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Christmas Gift Guide 2020

December 16, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

It’s been a bit of a year right? For most of us Christmas just isn’t going to be the same in 2020. We may not be able to party and hang out as much as we normally do but we can still show each other that we care with calls and messages and gifts. Here are a selection of gifts for all the family this year:

Have a bird lover in your life? Henry Bell have some great products including this bird feeding station which I can’t wait to see the birds flocking around:

Pulse Gallery have a great range of prints and collectible trading pins for Disney fans.

Zippo have lots of stocking fillers with unusual lighters and outdoor gadgets including this amazing heat bank which I love!

Yubico have released a seriously cool product this year, a small USB key called the YubiKey 5C which eliminates the need to remember all your online passwords!

For Gin Lovers you may not find a prettier bottle than this bottle of Mermaid Gin

Red Letter Days are perfect for those last minute gifts. With a range of gifts from experience days to this two day hotel break gift box. This year I think we need things to look forward to more than ever and with the experience vouchers lasting 24 months they are perfect!

Sous Chef is one of my favourite sites to browse for unusual foodie gifts for friends and family. As well as the luxury sweets and foods like these amazing Lakrid’s:

There are also really unique pieces of crockery and gorgeous knife sets:

For those wine lovers Independent Wine have some great options including this Marchesa Maria Bella from Massimago.

At this time of year in the current state of our country I’d also encourage you to look at smaller businesses in your area who are adapting the way they operate. Restaurants that may be offering DIY kits or wine and cheese hampers etc. Look out for ways you can support your independents. I’ll be updating this post shortly to include some of my favourites.

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Filed Under: Christmas and all things festive ·

Testing Positive For Coronavirus

December 7, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

Like most people I spent March and April of this year scared that my loved ones or myself would contract Coronavirus. We saw frightening scenes on the news. Heard stories of people dying on ventilators in hospital and it was generally a frightening time for all of us.

Photo by Adam Nieściorukon Unsplash

As time went on and we began to get used to living in this strange new world I began to become less worried for myself and really I only focused on protecting others from getting it. I focused on my general health, worked out more and walked 10-15k steps a day. I felt in pretty good health. 

Life seemed to become more normal, nights out with friends resumed and the kids returned to school. It seemed we all had all learned to live with this pandemic. Cases dropped, the death rate in my area dropped to 0. I returned to my day job. Then slowly at first and then all of a sudden things changed again. Cases began to rise. We had to wear masks in shops, which although was the norm in most of the UK was all new to us in Wales and once again we were asked to stay away from other households. Pubs introduced curfews and restrictions and I realised that the time to be more careful was here. Not just with protecting others but also myself. I stopped going on nights out. The only sense of normality that remained was the gym but even there each machine was wiped before and after use and I always showered at home. I felt like I was doing all the right things. I still worried that my parents would get the virus so contact with them was minimal, no physical contact and only sat outside their home. I didn’t really worry that the virus would affect me if I got it. I thought naively it would be like a really bad cold.

It was at the beginning of October that one day I just couldn’t warm up. Then the next day I was full of cold. My nose was blocked, I felt kind of achy and tired. I stopped visiting my parents even outside just to be cautious. A few days later I had a cough, not a bad one but enough for me to order a home test. At this point I genuinely thought I was being over cautious then I lost my sense of smell and taste. I did really think this was down to my cold because my nose was so blocked. When my test result came back positive I was surprised but not worried. If anything I thought I’d get it out of the way. After all I was in my 30’s, a three times a week gym goer and I walked 15k steps a day. I had no major underlying health conditions and I was a healthy weight. I was sure this would feel like a nasty cold and then I’d be done, immune for a while at least and able to just get on with life. Unfortunately I was wrong.

