West Dean Chilli Fiesta

The annual Chilli Fiesta is something Jack and I have been looking forward to going to since we arrived home. It's held in the beautiful spot of West Dean Gardens just outside of Chichester so it's very local to us and perfect for a day out.

Jack and I love spicy food and with Jack now being well into growing his own chilli plants (as well as tomatoes, strawberries and peppers) the Chilli Fiesta is right up our street. Although, if you're not into spicy food that's not a reason not to go along. There's plenty there to do and see throughout the weekend that doesn't involve destroying your taste buds. 

 Whilst we were there we also took the opportunity to have a stroll around the gardens as, although they are so local to us, neither of us could remember ever having been to them. They were beautiful and despite the loud salsa music coming from the main stage they were really peaceful. A lot of people had taken their own picnic and were using the gardens as a lovely little picnic spot. We hadn't taken a picnic but decided to take our lunch of choice (some absolutely delicious chilli dogs) to the gardens to lay in the sun and relax. 

Small businesses from all over have stalls over the weekend so there's plenty of food and drinks to try. I love chilli cheese and think I tried nearly every variety and came home with three - jalepeno, after burn and cracked black pepper. We've just about worked our way through them now and they were all delicious. 

 We also picked up some brownies - salted caramel, plain and of course chilli chocolate which didn't quite survive the journey home, a Katsu Curry sauce that we're yet to experiment with and two chilli plants, the fruits of which Jack has been killing people's taste buds with for a few weeks now. 

It's such a good day out but you can camp for the weekend if you're coming from further afield although you want to do that a little while in advance. You can buy tickets for next years event already so if you're keen get on it to save 20%. 

Let me know if you've been to the chilli fiesta or if you're planning on going next year.

Until next time,

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Thought of the week #30

We all take things for granted. The everyday things that are just there that we forget not everyone has. Our health, our family and friends, our jobs, food and clean water. We often forget how lucky we are to have those things, things that we just assume will always be there or that we'll always have. There are so many people without those things that we take for granted on a daily basis, and one day we might be without them. It's important to remember to be grateful for all the things we have as there's people out there who would do anything for those things.

Until next time,

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Currently Reading #3

In my last book related post I'd just finished 'Me Before You' and was a bit of a mess about it. Since then I haven't read all that much. When I'm feeling stressed and anxious, which you will know I have been if you've read recent posts, I don't tend to read. I don't tend to do anything creative and I find myself really forcing creativity in an attempt to beat the anxiety. It never works though and I end up getting frustrated with my lack on inspiration and motivation. 

For that reason I decided I'd pick up 'Big Magic' by Elizabeth Gilbert. I bought this book during the last few weeks we were in Australia but I couldn't quite get into it. At the time I had a lot of inspiration and motivation and I put the fact I wasn't gelling with the book down to not being in a place where I felt I needed a kick up the bum from someone preaching about creativity at me - because Gilbert's voice does tend to feel a bit preachy. So I figured when I was feeling completely un-inspired, might be the right time to pick it up.

And I was right. At that time it felt like just what I needed. It was easy to dip in and out of when I felt like it and it did do what it said on the tin. Gilbert's voice does grind on me after a while, she is very self absorbed and it feels a bit like she's constantly bragging about people she knows and all the things she's done. But she has got a way of making you feel motivated to do things. 

I've put it down again for the time being. Now I'm back to myself I don't feel it has the same effect but I'll continue to dip in and out of it. I've also got to that point, like I did with Eat Pray Love not long ago, where I can't cope with Gilbert's cheesy, preacher-like tone. I have a massive love-hate relationship with her.

In the meantime I've picked up We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. This book has been everywhere for a while now and people have been raving about it so I've been looking forward to getting to it. I haven't read much of it so far but what I have read I'm really enjoying and intrigued by. It's dark and mysterious and different to anything I've read for a while. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes and what the big reveal (that we all know is coming) is going to be.

What have you been reading lately?

Until next time, 

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A North Devon Escape

There's nothing Jack and I love more than escaping off from the everyday hustle bustle of our lives and heading off to a quiet little place somewhere to explore and relax. We both love Devon and Cornwall, it's our English answer to Australia with it's sandy beaches, relaxed atmosphere and surf brands galore. 

A little bit spontaneously, we booked ourselves a campsite near the small seaside town of Ilfracombe and headed down for a long weekend to get away and chill out. 

I'd been down Ilfracombe way a few times when I was younger but it was nice to see it all again and really enjoy the tranquility of it and rediscover why I'd loved it so much. It was also really nice to show Jack around all the little places I remembered from family trips.

 We arrived late Thursday afternoon so once the tent was up, we'd eaten and sorted everything out there wasn't much time left for exploring so we made a promise to ourselves to get up early and get out and see what was about. 

