Operation Christmas Child

It's been a horrible weekend news wise with what seems like World War 3 about to begin along with natural disasters in other corners of the world. It can leave us feeling helpless & thinking whatever next! 

Operation Christmas child is something that we can do to give back to areas of the world that are disadvantaged or in turmoil on a daily basis. A simple gift can bring so much joy to children in these areas of the world. Have you seen the videos on Facebook showing how happy these boxes make the children?! It's amazing. 

My Stepson Riley's school is taking part so Riley bought one home for us to make. You can either decorate a standard shoe box or buy a "go box" which is pre-decorated as below: 

All you have to do then is fill with items. Guidance asks you to include something the child will take to straight away like a cuddly toy, other items can be games or things the child will need such as stationary or hygiene items such as a toothbrush. You can find step by step instructions here: https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/how-to-pack-a-shoebox/

Here's what we included in ours:

It really doesn't take much to put a smile on a child's face. You can then stick on a label which states whether it's for a boy or a girl and the relevant age category. 

The closing date for these boxes is Friday 20th so you still have just under a week for this! There are also a number of drop

Off points which you can find on the website by entering your postcode. 

Go for it :)

Saffron xox

Blackpool Illuminations

This weekend my little family & I headed to Blackpool to see the Illuminations. I absolutely LOVE this time of year! To anyone who doesn't know, the Illuminations are basically lots of lights along the promenade & you can look at them.. Go on the beach.. Go in the penny arcades... Eat chippy chips & lots of sweet things like candy floss!

One of my favourite things to do is be at the seaside in the fresh air & with no worries! This is us loving life!

This is my favourite arcade game!

Blackpool is literally the windiest place in the world but it immediately makes you feel happy! Family time is the best time. 

Saff xoxo

Vegan Toolkit class

On Sunday, my Sister & I had the pleasure of going to The Vegetarian Society in Altrincham for a "Vegan Toolkit" class. 

As you may be aware, we have been Vegetarians all our lives & are recently looking into becoming Vegan after reading & educating ourselves what happens in the Dairy industries too.. It just doesn't sit right with us so are learning a Vegan diet. 

This class is designed to teach you basics of what plant based products can replace Dairy products in every day ingredients such as Mayonnaise or a base of a cake mix. The class was so valuable & taught you every day skills unlike some courses which teach you really tricky recipes that just aren't maintainable day to day! 

Here's some of what we made:

Very briefly, the spread includes things like Lentil cakes, Broad Bean Strogannof, Pesto Pasta, Spicy Brocolli tart, Tofu Meatball Lasagne & Mushroom pate. It was delicious! We also made pudding of Gooseberry mousse, Almond Creme & fresh fruits & also Lemon Cheesecake. 

We also learnt that not all wines are Vegetarian as they have ingredients such as Fish swim bladders used in the fermenting process. The things people use in our foods are gross!

I'm not someone who usually enjoys cooking, but I felt so relaxed and chilled after, I felt like I had spent the day at the spa! So I am keen to continue to experiment with different dishes as I went away feeling inspired & with some good tricks under my belt to help me make the Vegan transition.

 Saffron xoxo

It was about time..

For some quality time with my Momma & Papa bear today! Since I have moved into my own house, it can sometimes feel like I don't get to spend enough quality time with them. So whenever I get the chance to, I like to plan a day where it doesn't really matter what we do, as long as it's together! 

Today was one of those precious days, Paul & Riley had plans with the football so I took the opportunity! My Momma & I started the day with some shopping, we then headed back home to collect my Papa Bear to head back to the British Ceramics Biennial where my sister is working. They had breads from around the world to try, & different forms of art from around the world too from different styles of music & dance, to the clay activities. It was a great atmosphere.

We then headed back to collect my Mini Schnauzer, Daisy & on the way went through the Starbucks Drive Thru for Coffee & Nutella Cookies-- divine! 

Once we had Daisy, we headed to our favourite Lake for a late afternoon walk.. & the sunshine came out for us. Beautiful! 

Our day finished with watching the sun go down over the lake & watching a family of Golden Retrievers play in the water. 

