The Pig Hotel finds a new home in Arundel

I have a new neighbour and its one of my faves, say hello to The Pig Hotel in the south downs. 

The Pig actually is a really special place for me, we even considered getting married at The Pig on the Beach down in Studland.

The locations are always beautiful, the kitchen gardens are dreamy and the food is insane - I had half a pigs head last time and the crackling was the best I have ever had! So when I heard a new site was opening on my doorstep I wanted to share and also be first in line to book for the September opening.

You cant see much yet I only have access to this one picture of the 1770s house which will also house the classic greenhouse restaurant.

Rooms: Rooms comprise a collection of traditional brick, flint and timber clad Sussex stable yard buildings plus a selection of Field and Garden Wagons. All of these have been lovingly restored and nestle together around original courtyards.

When does it open: 6th September 2021

Prices: From £200 up to £400 

Booking open: NOW

Key features: 

• Snug with open fireplace 
• The Pig’s signature greenhouse restaurant. 
• Stunning views across the South Downs. 
• Private dining room
• Bedrooms, some with freestanding baths
• Separate from the main building is the Stable Block and stable cottage housing further rooms, some of which can be joined together for larger groups.

For more information visit here.

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Does Vitamin C feature in your skincare routine? If not, it should.

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If a vitamin C fuelled product does not already feature in your bathroom, it should. Not only is it dermatologist recommended and a favourite amongst celebrities it minimises signs of ageing, targets fine lines, wrinkles, inflammation, pigmentation, UV damage and dullness.

If you are screaming GIVE ME ALL OF THIS, NOW then I have been trying out, the Obagi professional-C serum 20%. I am always on the lookout for ways to improve my skin, with having bad breakouts and wrinkles popping up I know I need to tackle them.

Obagi don’t try to be what they are not there branding is practical and professional and you feel like you are in the hands of a dermatologist.

Why Vitamin C?

To help turn back a bit of time on the ageing process you need collagen production which in turn reduces fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots and Vitamin C stimulates new collagen production deep into your skin.

Vitamin C also protects your skin from pollution and UV light, but you still need to remember to put on your daily SPF.

Why 20%?

I think the first question that sprung into my head was why 20%, well this is to do with the different strengths of the L-ascorbic acid (potent form of Vit C) in the serum to meet your skincare needs. I don’t have sensitive skin, so I said, give me all the juice, 20% is Obagi’s highest concentration in their Vitamin-C serum. You can also get 15% and 10% for more sensitive skin.

What do you do with it?

You can use this in the morning and evening.

First cleanse and tone with your favourite brand then the Obagi professional-C serum comes in a dropper and you are able to easily dot it around your skin or your fingers, use around 5-7 drops and then massage into your face and neck, there initially is a tacky texture and it may tingle but its quickly absorbed into the skin after immediately using it which disappears after a few minutes.

Brighter Future

Hello healthy-looking complexion and an instant glow up. Vitamin C should be called a skin reviver, this antioxidant, literally injects brightness into your skin by calming the redness and retaining the moisture to hydrate.

Conclusion

All in all, vitamin C deserves a spot in your skincare routine and is now on my ‘must have’ list – will you have a go or are you already converted to vitamin C?

Visit Pure Obagi to purchase the Vitamin C serum today.

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A guide to buying glasses online

Has Covid-19 stopped you visiting your local optometrist or generally stopped you browsing glasses? With a toddler in toe mine have been bent in multiple places and I needed to venture online and, if you’re reading this article, chances are that you’re in the market for a new pair of stylish glasses / sunglasses that will help you see. I recently bought the sunglasses online from SmartBuyGlasses and had a surprisingly fab experience, I always struggle in store with lack of choice and feel like nothing suits me.

Wide range of styles

Due to being picky and indecisive I am, I found SmartBuyGlasses to be a true shopper’s paradise. I don’t think I have ever seen such a huge variety of glasses and sunglasses from Gucci to Rayban. They have every single colour and model number which regular stores don’t really have.

Price Match

Going online, you also get best price guarantee. After I placed my order, I saw the same frames on another site for £20 less and after I reached out to their customer service, they refunded me the difference as soon as my order was shipped!

Optician Support - just like in store

What really made the difference in shopping online was the support from their optician, Chloe. After I placed my order she emailed me, asking me some questions about my prescription. She was so kind, helpful, and prompt, she helped me finally understand what lens index means - something I would typically just look at in a card form while shopping in-store and pick the one with the best price. I loved that they went the extra mile for me, adding a truly personal touch. It took much less time than going in for an appointment with my eye doctor, and I didn’t need to deal with the risk of my appointment getting cancelled like everything else is these days.

You can still try on "virtually"

Actually, it wasn’t just Chloe that made the experience so great. I also used their Virtual Try-On tool which helped me accurately see how my new glasses would look on me. My face is ridiculously small I could wear children's glasses so not all style suit me. I took a selfie video on their website, which then told me my face shape and suggested the kind of frames that would flatter me the most. I wish I needed to shop for glasses more often!

Different features

The whole process took me less than an hour, compared to the hours I would have spent at a store, feeling confused and under pressure. If you’re shopping at SmartBuyGlasses, I recommend checking out their blue light blocking glasses: a must-have in my opinion, given all the time we’re spending on our screens these days. These are glasses that protect the eyes from the harmful effects of blue light emitted by screens. Even if you don’t have a prescription, I recommend getting a pair. Wearing them at least in the late evening before bedtime has been helping me sleep better. Did you know that too much blue light blocks melatonin production? That’s the hormone that helps us go to sleep.

I would also recommend checking out their photochromic lenses. If you live in sunny Florida or California and spend a lot of time in the sun or are driving for long hours, it’s the best way to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. The sun really is our enemy; it can speed up cataract formation, retinal degeneration, and lead to wrinkles! Photochromic glasses have lenses that react with UV rays to darken in sunlight and vice versa. 

SmartBuyGlasses has definitely made me smarter when it comes to eye health. If you’re not looking for designer brands, you’ll be happy to know that they even have £6 frames! This is music to my ears as I tend to leave my glasses anywhere and everywhere and have had a few mishaps here and there.

What do you think of my new shades?

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M&S launches new Cake Jars

I first spotted these on @newfoodsuk instagram and I knew I needed to share. M&S has launched new Cake Jars and they look insane, to all those Colin the Caterpillar fans, you will be happy to know he also makes an appearance!

Whether you are going to do some alfresco dining, eating at your desk or watching netflix in bed these look like the perfect treat. Coined 'cake-away' jars they just look like the best thing EVER.

There is also not just one but three flavours:

1. Fruity Raspberry Ripple

2. Indulgent Trillionaire

3. Chocolatey Colin the Caterpillar

They also come beautifully packaged in a re-usable jar, I think these instagrammable cake-away jars are going to be sold out by the time I make it to M&S

More details below:

Colin the Caterpillar Cake Jar - £4, 179g

Layers of all the Colin goodness - rich chocolate sponge, Belgian chocolate sauce, chocolate ganache, milk and white chocolate chips and finished with a Colin the Caterpillar white chocolate face.

 

Raspberry Ripple Cake Jar - £4, 158g

Layers of madeira sponge, sweet raspberry jam, creamy vanilla buttercream and freeze-dried raspberry pieces.

 

Trillionaire’s Cake Jar - £4, 169g

Layers of madeira sponge with salted caramel sauce, chocolate ganache, milk chocolate shortcake balls and fudge pieces.

M&S Cake Jars are available in-store from today, so if you need me in the next 30 minutes I will be on route to scout them out!

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