What I Got for my 21st!

   Source 1                                                            Source 2                                                         Source 3

Items bought whilst in London:

Zoeva Brush
NYX Lip Pencil in Sugar Glass
Forever 21 Silver Aviators Similar
Pull and Bear Stripe Skirt
Pull and Bear Knit Cardigan
Pull and Bear Black Skirt
The Body Shop Pinita Colada Body Butter (Bigger Version)
The Body Shop Satsuma Hand Gel
The Body Shop Satsuma Hand Cream
Mulberry Medium Lily

I have had the most amazing birthday anyone could ask for, it was perfect.

I was lucky enough to attend Radio 1's Big Weekend (if you haven't already check out the post we did on it here: Big Weekend ), the day after was my Birthday I was so tired. I just wanted to chill, so we decided to go for a picnic by the sea and saw family.

We went to London for a few days and the saying "shop till' you drop" defiantly applied to us! Got lots of bits, including my bag. We met up with our Aunty and Uncle for a day and had lunch at the Forest on the Roof (Selfridges rooftop). It was lovely, words can't describe how grateful I am for everything!

*DISCLAIMER*
I am in no way bragging/showing off. Katie and I love looking at other people's posts and videos on what they got.

Rachel. X

Banana Loaf!

Serves however many, depending on the size of the slice.
Ingredients:

140g Self Raising Flour
140g Unsalted Butter  at room temperature
120g Sugar
50g Raisins
2 Eggs
2 Ripe Banana's
1 Table spoon of Honey
1Teaspoon of Baking Powder
Icing sugar for dusting

Optional:
50g Pecan
50g Chocolate Chips

Method:

Pre Heat the oven to 180ºC

Place your butter and sugar in the mixing bowl and cream together, until it is pale and fluffy.

Gradually add in the flour and then the eggs, mix slowly together.

Add your raisins, honey and baking powder into the mixture.

Mash up your two bananas, once done add to your mix.

If you're adding pecans or chocolate chips, add them in now.

Grease your loaf tin and then pour in your mixture.

Before placing in the oven lift your tin a couple of inches up and drop gently onto the surface. Repeat this three times. This gets rid of the air bubbles from the bottom and brings them to the top.

Then bake for 30 to 40 minutes. To check if the cake is ready pierce through the center of the cake. If there is no mixture on the knife, that will mean it's ready.

Make a cup of tea and enjoy!

Easter Brownies!

 Serves 12

Ingredients:

150g Self Raising Flour

180g Butter

300g Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

3 Eggs

1 Tablespoon of Cocoa Powder

80g Milk Chocolate

80g White Chocolate

Mini Eggs for Decoration

Icing sugar for some dusting

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 170ºC.

Melt the butter in a pan on a gentle heat, before it has fully melted add in the sugar.

Mix the flour and vanilla essence, then add the eggs and cocoa powder.

We melted the chocolate in the microwave, we put it on for 30 seconds and kept checking it until it melted.

The stir in the chocolate to the mixture.

We wanted a few chocolate chips in with the mixture too, so we chopped up some chocolate and added a couple of chunks.

Grease a baking tin, then pour the mixture in.

Then bake for 30 to 40 minutes. To check if ready, pearce the brownie in the center. If there's no mixture on the knife, that will mean it is ready.

Hope you enjoy making it as much as we did. They were very tasty!

Christmas Gift Guide Part Two!

Hi Guys,
Here are a few ideas for siblings, friends or partners. We hope this gives you a rough idea on what to get.

1. Soap and Glory In The Bag £18 - You can't ever go wrong with Soap and Glory gift sets, they are a winner in our eyes. There are a variety of different gift sets, so there is a price range for everyone.
2. Ted Baker Purse £63.20 - Women love a good old purse and we wouldn't complain if we were given one of these for Christmas!
3. Primark Dressing Gown £8 - To us, a dressing gown has the life span of two years, so if her dressing gown is looking a bit tatty or she's someone who has has everything, then this is perfect, (softer the better.)
4. Lancome La Vie Est Belle £45-£82 - It is a fruity fragrance, that stays on all day and smells amazing.
5. Jo Malone Candle £42 - This is a luxury gift, as long as you know what kind of smell she likes, you can't go wrong.  
6. Pandora Prices Varied - Pandora is a brand that has taken off and most women own one. If you're looking for a personalized gift, go for this one. Guarantee she will love it.   
7. Zoella Make-Up Bag £16 - This is a big cosmetics bag that most women will appreciate. It's such a lovely design.
8. Real Techniques Brush Set £20 - If she is into her make-up, go for this one. It's a relatively new set.  

1. Diesel Only the Brave Tattoo £35-£52.20 - This aftershave smells so good, we brought this for our brother last year and he loves it. This would be a great gift for him as it is a scent that possibly every guy likes.
2. ManCave The Survival Set £22.50 - If you are stuck on what to get anyone, a wash bag full of body lotions are great especially for a man, as the majority probably don't own one.
3. Muppets Socks £15 - Socks are always an ideal present, we found these ones which are a bit of a laugh but are perfect for this time of the year. One can never have too many socks!
4. Emporio Armani Watch £143 - If you are wanting to spend a bit more, a watch is perfect when wanting to treat him, This watch is very nice as it will appeal to many.
5. Superdry Hoodie £49.99 -  A hoodie is a great idea something you can't go wrong with this one looks cozy and warm.
6. Nike Roshe One £70 - Women have a thing with handbags, men love their shoes. A pair of Nikes will go down a treat.
7. Sony Headphones £49.99 - Another great present are headphones, it's always nice to have a good pair you can't really go wrong.
8. Call of Duty £46.99 - Games are a go to present, all guys are different and don't have the same taste in game. So there so many to chose from, but COD is something most guys love! 