I am now cosied up on the sofa with my hubby for a night in front of the tele, I just love this time of year! I also went for the Bohemian look today... I was feeling it

Saffron xo

British Ceramics Biennial

I'm This weekend we visited the BCB where my sister is currently working an Internship; she has assisted in setting up the festival & is working there 6 days a week for 6 weeks while thago festival is live. 

We finally managed to visit & took part in one of the classes available, you can do making a flower, throwing, making a tile & clay mapping; the later is the one we took part in.

We walked around the BCB collecting plants to then use to imprint the clay & make a tile. Good idea & the boys got to learn about the plants they were using too.

It was brilliant to see the festival so busy & see my sister being a part of such a great thing. The art there was really cool & it was inspiring to see the passion they all had for their art. Some photos below from our visit: 

It was all held in the run down Spode factory which had its own poignance to it. 

Saffron xo

Colouring for adults

Happy Sunday again guys, 

I have just finished my delicious Sunday roast & have now settled on the sofa for a night in front of the box so thought it would be a good time to write a blog! 

I spent my Saturday afternoon in the garden, colouring in the sunshine! Now I know what you're thinking- colouring?! At your age?! Well I would think the same thing. But I came across a range of adult colouring books designed to help us destress, reduce anxiety & to take some time out to be mindful. 

There are different themed ones but I chose the 'mindful' book for busy people. 

There are all kinds of different patterns in there, I found it so relaxing & peaceful to just sit & colour on my own with a cuppa & get away from the world for a while.

I personally bought it as I suffer with anxiety at times & when I saw they are good to remedy that, I thought why not give it a go! I wasn't feeling anxious at all yesterday, but wanted a go anyway & found it very relaxing. 

So I would say, if you suffer with anxiety or a busy mind- give it a go! Or if you are a creative type who would enjoy trying your hand at colouring again- go for it! 

Let me know what you think & have a positive week :)

Saffron xoxo

Buddha bowl

Happy Sunday everyone! 

I don't know about anyone else but I have eaten like a horse for the past 3 weeks! My mindset was, it's Easter soon so what's the point... But now I can tell I have indulged & need to get back on track. 

I generally enjoy eating healthily but have trouble snacking so have bought myself some Nakd bars & nuts to nibble on while in the office. 

As some of you may know, I am a transitioning vegan. I have been vegetarian all of my life & having learnt more about the treatment of animals in the dairy industry recently, I have decided veganism is the way forward. 

So this afternoon, I had some time on my hands so had a nosey through some vegan packed lunch recipes on the fabulous Pinterest! I found something called a 'Buddha bowl' which is basically a salad but it must include a kind of whole grain too. 

This evening I set about making my own Buddha bowl for my lunch for work tomorrow. 

 

It looks pretty good even if I do say so myself! I chose cous cous as my grain item & combined it with a baked sweet potato seasoned with thyme, a handful of green salad & a handful of steamed curly Kale. I also threw in some Quorn Chicken. 

Vegans out there will know that Quorn unfortunately is not vegan as it contains egg. But so far, I have only managed to cut out the whole foods of the dairy group & will admit to still eating chocolate & Quorn. I am told all Quorn products from September will be vegan- so I cannot wait for that! 

My next step is to cut out Quorn & replace with the vegan options now readily available at supermarkets. Not only is veganism an animal friendly diet, it is also a very healthy one so helps keep the waistline trim too!

I can't wait to tuck into my Buddha bowl tomorrow :-) 

Have a good week guys,

Saffron

Xoxo

Sunday feelings

Happy Sunday people!

Everyone who knows me, will know that I am a mega worrier & planner. Sometimes the planning side can be a good trait... But other times, it can be a real pain in the neck; disabling me from being able to enjoy the now because I am so worried about planning for the future. 

I have been struggling with this feeling for a week or so now, so thought it may be a good topic for my blog.. To help others out there to talk themselves out of their anxious feelings & back into enjoying the now. It may also help some people who live with someone who acts this way, so you can share ideas with them to help them relax next time. 

