I love looking at Instagram for travel inspiration and to see some amazing images. There are so many accounts to follow and so much talent it can get a little overwhelming at times! I have read quite a few lists of who to follow on Instagram and thought I would share with you an insight in to who I follow and who I recommend. This is a list of my '12 Travel Instagram Accounts to Follow'.
anddicted - 270k followers
worldwanderlust - 387k followers
bemytravelmuse - 44.8k followers
theygetaround - 10.2k followers
lifestyleandlaffs - 1005 followers
helloemilie - 505k followers
tuulavintage - 2.1m followers
snowflakesfairy - 92.1k followers
izimbozada - 149k followers
prettylittlelondon - 47.7k followers
hal_ellis_davis - 59.2k followers
parisinfourmonths - 843k followers
Let me know if you have anyone you follow that you would recommend too!
I was recently contacted by the Owner of OX Pasture Hall Hotel, a luxury country hotel in Yorkshire, to enjoy a night in one of their Suites and have dinner in the Restaurant. As it was close to my boyfriends birthday I thought what better reason than to visit and celebrate the occasion in Scarborough. It has become a bit of a tradition to book a hotel for each of our birthdays and this invite came just at the right time.
From Nottingham to Scarborough it was a simple but long train journey via Leeds on the way there and Sheffield on the way back. *TIP* If you are planning on getting a train always check how much the tickets would be on each journey instead of a complete trip; by booking a train from Nottingham > Leeds > Scarborough and Scarborough > Sheffield > Nottingham we managed to save around £200!
From the train station to the hotel it was less than 10 minutes and we were greeted on arrival by a very warm and welcoming Restaurant Manager, Paul. I signed the registration form and off we went to Room 3. Being February in the Yorkshire Dales it wasn't the warmest of days and you could tell this from the bitter wind and frost over the beautiful grounds. With views for miles and the opportunity to watch an amazing sunset we were blown away by the serene ambience this hotel radiates. As mentioned, February isn't the warmest of months to go to the countryside and the corridor leading to the room definitely reminded us of this. As we entered the room we noticed the heating may not have been turned on prior to our arrival and immediately turned up the radiators. After taking a look around the room I began to question if this was the luxury suite as mentioned when booking the stay; as this was a complimentary visit for review purposes I didn't want to fuss too much and double checked with Paul as to whether the room type was correct and requested a heater. I was assured this was the luxury suite as booked and a portable heater was delivered promptly - at this point we all agreed the heating was not working which was clarified by the lack of hot water too. Paul being the friendly host sent us some coffees and warming brandy to help us get a little more comfortable.
As pleasant as the room was we became a bit too cold and decided to get changed and head to the bar which benefits from a beautiful log burning fire - heaven! The bar at OX Pasture Hall Hotel has a very cosy and country style atmosphere and we were even offered a table for dinner in front of the fire. Deciding to truly experience all the hotel has to offer we declined the fireside table and opted to dine in the 2 Rosette Award winning Restaurant. As a vegan guest the chef really did go above and beyond as I was given my own menu to dine from for the evening and was wowed by the variety and flavours he had managed to create. With a wonderful bottle of Prosecco we ordered our food and were shown to our intimate table in the fine dining restaurant.
Bread was served to the table initially, butter for the boyfriend and delicious rosemary olive oil for the vegan; along with the most amazing amuse bouche I have ever tasted consisting of lemon and rocket - I couldn't stop raving about this whilst sipping to cleanse my palette!
For Starters I went for the Fan of Avocado served with Asparagus and Tomato Chutney, who would have thought that tomato chutney would go so well with perfectly fresh avocado. This was a brilliantly light starter and was just enough to get me ready for my Main Course. Mushroom Risotto - as a vegan I always expect this option when looking at a menu but the vast array of mushrooms used and the perfect consistency of the risotto meant this was the one of the best I have ever eaten.
