Want Something a Little Different from an Online Department Store? I Tried Zalando.co.uk

  If your a night out, or big event coming up, it can be tricky picking something unique to wear, without being dressed the same as someone else. Here's a handy, little store to bookmark, www.Zalando.co.uk
It's the UK branch of German department store Zalando, and it stocks absolutely everything, in well known brands as well as chic brands you might not have seen before. European style is classic, sassy and everything is well priced.

I picked up myself a gorgeous, petrol colour bangle from a brand I hadn't come across in any UK originating department stores. I also treated myself to a handy, little bowed, elastic waist denim colour skirt for pulling on quickly should the sun return. Lastly, because Zalando also has a wide range of household goods, I replaced our poor weather-beaten door mat with a comical moose-print one.
Give them a visit yourself- Zalando.

Hand Drawn Creative Etsy Hits the Big 500- Will You Get the Surprise Gift?

Hand Drawn Creative is Neal McCullough, another Bangor Northern Ireland resident who's illustrations I absolutely love. He is a few sales off reaching 500 sales on his Etsy Store and promises the 500th customer a surprise along with their crisp, handsome print. Check out the store here http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/handdrawncreative.
Neal also has t-shirts available this week of the Hand Drawn Logo via http://www.misterdressup.com/

Anyone for She-ra Cake?

Go Splash! Pocket-sized Water Flavours on the Go.

Go Splash are handbag sized, low calorie water flavourings. Basically juice dilute for on the go. I don't really do 'bad' reviews, but to tell you the truth I'm stuck trying to get my head round why you would need to carry dilute. If you are buying a bottle of water out and about, you can just as easily buy a low calorie juice. Likewise, ordering free tap water in a restaurant and whipping out the Go Splash! isn't going to endear you to the staff. The only thing I could come up with would be if you were somewhere like a theme park. You could carry a bottle to fill at water fountains, then add your squirt of Go Splash! to encourage your child to drink if they aren't keen on plain water. I suppose it might also be good for glasses of water in the office, without having to store a giant 1 litre bottle of dilute in your drawer.
But at £2.45 for a tiny bottle, it's expensive compared to larger bottles of dilute available for at home. Maybe I'm missing something really obvious, but its not something I would use. Available at supermarkets.

Work From Home? Not this summer, I work from Happy Town!

A bit of a local blog post today, but for all my North Down readers, this could be a useful one.

Happy Town, Newtownards' biggest & best soft play area is offering a super package of unlimited visits through out July and August for a set cost of £50, and £40 for each additional child. When I saw this on their Facebook page I breathed a sigh of relief, as that's my summer sorted.
My son is an only child, and I'm a stay-at-home blogger. The eight weeks' holiday we get from school here in Northern Ireland is an awfully long time to fill with entertainment for one child who hasn't siblings to get up to no good with.

My plan is to use the unlimited pass not just for his enjoyment, but with Happy Town's free wifi and delicious cafe, I can get my normal amount of blogging done while he's busy with new friends. It's the ideal set up. Happy Town is very spacious, even on a Saturday visit you'll always get a seat and table. Uniquely for a soft play area they also have a stage set up, and the enthusiastic employees are more like a Butlins' troop. They have the children gathering to the stage with dance demos, talent contests and games.

So that's my summer plans sorted out, anyone else local joining me for a Happy Town time throughout July and August? Email Lauren@HappyTown.uk.com for more details, otherwise simply sign up for your pass on your next visit.

Hot Wheels Ballistiks Full Force Rapid Fire Blaster- Zooming, Crashing Cars.

You may have seen the adverts for the new transforming Hot Wheels in the past few weeks. Ballistiks is the new range of Hot Wheels vehicles which transform from a ball into a super cool toy car. They sent us the Rapid Fire Blaster and a spare Ballistiks car to play with.

The toy itself takes batteries and projects a laser dot that shows you where your car is going to end up. You can load in a number of cars and fire them in quick succession. I imagine if you had two children it could be quite fun to have one each and 'battle' cars to see who's explodes or goes furthest.

The Ballistiks have to hit an object with force to transform into a car, which meant my son was firing them at quite close range at the box, doors and his Dad. This didn't seem to bother him though, and he loved the way they bounce open to race.

This set retail around £19.99 which is a little too much, but Argos currently have it for £12.99 which is an ideal price for the Rapid Fire Blaster, which comes with a car included. At that price its a suitable toy to pick up for a school friend's birthday present, for any boys or girls who love Hot Wheels toys.

Cheese and Onion Crisp Flavoured Chocolate Bar from Tayto

I hadn't planned on blogging about this, but so many people are sharing my photo of this bar I added on my Facebook I reckon you all might like to see it too.

Tayto Ireland have made a limited edition chocolate bar with bits of their world famous Cheese and Onion crisps through it. I checked out www.TaytoCrisps.ie and their online shop doesn't seem to stock it, and it was only released in the south of Ireland.

My husband went down to Dublin last night to see a Mastodon gig and I requested he brought me a bar back. I just had to try it! It tastes like sea salt Lindt only greasier. I certainly wouldn't buy it again, but I'm glad I got one to try.

Below are some photos of our Easter-time visit to the Tayto Factory in Northern Ireland, which is located in a castle. They run a 90 minute tour that takes you round the working factory and shows you the steps in making your favourite crisps. It has to be pre-booked through the website www.Tayto.com but its very cheap, very fun and informative and you get free crisps to take home!

The Exquisite Peacock Feather Hat I Wore, from Gráinne Maher Millinery

 My little brother got married last Wednesday. It was a huge wedding with dozens of guests, and whilst I wanted to dress as eccentrically as usual, I also didn't want to ruin the photos with my craziness. I wore a fairly plain outfit, a navy satin dress and a Kelly green dress coat, and kept my flourishes for my accessories.

Life was made a whole lot easier by knowing the finest milliner in the land, Gráinne Maher, the talented lady who also is behind the luxe jewellery brand Pluck & Devour. Gráinne made me the perfect hat, and I really do mean perfect. Not just in the colour match, but also the size, shape, and so importantly comfort. It was so easy to wear that I kept putting it back on, even at the reception when everyone else had given up on their hats & fascinators. So much so that my Dad and husband kept making fun of me, "You're really attached to that hat, aren't you?".

Here are some photos, excuse my grumpy face, it was my tiredness on the day. Finally, thank you so much Gráinne for letting me wear your creation.