Let's Start With This One...

Hey Lovelies, 

Hey Lovelies, 

Hey Lovelies, 

• 125g Unsalted Butter
• 100g Dark Muscovado Sugar
• 4 Tbsp Golden Syrup
• 325g Plain Flour
• 1 Tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda
• 2 Tsp Ground Ginger
• Writing Icing (Optional)
• 2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon (Optional)
• Mincemeat (Optional)

• Baking Trays
• Baking Paper
• Rolling Pin
• Mixing Bowl
• Mixing Spoon
• Saucepan
• Teaspoon
• Straw (Optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3 and line your baking trays with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in your saucepan, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, when all mixed and melted together.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, and cinnamon if you are using, before stirring in the melted ingredients making a stiff dough.
4. On a lightly floured surface, place the dough and roll out until it is 5mm thick. Using cookie cutters of your choice, make the shapes you desire and place them on the trays. If you are using mincemeat, place a teaspoon on each biscuit and cover with another shape. You will have fewer biscuits, but they will be filled with tasty treats.
5. Cook, in batches if needed, for nine to ten minutes or lightly brown.
6. Once ready, remove from the oven. They will still be soft, so if you are going to be making decorations with them, now is the perfect time make the holes for the ribbon.
7. When completely cool, decorate with the icing. Gift or store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Friday is here and that means that the weekend is about to begin! To start the celebrations early, I thought I would bring the holidays home with a tasty Christmas cookie recipe that will delight all who walk through your door this weekend.

Filled with gorgeous spices and all things nice, these cookies are perfect to make Christmas decorations, as gifts or to keep in a decorated jar in the kitchen to enjoy whenever you wish. Iced or not, you will not be able to stop making them in the lead up to the big day.

You might even move that jar into the room when you start wrapping because, with a recipe this easy, you won’t be able to stop making them:

Tools

• Fork
• Teaspoon
• Knife
• Wooden Spoon
• Mixing Bowl
• Rolling Pin
• Food Wrap
• Cookie Cutters
• Baking Tray
• Baking Paper
• Cooling Rack
• Straw (Optional)
• String/Thread (Optional)

Ingredients

• 100g Plain Flour (Plus, More for Dusting the Service)
• 75g Butter
• 75g Caster Sugar
• 5ml Lemon Juice
• 1 Teaspoon Mixed Spice
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Egg

Method

1. Grease and line the baking tray with baking paper. Set the oven to 180(C)/Gas 4/356(F).
2. In a large mixing bowl, place the butter in cubes into it. Add the flour and lemon juice. 
3. Rub together the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. 
4. Add in the sugar and stir until light and fluffy. 
5. Beat the egg with the fork and pour into the mixture. Using a spoon mix until all combines and then knead with your hands into a smooth firm ball of dough. 
6. Laying the clingfilm flat, place and wrap the dough in it, before placing it in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. This will make it easier to roll out later. 
7. After chilling, dust your surface and roll out the dough until it is 3mm thick. Then use your chosen cookie cutters to cut out the shapes you wish. If you want to make them into decorations, use a straw to place a small hole at the top of your shape. String or your chosen thread can then be placed through it. 
8. Place on the tray and bake for eight to ten minutes or until golden brown. 
9. Once cooked, leave to cool for five minutes on the tray, before moving to cool completely on the rack. Decorate how you wish lovelies and tuck in!

I am going to attempt to make these as much as I can this week. I am even thinking of making some Christmas jumper shaped ones today to mark the Christmas Jumper event. What designs are you thinking? As always, don’t forget to share the finished items with me lovelies!

Christmas Jumper Day is just around the corner, with all of us getting ready to wear our finest pieces tomorrow to help Save The Children. Whether it is a white fluffy piece or a vibrant number, Christmas jumpers are a must as soon as December hits.

To prepare for the big day tomorrow or for when the 25th hits, I wanted to help you all by finding and sharing just a few that have caught my eye recently. Some places truly know how to nail a festive look and the jumpers below are ones I will be investing in as soon as possible.

