Travel | European City Break Wish List 2015

I'm pretty sure Mr Smith and I have caught a minor travel bug in the last couple of months. Our browser history pretty much consists of Kuoni, Secret Escapes, BA and Trip Advisor having spent a lot of time searching for city breaks in Europe to enjoy this year. So I thought I'd write a blog post ahead of any of our travels this year showing you where I'd love to go and why. Of course, I'd like to see all the Cities Europe has to offer but 25 days annual leave won't permit that level of wanderlust. I've narrowed it down to my Top 5 for 2015, and hope we can cross these off our list and share our adventures here.

Historically, I've only ever wanted to find a tropical beach somewhere in the Indian Ocean or Caribbean to holiday but this year I'm hoping to make a change. After all, there is only so much of the world you can see on a sun bed... right?

I've gathered a lot of inspiration from Pinterest for this, thanks to the wealth of beautiful pictures and tips from other bloggers/travellers on there. And picked between them all thanks to Time Out and Trip Advisor reviews and publications.. credit where credit is due of course.

City One: Rome, Italy

Credit: Kristina Assenova via http://www.fernwehosophy.com

Who can deny the beauty of Rome?! And surprisingly, neither Lewis or I have been. In fact, I've never been to Italy before! I loved Paris for its architecture and have been led to believe Rome has buildings that will rival them. I want to see everything I can in the time we have there this summer, the Trevi Fountain, St Peters Square, The Colosseum .. this list goes on. And of course try out the Gelato and go searching for those less touristy restaurants to try out food the locals would love too.

City Two: Geneva/Lake Geneva Region, Switzerland

Credit: http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-gb/lake-geneva-region-vaud1.html

This really is the complete opposite of 'holidaying' for me.. especially considering we'd like to explore Switzerland in the Autumn/Winter time. Lewis loves to explore and spend hours in amongst nature when he can, so I think that's what will be on the Agenda here. As well as seeing the infamous lake itself, I think we'll be heading into the mountains for a bit of a trail adventure to see as much as we can of this beautiful place. I can't wait!

City Three: Lisbon, Portugal

credit: Joao Almeida Photography 

The capital of Portugal and one beautiful city. What I love the most about this place is that its both cosmopolitan and coastal, without compromising on the wealth of History there is there. The tram system has been around for years, and whilst they have been updated in many areas, the oldies are still in operation.. how cute! This will be the perfect break for a little bit of sunshine, great food and to enjoy some Portuguese hospitality. Again, a place I've never been before that I can't wait to visit! 

City Four: Vienna, Austria

credit: photographer unknown, source The Telegraph 

Vienna looks stunning, and wins big points on Architecture which I'm a huge fan of. I'd love to visit in December time for a weekend, to catch a glimpse of the famous Christmas Market outside the history museum. St Stephens cathedral is also on my list of places to see as well as a trip to the famous Riesenhard Ferris wheel if we have the time. Maybe a last minute trip amidst the christmas gift shopping to get us in the festive mood!

City Five: Venice, Italy

credit: unknown.. sorry! let me know if you know!

Undoubtedly a fairytale place to visit, in my opinion. If it's good enough for the Clooney wedding, it's good enough for a weekend break for Mr Smith and I. There's something about a city you can explore on a Gondola that makes it even more amazing. Plus the unbeatable Italian food, and unspoilt buildings.. it's ideal for a city break exploring. Hopefully we'll be able to add this to our Italy road trip this year, or maybe make our way back there for a bit of post-summer relaxation. Either way, I can't wait to explore it.

Let me know if you've been to any of the places on my wish list.. I'd love to know what you got up to and where you stayed. If you've had a look at my previous travel post on Honeymooning, you'll know I'm a sucker for a recommendation or two so please feel free to get in touch :)

Home | Simple Blooms: White & Green

Hello lovely blog readers, todays post is going to be something a little different (and rather short) but perfect for those who love and value the scent and look of blooms in your home. For those who aren't too fussed this might inspire you to head down to your local florist or wholesale flower market.

I spent the majority of my time on Bank Holiday Monday studying, but took a break to head to my local flower market to pick up some simple flowers to arrange for my coffee table. Having had quite a few bouquets in the house recently I was looking for something simple, clean and easy to arrange. Alas, I found these three beauties;

• Hydrangea
• Thlaspi Green bell
• Bouvadari Royal White Verde*

I'm a big fan of rustic, messy looking arrangements for the house. Our house is very neutral in decor, and 'straight' if that makes sense. Lewis and I both quite like having a place for everything and keeping it as 'symmetrical' as possible. So having an arrangement with a little less order works perfectly in the house.

