Win With My Valentine's Cocktail Ideas - Ends 06/02

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, so why not surprise a loved one with a Tanqueray cocktail to set the tone to your romantic night?

Can you imagine the scene? You have dressed for dinner, created the perfect meal, you have lit the candles, and then the perfect cocktail, gin based of course.

If you have never tried Tanqueray London Dry Gin, it has a quality and an elegance that sets it apart from the rest. It is perfect for the most sophisticated cocktails and vibrant gin and tonics. To get this perfect flavour the finest botanicals are blended and notes of  juniper, coriander, angelica and liquorice shine through.

If you need some Valentine's cocktail inspiration check out the delicious recipes below.
Tanqueray Raspberry and Lavender fizz


Ingredients:

25ml Tanqueray London Dry
15ml Lavender Liqueur (Raspberry liqueur also optional)
Top with Prosecco
4 x Fresh Raspberries

Method: shake all ingredients together and pour into a coupette, top with prosecco and garnish with a raspberry or rose petal

 Units – 2.4


Tanqueray Clover Club


Ingredients:

35ml Tanqueray London Dry
15ml Raspberry Syrup
20ml Fresh Lemon Juice
Dash of Egg White

Method: shake all ingredients together and strain into a martini glass, garnish with a raspberry

Units – 1.5

I think you have to agree these cocktails sound delicious. Well today for my lovely readers I have a bottle of Tanqueray London Dry Gin to giveaway.


To enter my competition have a look at the Tanqueray website then come back and answer the questions on the Rafflecopter application below. 

 If you really love the prize why don't you bookmark the competition and come back every day for a daily entry via tweeting?

 Don't forget to check out other current competitions here.
Terms and Conditions:- to enter you must be 18 + and UK only please.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway


Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com
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Restaurant Review - Tuttons Covent Garden

I love Covent Garden, it's such a vibrant area of London with lots to see and do. Right on the east side of the piazza area is Tuttons. An institution for the last 30 years, in 2012 it had a makeover by interior designer Russell Sage. Now the furnishings are red retro luxe, with shiny mirrors and blanquette seating and the menu is traditional brassiere with an emphasis on great British produce.


We were warmly welcomed on a Thursday night by the staff who knew we were coming - always a good sign. Tuttons was busy and had a great vibe, with lots of eager conversation. The menu had a range of prices and a pre and post theatre menu for those watching the pennies. I was worried that service would be slow, but our order was taken quickly but a very efficient waitress. We ordered the house white while we waited for our food. It was very pleasant for a house wine, clean and fresh with some acidity but not too sharp. 

 Then the starters. The onion soup came first, with a plentiful amount of onions. Not like a traditional dark French onion soup - this was light with touches of cider and was simple, well seasoned and yet delicious. My choice was the scallops. These were set on a butternut squash puree and topped with crispy bacon and a salad garnish. I am a big fan of scallops and these were adeptly cooked.  One slight criticism, I may be wrong but it appeared that the bacon was cooked in advance and added at the end as you didn't get the flavour of the bacon juices mingled with the scallops. Still a tasty dish.


Scallops and Onion Soup

Then the mains. I had the belly pork which came with green beans and a red wine sauce on a bed of bubble and squeak. I have to say this was delicious. The belly pork was very well cooked, the meat melted in my mouth, the green beans were al dente and just right, and the red wine sauce rich in depth and tasty. The bubble and squeak I felt could have had more texture, it was quite smooth, but that's just my personal preference. 

 My husband had the pan roasted corn fed chicken breast with pancetta in a mushroom and red wine sauce. In this dish the chicken was juicy and tender and the herby sauce was a perfect compliment to the meat. I just had to have a taste of this as it looked so inviting and both my husband and myself agreed this was a very scrumptious dish.


Pan roasted chicken breast and belly pork - before and after!

For dessert I had the Bakewell tart with a peach creme fraiche whilst my husband skipped this course and instead had a glass of port. I have to say this was the nicest dessert that I have had in a long time. This flavourful tart had just enough almond flavour, with a thin layer of jam, and was served warm, the creme fraiche would have been simpler served without the peach I thought but it actually added a nice twist - and with one taste I was in heaven. 

Heavenly Bakewell Tart

Competition in Covent Garden is fierce and food needs to be spot on and keenly priced whilst providing excellent quality. Well Tuttons ticks all those boxes. Added to this fact are friendly efficient staff and you can't really go wrong.

 They also have a special offer at the moment - if you quote "20 % January" when booking you will get 20% off your food bill. 

 Let me know if you have been there and what you think!

Recommended 

*I was given a free meal for an honest review

The Details
Address:  11/12 Russell Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5HZ
Telephone: 0844 371 2550
Web: http://www.tuttons.com/index

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Silent Sunday




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Time To Change Your Hair?

A new year means changes, whether you want to lose weight, get fit, save money, or revamp your look, it gives you inspiration for a new beginning. I don't know about you but I often get bored with my hair and makeup. My hair is shoulder length and has long layers, sometimes I just feel like changing the colour or going short without cutting off my precious locks. If you feel like that too Paul's Hair and Beauty World can help.

With over 20 years experience and a worldwide customer base, Paul's Hair and Beauty World is a leader in the hair extension and wigs market. They can supply human hair wigs for a natural look as well as clip in hair extensions, and a large range of hair care products.