Pre-Dessert was a vegan version of their Whisky Sour Mango Sorbet, this usually comes served with cream however was delicious just the way they served it to us. Finally Dessert! This can always be difficult when you're vegan as everything normally has milk or egg in. Again, the chef did well and I went for Red Wine Poached Pear with a Winter Berry Compote. This was perfect for the time of the year we were visiting and again was just the perfect amount to finish the meal.
After our delicious meal we went back to the bar to finish our wine and get the update that our room should be warming up with hot water now. Further apologies from Paul came with a nightcap of our choice, being the boyfriends birthday and a special occasion we both went with warming scotch - Highland Park for him and Singleton for me. At around 9:30pm we decided to call it a night and head back to our room. There was still no heating or hot water and the power had gone from the living room and bathroom areas. Another call to Paul resulted in us moving rooms at 10:30pm with reassurance this room was warm with hot water. On the way to this room Paul explained he had moved us to a Honeymoon Suite - which was lovely but confirmed my initial suspicions that the first room we were allocated was not the room initially offered or indicated on the registration form. This room did have hot water and heating but we were too tired to properly appreciate the luxury offerings and headed straight to the land of nod.
After a wonderful nights sleep we enjoyed the beautiful bathroom, huge bathtub and waterfall shower whilst getting ready for a Yorkshire Breakfast. Lyndsey, the General Manager, was there to greet us and apologise for the occurrence the night prior which was lovely. Again, the chef had gone the extra mile creating a delicious vegan cooked breakfast with the added extra of baked beans - apparently not a usual sight on a traditional Yorkshire breakfast!
We gathered our belongings and checked out ready for a stroll around the Scarborough coast and to reenact some childhood memories on the 2p machines! As we visited in February not all of the amusements were open however, the coast looked beautiful and there were still some arcades for us to wander into. Taking a walk along the promenade is a great way to explore Scarborough, lined with arcades, fish and chip restaurants (for you omnivore and pescetarian readers) and tourist gift shops. I can imagine in the Summer this coast is very busy with local holidaymakers and local residents enjoying the sound of the crashing waves and smell from the local restaurants and food stalls.
Scarborough also has a small shopping area meaning you can wonder around the shops on your way back to the train station. We didn't have time for shopping but it only took us 15 minutes to walk from the coast to the train station and take a look at Scarborough as first time visitors. Scarborough isn't a large town but for a short seaside break there is plenty to do. It is home to Europe's largest open air theatre and for families there are lots of attractions such as the Mini Monsterz outdoor play area and regular Boat Trips around the coast. Once back at the train station it wasn't long before we were headed back to Nottingham and back to our regular everyday life.
Overall, our experience of Scarborough and OX Pasture Hall Hotel was average. I can only imagine that had we been given the correct room in the first instance than our views would have been different. It also didn't make sense to us that the best room was not initially allocated as we were told we were the only guests booked into the hotel that evening. This might sound ungrateful but from a hotel perspective you wouldn't allocate your Standard Double Rooms when your Suites are empty.
I also couldn't help but notice the rates for that evening did not reflect the low occupancy and during the colder low season months I would have expected better rate management to attract more customers; I am only hoping these are not the off-peak rates as I am not sure higher rack rates could be justified. The restaurant was amazing and the chefs definitely deserve their 2 Rosette Award however, the service and hotel needed more attention. As a luxury hotel I would expect a napkin to be with the bottle of Prosecco and high level dusting was obviously an issue in all areas of the building (some dusty drawers were also found in Room 3). Attention to detail in a hotel which offers rooms starting at £135 for a Single should be high on the list of priorities here.
In the Summer I believe this may be a great hotel and the grounds beautiful for the setting of an outdoor wedding. In the Winter season though OX Pasture Hall Hotel seems to become dormant like its surroundings in Scarborough.
OX Pasture Hall Hotel, Scarborough, North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire YO12 5TD
Tel: 01723365295 Email: info@oxpasturehallhotel.com
2015 saw my life change in many ways and led me on an exciting path to 2016 and my future. I thought I would recap what happened in 2015 and share some exciting prospects for what may be coming in the near future!
