#Blogmas 7: Stocking fillers under £10

Its blogmas day 13! I can't believe how quickly this month has already gone. I have been trying so hard to get a post up everyday but seeing as I decided I would do this on the 1st December, I never got a change to pre-plan posts and photographs. My days have been really long with work so by the time I get home and eat I need to go to bed. I have made it my mission this weekend to take as many pictures as I can so I can post for the rest of Christmas for you.

For day 13 I thought it would be good to show you a few gifting gems which I have found especially for you. Its coming to the start of the Christmas rush for presents and when your in a panic I find it hard to search for gifts that are affordable. So I have put together a little selection of some presents, that would be great for all sorts of people.

Enjoy! I hope it gives you some inspiration....

1/ Personalised Pencils from - Not on the High Street
As mundane as that may seem when you say you have got some pencils, it really isn't. If you know someone who loves stationery, then there is nothing better. They are also personalised so that adds a special touch and it stops the problem of other people stealing your things, especially if you have a spelling like mine.

2/ Arthur egg cup and spoon - Not on the High Street
This is a cute little gift for your friends or family who really enjoy breakfast time. Why not make it that little bit more interesting by presenting it in something fun? This would also be a great little gift for a kid who is into kings and princesses.

3/ The Night Before Christmas' gift set - Lush
There a lot of people in this world that love nothing more than a bit of me time and a bath. This christmas gift set would be perfect for that friend or family. This little box comes with the snow angel bath melt and intergalactic bath bomb. Both which are amazing on their own as gifts but much better wrapped up beautifully together.


4/ 'Love you to the Moon and back' keyring - Not on the High Street
I love this little keyring as this saying is something I say to all my family. I love how no matter where in the world you are, we all share the same moon. So when you feel like your far away from someone you miss, just look at the moon because you know they will be looking at it too. It sounds so cheesy but it really does help in those times where you feel the most lonely. The base keyring is £10 but you can add letter pebbles to it for £3 each if you wanted to personalise it.

5/ Puffin Classic books  - Anthropologie
This is perfect for your book worm in the family. Theres nothing better than a classic story to read while your relaxing the winter. With the book covers so beautifully illustrated, they would look wonderful on a book shelf and totally Pinterest worthy.

6/ Russian Doll measuring cups - Amazon
These measuring cups are adorable! I really need some myself. They stack into each other to make it space saving and super cute on your worktop at the same time. These would be perfect for the baker e the family. They are always useful to have around, even for meal recipes and theres nothing more enjoyable to have pretty tools to do it with.

7/ Beatrix Teacup & Saucer - Oliver Bonas
Last up is this gorgeous tea cup and saucer. I mean just look at it! They have different styles on the site as well as a full 4 piece set and a teapot cup if you wanted something which was more of the whole package instead. I really want these, well I want everything I have shown you today but this is just gorgeous! There are a lot of avid tea drinkers out there, and there is nothing better than drinking tea in style. I feel this pays homage to Britain and the British ways in which we do things, which I think is great. Ughh I love it!

So that is all I have to show you today, but check out the rest of the sites that these are linked too as there are lots of other amazing gifts available!

See you tomorrow...hopefully!
Love Khrissie x

#Blogmas 3: Brunch at Counter

As part of the Bloggers Hangout I had the wonderful opportunity to go to brunch at a nice little restaurant/bar called Counter*. It is situated within the Vauxhall Arches in London, right next to the tube station. We arrived here after roughly at 10:30 after our sleepover at a secret location in Putney for breakfast followed by a 'make your own' bellini and a choice of dessert. Our mountain of bags were taken off us and stored behind the reception as we entered the venue, which was really appreciated as we had a lot of goodies with us. This means you can shop until you drop and pop by on your way home without the worry of trying to fit all your bags round the table.

The restaurant was quaint with modern touches and a warming atmosphere. We were greeted at the door by a wonderful gentleman who showed us to our table, that he had prepared especially for us. Filled with beautiful flowers and neatly arranged tableware, the table was nothing but inviting. We were given a menu where we could choose from a choice of sweet or savoury options including pancakes and french bread right through to baked eggs and pesto.

