Lifestyle – Page 37 – What Kate Did Next

“Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington on a railway platform”

December 23, 2014December 23, 2014Lifestyle2 Comments

We’re going on a bear hunt we’re going to catch a…Paddington!

I once again returned to my beloved london to search out a few of the Paddington Bears that have been placed round the city in celebration of the new film. It’s a great opportunity to see parts of the city that you don’t normally go to and to actually walk around London instead of hopping on and off tubes.

We started off with the Shakesbear which you can find just past the globe, not before stopping at the amazing christmas market situated by the Tate. If for some reason you are feeling a little worse for wear then definitely pick up a hog roast roll it will make you feel much better!

Across the river near St Pauls Cathedral is Bear in the Wood this was quite a quiet bear sighting so if you want to avoid the crowds of bear hunters then check this one out.

The next bear we spotted was inside the Museum of London designed by Benedict Cumberbatch the Sherlock Bear is dressed up as my favourite detective.

Hidden away slightly in Guildhall Square is Good Morning London Paddington, this is a really tricky one to find but I love how different it is from the other ones we had spotted. Round the corner from this bear I stumbled across a gorgeous square full of galleries and museums, finding the perfect spot for some outfit pictures.

Outside the very festive Royal Exchange is the R,G,B bear a rather colourful bear it makes the centre of the city look much brighter than it normally does.

Re-tracing our steps we stumbled across Fragile Bear which is near the Tate and that was where our bear hunt stopped however there are fifty to find and with the trail ending on the 30th December what are you waiting for get your bear hunting kit and get out there.

We warmed ourselves up in our favourite Belgium cafe Le Pain Quotidein before heading home.

Have you been on a bear hunt yet?

Peace Out and Pixie Dust XO

For more information on the Paddington Trail visit here.

Quick Gingerbread Presents

December 23, 2014December 22, 2014Lifestyle1 Comment

So Christmas is like 2 days away and let’s not lie I am not feeling particularly organised, hopefully I am not the only one. I have been frantically searching for some last minute presents and these gingerbread cookies are a yummy edible gift to give that awkward aunt or second cousin twice removed who tends to turn up at Christmas – or for anyone in the family with a sweet tooth.

You will need:

125g Unsalted Butter

100g Dark Brown Muscovado Sugar

4 tbsp Golden Syrup

325g Plain Flour

1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

2 tsp Ground Ginger

5 tbsp Icing Sugar

Decorations.

I found all of these in my kitchen cupboard so double check before you dash to the shops.

Preheat the oven to 170C and then melt the butter,sugar and syrup together in a saucepan and then remove from the heat.

Sieve the bicarbonate, ginger and flour into a large mixing bowl and then pour the melted ingredients in.

Mix the ingredients together till you get a stiff ball of dough-it will have a slight sticky texture to it so don’t worry.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 5mm and then using cookie cutters or printed templates cut out festive shapes.

Place the cookies onto a baking tray covered in baking parchment and pop in the oven for 10 minutes – or until golden brown.

Now its time to decorate and get messy cover any mistakes with sprinkles – trust me it helps.

Package them up in a cute little bag or box and they are ready to go. These will keep for 2 weeks in an air tight container.

Who knew making ginger bread was so easy!?

Peace Out and Pixie Dust XO

Life is like a box of shrimp?|Bubba Gump Restaurant

December 22, 2014December 21, 2014Lifestyle1 Comment

I’m not the biggest fan of the film Forrest Gump but I do love a themed restaurant and the new Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is an awesome new addition to the mass of restaurants in the Leicester square area.

It’s not cheap I will put that out there to begin with but its the perfect treat especially for Gump lovers and seafood eaters because the menu is predominately seafood.

The cocktails are amazing but bloody strong so tread carefully, my favourite was the Starboard Sunrise.

I kicked it all off with the Shrimp Shack Mac ‘n’ Cheese. A rich and creamy macaroni cheese with chunks of shrimp – in all honesty I could quite happily have just had this as a main it was so good!

I followed this up with Forrests Sea Food Feast. Southern Fried Shrimp, Seafood Hush Pups and Fish&Chips with a large number of dipping sauces. Now i’m not going to lie I was pretty much already full from the starter and with the huge portion sizes I didn’t get too fully enjoy the feast however I did sample all of them and enjoyed every single one.

I didn’t really plan on blogging about this restaurant so loads of photos didn’t occur but I would happily go back and check out what else they have to offer.

Peace Out and Pixie Dust XO

For more information visit here – www.bubbagump.com

Festive Food Fun

December 21, 2014December 21, 2014Lifestyle, UncategorizedLeave a Comment

It has become tradition in my friendship group to have an early christmas where we can stuff ourselves silly and laugh till the early hours before we all leave to go back to our home towns. I am always the host because well I enjoy playing the hostess.

Dress – H&M|Shoes – Amazon.

I wore this gorgeous dress from H&M; I love how it clings to your waist and then kicks out, it’s the perfect festive dress that you can keep in your wardrobe for other special occasions.

We feasted on baked camembert, turkey with pigs in blankets drowned in gravy finishing ourselves off with a hand decorated gingerbread house all cooked by myself. If you are looking for festive food then I got all these goodies (bar the gingerbread house) from ASDA.

I would be lost without these gorgeous girls and cannot wait for more fun adventures in 2015.

Peace Out and Pixie Dust XO

Christmas at Kew

December 14, 2014December 14, 2014LifestyleLeave a Comment

As soon as you step into Christmas at Kew you feel like Alice stepping into Wonderland.

Wrap up warm because it is an outdoor event but a few mulled beverages should help you along the way.

Christmas at Kew is a walk through the beautiful gardens where illuminating installations create stunning sights for both children and adults.

Along the way there is a fun fair, various food and drink stalls and my favourite huge marshmallows to toast over fires whilst watching miniature plays.

I went for the Raspberry&Gin flavour and OMGoodness it was amazing!

Check out my vlog to see more or check out last years trip to Christmas at Kew here.

Peace Out and Pixie Dust XO

Late Night Museum Trips

December 6, 2014December 1, 2014Lifestyle1 Comment

If you’re not in the festive spirit yet then hopefully this post will give you hand. Recently my sister surprised my mum and I by coming to stay for a few days and we took the opportunity to have an afternoon and evening in London.

In amongst the twinkling trees lies the magnificent Natural History Museum and on the last friday of every month they have a light night opening with music, food and drink. The museum is free to enter although some of the exhibitions are ticketed.

We had booked tickets to go and view the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition; something that we visit every year and as always I was so impressed by the gorgeous photographs of the world and the animals around us. However I was rather disappointed that so many people were snapping photos on their smart phones – with a no photography rule and a lovely selection of postcards on sale it really ruined the atmosphere.

Waistcoat – Thrifted|Shirt – Brandy Melville|Jeans – Topshop|Boots – Primark.

After the photography exhibition I pulled my mum and sister round the dinosaur display (secret dino geek) with the museum being open after hours I felt a little like I was in The Night at the Museum and was waiting for the skeletons to start moving.