Geocaching at a Game of Thrones Location

It's the Bank Holiday & the weather is lovely, so Smix & I tried our hand at geocaching for the first time.  

We downloaded the official app, which uses your phone's GPS to show you how close you are to the hidden log. These can be little containers like those you used to send your camera films away in to be processed, with paper inside to log your find. 

We picked the walk that leads up to Helen's Tower, near Clandeboye Estate, where Game of Thrones films every year. 

Photo from winteriscoming.net

Helen's Tower is the pinnacle of this walk. It was a bit far for us today, as my M.E. is playing up right now, but we got past the lake, so that was an achievement. 

The tower was built for the same Helen who the nearby village of Helen's Bay is named after. She was Scottish and her husband built the tower so she could gaze out across the sea at her home.

So, geocaching. When we parked on the road we found we were right on top of one already. It was located at the entrance to the saw mill and the clue was to do with seeing the light. We looked for a street light, or a source of light, but even after checking the comments from previous finders, we still couldn't work out where it was. 

As we walked on through our trail there were several other geocaches, but they were more advanced ones, and I didn't want to upgrade to the paid app when we struggled and failed to find an easy one! 

We did find some really cool freak of nature sights though, like this tree above. I thought it was fungi, but when Smix dared me to touch it it was rock hard. We concluded it must be some sort of sap from the tree. 

There are lots of old stone walls boardering the farms around. I liked this secret hidey hole- even if it was a cider hidey hole (as not seen in Game of Thrones).

Smix found 20p on that big tree stump! 

When we got back to the car we noticed another 'easy' geocache on the road that is opposite the Clandeboye Hotel, the road that leads as a shortcut to the Craigantlet Road.

The clue was that the geocache was inside a container that looked like a hedgehog. We were right on top of it, rummaging in the bushes, shining the phone torch down into the hibernation holes under the tree, but we just couldn't find it. 

So disappointing. There's meant to be a cache up on the dual carriageway bridge close to our house, so we might give it one last go later tonight. Does anyone know of any REALLY easy to find local ones? Let me know on Twitter @rudedoodle

Have a lovely half term break from Smix and me! 

Stena Line- Kids Go Free This Summer #WOKSummer2016

STENA LINE are offering tens of thousands of free child places for travel to Britain by car all summer long on its 4 Irish Sea routes.

Their Kids Go Free offer means that you can travel any day and on any sailing, but you need to book quickly so you don’t miss out – it really is that simple with no catches or conditions.

You can travel any time until December 18.

Travelling with Stena Line means that your holiday starts the moment you drive onboard, as the kids have dedicated play areas and even a children’s entertainer on selected school holiday week-ends.  There’s even free Wi-Fi, free movies and great eateries with superb family meal deals, so your holiday spending goes even further.  You also don’t have to worry about baggage restrictions or charges so you can bring all the comforts of home and avoid the airport hassle.

We tend to go on at least one Stena Line jaunt a year, and we are currently planning where we will go with them this summer.  All the photos in this blog post are from our own trips. There's also a snazzy £10 Glasgow day return you should also check out. 

For more information or to book click onwww.stenaline.co.uk/kids, call 08447 70 70 70 or visit your local travel agent.

 *Kids Go Free when travelling by car. Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.  See online for further details.

Unpaid blog post, but have travelled with Stena Line on complimentary trips previously. 

Mr Frosty is Back! We Vlog Our Trip Down Memory Lane.

It took several years of nagging Santa, but I eventually did own one of these coveted ice crushing snowmen in the 80s. My memories are of the handle being impossible to turn, and of just driving the syrup from the squeezy penguin.

Well Mr Frosty is back! He's £19.99 from Smyths Toys, and there are some changes to be aware of. The super sugary syrups are no longer included, which means you can be healthier and add your usual dilute or flavouring of your choice to the crushed ice. As well as the classic Mr Frosty machine, you'll also receive lolly moulds to make yoghurt, juice, or lollies of anything in your imagination. There are also two trays of fun ice cube shapes.

