Restaurant Review- Dakota Deluxe Glasgow

Source- here

About
Dakota Hotels are jointly owned by McCulloch Unique Hotels & Evans Property Group. They are lifestyle hotels specialising in that boutique & luxurious aesthetic. All three (there are big plans for more openings!) have a restaurant attached to them, plus, all three reside in Scotland with two being in Glasgow. The newest addition to the club is more in the heart of Glasgow rather than the outskirts. Its also slightly different to the other two, it is a Dakota Deluxe. They are supposed to have a more polished feel to them, which I have to say, I did feel this as we were walking through the entrance. The Deluxe versions are also meant to have bigger bedrooms, to suit the needs of city travellers. So on this occasion, we were only sampling the restaurant! Which is great even if you aren't looking to stay for the night.

Experience
So being the last minute, unprepared people that we are, we booked a table the night before New Year's Day... We still managed to get a table during the day for lunch, but we didn't really mind the time (I'm not even going to tell you what we had for dinner that night after this beautiful meal). As we arrived the main entrance seemed to be closed, so we entered through the hotels' instead. Being the nervous & hungry nelly I am, we arrived a little bit earlier just in case the traffic was bad. It was not. So we were told by the restaurant receptionist that we may have to wait in the waiting area for a few minutes, but being the fuss-free people we are it wasn't an issue. She quickly came back to let us know there was, in fact, a table free for us. The restaurant is beneath the hotel itself and it isn't huge. It has a nice quaint feel to it, with their signature dark and moody vibe. I probably should mention that I have eaten at a Dakota restaurant before (twice actually), the only difference is that this time it was Deluxe. Fancy eh?

 Our waiter really was great, he was smiley, chatty and very attentive to what we needed. Plus, there was just enough small chat. To be honest, I was probably doing most of the chatting. As my husband, Chris, always like to point out that I chat too much! It was welcoming without being too overbearing at the same time. I was especially impressed since it was New Years Day! I always feel slightly guilty on days like this, I'm a fellow boxing day worker myself... Personally, if the waiter looks miserable or like they couldn't give two f**ks it puts me off. It affects the whole experience and meal. A pretend smile isn't too much to ask for, is it? There was enough time left between each meal as well. Sometimes this can be an issue in restaurants, but I didn't feel as if we were being rushed out the door. We were still only there for around an hour and a half, but I feel this always the case when there's just two of you. Or you aren't having as many courses.

Food
Oh, my, the food. Where to start? Chris & I had been eyeing up the deluxe hotel ever since we heard there was one arriving or had arrived. And boy, oh boy we were not let down! When trying new restaurants it's always tricky to not go for something you are used too. I like to try something different that I've maybe not seen before elsewhere, or something that I have tried so I can compare. First, we were served a complimentary appetiser. They seem to do this at all Dakota restaurants. It was heavenly goats cheese in a tomato sauce, with a side of small heated crusted loaf. As you can imagine, It went down a treat and an empty board was carried away... Then, onto the appetisers. As I said earlier, I either go for something completely new or something I enjoy with a different spin. Sometimes, I just go for a favourite so I can compare... Scallops always have and always will be a firm favourite of mine to start with. The way they are presented and how they are accompanied can be different, though. I loved the way they were served, they tasted amazing & not rubbery at all plus I enjoyed mostly what they were served with (I can't stand onions).

For those of you wondering, I did actually take them out of the shell. I'm too clumsy of a human being to eat like that... So as you can imagine I was really enjoying my meal. So for my main, oh my god my main. It was seriously really good! I have never tasted food like it I've had things similar but not with these ingredients. So I had roast loin of venison with a blackberry jus, butternut squash & herb gnocchi. It was absolutely delicious. The gnocchi & butternut squash had a slight sweetness to them, but it wasn't over the top. Along with slightly bitter blackberries & venison, the tastes were all evened out lovely. I do have to say, I could have taken my venison slightly pinker though, I can pretty much eat meat walking out the field... Apart from that, I really can not fault it at all. Because it was a special occasion (trying out this restaurant and 2017s' first day) we decided to push ourselves and have a pudding as well. I probably shouldn't have as I really struggled, it was super tasty as well. The ice cream wasn't too powerful, and because the chocolate part was a mousse it was quite light as well.