We were served quickly by the most pleasant waiters with smiles on their faces, ready to make sure we had a relaxed and enjoyable time. We were given a pot of tea followed by a fresh juice of our choice, while we pondered over the extensive menu. In the mean time we got to meet the owner of the restaurant who was full of personality and had a loving passion for his brand, which was really endearing. He later took us to look around his neighbouring bar which is quiet during the day, but really comes to life at night. If you love a night out that is a bit unexpected, stop by sometime. I assure you, you wont be disappointed.


I decided to go with eggs benedict for my main as I wanted something savoury and comforting on the palette. This really hit the spot and tasted as delicious as it looked. The poached eggs weren't perfectly runny as I would have liked but I let it go as the rest of it was so tasty that it did not matter.

Rachel being pescatarian decided to go for the baked eggs with truffle mushrooms and walnut pesto. I loved the quirky touch of the pan that it was served in, to give it a rustic feel. This looked like a great option for those who like to avoid anything too heavy before lunchtime.

Brogan decided to go for the apple and cinnamon stuffed toast with candied walnuts which looked and smelt absolutely amazing! I can imagine that being the perfect brunch during the Christmas season as it definitely has a festive touch to it. I'm surprised I didn't ask to try some thinking about it now.

We were then privileged enough to make an alcoholic beverage mid morning with our own make your own bellini, which consisted of peach and prosecco. We added in a peach puree to a glass that had a slice of peach already in it and topped it with my favourite kind of bubbles. I thought it was delicious and would be great addition to your meal if you were with your girlfriends celebrating a birthday or new job.

I was personally too full to the brim with food to even comtemplate the dessert menu but it did all look so delicious. So while Rachel tucked into what looked like the best apple pie, ever we chatted all things blogging while we finished our bellinis and juices.

It was great to not feel rushed and to take all the time we needed to enjoy our experience, which is quite hard to find in a busy city like London where the turn around is so quick. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if your looking for a nice quiet spot to catch up with friends or family. It is right next to Vauxhall station, so no need to worry about rolling home after you have eaten yourself into a food coma.

Thank you to Danielle for inviting and organising this for us and to Counter for hosting the brunch. It really was the icing on the cake to a great weekend.

Happy Thursday everyone! The week is almost over and it will soon be time for lay ins, Christmas films and hot chocolate, I just cant wait....

Love Khrissie x

(All images are my own unless stated)

LoveBox Festival 2015

Jessie Ware was incredible! If you ever get a chance to see her, do it! She seems like the nicest and most down to earth artist I've seen in a while, plus her songs are beautiful!

Heres my outfit that I wore to the festival. Top and shorts are from ASOS. Necklace from Oasis. Shoes from H&M. Choker and lace throw on from New Look. Sunglasses from Topshop.

Your probably thinking these chips look gross but let me tell you. Chips with gravy and cheese are just amazing! On those days where you go wild and forget about healthy food, this is what you need!

So I can bee a right nutter sometimes and this blog is one about me, imperfections and all so this just gives you a little glimpse into what I'm like on a daily basis. Life's too short to be normal - right? 

Lovebox 2015 was such a great day out. Music was good and it was great to spend some quality time with my man. Although we live together we don't actually spend much time together with our busy work lives. Today was a day for us to enjoy life without the annoying distractions ad create some memories. 

Make most of the days you have and live it to the full. Always do what makes you happy!

That can be a walk on the beach, getting an ice cream or sob in front of Netflix for half a day feeling sorry for yourself. You might not be an outdoors kind of person and prefer spending time in your happy place. I'm trying to make a conscious effort to be more social as I can be a bit of a hermit crab at the best of times. Its helping my confidence a lot and I always feel better once I'm in the situation than I do thinking about it. Don't ever feel like you need to live your life in a certain way, just make sure your happy doing whatever you want. Life really is too short. 

Try and enjoy your week the best you can. 

Ciao!

