BodyMe Organic Super Energy Mix

BodyMe is a company that produces superfoods and wholefoods in the forms of powders and supplements. They have many healthy, nutritious products such as Green Tea, Acai Berry and Wheatgrass. All of the products are organic and have qualities that will aid in a healthy and natural way.

I was sent the Organic Super Energy Mix, a powder containing lots healthy ingredients such as baobab, a fruit that is high in fibre, calcium, vitamin C, etc; guarana, an natural and slow-releasing equivalent to caffine; maca, a root high in vitamin B6, iron, zinc, etc; lucuma, a superfruit high in vitamin B1 and B2 and potassium; and acai berry, a wonder berry high in omega fats, vitamin E and more.

All these are used to give the body a source of slow-release energy to keep you going throughout the day.

I have been drinking the mix for a week now and I can really feel the difference.

Usually, I find it very hard to find the energy and motivation to do things such as getting up early in the morning and going to the gym. 
After a drink every morning, I feel energised and ready to face the day. I don't put much in, they recommend gradually building up to 5 grams, make sure you mix well to dissolve it all.

It can be mixed with water, juice and smoothies, I preferred it in juice, but then again, I am biased as I do love juices!

They also donate 20p of the sale to Healthy Planet, a charity who have projects like 'adopt a plot' and healthy learning to help inspire and create a healthier world and environment.

So if you feel like a boost, try out BodyMe Organic Super Energy Mix.

www.bodyme.co.uk

Disclaimer: I was sent the BodyMe Organic Super Energy Mix for free, but have received no other form of compensation to provide this review. 
All opinions are my own.

Funky Laser Reindeer Necklace

Funky Laser were kind enough to send me one of their cute, festive necklaces they're selling.

I think it's late enough in the year now to start talking about Christmas! Though I did starting buying presents in August, but that's for another post.

Funky Laser are a unique company that make a range of products including jewellery, cake toppers, photo props, etc. with themed products for Christmas and weddings using high-speed lasers. They can also produce personal projects (so long as they are within their specifications) on their three main services of design, fabrication and woodcutting.

I was send one of their Christmas best sellers, the Reindeer Necklace. It comes in a range of different colours and there is an option for a glittered necklace for a bit extra.
Mine was a lovely Christmas red, very festive and flawless in design. The chain is connected to the nose and tail of the flying reindeer so it hangs neatly and doesn't interfere with the necklace itself.
I can't wait to wear it, it's definitely going to make an appearance at my work Christmas dinner!

All of their designs are really quirky and funky, I love the statement Chunky Glasses necklace and the Puzzle Studs as well. 
There's so many different designs, ideas and colours to choose from, so if you want something a bit unique as a gift for Christmas, I'd really recommend you check Funky Laser out.

www.funkylaser.com
Funky Laser on Facebook
Funky Laser on Twitter


Disclaimer: I was sent the Reindeer necklace for free, but have received no other form of compensation to provide this review. 
All opinions are my own.

University Care Box

So my cousin has been at university for a couple of months now, and even though we hardly hear from him, I thought it would be nice to send him a little box of goodies. I remember one of the best things about uni was getting mail so I hope he likes it and actually gets in contact to say thank you!

Here's what I'm putting in it:

So we have the uni kitchen essentials like coffee and pot noodles, and some Mikado to snack on while concentrating really hard on his studies.
I put in some toiletries like toothpaste and shower gel, and some easy cleaning products like 'Multi Action Wipes' and some in-cistern blocks for his toilet, both from Tesco, to keep it fresh. Boys rooms can get a bit smelly so I included an air freshener to keep it nice and fresh.
One of the best things we had at uni were door wedges so we talk to each other from our rooms, I have no clue if this is something Dan needs, but I think it's a good idea for that all important socialising.
For the drinking, there is Jägermeister for those bombs and drinking games, a pack of cards featuring the rules of Ring of Fire (making it much quicker to start drinking as you don't have to work out and write down all the rules), shot glasses, straws, the basics.
And then for when he has a hangover, and feels awful, there's Berocca to give him a boost and some soothers for that sore throat.
Other little extras I put in include Pro Plus and a Rock Star energy drink to help with those all-nighters sat at the computer trying to finish an essay by morning, some Glu Dots to harmlessly stick posters up on the walls and some face paints and glo-glasses for the themed fancy dress nights out.
And, of course, because I like to be embarrass my younger cousin (and also so he's safe!), I put in some Durex condoms.

I hope Dan enjoys my little care box, I doubt I'll hear a thank you from him as he's not been chatty at all so far! I like to think he'll like it though, otherwise I'll just have to think of more embarrassing things to send up to him. My Mum use to send me postcards featuring Jax once a week, maybe I could do something like that...

Any ideas of what to put in the box next?
All help is appreciated! I started running out of ideas near the end!

Doddle Collar Review and Giveaway!

I was given a great opportunity to try out a Doddle.

As usual, Jax was very excited to open the parcel (he somehow always knows it's for him).








The Doddle is a red collar that has a 1m length lead built into it with a looped handle at the end for an easy hold. It isn't heavy, weighing only 39 grams, which means it doesn't encumber your dog. They are available for small and medium dogs up to a weight of 27kg, and a neck size of 40cm, perfect for my little Jax.






It does look a bit bulky, but it didn't bother Jax at all, he gave his head a little shake to settle the collar then didn't even notice it. He's still able to run madly after his ball with no problems, and this way it's easy to grab hold of his lead if needed, that's if we can catch him first!





This collar is great as it means no more carrying (or losing, as that has happened before!) the lead, and if you quickly need to have your dog on a lead it's already there. Jax can sometimes get a bit intimidated by other dogs, especially ones that are bigger than him, and this collar gives us a quick way to pull him away.
It's also great for little journeys in the car when he's taking me to work, or popping to the shops, he can just wear this collar in case we need the lead, which in all cases we don't.