You can use dilute juice and freeze that in icecubes so your ice you crush is automatically flavoured, if you choose to. 

So, is the Mr Frosty machine any easier to use? My parents used to hate cranking that handle! Well the tip is to leave the ice out to allow it to soften for ten minutes to make the handle turning easier. I'm a little sceptical here as surely the physics of ice means it is either ice or water, there is no mystical 'soft ice' state. A tip I would offer up is that if you use ice cube plastic bags to make your cubes, if you whack it with a rolling pin to smash the cubes up a little smaller, you'll have more luck than just feeding Mr Frosty regular sized cubes. 

We still found the handle hard to turn, sadly. We did get crushed ice and yes, it is easier than the 80s' version, but Smix is aged 8 and needed help each time he wanted to use it. Another tip we have is don't press down too hard on Mr Frosty's hat. Just apply even pressure. 

If you love creative toys then Flair's club will be right up your street, visit www.coolcreateclub.co.uk

Here's our Vlog! 

Add Me On Snapchat For Daily Nonsense, I'm Rudedoodle.

I've had Snapchat for a year but previously I've only used it to watch my friends output on there. I've started using it a little more, photographing products I see out and about, a bit like my Instagram which is full of things I want to buy! 

My username on Snapchat is the same as all my social media 'rudedoodle' or I think you can scan this code with your phone to add me? See you there! 

Want a Black Milk Style Star Wars Swimsuit, But For Around a Fiver...?

AliExpress is my new favourite thing. Like eBay it has thousands of individual sellers, you pay via a third party secure system, and you can rely on feedback from previous buyers to let you know, or sometimes even see with photos, that the product lives up to the description. This is vital as all the products seem to be coming from Asia, and previously there had been problems with the quality of clothing that turns up from sellers there, compared to the photos of what you were supposed to be buying. AliExpress does away with that risk. Although the risk is small anyway as everything is dirt cheap & postage mostly non-existent.

I use the app for accessories. Rip off designer bags, jewellery, scarves. You just have to work out what to search for. 

Today I'm sharing listings of Black Milk type swim suits. Look carefully however, as some are swimsuit material vest tops, but these could easily be work with bikini bottoms. 

This is the one I have

In some pics I've left the title so you know what to search for, but 'Black Milk Swimsuit' will find them anyway. I've also left the prices, all these pieces are under or around a fiver. 

Let me know if you buy any! 

If you aren't a Star Wars fan, then how about these other pop culture swimsuits? 

Today, I Come Clean And Admit My Secret Love : Crocs

I'm on a mission to change your mind about Crocs. The words 'stylish', 'fashionable' and 'aspirational' aren't ones you would automatically pair with the world or Crocs shoes. They are thought of as a brand only worn by the under 5 year olds & the over 50 year olds around the house. Classic Crocs are those bright plastic clogs with ventilation holes around the toes, you know, your Grandad has them for gardening. 

I thought would rather go barefoot to a fashion event than turn up in classic Crocs and be 'that awful shoes girl' for the rest of my sociable life. That was until I stumbled upon an article about Crocs written by a woman about my age, about how she couldn't walk in heels, but found her feet in a pair of wedge pump Crocs. 

She said she never could master walking in heels, but wanted to be one of those women who walk around in heels all day with the same ease as if they were barefoot. She asked a friend how she did it, without having painful feet, ripped to shreds by the end of the working day. She shared her secret- Crocs branded heels. 

They take the biggest selling point of regular Crocs, their comfort, and engineer that into other shoe designs like wedges, sandals and cute pumps. The woman in the article bought her first pair of Crocs wedge heels and was a convert. My interest was piqued.

I guiltily opened up a private browsing tab and loaded up  Crocs UK website. I went first to check for bargains on the sale section of the store.