2015
Last year saw me finish University and graduate with a First Class Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Service Sector Management. After working hard for two of the three years (no one tries in their first year) at University I pushed through and achieved an amazing First! I would definitely recommend this course to anyone wishing to pursue a career in the service sector as you gain all skills for general business management, entrepreneurship and you can focus your studying to one specific area you are interested in. For me I focused on Hotel Management and wrote my dissertation on Customer Engagement for Small Businesses. This really helped to lay the foundations of knowledge towards my future career plans and I was able to work and gain experience in-between attending lessons.
During my last year of University I also reached my first year blog birthday. This was a huge achievement for myself as I was trying to enhance my blog as well as starting and finishing my third year of studying and writing my dissertation.
After finishing University (gosh how often can I say University in this post) I decided to leave the job I was in and return to my previous place of work after it was sold and under new management. This saw me take a step up the career ladder and in the right direction to one day being a Hotel Manager (oh a girl can dream.....and succeed).
2015 was also the year I became vegan! This was a big decision but also easy decision for me to make. Like many other bloggers I love watching YouTube videos and have done for about 7 years now. One of my favourite YouTubers and someone I found in 2015 is Kalel - a fellow vegan. I had already given up milk because of research about how we get milk and didn't really eat a lot of meat; then after watching this video by Kalel and then this video and then this video I decided to give up animal products all together. There are a lot of videos out there and documentaries that explain and show the truth behind what many of us don't want to know happens e.g. factory farms. After watching videos and reading more information it was obvious to me that I shouldn't eat any animal products and to me this makes me a lot happier. I don't preach being vegan to anyone as this is a personal choice but I would recommend everyone to watch a few videos just to become a little less naive as to where their animal products come from.
Finally, 2015 also saw the 3 year anniversary of myself and my boyfriend. We have been saving for a while now and the end of 2015 saw us discuss our savings and see a mortgage advisor...eeek! We are young at the minute but won't be young forever and living with parents is definitely something we don't want to do anymore. After both getting a bit of a promotion we are now in the place to take the next step and move in together - it really can't some soon enough!
2016
So obviously the first exciting prospect for 2016 is that we will buy a house! This is such an exciting thought and watch out for homeware and home decor posts on the blog. I am always browsing Rightmove everyday (it has become part of my routine) and can't wait to start viewing houses in the next month or two.
We haven't been on holiday for a while and always spoke about going to America as our big dream. Neither of us have been to America and we want the first time to be together (so soppy) so.... 2016 looks like the year we might just be going! I have been browsing the sales on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic and the West Coast could be on the cards. This would be an achievement for both of us and adds to the exciting plans!
To round off 2016 I would love to get more active in general by joining Yoga and also more active blogging now I don't have to write any reports for University! In general 2016 will see more focus more on me being healthy and happy and achieving a lot of life goals.
Leave me comments on what your 2016 looks like and if you have any requests for blog posts! xx
As part of the East Midlands Blogger Meet Up I got the chance to stay at the Casa Hotel in Chesterfield! As you will know by now I love hotels (it is the industry I work in.... outside my blogging life) and whenever I go to a new city I always try new places which I can then recommend to you! It is also important to me to stay in independent hotels as I love supporting small businesses and choose independents over chain hotels all of the time.
Casa Hotel is a large hotel just outside the main town area and close to the local football ground. It is perfect for corporate stays but also weekends away with friends and weddings as there are 100 bedrooms and a 2 Rosette restaurant. They even do a free shuttle bus service in the week to the bus and train station so you don't need to worry about finding your way around.
I stayed in one of their Deluxe Rooms which can be a super-king size bed or twin beds. Each room has everything you need including free WiFi, built in speakers, rain showers, 32" TV's and extra soundproofing for those noisy couples (you know who you are!). The beds were so comfy and have been voted as the comfiest beds in the UK by Laterooms.com; you can even buy one when you checkout if you just can't bare to part with it.