I’m now nearly 10 weeks since I first developed symptoms, 9 weeks after my positive Covid result and my recovery is slow. Most days I get breathless at least 4 to 5 times, sometimes more. Sometimes it’s from putting washing in the tumble dryer or walking up the stairs. Sometimes it’s when I am sat watching telly and I haven’t even moved. My chest pain is still there every single day, my temperature still fluctuates throughout the days and nights and the joint pain, in particular my legs can be agonising at times. The overall feeling each day is one of extreme fatigue. Every morning I wake feeling almost hungover, groggy and as if I have really overdone it at the gym. I’ve barely seen anyone other than my two children in all of that time. I am very lucky in that my family and friends have helped with doorstep deliveries and helping with school runs as I’m not sure how I’d have coped otherwise. I have seen my GP five times, had blood tests, ECG’s and a chest x ray. I’ve had two strong doses of antibiotics, an asthma inhaler and am now on neurological pain tablets for the joint pain. I’ve taken more painkillers than I’ve ever taken in my life.

Some days I feel really low because it feels never-ending but I am also extremely grateful that this is as bad as it has been. For so many others the outcome is far worse. My recovery may be slow but I am, I think and hope, recovering slowly day by day.

But the real reason I wrote this post is to tell you that covid is very real. It doesn’t only affect the elderly or already sick. It can affect you or your families in exactly the same way as it has hit me. Yes I didn’t end up in hospital and for that I am thankful but it has had a significant impact on my life and will likely continue to do that for quite some time.

Here are the symptoms that I have experienced due to Covid. Read it carefully, be aware and stay safe:

Initial symptoms, day 1-3

Feeling very cold

Cold like symptoms, blocked nose and sinus pain. Lost some sense of smell but not all.

Aches all over. Similar to flu. Even wearing the softest of clothes hurt my skin.

Days 4-7

The cough began, not continuous but it hurt a lot when I coughed

Sore throat

Skin became more sensitive to the touch

Headaches

Days 7-10

My sense of smell completely went and my taste became impacted too.

My chest had begun to hurt a lot, it felt like I’d been kicked directly in the centre of my chest.

I had a temperature. It varied between 37.8 – 38.9 at its worst, this was whilst taking painkillers regularly.

The aches remained but my leg pain became a lot worse. It affected my sleep and I just felt in pain all day long.

Day 11+

The breathlessness began. This was the scariest of all of the symptoms and is still ongoing. Being unable to breathe properly panics you, I’ll never take it for granted again.

All other symptoms remained and other than the sore throat and cough which thankfully has eased and the temperature which is mostly ok they don’t seem to be going anywhere.

If you are in doubt about any symptoms you may have try and get tested, if you cant get tested at least isolate yourself to protect others. Some people won’t be able to beat this. We all have a responsibility to protect each other.

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Filed Under: Life ·

The One Where We Lost A Year

July 23, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

2020. I can imagine in years to come people sat down talking about difficult times and crazy news and saying yeah this may be bad but hey remember 2020? WOW.

Who’d have thought this year would turn out like this? I don’t know about you but I know that on January 1st this year I had a lot of big plans for this year. I was taking control of lots of areas of my life and I had many things I wanted to do. It seems pretty silly to look back and sort of mourn the year that we have almost lost because in the grand scheme of things myself and my family have been very lucky, we haven’t been personally affected really by the pandemic in terms of anyone being seriously ill. But yeah silly as it may sound it does seem that way, we have lost a significant chunk of time, time where we haven’t been able to be close with loved ones and friends and it almost seems as if some areas of life will never be quite the same. Although life is very slowly getting back to some sort of normality, there are still many things we can’t do and I still cannot hug my parents or have dinner at a friends house. I can’t curl up and watch a tv programme with a cup of tea on my parents sofa. Can’t eat inside a restaurant ( at least here in Wales), haven’t been clothes shopping since February, haven’t had a haircut in even longer. In fact for someone who travels so much my life has been contained within 4 miles for 5 months. It’s crazy and still sometimes feels almost surreal, anyone else still wake up some mornings and think woah what an absolutely bonkers dream?

I have learned to appreciate the smaller pleasures a lot more. A daily coffee in the garden where I have got to know all of my regular birds and whilst I often begrudge ordering myself a takeaway I don’t think twice about ordering them 150 fat balls.

