Fawsley Hall + Bicester Village

On Monday I left London for a short break in Northampton with my family in toe. We stayed at Fawsley Hall, a hidden gem in the countryside surrounded by lakes and rolling fields. I would really recommend Fawsley for anyone in search of a relaxing weekend away. The adjoining Grayshott Studio Spa boasts facilities including indoor pool, outdoor plunge pool, sauna and steam room that are available to guests for no extra charge, although treatments are not included in your stay. A quintessentially English manor house, offering everything from croquet to afternoon tea in the Great Hall; it was a true pleasure to stay at Fawsley Hall. View the website for details http://www.fawsleyhall.com

A 45 minute drive away from the hotel is Bicester Village. A purpose built designer outlet shopping village set in the Oxfordshire countryside, Bicester is a unique and fun shopping experience. I have been once before, but this time I spent a leisurely day with my mum browsing the 100+ shops and stopping for food at the various cafes and restaurants. You are guaranteed savings on the RRP of home wear to jewellery, high-street and designer boutiques. 

I decided to treat myself, and made some necessary (and some not-so!) purchases. Check them out bellow:

Cath Kidston 13 inch oilcloth laptop sleeve. Was: £30.00, reduced to £15.00

Havaianas flip-flops in metallic plum with gold logo detail, £16.00

Melia white plimsoles, Polo Sport. Was: £85.00, reduced to £34.99

Coccinelle small cross-body bag. Was £99.00, reduced to £39.00

Bobbi Brown Party Shimmer Brick. £22.75

Read customer reviews here!

Until next time, L x

Top lip balms

My friends know that I always have at least one lip balm on me at all times. It has become some what of an obsession! I have done all the hard work trying and testing a range of lip balms, so I thought today I would share my favourites with you. 

1. eos 
Standing for 'evolution of smooth', this American brand has been all over the internet lately, being promoted by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus. The lip balms are a fun spherical shape with a twist lid, in all sorts of fruit flavours. They are also 100% natural and organic! Check out their website at http://evolutionofsmooth.com for their entire product range. I love my Honeysuckle eos lipbalm because it looks fun and tastes delicious! At roughly £5 each, they are a really good present, especially because the brand is still relatively unknown in England at the moment.

                              

2. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula lip balm 

I love the whole Palmer's Cocoa Butter range. The body butter and Natural Bronze gradual tanning moisturiser are part of my daily beauty routine. The lip balm is cheap (£1.89 at Superdrug stores), readily available and tastes lovely and chocolately!

I really recommend trying these two lip balms in preparation for those long winter months. 

L xx

Thai Tom Yum soup

I first tried Tom Yum soup whilst visiting Thailand with a friend last summer. It is a very popular and cheap traditional meal, made with king prawns/chicken and served with bread. Refreshing and light, I decided that this English heatwave was the perfect time to attempt making this soup. I always order Tom Yum in Thai restaurants but have never cooked it before! 

I used a BBC Food recipe found online (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tomyumsoup_85069) but changed it slightly because I did not have access to an Asian supermarket.  

Here is my amended recipe, to serve 4 people as a main dish. Don't worry too much about the quantities, add to taste. Depending on how much fish sauce and chilli you use it can be very spicy/ sour :

1. Add the stock and water to a large pan and bring to the boil

2. Add chopped chillis, coriander, quartered button mushrooms, quartered plum tomatoes, lime juice and lemon grass to the liquid. Simmer for 20 minutes. 
I did not include lime leaves, galangal or tamarind water in my recipe because I did not have time to source them. It didn't affect the flavour! Also, try freezing lemon grass and fresh chillis. They can be used straight out of the freezer and means you always have some in stock. 

3. Next add fish sauce and more lime juice to taste. Then add raw king prawns/ pre-cooked chunks of chicken breast into the liquid and cook for a few more minutes until the prawns turn pink and the chicken is heated through.

4. Take off the heat, then add seasoning and more coriander. 

5. Serve with bread.

I hope this post has inspired you to try and cook Tom Yum at home, but if not at least order it next time you eat at a Thai restaurant. It is perfect as a light starter all year round, or as a main meal in the summer with bread and salad. 

L xx

&Other Stories

I love discovering a new brand, and a few weeks ago I read about &Other Stories in a magazine. From the moment I clicked on I knew I would be a regular visitor to the site, and with that it was bookmarked!
Under the umbrella of H & M, &Other Stories has a more boutique feel but still at very affordable prices. I recently ordered some of their new items and was really impressed with the delivery service and quality! Check out my shopping bag below:

 Printed espadrille flats,  £17

  Cat-eye sunglasses, black. £29

  Knitted sweater, black. £45

I was so happy with my purchases, here is my wish list for my next shop with &Other Stories:

   Nike Pre Montreal Racer Fade sneakers, blue. £62

    Embossed suede skirt, indigo. £125

   Alyson Fox Bustier, printed. £29

Finally, there is an &Other Stories shop in London for those of you who aren't a fan of online shopping. The address is 256-258 Regent Street, W1B 3AF

L xx

Wonderland

Hello! This is the first post, and hence the start of my blog. I have never blogged before, but I spend a lot of time reading them. Although this in no way qualifies me, I hope that you will enjoy looking at the same kind of things as I do; mainly food, fashion and frivolity. I hope to post every day and share some of my loves with you. I have no aim for where Jumble will end up, but I hope it will be an adventure! Welcome in :)

"I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah,THAT'S the great puzzle!"

  Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland