My First Airbnb Experience

- Vicki 13 Comments

Cabin Retreat Cornwall

Air B&B Cornwall

Tranquil Cornish Cabin

Beautiful Cornish Cabin

Cabin Tea Break

Air BnB Cornish Cabin

Its in the details

Bespoke cabin set in meadow

Bed Deck

Bedroom Cornish AirBnB

Cabin in a meadow
Cute Cabin Cat

AirBnB Cabin Cornwall

View Across The Meadow

Beautiful Country Garden

  1. Bespoke Cabin
  2. View of Cabin with doors open
  3. Rustic Kitchen
  4. Incredibly bright and relaxing space
  5. Tea for two
  6. Living area with wood burning stove
  7. Love the details & soft furnishing
  8. As the sun sets
  9. Bed deck / reading nook
  10. Bedroom & ensuite
  11. Bedroom
  12. Resident Cat
  13. View from the meadow
  14. View of the meadow
  15. Beautiful rural garden

We needed a base in Cornwall pretty last minute so we could view a few properties & after exhausting all the Hotels & B&B’s we thought we would browse Airbnb with everything crossed we could find a place that had availability (as it was the height of the Summer Holidays). Almost immediately my husband spotted the listing for ‘Bespoke cabin set in meadow‘ the photos looked incredible and the location couldn’t have been more perfect for us to use as a base, so of course we had to book!

At £90 a night we were blown away by the location, accommodation and just how friendly the host Carol was. To get to the Cabin you wind your way along the back roads from Bodmin, which are breath taking in themselves but you come across the cabin which is set in a Valley in one of the most peaceful locations I have ever visited. The Cabin has its own gates, white gravel drive and there is a meadow as far as your eye can see. We instantly felt relaxed.

The Cabin itself is rustic, minimal, has touches of modern and the attention to detail is second to none. I lost count of how many times I said to my husband that I would be 100% happy to live there. Its all wooden inside which has such a nice cosy feel & the use of soft furnishings and bright colours make it feel homely. The space is more than comfortable for two and everything from the furniture, right down to the amount of light that comes streaming in thought the beautiful windows has been carefully thought out so the cabin feels bright and like you’re part of the countryside.

We had two very happy days here & were lucky enough to enjoy the sunshine & sit out on the decking area until it went dark and also snuggle up with the wood burning stove lit on the day it inevitably rained. It felt cosy, romantic and although the heavens opened the well positioned windows let in so much light that it never felt gloomy.

If the Cabin wasn’t beautiful enough you have access to your own private meadow and use of the Summer House which sits at the top of the hill which has breath taking views over the Luxulyan Valley. Its a romantic spot to watch the sunset.

To say I fell in love with this hidden gem is an understatement and I was thinking of keeping this discovery to myself but I know that would be selfish and if you’re thinking of heading to Cornwall make sure you see if this Cabin is free and take full advantage of its location and what it has to offer.

 

Earlybird Tastebox Review

- Vicki 4 Comments

Earlybird Tastebox Review

Tastebox Artwork

Earlybird TasteBox* is a fairly new weekly snack service with a difference, much like Graze (which is the most well known healthy snack service) you get a selection of healthy snacks each week & they pop through your letterbox in a slim brightly coloured box. The slight difference is you also get two tea bags to enjoy and each month there is a new illustration to enjoy / inspire you.

One more addition they will be adding to the box is music, Tastebox will be introducing you to a musical talent each month. I think this will be in future boxes as it wasn’t included in my box but I think its a great idea, I love discovering new music.

Earlybird Tastebox Snack Info

So the most exciting part of the box (in my opinion) are the snacks, you get five healthy tasty snacks, one portion for each weekday. All my snacks were well under 200 calories & four of the five were vegan.  I work from home and lets just say I ate most of the snacks within 2 days (too yummy). In this box I received

Berry Berry Nice

This is strawberry mixed with flame raisins, golden raisins and cranberries. One portion is equal to one of your five a day? This was a lovely sweet snack, I really like dried fruits and I liked that it had strawberries mixed in too. Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans.

Koh Tao

Delicious rice crackers with a touch of garlic, kaffir lime and chili, all the way from Thailand, where they produce some of the world’s best rice. These are a very light snack at only 85 calories, I enjoyed these a lot & would quite happily ate a much bigger bag. Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans.

Milky Berry

These are a mix of cranberries, blackcurrants and white chocolate. I ate the fruit but couldn’t eat the white chocolate – although it smelt so good! I wouldn’t opt to get this snack again because its not Vegan.