  • oznorTO

I have started growing lots more veggies and herbs at home. and it tastes so much better when you know you grew it!

As a huge indulgence at the beginning of the pandemic I ordered a hot tub for the garden, I say huge indulgence when I actually got a pretty decent deal for £199 and whilst that kind of impulsive purchase is very unlike me it has made the experience a whole lot sweeter. I do some form of daily exercise, because I have the time for it. Sometimes I walk 10-15k steps a day, other days its yoga or stretching but something each day and my body is stronger and healthier as a result. I haven’t taken up a new hobby as such or learned a new language or written a book but I have baked A LOT, I have made major life decisions and I’ve started writing just for pleasure again. Not even pieces I want anyone to read but just writing for me, for the pleasure of it and because sometimes my stupid brain just will not switch off at night. I have worked on my friendships more, making sure to maintain contact when we weren’t able to see each other. I speak to my family more and I have tried where I can to make life easier for those around me, in small ways where possible and thats helped me to keep going.

I will admit there have been times, especially when I have been entirely alone at home on rainy days where I have sat down and had a good cry because for someone who actually loves to be alone I have at times been incredibly lonely. For normally being alone is a choice you make, these last few months that has been forced on me occasionally and it is an eye opener. I realised that although I am not someone who needs company all the time that I should seek it out more often and be more social when the opportunity allows it.

I guess this is just a bit of a ramble but I haven’t posted much lately and thought you may enjoy a little of what is going on in my life. I’ve got some exciting stuff to share with you soon I promise.

I’ll end with this, whilst this year has been hard on most of us I am thankful that my friends and family are for the most part happy and healthy. We all have managed to keep our jobs and yes we have seen the effect of this awful virus through members of the family who work for the NHS and through the news but we are all ok. I am thankful for that in more ways than I can say. I hope this time hasn’t been too difficult for you and yours. Feel free to say hey on my social channels, I do like to catch up with you all!

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Filed Under: Life ·

Taking Control Of Allergies

July 3, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

*This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Klarify*

It’s that time of the year again. The flowers are blooming, the trees are plush and green and the smell of cut grass fills the air. It smells amazing, everything is fresh and new. Unfortunately for too many people this time of year is far from pleasant and spells the start of allergy season.

The last few week the pollen count in the UK has been incredibly high and a lot of my friends and family have been suffering with hay fever. It is particularly unfortunate at this time when we are in the midst of a pandemic, still under fairly strict lockdown rules and getting out and about in nature is one of our few pleasures.

Hay fever is the most common respiratory allergy. Specifically, it’s an allergy to pollen, the fine powdery dust from grasses, trees and weeds. It is a type of allergic rhinitis, an inflammation of the tissue lining the nose.

Klarify are a Danish company who sell a variety of products to help with all allergies, not just the seasonal ones. They also sell allergy testing kits which can help to get to the root of your problems so that you can effectively avoid allergens rather than just mindlessly popping antihistamines.

A little bit about Klarify:

A young company with an old soul

We’re just getting started, but our history is rich: our parent company, ALK, has been researching allergies for almost 100 years and pioneering breakthrough allergy innovations since 1923.

We know a lot about allergy – and we want to share that knowledge with as many people as possible. We’re using our expertise to make klarify.me the source of some of the world’s best allergy relief products and services.

The home allergy tests test for up to 280 allergens, I’ll be honest I had no idea there was so many! I vaguely remember being a child with asthma and a constant cough and having pinprick tests at the GP which I hated. So the idea of being able to test for that many allergens at home is certainly appealing.

Here is what Klarify have to say about allergy testing:

What is allergy testing?

Allergy testing may help you to find out which triggers might be causing your symptoms and to rule out others. Having the right information can help you to better manage your allergy. 

An allergy test can show an indication of your triggers. It is not a diagnosis. Only a doctor can give you a diagnosis of allergy. Any allergy test has to be interpreted alongside your unique medical background and your symptoms.

Is allergy testing worthwhile?

We believe allergy testing can make a difference. We want to give you the information you need about allergy testing so you can make the right decision for you.