The main things that help me when I am worrying & anxious are to: 

1) write down what is bothering me

2) break the task down into bite size chunks & write in my diary when I can achieve different parts of the task & get it done on that particular date 

3) Talk- I usually talk to my husband, my family & my best friend (people who really understand how you can act & understand how it makes you feel)

4) take time out to do what relaxes you, whether it be a walk/a film/a bath/read/exercise to clear your head

5) keep a journal- when I don't feel like talking about my feelings, I write in my journal as it helps me to empty my head & seems to make things clearer when it's all written down

6) read quotes- this helps me to understand I am not the only one & makes me feel more confident in my feelings

Some quotes that have really helped me in the past: 

The last one above is my favourite!

I also worry about money a lot and always wish I had a better paid job. But these quotes help me to put things in perspective:

I hope at least 1/2 of what I have written above/the quotations help you! I have only recently started talking about my feelings & believe that mindfulness & self care & understanding is really important. 

Have a good week guys,

Saff xoxo 

Vegan love

Hope everyone is having a good week... One more get up until the weekend! We're almost there :-)

Thought I would do a bit of a different post today & talk about my main passion in life... & that is animal welfare! Now I have always been a vegetarian, but lately I have been learning of the harm that comes to animals in the dairy industry too.. So I am very gradually transitioning to becoming Vegan!

I would be interested to know if any of my readers are vegetarian or vegan? What is your stance on the dairy industry?

Anyway, my sister & I tried a new vegan cafe that has recently opened in our local town of Newcastle Under Lyme: 'RAWR'. We have been waiting for a place like this & we were not disappointed. 

We both got a bit of almost everything to sample it! We got a fresh coconut, a smoothie (they have so many yummy flavours there), a 'mexicana' sandwich which was made with sweet fig bread, avocado, humous, rocket & sweet chilli jam. It was soooo good! 

We also got some superfood salad & vegan brownies! 

We took the brownies home as we were so full after our lunch! Our trip was a great kickstart into the vegan diet & the food was honestly so tasty & super healthy! I have a feeling it could be the future :)

Saffron xoxo

Mane 'n' tail hair products review

I'm in love! 

I have had a few comments this week from people saying my hair has grown & gained thickness... I am chuffed as I started using Mane 'n' Tail horse shampoo around a month ago to try & get it grow & get thicker!

My friend at work suggested it to me initially & at first I was sceptical but I have to say I am very impressed. 

Now I usually have trouble with my hair getting greasy & flat from heavy shampoos so did a check on the reviews online before purchasing. Some were negative & said it weighed their hair down but the majority were positive so I decided to give it a shot! 

This was my hair before using the shampoo & conditioner...

Very short and thin! This is what my hair looked like 2 weeks in..

And now......

There is definite growth!! & I can tell it feels thicker too. Not noticeable yet on pictures, but I can definitely feel the difference. I do have to wash my hair every other day using this product, which is a downside, but my hair has always gotten greasy quickly as it's so thin! But it leaves my hair feeling fresh with no residue. 

I also had 'baby hairs' that used to stick up every day as they were so short and thin. But now they are growing and beginning to blend in with the rest of my hair:

I will give you an update if I see any other significant changes. But believe it or not, I would definitely recommend this horse shampoo to my readers! It's also pretty cheap at around £3.50 on amazon for both the shampoo & conditioner. 

Give it a try & let me know what you think! 

Saffron xo

Moddershall Oaks

I'm back!

Have been meaning to blog for a while now... So re-downloaded the app and I'm back!

This weekend I treated myself to a day spa at Moddershall Oaks in Staffordshire. It was heavenly and exactly what I needed. I have been before, but they have recently installed a new outdoor spa and it has been a great move for the spa- it has made a huge difference.

Outdoors there is a hot tub pool overlooking fields and woodland with surrounding beds and also a sauna and log fire. You are able to drink in the tub and it's honestly so perfect! 

Indoors there is a hydrotherapy pool, aromatherapy pool, experience shower, steam room, foot spa and hot tiled beds. 

You can also treat yourself to a yummy meal and a treatment too. Our spa day package cost around £100 and this included everything in the day. The spa has a limited amount of visitors too making it very relaxing and there is also the option for an overnight stay. 

Anyone local... I urge you to try it out! Cheers xxxx