Love Khrissie 

Healthy Snacks: Coconut Bites

Today I am going to share with you a recipe that I tried and tested from a wonderful blog called 'My Whole Food Life'. I've been reading a lot of food blogs lately as I have been on the hunt for a healthier version of some of my favourite foods like pizza. I am definitely not one for starving myself on these fad diets, which in all fairness are never really good for you as your weight ends up yo-yoing when you do decide you want to indulge on a pizza.

This year is all about being happy and I am not 100% happy with my body. Its not completely terrible but its not all that good either and rather make myself unhappy by sweating all my spare time at the gym and starving myself of the foods I love, why not just make some small changes that can in turn can make a much bigger difference.

I came across this post and once I tried it I just had to share it with you, specifically from an amateurs perspective. We all known that you see these amazing pictures of these wonderful food, try them and they end up looking like something the cat dragged in! This a gluten free recipe is surprisingly easy, its gluten free and can also be vegan if you find alternatives.

Prep Time: 5 minutes 
Cook Times: 20 minutes

To start of with you are going to need:
1 1/2 (173g) cups raw pecans 
12 medjool dates (remove pits)
1 cup (230ml) sweetened condensed milk (vegan)
1/2tsp sea salt
1 cup (100g) unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup (110g) dark chocolate chunks

You can either buy a set of weighing cups here or use the conversion.

Instructions: 
Preheat oven to 350 
Measure out your raw pecans and add them to your food processor with your pitted dates. Add in the salt and whiz up until the mixture starts to stick together.

Line a glass dish, around 8inches wide with parchment or greaseproof paper leaving some extra at the edges. Add the mixture to the dish, making sure all the base it covered and press down with a fork.

Next pour a cup of the condensed milk over the mixture, making sure it is evenly covered. You then need to weigh the coconut and chocolate chunks and sprinkle them on top of the condensed milk. Lightly press into the condensed milk with your fork.

Then just pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes. This is where you need to catch up on some YouTube or blogs, as time seems so stop as soon as the smell of warm chocolate fills the air.

Get out of the oven and place on a cooling rack until completely cool and slice into whatever shape you like. Now this is even harder but let me tell you, its the best wait you will have. To me it tastes like a bounty with the coconut in, (so of course you can substitute it with whatever you like) but knowing its pretty healthy for you there is no guilt of shame after you have devoured a few slices.

As you can see its a gooey and chocolatey piece of heaven! Get it in the fridge quickly to make it less messy and enjoy it all to yourself, knowing you could be getting 1 of your 5 a day! 

I hope you have enjoyed todays recipe, please let me know if you make it.

I'm going to be doing more in the near future and even going to try my hand at making my own.

Have a lovely rest of the week guys!

Love Khrissie xx

Always being thankful

Hello guys,

It's been a while since I've blogged but life has really been so busy, especially when Christmas was just around the corner. Thanksgiving in America has also  happened which always makes me wonder why this is something that happens only once a year and only in America. Its way more important than Valentines, Easter, Halloween and even Christmas in some circumstances. A lot can happen in a year, most of which you could never expect in a million years.

So many sad stories of friends, family members getting ill or even passing away, own family issues and news stories about other people around the world having to deal with sadness. Knowing that you cant do much about many of these things is not a nice feeling, which is why I think so many people become blind to a lot of these situations.

Going into 2015 is where Im going to change the direction of this blog, mainly because of the over saturation of beauty and fashion where every few blogs have the same reviews about the same things, and quite frankly I hate following the crowds. I want to do something more meaningful and something where I can actually help people to stop some of this sadness, even only for a minute. I will be donig more DIYs and will include fashion and beauty but I want to help solve problems, help you be more confident or realise how pretty you are and show you how important life is to live, instead of being so obsessed in an online life.

I hope you will come along on this journey with me because I'm pretty excited about it. Since I was a little girl I have always wanted to help people, whether that was helping an old lady cross the street or understanding those people with deep issues and telling them it will be okay.

So watch this space ladies and gents,
2015 is going to be a good one!

Love Khrissie x