Life | Tips and Tricks to Fight Stress

Stress can be quite a drag when it has its grip on you and over the years through high school to uni and then on to a professional career...stress has definitely reared its ugly head on occasion. In this time I have researched, heard about and developed my own ways of dealing with stress so I thought I would put all these little tips and tricks in to a post and hopefully one might resonate with you so you have something to combat stress the next time it crops up...

Exercise

I can't escape quoting Legally Blonde now “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands.” Or we could just leave it as happy people aren’t letting stress get to them? It really is as simple as that, physical exercise releases the happy hormones. Also, exercising muscles can release the tension in muscles that comes with stress, so it can help relieve that tension headache. Just search stress and exercise on the internet to read up.

Use Your Imagination - Senses have memories

This tip was one I picked up at a training course a few years ago, and I have used it successfully ever since. Thinking of each of your senses; smell, taste, see, hear, touch. We use these senses all the time, so it is only natural that these senses have memories associated to them, and in turn, an associated feeling. So take a moment to yourself in a quiet place and think back to a time when you were relaxed, calm, happy, unconcerned about life's trials. Think about what was happening at that time; what could you smell or taste? Was there a song playing or another sound that you can remember? Do you have a picture of that place or moment? Can you remember the feel of something? You need to find something that has such a strong association that just by smelling something that you remember at that time, or seeing a picture of the place, you can take yourself back to that moment of calm. This is probably difficult to imagine right now so I will share my own example and maybe you could find your own memory to relate back to.

I was lucky enough to have a honeymoon of a life time in the Maldives, and a moment from that holiday that I remember was after a relaxing massage in a hut over the water with a glass floor. It was one of those hugely expensive, gimmicky honeymoon massage treatments for couples, so we both had a massage and then there was a bath filled with oils and all sorts of skin enriching ingredients at the end, overlooking nothing but endless Indian ocean. I remember so vividly that moment of sitting there, completely content, without a care in the world, and I remember the smell of Jasmine from the flowers that were in the bath. So now, whenever the pressure is on in work and things are reaching boiling point, I just pop the kettle on and pour a cup of Jasmine tea. I sit there with the cup, smelling the Jasmine, and I instantly feel calmer. Now that is my own personal memory, yours may be from your childhood, it may be a song that you used to sing along with your friends to in Uni or even just something very simple like a picture of your favourite place.

Relax each muscle to get to sleep

I find one of the worst thing about times of stress can be struggling to switch off at night and get to sleep, and lack of sleep only makes things worse! So a technique I use to try and switch my mind off is this; I shuffle in to as comfortable position as I can so that all my muscles feel relaxed. Once I feel like there is no pressure anywhere and I am comfortable I start at my toes and imagine each muscle relaxing, working my way up my body to my forehead. You may get distracted and think of something else and if that happens then start back at your toes again and work your way up. Sometimes this works for me, sometimes it doesn't, but at least I feel like I am doing something rather than that helpless insomniac feeling of trying to get to sleep desperately.

Candles

This technique was something I used throughout my exams in high school and college when I felt overwhelmed with workload. Go to a quiet room, close the curtains, turn off any harsh lighting and light a candle. If you have some relaxing music (preferably instrumental) you could also put this on if you can't shut out exterior noise. Get yourself sitting down comfortably and focus on the candle light and breathe deeply. With each deep breath in, think of one of your stresses, and as you exhale, imagine you are breathing out the issue. Some issues can take more than one breath!

There are lots of ways to fight stress, and I have just pointed out a few that I use, but everyone is different. Sometimes just taking some time out for yourself and having a bath or lying still can help you relax. What do you do to relax and combat stress?

Life | Should Women Take Protein Supplements?

This post will be tackling something a little different than I usually do, protein. There are many benefits of protein which include healthy skin, nails and hair, however the benefits of protein are much further reaching than that (like great skin hair and nails isn't enough??). 