I used a normal chopping board I have to trim the stems to the size of the vase I was using and a good pair of scissors (I picked mine up specifically for flower cutting) to give the stems a fresh end. This will help your flowers last longer and tidies everything up at the bottom. Once trimmed, I filled up my vase with water and half a tsp of Sugar. I'm not sure if this is an old wives tale but I think it keeps the flowers looking fresher for longer.

The Hydrangea I picked was pretty large, so this was my starting point. I popped this in as centred as possible and added the Thlaspi and Bouvadari around it so that it looked varied and had plenty of texture and balance. After some preening, it was ready for my coffee table..

*I have a feeling it's a slight variant of this bloom so please let me know if you know for sure what it is! :)

What's your favourite floral arrangement for your home?

Foodie | Quick & Easy Brunch Meets Lunch Recipe

After a few weeks on the new 'get the glow' regime, I'm finding I am a whole lot more resourceful when it comes to cooking and finding things on those last few days before the weekly food shop arrives. Fortunately for me, my food shop was packed full of tonnes of veg and protein, so I had plenty left over to play with. This recipe is super easy, incredibly tasty and full of goodness. It could be both a Brunch or Lunch recipe, depending on what you fancy. I've been loving my spiralizer lately, so was super excited to incorporate it in this post.


 

Ingredients
1 x large free range egg
1 x courgette
1tsp Chia Seeds
1 half of a ripe avocado (chopped)
1tsp Coconut Oil
1 x spring onion
Salt & Pepper

Method
1. Start by spiralizing your Courgette and putting it to one side whilst you prep the rest of your ingredients. Then finely chop your spring onion and add to the same bowl as your courgetti. If you're planning on prepping your lunch over an extended period of time, I'd cover the bowl to avoid the veg drying out.

2. In a frying pan, add the coconut oil and melt over a medium heat. Once melted, turn the heat down and add your courgetti and spring onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until it's going a little golden. Whilst you're keeping an eye on that...

3. Bring a pan of water to boiling point then crack your egg into a ramekin or cup ready to pour into the boiling water. Using a wooden spoon create a 'whirlpool' motion with the boiling water, then quickly pour the cracked egg into the centre of the whirlpool you've created. Don't worry if it looks a little scruffy, thats totally normal. Leave for 2-3 minutes if you like it runny, or 4-5 if you prefer your yolk harder.

4. Once you're happy with your egg(s) and courgetti, place the courgetti on a plate with the egg on top. Sprinkle with your chia seeds and a little salt and pepper. Add the avocado on the side for some extra good fats!

5. Enjoy!

Let me know if you've given this a go, or if you've tried it with anything else!

Travel | Honeymoon: Booking the Best

It's going to be the biggest, and best holiday you've ever been on for sure. So you want to make sure it's as perfect as possible, right? There are a few things I wish I had known before we booked our honeymoon, and things that we did ourselves that were super helpful too. I really couldn't find much on the internet when we booked our Honeymoon in 2014 about what to look for, so thought I'd share a few tips myself!

Amidst everything else you'll be organising for your big day, booking your Honeymoon is definitely one of the most exciting. Lewis and I spent hours searching online for what destination, hotel, travel provider and airline we wanted to go through before we settled on where we wanted to go. Now, this post is by no means sponsored by any travel provider or airline (just to cover myself) and this is just my opinion, based on my experience of what makes a great honeymoon and honeymoon booking experience. I hope you find it useful!

1. Set A Budget
There's no point getting yourself into heaps of debt for your Honeymoon, it just makes it a worry for when you get back. In your wedding day budget planning, make sure you factor a realistic and sizeable amount for your Honeymoon. Generally speaking the 'average' honeymoon in the UK will cost you between £4,000 - £7,000, which is a pretty hefty cost! You can of course do it cheaper, and if you find a great deal that's even better. There are heaps of travel deal website nows like Secret Escapes and Voyage Prive that really do offer luxury holidays for less.

2. Getting to know the climate
Lewis and I were really keen on staying somewhere warm and sunny for our Honeymoon, as all we really wanted to do was drink Mojito's and lay by the pool all day after the Wedding build-up was over. We had a look online, and asked a few travel agents where would be good to go that would guarantee the weather at that time of year. After all, there's no point heading to Greece for a beach holiday if you're getting married in December, right?!