Once you have the results from your allergy test, you’ll have a better idea of what you could be allergic to. And then tackling your allergy symptoms becomes simpler. 

The results from your allergy test can help determine exactly what triggers your symptoms. Which then means you’re set up to take measures to avoid those substances. And most importantly you’ll be able to get the most suitable treatment for your allergy. 

I think anything that could improve the quality of your everyday life is worth a shot. Head over to Klarify.me to find out more about allergy testing and products that could help ease your symptoms. There is free shipping on all items and a no quibble 30 days return policy so you don’t have anything to lose by giving it a whirl! There is also an app that you can download which gives you daily pollen weather and air quality data as well as a 3 day forecast for your area and much more besides.

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Filed Under: Allergies ·

What I’m Learning In Lockdown

May 29, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is going to be one of those posts you’ve seen online about how everyone should be walking away from the lockdown with a new skill or a novel completed. That may be you, it is definitely not me.


However like most of you there are things that I am learning about myself, about the world and ultimately more about what I want and more importantly need.

I am learning to be more patient. I guess now is the time for that hey? I must admit that the first month or so of the pandemic brought me more than I expected in terms of stress and my patience was tested and smashed to pieces on more than one occasion. I wish that hadn’t happened. But it’s done and forward is the only way you can move otherwise you are just stuck in the same place. I am more patient now with others, especially my children who whilst wonderful and loving can of course be testing when there is so much time just stuck within the confines of our home. I am trying really hard to teach them the importance of patience with each other so it is kind of essential that I at least try to display that behaviour myself as much as I can. I am more patient with friends and family, yeah it took you 3 days to reply but it’s ok, sometimes thats the same for me too. We may have more actual time but I don’t know about you my brain doesn’t seem to have quite latched onto that and feels more busy than ever. Yep sometimes I read and pop my phone aside then absolutely forget to reply. I feel bad but we all do it. I am more patient with myself. I have stopped beating myself up about not getting everything done that I meant to do. My baking posts traffic went a bit wild at the beginning of lockdown and my brain told me to go promote all of those posts and create as many new recipes as possible but my heart wasn’t in. So I didn’t do it. Some days we get all the kids schoolwork done, some days we don’t and maybe we have a cooking lesson or a crafts lesson – also known as making cakes and drawing rainbows. That’s ok. I am not superhuman. None of us are.

It’s important to sit back sometimes and tell yourself this, we are living through unexpected ( I couldn’t bring myself to use unprecedented) times. It is a complete unknown. We will all be missing something or someone. Some days it is unbearably hard. Give yourself a break. If you are telling yourself each day that you aren’t doing enough or it’s not good enough – stop that now. If you are managing to keep yourself and your family reasonably calm and happy and fed and watered that is enough. You don’t need to read 100 books or master sourdough and you really don’t need to do Joe Wicks each day – although occasionally it’s quite fun.

I am learning to value the simplicity of life. A great cup of tea, the hugs the girls give me first thing. Making my parents laugh on a video call. The satisfaction of an online order arriving in full. Doing something small to brighten someones day. Supporting my friends and family when they need it. Appreciating good weather and yet still enjoying the rain when it comes. The chat you have from a distance with someone passing the house, the one you know brightens their day. Stopping to chat to people in gardens as you do the same walk each day, seeing their faces light up when they see the kids. Knowing you may have been their first human contact that day.

I am learning about what I need to be happy. And its surprisingly pretty simple. My needs aren’t lengthy or crazily imaginative. I need the girls to be happy and healthy. I need them to feel secure and I need to have enough money to be able to feed, cloth and provide them with a safe home. They don’t need super expensive clothes or an X Box or luxury food and neither do I. I need my family to be healthy and happy too. My parents who I have always valued have made my life so much easier on us than it could have been in many ways. They support me in everything I need and I know that whatever I asked of them they would try to help. So of course in this time when they need my help a little more with online shopping or googling meat/veg deliveries then I want to make it easier for them. I need my siblings who I am close to and spend a considerable amount of my social time with normally. I need them to be ok and I need to be able to see them. And I need my good friends who I know I can message or call whenever, I need to be able to talk to them, even if we cant meet up for a chat and a meal right now.