Goats cheese, tomato sauce & warm crusted loaf

Prices
Market Menu
here

A La Carte Menu
here

Dessert Menu
here

Wine Menu
here

Seared Scallops, Alsace bacon, porcini mushrooms & spring onion

Personal Thoughts

I really did enjoy it, its probably one of my favourite meals to date. I'm not going to lie though, I do have s soft spot for the Dakota franchise... As I said I thoroughly enjoyed everything a part from the meat not being quite to my peronal taste. I'm hoping to go back and try more of the menu sometime. Maybe I could do a revisit review? Or just a general post? I would definitely recommend this to anyone who asked, I think its a great restaurant with some great food, plus I'm a huge advocate for supporting local! I think if you have a special occasion or just want to celebrate in general, then its the perfect place to do that as you won't be disappointed. There's a great choice of things to choose from on the menu, some of it is quite different though! So you just have to be brave & trust the chefs!

Roast Loin of Venison, blackberry jus, butternut squash & herb gnocchi 

Caramelia Chocolate Mousse, toffee popcorn, praline & creme fraiche

Rating
8/10

So what do you think, would you eat here? Where would you recommend to eat? Let me know in the comments below, I always enjoye reading them and replying! Plus, I'm a huge foodie.

Happy Birthday 5ft Life

So today marks the day that I officially created this blog & started over. For any of you who has been here since the beginning, then you will know how I first started out. As a gawky 17-year-old, I created Addictions to Shopping, a fashion blog. The name was more about tongue & cheek, rather than a serious problem. My mum, who was still here at the time, used to always moan about how much I bought & how I had a problem. When in reality, I bought no more than the average girl at that age, with her first part-time job with her own money. All I wanted to do was take photos of my outfits, with the hopes of inspiring others. Hopefully give someone the confidence to wear what they wanted.

As I got older, the blogging world changed, as did my hobbies & interests. I also decided to start creating videos and posting those online also. As I grew as a person I began to feel I had more than just style to share, not that there's anything wrong with that. Plus I wanted to influence people in other ways, share my views and continue to inspire people. Now I know I still haven't posted or shared as much as I've wanted too, but I'm not letting that phase me anymore. I blog when and where I can. Sometimes when it's busy at work, I'm pretty much working full time as well as having adult life to catch up with on the weekend. So this year, my focus will be more on planning and using my time more efficiently. I think it's great to have a schedule, but I don't want to fill up so much that I become overwhelmed and hide in a dark, dingy hole somewhere...

Something else I want to focus on this year is the variety of content I am putting out there. I've mentioned many times how I'm a foodie, I enjoy trying new restaurants just as much as I enjoy throwing something together myself. So I want to share that with you guys, try to change it up just a little bit more than I am right now. I have to say, I am very excited about where this year is going to take me blogging/social media wise.  I've already seen my Instagram & youtube community growing more and attracting interest, so it just goes to show what a little bit of hard work can do! That's the great thing about all of this though, when I am creating & working on my blog pieces, it doesn't feel like work... I love all of this so much.

Something else I want to focus on this year is the variety of content I am putting out there. I've mentioned many times how I'm a foodie, I enjoy trying new restaurants just as much as I enjoy throwing something together myself. So I want to share that with you guys, try to change it up just a little bit more than I am right now. I have to say, I am very excited about where this year is going to take me blogging/social media wise.  I've already seen my Instagram & youtube community growing more and attracting interest, so it just goes to show what a little bit of hard work can do! That's the great thing about all of this though, when I am creating & working on my blog pieces, it doesn't feel like work... I love all of this so much.

It's just a short & sweet post today. I just wanted to highlight the day and re-introduce myself back into posting again. It's only been a few months but its nice to say Hi again! Some of these photos are favourite shots, favourite posts and some memorable memories. So heres to creating more, seeing new places, trying new restaurants/food & hotels as well as watching new films! Speak soon.

Original Posts

Grunge Revolution

A Casual Halloween In Autumn

Hotel Review

Overnight for Wedding Anniversary

London, July 2014

Losing Myself in Argyll Scotland

Hotel Review- Lodge on Loch Lomond

Image not owned by me. Source here

About

Positioned in Scotland's beautiful countryside, next to Luss, which has been known to be the prettiest village in Scotland. The hotel was open in March 1992 and went on to have further renovations in 1996 & 2005. There're many golf clubs located close by as well as the airport only being about 20 minutes away. You can also go walking & do an outdoor sport, as the hotel has partnered with local activity groups. The hotel has also had two US Presidents stay.

Experience
As soon as we arrived, we went straight to the receptionist to get checked in as we wanted to organise ourselves. There was only one person on, but after waiting a few minutes we were seen too as two other young ladies came out. Whether it was due to a queue building, or finishing their break I do not know! As we had booked ours through a wowcher deal (sign up for some crackers! I'm not sponsored to say this), we needed to give them a reference code but as it was our anniversary gift from Chris' parents I didn't have to hand. So we were told this was fine, just let them know on check out. This saved a lot of embarrassing faffing about! As with most hotels, we had to swipe a card, so just be warned, it does show on your statement that money has been taken out. They were really great and friendly when I called up to enquire about this a few days after the stay. Check in was very quick so we were off to our room in no time.