There is also a great option of having your Doddle collar engraved for a bit extra, up to two lines are available which means you can put your dogs name and your telephone number as you would on a dog tag.

You also have the great opportunity to win a Doddle for your dog below.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

www.doddlefordogs.com

Doddle on Facebook

Doddle on Twitter

Disclaimer: We were sent the Doddle lead for free, but have received no other form of compensation to provide this review. All opinions are my own.

Le Bistrot Pierre

Gary and I went to a new restaurant in Torquay, Le Bistrot Pierre, a French-style bistro.
It's a lovely two-floor restaurant located on the sea front of Torre Abbey decorated as a French bistro with lots of vintage-styled wooden furniture and a fully stocked high bar.

The food is amazing!
They have different menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner with lots of intriguing, tasty food. We went for dinner, and we'll definitely be going again.
I had the Saucisse de Toulouse for starter, a poached egg on slices of Toulouse sausage with a warm tomato dressing, was delicious. Gary had the Moules au Roquefort, mussels in a Roquefort sauce, he said they're the best mussels in Torquay, he was very impressed.
For main I had Gratin de Pates et Fromage, a macaroni and cauliflower cheese gratin, it was gorgeous! You can choose a side from skinny fries, salad or potatoes and vegetables. Gary had the Cassoulet d'agneau, lamb with a 'cassoulet' of bacon, beans and tomatoes, which he loved as well. We tried a bit of each others, all the flavours were rich and moorish, haven't had great food like this in a while.
We shared a Macaron for dessert as we were both a bit full. The macaroon and ice cream were nice, but I'm not a fan of fruit compotes, so I found that a bit too rich with the dessert. I really want to try the creme brulee next time.
We both can't wait to go again, we want to share the camembert, and I want to try the St Marcellin cheese and the mushroom brioche and the mini chorizos roasted in honey, and then mains I want to try chicken dish, and the pork, and the burger, oh I really can't wait to go back! Especially when they've given us a loyalty card where you collect stamps to get a free two course meal!

They also do 'Dine with Wine' and 'Soiree Gastronomique' evenings, where they have a set menu for a set price. We have one booked for next month, really can't wait, it's gonna be yummy.
I'm also trying to convince work about having our Christmas meal here, I've not really given them much choice about it though as I've only brought in the one menu! It's definitely worth coming here though!

Old El Paso Stand 'N' Stuff Soft Taco Kit

So tonight we went Mexican and tried out Old El Paso's new Stand 'N' Stuff Taco Kits. I really wanted to try the BBQ one, but unfortunately that was out of stock at Tesco, so we brought the 'Garlic and Paprika' kit.

It's really easy to make, you get 8 tacos, the seasoning and salsa. All you have to add is the mince meat, tomato, lettuce and cheese.

Gary decided he wanted to add onion to it to give a bit more flavour and I suppose there's loads more you can add like peppers, mushrooms, etc.

So first of all you cook off the meat (and any veg you're adding in), then drain the water out. Gary recommends you do do that, as we left it in thinking it would add to the flavour but it just ended up being very messy.

So, once drained, add the seasoning and 150ml of water and let it simmer for 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.

Warm up the tacos in the microwave for about 30 seconds and then pile it all in. They do recommend not filling them up too much which I would have to agree on, they will be filling half full and a lot easier to eat. Everything starts falling out as you try and eat otherwise, still tasty though!

And the finished product

Now, I can be quite fussy with food and I don't really like minced beef so I made my own special tacos. I like to have bacon, hashbrown and cheese wraps so I thought I'd try it in a taco.

I cooked bacon rashers, hashbrowns and mushrooms in a frying pan, you can add whatever other veg you like, but as I said, I'm quite fussy and I like my favourites.

I warmed up the tacos again, filled them up with the cooked goods and cheese. Added some sour cream, cheese and sweet BBQ sauce on top and all done.

Unfortunately there wasn't much left of my BBQ sauce (I like waiting for it to be on offer) so there wasn't as much as I'd like but it still tasted good.

The finished product

So all in all a quick, easy and tasty product. Not as good as proper Mexican food but it's good enough.

I've got an idea for some tasty nachos from a Mexican restaurant I visited in Playa del Carmen so keep your eyes peeled for that soon!

Let me know what you think of these tacos if you've tried them and if you've made any variations, would be lovely so see your ideas.

Trip Around the Bay

On mine and Gary's day off, we decided to have a wander around Torbay. We've been meaning to get the ferry over to Brixham all summer, as not only is it cheaper than the bus, it's a lovely little journey across the bay.

I thought it would be nice to go to Totnes though, as we haven't been there for years. So we got the bus from Torquay to Paignton and had a look round the shops until the bus came for Totnes.

We had a lovely lunch in the Dartmouth Inn where they had Morris dancers outside, it sounded like a regular thing and made the pub quite busy.

Most of the shops were closed unfortunately as it was a Sunday, but they had a lovely food market at the top of the hill that had all sorts, such as Thai, paella, falafel, cheese and meat stalls and loads more. I'll take my Mum over one Sunday as she loves things like that.

Gary then suggested we get the bus over to Brixham anyways and get the ferry home. I had joked that morning that it was probably too windy for the ferry to be running as that had stopped it before.

And yes, I was right, it wasn't running. 

In Lanzarote and Majorca the catamarans we went on swayed madly on the huge waves and yet this day the sea looked calm and peaceful.

It was nice to have a walk around the harbour waiting for the next bus though, and to see Sir Francis Drake's boat, the Golden Hind, previously known as the Pelican (something I learned on the Chase).

It's also great to have such nice weather, we wouldn't normally be able to consider a boat trip near the end of September!