I don’t need the pub or the cinema or dates. I don’t need a holiday or to be able to go to the gym. I don’t need to go to a festival or a concert. I don’t need lots of clothes or expensive make up. Or an electric scooter. Which has been in a shopping basket of mine on several occasions lately – I don’t need one. Don’t. HA.

I want life back to normal but more than that I want the people I love in it and if that means life can’t be normal for a long time then so be it. It sucks. It really does but if six months of being the only grown up in my home and no hugs from another adult ends up with being able to spend time afterwards with all of my loved ones who are healthy then I can do it. I am stronger than I know. And so are you.

You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. A A Milne

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Filed Under: Life ·

Living In Lockdown

May 7, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

I have stopped and started writing a blog post for the last month because nothing I said seemed quite right. I didn’t feel I could simply write about what I am eating or watching because it all seemed too frivolous. Yet I realise now that frivolity and distraction is what a lot of us need so I am hoping to get back into the swing of writing about everyday things and maybe one or two recipes too.

My life along with all of yours has changed drastically over the last 6 – 7 weeks and I never imagined living through something like this. I think a lot of you will agree that this period is mentally draining and at many times incredibly sad. I have also felt an ever increasing feeling of uselessness. Ordinarily if our country was in a major crisis we could all go and do our bit to help, if there were hungry we could feed them or lonely go and visit but the risks of this virus to certain members of my family means that I haven’t been able to volunteer for any local projects and even my day job is currently on hold. I have kept busy with trying to do little bits here and there such as online shopping for members of my family and also parenting my two amazing yet busy daughters. I miss my parents and siblings who I am very close to, I miss my friends too and there are times when the worry of anything happening to loved ones becomes too much to think about. Being close to your family is wonderful but also scary because the thought of losing them is so unbearable. And the fact that there are so many of us ( I am one of ten children) can at times feel like there is always someone to worry about or consider. Within my large family we have a few at risk ( not shielded) members, one heavily pregnant and another two who are NHS key workers and I would be lying if I said I had no fears about Covid19. Aside from Coronavirus there are other major health worries within the family and frustratingly none of us are able to help one another out in the ways we normally would.

As with many others there are aspects of life in lockdown which I would like to continue when it ends. More time focused on communicating with family, more time focused on simple things. More time in the garden listening to the birds, examining the shapes in the clouds. Less needless shopping for clothes and materialistic products ( although I admit even I had a moment where I googled hot tub prices – then laughed and closed the browser). Focusing on daily outdoor exercise. Cooking from scratch more. Making sure to use up leftovers. Considering the needs of others more.

I don’t really miss going to the pub or restaurants although cooking every meal and cleaning up after each one doesn’t always exactly spark joy! I don’t really miss my day job although occasionally I miss having more adult conversation and I don’t even miss the socialising aspect as much as I imagined.

I do miss my close friends and family but we are maintaining contact in lots of ways.

But the biggest thing I miss most right now is being able to give my parents a hug. I have always appreciated my parents but never more so than right in this moment, I can’t think of anyone with a bad word to say about them and I am aware that I was so very lucky to be born to two generous, selfless and loving people. They make my days better and fill my heart with joy and love. The relationship they have with my children is wonderful to see and I am thankful we live within walking distance so that we can call up and check in on them ( from a safe distance in the garden ). We always spend a lot of time together but I’ll ensure it will be even more so after this difficult time is over.

If there is one thing this pandemic will have taught us as all I believe it is what really matters to us and who really matters to us. Material goods and money in the bank whilst nice don’t mean much when peoples lives and health are in doubt and at risk.

I hope you are ok, whoever and wherever you are reading this. I hope this virus hasn’t taken anyone close to you and I hope you are finding this time bearable. You can always pop me an email via the blog or a message on my social channels if you need someone to offload or rant to, I’m a good listener.

