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What my mum is made of

I’m doing a ‘What my mum is made of’ post around the theme of Mother’s Day this year! So…Tracy Vince was born at home on the 22nd September 1963. She grew up in Ipswich town with her older sister and parents. It was a fairly normal household but of course not without its ups and downs. She started work alongside school as a teenager and began to make a name for herself in the world like many of us do. After school, she decided on a career move and switched to insurance and got a company car.

She had a soft spot for music like Michael Jackson and Earth Wind and Fire as she started into her twenties. She moved on up in her professional career and made new friends and relationships. Then came the year of 1988. She was living in her own home and soon after was burgled, hence the call out to my dad (unbeknownst to her at that time) to come and install a burglar alarm. Then in the year 1990, I was born!

I grew up with my mother, and instead of going back to work, she decided to open up a nursery in our home so that she could look after me full time as well as earn some money. 24 years later, the nursery is still going and growing strong (thankfully not in our home anymore!) as well as my mother. She took a big risk and it definitely paid off which has given my sister and I the best lives we could ask for.

My mum is there for the whole family whenever they need her. She manages her business every day, she never misses a single thing from school concerts to my graduation. She has driven miles and miles to get me when I have been sick and I know that I can rely on her for anything and everything.

Photo by Camera Hannah 

What my mum is made of is independence, determination and a hard working ethos. This has had a great effect on who I am and the morals I live by. I am taking risks in my blogging career move just like her, and I hope to report that in 24 years I will be just as successful as my mother!

I hope that for all of us out there lucky to have our mothers today, you will recognise her every day, not just one day out of the year plus on her birthday!

I have two lovely little gifts that are just perfect for the hard working mothers out there that will last a lot longer than chocolates or flowers:

Angels trumpet candle- DL & Co

To me this candle symbolises the relationship I have with my mum- at some times heated but sweet-smelling every day. The packaging is so graceful and there are many unique scents to choose from on Rooi.com

Big Love Heart spoon set 

I love this cute heart spoon set! It’s a little treat for your mum so that every time she goes for a tub of Ben and Jerrys, or in my mum’s case apple pie, she will know that you love her.

Thanks for reading what my mum is made of. I hope you had a great Mother’s Day this year and keep checking back for brand new posts on Saharasplash.com!

In collaboration with Rooi.com 

 

 

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Mon Dessert Macarons for Mother’s Day

This one is for all the sweet-toothed mums out there and for all the cool kids who want to bake something extra special for their mummas. On Wednesday night I successfully baked my first batch of macarons thanks to Mon Dessert. So get ready for some seriously awesome baking skills as I’m making Mon Dessert Macarons for Mother’s Day!
Mothers day Macarons with Mon Dessert
Mon Dessert is a fabulous patisserie owned by Samina who is a London based baking queen. She has honed her skills through time and effort and has managed to create her own business which caters to big weddings and events as well as small gifts such as this beautiful Macaron Kit.

Mothers day Macarons with Mon Dessert-3

This is available to buy from Fortnum and Mason as well as online here. It comes with everything you could possibly imagine, right down to the icing bag and the macaron mat. It is a wonderful little gift that you can use to make something for your mother this weekend. The Macaron Kit can also work as a gift itself if you want a little less work! I found the kit so beautifully designed and decorated, each item was carefully packaged and wrapped so neatly, and the instruction booklet was so easy to follow.

So, onto the baking! First I made the white chocolate and raspberry ganache:

Mothers day Macarons with Mon Dessert-6 Mothers day Macarons with Mon Dessert-7 Mothers day Macarons with Mon Dessert-8Mothers day Macarons with Mon Dessert-9
Then onto the macaron mixture! I had a little trouble getting my eggs to peak for some reason, though I am putting this down to either my whisk or my skills. At least my hair looked good from this angle!
Mothers day Macarons with Mon Dessert-12
About ten minutes later it was ready to go and so I folded in the almond powder and the icing sugar as instructed.
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The mixture was so colourful after adding the beetroot powder! Next it was onto the piping!
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It was really easy to pipe out and after a bang to get the bubbles out and a few shakes to even the mixture out, here are the results!
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20 minutes later…
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Look how they’ve changed! I was so happy with how they rose, and the colour change to a lovely burnt orange was a nice surprise. I decorated them with rose petals which came in the kit for a professional effect. They popped off the mat with ease, and so I turned them over to cool as instructed.
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Once ready, I used my pre-made ganache for half, and the other half I used Jim Jams raspberry spread– it’s the best jam ever!
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Here are the final results, just perfect! I used the macaron tin to lay them gently onto a bed of ripped paper and they were ready to send off to my mum!
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She knows they are coming and is very excited to try them- I really enjoyed making these macarons for Mother’s Day and want to thank Mon Dessert for giving both me and my mother such a great gift.
Give making macarons for Mother’s Day a go this year, and make them with Mon Dessert!

