AMARA - Travel Accessories Guide 2017*

I’m going off on another holiday shortly so I have been busy prepping and packing the things that I want to take with me to make the experience as great as possible. I am only going local this time, nothing as extravagant as New York unfortunately but I have a wedding to save up for now! But our destination has a beach and plenty of shops and things to do. As well as the standard essentials I have packed, I recently discovered a website called AMARA which sells some amazing accessories that will be perfect for my getaway. AMARA sell luxury homeware items as well as accessories and plenty of gift options as well and is a great place for all travel accessories.

No beach holiday is complete without a beach bag and towel. I got this gorgeous Oh Deer beach bag from Pip Studio which retails at £30. The bag is adorned with wildlife motifs and an intricate design which I thought would be perfect to use this summer. It’s a pretty decent size and fits in all of my beach essentials including sun lotion, sunglasses, bikini and towel. The bag is made from poly cotton with a waterproof coating so great for popping wet towels in at the end of the day. Speaking of towels, I received this Little Sea beach towel also from Pip Studio which costs £40. The pattern is perfect for the beach and in inspired by the underwater world featuring shells, fish and plant life on the design. The towel is made from soft cotton velour and really feels luxurious. It’s the perfect beach essential and I’ll definitely stand out from the crowd!

I am in love with this glass water bottle from bkr. It’s always important to stay hydrated on holiday, and as I am travelling within the UK I can fill up this bottle from the tap. Retailing at just £28, this bottle is not only stylish but has been wrapped in soft silicone for a comfortable grip. It’s also BPA free, leak proof and dishwasher safe. It also comes in a variety of colours. The screw on cap means that you can avoid any spills. I have been carrying this inside my Oh Deer Beach Bag and can confirm it doesn’t leak at all! Fantastic!

We are travelling by minibus on holiday and being sat in the back for numerous hours means that I will need something to entertain me along the way. These Wireless aHead Headphones from KREAFUNK are an absolute dream. These cost £79 and so comfortable to wear with their extendable headband and soft touch surface. Gone are the days of having to untangle wires,  these are the ultimate accessory. Included is a charging cable for USB to micro USB and with that you get 14 hours playback once charged – plenty for my journey! There is also a built in microphone and controls on the ear so you can even take calls with them. Other colours are also available. These are also ideal for the gym, on more than one occasion I have placed my phone on the treadmill and when running I have caught the headphone cable and then knocked my phone onto the floor. These headphones take all of that worry away, I can run without having to keep checking on my phone.

Finally, I adore these drawstring travel bags from the brand Kate Spade New York. One says ‘to wash’ and one says ‘to wear’ – perfect for separating smaller items of clothing and lingerie when travelling. They are super stylish and light weight and will go with any other travel accessories. These cost just £22 and I think they will really help when it comes to organising all of my luggage items.

Overall I think I am pretty prepped for my week away! Thank you to AMARA for kitting me out with some amazing travel accessories. What are your travel essentials?

*I received some of these items free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

The Perfect Party Accessory Feat. Afterheels*

It’s party season and with the influx of Christmas events, meals, new year parties and dinner dates there is one thing that always takes its toll on me (not including my bank account!) and that is the pain my feet go through wearing heels. I like to dress up and put a nice pair of heels on but by the end of the night my feet are suffering and I’m forced to put up with the pain. Going out in flats for me is not an option, I just wished there was a compromise... then I heard about afterheels.

Afterheels are amazing and I can’t believe what they have packed into this small convenient tin which fits perfectly in my clutch bag. Inside the packaging is the ballerina shoes complete with insoles and a duffle bag, handy for popping your heels in when your feet have given up! A pack of Afterheels weighs 30% less than an iPhone which I can confirm and they barely add any weight to my bag.

It’s so simple, just open the tin, take out the pack and duffle bag, tear open the pack of ballet flats, swap them for your heels and pop your heels in the stylish satin duffle bag also provided – I received the easiest pack where the insoles are already in place.

The shoes come in three sizes as outlined below. The website advises “To ensure instant comfort all of our shoes self-adjust across two size fittings. So, if you're a UK size 3 or 4 you'll need a size small but if you're a UK size 4½ you'll need a pair of medium.”