I am not a gym bunny by any stretch, but I am aware that keeping myself fit and healthy is required, and with problem knees (yup, they dislocate easily) I need to maintain my muscle tone. I do see going to the gym as a bit of a chore. Although I definitely feel the endorphine rush when I leave, it is not pleasant when you hobble around the next day aching (we have all been there!). This is where protein comes in. There are many associations to body building, muscles, men only, even as far as steroids when you mention protein shakes to someone not in the know, but the truth is protein shakes are a great way of helping your body to recover after a work out. Not only does this make sure you can go again the next day if you wish, it also means you won't be struggling to get out of bed! 

Firstly, what are protein shakes? There are lots of different types, however the most popular for muscle recovery is whey protein, which is a supplement of amino acid that aids muscle recovery after a workout (you have about a 2 hour window to have a protein shake after a workout for it to be effective, although some argue protein at any time is just as effective). Mass gainers, which can typically contain creatine, are what most people associate with protein shakes, and they do-what-they-say-on-the-tin and help build muscle. It would recommend whey protein shakes after a tough workout, leave the mass gainers to the body builders and those wanting to build impressive muscles! 

Now obviously, there are many sources of protein, but I find shakes to be the most convenient for immediately after a workout. There are also protein bars, which I have to admit don’t taste brill, but they are also a quick source of protein for when you are on the go. Other alternatives are protein porridge, hot chocolate protein mixes, protein pancake mixes, there are all sorts of innovative ways to take protein which you can find here. Always read the ingredients list though and ensure there isn’t high levels of sugar in there and watch how many carbs are in there too. Some powders have added ingredients to act as a meal replacement too which can aid weight loss, I have to say I have found this effective as a breakfast replacement (especially when it gets towards bikini time!). I use Impact Whey Protein from myprotein.com as it is great value and tastes good too (it comes in a few different flavours but my fave is smooth chocolate!). They also do a great womens version called Max Elle True Diet which has some extra ingredients such as green tea extract, which helps to increase metabolism, and CLA which reduces the potential for your body to store fat. Max Elle True Diet is slightly more expensive but a great investment if you have a weight loss target.

This post was sponsored by myprotein.com and press samples were supplied.

Luxe Beauty Life | Mothers Day Present Ideas

This might be a little premature but Mothers Day will be here before we know it (30th March) so I thought I would write about some present ideas to spoil our lovely Mums.

Molton Brown Orange & Bergamot Replenishing Hand Cream
I just love hand creams and I think they make a lovely gift, at £10, this Molton Brown hand cream is a great price, smells divine and leaves hands moisturised without feeling greasy - click here

L'Occitane Free Gift Code
L'Occitane has hundreds of fabulous products and what is more, enter the code ADYY (valid 1st - 31st March 2014 when you spend £30 or more) and you will get a free Revitalising Spring Collection (worth £21.50) so you can give your Mum an extra gift - or keep it for yourself! - click here

Montagne Juenesse Gorgeous Gift Pamper Pack
I am a massive fan of these face masks and they are a great price at £5 for a gift pack - click here - and if you are lucky you will get to try one out too while you have a gossip over a cuppa.

Elemis Sparkling Beauty - Advanced Skincare Set
If your Mum really deserves a treat then this Elemis gift set will definitely get her smiling, and to save you wrapping it up it comes in a lovely gift box...smiles all round! £49.50 - click here

I hope my suggestions have given you some inspiration, have a great Mothers Day!

Luxe Life | io Osteria Personale, Florence, Review

As a birthday treat Mr D booked a table at io Osteria Personale in Florence. On approach this is a very unassuming place, without a hint of pretentiousness. It was well decorated inside with a modern contemporary feel, and the welcome from the staff was very warm, which was not something we found everywhere in Florence.

We opted for the 6 course tasting menu and we requested some matching wines too which weren't on the menu but the owner, Matteo, was happy to cater for us. The tasting menu is not set, it is simply a choice of 5 dishes and each person at the table can select their own dessert. Our meal went as follows:

Some tasty breadsticks to start which all had different flavours through the centre (my favourite was tomato)

Potato, lemon, anchovy and chive soup (compliments of the chef). This was a lovely appetite warmer with a thick consistency and plenty of taste.