When we got to the room I unpacked everything and got us organised, but I had an enquiry. So I just used the phone to call the receptionists, which was answered very quickly & politely. Although, unfortunately, later that evening we called at least 5 or 10 minutes before closing time and the phone rang out! So we felt as if we had been ignored. Which actually leads me onto why we needed to call them in the first place. Being the technology, fast wifi hungry gremlins that we are, brought our laptops. Just in case. Even though I never even attempted to go on my laptop, Chris (my husband) couldn't even get a connection. He wasn't even able to detect any internet, nevermind actually getting onto an internet page. So that was a bit of a letdown. If you are hoping for some good internet access, I wouldn't hold my breath for here! Looking back, I should have tried connecting just in case it was his laptop having issues. But I highly doubt it. A lot of these places have a shared internet access for everyone, so it's harder to connect due to the amount of traffic.

So it was just normal t.v for us that night! The bed was super comfy & warm! A proper, sink in and snuggle type of bed. These are my favourites in hotels, you just want that little bit of extra when you're away don't you? The next day, check out went just as smoothly as check in.

Rooms & Prices

All rooms include T.V, radio, Wi-Fi, Tea/Coffee making station, hairdryer, iron & ironing board, telephone, 24-hour room service and a wake-up call (on request).

Classic Grahams £80pp

A traditionally lodged style room, which is located in the original lodge building above Colquhoun's restaurant & bar. There is a shower as well as a bath, either twin or double beds. You also get a double seated sofa which is ideal for watching the tv. 

Executive Munros £90pp

A more modern style room, with just the right amount of Scottish touches (a fellow scot can handle), which is located in the newer leisure/swimming pool building. The room is similar to the Graham rooms in terms of size & facilities. Although, these rooms have an open planned bathroom!

Deluxe Corbetts £100pp
Same comfort as the Grahams room but slightly bigger in size. Located in the main lodged building with balconies that have breathtaking views of the loch. If you choose this room, you also get your own private sauna as well as a larger bath tub. Some come with a sofa bed, so let them know at the booking if you would like this.

Cuillin Suite £120pp
A suite that includes two bedrooms with double beds & decent sized living room. The larger of the two rooms has an en-suite with a toilet, shower and a bath. In these rooms, it's the living room that opens up to the balcony. Although it opens onto a car park, you still get to enjoy the stunning panoramic views of the loch.

Carter Suite £120pp
The Carter Suite, which was a favourite of President Jimmy Carter, is pretty much the same as the Cuillin Suite. Some of the differences are; the sauna is slightly bigger as well as the balcony.

Travis Suite £214pp
Just newly opened, it has more of a modern design than the "lodged style" the hotel has previously gone for. There is only one bedroom with this suite, but you do get a much larger living space than the other rooms provide. The bed, however, is a lovely king size four poster bed! The colour scheme for this room is also entirely different from the usual oranges previously used.

Facilities

16m Swimming Pool

Jacuzzi

Steam Room

Sauna/Laconium

Personal Thoughts

The surroundings & views are spectacular! I think for the views alone, a stay here would definitely be recommended, especially if you have never been to Scotland before. It is rated as a 4* hotel, but I personally think the decor maybe needs a little updating. It just seems a little tired which is a shame as there is so much going for the place! As I said, the views alone can sell this place, as well as the location. They have recently just launched their new suite, which from the photos, the decor looks incredible! So whether or not this is on the cards for the rest of the hotel, I've no idea. If they can get the rest of the rooms looking like the new suite, I think the hotel will have a lot more of a luxurious feel to it. Before we went I hadn't really seen any photos, so I was a bit worried about how much tartan and Scottish themes there would be. As a fellow, local Scot, I am proud of our tartan heritage but I don't want it everywhere. But, it was ok there was just enough tartan. We had an "Executive Munros" room which had a fantastic amount of space. But, the way it looks right now & the way the internet was, I'm not sure I would pay the full £90. In our wowcher deal, for £130 we had a 2-course meal for dinner (drinks weren't included), a room & breakfast for two. So with a little tweak here & there, a 4* luxurious hotel you will have!

Location

Luss, Argyll, Scotland

Rating

6/10

Lodge on the Loch Lomond Website

Colquhoun's Restaurant Review

Overnight for Wedding Anniversary

So heres my video I promised! I told you I would get it up, I hope you enjoy it. I really enjoy editing videos even though i'm a photographer, I actually hate editing photos! I just think that's really weird... Anyway, go watch the video.

