A Pinterest Worthy Kitchen

So last week you may have seen my 'Pinterest worthy Lounge' and now I have compiled a Pinterest worthy kitchen. In my new home the kitchen is one of my favourite rooms, it is already decorated and has the most amazing sink (never thought I would say those words) and it is all in a retro green colour which I just love. There is a downside though, the current owners are taking everything which can possibly move including the washing machine and the fridge freezer, but everything has a silver lining as it means I can browse Pinterest to my heart’s content and create my ideal space.

Let’s start with the two main things I am missing, with the fridge freezer I really want something cream as I am not really a fan of any fridge, why would you want stark white or grey – they are so boring but this cream one from Swan fits in with my retro colour theme too perfectly. Now for the washing machine, at my current house it makes the whole house shake when it’s on so I am on the hunt for the quietest washing machine around which is quite apt as its National Quiet Day today (14^th September) and I found the one. The Whirlpool Supreme Care washing machine is my new best friend, with the quietest spin cycle on the market* – yes I did my research and it really is going to change my life. The kitchen is going to be a number one social spot in the house linked to my open plan lounge so this is a really important feature. Whirlpool carried out an ‘annoying noises’ survey of 2000 people, which  revealed that an incredible seven out of every 10 Brits believe their washing machine is either fairly noisy or very noisy, and half believe that constant noises – like a washing machine’s spin cycle – is worse than a sudden loud noise. At least I know my new washing machine won’t annoy me, thanks to its super silent spin, and it looks good too! When life is so busy you need a bit of tranquility and zen in your home(the technology Whirlpool uses in their quietest machine is actually called ZENTechnology™), and even at 1400 RPM spin, the washing machine is quieter than my kettle, you literally can’t hear it. I will be sharing this on my YouTube soon, so keep an eye out.

Once you have the essentials you need somewhere to eat at I have been mmmm’ing and aahhhh’ing over to bench or not to bench for my dining table I also would like some fabric dining seats.

Check out some of my other favourite kitchen pieces below:

 

1.    Whirlpool Supreme Care Washing Machine in White FSCR 10432

2.    Swan Cream 900w Retro Microwave, £159

3. House of Fraser, Casa Couture marble place mats £45

4. Cuckooland.com, Besar Industrial Celing Light, £145

5. Homesense,Wooden Coffee Sign £6.99

6. Furniture Choice Wentworth & Bewley Table £449
7. Swan Retro Jug Kettle, £39.99

8. Housing Units, Swan Retro Cream Frost Free 70/30 Fridge Freezer

9. Oliver Bonas, Luxe Drink Trolley £395

10. Newgate Clocks, The Cookhouse wall clock in kettle green, £70

11. House of Fraser, Nutribullet, £100
12. Swan Retro Four Slice Toaster, £49.99

13. Amara, Broste Copenhagen Apple/Pear Pots £29

* ZENTechnology™ has the lowest noise level on the market. Up to a 10kg load at 1400rpm (status: December 2014)

** Whirlpool has provided the washing machine free of charge to Time2Gossip

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Scrub me down with Coffee

I have found you a new BFF and it includes coffee, now I am not a fan of the stuff when it comes in a mug but when it comes in a scrub its a whole new ball game! Ladies are rubbing the stuff all over their bodies and brands are benefiting from the social media frenzy of taking snaps of this beauty routine. Basically cover your face and body with the potent coffee scrub then take a selfie or two. 

This key trend all started with FrankBody (well that is the first brand I saw on my Instagram feed). With coffee fever taking over I wanted to rub the stuff all over me to figure out the benefits of this new craze and which brands are out there.

Coffee is a natural exfoliator so it works as an exfoliator, an anti-inflammatory, circulation booster, it also helps reduce cellulite (which I am starting to see more and more of) and even makes your skin glow.

If you fancy using one of these popular Coffee Scrubs:

1. Jump in the shower;

2. Grab a handful of coffee scrub and massage all over your body;

3. Concentrate on any lumps or bumps;

3. Leave on the skin until you have read all the bottles in the shower;

3. Rinse

4. Smell the coffee.

Coffer scrubs are usually 100% natural so it's great for your skin, with no nasties.

Some of the brands I have been loving are: Scrub Love 'Original Lovin', Clean Beauty Co, Scrub Life, Bean Body fromHolland and Barrett and the Original Coffee Scrub from Frank Body!

These may smell delicious but DO NOT EAT.

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A Pinterest Worthy Lounge

I have some very exciting life news, I am moving out of my London flat or maisonette (so it sounds bigger) to the slightly leafier world of Walton-On-Thames and I couldn’t be more excited. This move comes with a whole lot of shopping as we are going to become landlords and rent our other place – I feel a little scared but excited at the same time. So the first room I am looking at is my lounge, in my current place the lounge is my favourite place maybe because it was the first room we painted or maybe it’s because it’s the only room we actually fully furnished and I will be sad to see my green feature wall and my massive flamingo artwork go. The only things we are keeping are the TV for obvious reasons and my bar cart, which I could not part with as I made it myself.

