exploring düsseldorf with a disposable camera

Early last month, I was invited to discover the city of Düsseldorf and to experience the carnival. With it being early February, I knew the weather would likely be grey and miserable so ditched my Canon and took along a £4.99 Fujifilm QuickSnap with the aim of getting some cool shots. The last time I remember using a film camera was on a school trip at aged 11, before I then got a pink digital camera for my birthday. Nothing compares to the excitement of having to wait a few weeks after returning from a holiday or trip to see what your photos have turned out like.   

The carnival was working itself throughout the city for the time that we spent there, which is best described as four days of partying in the streets. Germans flood the city dressed in costumes, and it's the best time to experience the true madness of Düsseldorf in carnival without feeling like a tourist. It was my first visit to Germany, and after developing a strong bond to Altbier and the euro trash tunes blaring through the bars, I felt blended in with the locals sooner than later.  

Finishing with the procession of floats, we were invited aboard to throw sweets to everyone we passed by, which had me feeling like I was on a sugar supplier power trip. There's something about chucking packs of Haribo to hundreds of children that feeds the soul. 

Five things to do in Düsseldorf

Eat at Nooij for Instagrammable avocado on toast and incredible cakes, along with Sattgrüen for a delicious vegan buffet at lunch. Düsseldorf was brimming with trendy eateries with an equal measure of traditional places to grab a beer and chips in. I'm still craving many of the meals I ate there while writing this. 

Visit the K21 museum and take a climb on the In Orbit installation, or go for a walk hunting for street art. If the weather is drizzly outside, I always embrace my inner art nerd and take shelter in a museum or art gallery. In recent years I've tried to make a habit of visiting a museum in each new city that I go to.      

Book a Altbier safari and be taken to the favourite microbreweries of all the locals. I'm unashamedly a beer by the pint girl, it's probably the northerner in me, and to visit traditional microbreweries where you have to actually signal that you've had your fill by placing a beer mat on top of your glass is my idea of heaven. 

Stay at Hotel Friends for an affordable and quirky place to sleep with a great breakfast selection to wake up to. They even have themed rooms if you're in the mood for something different. 

Explore the Japanese quarter. The restaurants and shops are all completely authentic, to the point of all being written in Japanese. Every time I walked past the most popular noodle bar, Takumi, it would have a trail of customers queueing up to get in for ramen and I'm still kicking myself that I didn't  have the chance to venture in. 

To get to Düsseldorf and back, I took flights from my home city of Norwich and changed at Amsterdam. The whole journey was a breeze and is something I highly recommend if you aren't local to direct flights. Until next time, Germany!

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navigating through a quarter-life crisis

This is my first think piece style post in for as long as I can remember, so forgive me if I waffle. Truth is, I have no idea how to approach a post like this but I'm hoping it will resonate with a few of you. I'm going to keep it fairly brief as a way of dipping my toe back in the sea of sharing my thoughts with the online world. 

As soon as I resentfully entered into my twenties, I started to feel immense pressure to instantly become a proper adult, which has been growing year by year. I've never had a full time job, still live at home and quit my degree after just one year. Even writing that sentence makes me feel like a soon to be failure of the real world. 

TOPSHOP C'EST MOI RAINBOW T-SHIRT

My 24th birthday is fast approaching and with it I've started to allow myself to breathe and to learn to stop listening to the voice in my head that tells me I should have got my shit together by now. I've been blogging for eight years, have a business well on the way and study on a degree level course. Yet still, because I'm not in a serious job I find myself questioning my life choices far too often. It has recently dawned on me how imperative it is to tell that voice to fuck off and to carry on doing what I enjoy, in whatever capacity I feel the most capable of. Even if that means sending emails at 3am whilst covered in Oreo crumbs. 

Call it a mid-twenties life crisis, but I'm wearing my hair in pigtails, swearing in blog posts, having spontaneous piercings and reliving my teenage years before I get any closer to living the life of a proper adult. I spent most of my teenage years growing up far too quickly and having a wise head before it was good for me which goes some way to explain how I'm only just learning to stop scrutinising myself at every turn. 