Salt ‘N Pepa Cashews

These were so morish & I think my favourite snack out of the five. They’re such a simple snack but so tasty- just cashews roasted in salt and pepper seasoning. Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans

Señor José

This was unusual but very tasty –  broad beans mixed with giant corn, soft corn and a chilli seasoning. Señor José is only 130 calories per bag. It’s a perfect low calorie snack to curb hunger cravings between meals. Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans

English Breakfast Tea & Mint and Lime Tea – I am familiar with the former & drink it daily but Mint and Lime is a new one to me. I am not the biggest fan of mint but the lime made it quite a refreshing tea. I wouldn’t be in a rush to try it again but I am excited to see what other teas come in future boxes.

If you want to see an overview of all the current snacks <—– just click there. They have 50 to pick from.

Tastebox snack selection

Tastebox Snacks

For my first box I was very pleased, the tea’s were good and all apart from the Milky Berry snacks were Vegan friendly so that pleased me. I’m someone that loves to snack and this kind of subscription service is right up my street, healthy but satisfying. Like I said I ate all the snacks within 2 days (greedy) but that just goes to show how tasty they are.

If you would like to try it out your first box is just £1 and your subsequent boxes will be £4.50. You can cancel your subscription at anytime and Early Bird Tastebox also allow you to Pause your subscription too which is very handy if you’re away from home or on holiday and you don’t want to return to a backlog of snacks that may have past their best.

‘To Pause, you temporarily stop your current subscription and will not be charged for your chosen paused time period. You may still access your account and use it as normal’.

TasteBoxes are delivered on Mondays – either weekly, fortnightly or monthly depending upon your subscription.

If you’d like to try a free box, enter jaffa-8212 at checkout

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own and these were just too delicious to keep to myself. 

Favourite Summer Products 2015

- Vicki 3 Comments
Four Summer Beauty Favourites Products

Four Summer Favourites

Clinique Super City Block SPF40  £18.00

As many of you will know I use a facial SPF on a daily basis and have a couple that I really like (La Roche Posay Anthlios & Balance Me) but I have wanted to try this City Block from Clinique for such a long time. This gives your skin a high level of protection against UVA & UVB rays as well as being oil free, so it is ticking all the boxes for me. It’s also a great primer for your makeup because its oil free and won’t slide off your face in the heat and my makeup sits so well on top. The cream does have a tint to it but once applied to the skin its adapts to your skin tone and makes your skin look and feel hydrated. It’s not just an effective broad spectrum SPF, but it also has many antioxidants which protect your skin from environmental damage and help boost sun protection.

I like that it’s not heavy or greasy, but it does give the skin a dewy finish. If this isn’t your thing you can lightly powder after you have finished your makeup & it will help it look less dewy (which is what I have been doing most days). I have been using it daily and haven’t had a reaction to it or a breakout which is good. I think one of the things that most impressed me about this product was the price, at £18.00 I think it is a bargain, you get 40ml of product which is going to last you a good few months. I have been recommending this to friends and family and really think it’s one of my favourite discoveries.

Olivine Atelier Love + Roses Beauty Mist £12.95

I have the smaller 2oz bottle & It’s just so cute! It is a glass bottle and the design is so sleek and pretty. This Beauty Mist has a really pretty floral scent which is refreshing and uplifting, it’s so nice to have sat on your desk to use when you feel a little tired or in need of a boost of hydration. This isn’t just a run-of-the-mill face spray Olivine Atelier have included lots of ingredients that will help hydrate, soothe and combat the signs of ageing. Its quite incredible & includes,

  • Rosa Damascena Flower Water & Rosa Damascena Flower Oil: known to refine and renew skin at the cellular level, with powerful anti-inflammatory action
  • Cassia Augustifolia Seed Polysaccharide: mimics hyaluronic acid to retain water on the surface of the skin and hair
  • Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract: a powerhouse adaptogenic herb that protects skin and hair from environmental damage, minimises fine lines and wrinkles, and assists with stress and fatigue management
  • Moringa Seed Extract: a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that promotes collagen production, supports skin firmness, and boosts the immune system
  • Andean Orchid Flower essence promotes youthful vitality and cellular regeneration
  • Rose Quartz essence + other precious gems: for soul-affirming aromatherapy, the revitalising and uplifting powers of self-love, confidence, grace, beauty and self-esteem

I’ve had my bottle for almost 4 months now and Its almost empty, although I’ve been using it most days, so I think It has lasted a good amount of time but in future I will be buying the larger 8oz size because It’s now a staple in my beauty routine & I think I need a bigger bottle!

