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Celebrating the rose with Cyprus Tourism Organisation

I’m going to take you on a bit of a journey with this post. Don’t worry, it’s a really good journey! A few week’s back I was invited to a rather unique and special event in London to celebrate with the Cyprus Tourism Organisation. Sadly the event wasn’t actually in Cyprus, but they most definitely brought the party, feel and Cypriot style right to the venue.

The event was centred around celebrating the annual Festival of the Rose which is held each May in the rural Cyprus village of Agros. Famed for its bright and beautiful roses, Agros springs to life as visitors flock to learn all about the distillation of the roses, attend exhibitions and take part in workshops.

I turned up to the venue ready and set in my floral trousers (got to look the part) and instantly fell in love with the building…

The whole place was decked out head to toe with Alice in Wonderland tributes! Not for the event mind you, this building near Waterloo is like this all year round- my heart melted a bit as I missed Alice who stayed at home while I came into London for the event.

Roses in shades of red and pink could be found everywhere, it really was a perfect venue for an event dedicated to the power of the rose.

We had a warm welcome from the Cyprus Tourism Organisation who gave us some great background into the festival and the country itself:

  • Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea
  • Cyprus is filled with vast areas of dense forest and valleys
  • Cyprus annually celebrates traditional festivals such as The Rose Festival
  • When rose water is distilled, its aromatic fragrance can be used in hundreds of different ways- in beauty products like perfumes and oils and also in sweets and liqueurs
  • The Rose of Damascus blossoms in between April and May, making right now the ideal environment for growth

Bloggers and press were then taken into the main area for the night, filled with treats and wonderful things inspired by The Rose Festival.

Mahalepi- a traditional dessert made from rose water, cornstarch and rose syrup 

As if this wasn’t enough, we were treated to a one to one tutorial in flower arranging from Rebel Rebel, a popular London florist- just look at what we created..

Finally, after all the hard work, guests were treated to luxury hand massages and manicures- I got some gorgeous rose details by @poppinpolishldn, go check her Instagram out before you leave!

Thanks to all involved for making this event happen, or rather, ευχαριστώ in Greek!

Fun fact- I did actually take a course of Greek lessons while at sixth form and I still  remember the whole alphabet ?

Saharasplash x

I hope you loved reading all about my adventures celebrating the rose with Cyprus Tourism Organisation. If you want to subscribe to my blog and get posts straight to your inbox the link is on the homepage,  just below my photo!

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Husband Takeover Spring Wardrobe Wishlist

He’s back! It’s time for another husband takeover on the blog. Paul is needing a major wardrobe clearout this season, so it’s out with all the tatty shirts and in with some fab new pieces. We’ve been browsing Terraces Menswear who supply some of our favourite premium brands all in one place. Keep on reading to see Paul’s choices for this husband takeover Spring wardrobe wishlist!

Here are a few things from the Ellesse Collection we are loving…

This yellow Berto Jacket from Ellesse is £50 and a great Spring staple. Yellow is a great colour which will always be in fashion this time of year and the half zip detail is really unique for a jacket like this.

The Meda Tshirt from the Ellesse collection is just £25, and just simple, effortless daywear. The signature Ellesse style is perfect when paired with jeans, crops, chinos or shorts this Spring.

Then we have the Volo sports cap. It’s a signature look and also a smart decision to get investing in some great headwear for Spring now that the UVA/UVB is starting to climb. Protect yourself in style with a white cap- this one’s just £18!

If you are looking for a more subtle cap to wear out and about, this Fred Perry piqué cap in marl grey is the one for you. It would go perfectly with the tshirt above and really bring out the light grey tones- if you have green or blue eyes then this one’s a winner.

We all love a bit of baby blue, and this is again from Fred Perry. It’s got a £40 price tag and comes with ribbed crew neck and cuffs to match. It’s a great neckline and the perfect way to get those guns out, Spring-ready or not!