The bathroom was spacious and had beautiful toiletries which seemed to jump in my suitcase before I left, not sure how that happened. I always love those extra touches like heated towel rails and shower caps - I don't own a shower cap but I love having them in hotel rooms.
After a lovely evening relaxing, a cocktail in the bar and watching TV in the most comfortable bed it was time to wake up the next day and head to breakfast. The breakfast is served as a buffet with a wide range of continental items and English Breakfast options. Egg choices are cooked to order and the staff are always on hand to help you if you need anything. As a Vegan I perused the items and decided on beans on toast and a delicious fruit salad. Everything was high quality and all of the guests seemed to enjoy what was on offer.
Time to pack my suitcase and checkout.
I highly recommend Casa Hotel to anyone visiting the Chesterfield for leisure or business. The hotel was large but not impersonal and suitable for all budgets. Let me know if you have every stayed at Casa or will after reading this review xx
I received a discount in return for a review. All opinions are my own.
I love a good Halloween scary night or party and getting in the horror vibe whilst watching scary movies! I have always loved horror films, especially the classics like Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween and now I am an adult I like to think of new ways to celebrate the holiday. This year I got together with my sister to have a double date movie night complete with decorations.
Decorations can be a nightmare at Halloween (see what I did there) and there is always so much in the shops to choose from - which can get expensive. There was only 4 of us for the evening so I thought I would try not to go too over the top whilst also having some quirky things to decorate the room with. Of course spiderwebs complete with fake spiders were a must to drape over lights, tables, mirrors and just about everywhere else it can stick to - although I said not over the top I did get 2 packs of the webs to make sure everywhere was covered!
I managed to find some great things this year that looked a bit different, starting with the glittery Happy Halloween sign from John Lewis. This looks great and can be hung from doors or windows or just propped on tables as part of the decor like I did. Sainsbury's had some great things which is where I got the bloody handprints and light up pumpkin from. These were reasonably prices and just gave that extra horror feeling - the pumpkin also came in a large size perfect for window displays!
Finally, I wanted to add a bit of luxury to the evening and thought what better than a colour coordinated Yankee Candle! Yankee Candle always bring out Halloween collections each year but I went with a Frankincense scent. This scent is actually quite warming with hints of cinnamon but also fresh and fruity undertones too. It is a burnt orange colour and adds that extra touch with an amazing smell to your Halloween evening in front of the telly. If you don't want to buy a candle you could alternatively buy some wax melts and a halloween melter which would look great too!
After decorating the room we put the first Nightmare on Elm Street film on (not exactly a scary film in the 21st century but a classic) ordered some takeaway and enjoyed the atmosphere. For dessert I served Booja Booja Vanilla "nice-cream" made from cashew nuts and some dark chocolate broken on top.
If you are looking for a more low key Halloween evening with friends or family then why not recreate this night with your own decoration and personal touches! Horror inspired food and drink can always be found online and on Pinterest too.
Let me know what you have planned for Halloween xx
This post was sponsored by Ocean Finance as part of their #screamhomes campaign however all opinions are my own.
It is always fun to meet up with fellow bloggers and talk about our blogs and life and make new friends. You may be wondering where meet up number 2 is but I didn't blog that one (I know terrible blogger of the month!). It was in Leicester though and you can read Samantha's post here.
This time we met in Chesterfield where Samantha lives and decided to make a nice evening of it with dinner and drinks. We had myself, Samantha, Becki, Tarnya and Kirstie attend for this meet up so it was small but we had a great evening and a good natter. Go checkout all of their amazing blogs too by clicking on their names!