As we were staying in Ilfracombe we decided we'd make that our first stop. It's a lovely, quaint, picture-post card town with all the things you'd expect a Devonshire seaside town to be. We wondered around the harbour and along the seafront and it was beautiful. St Nicholas' Chapel, atop Lantern Hill, overlooks the harbour and the views are stunning and well worth the trek to the top of the hill. 

Lack of  a gas bottle also meant we trundled into Barnstaple on the hunt for gas in the afternoon. We didn't really look around properly as we were running out of time but what we saw from the window of the van was lovely and we wished we'd made time to get out and have a look. 

Saturday was the real day for exploring and explore we did. We drove to Lynmouth and I was finally allowed to indulge in a cream tea. Well, when in Devon? It would be rude not to. Lynmouth is a beautiful town and you can ride the cliff railway up to Lynton which is great fun and a definite must if you've not done it before or if you've got kids because they'll love it. 

There's plenty to see in Lynton and Lynmouth for a whole day and we really enjoyed ambling around the cobble stone streets and exploring all the nooks and crannies. And of course the cream tea, or egg mayo baguette in Jack's case. I'd definitely recommend the Lynmouth Bay Cafe if you're looking for a pit-stop in the area. 

Once we felt liked we'd ticked Lynton and Lynmouth of the list we decided we'd drive to Woolacombe. I remembered absolutely adoring it as a child and I really wanted to take Jack to see it. 

Once we got there I remembered why I loved it. A big stretch of open sandy beach, bright blue water and crashing waves and surf shops in abundance. Woolacombe is my kind of place. The only downside is it's so expensive to park but it's worth it if you're planning to stay a while. 

On a sunny day, Woolacombe is the perfect place to enjoy Devonshire beaches at their best. It's restaurants and cafes mean you can literally stay there all day and want for nothing. You can hire surf boards, paddle boards and anything else you could want. It really is a dreamy place. 

We drove up the Esplanade past Barricane Beach (which is a beautiful place to stop and also a great place to enjoy Sri Lankan curry in the summer) to Mortehoe. It's a lovely little drive and a great way to take in the views over Woolacombe Bay. 

Saturday evening we decided to treat ourselves to Fish & Chips at Ilfracombe harbour. It was a lovely evening watching the sunset over the harbour and enjoy proper fish and chips. 

After packing up the tent and sorting ourselves out we decided to head into Croyde for breakfast on Sunday and one last explore. We stopped at the Blue Groove in Croyde and it was glorious. Jack indulged with what they call 'The Big Pig' while I went for a more subdued eggs Florentine and it was delicious. Highly recommend. 

After a delicious breakfast we headed down to the beach. Unfortunately it wasn't a very nice morning so we just looked out from the van and put it on the list for a beach day next time we're in the area. Down in Devon though, sometimes it's great just to get in the car and drive there's so many beautiful photo spots. 

For me North Devon is the perfect place to escape to when it's all getting on top of me. It was just what I needed at the time and it really helped me to feel better about things. I realise camping isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for me it's the perfect way to unwind and disconnect from everything. 

If you're in need of an escape I'd definitely consider heading to North Devon. 

Until next time. 

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Thought of the week #29

If life was always easy, life would be boring. Sometimes things are hard, sometimes things are a struggle and sometimes things just feel unfair and shit. It is tough to get through sometimes, no one gets how you're feeling because it's you that's going through it. Everyone goes through tough times sometimes, some tougher than others and even though what you're going through feels like the hardest and the worst there's someone, somewhere going through a lot worse and coping. Life is really hard sometimes but you're built to cope with it and you will get through it. Being positive about it and remembering that everything will be OK in the end will make it that bit easier. 

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SKINSTITUT First Impressions

My skin has tendency to be quite reactive, therefore I'm quite wary of adding new products into my regime. When I do it can lead to an annoying rampage of random breakouts and the waste of an expensive product that I'd been excited to try - although my mum probably doesn't mind too much.

That is why I love it when a brand offers a skin profiler. You tell it a little bit about your skin and it's concerns and a few moments later you have a rough idea of what products would be best for you from their range.

The Skinstitut profiler does exactly that. You tell it your age, your gender and your main skin concern before completing a few simple statements before voila, 5 products that suit your skin type. Obviously, these products are just a suggestion and you'r advised upon completing the profiler to talk to a Skinstitut therapist to help you further in choosing the perfect products.

Skinstitut products fall under 5 categories - hydrating, anti-ageing, brightening, calming and clearing. Due to my skin being prone to break outs, congestion and blotchiness I was suggested to try products from the clearing range. You can mix them across the categories or stick to one in particular, it depends on you and your skin.

You can buy Skinstitut products from Recreate Yourself, Australia's largest online hair care and beauty store. Soon you will also be able to use the Skinstiut profiler on their website so make sure to check them out.

