Archive for month: September, 2016

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Team Wiggo and the Celebrity Eclipse

A family cruise on Celebrity Eclipse

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So I’ve had an absolutely MAD bout of travelling and can’t wait to update you on all the exciting things we’ve been up to. Firstly, we’ve just returned from a lovely two week family cruise on Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Cruises’ beautiful Solstice class cruise ship, where we sailed from Southampton and visited Gibraltar, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. It was our first time as a family on a Celebrity Cruise (Mr E and I did a wine cruise on Celebrity Infinity a while ago) and we did wonder what it would be like to spend two weeks in a relatively small stateroom as a family (as it turned out, we were treated to extra room, which was fab). Here’s how we got on:

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Dive in! Dining at Stockdales

A really special dining experience at Stockdales of Yorkshire

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One of the incredible dining experiences of our recent foodie trip to Leeds was a visit to Stockdales of Yorkshire. I’d heard great things about this very stylish restaurant in the heart of Leeds city centre, with a menu that celebrates the best produce that Yorkshire has to offer, including some stunning 28 day aged black Wagyu beef, sourced from a farm in nearby Doncaster and cooked on a state of the art Josper charcoal grill. Read more →

Win a luxury L’Occitane Hamper

Win a luxury L’Occitane Hamper worth over £300

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I’ve got a new obsession (which admittedly tends to happen quite often). I do flit between different products as I find them, but I’m currently completely in love with a cream that’s made me shove everything else on my bathroom shelf out the way. L’Occitane’s Divine Cream is just so glorious, so rich, so velvety, so luxurious and delicious that I’m completely smitten. And obviously I need you to try it too, so I’ve got news of a fabulous competition in which you can win a luxury L’Occitane Hamper, worth £300, for yourself!

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Overnight chocolate chia oats

Overnight chocolate chia oats

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I’ve got to be honest, I’m a bit suspicious of all these ‘superfoods’ like goji berries and the like. I equate them with things like ‘clean eating’ (ugh) and all that making brownies out of butternut squash and dates stuff that’s been popular recently (seriously, brownies made out of butter, sugar, flour and chocolate are just fine - why mess with a classic?). But then the health food experts, BonPom came along and offered to send me some of their products and I thought yeah, why not - I’ll give them a go, and it turns out, actually, that I quite like chia. Who knew? Here’s my attempt at healthy overnight chocolate chia oats.

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Ryvita Lunch Packs

Quick and healthy lunches with new Ryvita Lunch Packs

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I’m home!! Oh we had such a lovely time on our cruise (if you’ve been following me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, you’ll have seen all the fun), and I’m literally back for one day before Erica and I head out to Walt Disney World Resort, Florida to check out everything new in the world of Disney dining (and to whizz around on a few rides, of course). I was delighted to come back to a fabulous delivery in the shape of new Ryvita Lunch Packs, so as Erica’s staying before we head off to Gatwick, we though we’d have a little play and concoct some quick and healthy snackage to set us up for our long flight.

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Minnie ears at Walt Disney World Florida

My Walt Disney World top tips

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I’m always getting asked for my Walt Disney World top tips, so if you’re planning your first visit, or you’re just after some tips and recommendations for your next visit to the Walt Disney World parks, I’m going to start this now and keep adding to it as I have new experiences. If you have any great tips to add, please do let me know and I’ll happily add them (with credit to you of course!).

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oat bran flapjack cookies with chocolate

Chocolate oatbran flapjack cookies

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So as you read this, we’re on our family cruise around the Med on Celebrity Eclipse and are currently steaming towards Portugal (squee!). During the run up, as you know, I was eating really, really healthily (with the odd treat) and exercising daily. Mr E and I have been out cycling on our bikes and I’ve been walking a few miles with the dog every day, plus - an absolute revelation: I’ve been doing free weights, kettlebells and even sit ups at home, which I really enjoy. I really feel that my arms are more toned already and my jeans feel looser too. Bonus. I know they’re not for everyone but I’ve found a couple of the fitness tracking apps really useful motivation, and I’m watching my portion sizes (always an issue when you live with three strapping fellas). I’ve been fiddling about with this recipe for a while as, while I’m definitely not eating biscuits, sometimes I really crave something crunchy and sweet, and I thought it I could create a little treat that’s going to kill the cravings, but not derail the healthy eating, I’d be pretty happy. So I had a little experiment and created these relatively healthy little oatbran flapjack cookies. And then I ruined it by smothering them in chocolate.

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REN Superhero kit

REN Vita Mineral skincare and 20% REN discount for you!

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Regular readers will know that I’m a huge fan of REN skincare. At the moment, I’m here in Italy in the sunshine and my skin is dry and dehydrated from long sunny days, not enough water and - yes, okay I’ll say it - a bit too much alcohol. I’ve been trying to take better care of it using the REN Vita Mineral Skincare range, specifically trying to fight my sun damage and dehydration with the Omega 3 Optimum Skin Oil. You just add a couple of drops before your moisturiser night and morning and it gives your skin a whopping boost of Omega 3, 6 and 9 (nope, me either), vitamin A and vitamin E, giving it everything it needs to stay healthy and hydrated. I also wanted to give you a quick heads up that there’ll be a 20% REN discount and a fab free gift offer for you on the site from tomorrow! Read more →

Lamb keema stuffed chapatis with a fresh tomato and mango salsa

Lamb keema stuffed chapatis with a fresh tomato and mango salsa

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Are you a fan of keema? If you haven’t discovered it yet, think shepherd’s pie filling, but with a delicious, warm, spicy kick. We adore it. I first started making a similar version as a party nibble, stuffed into little lettuce cups, but we also just have it with rice. It’s a really easy, yummy way to spice up lamb mince (if you’re only using it in your shepherd’s pies, you’re missing a trick), and it’s a great, affordable way to feed the whole family. We don’t seem to eat at the same time as much on weekdays, so I sometimes knock up a big pan of keema, then Mr E and I will eat ours with rice, and the boys will heat theirs up later, which I think is where the whole stuffed chapatis/quesadilla idea came about (I’ve got to be honest, I was going to call these quesadillas, but y’know, it almost seems a fusion dish too far, plus since I decided to write this recipe up, we’ve started buying chapatis and they’re delicious).

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The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Holiday reading: 5 books I’m packing in my suitcase

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By the time you’re reading this, we’ll have sailed away from Southampton on Celebrity Eclipse, heading for our first destination, Gibraltar, before moving on to France, Italy, Portugal and Spain! I’m looking forward to two weeks of properly relaxing. Of course, I’m going to be keeping an eye on the internet (no way I could go completely cold turkey), but I’m going to try to keep work to the minimum and really enjoy our family time. I’m super excited to actually get to do some holiday reading, and Mr E and I have amassed a stash of books to take with us. Here are the 5 books I’m packing in my suitcase:

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Cocobay Swimwear

My holiday picks and a 20% Coco Bay Swimwear discount code for you!

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If you’re following me on Instagram (if not, why not?!) my Instagram story is currently full of me obsessing about packing (and worrying about forgetting boarding passes and passports!). You’ll also have seen my holiday picks from Cocobay Swimwear, where, strangely for such a lover of colour, I actually chose a completely monochrome outfit! I’m very excited to tell you that, exclusively for English Mum readers, we’ve arranged a special 20% Coco Bay Swimwear discount! Before you choose - here’s what I picked: Read more →