Home Styling with Marble and White Details

Marble and white details have to be my two of my favourite's for the home.  They go together so perfectly, creating both a tranquility and a depth that's just beautiful.

I'd been looking for a white ceramic vase for a while, and totally fell in love with this one by Parlane when I found it.  I've paired it with some new tea lights and a marble plate I picked up a while ago, and together they make the perfect centre piece for our little dining table.

Our home is far from perfect, but I've found that focusing on small details can make all the difference to a space, and to the mood and feel of the house too.  I've slowly been buying new things for the home; it may be something as little as a new set of spoons (recently I picked up a pack of teaspoons with beautiful ceramic handles, reduced in the sale!), or it may be something bigger, like a new dining table; but it all makes a difference.

At night the candlelight dances through the glass and plays beautifully across the layers of the vase.  It's a wonderful setting for the three of us at mealtimes, and at night when the little one's in bed and my husband's at work I look forward to sitting down and lighting the candles, and just enjoying this little corner I've created.

Have a wonderful week ahead x

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Banana & Mango Green Smoothie

It's been a while since I posted a green smoothie recipe, which is crazy because I have them near enough every day!  This new favourite of mine is just so tasty I had to share.

It's true that Green Smoothies can take some getting used to, but once you do, they're so addictive.  They're so full of goodness and you can quite literally feel the benefits straight away.  As they're already liquidated, they're also a fantastic way of giving your stomach a rest without skipping meals, which is perfect if you're feeling like you've over-indulged a little!

In this smoothie there's iron, fibre, potassium, as well as vitamins C and K...which briefly mean improved energy levels, brain function, skin, vision, digestion and immune system; the list goes on!

All these things combine to make an incredibly nourishing and energy boosting drink, and also serve as a great antidote to that mid-afternoon slump.

Recipe:

1 cup of spinach
1 cup of kale
1 cup of frozen mango
1 cup of Alpro Coconut Drink (or water)
1 chopped banana

I also add:

1tbs chia seeds for an extra dose of fibre, omega-3 and protein.

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth, then serve and enjoy!

Have a fantastic week ahead x

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Oat and Honey Exfoliating Face Mask

Lately I've been experimenting a lot with natural and homemade skin treatments.  I think that once you begin caring about what you're putting into your body, you also start considering what you put onto it.  A lot of the same healthy ingredients can also be used as part of a natural skincare routine too.

As a teenager I had bad skin and now, thinking back, all the treatments I was prescribed or bought from the shop were very harsh.  They just strip the skin of its natural oils.  As with a lot of things, I've come to realise that the more natural approach is often the most beneficial one.

Exfoliating encourages new, healthy cells to replace the old and so helps skin look healthier and those troublesome scars to fade.  Oats are fantastic at this whilst also absorbing impurities.  Honey is anti-bacterial and as such is fantastic for fighting spots and skin irritations, whilst also absorbing impurities, as well as soothing and hydrating the skin.

In this recipe there are oats to exfoliate, honey to soothe, and olive oil to plump and moisturise the skin.

This is a simple face and body scrub I've come to love for both its exfoliation and its anti-bacterial abilities, and it's so easy to make!  There's enough here to use a bit on your body too, but if you need more simply increase the amounts.  

Recipe:

1tbs of ground oats

1tbs of honey

1tbs of olive oil

Method:

In a pestle and mortar, grind the porridge oats into a coarse powder, then add the olive oil and honey and mix well.  Massage the oat paste gently over your face and neck to exfoliate the skin. Once you've finished apply the rest of the paste to your skin and then leave it for around 15 minutes or more.  Remove with hot water and cotton wool.

While the face mask works you can also use the rest of the paste in the shower as a body exfoliator, and simply rinse it all off there before continuing as usual.

I love to finish with some rose and lavender water by Lush and then some coconut oil, all of which leaves my skin so smooth and soft - it feels like it's glowing!

Have a wonderful week ahead! x

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Let it Snow!

This last couple of weeks have been so busy, with so much work to do and not much time for fun.  So imagine our excitement when we found that a little bit of fun had come to us!

We'd been hoping for snow all winter.  There's been loads of rain and a good dose of hail, but snow has been in disappointingly short supply.  So it didn't take long for Noah and I to throw on our coats, grab our cameras and run outside.  

Sometimes you just need to abandon the washing up, put that pile of paperwork to the back of your mind and go have some fun.  We snapped a few pictures, threw a few snowballs at each other (I managed to hit Noah square in the face, whoops), and made the most of it while it lasted.  We even managed to pull the husband out of work long enough to join in too! It might not have been much, but it was such a welcome treat.

The craziness of English weather means you never really know what you're going to get from one hour to the next and true to form, it stopped as suddenly as it started.

Just a few days later and it feels like spring is on its way, but what a wonderful way to end to the winter season and throw a bit of family fun into an otherwise work-absorbed week.

Have a wonderful week ahead x

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Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges

Let me introduce you to another one of my addictions - spiced sweet potato wedges.  The first thing I did when trying to break bad eating habits was to find healthier alternatives to the things I liked to eat, and this was one of them.

It's hard to believe that something which tastes this great can be so good for you too, but not only do they taste and look amazing, they're full of nutritional benefits!

Sweet potatoes contain powerful antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibre.  They're a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene and iron and so promote healthy vision, skin, and immune system, whilst releasing energy slowly to keep you energised without peaking your blood sugar levels.

They're so soft and sweet, which balances perfectly against the spices.  What's more is that they feel like a such a treat, but there's no reason to feel like you've over indulged!

There's a number of ways I like to serve them; with avocado, leafy greens and feta, with garlic or sweet chilli sauce; but sometimes the simplest ways are the best, and some guacamole is all that's needed.

Recipe: (serves 1)

2-3 medium sized sweet potatoes (about 500g)

1 tsp of chilli powder

1/2 tsp of ground cumin

1/4 tsp of salt (scant)

1 tbs of olive oil

Method:

Pre-heat oven to gas mark 8.  Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into wedges, about 1cm thick.  In a bowl, drizzle olive oil over the wedges, then add the salt, chilli powder and cumin and stir until the chips are evenly coated.  Line a baking tray with baking paper and bake for around 25-30 minutes.

To make the guacamole, simply mash an avocado in a bowl and add some salt and lemon juice to taste.

Then enjoy!

Have a wonderful week ahead x

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