The Ultimate Holiday Wishlist*

With the dark, chilly nights starting to make an appearance here in the U.K. I can't help but find myself wistfully daydreaming of sunny holidays in a desperate attempt at clutching onto summer. From thoughts of tropical beaches to cocktails by the pool, it's safe to say I'm not quite ready for the autumn weather.

When the wish of jetting off on holiday gets a little too much, I often find myself browsing various travel sites to have a little peek at just how much that dream trip would cost & whether my bank account will allow it. As - unfortunately - it's usually a solid "no" from my bank account, when Earnest* challenged me to create the ultimate "holiday wishlist" with a budget of $10,000 (around £7,000 for us Brits) I thought this could be the perfect way to help take the edge off my current wanderlust.

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As a huge Disney/Universal fan, I obviously couldn't resist planning for a trip back to Orlando Florida (somewhere I haven't visited since I was around eleven) and immediately starting checking out the park hotels.

After a lot of searching I finally settled on the Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge. For those who don't know the Animal Kingdom Lodge is a four star hotel inspired by the traditional African Kraal & is home to over thirty exotic animal species including; Giraffes, Zebras & Gazelles (imagine sitting on the balcony whilst watching Giraffes wander around?!).

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As someone who's a little scared of flying (little being an understatement) I'd also be sure to allocate a chunk of my "wishlist" budget to making the nine hours flight from the U.K. to Orlando as comfortable as possible. To do this I'd have to treat myself to an upgrade to First Class & finally test out the seats that convert into a bed (no more awkward sleeping in a tiny seat for me!).

With around half of my budget spent on flights, park tickets (including Disney & Universal Studios of course) along with my hotel, I'd probably use the remaining budget to use a spending money. From buying a tonne of Disney Merchandise (why can we not get Disney Pandora in the U.K.?) to spending an afternoon or two in Sephora, I'm sure there wouldn't be much left over at the end!

If planning a dream vacation is something you love the idea of, be sure to check out Earnest's personal loans for ideas on how to make the dream a reality.

Where would you go for a dream holiday?

I'd love to know in the comments. 

xxx

Autumn Date Nights*

Whether with best-friends or loved ones, date nights (or days) are always fun. There really is nothing better than heading out & spending some much deserved quality time together. However deciding what how to spend date night can definitely be challenging. Sure heading to the cinema or for a meal is fun, but sometimes the best memories are made when things are mixed up a little. So I was inspried by Turo* to think of ideas to "shake-up" date night & put together four ideas of different dates that are little out of the ordinary.

Pumpkin Picking: 
With Halloween quickly approaching, pumpkin picking seems like a great way to spend a date. Instead of heading to the local supermarket, a quick search on Google brings up local farms with Pumpkin patches - some even offer themed events that are pretty reasonably priced.

Statley Homes: 
Statley Homes aren't something I'd have considered for a date until I visited one myself. Photoed above is the gorgeous Hanbury Hall in Worcestershire. Not only are these Homes usually set in acres of stunning countryside to wander around, some even offer extras such as afternoon teas or spa treatments.Want to really push the boat out? Why not rent a classic or rare car to really impress your date.

Harry Potter Studio Tour:
Whilst slightly on the pricier side (tickets start at £35.00) the Warner Brother Studio Tour is a great way to spend a date. Not only does the tour offer the chance to view the actual props & sets  (who doesn't want to visit Diagon Alley?!), it also allows visitors sneak-peaks at various special effects used. Perfect for any Harry Potter fan.

Sea Life Centre's:
With locations all over the U.K, a Sea Life Centre is one of my favourite places & somewhere I would love to go on a date. Not only does visiting one of these aquariums offer the chance to see many different types of marine wildlife, it also helps support The Sea Life Trust - a charity dedicated to protecting marine wildlife & habitats. Plus - if you fancy paying a little extra - many centres offer VIP experiences such as feeding animals & behind the scene tours - perfect for that extra special date.

Adding a little extra something to a date is a great way to make special memories with friends & loved ones. As I mentioned above, a great way to mix things up is to rent a car. Turo* offers customers the chance to rent cars from a community of local owners. These range from VW camper-vans (for a picture perfect road-trip) to Telsa's (for a little extra luxury). Whatever you're looking for renting a car is a great way to add a little something special to a date night.

What's the best date you've ever been on?

I'd love to know in the comments. 

xxx

Harry Potter Studio Tours

If you read my Christmas Gift post or follow my social media accounts, you'll know that I recently took a trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tours in London. As huge fans of both the books & films, it would be an understatement to say that Ollie & I were very excited.