Stay safe, stay home. Protect not just the NHS but everyone. Stay away from loved ones and wait for when this is over and we can have that big joyous gathering so that nobody is missing from it.

Love to you all.

Photo by Alex Jackman on Unsplash

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Filed Under: Life ·

Car Tips To Save Your Pennies

February 28, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

As parents we all try to save on expenses, one of the reasons we save is because we want to spend that money on things that make our kids busy and happy. That money can be spent on leisure activities or crafts and fun for our kids. In the winter car care can become tricky because roads become wet and slippery and if your car is not properly taken care of you can be prone to road troubles.

You can cut down on vehicle care expenses by giving your vehicle a regular check and avoiding trips to the mechanic to do it for you. A weekly check on your motor will help you monitor the defects if any beforehand and you can get it repaired before you face any major harm or expenses in future while you are on road with your family like engine failure or even just a tyre puncture. Here are a few things you can do to keep your vehicle in check and make your life easier.

Check tyre pressures

You can start off by doing a simple check on the tyre pressure levels. A well balanced pressure in tyres will help you have a pleasant and safe road journey with your family. However if your tyre is underbalanced or overbalanced you can face major driving issues on your journey increasing your repairing costs. Underbalanced tyres are prone to flatten quickly resulting in a tyre puncture whereas overbalanced pressure in tyres can damage your tyres if you are driving at a high speed and come in contact with road bump or debris. At times overbalanced tyres can burst too if they come in contact with a pot hole or any other unexpected road hurdle.

Buy quality tyres one time

The next thing you need to do is to invest in good quality tyres. A tyre with a good quality will last longer and face less damage as compared to the low quality tyre where the rubber might not be as resistant and might cause your tyres to worn out quicker and damage them completely. Instead of saving your money and buying low quality tyres, it is better to invest in good quality tyres one at a time and avoiding repair costs later. Many local tyre garages can help you find the perfect tyres for your car. For instance if you are in Dundee, you can look for a tyre garage with good customer reviews. A local recommendation to help you choose new tyres in Dundee is from Fife Autocentre (01382 205000)

Covering tyres properly 

At times you might leave your vehicle parked up in a garage or some other form of off road parking believing it is safe standing there. It might be safe , however the garage and parking space plays an important part when it comes to maintaining your car tyre quality. It is always better to cover your tyres with proper tyre covers or a cloth so that extreme heat exposure from the sun does not damage the tyres. Also if you do not have a proper garage to park your car , wet weather and rain can cause excessive water to enter the tyre and damage it.

These hacks will not only help you protect the quality of your tyres but also you will be able to avoid spending on extreme tyre repair costs later.

*This is a sponsored post collaboration.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized ·

Bath Will Make You Feel Good

February 25, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 8 Comments

*AD – This was a press trip and as such all transport, events and meals were free*

I’ve been quite honest both on here and on social media that this past year has been brutal on both my physical and mental health. I’ve got an ongoing back problem which has caused me an awful lot of pain and many of you will know the impact that ongoing pain has on your general wellbeing. I’m taking steps to get myself back to ship shape condition and waiting on a second MRI scan but life isn’t easy right now.

The invite from Visit Bath to have a Feel Good day in Bath came at exactly the right time. I travelled to Bath with GWR trains having spent the night before with one of my oldest school friends in Bristol.


We started the day at Bath Thermae Spa and it was a pretty special experience. Having the time at the spa especially in the rooftop pool before it was opened to the general public was blissful. I was a little anti social during the spa time, enjoying the absolute quiet and glorious sunshine which popped out towards the end of our time there. I always find being in water comforting, you all know how much of a sucker I am for a bath so being in these ( apparently healing ) thermal waters felt amazing.

As well as the two pools, one indoor and one outdoor, there are a number of spa facilities including saunas, an ice room, infrared room and steam rooms.

I left feeling a lot better than when I entered but do excuse my tired eyes.

Being in the spa worked up my appetite and we moved onto Sweet Little Things which is the most beautiful coffee shop in the centre of Bath. Often I find that when cafes are so pretty and instagrammable that the food doesn’t match up but the brunch menu at SLT was delightful. I opted for the pancakes with Nutella and fruit and it was gorgeous. Pancakes can be so disappointing but these were fluffy and light and I’d go there again just for that. A massive thumbs up for the perfect flat white too.

We had some free time after brunch so I headed for a stroll around the town with Alisha Ceit one of the bloggers who was also part of the trip. We went to The Roman Baths which were beautiful. It was pretty busy in there with school trips and tourists but I managed to snap one pic of it looking quite empty but I assure you it wasn’t!

After the Roman Baths I had a little time to myself and picked up some gifts for the girls in the shops around the centre before heading to meet up with the group at Bandook Kitchen for lunch.

Bandook has newly opened and it is such a beautiful restaurant. I loved the layout and style of the place as well as the friendliness and knowledge of the staff. We were all struggling to pick what we wanted from the menu so we were more than happy to let the staff choose a number of dishes for us and all share. The food is probably the best indian food I’ve had. It has a tapas style feel with small plates for sharing and I could see myself going there with a gang of my friends or family and nibbling at lots of bits.

I chose a mocktail to go with my food which was refreshing and pretty to look at, full of fruit and mint.

Every dish we had was packed full of zing and flavour with just the right level of heat. It was definitely the highlight of the trip for me – I am a food blogger after all. I really want to return to Bandook and try everything else on the menu. We tried lots of dishes including the Pani Poori, Grandma’s Curry, Kori Kempu, Pakoras and Chilli Paneer. One of the most unusual and interesting for me was the Bengal Jhalmuri, a sort of fresh bombay mix with was just vibrant and different! We didn’t really have room for dessert but we tried the Kulfi and I’m so glad we did as next time I’m definitely saving room for it. Oh and a special shout out for the best peshwari naan I have tasted.

After Bandook we headed to Goodbody Wellness Centre which is a wellbeing store that specialises in CBD products. I’ve tried CBD oil before and know it can work really well for all sorts of issues from joint pain to anxiety. However it was still good to learn more about it and also the different ways of ingesting it. I tried a CBD coffee which was so good and we were gifted a bath bomb which I used last week and loved. CBD can be pricey but staff advised me that it is coming down in price and a lot of the stuff was very affordable. They also sell online so worth taking a look at their online store too.

I had to leave the trip at this point to make my journey home but thanks to Visit Bath and the lovely group of bloggers who made the day so chilled and enjoyable. I’ll be back!

#feelgoodbath#gwradventures

  • As stated this trip was a trip organised by Visit Bath and as such my visit was complimentary.

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Filed Under: Travel ·

Do You Need A TV Licence?

February 5, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

This may seem like a slightly random post from me today but I have had SO many discussions about this lately and thought it was a topic that may be of interest to a few of you.  Read on if you have ever asked the question do you need a TV licence?

This week it was announced that TV licence fees are increasing as of April 2020. Whilst the increase is hardly huge ( it is £3 extra ) if you pay monthly you will now be paying £13.13 per month – which is at least £5 more than Netflix, Amazon Prime and various other TV viewing services. Is it worth it and more importantly do you need it? Let’s take a look:

Do YOU need a TV licence?

Well it depends.

You need a licence if you:

  • Watch any live TV including live TV via services such as Amazon Prime and Now TV.
  • Record any TV shows as they are shown. So you can’t record Home & Away today and watch it tomorrow to avoid the licence fee.
  • Watch any BBC shows or use BBC iPlayer ( even if it’s on catch up) – this means you simply cannot watch BBC shows. Whether you download after the fact or watch live.

However…

You don’t need a TV licence if you do the following:

  • Only watch TV programmes which aren’t shown live via services such as Netflix or ITV player.
  • Don’t watch or record live TV.
  • Don’t watch BBC shows at all.