3. Get asking!
We actually ended up settling on Secrets Maroma Beach in Mexico off the back of a recommendation from good friends of ours who had also stayed there for their Honeymoon. There's absolutely no harm in staying in the same place as your friends for your honeymoon, in fact I'd highly recommend it. We had no concerns over nasty surprises when we arrived or what to expect because we'd heard real reviews, from real people. That's not be discounting the power of Trip Advisor, but it certainly made us all the more excited hearing about it first hand.

4. It's okay to shop around
Yep, sounds pretty simple and probably what you'd do for any holiday, but I mean this in a slightly different way. I'm not going to name and shame, but the first travel agent we walked into to book our trip to Mexico were appalling. Given that it was one of the UK's largest holiday providers, I was in shock. In fact, I left half way through the discussion it was that awful. The travel agent insisted on giving my Husband and I the 'why on earth are you getting married you're so young' talk before we even got in to the details of what we wanted. Needless to say, she wasn't joking and we were both horrified. So, we took our business else where and not surprisingly got a good deal and amazing service from Kuoni who were located next door.

5. Service vs Money
Continuing on from point 4, this was a huge lesson for us. When you're spending that much money on a Honeymoon, I'd argue the service when you book is just as important as the holiday itself. Kuoni were absolutely fantastic with us, and really made us feel like spending the £5k we did for 10 nights in Mexico was important. Yes, we ended up paying a few pennies more for the holiday, but we knew we were guaranteeing excellent service throughout the holiday too. But this is dependant on what you value, and whether you consider cost to be significantly greater importance than service.

6. Getting Organised
With everything else going on, the last thing you want to be worrying about before your big day is whether or not you've checked-in online. Get yourself a good travel organiser and get everything ready to go/printed pretty much as soon as you've booked. This made a huge difference for us, considering we flew out the morning after we got married.

Where did you go on your honeymoon if you've already been?

Recipe | Agave Nectar, Protein Granola, Trail Mix & Dark Chocolate

I honestly can't decide whether I'm a sweet or a savoury kind of girl, but I think it's fair to say when it comes to sweet treats I'm a sucker for dark chocolate. I thought I'd share with you a little recipe I've created after doing some research into Agave syrup as an alternative to honey or Golden Syrup.

Agave syrup is super sweet, and comes from the Agave plant. It works really well in Vegan recipe's as it's very similar to Honey, but obviously plant based. As I've been seeing it pop up all over the health blogs of the world, I thought I would give it a go. This recipe is really simple, easy to prepare and is perfect for the grazers of the world who fancy a sweet, healthy treat from time to time.

Ingredients:

• 350g Protein Granola (or a granola of your choice)
• 5tbsp Agave Nectar
• A handful of Dark Chocolate Chips 
• 150g Trail Mix

What you'll need

• 1 x Large Baking Tray (lined with greaseproof paper)
• Pre-heated oven to 200 degrees
• 1 x Mixing Bowl
• 1 x Mixing Spoon
• A fridge

Once you've got all your ingredients together, and measured out add your granola, trail mix and plain chocolate chips to your mixing bowl and mix together. Once you're satisfied it's all mixed up, add your Agave Nectar and stir again. Once your ingredients are completely covered (feel free to add a bit more Agave if you need it - cheeky) place your mix flat onto your lined baking tray. 

Give the mixture a good press down so that it's tightly packed, then pop in the oven for 10 minutes. Keep checking to make sure you don't go beyond 'golden brown' then bring it out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. 

Now for the waiting game! Place the baking tray in the fridge for approximately 2 hours so that it can set. If you like your granola really tough, then leave it in over night. 

Take the tray out of the fridge once it's set, and cut into however many pieces you need. They won't be perfect slices, but they'll look pretty darn good anyway. I managed to get 18 slices from mine which is perfect if you want to share your creation with your team at work.. or if you're not into sharing at all, that's okay too. 

You can pretty much try this simply recipe with loads of other dried fruits, or maybe even some popcorn too. Super quick, tasty and great for a healthy boost with your cuppa. 

Enjoy and feel free to pass the Recipe along :)

Coffee Break | La Bottega, Covent Garden

One of the most exiting things about heading to Italy this summer is the prospect of spending our mornings enjoying proper coffee, in quaint coffee shops or deli's in Florence and Siena (or wherever we land in between). We thought we'd give ourselves a head start and pop into Covent Garden for some coffee over the bank holiday weekend, and found ourselves a small 'Delicaffe' nestled just of Monmouth Street. 