Eyes down now, let’s talk about shoes. Shoes are a real sore point when it comes to Paul and I. Of course I am bound to have more shoes than Paul, but at the moment even Alice has more shoes than him! He is a real stickler when it comes to footwear, and will only think about replacing a pair when they are falling apart, so I am sneakily adding this one in without him knowing- teehee! The pair above by Fred Perry (£75) are called Byron Low Ginger and are inspired by the desert boot. Suede shoes are just so good when you wear them right, and I really think Paul should take the hint and GET SOME NEW SHOES MAN.

Next up is a brand new favourite brand of Paul’s, mostly because he likes the manly name, but also because of the designs too! Here’s the Jack Wolfskin picks…

This Sutherland Cross Sweat is right up Paul’s street. It’s a little bit quirky with the waffle/fleece mix. It’s a lightweight material jacket despite the appearance, and can be worn open or fully zipped up to the hood. This jacket checks out at £100, and is a seriously good investment piece for your Spring wardrobe if you ask Paul or me.

Last on the husband takeover spring wardrobe wishlist is this striking tee called Mexican Pepper. We all need a little spice in our lives, so why not shake it into your wardrobe? Red may not be the first colour you think of for Spring, but this speaks for itself and at just £25, you can’t go wrong!

See more for yourself over on the Terraces Menswear website and discover more brands such a Stone Island, Barbour and Lacoste.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this husband takeover, let us know what pieces really stood out to you, and what you think Paul should be wearing this Spring!

Saharasplash & Paul x

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Thanks for reading this husband takeover spring wardrobe wishlist, why not check out my latest summertime wishlist from Simply Beach here

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Moving house with a baby is hard!

Since December I have been heavily involved in moving my Mum into her new house. For those of you who haven’t seen, my new house, new home for mumma post is right here for the before shots of the house. This house is only 5 minutes down the road from the old one mind you, but don’t think that this has made life any easier for us- moving house with a baby is hard!

My bedroom from my adolescent years has seen a lot of things come and go. Fashion, accessories, books and DVDs – yes I was a huge collector. It was definitely time to sort through my massive collection of keyrings and countless (yet now obsolete) electronic devices such as a portable DVD players, 3 laptops from 15 years ago and several out of date digital cameras.

Moving house is a mammoth task all by one’s own self, but throw a baby into the mix, and the task somehow gets very daunting and excessively drawn out. I’ve been going through my dated wardrobe, opening drawers I haven’t looked in for years little by little, and only now am I finally seeing an end in sight. I have a huge box for charity filled with trinkets, candles and such, but I also have a fair few boxes packed up for Alice when she is a bit older too.

This week I went through my entire book collection- about 15 copies of Twilight which I am not ashamed of at all- and moved over what seems to almost be the last of the possessions. They don’t have a home yet in our new bedroom, so at the moment they are residing on my mother’s living room floor- bad I know! Here’s a couple of shots of the tidy places in the new house!

So, moving house with a baby is hard! Almost too hard it seems now we are months down the line, and my sister’s bedroom is even more of a mess than mine (no surprise there). We’ve had a number of helpers, friends and family, to try and ease the load for us but we still have a long way to go. The dreaded loft will be opening its trap into a black hole of clutter from about 3 decades past, and I just know it’s not going to be a fun task!

If you are moving house and have a baby with you, I highly recommend you look into getting some outside help, like from themanvan.co.uk. They offer quick and friendly house and office removals and removal with packing service too! I genuinely think that one doesn’t know the depths to which their household goes until it’s too late, so think smart and get some professional help for your house and for your own peace of mind!

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading moving house with a baby is hard! Go check out Alice’s mini style icon 3-6 month update HERE.

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Quick and easy gluten free food with Copper Stone Pans

It’s about time I visited the topic of my culinary skills again after the successes of my pumpkin soup post during labour. Two well-known facts for those who are familiar with my lifestyle is that I love to cook and I am a coeliac. Just the other day I was hungry (as per) for something new, quick and unbearably good to sooth my hangry self. So I decided to grab a few items and head on down to my mum’s new kitchen (cheeky I know) to make something great. Here’s some quick and easy gluten free food with Copper Stone Pans.