Sea bass Tartare (a choice from Mr D). I would definitely not pick this dish as anything tartare doesn't jump out at me, but this made me think twice on picking this next time. The sea bass was served with ricotta, pine kernels, baby spinach and balsamic vinegar. The texture of the sea bass was not what I was expecting and served on a bed of ricotta it gave it a twist of alternative textures, and the tastes of the other ingredients on the plate complimented it perfectly.

Sichuan pepper Mackerel which was served with ginger-cauliflower cream and broccoli. I loved the combination of the strong Mackerel taste with sichuan pepper and ginger.

Pecorino Cheese Panna Cotta. Wow! The cheese panna cotta was a real lip smacker and served with turnip greens, dried fava bean puree and toasted tomato breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs were my favourite aspect of this dish, even though the panna cotta brought a huge smile to my face, the tomato taste was very concentrated in the breadcrumbs and provided a tangy after taste to each mouthful.

Duck Breast was next up and was so tasty that I only managed to picture the empty plate...oops! Served with caper powder, citrus mayo with candied orange and fennel - this was a real unique dish. The fennel left a fresh after taste and complimented the citrus mayo beautifully, whilst the duck was cooked to perfection with a lovely pink colour.

Cinta Senese Pork Fillet was the last of our savoury dishes but by no means the least, antichokes, mint pesto and lemon finished up the dish again with the meat cooked to perfection.

The two desserts we went for were:

Olive Oil Chocolate Souffle with Pear Sorbet. This souffle was a good height and airy texture with a rich chocolate and the sorbet so lightly flavoured that the pear was a hint of taste rather than overwhelming.

White Chocolate and Olive Oil Hot Cream with Lavender Slush. This dessert blew my mind! If I was to recommend one dish that you don't miss, this would be it. The white chocolate and olive oil hot cream acted like a warm soup with a conflict of cold lavender slush on top...heaven!

The wines that stood out that we tasted were; Sparkling Reisling, not one I have come across before but surprisingly close to champagne. Dessert wines, the two picked out for us complimented our desserts well and weren't overpowering and sickly as some can be when not well matched.

In summary, this was a spectacular meal with creative twists but still true to the tuscan region in which the restaurant sits. It wasn't busy on the Tuesday that we visited, in fact for the majority of the meal we were the only ones there, but the atmosphere of the restaurant didn't create an awkward environment in any way. We felt at ease and very welcome throughout. The source of all the ingredients are listed in the menu which is always great to see and I feel that we only scratched the surface of the potential of the menu choices.

Luxe Life | A Romantic Trip to Florence

I have just returned from a wonderful Birthday trip to Florence, Italy, where the weather was dry and mild, food was fabulous and the drinks flowed freely. Mr D and I flew out from London Heathrow and were treated to a spectacular view as we flew over the Alps... (now have a slight urge to go skiing!)

We had to fly into Pisa as there were no flights to Florence when we wanted but this was no hassle at all, hopped on the PisaMover bus to the train station and €20 for both of us and an hour later and we had arrived in Florence! It really was a lot simpler than we were expecting and pretty cheap to boot!

We arrived at the San Gallo Palace Hotel to drop off our bags and headed straight out. The hotel was just perfect for a city break, it was just 15mins walk from the centre (there was a bus service if you wanted to save your energy), the room was spacious, and clean, with an outside and inside seating area and a comfy bed...what more can you ask for? We walked in to town and found our bearings, with the help of a glass of prosecco and our first meal was pizza (I admit it, pizza is completely my favourite food, ever) washed down with some lovely prosecco (maybe there is a trend coming on for this holiday). Yum!

The next day we went and hit the shops, there is an amazing designer street in Florence called Via Tornabuoni where all the big names are, not to mention the flagship Gucci store and home to a cafe owned by Roberto Cavalli, called Cafe Giacosa, which has the perfect outside seating area to sit out and people watch...maybe with a glass of prosecco.