Restaurant Review- Colquhoun's

Hiya guys, so I'm back with another post. I know its been a while & I haven't done an outfit post yet... But, I am determined to keep posting. Even if doesn't happen as often as I want, or in the order I want. I'm determined to keep going! I have attempted a few outfit posts, but I wasn't happy with the photos. I just felt & still feel as if i've kind of lost how to do it... So a lot of practice is needed! Rather than not posting anything, I still want to go ahead with other types of content. I've also stuck to posting on a saturday for 3 weeks now on my YouTube channel! Which I am super proud of. For me I really do feel planning is key,  so good luck to me!

So recently it was my second wedding anniversary to my husband, (we've been together for five years) & I thought it would be a great idea to do some reviews about what we got up too. I really want to include travel & food onto the blog, so I thought this would be great to blog about. We also stayed at the hotel that this restaurant is a part of, which i'm also reviewing next week. Tonight on YouTube I'm uploading a mini highlights video, so make sure you subscribe to my channel (here) or follow my blog so you don't miss out.

Now let's get onto the review!

About

It was named after the owner Niall Colquhoun. The restaurant is a part of the Lodge on the Loch Lomond hotel which, you guessed it, is next to Loch Lomond in the scottish countryside. It has beautiful views of the water, as it has been positioned right on the water front. You can even see the wooden walkway across the loch. Not huge in size, which is quite nice. The food is modern but it does stick to its scottish roots! So if you aren't from around here, you will be happy to know, you will get some of our scottish classics! You will also be getting to taste local produce, which is always a giant plus when visiting somewhere new. There's many options to choose from throughout the day, they have an afternoon tea menu, a lunch menu and an evening menu. So no matter what time of the day you will have options! You can also choose from a wine menu, or if you are feeling adventurous a cocktail menu. If you are staying at the hotel, or even the local area for whatever reason, you can get your breakfast between certain hours.

Experience

As we walked in, all we had to do was give them our name & room number. We were then seated on a two person table. It nicely decorated with a white sheet and a flower, which was a nice touch as it was our anniversary! There were a few other tables with people seated, but it wasn't completely full or completely empty. We were there on a Tuesday night about 7.30, so this gives you a rough idea f what it can be like. The waitress was lovely, she had really great chat! We were served quite quickly with menu and drinks. Which can be a good or bad thing, depending on how quick it is.

Food
For my starter, I went for a scottish classic. It was haggis with mull cheddar croquettes, turnip jam & mini nuts (I'm afraid I don't know what type they were!). I have to say, I really do love haggis it's not as scary as a lot of people think it is. Especially if you have it with other bits n bobs. The croquettes and turnip jam really complimented the haggis well. There was a little sweetness to the jam which was great for the slightly spiced haggis, also with the crunch from the nuts really gave the dish some good texture & crunch! Croquette potatoes are another love of mine so I was pleased to have them in my starter. For my main, I went for a good ol piece of meat! As soon as I seen the pork chop, I knew I had to go for it as its one of my favourite cuts of pork. If done correctly, it can be soooo good! It came with a "romesco sauce" which, at the time, I had no clue what it was going to be like. I assumed that it would be red in colour, but taste? I had no idea. I just hoped for the best! As I'm not really a huge risk taker when it comes to trying new food in new places.

When I tasted it, I could taste the peppers which unfortunately Im not a huge fan of in sauces. It actually wasn't too bad so I used a little, but I left a majority of it. The dish also came with rocket, pepperoni slices and another scottish classic, but with a twist. Black Pudding tater tots. These were the most amazing things I'd ever put in my mouth (Keep your minds out the gutter eh?). They were beautiful and did not disappoint at all. The black pudding went amazingly with the pork and the portion sizes were not skimpy at all. I was also lucky enough to get a big piece of crackling! Which brought me right back to my childhood with my mum and dad. Now, how was the pork I hear you ask? For me, personally, I could have taken it a little less well done and with a bit of pink (I can eat steak with a little bit of blue rare). So I wasn't as excited about the meat as I was about those tater tots! I still enjoyed it, just not as much as I wanted too... I would still recommend the pork though as I feel alot of people do enjoy their pork cooked like this.

For pudding, the hubby and I shared as we couldn't really fit one in! But since it was a special evening, we decided that we needed too. We had the chocolate semifreddo, which came with honeycomb, chocolate soil & cocoa nib wafer. It was basically what I thought it would be, a mousse. Only its part frozen. It was nice and light which is just what we needed after the starter and main course. So if you are looking for something light and chocolatey then this is the pudding for you! It wasn't too sweet and sickly at all.