Get ready to cosy up in one of the following from the moment you buy them until January and beyond:

Mean Girls Festive Jumper, Asda, £14: Who doesn’t remember the Jingle Bell Rock scene? Forget wearing the little leather dresses and put this on instead to give everyone those festive Fetch vibes this holiday season.

Hey Lovelies,

Hey Lovelies, 

Hey Lovelies, 

Hey Lovelies,

Christmas is all about going to parties for many of us. Whether they be at home, at friends or a special event hosted by work or others, the festive season comes with many different occasions to get ready for. Glitter, sparkles, and sequins are plastered everywhere, and we just can’t help using this time to dress up and go all out. Rightly so in fact!

As someone who doesn’t wear make-up at all, I do try to put on a little bit when it comes to Christmas. I want to be able to reflect a disco ball of all means throughout December and so, I spend a lot of the year looking for pieces that will make my outfits glow at the end of the year.

During November, I was sent some amazing pieces from Amazon, celebrating their upcoming collections that would make great editions to any festive make-up looks or in stockings and sacks as presents. Here are just a few of my favourites:

Makeup Brush Cleaner Cleaning Tool, Eono by Amazon, £4.99: Before you even get started, it is best to give all your tools a good clean. If you haven’t used a few of them since last December, then give them a fresh new look and prepare them like yourself for the busiest party month of the year with this cleaning tool. Super speedy but really effective, it is like getting new brushes once used.

EX1 Cosmetics Invisiwear Liquid Foundation 6.0, Superdrug, £12.50: Some liquid foundations can be sticky, yet this olive-based toned liquid isn’t like that. With the sparkly lights of Christmas creating a glow, this adds a subtle shine that comes from Superdrug’s Best Breakthrough Brand 2019. In a large bottle, it will last you throughout December into the new year, making it perfect for all those festive party looks.

Kabuki Flat Brush, Eono by Amazon, £6.85: Applying make-up during the festive season has never been easier than it is with this make-up brush. Smooth and shiny, it applies foundation, blusher and more with ease, making getting ready even quicker. Perfect if you spend time sitting on your bed in a towel wasting essential time like me aha!

Personalised Make-up Bag, Amazon Handmade, £6.95: Whether you are travelling home or wanting a piece to transport your make-up during the Christmas season, this make-up bag is perfect. Big enough to store all essentials, this is the one to make all your festive moves with.

Professional Duo Eyebrow Brush, Eono by Amazon, £3.19: Prepping my eyebrows is something I often do but filling them is rare. During the Christmas party seasons, use this handy brush to help paint them on or to keep them under control. Having the duo makes it a lot easier and for £3.19, it is affordable too.

EX1 Cosmetics Blusher in Natural Flush, Superdrug, £9.50: In a first for make-up, EX1 is a brand dedicated to olive skin tones and this blusher is beautiful. Smooth and powerful, it leaves a holiday looking finish on cheeks. Working with all skin tones to give a perfect glow, this is a smooth finish for olive bases and more, with no need to reapply all day due to its staying power.

Invisibobble Original Hair Ties, Amazon Launchpad, £4.42: Hair up or hair down, it is one of the big decisions when it comes to getting ready for Christmas. However, with these Invisibobble ties, you will be able to put your hair up with little effort, even if you start the night out with it down. And your hair won’t get ruined if you decide to put it back down, as these are specialised in making sure no crimps are made.

EX1 Cosmetics Beauty Egg, EX1 Cosmetics, £12.99: Real Techniques was the brand that made the beauty eggs a must, yet the world of makeup is always changing and introducing us to new brands such as these. Coming with a beautiful black case to make sure it doesn’t get ruined or put any product on your other makeup pieces, this Beauty Egg smooths on the foundation with ease. Leaving a great finish to all skin tones.

TOUCHBeauty 360° Rotary Heated Eyelash Curler, Amazon Launchpad, £19.49: Get dreamy lashes this Christmas, with this heated eyelash curler. Gone are the days when you would have to wait around to get them, as the heated edition makes it so much easier to get up to your eyebrow lashes. This is the piece I would use the most out of all of them, as I love my eyelash curlers and they always get picked out of everything to make me feel party-ready.