Duomo is hugely impressive and I just couldn't get enough pictures of it, we decided not to suffer the long queue to go inside as I had read that the inside was sparsely decorated and the big wow factor was the outside. From the square that Duomo sits on, there a other shopping streets which is where I stumbled across a Kiko Cosmetics store...WOW! I had a little splurge in there which I have posted separately about (click here).

For lunch on day two we had a meat platter (which was huge) and a glass of delicious red at a wine store called Obsequium which we stumbled across in the area South of the Ponte Vecchio (bridge). It was €10 each for a meat platter and a glass of wine, but the portions were so generous that it felt like a real bargain.

The high light of the day was going to Officina Profuma-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Nouvello, the oldest pharmacy in the world. The only way to describe this place was magical! It was like a dream world for anyone that loves their beauty products, we treated ourselves to a couple of colognes, but I really could have bought so much more! It was full of interesting lotions and potions that have been produced since they began production 400 years ago.

In the evening we were hoping to go to dinner at Obika, located on Via Tornabuoni, but it was super popular and they didn't have any tables so we had a wander and found a lovely little restaurant called xx which served mean ravioli and a spritz on the side. Of course before that we had treated ourselves to a wine stop in a little place called Panini Tartufati which was also located on the Via Tornabuoni.

Day 3 was Birthday Day! In the morning we went and soaked up some culture at the Uffizi Gallery (worth mentioning that many attractions aren't open on Mondays so plan your days well). The building of the gallery was stunning and it also offered some beautiful views of the surrounding landscape on the second floor. After working up an appetite walking around nearly 100 rooms of Uffizi, we managed to bag a table at Obika and we had a delicious sharing platter followed by (some more) pizza.

I have to admit to a little thing I have, it is widely known as a stationary obsession, usually found in children, and older children who haven't grown up yet! Florence has a number of beautiful and historic paper making stores so I spent the afternoon marching Mr D up and down the little streets of Florence seeking all these wondrous stores out.

It started to drizzle slightly so we went in search for (you guessed it) a little bar we could take shelter and we found this interesting bar called La Cite which was a cross of a bookstore/bar/cafe/music venue. We wiled away a couple of hours here chatting about the last couple of days and comparing to other cities we have been to.

Birthday dinner was a real treat, Mr D had booked a table at io Osteria Personale (which I have written in more detail here). This restaurant was located a little out of the way with a real understated frontage, you enter to a smart, trendy interior and you are treated to a taste sensation (I would definitely recommend the tasting menu!)

On the last day we only had the morning so we made a last minute dash back to one of the stores we had come across, called Alberto Cozzi, which is a 4th generation bookbinders also famous for their marbled paper, to buy a leather notebook with my name pressed on to the front...I am just a little bit in love with this notebook!

I had a fantastic time in Florence and I would say it is so worth a visit, a few things to take note of are; customer service isn't the best, maybe due to the fact that locals don't tip, but get used to service without a smile so that you aren't sat there bemused. Often in bars and cafes when ordering a drink there is food available to pick at for free or you are given some crostini with your drink. Lastly, if you are fit and able then walking is the best form of transport as much of the centre is restricted to vehicles and Florence is relatively easy to get around and places aren't too far away any way.

Anyone else with places you recommend in Florence or useful tips?

Luxe Beauty Life | Travelling Light

So, lucky old me is off to Florence tomorrow! I absolutely can't wait, but despite all this excitement, I have the feeling of dread when I hear those painful words 'luggage allowance'. I am only off for 4 days, but what always gets me in a spin is trying to skinny down the cosmetics, so I thought it would be useful to let you know how I attempt to be a bit frugal on how much I bring with me - means I can buy more at duty free then, right?

I took a deep breath and decided to bring together the majority of the products I would usually use over a 4 day period, there were a couple of bits that I missed, but I would say I got all the big hitters in there. This massive haul of products looked like this....

"This does not look shared-small-suitcase-for-a-long-weekend compatible" was the polite response from my husband when he walked in the room...and promptly walked back out! So I have managed to get my weekend cosmetics to a slightly more manageable amount which now looks like this...

I managed this miracle using the following tricks:

1) Samples. This is when sample size products come in to their own, if you happen to get a sample of a product that you quite like, but not enough to veer away from your usual favourite, save it. When you are going away, using sample sizes is so much easier, and you don't mind that it isn't your favourite product...your on holiday, who cares?

2) Containers. For the when your favourite products are essential, (mine is flash beauty balm) then buy some empty containers from a supermarket or pharmacy and squeeze a bit from the full size product to save on room/weight.

3) Multi tasking products. Products that can do more than one thing are your friend when it comes to travelling light, so get packing those lip and cheek tints, multi use oils and anything else that can work its magic more than once.

4) Eye shadow palettes. In my first pic I only showed a tiny proportion of the various eye shadows and creams that I own, and I never know what look or eye colour I will want to try from one day to the next. So I find eye shadow palettes are a good use of space as packing all the different eye shadow pots is a little infeasible, but with a palettes you still get plenty of choice and it slips right in between your knock out dress and skinny jeans without barely making a difference space wise. The one I have shown is a palette I picked up from Sephora last year, and I have heard on the blogvine that they are now shipping to the UK! Woohoo!

Now I am all packed, and ready to go without sacrificing my beauty regime. It is worth noting that the second pic doesn't show a bottle of perfume because obviously I will be making use of duty free ;-) 

Have a great Sunday and I will be blogging all about Florence, home of the oldest beauty shop I. The world, when I get back!

Luxe Beauty Life | Beauty A-Z

I love a good list (it might be the logical engineer in me) so I thought I would put together an A-Z of beauty to sum up my favourite products and beauty tips. Here goes...

A is for Ambient Lighting Powders by Hourglass. This is a new find of mine and I have written about them in Ethereal Glow - click here - they are great for reflecting light from imperfections and highlighting the areas you want.

B is for Beauty Flash Balm by Clarins. It doesn't matter how many great products I try, I always go back to this one, it tones up, brightens and smooths skin instantly and the fragrance is light and refreshing.

C is for Confidence. It is an old one, but true nonetheless...nothing more beautiful than a confident lady.

D is for Dry Shampoo. This is a hair care requirement, not only does it buy your hair an extra day before washing, but it also buys you more time in bed! I have found Batiste to be the best I have tried and they do a brunette version to save you from a head of white powder.

E is for Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream. I can't possibly stress how useful this product is, it has countless uses and is super effective. A few of my favourite uses include; eyebrow taming, dry skin smoothing and cuticle soothing.

F is for Fake Tan. Winter is almost over and who can blame us for needing to fake a bit of natural glow??

G is for Graze. I love this concept (I know not technically beauty) but lots of yummy healthy treats to choose from, posted through your letter box as often as you like. Read more on a previous post I have done - click here

I is for Invisibobble. So you want to tie your hair up while you go to the gym, put on a face mask, do the hoovering, sleep, etc. but you don't want a kink in your hair? Well, this invention is just for you. I must say, it probably doesn't keep your hair quite as secure as a normal hair band, but the hair band kink drives me crazy!

J is for Jean Paul Gaultier Classique. I have a crazy amount of different perfumes but I always go back to this scent. I can't get enough of it, it is the scent that describes feminine in my view, floral, sweet and a signature scent that changes depending on the wearer.

K is for Kérastase Nectar Thermique. I have raved about this one before - click here - enough said.

L is for Laughter lines. We are always trying to fight the signs of ageing with numerous anti-wrinkle creams but when it comes to laughter lines - bring it on! I don't want an old face that never smiled.

M is for Makeup remover pen. Having one of these pens handy is a god send when you are doing your eye makeup as you can easily correct any little smudges or wiggly lines caused by shaky hands!

N is for Nars Orgasm Blush. The most popular colour in the Nars blusher range, everyone seems to either own or want to own this one! The high pigmentation, the perfect amount of gold shimmer, and a natural pink colour and I can see why it is the must-have blush.