The Body Shop Italian Fig Fragrance Mist £8.50

This is part of a new collection from The Body Shop and I love it, the scent is so fresh and for a body mist it has very good staying power, I can smell it for hours after I’ve sprayed it. For me Fig is just such a unique scent, and it smells sophisticated and complex. It’s quite a strong scent and I like that, it’s not for everyone but for me its just such a refreshing and pretty scent.

I have tried quite a few of The Body Shop Mists & they’re amazing quality for the price. I would love to try the EDT from the same range. What are your favourite products from The Body Shop?

& Other Stories Fig Fiction Body Lotion  £7.00

The scent of this body lotion is so good & much like The Body Shop Italian Fig range but a little sweeter. This is my 3rd bottle and I will continue to repurchase over and over. It’s a great size and the pump makes it so easy to get the product out. It smells luxurious, and the cream makes my skin feel smooth and hydrated. I often use it as a hand cream too because its so hydrating and not at all greasy. I really like the simple packaging style, its one of the reasons I like & Other Stories products so much.

NEOM Feel Good on the Go Collection

- Vicki 3 Comments
NEOM

NEOM Travel Essentials

I have only tried a hand cream from NEOM which came free with a magazine a couple of years ago. So I was excited to be able to try a couple of treats from their new Feel Good on the Go Collection. Which is,

‘A collection of powerful mini products that are packaged individually in travel-friendly containers and use Neom’s 100% natural essential oil blends. Keep in your handbag, travel bag or gym bag to take with you on the go’.

What a great idea and I love the idea of being able to apply beautiful essential oils on the go, or have them for traveling. These are packaged beautifully and are the perfect size for your handbag, on the plane or keeping on your desk at work.

This new collection are all miniature versions of some of Neom’s best selling products, so they’re now available in the sweetest on the go sizes. Why does everything just look 100% better when its travel size?

There are 10 products in the Feel Good on the Go Collection and they help – relieve stress, calm & relax aid sleep, boost your energy  or lift your mood. I want all of those things on a daily basis (who doesn’t). I have been trying the Burst of Energy range for the past couple of weeks and they I have really enjoyed using them and think the lovely lady at NEOM picked the perfect duo for me to test, because if there is one thing I need at the moment it is energy!

NEOM

NEOM Energy Boosting Treatment* £8

Made with our 100% natural Neom Burst of Energy™ fragrance is a seriously potent blend of 17 of the purest, first pressed essential oils including grapefruit, lemon and rosemary, purposefully chosen for their powerfully energising properties. Lasts on the skin for up to 3 hours providing an uplifting boost of energy throughout the day.

The scent is not heady or overpowering but light and quite familiar whilst having a touch of luxury about it too – I would totally wear this as a perfume. I can really pick out the lemon and grapefruit which are zesty and instantly make me feel energised. It smells like fresh Summers day and I think thats why it makes me feel awake and raring to go. The scent does stick around for a good amount of time and I find I only need to apply this a couple of times a day. I have been applying it in the morning and afternoon and its been making my mood feel uplifted and calm which gives me more energy.

This 5ml glass bottle has a handy roller ball applicator which makes applying this treatment on the go so easy. I apply it to my pulse points and take a moment to breathe it in and let the essential oils work their magic.

NEOM on the Go Collection

NEOM Energy Boosting On The Go Mist* £8

This is the same as the previous product with the same essential oils and energising properties but its a mist, so you get a 5ml bottle with a spray dispenser instead of a roller ball applicator. I like to spray this when I am at my desk, I sit for a moment and breath it in and the sent is quite calming and also energising. The zesty lemon & grapefruit really smell so good and help you take a moment to pause and feel uplifted.

The essential oils in each of these Neom products have been carefully selected to help with your wellbeing and have real therapeutic properties. I like that Neom is all about products that not only smell incredible but that also have therapeutic benefits. The tag line for this new range is ‘Scent to make you feel good’ and I 100% agree.

NEOM Travel Minis

I absolutely love the Energy Boosting duo and think at £8 each are a busy person handbag must have. The other products in this range also sound great especially if you have trouble sleeping, get stressed in certain situations or just like to give your mood a little wellbeing boost. These are all 5ml so you can take them with you where ever you go and for £8 each you would be mad not to! I am going to stock up for my next trip away.

If you have any Neom product recomendations then I would love to hear them. I have always heard positive things about their candles.

NEOM products are 100% natural, ethically sourced and finally crafted in the UK.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.