 Of course I took literally hundreds of photos & couldn't resist sharing a few of my favourites. 

If you're a fan of Harry Potter I really couldn't recommend the Studio Tours enough. When booking tickets you chose an allocated time slot to start the tour, but besides that you are free to wander around the tour at your own pace (recommended around 3-4 hours..). Whilst the ticket price isn't too pricey (currently retailing at £35.00 each) the gift shop & snacks are a little on the pricey side so I'd recommend taking a packed lunch & saving the pennies for presents/photos.

Overall - this was an amazing day & I will definitely be looking to head back again. Although next up on my bucket-list is definitely Universal's Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

For anyone who's interested, tickets purchased on the day or from the Warner Brothers Studio Tours website in advance.

Have you been to the Harry Potter Studio Tours? 

If so, what are your thoughts? 

xxx

Another Primark Haul

As the title of this post suggests, I may have wondered into Primark a few times over the last few weeks & - of course - come home with some new treats. In order to try & help justify this little shopping spree, I thought the best thing to do would be to put together a haul post to share right here..

1. Hogwarts Alumni T-shirt - £6.00
2. Lace Pump Socks - £2.50
3. Weekend Bag - £10.00 

4. Monochrome Elephant Mug - £2.00
5. Laser Cut Brogues - £12.00
6. Bow Hair Bands- £2.00 

The first item I picked up on this little trip were the black laser cut out brogues. I thought these would be perfect alternative to traditional dolly-shoes for the spring & summer months that would look adorable with dresses/play-suits. To go with these I decided to pick up a pack of lace "pump socks". For those who don't know - these are essentially little socks that don't quite come up as high as regular "trainer socks". As someone who suffers with blisters quite badly, I thought these would be a perfect way to add a little cushioning between the shoes & my feet - plus if the lace does happen to peep over the top it'll just look super cute.

Whilst looking out for spring/summer items I also decided to treat myself to a two-pack of hair bands. Being elasticated these are perfect for tying hair around to on warm days..*watch this space.. I may attempt a hair tutorial post on this soon..*.

The next couple of items were based around a trip I have booked in April. My boyfriend and I have booked a few days away to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour *squeals with excitement*. So being a true fan, I couldn't resist picking up this Harry Potter Alumni T-shirt..  I also decided that - as a classic "over-packer" -  it would be a good idea to pick up a smaller weekend-style bag. I've been on the hunt for a bag like this for a while now, so for only £10.00 I really couldn't say no to this.

The final item to *accidentally* fall into my shopping bag was this adorable little mosaic elephant print mug. I've been looking for a new mug to use in the office - my current is getting a little scratched in the dishwasher - so at £2.00 I thought this would be perfect for my morning (& afternoon) coffee fix!

I hope you enjoyed this little haul post.
Be sure to let me know you're favourite item(s) in the comments below.

xxx

2015 Christmas Gifts - Part One

This year it's safe to say that I was well & truly spoilt by both my family & Ollie (my boyfriend for those who don't know) so I thought I'd put together a little post detailing the lovely gifts I was lucky enough to receive. Of course *disclaimer alert* this is in no way bragging or showing off - I simply love reading posts like this & wanted to jump on the bandwagon myself. 

I thought it best to split this post up to save me waffling on & boring everyone involved. So this post will detail the lovely gifts I received from Ollie & I think the next will detail those from family/friends. 

As you can see from above, I was lucky enough to receive some amazing gifts from Ollie this year. These included the first season of AMC's "Fear the Walking Dead" (a prequel series to my all-time favourite show The Walking Dead), fluffy Minnie Mouse socks, a Sheep cuddly toy from the game "Minecraft" (this is a game we sometimes play together & I have soft spot for the block-shaped animals) a Pandora Bracelet with a gorgeous heart claps, a build-your-own Pikachu figure (again a character that I had a particular soft-spot for when I was younger), some cute gingerbread pyjamas & a Mac lipstick in the shade Full Fuschia. 

Ollie also purchased tickets for us to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tours (something I've wanted to do ever since it opened).. to go alongside the these he gave me the first book in the Harry Potter Series (The Philosophers Stone) & the Xbox 360 Lego game (which is honestly a lot of fun!). He also included a pair of "Harry-Potter-style" glasses which he has insisted I wear on our visit. 

It's safe to say that I love each & every gift I received from Ollie this year as it's easy to see just how much thought has gone into each one. I'm one very happy girl. 

I hope you had a lovely Christmas & have an amazing 2016!

xxx