If we all had the mindset of a carefree teenager well into our twenties and thirties, I'm more than sure life would finding a way of making it all work out for us and without half of the mental battles. Play ignorant to the amount of candles on your birthday cake and taste life.

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wicked kitchen plant based food range at tesco

Last January, I decided to sack in dairy and from there on have progressively ditched all animal products from my diet. Since then, Ben and Jerry's blessed us with three flavours of dairy free ice cream, Pizza Hut came out with a vegan cheese option and this month Wicked Kitchen joined forces with Tesco to launch 20 plant based products, from ready meals to pizzas and sandwiches. 

If you're already vegan, are curious about giving it a go or simply want to cut down on animal products, the whole range has changed the game for anyone who thinks being vegan means a life on bland salads. Wicked Kitchen have absolutely nailed it at making plant based food exciting for all customers. 

So far I've tried out the BBQ Butternut Mac, Muay Thai Curry, Kung Fu Bowl, Hoi Sin Mushroom Wrap and Smashin' Pumpkin Falafel Sandwich. I've been seriously impressed with everything I've given a go and would without a doubt buy them all again. The quality of each meal has been seamless; the ingredients taste super fresh, the flavours are complex and they're all substantial portion sizes enough to fill you up. It's tricky to pick a favourite, but the Muay Thai Curry is phenomenal and tastes as if it has just been served up in a fancy Thai restaurant. 

The ready meals come in at £4, salads £3.50 and wraps/sandwiches £3, making it completely affordable to stock up on a few at the start of the week. I'll be replacing a few of my lazier and less healthy meals that I rely on for a quick fix throughout the week with these as they're such a great option for nutritious food in a hurry. 

If you fancy having a nosey at the full range or ordering some to try, get over to the Tesco website here. 

discovering bordeaux by train

For the last few days of September, I took a trip to Bordeaux and was blessed with weather reminiscent of mid-summer. It was the perfect pick me up for my post-holiday blues after returning home from two weeks to Croatia at the end of August. The new high-speed TGV train line from Paris to Bordeaux means it now takes around 4 hours in total from St Pancras to Bordeaux, with some added time to change stations and grab a croissant in Paris.    

 Places to shop 

Librairie Mollat, the largest independently owned book shop in France, is filled with every book from every genre, making it a compulsory stop on a wander through the city. There's a huge Hay store,  Cos, and of course many of wine and cake shops. 

 Where to eat in Bordeaux 

Just a few years ago, asking for a dish without seafood, meat and dairy in France was near impossible. Times are starting to change and even Michelin star restaurants are beginning to cater more to animal free eating. I was blown away by Le Gabriel, both for the fantastic food and romantic atmosphere. 

 Taking a day trip to Arachon 

Home to the tallest sand dunes in Europe, Arcachon is a 50 minute train ride from Bordeaux. This time of year it's free of swoops of tourists, and is still bathed in warm sunshine. I completely fell in love with the chic seaside town and have vowed to revisit sometime.   

Boat trips that take you on a tour of the bay go out from the pier regularly, or there's private cruises on traditional Pinasse boats if you want to make it more special. 

Arcachon is home to the Dune of Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe. It's unlike anything I've seen before in my life and deserves a firm place on everyone's travel bucket list. Running down the steep side, barefoot, just as sun is setting is a glorious experience. 

Fares from London to Bordeaux with Voyages-sncf.com start from £111 standard class return, which is incredibly good value and makes the trip well worth considering for a midweek or long weekend break. 

skincare sunday | 01

Since ditching my beauty blog, I've missed typing up my skincare sunday posts and have been compiling a collection of favourites to share. I've somehow managed to feature three cleansers in this one post, but as I've been interchanging them through the last few weeks had to give each a well-deserved mention. 

FOREO LUNA MINI - £85

I often find myself switching back and forth between my clarisonic and foreo luna, but have recently been favouring the luna. Used alongside pixi glow mud cleanser, my skin gets a deep clean like never before. As there's no swapping brush heads, it's more hygienic than the clarisonic and in the long run is much cheaper too.

LA ROCHE-POSAY POSTHELIOS AFTER SUN - £9.75

Whilst on holiday in Croatia, I used this each and every night after a long day in the sun. It instantly cools down the skin and soothes any slight burns. My tan ended up looking the best I've ever had and I'm convinced it was down to the hydration that this gave to my skin. It's a gel-like light cream texture and sinks into the skin instantly, leaving only a silky veil rather than a greasy layer. I'll be taking a bottle away with me each and every year from now on. 