So first things first, Pinterest is a must, make sure you start planning your 'Ideal Home' and gather up all your ideas, it makes it easier to select the look and types of products you want to fill your blank canvas. Your room needs a focal point or something to point at your TV, that is right folks a sofa is the first and foremost the most important thing in your lounge - I would be interested to know how many days you sit on a sofa in your lifetime I can imagine its crazy but it is an important purchase and you do not want to make it a wrong one. The sofas and chairs that feature below are from The Lounge Co, as you are basically designing your own sofa at a great price. They have 24 piece range which really focuses on British design which fits perfectly with the aesthetic I would like running throughout my home. You can either hunt online or visit a local showroom mine is Chiswick and I think I will be popping down soon. When you pick your sofa it's going to be with you for a long time so you need to fall in love with your first sit. When you are happy with your sofa you are then able to choose your fabric from over 100 designs and you can get it in 4-6 weeks, I need to get ordering sharpish.

Now you have your focal point it is time to decorate with poufs, lamps, artwork, throws and even some security (which means I can monitor Dylan while I am out n’ about) I also have moved on from flamingos to cactus’ and I have fallen in love with this print from Oliver Bonas (unfortunately they only sell the frame but that is lovely too). Every room also must have a hint of rose gold and it needs to smell divine, my favourite scent at the moment being the new Wild Sage collection from The White Company, such a clean and fresh scent filling the room with garden herbs.

Check out some of my other favourite lounge pieces below:

1.    George Home at Asda lace inspired lamp, £17

2.    The Lounge Co Rose Sofa,  £549

3.    The Lounge Co, Joseph chair, £499

4.    Primark, # sign, £8

5.    Next, grey knitted pod, £60

6.    Motorola, Focus 85 HD WI-Fi video monitoring camera, £70.87

7.    Oliver Bonas, brass frame, £16.50

8.    Marks and Spencer, Statement Green wall clock, £49.50

9.    The White Company, Wild Sage Candle £28

10. Oliver Bonas, Jade Geo Throw £75

11. Willow Sofa from The Lounge Co for a retro feel. £899

12. Oliver Bonas, Tiggy Side Table, £75

13. New Look, Copper Plant, £4.99
14. The Lounge Co, Sophia Snuggler Chair, £949

This post in a collaboration but all thoughts and the the fact I need to furnish a whole house are all me.

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Recipe: Mini Stand 'N' Stuff Tortillas

So last week I spoke about the launch of Old El Paso mini Stand 'N' Stuff tortillas and I have finally used them for myself and not in the traditional sense; I have created something a little different. If you are looking for traditional Old El Paso read my post on a menu inspired by Cinco De Mayo, but here is my take on these mini Mexican taco boats.

Using the mini Stand 'N' Stuff tortillas I have made something fun for the little ones as well as older, who are still young at heart. The best thing about the mini Stand 'N' Stuff tortillas is that they are so fun to eat, kids and adults can enjoy them alike. They go with a variety of flavours and as they are so small they can make great appetisers or as a main meal with some nachos on the side. If you have eaten the original range (FYI they have a new wholewheat version), they are the same but in a mini portion. 

So my first recipe, inspired by my time at the Mini Mexican Cantina is so fun to eat and make for little hands or yourself:

• Cheese (Grated)
• Hot Dogs
• Sweetcorn
• Old El Paso Salsa Mild
• Old El Paso Mini Stand 'N' Stuff tortillas

1. This is super simple. Put as many sausages and sweetcorn you wish into a pan with boiling water and boil for about 6 minutes.
2. Wrap the Mini Stand 'N' Stuff tortillas in foil and place in the oven at 250 degrees for 6 minutes.
3. Arrange the food for your little ones to make and exciting piece of mini food art.

For the young at heart:

• Steak (sliced)
• Cheese (Grated)
• Old El Paso Sour Cream

For the Steak Marinade:

• 1 X TSP Cayenne pepper
• 1 X TSP Chilli Pepper
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 X Garlic Cloves (crushed)

For the Cucumber and Avocado Salsa:

• 1 x Avocado
• 1/4 Cucumber
• 1/2 Onion (red is best)
• 1 Lime (Squeezed)
• Handful of Coriander
• Old El Paso Jalapeños

1. Make the marinade: Mix all the ingredients together and cover the sliced steak.
2. Turn on the grill to 240 degrees and grill for 3 minutes each side if you are after rare like me. Let them rest.
3. Make the salsa by roughly chopping up the Avocado, cucumber, onion, coriander and Jalapeños. Squeeze a lime and mix together.
4. Turn the oven to 240 degrees and warp the mini Stand 'N' Stuff tortillas in foil and place them in the oven for 6 minutes.
5. Place the salsa, steak, sour cream and cheese on the table and make your perfect concoction.

This post is in collaboration with Old El Paso but all thoughts and love of Mexican food is all me.

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