 

Saharasplash X
If you want more gluten free goodness, head over to read my review of London’s best gluten free restaurant- Niche!
I received this product for free for my honest opinion and review
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Why choose L’Occitane for that perfect gift?

So we are all feeling that post-Christmas lull and are back to reality. We’ve got that January paycheck and we are already allocating budgets for those friends with February birthdays, Valentine’s Day and if you’re as forward thinking as I am, you’ve probably given a few thoughts to Mother’s Day in March too! I want to give you a little helping hand and answer the question-

why choose L’Occitane for that perfect gift?

Logo_L'OCCITANE_2013

L’Occitane has a very rich history; I’m talking heart and perseverance rather than papers. Celebrating their 40th birthday this year, they started out with one location in Provence (south of France) making traditional soaps in 1976 and within 2 decades had branched out to the Americas and to China. After this L’Occitane reached out to Europe and the brand now has an incredible 2700+ stores all over the world. Hard to think they just started from an old soap factory 40 years ago- I love it!

lip balm

So for Christmas just gone I received a shea ultra rich lip balm from L’Occitane pictured above and cannot sing its praises enough. The quality of the product as well as its delicate design definitely earns it a top spot in my everyday essentials. It is this dedication to its products which is why I have a penchant for L’Occitane, and I know that the perfect gift can be found if you are looking to get something meaningful for someone special to you. I’ve carefully researched L’Occitane’s gift section on their website and I have hand-picked a few of my favourites below –

 

Limited Edition Shea Butter Tin

shea butter tin l'occitane

http://uk.loccitane.com/limited-edition-shea-butter-tin,83,1,29776,865519.htm

This shea butter collection has your hands and lips covered during the cold and dry season. The nourishing power of shea butter is no secret, so why not gift a friend or loved one with this beautiful set for just £25

 

The Voyage Set for him

Voyage set l'occitane

http://uk.loccitane.com/l’occitan-voyage-set,83,1,39632,856157.htm

For the gentlemen, we have the Voyage Set. It comes with the classic soap/shave/shower products that all men need to have them scrub up and smelling fantastic before a romantic Valentine’s date or night out. At the affordable price of just £22

 

Hugs and Kisses Set

hugs and kisses l'occitane

http://uk.loccitane.com/shea-butter-hugs-kisses,83,1,29776,865428.htm

I had to have my favourite lip balm in here- seriously you need to get this as a gift and one for yourself too! This little set is perfect for Mother’s Day and the packaging is just lovely. For the smaller budget at just £16

 

The Cade Classic Collection for him

Cade Collection l'occitane

http://uk.loccitane.com/cade-classic-collection,83,1,29810,856243.htm

The Cade Classic Collection is the gift you want to give to indulge that special man in your life. Be it father, boyfriend or husband, this wood- scented gift set infused with juniper will definitely impress whatever the occasion. Priced at £48 but worth £65!

 

The Delightful Collection for her

Delightful Collection l'occitane

http://uk.loccitane.com/delightful-collection,83,1,29819,825291.htm

Last but by no means least is a best seller- the Delightful Collection. This set includes some L’Occitane favourites like the roses and reines shower gel and the ever popular shea vanilla hand cream. This gift is a star buy at £35 and contains 6 amazing products and comes with a cosmetic bag too

I hope that these little L’Occitane luxuries will help inspire you when finding that perfect gift for whoever you are buying for. Don’t forget to check out the L’Occitane website for even more gift ideas too!

heart

Saharasplash x

 

If you liked this, you are sure to love my post featuring Colette Green!

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