Prices
Breakfast Menu
(Buffet Style, Mon-Fri 7-10, Sat & Sun 8-10)
Full Scottish Breakfast- £9.95
Continental- £7.50
Drinks- Roughly £3
Add ons- £2.95

Lunch Menu
Starters- Roughly £6
Cooked Mains- Roughly £13 (except the steak)
Sandwiches- Roughly £8
(also with chips & coleslaw)

Dinner Menu
Bread & Nibbles- £3.95 (except oysters)
Sides- Roughly £2-3
Starters- Roughly £7
Classic Lodge Starters- Roughly £5
Mains- Roughly £15
Classic Lodge Mains- Roughly £13 (except the steak)
Dessert- £6.95 (except cheese board)

Afternoon Tea
Tea or Coffee- £22.50
With a Glass of Fizz- £26.50
With a Glass of Champagne- £29.50
(With a choice of sandwiches and 5 out of the 10 options for sweet also included)

Personal Thoughts
From my first look at the menu, I thought it was actually going to be a lot more "fancier" than it was. Just because of the ingredients & descriptions being used as well as the photos from the website. Chris (my husband) also said the same, he's a bit of a burger connoisseur and wasn't particular blown away by his burger. There wasn't anything special or different about it. There were aspects of each dish I had that I really loved, like the turnip jam I had with my starter and the black pudding tots I had with my pork. I would still say they were traditional dishes with a difference. So if you are looking for good pub style food, then I would definitely check it out. From looking at other peoples dishes they seem to do a great fish and chips! As well as a decent sized steak. As I said earlier, if my pork chop had been a little less well done then I think I would have been raving a lot more about here! Sometimes, the way things are cooked are down to preference! So if you happen to be in the Scottish Highlands anytime soon, pop in at any time of the day.

Location

Luss, Argyll, Scotland

Rating

6/10

Film Review- The Revenant

The Revenant

Age Rating

12A

Director

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Genre

Western, Biographical, Thriller, Adventure 

Starring

Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter & Paul Anderson

Acting

The acting all round was, in my opinion, fantastic. I don't think I could say that anyone at all wasn't bringing their A game to the acting of this film. It was also great to see so many British faces. Plus, with how good the accents were, it was hard to tell who was from where. Leonardo DiCaprio was, as he always is and will continue to be, bloody fantastic! What he had to go through and endure during the filming of this is awe inspiring. He has even said himself that there were as many as 40 incidents, where it was the most difficult things he had to do. As well as saying that he was constantly freezing and on the brink of hyperthermia all the time.

Tom Hardy was also brilliant and he really deserves his Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, as well as Leonardo for his. I've loved Tom as an actor for a few years and I just feel he keeps getting better. Doing more challenging roles. His accent was fantastic, you could not tell at all it wasn't real. I think what also makes his acting great in this, is you really don't notice it's him at first, you get so caught up in his character. Another stand out actor for me, and I think always will be, Will Poulter. I think he's a fantastic young actor and he's done so well considering where he first started. Again, his accent was brilliant but it is one of his many talents, as an even younger character he done an amazing south african accent on a british kids comedy show. I think he seemed to have coped pretty well and kept up with the other well known older actors. So hats' off to him! I still think we've to see the best from his so i can't wait to see his progression.

Summary

The film is set on a true story about Hugh Glass, an american frontiersman, who was an explorer & hunter. In the film, it starts off with them being attacked by native americans then having to make an escape on a boat down an icy river. Of course, the story wouldn't just end there. Otherwise, there would be no film and it wouldn't have been a very great story! As he knows' the area well, he is put in charge of getting the rest of the crew back to the nearest American settlement, which is quite far away. He also has his native american son with him. One of the other frontier men, John Fitzgerald, seems to have tension with both Hugh & his son, but the other men don't seem that bothered. So straight away early on you realise something is going to happen.

Not so far in the film, Hugh is attacked by a grizzly bear and severely mauled by it. Having his throat ripped and even being un-able to walk himself. It's a pretty tough situation to be in, It really brings home to you what the first explorers had to go through in America. The elements and situations they had to go through. This then brings you to the part where the group have to make a decision about what they are going to do to him.

So while all this is going on, the native americans who attacked them earlier in the film are actually searching for one of their own. A young woman, Powaqa the Chief's daughter, who was taken by two white men during the night. So naturally, they attack and search every white settlement they come across. They are both sort of interlinking stories, as the tribe searching for Powaqa come across Hugh Glass, as well as him coming across Powaqa later on. In the end, it all makes sense and falls into place. But I don't want to spoil the end for you!