O is for Oil. Oil isn't a new thing by any stretch, I have been a little behind the times on this one though and now I just can't get enough of it. One of the most versatile I have found is Josie Maran Argan oil, you can use it after cleansing whilst your skin is still damp to capture moisture, you can use it on your cuticles and nails, on scars and stretch marks, on dry hair ends, a generous amount can be used as a hair treatment overnight and wash out in the morning...the list just goes on.

P is for Peppermint Tea. I have been a peppermint tea convert for a long time, it soothes your tummy, aids digestion, caffeine free and apparently it can give your oestrogen levels a slight boost which has a great effect on your skin and combats acne.

Q is for Quick Drying Nails. If your nails take ages to dry after you paint them then there is a high chance you are going to smudge them, I use Elegant Touch Rapid Dry Spray once I have painted to keep them looking good.

R is for Real Techniques Brushes. Makeup brushes can be really pricey but a good brush is essential for perfecting the desired effect. I have found these brushes to not only be really good quality, and easy to use, but also a great price.

S is for Skin Doctors Ingrow Go. I epilate the hair on my legs so this is an essential for me, it doesn't smell great but it certainly helps in the fight against unsightly ingrown hairs!

T is for Touche Eclat by Yves Saint Laurent. Who doesn't have this? This cult product is a must have for highlighting and covering up the dark circles under your eyes

U is for UV rays. As much as getting some sun is glorious and getting vitamin D is important, protecting your skin from UV rays is really important. So many products now have SPF which makes it easy to be part of your beauty routine, and wearing sunglasses in the sun ensures protection of the sensitive skin around your eyes.

V is for VO5 Give Me Texture Dry Texturing Spray. This spray is amazing for adding texture and it is a bargain price to boot. Sometimes you just need a bit of grime in freshly washed hair to style it or to achieve the bed head look. Personally, I use it on my fringe to give it a choppy, messy look.

W is for Water. This one is on every one's list - drink more water! Not only does it help detoxing your body and keeping you hydrated, but it also aids excess water retention so your skin isn't so puffy. Buy a funky water bottle to keep with you while you are at work or out and about and you will be sipping away without even realising.

X is for X-rated. Having some fun between the sheets burns calories, lowers your stress levels, helps you sleep...do we need any more reasons?? Beauty wise, surely nothing beats the post-fun glow!

Y is for You time. This one is simple and free, take some time out just for you, even if it is only a few minutes. Breathe deeply, clear your mind, relax, pamper...whatever you choose to do, being kind to yourself with some you time will help you get those stress levels down that can all sorts of horrid effects on your skin, never mind help you with Z.

Z is for zzz's. Everybody knows this but getting enough sleep is so important to make sure your skin is in the best condition and keeping on top of those dark circles...but if you can't resist the party then you can always rely on T.

There we have it, a beauty A-Z. I hope you found some useful tips or products you can use!

Life | Graze Review

I have been having Graze delivered for over a year now and I would highly recommend it! I work in an office at a desk job and, as I am sure many people in that environment can relate to, I got in a bit of a food rut. Every morning I would pack my bag with a satsuma, an apple and a sandwich and I would have the same thing day in and day out Monday to Friday. I came across Graze by chance and signed both my husband (another desk jobber) and myself up to a trial and haven't looked back since! The main reasons for me being such a big Graze fan are:

• You have a different selection of snacks each week so no getting bored of the same thing
• It is delivered in a box that fits through your letter box so it is relatively hassle free - I get mine delivered on Saturdays so they are there in time for Monday morning
• If you are looking for something healthy there is a healthy option that can be selected
• At ~£4 a week you get 4 punnets of snacks for less than the cost of a drink in the pub!
• If there are any snacks or specific ingredients you don't like you can select for them not to be sent - I have binned the garlic olives as they aren't very office friendly!

You can sign up to Graze here

Life | New York, New York!

It is New York Fashion Week so I thought this would be a good chance to reflect highlights from my recent trip to the big apple for the fantabulous 30th Birthday of the Other Half (OH).

