Last Minute Mother's Day!

I went out today for a quick meet up with a couple of my friends and was shocked to see how many people were rushing about trying to buy last second Mother's Day gifts. Personally, I do my gift buying a couple of weeks before and anything else bought after is an extra, because I get so stressed if I don't think and plan it beforehand. 

Obviously this is not the case for everyone, so due to all the panic buying done by many today, this is a post for last minute, special gifts for mum. 

I did a similar post to this for Valentine's Day, and mentioned that anything gift box/hamper-like is my favourite kind of present so it was an obvious choice for my momma. 

What do you get someone that has everything and has no hobbies?! Food! 

I got the hamper itself for £2.99 from TK Maxx but you could always just get a little gift box from a card shop and put your gifts in there as well. 

Marks & Spencers

 M&S do such a good collection of food and the packaging is always perfect so their products make lovely gifts. 

What I got:

• Cranberry & elderflower infused tea- £1.99
• White chocolate creme brulee slab- £2.69
• Milk chocolate with caramelised macadamia nut slab- £2.69
• Milk chocolate with raspberries slab- £2.65
• Milk chocolate with salted caramel slab- £2.65

Everywhere Else

•  Glittered bird house card- Clintons
• Candy fluff egg bath bomb- Lush- £2.95
• Processco- Asda- £2.25

I loved baked goods, I was actually planning to bake my own cake but I just haven't had the time this weekend but if you don't know what to do with the rest of your Saturday then i've found out this (rather fancy) mother's day cake recipe for you!  It's from Good Housekeeping Baking Book, if you're interested (:

White Chocolate Cappuccion Mother's Day Cake

 

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 50 minutes plus cooling

Cuts into 10 slices

 

What you will need:

• 300g (12oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra to grease.
• 250g (9oz) self-raising flour, plus extra to dust.
• 200g (7oz) caster sugar.
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten.
• 1 and half teaspoon baking powder.
• 50ml (2fl oz) milk.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• 125g (4oz) white chocolate.
• 125ml (4fl oz) double cream.
• 1 and half - 2 tablespoon espresso coffee, cooled.
• 75g (3oz) icing sugar, sifted, plus extra to dust.
• 50g (2oz) plain chocolate, grated.
• 40g (1 and a half oz) hazlenuts, roasted and chopped.
• fresh small roses to decorate (or those icing ones you can get pre-prepared)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan over) mark 4. Grease a deep, non-stick 20.5cm (8 inch) cake tin and dust with flour. 
• Beat together the caster sugar and 175g (6oz) butter until pale and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add 1 tablespoon flour if the mix looks like curdling. Fold in the remaining flour and the baking powder, followed by the milk and vanilla extract. Spoon into the prepared tin and level surface. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. 
• Cut the cake in half horizontally. Grate 25g (1oz) white chocolate, then beat together with the cream and coffee until the mixture holds its shape. Use to sandwich the two cake halves together.
• Melt the remaining white chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Beat together the remaining butter and the icing sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the cooled white chocolate, then spread over the sides and top of the cake.
• Mix the plain chocolate with the nuts and press around the side of the cake. Decorate with small roses dusted with icing sugar.  

(Recipe from Good Housekeeping Baking Book)

If you're reading this and you still haven't got a thing for the main lady in your life then I suggest popping to your local supermarket as you can easily (and cheaply) make a hamper of your own and it'll look like you've made all the effort in the world. Here's my favourites.

From Left To Right/ Top To Bottom:

• Breakfast in bed heart crumpets- Asda £1.00
• Cath Kidston wild rose shower set- Waitrose £4.65
• Calcot Manor The Country Spa retreat collection- Tesco £7.99
• Taste The Difference strawberry conserve- Sainsbury's £1.60
• Linden Lady chocolate hollow hearts- Waitrose £2.49
• KitchenCraft 'Love' preserve jar- Tesco £1.75
• Taste The Difference Belgian waffles- Sainsbury's £1.90
• Mum's chocolate indulgence cake- Asda £4
• V&A Istria mug set of 2- Sainsbury's £10.00
• Chocolate & raspberry cupcake- Waitrose £1.09
• Finest quadruple nut cookies- Tesco £1.69
• Beauticology assorted ice cream gift set- Co Op £8.00 (It's actually a happy birthday gift but Co Op do lots of these sets but this one is my favourite)
• Pongracz Rose 750ml wine- Morrisons £10.99
• Yankee Candle small jar in vanilla cupcake- Co Op £7.99
• Hearts & flowers cake- Morrisons £2.50

So, I hope you all have a lovely day with your mum and don't forget to cook her tea and do all the washing up! 

XXX

 

Big fat hellos from Sophie!

Hey guys!

And Merry Christmas!

 Sophie here, excited to be writing my very first post! Everything so far including our lovely background and layout has been done by Jen so biggggg thank you to her for getting it all started and she deserves all the credit! I'll be posting from now on and we'll be making a banner and things too so keep checking back!

I thought I'd start off with a Christmassy post, really hope you all had a fantastic day! Did you dress up in a new outfit or down in some comfy loungewear?? I'd been waiting for weeks to breakout my amazing 3D knitted Christmas jumper...

3D chunky knit snowman jumper, £12, Primark

   I was really lucky and had loads of lovely gifts, I thought I'd share some pictures of a few of them with you. Sorry about the picture quality as they were taken on an iphone in low light, it seems to be getting dark at about 3pm in the UK recently so I'll have to take them in the morning from now on! I'll be able to use my camera as soon as I get back to my own apartment after the holidays.

Mac 'Guilty Passions' crushed metallic pigments in Silk Stocking (top left) Ever Elegant (top right), Darling Coquette (bottom left) and Rose Light (bottom right).

Mac 'Guilty Passions' swatches, from left to right: Ever Elegant, Silk Stocking, Darling Coquette, and Rose Light.

 Jen knows how much I love Mac and was sweet enough to get me this box of 4 metallic crushed pigments, called Guilty Pleasures. I haven't used these properly yet but just from swatching them I'm already in love! They feel like velvet to touch, and are incredibly pigmented giving beautifully strong and vibrant colours. The pictures here really don't do them justice so I'll promise I'll take some better ones and do a detailed review on these!

Embellish 3D Manicure set

She also got me this incredible pink 3D manicure set from Embellish, can't wait to try the pearl beads on my nails, review to follow as soon as I do!

Technic glitter nail polish in 'Carnival'

And this super sparkly multi coloured glitter nail polish from Technic, in 'Carnival' - I'm thinking New Year's Eve!

Pia vintage button dangle earrings

Pia cupcake stud earrings

 I absolutely love Pia products, especially their jewellery. I have quite a collection now and the quality of every piece is always stunning, and they have such unusual and pretty designs! Some of my gifts from my lovely parents included these dangly vintage button earrings and cupcake studs, how cute!! I strongly recommend you have a gander at Pia by clicking here.

 

Navy tiger design onesie from River Island

Also loving this super cosy tiger design onesie from my boyfriend, from River Island. This is really soft but not too thick so I won't roast inside it! Love the unsual design as well.

Anddd it wouldn't be Christmas without receiving 150 boxes of chocolates! Should last me at least til new year :p

Thank you for reading and do check back as we have loads of posts planned!

Love from Sophie x