My products arrived from RY a week ago and I've been using them daily ever since so I thought I'd share my first impressions with you.

L-Lactic Cleanser
This cleanser is fine for all skin types but particularly if your skin is dehydrated. The formula really hydrates the skin while the L-Lactic helps to strengthen and reduce sensitivity in the skin.
I really like this cleanser. I've found that it leaves my skin feeling really clean and fresh after I've used it. I use it in the morning on it's own but in the evening as a second cleanse after I've removed my make-up with a cream cleanser. It smells lovely but isn't over powering or chemically and it doesn't leave a horrible sticky residue on you skin which I've found some gel formulas have done.

Enzymatic Micro Peel
This is basically a super gentle way of exfoliating. It's designed to smooth your skin so that overtime your complexion looks brighter and healthier.
This product is so gentle. Even my temperamental skin hasn't had an issue with it and I was really worried it would. It leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturised and gets rid of any flaky, dead skin that's hanging around so my skin looks glowy and feels really clean. I've been using this every other day and so far am loving the results.

Even Blend Serum
This serum is perfect if you've got any unwanted pigmentation on your skin at all. The serum helps to fade scars, sun spots, all sort and also brighten the overall complexion as welling as helping to prevent future damage. It also helps heal breakouts which is perfect for me.
This is the first serum I've tried so I can't really compare it but it feels lovely and light on the skin and absorbs really well. It doesn't smell amazing but that goes once you've applied it. I've been using this morning and evening before moisturising and am excited to see if it does what it says on the tin
.

Moisture Defence - Oily
This is a light weight, oil free moisturiser that doesn't clog pores but hydrates and smooths as any good moisturiser should.
This is the only product out of the five I'm not completely sold on. For me it's not hydrating enough. All though I do get oily patches, particularly in my T-Zone, it's not horrendous and I think this product is designed for people who suffer with real over production of oil which I think is why it isn't right for me. It is a really lovely, light moisturiser so I've been using in the morning with the serum before the SPF but at the moment I'm not sure it's one I'd go back to.

Age Defence SPF 50+
This is a broad sprctrum, light, hydrating SPF that protects agains UVA, UVB and premature aging. What more can you really ask out of an SPF?
SPF is such a crucial part of a skincare routine and part that most people forget. Forget anti-aging products if you're young and aren't yet showing signs of aging you need an SPF and that is all. Once you've got your SPF sorted and in check, think about a retinol.  This one is lovely and light and isn't sticky like some SPF's can be despite it's thick consistency. It's a high SPF (higher than necessary for everyday but can you really use an SPF that's too high?) so is only doing good things for you skin in the long run.

I'm really enjoying trying out these new products and will check back in a month or so to let you know what I think of them and if they'r going to be sticking around in my skin care routine or if I'll be giving them the boot. At the moment, apart from the moisturiser, they're all doing pretty well.

I'd definitely recommend heading over to the Recreate Yourself website to check out the full Skinstitut range and also the profiler. They've got heaps of other skin care ranges on there as well so if you're looking for something new it's a great place to check out what's out there.

Until next time,

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Disclaimer Compensation was provided by ry.com.au. All thoughts herein are my own and are not indicative of the opinions or position of ry.com.au or Skinstitut. 

The healthy cookies you NEED to try

Overripe bananas are a menace to everyone's kitchen. They look disgusting, they gett a bit smelly and no one will touch them so they sit they're getting more and more off putting until someone eventually throws them away. Unless you're a kitchen god and have mastered banana bread - something I am still yet to accomplish. How do you get that rise? 

Anyway, faced with a bunch of overripe bananas recently I decided I'd try something else out. Something a little easier and a little quicker than can be rustled up when you get home from work.

You will need

150g crunchy peanut butter

7 tbsp honey

3 ripe bananas

100g almond flakes

50g rolled oats

1 tsp ginger powder 

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

50g good quality dark chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 180C/356F/Gas Mark 4.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment. 

Blitz the almonds and oats in a food processor until they form a powder. Put the blitzed oats and almonds in a bowl. Do the same with the bananas until they a lump free and add to the oats and almonds. Give it all a big mix until it's well combined.

Melt the peanut butter and honey in a pan over a low heat until it is a runny consistency. Add the mixture to the banana, oats and almond mixture and stir together. 

Add the ginger powder, cinnamon powder and chocolate chips to the mixture and fold it all through until the chocolate chips are evenly distributed. 

Use a tablespoon to put dollops of the mixture onto the baking parchment and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon.

Once you have used all the mixture put the cookies in the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes until they are a lovely golden brown. 

And that's it. Lovely and simple and super delicious. These are great as a healthy morning snack or for a pre-workout energy boost. Or whenever you fancy a snack really.

I hope you enjoy them if you make them.

Until next time,

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