We met at Giorgio's Italian, an independent family owned restaurant, which had an amazing menu and a beautiful wood burning pizza oven. I went with the Pumpkin Risotto for main course and thought it was delicious. As I am vegan they kindly offered to make this without any cheese and were open to suggestions as to how the dish can be amended to suit my needs. All of the other girls meals looked great with generous portion sizes and after seeing clean plates all around I think I can say they all enjoyed theirs too. I skipped dessert as there wasn't much choice in terms of vegan dishes but decided to have an extra glass of wine instead, naughty naughty!
Witch Skincare had also kindly given us some samples to share and try. I had used their products a few years ago during my teen years but hadn't thought about them until recently. We received their Gentle Exfoliating Face Wash and Overnight Clearing Serum - both of which have been amazing and I would definitely recommend for all ages. My skin has been so soft and clear since using both of these products!
After we finished at the restaurant we all said our goodbyes and looked forward to future meet ups to see each other again. I was staying at the Casa Hotel as part of the meet up so look out for the review of the hotel soon!
If you want to be apart of future meet ups then be sure to fill out this form to add your details to the Midlands Bloggers database. The next one is being held in Lincoln in December for the beautiful Christmas Market.
Thank you Giorgio's Italian for hosting the dinner, Witch for gifting us with some treats and to the girls who attended for a great evening!
We received complimentary wine and 10% discount as part of our restaurant booking and gifts from Witch Skincare however all opinions are my own.
I was recently introduced to St Kitts Herbery through the gifting website The Bloggers Hangout. After browsing their website I was lucky enough to receive some a sample of some of their most popular scents.
St Kitts Herbery was founded by Susan & Paul Johnson in North Cornwall in 2001 and they opened their first store and workshop in 2003. They produce luxury toiletries using the finest ingredients and are made using their skills and expertise gained over the years. They make everything from shampoo and conditioner to preserves and chocolates. Just last year they opened their second store in Cardiff, Wales.
I received three of their bestselling scents as sample perfumes - Summer Rose, Mist and Rosemary & Bergamot. They are each distinctive and each have scents unlike any other perfume I have tried before.
Summer Rose
'Fruity, floral and fabulous. The divine scent of summer'
This perfume is feminine and floral but unlike other floral perfumes I have tried doesn't have that powdery slightly old person smell. This perfume is literally like walking through a rose garden and has a slight citrus lemon scent which makes sure this perfume isn't too sweet. It is light and definitely can be worn as a day to day perfume.
Mist
'Elusive, vivacious and light. Capture the moment. For men & women'
Ah Mist. This is a perfume which is light and not at all overpowering. It has a slight lemon and citrus note to it, the same as Summer Rose, but also has a fresh herb garden undertone. This scent is definitely noticeable but will have everyone asking you what scent you are wearing. It has a slight musk smell which means combined with the herbs and lemon this is perfect for both men and women.
Rosemary & Bergamot
'Our signature fragrance. Alluring, fresh and vibrant. For him & her'
This is the scent I thought I would love the most. I adore rosemary and bergamot and thought together in a perfume this could be amazing. It is amazing and has a slight spicy and typical masculine scent which is quite strong but doesn't come across heavy when sprayed onto skin. I would say this is more of a scent for men than women and reminds me of a scent my Dad would wear.
After trying all of the scents I decided to get a bit experimental and overlap them. As I really wanted to make Rosemary & Bergamot a scent that was less masculine and more feminine I initially applied Summer Rose over the top. This created a more subtle scent and the citrus notes in the Summer Rose scent brought out the bergamot in the Rosemary & Bergamot scent. My favourite combination was Mist with Rosemary & Bergamot. The fresh herbs and citrus notes of Mist meant that they both complimented each other so well and made the perfume more of an evening scent combined with the warm notes of Rosemary & Bergamot.
Overall, I would say that Mist could be my new signature scent and I have already been browsing the selection on their website to see what I should buy!
Let me know if you have tried St Kitts Herbery or will be now you have read this! xx
St Kitts Herbery Camelford, Cornwall PL32 9XH Tel: 01840 213 442
Twitter: StKittsHerbery
I received these perfume samples for review purposes however all opinions are my own.