NEAL'S YARD ROSE & GERANIUM ALUMINIUM FREE DEODORANT - £8 

Recently I've been looking more and more into the ingredients of products that I'm using, which all started with hours worth of research on aluminium in deodorant and it's connection to cancer. We sweat to release toxins from the body, then aluminium comes along and harbours those toxins inside the body by blocking pores. I can't stress enough how important it is to ditch deodorant containing aluminium, you'll also notice your underarms feeling much softer and less dry as a result too. I used to opt for a 24hr extra strength version but now find that this Neal's Yard alternative does the trick instead.     

NIOD MULTI MOLECULAR HYALURONIC COMPLEX - £25

If I could only take one skincare product to a desert island, it would be this. Built with 12 forms of hyaluronic acid compounds, the serum delivers the most intense form of hydration to my skin that I've ever found in a skincare product. After applying this before I go to bed, I wake up with skin that looks as if I've just come back from a facial. Anything that makes me look less of a zombie in the morning is a winner by me.

OPTIBAC PROBIOTICS FOR EVERY DAY - £11.49

You can put whatever you like on your skin, but if what's going in your body is out of whack then you'll get nowhere. If you have problem skin, consider giving up meat and dairy and limiting sugar intake. After researching hours into the night on probiotics, and since I've been taking them for the last month or so, I'm convinced that anyone and everyone should be taking one a day. They boost the good bacteria in your gut and will help to improve your immunity and to clear up your skin.

PIXI GLOW MUD CLEANSER - £18

Since ditching dairy, I rarely get a breakout and I can now get away with a light wash of foundation without concealer. On the rare occasion that a spot crops up, I reach straight for this cleanser and notice that it does away with any excess oil or angry skin right away. 

OMOROVICZA THERMAL CLEANSING BALM - £48

If I'm feeling extra fancy, or I'm staying in a cosy hotel for the night, I'll go for this cleansing balm over all others. It's a mini-facial in a jar and gives a deep and thorough clean to make-up laden skin. This is the steam cleaner of the cleanser world.   

PIXI + CAROLINE HIRONS DOUBLE CLEANSE - £24 

The thought of double cleansing always seems like a faff and too much of an effort when all you want to do is jump straight into bed. That being said, having two cleansers raring to go in one jar is a genius move and has got me into the habit of using both every evening. The cleansing oil whips off even waterproof make-up in a flash, while the cream finishes the job and adds back moisture.

mljet island, croatia

Being back in drizzly England whilst editing holiday photos always gives me major post sunshine blues. I'm already mentally planning next summer to get me through the winter.

Mljet island takes just under an hour to reach on a speedy catamaran from Dubrovnik, with boats going every day and to both ports at each end of the island. Whoever reads this post is being let in on a close guarded secret, as the island is completely unspoilt by tourists and you're left feeling more like one of the locals. The island is said to be the greenest in Croatia, and by some the whole of Europe, which I can absolutely get behind.

We stayed at Boutique Pine Tree Apartments, run by a traditional Croatian family that make you feel as if you're being welcomed into their home from day one. I ended up making best friends with their little girl and wolf-like dog which kept me entertained on most evenings at the beach.

SUNNYLIFE INFLATABLE PINEAPPLE 

As the apartment is set up for self-catering, we stocked up on vegan essentials at bio&bio in Dubrovnik beforehand. This made the stay a trillion times cheaper as we cooked rather than eating out for most evenings. We even made the genius move of cooking up hotdogs and getting fries to go with them from the cafe bar up the road. 

Hiring a car is essential if you want to explore the island properly. There's just one main road that goes from one end to the other taking around an hour or so, and you barely pass another car along the way. We hired a Suzuki Vitara jeep from Mini Brum, the only car rental place on the island, for five days which came in at around £220. There's no extra deposit fees or insurance costs to pay which is ideal if you're short on cash. 

POMENA

MLJET NATIONAL PARK 

DRESS | NECKLACE 

Until next time Croatia!

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