Cooking up a storm with Simply Cook

*Written in collaboration with Simply Cook    Cooking is something that I really enjoy and I cook the majority of my meals from scratch but there are times when I just fall flat with new ideas and inspiration for family-friendly meals to try out and our weekly meals can end up getting a little repetitive. Now that we are back in local lockdown where I live and I want to do more than just bake loads of banana bread , I feel it's the best time shake things up and be more creative in the kitchen in a stress-free way and hopefully bring more joy into our lives with good food. This is where Simply Cook comes in and unlike other meal boxes, this recipe box is very budget-friendly (your first box starting at £3) and contains four easy to follow recipes with nonperishable herbs, spices, pastes, oils, garnishes and rubs that you won't find in a supermarket. I have to say I didn't know what to expect or if the recipes would be realistic and doable for a busy family as wel......

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At Home Hair care tips

*Contains Affiliate links  2020 has been an unexpected year, to say the least with everyone in the UK going through a longer than normal period at home during the lockdown and with Salons closed for weeks on end many of us had to take our haircare into our own hands and I should know, I shaved my unruly hair which had simply gone out of control. As we are still living through this pandemic, I am actually in a local lockdown in Wales, once again I am looking for ways to keep my hair looking good at home so I thought I would share some tips  1. Wash your hair the right way Did you know that you should be washing your hair at lukewarm temperature? As nice as a hot shower is it can strip your hair of essential oils and often leaves it looking drier and lifeless so turn the temperature down and be kind to your hair. It's also really important to make sure you rise out all remaining product, I know sometimes we overlook these things especially when we are in a rush but the leftover ......

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Fun ways to include ZENB Veggie Sticks in your lifestyle

*This blog post is part of a paid advertisement with ZENB I like to think we have a well-balanced diet and enjoy plenty of time outdoors being active but I am still all about getting the kids and myself eating as many veggies as possible (can you really ever have enough veggies?). So I was really excited to take part in the ZENB Challenge of incorporating it's new Veggie Sticks into our diets every day for a week, to help get that delicious vegetable taste into some of our most-loved recipes in a new and exciting way. ZENB Veggie Sticks are a new delicious veggie snack that use as much of   the whole vegetable as possible, including the peel, core, stem and seeds to raise awareness of food waste and create organic, gluten-free, plant-based snacks. I have to say they are like nothing else I have seen on the market. I really love that they use whole vegetables as it gives them a really deep flavour.  Firstly what are ZENB Veggie Sticks? ZENB  Veggie Stick......

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Glamping at Castle Knights Usk

Like a lot of people we had to cancel a lot of travel plans this year, in fact, I was more organised this year than previous ones and had a road trip through Italy on the cards as well as a short break to France and the Channel Islands in the diary but just goes to show you never really can plan because who would of expected a pandemic in 2020, not me! The one big positive about 2020 has been discovering and thoroughly enjoying the fantastic countryside we have on our doorstep in South Wales. We have been spending quite a lot of time in the Brecon Beacons slowly ticking off mountain summits and forest walks and it's an area of Wales we love and we had looked for a quick glamping getaway in the area but everywhere was booked out. The boys had been keen to do some canoeing on the River Wye this summer so instead, we changed tack and came across the wonderful Castle Knights camping glamping in the grounds of Usk Castle and near Monmouth and the Wye Valley, it was perfect. ......

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Ways to Support the Noah's Ark Conservation Project

This is a paid post to help raise awareness of Noah's Ark Conservation project  We all know the world has hit a crisis point, not just because of the pandemic but for a variety of reasons including climate change and plastic waste and it has without a doubt had a big impact on the environment and natural world. We need to do what we can to conserve wildlife and nature for future generations but the time has come for some real action that's where Noah's Ark comes in. Noah's Ark is planning to build a state-of-the-art animal and ecological conservation park in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, covering 100 square kilometres making it the largest and most ambitious conservation project in history, with building planning to start in 2021. The project will feature a national park, worlds biggest aquarium, geodomes replicating environments such as Antarctica and the Amazon rain forest. The main aims of the project are to protect the animal species especially thos......

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10 Ways to Get Your Start In the Creative Industries

*Contains affiliate links  A career in creative industries is something that is appealing to many people but it's now always the easiest industry to get a foothold into, although with a clear plan and ambition it really is possible. I always knew I wanted a creative job when I was younger and I feel very privileged to be able to write for a living but it took a lot of work to be able to do this full time. Firstly I started out about 15yrs ago writing for local and community-based magazines while studying in Photography and Photojournalism at college and then University, although I strongly feel you don't have to go to University achieve your goals.  There are plenty of opportunities in the creative industries but often you have to go out and find them. Besides writing for local magazines during my studies I also worked for an events company as a festival & live bands photographer, learning the importance of selling rights to images, networking and being profession......

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Making the most of what you post online

You don’t need to be super internet savvy in order to make an impact online. In fact, a lot is just about learning the basics, timing and staying up to date with new trends. There are so many fantastic resources online which can help you grasp the basics of launching a blog or social media platform in an easy to follow way. Saying that you don’t have to be the person who makes the impact for your business. If you are willing to relinquish that area of business as well as spend a little money for it to happen, you can entrust a digital agency to fully develop and manage that area to maximum potential. A digital agency also often has insights into the User Experience or UX for short, which can be very important when wanting to grow and expand your business and you can read why it's so important on  Qualtrics . So what does a digital agency help you to achieve? Let’s start from the ground up. Website Development Trust me you are not the only person who has had a go at developin......

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Easy ways to keep your kids room tidy

*Contains Affiliate links  I'm tired of constantly tidying up after the kids, the cat, all the toys, so anything I can do to minimalise this I will and there are a few simple ways to make life a little easier. While unfortunately, house chores can unavoidable there are ways to reduce the amount of time you spend doing them. I thought I would share a few key tips on how to help keep your children's room clean and tidy for longer. 1. Declutter This is one of the most important steps to take and yes it can be time-consuming but it's worth it. As children get older they will naturally grow out of some of their toys and this is a time, together, to say goodbye and rehome some of their toys and clothes. The more you can give away the better and there is a reason why so many people rave about the minimalist trend being good for mental wellbeing. 2. Organise Once you have done a major declutter it's time or really organises where things should go - it's im......

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