Techniques

This whole film, even just for this reason is bloody amazing because, it was shot entirely in natural lighting. It really is beautiful. The way it was filmed and how the shots were captured really does the storyline & acting justice. It just sort of, brings it all together. It was also shot in about 12 different locations and 3 countries. Which of course, would make sense, they needed a lot of snow! It seemed to have been quite difficult to shot also, as many crew members had to quit or they got fired... Yikes! But, with shooting a film like this, Alejandro González Iñárritu seemed he wanted perfection right from the start. He has been quoted saying; "as a director, if I identify a violin that is out of ture, I have to take that from the orchestra". It has also been said that he wanted to shot the film entirely in sequence, whether it did happen that way or not I'm not sure.

Personal Thoughts

As soon as I seen the advert for this, I fell in love and wanted to see it. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth in to some serious, historical thriller with fantastic cinematography. I love it when it a film looks this great. I also love when a film can really take you to that point in time, make you feel and see the hardships of the time. I thought the storyline was great, albeit very emotional and hurtful. It reminded you how cruel as a species we really can be. I thought the acting from everyone was great. I just can not fault it. Although, a friend of mine said they weren't at all that fussed by it! She said she enjoyed it, but it wasn't a top film for her, she enjoyed the beauty of it but just wasn't that fussed by the storyline. It definitely was for me and even Chris, my husband really enjoyed it. So whatever happens, I would definitely recommend you to go see it even it's to look at how beautiful it is.

Rating

10/10

Snack Review- Propercorn

About

Propercorn was launched in 2011 by two best friends, Cassandra & Ryan. Cassandra says that her father was useless at cooking but made the best popcorn! And they would always experiment with different flavours when she was younger. So when she got older and thought back to these fond memories; Propercorn was born. They like to only use flavours that can be found at home. As well trying to keep everything guilt free, they are also a proud British brand. The create their flavours in London, while popping & packaging every piece of corn in the midlands!

Flavours

Smooth Peanut & Almond, Lightly Sea Salted, Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sundried Tomato, Sour Cream & Black Pepper, Sweet & Salty and Sweet Coconut & Vanilla.

Nutrition Info
All of the packets are suitable for vegetarians with some being suitable for vegans. As well as being GMO and gluten free. So they can be a great snack for a variety of people! The amount of calories in each pack do vary but all of them come under 130 kcals. They only use butterfly corn which is a great source of fiber, so they would be a great way of sneaking this into your diet.

Per 20g Packet
Smooth Peanut & Almond- 88 cals Vegan Friendly
Lightly Sea Salted- 88 cals Vegan Friendly
Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sundried Tomato- 93 cals Vegan Friendly
Sour Cream & Black Pepper- 88 cals Vegetarian Friendly
Sweet & Salty- 129 cals Vegan Friendly
Sweet Coconut & Vanilla- 121 cals Vegetarian Friendly

Thoughts

I've only tried two flavours but I love them! I think their flavours are unique while keeping to the good old classics as well. I have to say, I also absolutely love their packaging! Which brought them to my attention in the first place. I've been trying to find a better alternative crisps, as I love them and eat them a lot! But they are so bad for you. So i'm happy I've found these are there are quite a few flavours to play around with. I think I also enjoy them more because I know they aren't as harmful for you as crisps... I also adore the fact that they are british and everytime I buy a pack I'm supporting a homegrown company.

The two flavours I tried were; Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sundried Tomato and Sweet Coconut & Vanilla. At first, I didn't know what to expect with either of them. My only experience of popcorn was sweet and toffee... Not exactly adventurous OR healthy. The worcester & tomato one is sooo tasty! The flavours you get from them are amazing, they also have a little kick to them which is nice. I think they are my favourite by far.  I was a little apprehensive to try the coconut ones, because to me its a strange flavour for anything. But the vanilla bit definitely enticed me. Also, after speaking to a friend who had tried them I decided to take the jump and not be a wimp. The two flavours really do compliment each other and it is a nice change to just plain old "sweet". Both of them have been used quite mildly, so none of them are overpowering.

They are also quite filling, so they are great to have as snack or an added extra with your lunch. If you went for a sweet flavour, it would also be a great substitute for crisps and some choccolate. Trying propercorn is definitely making me want to find and try more flavours of popcorn! Even branching out to other brands. So If you would like me to do reviews on other brands, just let me know below!