Christmas Gift Guide For Parents!

Hi Guys,

Here are a few gift ideas for parents, it can be quite hard at times to decide what to get your parents, hopefully these give you a few ideas.

1. Joules Slippers £19.95 - These slippers are so warm and cosy, our Auntie's have them and refuse to throw them away, they rant and rave about them a lot!
2. Laura Ashley Cookbook Stand £32 - This is perfect if your Mum loves her recipe books, it's modern and will add a touch of the country to your kitchen. It is on sale at £20.16, so get it whilst you can!
3. Yankee Large Jar Candle £19.99 - We picked the Mandarin and Cranberry, it's a smell that a lot of people like. If this isn't your Mum's taste, then there are many more from Yankee to chose from.
4. Thierry Mugler Alien Gift Set £50 - This is a perfume you can't really go wrong with, most people love the smell of it. Our Mum loves this and so do most of her friends. There's nothing better than having perfume as a gift.
5. Next Gift Card £10 to £200 - So if you are stuck, like really stuck or your Mum is hard to buy for...then there is always the option of the gift card. That is our go to backup plan.
6. Emma Bridgewater Mug £19.95 - This is such a personal present, you can actually personalize them on the Emma Bridgewater website, but at the moment it is 20% off on John Lewis. 
7. Cath Kidston Handbag £55 - So our household and family are huge Cath fans, so we couldn't leave this one out. All Mum's love having Cath in their lives and if they don't have anything from here, then bring it into her life! There is an umbrella and purse with the same pattern, so if you're wanting to spend more on her, then we'd get the set.
8. Sanctuary Gift Set £45 - So this is a bargain at the moment, it is half price. We can't believe this, most things on boots at the moment are half price. So if you're organised like we are, then start shopping!

1. BOSS In Motion £50 - We love the smell of this on a man, it's not so popular anymore but it's a classic we think. You can't go wrong with this, it's what we call a 'propper mens' aftershave.
2. BBQ Tool Set £27.45 - Most men love BBQ's and the love having the right tools for one...even if they only use them a few times a year, it's still something they'll appreciate.
3. Saltrock Hoddie £44.99 - Saltrock is for all ages, it looks great on everyone! There are a few to chose from on the website. All Dad's love a good hoddie!
4. M&S Dressing Gown £29.50 - This is something we're guilty of getting a lot for ours, as we haven't known what to buy. A dressing gown is essential and all men love a nice soft one.
5. Collar Stiffeners £10 - So not all men use these, but the neat, clean and proud men will use them. We didn't know what they were for a long time, but found out not long ago, they keep the collar in place and stiff.
6. Amazon Gift Card £10 to £500 - If you're stuck on what to get a Dad who has so much, then (like Mum's) you can get a gift card. Amazon is a great place, as it has such a variety, men love it.
7. Bulldog Skincare £15 - A great grooming set, it comes with a washbag which is quite handy, it becomes a two in one gift then.
8. Ted Baker Cufflinks £36 - Men love Cufflinks and to be honest, if we were men, so would we. You can chose from so many and they're all so detailed. Ted Baker is more luxury, there are more affordable ones out there and they're great too.

Christmas Candles!

Hi Guys,
 The Christmas stock is out in the shops, the music is playing, the John Lewis advert is out, so what better time (other than Christmas) to post about Christmas candles!
Christmas and Autumn are our favourite seasons. If you're anything like us you will be Christmas shopping, listening to the music and getting all excited! We couldn't contain ourselves when buying these.
 Even though some of these candles aren't actually Christmas ones we think they smell perfect for the season.

Snowflake Cookie Wax Tart
Red Apple Wreath Wax Tart
With the Christmas Treats wax tart, we couldn't find it online on Asda. The link is for the jar.
Christmas Memories Wax Tart
Christmas Cookie Wax Tart
Wild Fig Wax Tart
Mandarin Cranberry Wax Tart
Vanilla Cupcake Sampler

We have started buying wax tarts instead of the jar, we find that the tarts last much longer than the jars. We crumble a small amount- about a quarter- into the burner and it will last for about a month depending on how much you burn them. We like to change the smells quite a lot, so we get a tea spoon and gently pop out the tart and put another quarter in.

Pumpkin Carving!

Hi Guys,
It's Halloween tomorrow and we can't wait! We carved our pumpkins a couple of days ago, since we are currently away. Hope you guys like them!
It's something we have always done growing up. Our mum use to get us to carve angry pumpkins, then in the morning they would be happy or it would be the other way round. She made a right job for herself, having to change three angry pumpkins for happy ones. We still don't know to this day what she would do with the other pumpkins.
Rachel did the one on the left and Katie the one on the right.