It was early December so the Christmas extravaganza was in full flow and the window displays were shining, it was snowing (in a nice romantic way, not the life threatening polar vortex way) and thankfully not too windy. We stayed at the Hilton Times Square and we had a brilliant city view overlooking Times Square although mostly we just saw snow. 

Starting with hotel then, it was exactly what you would want for a 4 night stay in a city you have never been to before. The location was perfect for getting around with the majority of shops you would be looking for within a 15minute walking radius. The room was clean and modern, with a comfortable bed (essential if you walk as much as we did) and quiet for a good nights sleep. The staff in the hotel were very friendly with a good knowledge of the city to help us find our way to where we wanted to go. We didn't book breakfast at the hotel as we wanted to get out in the morning and find new places when possible but we did indulge in room service one morning which was delicious and huge (I like pancakes big time but even I need help from OH to finish my portion).

The first day we headed over to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) as I had forever obsessed over Van Gogh's Starry Night painting and there wasn't a chance in hell I was missing our on seeing it. As we worked our way through the various galleries being shocked and in awe in equal measures we finally got to the painting I had been waiting for...and it was worth the wait! It was genuinely breathtaking and, unlike the Mona Lisa in Paris, you could get right up close without dozens of people elbowing you out of the way. There was also an interesting Magritte exhibition on which I found surprisingly interesting despite some of the more out there pieces which weren't really to my taste.

After having my mind blown by modern art we headed back down 5th Avenue to have a look at all of the window displays and sought out the big names like Barney's, Bloomingdales and Bergdorf Goodman, it was every shopaholics dream! I had the best day and then to top it off we managed to get to Macy's on their 25% off everything day - the 2 hours in there is a bit of a blur, but I came out of there with a LOT of bags! 

I thought the day wouldn't get any better but then we found the TKT booth in the middle of Times Square, this is definitely somewhere I would recommend a visit to if want to catch a show. Each day at 3pm they start selling the tickets for shows that haven't sold for that night. We bagged two tickets for Chicago half price for that evening...the day got better! The show was brilliant at the Ambassador Theatre, my face hurt from smiling by the end of it, and to finish the night off we rolled out of the theatre straight across the road to an Italian restaurant called Da Marino. What a find! There was live music and a great atmosphere topped with tasty food, I am sure you can find somewhere cheaper or better food but it was great and not too pricey so just what you need when you fall out of the theatre at 10pm in need of food!

The next day it was OH's 30th Birthday, so we had booked lunch at a 3 Michelin starred restaurant called Le Bernadin. Wow! From the cocktails to the dessert it was a taste sensation! Unlike other Michelin starred restaurants we have visited in th UK it was reasonably relaxed, and not overly pretentious so it was an enjoyable experience with amazing food. 

Later that day we headed for a change of scenery so we headed south towards Greenwich Village and wandered around the shops eventually finding ourselves needing dinner and we stumbled across a restaurant called Bleecker Kitchen & Co. which most certainly deserves a mention. At the time they had only been open a couple of weeks, the food was very tasty, I had a pulled pork slider with fries, delicious! The bartender rustled us up some cocktails on request and we also were given free dessert as it was a special birthday. The lemon meringue pie was amazing!!

The biggest discovery for me in NYC was Sephora. For those who don't know what Sephora is then it is a shop of dreams, scented, blushed and glossy dreams. It is a cosmetics store that beats any other cosmetic store, it was the most wonderful moment finding Sephora! I had to reign in the spending at this point as OH was getting a little stressed at the spend rate, but I managed to grab a couple of great buys which I will review on my blog soon. 

While we were in NYC we went to see the New York Nicks at Madison Square Gardens play the Chicago Bulls. I would recommend anyone to catch a game even if they aren't a huge fan as the atmosphere is electric and the entertainment was non-stop. I really got into the game and was cheering on the Nicks at full volume within 5 minutes!

Other highlights were the top of the rock at the Rockefella Centre and the 30% off the whole store at J Crew (needless to say we had to buy another suitcase to check in on the way home)...I had the time of my life in New York.