You can still without a TV licence watch any channels apart from BBC channels on catch up or on demand. So yes you can get your fix of soaps ( aside from those shown on BBC) or Love Island just by waiting until it appears on demand or catch up.

do you need a tv licence
Photo by Dario on Unsplash

I haven’t had a TV licence in quite a while now. Myself and the girls only watch Netflix or Amazon Prime when I pay for a prime membership and I occasionally watch an interesting TV show on catch up from All4 or ITV player etc. I don’t miss being able to watch live TV at all. I’m not an avid soap watcher and I can take or leave most of the reality shows so maybe if that was your bag you’d have more of an issue with it. Whether you think it provides value for money or not you could save yourself over £150 a year just by being a little more patient with your viewing time. Worth some consideration for sure.

If you do decide to cancel, don’t just cancel your direct debit or ignore the bill. You should follow this link to make a declaration and avoid any letters appearing at your door.

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Part Time Veggie – One Month In

February 5, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 2 Comments

You may remember at the beginning of January I wrote this post. I had decided to cut down on my meat consumption for a few reasons, mostly because I don’t think it’s sustainable for us to continue the way we are easing meat products. I wasn’t sure if I could do it because I have nearly always been the kind of person who builds each dish around a meat. I mean there were days I’d have a meat free dinner but I may have had bacon for breakfast or a chicken sandwich for lunch. On my meat free days now I don’t have any meat or fish at all.

Photo by Dana DeVolk on Unsplash

So how am I finding it?

Well, surprisingly easy actually. In fact on a few weeks I’ve even found that I’m actually 3 and once 4 days meat free. I still don’t think I’ll ever give up meat. I know some real veggies/vegans will have an issue with that but it works for me. I still enjoy meat when I have it and I consider it an important part of my diet. I don’t need it every day, none of us do.
A few times I’ve almost opted for meat out of habit on my meat free days but I’ve stopped myself. My biggest test was grabbing a hot chocolate in Maccie Ds the other night with my sister, I was hungry as I hadn’t yet had my evening meal and well I could smell the burgers and the nuggets … but I didn’t. I waited till I was home and had a veggie noodle curry pot instead. Yay for Naked noodles.

Have I seen any benefits?

Yes. I feel less sluggish and my stomach is more settled and behaving the way it should. This is more than likely due to my increasing my fruit and veg intake rather than any real difference to just cutting out meat but I’m ok with that. I am experimenting more with dishes and when I do eat meat it’s higher welfare and better quality because I can afford to do that as I am buying so much less of it. I do quite often still cook meat for the girls and more often than not my veggie days are days they are with their dad for most or part of the day. They have enjoyed the various veg based meals they’ve had with me such as veg filled pasta bakes and occasional curry or stir fry but also they eat meat as part of their school dinners frequently so I know they are still getting what they need for their growing bodies. I even surprised myself on the weekend when eating out with my friends by choosing a veggie brunch. It was in the Tinto Lounge in Bristol and it was GOOD, I mean when it includes cheddar cheese fritters instead I am here for it.

My grocery shops are cheaper which is a big perk and I just feel good about the fact that it is an easy change I can make into be more sustainable and green. I try not to go on about this subject much as I know people are a little overwhelmed with the sheer volume of news and online posts about saving the world. But it’s the world in which my children are growing up in, it is the world their children will live in and I ( along with all of you) have a duty to my bit to make it a place they can live in happily for many years to come. I am also cutting down on my beef intake in particular, I watched a programme recently which opened my eyes to the brutality of the beef market and it has made eating beef less enjoyable for me. It’s not something I’m stopping but I am eating less grab and go beef such as burgers etc rather than saying an outright no to it. Maybe it’s hypocritical of me to say but I do enjoy steak a lot and as someone who quite often is slightly anaemic it is one of the things I tend to cook when I know I need it. Don’t come at me with all of your replacement vegetable/iron ideas, I know about them and I quite frequently choose them but I like to be straight with you on here and I’m still eating steak and minced beef, just not all the time.

I am hoping to soon share some of my veggie recipes with you, they are hardly groundbreaking ideas but I figure we could all use the occasional fresh new meal inspiration in our meal plans.

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