These pans are ultra non-stick, so depending on what you’re cooking, you won’t have to splash in the oil or butter. Plus, the extremely tough, scratch-resistant coating combined with a forged aluminium body and steel base means these pans are built to last. Here are the ingredients I used to make a scrummy pesto pasta dish in ten mins flat:

  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Mushrooms
  • Gluten free green pea fusilli
  • 100% pure rapeseed oil
  • Pesto (2tbsp)
  • Creme fraiche (2tbsp)
  • Spinach leaves
  • Schar gluten free bread

There are many benefits to using rapeseed oil such as its non-greasy qualities, not to mention a great choice for cooking health wise too. I put the smallest dash in one of my Copper Stone Pans along with the tomatoes and mushrooms while my pasta cooked in a saucepan.

Once they looked nice and sizzly, I added the pesto, creme fraiche and the spinach leaves.

In my smaller pan, I decided to toast my gluten free bread with some of the rapeseed oil. This worked so well, and who needs the hassle of grilling bread when you don’t own a toaster?!

The toast was just how I liked it – the quick and easy gluten free food with Copper Stone Pans was a success! Hassle-free, super yummy and best thing of all, the pans just needed a wipe down and that’s it!

The Copper Stone Pans range from £19.99-29.99 and are available from  www.JMLdirect.com. Suitable on gas, electric, induction and ceramic hobs.

Saharasplash x

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New house, new home for mumma

If you know my Mum, it isn’t that hard to believe that she has decided to move house. Not just to any old house mind you, but a rather lovely new house which we are in the process of helping her move in to this month. It’s been a long time coming, as the house she currently resides in is far too small for our ever growing family. Now that Alice has come along, the timing was right to make some major life adjustments as pretty soon she will need her own little room. The house we are leaving behind has a long history, starting out as my first home I remember and quickly becoming my Mum’s first nursery. I remember living upstairs and the nursery being downstairs. Our garden always filled with sounds of playtime and fun. But 24 years on, we have now outgrown the house, and plans to renovate and expand finished before they even got started when it just wasn’t possible to upscale as Mum would have wanted in the current quarters.

So, the search for a new house, new home for mumma began, and sort of by luck, one just happened to come our way just one mile down the road from the old house! It was just perfect- and had everything my Mum wanted in a house- bigger garden, bigger upstairs area with five bedrooms instead of three, and the dealbreaker- an indoor swimming pool. My Mum is definitely a go hard or go home lady, and now she can do both and put her feet up in her brand new digs as soon as we are done unpacking!

I’d love to share some photos with you from the new house, new home for mumma before we get started on doing the place up:

If you are looking to move house and need some help with moving, I’ve got a great service for you to hire all different sorts of vehicles for your job: https://www.psdvehiclerental.co.uk/

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading new house, new home for mumma! I hope you’ll stay for one more post and check out my makeup dupes challenge with Beauty Base!

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What I got in the Aldi Specialbuy event

If you’ve seen the preview post I did last week on what to expect from the Alidi baby and toddler event, you are ready for what’s below! Aldi always goes above and beyond to bring its customers baby gifts and essentials at a fabulous price. Alternatives to the Sleepyhead have seen items sold out across the board, and this month it’s no different. See what I got in the Aldi Specialbuy event below, and make sure you head to your local to find your favourites!

It’s all about dinos!

I was super excited when I saw these matching dino pieces- the sleeping baby bag is a fraction of the price of other popular branded bags at just £9.99, and the matching cloths are £2.99.

Alice’s first books

Of course I couldn’t resist getting Alice her very first set of books- all are 99p which is insane. She’s going to love reading them with us after bath time for sure.

Some essentials

I’m a big fan of the Aldi nappy range, and Alice has just reached the age and size to need the size threes. These are good for 9-20lb babies, and Alice is currently weighing in at 13lbs. 98 nappies for £4.99 works out at 5p per nappy, win!

Something pretty

Something pretty indeed, and something we are always needing more of- tights! This two-pack was a steal at £2.49, even beating similar items I have seen in Primark recently.

All in all, I got everything for under £30, that’s a mighty fine price don’t you agree? Try and match what I got in the Aldi Specialbuy event and give yourself a £30 spending limit- see what you can get and don’t forget to let me know in the comments below!

Saharasplash x

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