In terms of Location it's pretty perfect, sitting slightly in the shadow of your standard (but always trusty) Cafe Nero, it may go unrecognised to many Covent Garden go-ers. There's seating outside, and just around the corner if basking in the sun is your ideal coffee break, and a handful of seats inside. It's small enough to feel authentic given its location, but clearly big enough to keep a regular flow of customers. 

We visited mid-morning just as Covent Garden started to get a little busy, and were greeted by some super friendly baristas (I'm never sure if that's the right phrase..) who made a real effort to strike up a conversation with us when they brought our drinks over. We're not locals, certainly not regulars but it was nice to be welcomed like that, especially considering how impersonal we've found a few places we've visited in the City before. 10 points for friendliness guys!

La Bottega has a 'Little Italy in the City' feel, which has been designed incredibly well, from the mismatched signs, brightly coloured ceramics, forest hued tiles and traditional meats in the window. Nicely complimented by the great coffee they serve; not too bitter, and certainly not too sweet. Perfect for a little Bank Holiday pick me up!

Overall this place had a great feel to it and would be perfect for shoppers looking to take a little break from the madness of Covent Garden. If you appreciate a good coffee, served well, in a charming setting then this is definitely worth a try. Thanks for having us :)

Foodie | Simply Cook Review

It's fair to say that cooking isn't really my favourite thing to do. Not because I don't enjoy it, but because I find putting together a 'creative' meal rather time consuming and quite frankly pretty expensive. I've got  my fair share of recipe books that really do go to town on a huge list of spices and herbs, that sound incredible, but generally aren't that readily available in your average supermarket.

Around January time this year, I saw an advert pop up on my Facebook newsfeed for 'Simply Cook' a new 100% natural recipe mail order box that comes in the post each month, offering 4 unique recipes and all the spices you need to give them a go.. Masterchef problem solved. The Simply Cook website describes the emergence of Simply Cook essentially as a way to overcome the lack of time and resource issue most of us have when it comes to balancing dinner and a hectic schedule. 

Founder Oli Ashness first envisaged the Simply Cook box whilst living in London, living a busy life with little time to spare when it came to evening meals. Like many of us, he experienced the struggle of time and expense when it came to cooking and eating well. Along with a team of great chefs, these little boxes make their way to homes all over the UK each month, including my own. 

The recipes and quantities are great for us as a couple, and all the meals I've tried so far have received the seal of approval from Mr Smith (which is amazing, considering how fussy he can be with food). Not only that, they're super easy to make, normally under half an hour and the ingredients required aren't that extensive. Then once you've finished with your box, you can recycle the packaging too (enviro perks). I just take the little 'tear me and take me' ingredients list from the recipe card with me on my weekly shop and I'm ready to go. You can also grab yourself a Gluten Free box if needed.

These boxes have made a great addition to our weekly meals, and I look forward to trying them all out and maybe even repeating my favourites if I'm feeling brave. I've stored the recipes I'm yet to try in my Kitchen with the recipe cards too (picture below) so they're on hand when I need them. Highly recommended, super convenient and perfect for couples and small families.

If you fancy trying out Simply Cook, you can get it direct from the website Simply Cook for £10 a month, including P&P. Enjoy, and let me know how you find it!

Health | 10 Tips For New Runners

If someone had told me I'd enjoy running this time last year, I'm sure I would have died of laughter. 'I can't even run up the stairs' and 'nah not for me, thanks' were about the only response I had when it came to running. In fact, when it came to any form of exercise.

I signed myself up to the Portsmouth Coastal Half just before Christmas, in a bid to give myself a little bit of a push into actually doing something post Christmas food coma. I bought a cheap pair of Asics, threw on a pair of leggings and got out there for my first run. I won't pretend for the sake of this post that I was hooked at that point, because I really wasn't. It was awful, uncomfortable, sore and I felt like I'd gathered an audience for my 'jiggling' around the village. But I kept going with the help of my loyal running partner and some discipline.

After a few runs, I hooked on to the Nike+ app to get me prepped for the race, which is great for new runners as it's inexpensive and easy to use. Next thing I knew, I was waiting at the start line in Portsmouth. It was my first experience of a race, and the first time I felt a real sense of community with other runners (professional and newbies like me!). Adrenaline really pushed me throughout the race, and the satisfaction of crossing the finishing line and feeling like I could probably carry on running was enough to get me hooked. I think at that point I caught what some may call 'the running bug'.

