi Skirt

Outfit:
Light wash denim jacket: Primark (similar)
White tee: Primark (similar)
Red gingham midi skirt: ASOS (similar)
Black pony haired sandals: New Look (similar)

Desperately trying to hold onto my bare legs and sandals, I wore this outfit last week on a beautifully warm day in the city. I felt very summery in this outfit prancing around London pretending to be important. Although I did treat myself to my new winter ankle boots that day so maybe I'm not too sad about the chillier climates coming as I thought. I always try to hold onto bare legs until at least the end of September. We spend most of our lives in England smothered in tights, boots and scarves so I like to milk it when I can. Tell me I'm not the only one trying to kid themselves that it's Autumn?!

Thanks to the beautiful Sarah for snapping these on her lunch break. Such a babe!

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The Chambord Chapter Eight Croquet Games

London is full of fun, quirky things to do at the weekend - you just have to keep your eyes open. A few weeks ago I was invited along with some friends to take part in The Chambord Chapter Eight Croquet Games. Sadly it's finished but keep your eyes peeled for future events.

If you're anything like my family, the raspberry liquor Chambord is always in the drinks cabinet as soon as the festive season hits. The Chambord Royale is a regularly poured out as soon as guests arrive. But it's too special to just be saved for one season!

The brand is keen to stress that a Royale is not the only cocktail that can be made using the liquor. Luckily we got to sample a fair few - in between being sadly beaten by the boys at flamingo croquet! My favourite was by far the delicious Chapter Eight Cocktail. Consisting of Chambord shaken with gin and fresh grapefruit paired with a delicate hint of rose and raspberries. Definitely one I'll be trying to attempt making at home!

After quite a few cocktails, we lined our stomach with an incredible duck confit burger from Le Bun. They had amazingly infused Chambord into the dish, giving it a delicious sweet, sharp taste. I'm definately going to hunt down them down again!

Thank you for such a fun afternoon Chambord!

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Review: Cafe Pistou, Exmouth Market

I have a friend Hannah. Hannah is the queen of eating out in London. There's not a tasty joint she doesn't know about. When she suggested we all eat at Cafe Pistou, I trekked all the way to Farringdon without giving it a second though. Turns out, Hannah choose a gem. Again.

Cafe Pistou is a quaint French brassiere in Exmouth Market. This stretch of road is a foodie heaven. I honestly can't believe just how many places there are to eat in such a small road. At lunchtime a delicious market lines the street leaving you with even more choice.

Back back to this mint green fronted restaurant. We opted for a selection of small plates so we could get stuck in and sample more. Us blogger folk are a greedy lot. That way we could also fit a dessert in. I'd already earmarked the fruity almond and fig tart.

What did we order? First up we scoffed the salt cod croquettes. The crispy delights had a tasty, creamy filling which melted in your mouth. Paired with a light sweet pepper and tomato mayonnaise dip - the perfect accompaniment for a salty dish. We immediately ordered the creamy, soft burrata cheese with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Deciding to go a little more French, we asked for the feta ratatouille. Huge chunks of juicy vegetables were smothered in a tomato sauce. The firm cheese was perfect to soak up the juices. The delicate, crispy prawn and basil parcels felt light and flavoursome. The tomato and basil butter dip complimented the fish to a tee.

Dessert. Dessert is what makes the world go round. Like I mentioned above, I went for the scrummy fig and almond tart with ice cream. Sarah plumped for the Caramel and Chocolate Mousse. What a choice that was - just look it! I can confirm it tasted delicious as she soon gobbled it up!

It's certainly not a cheap place to eat at but for a treat? I don't mind splashing the pennies. 

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