Featuring the return of the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Danny McBride, Josh Gad and Bill Hader, The Angry Birds Movie 2 appeared out of nowhere but easily wins us over. Full of mischief, the feature, which is out today on DVD, Blu-Ray and digitally, brings back the war of pranks that we have all come to love and admire from the classic video game.

With the war raging on, lead pig, King Leonard (Hader) is faced with the ultimate test, when he must call a truce to save both islands from the ultimate danger that they have come to face. However, not content with the news, Red (Sudeikis), Bomb (McBride) and Chuck (Gad), plus, Chuck’s sister Silver (newcomer Rachel Bloom), unite to help solve the situation.

The film didn’t get the biggest marketing space when it was first announced, however that hasn’t made it any less effective as the first feature. With a new creative led by Thurop Van Orman and John Rice, fans of the video game will delight in this new adventure, as it recalls the forgotten lands that once caused us all to go mad catapulting pigs and other animals around them.

Unlike them though, there is a sense of family and uniting of people that makes the film a fun watch. The animals are as ever ones that have been made to be a true reflection of what we came to know them for. As a follow-up feature, it shows just how much we have needed them to entertain us in all forms. It is a safe watch. It is one where you don’t have to think, but just take in. And it works a lot compared to the first feature by doing this. Subtle but never too much.

Fun for family members of all ages and out just in time for Christmas, the feature will be a hit no matter when it is watched. Grandparents, who may not even have a clue what the app is, will love it. Kids will. Parents will respond to the demands of both the game and the world of the films in equal measure. There so, if you are a fan or foe of the little birds, no doubt should be had as to whether to snuggle up with this one. You will not be disappointed by doing so.

Hey Lovelies, 

Hey Lovelies, 

Hands up, who has started watching Christmas films? I have to admit that I started a while ago and it has from there! I haven't made it on to the big ones just yet though. The ones listed below lovelies.

For me, these are the ones I have to watch each year otherwise I don’t feel like I have celebrated Christmas right! I was going to put them in order, but I honestly couldn’t decide, so the list is a bit random but full of festive love. Snuggle up with some hot chocolate this Christmas with one of these lovelies…

Elf: Who doesn’t love Buddy? To me, this film is very personal, as we have nicknamed my mum after the best elf of all time. If you don’t watch this with a tear in your eye at the end of the film, then we can’t be friends aha! Plus, this festive season, Buddy is returning to the big screen from the 4th December, in over 400 cinemas across the UK and selected international territories, so don't miss out on a festive night out with the best elf in town lovelies.

Love Actually: I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes! Christmas is all around us and so you must watch this beautiful tale of love in all its glory.

Home Alone: Kevin McCallister is my Christmas hero! He taught me and my siblings how to survive Christmas in a totally new way. Plus, if you love this then you definitely should watch Home Alone 2 as well.

It’s A Wonderful Life: If you hear a bell ring this Christmas just know that an angel has got its wings. Showing the beauty of life in all its forms, this film was one my dad always tried to make me watch but I was never interested in. Until a few years ago, when I snuggled up in bed and watched it. I haven’t looked back since. Plus, this year, the film has just been released in a beautiful Blu-Ray format, which truly shines. Perfect as a gift or to add to your collection this December.

The Holiday: Christmas is all about love and this film is the romantic comedy that I just can’t help snuggling up with as soon as December hits. As well, the end scene is all about New Year's Eve so we can watch it up until then aha!

Nativity: I’m not sure how I stumbled upon the Nativity films, but I am so glad I did. If you need something to make you sparkle and shine this Christmas then pop this on. I assure you that you will be singing along with it.

The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oh Jack Skellington! Some say this is a film about Halloween, others say it is about Christmas. I say that this means we can happily watch it from October onwards, which I have been doing a lot.

Arthur Christmas: Probably the most recent addition to the list, this film will warm you up from the inside out. Made for children, this is as much a treat for them as it is for adults. You will have your faith restored in Santa and his amazing elves I promise.