Having continued to pursue it as a 'hobby' if you like and being in my 6th month of training in total, I really wanted to share my top 10 tips for the novice runner. As a quick disclaimer, I am not a professional runner, fitness professional or a doctor.. so please take this post lightly, and as advice from one newbie to another. These are the things I wish I'd of known or considered before I started out. They're in no particular order, but I hope you find them really useful! Good Luck!

1. Yes, it's actually a good idea to get all the gear.
I've heard it a million times 'all the gear, no idea'. If you're motivated by having a fresh pair of trainers, or a wardrobe of neon dri-fit.. do it! I found nothing has helped me more in getting motivated to get out there than knowing I get to sport my new trainers, or at least knowing what I'm wearing is fit for purpose. Of course, I wouldn't go breaking the bank before you even give it a go.. unless you keep the tags on (kidding!).

2. Know your knees
After your first few 'longer' runs, you'll get a feel of what your body can take or not. Be careful not to push yourself too soon, or to write off your knee pain as 'just getting used to it'. Your joints are key to making running something long term, so look after them and always give yourself a day or two to rest after a tough run. Trust me, your knees will really thank you for it.

3. Take it easy & stretch it out
I guess 2 and 3 go hand in hand, but I felt this one deserved it's own spot on the list. For me, I struggled to remain realistic in my capability when I picked up some momentum with my training. This caused all sorts of issues for me when it came to injuries and bruising because I just kept on hammering it if you like. If you're just starting out, don't feel like you have to follow the training plans like they're gospel. Take it easy, and listen to your body when it's sore and take a break. A day or two out won't impact your fitness levels.

4. Keeping hydrated
An obvious one for most, but this is so so important. When you're on your runs, be sure to take some water with you and keep hydrated. Little and often worked for me, and I regulated it by taking a sip every half kilometre to make sure I wasn't overdooing it or missing out on the water I needed. Hydration is also key on the days you don't run. I found that upping my water intake made me feel a whole lot healthier and able to run without feeling the drowsiness that dehydration often brings. Grab yourself a new water bottle and make that your bff.

5. Get yourself a gait analysis
Okay, this one isn't the most important to begin with, but I found it really useful a month or so in when  my aches and pains just weren't shifting. I took a trip to an independent running shop and had a gait analysis done to see what trainers were right for me. Thanks to my overly bendy bones, I had some serious bend in my left ankle and over extension in my right leg. After the analysis, I got myself some Asics designed more for support and I've loved them ever since. Considering that most trainers are a bit of an investment piece, I'd say definitely give this a go before you dive in to the expensive footwear.

6. It's okay to have a few days off
Maybe I struggled with this a little more than normal because I'm actually a really competitive person (yes, I've admitted it Husband). I'd feel guilty if I missed more than a couple of days off training if life was busy, and this took some work on getting over. If you're like me, I'd suggest getting connected to an online running community to keep you feeling like you're training even when you can't be out there. #UKRunChat is a great one to get you started.

This Girl Can: http://www.thisgirlcan.co.uk

7. Get inspired

Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest are packed full of great content and conversations for runners of all levels, shapes and sizes. Sharing your runs on twitter, or following a training hashtag (#thisgirlcan) is a great way of seeing how others are training and get some ideas on how to improve your running through others experiences. It's invaluable, and a great way to procrastinate if that's your thing.

8. Mixing it up
I've learnt that I'm definitely built for endurance over speed, but the two really do go hand in hand. Mix in a couple of shorter, faster runs in your week to see the benefit on your long runs. Maybe try a 2km and 3km at a fast pace in between your longer runs to get you going. It's tough, sweaty and just awful but the benefits on your average pace and stamina are amazing.

9. Pair up
This works really well if you're not too keen on going out on your own, or need someone to give you a little push to keep going. Not only will it make your runs a little more interesting, but you'll also find you keep each other on track with your progress (and tend to skip less runs too).

10.  The wall will come to get you, keep going!
Every runner is different, and some may find it tougher than others to get going. I certaintly hit the wall, and continue to now even after 6 months. I'm not just talking about the stitch pains or exhaustion at mile 7, but more the temptation to stop even before you get out there because it's 'easier'. Keep disciplined, and do whatever works for you to keep you running. Every mile counts :)

I hope you find this blog post useful, and it would be great to hear from you if you're starting out or getting into the swing of things so feel free to tweet me @itssashasmith_