I found a pair of grey wedge heels for £20 and chose size 4. They arrived and were true to size for a size 4 wearing with tights. I couldn't believe the comfort. Usually even with flat pumps you are in with the risk of them hurting the back of your foot while you 'break them in', but the Crocs wedges were soft and comfy. And yes! I could walk in them! 

Crocs also sent me a pair of summery pumps, the Sienna design, in a bright red. Again the size 4 was true to size and needed no breaking in, even wearing with just tights. I've had compliments wearing them out and about, and everyone is shocked when I tell them they are Crocs!

So now I'm an unofficial Crocs ambassador! I sing their praises for heels to learn to walk in, and comfortable shoes that don't cut the ankles off you. And yes, I'm going to a fashion event on the 5th of May and I'll be proudly wearing my Crocs!

Here are some of the current styles on the Crocs website, and make sure you join the  Crocs UK Facebook page to be the first to hear about offers and new styles.

The Fake Eyelash Application Tool that Even I Can Use! Plus 8 Crazy Falsies For Fancy Ladies.

Three years ago I didn't even really wear makeup, and now I'm beauty product crazy. I've most of the basic makeup techniques down now, but the one that still challenged me was putting on false eyelashes. 

I decided once and for all I would get the hang of it, and purchases loads for 13p each on AliExpress. 

I tried and tried. I just couldn't put them on. I was always left with a gap between them and my actual lashes. 

I asked my friends on Facebook for tips. They suggested using Duo glue rather than what comes with your lashes.  I still have to buy that, but in the meantime someone came to my rescue.

My neighbour Deborah then arrived at my door with a magical gift, an eyelash application tool.  

It's like a big pair of tweezers and you use it to push the lashes into place. It works really well. Instead of feelingly blindly with your fumbly fingers, you slide the lash into place then can hold it in place until it sets. 

I got it right on my second attempt! I'm pretty excited! 

Deborah is launching a specialised beauty store online very soon, with premium products such as HD finishing powders and beautiful, high quality, super pigmented glitters.

Until the Glitter Queens' Emporium launches, should you wish to buy the eyelash applicator tool, you can save 10% off her regular price listing and have the tool with free UK delivery for just £1.89. Simply email lush3dlashes@outlook.com with your name & address and offer code SAVE10. That's an absolute bargain. 

A sneak peek at the gorgeous glitters that will be available.  Why not follow Glitter Queens Emporium on Instagram for product launches, offers and application ideas. You can also follow them on Twitter @GQEmporium

The green! 

Very apt. I think Prince would approve. 

Finally, here are right really over the top, rainbow coloured eyelash 'installations' from all over the web.

Win £100 of the IKEA GILTIG Collection, For World of Kitsch Readers Only, A Quirky Spruce Up for Your Home For Spring!

IKEA Belfast has teamed up with The World of Kitsch to celebrate the launch of GILTIG, the new collection of soft furnishings, totes, t-shirts and table-wear designed by London-based menswear designer, Katie Eary, exclusively for IKEA.

GILTIG is the first of three fashion-inspired collections that will be launched by IKEA from April to September that will allow customers to furnish their homes with fashion. GILTIG is an eclectic range with fish, cat and eyeball prints at the forefront of the design aesthetic. ad you can see it's right up my street and I will be sharing which products I have from the collection as I post about this competition on social media the next while.

The Limited Edition collections focus on re-invigorating interior design, and push the boundaries of what can be achieved through large-scale production in the home furnishing sphere. The new, cutting-edge collections mark the first time the retailer has merged fashion with home interiors, showing what the world of interiors can learn from how fashion designers work.

The World of Kitsch has £100 worth of product from the collection to giveaway, including bowls, cups and saucers, tablecloths, tea-towels, lampshades and fabric. As usual I will be using Rafflecopter, as it's the fairest way to chose a winner. You can increase your entry power by following various Twitter accounts or being a Family Card holder. The competition runs until the 20th and feel free to tell all your friends, you can earn extra entries by doing that too.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Unpaid advertising feature with prize supplied by IKEA.  Terms & Conditions apply, click here to read in full.