Rating
8/10

Film Review- Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Director

J.J. Abrams

Genre

Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action, Adventure

Starring

Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Harrson Ford, John Boyega, Mark Hamil, Oscar Isaac, Daisey Ridley, Domhnall Gleeson

Summary

So of course, this film is continuing on the Star Wars saga. Firstly, do you need to have seen the previous films? Well, personally, I think you would be able to get away without seeing them. Although, there will be the the odd thing you won't quite get if you haven't seen them all. At the end of the day though, this is new plot in the world of Star Wars! Aren't there always unanswered questions in trilogies? So really, it's lucky there's actually six other films...

I think this film has done a fantastic job with keeping to the original films, yet being able to create a new story (which means you ARE able to see it without seeing the others). While still making sense and having surprises along the way. One of the main storylines of this film is about a stormtrooper, and how he is unable to do the evil he has been programmed to do. He then goes on to meeting our second main character, Rey, to which, the storyline is also set around. I love the concept of a stormtrooper struggling with the evil, it's something the other films never explored or showed. It's a great new twist to the classic.

Reys background is a little different, as well as being clouded in the unknown. We do not find out so much about her history, except through small flashbacks throughout the movie. She lives in a pretty rugged looking place out in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but sand and junk to scavenge from. All we do learn is, shes been there for a very long time and waiting for someone to come back for her. So once our two protagonists meet, that's when the fun and adventure really starts. At first, Finn (the ex stormtrooper) lies about where he really came from. Stating that he is from the resistance, rather than the rebel alliance. After finding out this, Rey wants his help.

So then Finn, Rey & BB-8 the droid, become a small but worthy team. Of course, it wouldn't be a star wars film without a nod to its past. So of course "mistakenly" & "luckily" they stumble upon the millennium falcon which then takes them on their adventures through the Galaxy.After running into a few troubles, and surprises, Rey stumbles upon a lightsaber. This is also a key part of this film, it indicates where the next few may go and that there are many mysteries to be found! Of course, it wouldn't be new Star Wars film without meeting the old team! Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2 & C3PO are all there with a helping hand.

Personal Thoughts
I really really enjoyed it! I just thought the whole concept of the film was amazing, like I said in the summary I loved the twist with Finn being a stormtrooper is brilliant, you never really experience a view from them at all. And they really are such an iconic character in film & history! Plus, the little touches of humour throughout the film was great, and it was that kind of subtle & natural humour. Another reason why I loved it is, because the main character is a female! And she is such a badass! As well as one of the badies being female. I really do think this is important for young girls & woman to see this. You do not see females taking the leads in films like this alot. So huge love from me for this film. Also, we took my big cousins children and her youngest had never seen a Star Wars film. So it's all good!

Rating
8/10

Updates, January 2016

Heres what's been happening.

Tony Romas Restaurant

Hiya guys! Welcome to wednesday which is review day for the blog! I will be reviewing so many different things; from beauty to hotel rooms & service. I hope you find this section helpful, as its mainly why i'm doing it! To help anyone whos stuck with something and is un-sure whether or not to go for it! 

I thought I would start off with this restaurant review as its my recent new discovery! & favourite place to eat right now. Its a bit of a restaurant and food review! Also, i apologise for the instagram photos! I will try to use my SLR as much as possible.

Tony Roma's Braehead

The Restaurant
When you first set eyes on Tony Roma's (without even hearing the name) you can instantly see & feel the American and Italian influences. The restaurant first started way back in (sorry for anyone their 40's ;) ) the 70's in North Miami, Florida. It was actually a bit of a fluke really. The then owners/chefs didn't mean to create what they did. One day they just decided to throw some ribs (which is what they are most famous for) onto the grill and to try out Chef Daves own secret recipe. The following week they were just going to back to their usual menu. Although, they weren't really able to do that! People were begging for them to change their menu and add the ribs as a full time option. The rest, you could say was, history ;) Its not a top 5* michelin type of restaurant, its somewhere you can go for a good feed, have a broad choice and not have to pay over the top!

Experience
As we walked into the restaurant we waited for a short while until we were shown to a table. The table itself was nicely presented, how you would imagine it to be, napkins nicely laid, clean, cutlery placed neatly on the table & of course menus. As we were in at lunch time, on this occasion, it was very quiet and empty. But, on a personal note i quite like when theres not many people in! The waitress was lovely! She was attentive to our table, she gave us enough time to sit down get settled and to then look at the menu for the drinks and meals. If there were any slight changes we wanted to our drinks & meals, they were sorted without no problem! This is usually me, i like to have no ice in my drinks and no vegetables on my plate!