It's easy to reinvent yourself with a wig 
If you have never thought about a wig before I personally think wigs are a great way to change up your look. You could go curly, straight, wavy, blonde, redhead, brunette, short, long and in between, a complete change or a natural look, you can reinvent yourself easily with no hassle. I would also recommend a wig if you are thinking of a drastic change but want to try it out first and they are great for those ladies with alopecia and hair loss.

 The most natural looking wigs are those made with human hair and they are surprisingly affordable but Paul's Hair and Beauty World also sell great quality synthetic wigs too.

 Clip in hair extensions are useful to work with your own hair  to extend the length without having to wait for it to grow. I love these shiny natural hair extensions below, perfect for that blonde bombshell look.

Clip in hair extensions
So if you are thinking of a revamp, whether your hair is short or long, change your style for 2014 with a a wig or clip in hair extensions and reinvent yourself with no hassle the Paul's Hair and Beauty World way.

 So tell me have you ever tried a wig or hair extensions? I would love to hear from you.
* This is a sponsored post
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Gerrard International - A Destination for Beautiful Nails

I love my makeup and I love my beauty brands. Ever since I was little I loved playing with my mums makeup and since I was 15 I have worn makeup ever day, all be it, very subtle in nature when I used to go to school all those years ago. Out of all the beauty brands that are there, Benefit, Mac and Jessica Nails are some of the brands I covet the most. I was lucky enough to win a trip to Hoar Cross Hall a couple of years ago and that is where I first tried the Jessica nail polish. As my tootsies were massaged, preened and made pretty the beauty therapist explained to me the history of Jessica Nails.


In the late 60's Jessica Vartoughian opened the doors to the world’s first nails only salon. Set in LA it soon became a favourite with the social elite and film stars alike. This beauty pioneer was the first to recognise that nails needed to be treated prescriptively according to their type.   

What I love about Jessica Nails is that every stage is nourishing, enriching and caring. Starting with a base coat, then moving onto hand and cuticle care and finishing with a quick drying custom nail colour you really feel that your hands are cared for as well as looking pretty. A large range of coloured nail polishes are the icing on the cake and the extra glossy hard wearing top coats mean the manicure or pedicure lasts a long long time. 



Personally I always find if you want a manicure or if you want to treat yourself to a relaxing pedicure it's always nice to have it done professionally to get that perfect finish especially for a special occasion like a holiday, birthday or anniversary treat. 

If you want to find your nearest Jessica nails salons online check out this link by Gerrard International. Gerrard International have been providing professional beauty products to UK spas, beauty salons and mobile therapists since 1992. In fact they were the first to bring Jessica Nails to the UK after a trip to LA for their wedding anniversary. This is where Susan and Ian Gerrard discovered this innovative nail brand and the rest as they say is history.

Since then, Gerrard International has grown to a team of over sixty beauty professionals and they now have a portfolio of leading professional beauty brands. This company from humble beginnings still realise their best seller is the Jessica Nail system as it provides amazing results through over 5000 spas, salons and mobile therapists.

So tell me, have you tried the Jessica Nails experience? Do you have any of the nail polish? If you have tried it, what did you think?

 * This is a sponsored post
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2013 Year in Review Q & A

ohsoamelia

I was wondering what to do for my yearly round up and came across this great idea by Kerry from Oh So Amelia Blog. I was also tagged by Bex from the blog Futures as I am one of the Admin the UK Bloggers United Facebook group.

There are just a few simple rules:  

1. In your post, be sure to link back and thank the blogger that previously tagged you
2. Answer the questions below and tag at least 5 other bloggers and; 
3. Include the badge in your post

Let's get started!

1. Your top 5 new favourite blogs to read in 2013 

London Unattached  ♥  Compers Grapevine ♥ Super Lucky ♥  A Mummy Too  ♥ Love To Dine 

A combination of food, travel and comping blogs, please check them out!

2. List Your 5 most read blog posts in 2013

Because I run a lot of comps my most popular posts are all competitions. However, here are some of my other posts that I enjoyed writing or I wanted to highlight the issues on my blog.







3. Your favourite blog post of 2013

Top Ten Tips Planning a Holiday to Orlando - as I love reminiscing about holidays.


4. Name one blog you wish you had found sooner

Katie And Chelsie - A fabulous afternoon tea blog. 


5. What would you like to improve (if anything) on your blog next year?

I am planning to improve my photos with my Christmas present of a lovely Panasonic bridge camera. 


6. Name two blogs you have a blog crush on.

A Luxury Travel Blog - wonderful inspiration for fabulous holidays

Mammasauraus - always has the most amazing photographs


7. How often do you post?

Since my work situation has changed I now post between once a day and 3 times a week.
8. Share your first post of 2013

Getting Fab and Fitter In My 40's - I am no fitter than I was this time last year, although I do enjoy walking and venture into the scary world of Zumba a number of times a week. I am starting the 5:2 diet this month and aim to get down to a size 12 by the end of August.


9. Name one thing you would be doing if you weren't typing this post right now.

Comping. I love my hobby and have had some great wins this last year including a stay at Bluestone, £500 cash and a laptop.


10. What have you loved the most about blogging this year?

I have loved putting more time and effort into my blog and improving the look of it. I have also enjoyed making new blogging friends and reviewing some amazing items!

I am tagging my lovely friends:-

Sara-Louise at Life In A Breakdown
Tell me, readers, what are your favourite blogs?


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