Sizes:	Small	Medium	Large
UK Sizes UK	3/4	5/6	7/8
UK Sizes US	5/6	7/8	9½/10
UK Sizes Europe	36/37	38/39½	41/42

Afterheels have a signature fuchsia sole and the shoes come in either sparkly or super-soft in a few different patterns and colours. The ‘easiest’ shoes I received cost only £8.49 which is fantastic considering the soles were tested and can last over 120 miles before wearing through, that’s a lot of dancing! I recently wore these on my Christmas do and will be using them again for New Year’s Eve! I couldn’t believe how easy they were to slip on and how comfortable my feet were from then on. I received so many compliments from friends who thought they were an absolutely fantastic idea. When I got home I folded the shoes back up and they went in the tin with ease ready for next time!

UK Delivery starts from £1.99 and these ship worldwide. I also received some super comfy slipper socks for when I got home, they were a dream for my aching feet! Check out the Afterheels website to see the full range of products available. What do you think of this great idea?

*I received this item free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

My Purrfect Gift Box - May*

Last month you may have seen my review on the Purrfect Box and I was very lucky to also receive this month’s offerings. 

I cannot stress how much I love this box. I think the Purrfect Gift Box is a fantastic gift idea for cat lovers and a lovely treat for yourself. Every item I received in the box is something I will use and is so unique and I was so happy when I saw this purple box on my doorstep. It’s packed to the brim with amazing cat related items and treats. You can order a one off Standard box including some extra treats for your cat for £34.97, or £29.97 without. Keep reading to see what gorgeous items I received in this box.

The first item I saw when I opened the box was this delicious bar of chocolate which may or may not have been eaten as soon as I finished taking the photo.. Ahem. This chocolate is made here in the UK by Quirky Library and have been personalised with a cat related quote. The chocolate is a smooth milk based one and tasted absolutely divine. They also do other flavours so head over to their website and check them out!

I then saw this gorgeous retro style cat necklace which was wrapped in a nice cardboard sleeve to keep it protected. This is such unique piece and I don’t own anything like it. It’s simply stunning!

All of these necklaces are handmade and vary ever so slightly in design. I love the look of this and the dried flowers give off a great spring/summer vibe. The cat shaped pendant is see-through and would look great against any outfit as it would pick up the colour in the background from your clothing.

This gorgeous purse is purrfect for all of my cards, notes and coins. The monochrome cat  design is adorable and goes with any outfit. The quality of the purse is outstanding, the stitching is very neat and this piece is going to be a handbag essential for me from now on!

This silky grey scarf with a foil gold cat print is perfect for transitioning into summer from spring. There is often a chill in the air in England and this is the perfect accessory to combat the breeze. I love that the design isn’t too overpowering. Its subtle and I think all cat lovers would want one of these in their wardrobe. A lightweight scarf is a classic timeless piece and the grey colour complements all outfit choices.

These adorable buttons are from The Heyday Shop and are also available on etsy. These are included in the standard box and are the perfect quirky little addition to the box. I am currently trying to decide where to put these. You can replace standard buttons with these or sew them on and customise a handbag. Any cat lover would be proud to show these off!

Onto the cat gifts! This bespoke collar is handmade by Lovely Luna Crafts. I did try and get a photo of biscuit wearing it but he is so lazy and fluffy he rolled over and covered up the delicate charm so I thought it worked out better taking a photo this way! This fabric colour is vibrant, has a quick release clasp and an adorable cat charm and bell. Its also adjustable which is great for larger cats like biscuit.
 

I then received (well, Biscuit did!) some cat treats. Biscuit isn’t fussy with his treats and he loved these. The packet was quite hard to open and he was pawing at my hands to try and get a treat as he could smell them! I would definitely repurchase these as the packaging is fun too. Look at him licking his lips! 

 

The final item in the box, also for Biscuit was this lovely soft colourful fleece blanket handmade in the UK by Tillypops.  I love this fun design and biscuit couldn’t wait to get his paws on here and get settled in! The lady that makes these does so in order to raise awareness and money for Vasculitis UK Myeloma UK. There are plenty of handmade items available, I urge you to go and follow the twitter account to keep updated and see what they have to offer.

There are only a limited number of boxes available each month - so head over to My Purrfect Gift Box now and put your order in to receive the next box. A portion of each of your box subscription goes to support UK cat charities, rescue centres and animal shelters so you’ll be treating yourself all for a good cause. You won’t be disappointed. Are you a cat lover?

*I received this box free of charge. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.