Oaks is a new smokehouse restaurant in the city centre of Nottingham with a unique open grill kitchen. The decor is based around oak wood and although the restaurant isn't large it is beautifully decorated. Specialising in serving locally sourced meats and craft beers as well as delicious wines and cocktails; Oaks have also built their open grill from logs that were by-products of sustainable coppicing by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
We decided to start the night with Chilli Cooler cocktails - Ocho Blanco Tequila, Chilli, Agave Necter, Lime and Mint. This is a tall cocktail garnished with half a red chilli and surprisingly refreshing because of the lime and mint - a great start to the evening!
Obviously, Oaks is a meat focused restaurant and therefore I expected to have limited choice as someone who doesn't eat animal products. For starters I chose the Baked Olives with lemon and rosemary - a large portion of olives in a delicious lemon and rosemary olive oil. These olives were delicious and lasted throughout the meal due to the generous portion size.
For my main meal I chose the Portobello Mushroom, Avocado and Aubergine Burger. On a delicious soft bun this burger was amazing! Perfect amounts of each ingredient meant that I wasn't left with a pile of avocado at the end. Each mouthful was full of flavour and after a slight hiccup with some mayonnaise I truly enjoyed this dish. Served with my burger I chose to have the chopped salad which consisted of lettuce, tomatoes and radish; a little uninspiring but for those wanting a smaller meal the salad was a nice light accompaniment.
Dessert time! Well, before we start I should mention there are three desserts on the menu. Ice cream, cheese board or doughnuts filled with marsala cream.......nothing vegan or diary free! The team at Oaks were immediately catering to my needs though and after a few minutes wait a delicious selection of sorbets were produced (I imagine these were from Chino Latino next door). Flavours included Mango, Kiwi and Coconut and each were delicious and silky smooth. These are not on the menu but I think after encountering myself they may rethink the options available for dessert.
During this evening they also had a live acoustic singer performing in the bar area. With a carafe of red wine and enjoying the atmosphere this was an amazing way to spend a Thursday evening.
I would definitely recommend Oaks to anyone visiting Nottingham or wanting a more informal date or dinner with friends. Let me know if you have been to Oaks and where you would recommend for me to visit next xx
Oaks 2 Bromley Place NG1 6JG Tel: (0115) 947 7244
Twitter: OaksNottingham
I dined as a guest of Oaks however all opinions are my own.
We decided to start the night with Chilli Cooler cocktails - Ocho Blanco Tequila, Chilli, Agave Necter, Lime and Mint. This is a tall cocktail garnished with half a red chilli and surprisingly refreshing because of the lime and mint - a great start to the evening!
Obviously, Oaks is a meat focused restaurant and therefore I expected to have limited choice as someone who doesn't eat animal products. For starters I chose the Baked Olives with lemon and rosemary - a large portion of olives in a delicious lemon and rosemary olive oil. These olives were delicious and lasted throughout the meal due to the generous portion size.For my main meal I chose the Portobello Mushroom, Avocado and Aubergine Burger. On a delicious soft bun this burger was amazing! Perfect amounts of each ingredient meant that I wasn't left with a pile of avocado at the end. Each mouthful was full of flavour and after a slight hiccup with some mayonnaise I truly enjoyed this dish. Served with my burger I chose to have the chopped salad which consisted of lettuce, tomatoes and radish; a little uninspiring but for those wanting a smaller meal the salad was a nice light accompaniment.
During this evening they also had a live acoustic singer performing in the bar area. With a carafe of red wine and enjoying the atmosphere this was an amazing way to spend a Thursday evening.
I would definitely recommend Oaks to anyone visiting Nottingham or wanting a more informal date or dinner with friends. Let me know if you have been to Oaks and where you would recommend for me to visit next xx
Oaks 2 Bromley Place NG1 6JG Tel: (0115) 947 7244
Twitter: OaksNottingham
I dined as a guest of Oaks however all opinions are my own.
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