Food
Well, where can i start on this one? As i've been a few times i have managed to try a few things. As well as Chris, whose opinion i also asked for! I may have even had a nibble or two of what he had... As we were in at lunch time, i did go for the lunch menu! But theres still a varied choice, i'd say they'd maybe even give you more of choice compared to other restaurants like this. Which Chris also agreed on. I tried the RED HOT buffalo wings, which were amazing! Some of the best ive had, they are meaty as well as very juicy. Which is what we want! Of course they were very very spicy, so if you aren't a big fan i WOULD NOT go for these. They have a choice of another sauce which is honey based, again if that wasn't for you, I do reckon they would do them plain for you. Chris' Gran likes a lot of things plain and whatever she asked for, there was no fuss! I have also gone for the potato skins with cheese & bacon, another restaurant favourite! They were sooo good. They didn't hold out on the cheese & bacon i can tell you! The portion size was a decent size, you got four slices, but they were all chunky as well as the cheese & bacon.

 For my first main, i had 8oz rib eye steak. It was good, although if i can remember correctly i think it was just a little over medium for me. It was still really good, but i could have taken it a bit pinker! You have a choice of either fries or a baked potato, i was trying to be a bit healthier so i went for the baked potato. For my second main, I had one of the most amazing creations ever. A Pulled Pork Burger. Just let that sink in for a while... Big chunky bits of juicy pork, in a bbq sauce. It was amazing. On the side were fries and vegetables, if you are a good healthy human being. Again, there was so much food on my plate! I conquered half of it and brought the rest home. From what i seen from the few tables that were filled, the other customers seemed to be enjoying their meals and time there! Some even had, im assuming because they were going for ribs, a big plastic bib to protect themselves!

Prices
I don't think the prices are that bad for what you get. Especially if you were going out with some friends, it would be a great place to go! Its cheap & cheerful as i like to call it. Plus huge portions!

Lunch Menu
2 courses- £9.95
3 courses- £12.95
(bottomless fizzy £2.80)

Evening Special
2 courses- £11.95
(5pm onwards, starter or desert, tues, weds & thurs)

Evening Menu
starters- roughly £5
mains- roughly £11
desert- roughly £5

A NEW DIRECTION

Hiya guys! 

So since it is the 1st of June today i thought i would tell you about the new direction i'm wanting to take the blog in! Im wanting to expand a lot more on what i already post & talk about on here. I want to have a post everyday for you to read even if i'm not posting any outfit posts. Each day will have a set post or posts that i will always do each week regardless of what is happening in my day to day life.  Even if i'm posting an outfit of the day post i will still post about other topics on that day. I'm not going to have set days for outfit posts, they will just happen when they happen, i feel that is better than having set days to post about my style as i feel its more realistic. As well as this being a daily style blog.

So here is what will be happening!

Monday

Lifestyle- 

The kind of lifestyle posts that i want to do will consist of tips on daily life things, showing you more of my bunnies, organisation, cooking & home things.

Tuesday

Discussions-

I want to call this section of the blog "Grab a cuppa & lets chat" as 1) I'm a huge lover of tea & 2) I want all of you to get as involved as possible with this. I want to hear your opinions & thoughts on whatever the topic is. The discussions will be about a variety of topics from popular stuff mentioned in the media such as; The Miley Cyrus at MTV awards scandal. To random things such as people sneaking into the cinema, acceptable or not? I hope you understand where i am going with this... 

YouTube-

I am also now uploading a video every tuesday to my youtube & i thought i should probably mention that on here as well! 

Addictions to Shopping on YouTube

Wednesday

Reviews-

There are TONNES of things that i want to review & share with you. Such as movie reviews, restaurant, products, bags/clothes, music/albums, concerts & even the theatre! Through doing reviews like this i also hope to reveal to you all more what i'm into. I also think this will be quite a helpful section to a lot of people as we are always looking for peoples thoughts on things.

Thursday

Fashion-

Now i may hear you saying right now, fashion? But isn't that what your blog is mainly about anyway & dosent the "outfit of the day" posts count as that? Well, in a short answer, yes. But i want to share with you the brands i'm into, designers, high street stores & the items i'm currently loving. As well as putting together different outfits for different events for inspiration or help. There will also be ebay finds, want lists, deals & cheaper options to the more expensive ones. As well as delving into fashion week when they are on! 

Friday

Beauty-

I'm not really a huge "beauty" person but i do want to start bringing beauty to the blog. I will start with fairly simple posts such as; my daily skin routine. I then hope to go onto any cool tips i've found, diy ideas & reviews which will also link in with the Review section of my blog. As well as showing you favourite products that i have & collections.

Saturday (Sometimes)

Photography-

As i am technically a "photographer" i really want to start showcasing more of my work on here. I also want to start doing some street-style photography if i'm popping into town to see what people are currently wearing. As i feel that can be a huge source of inspiration for a lot of people and because i set up this blog initially to help inspire people i thought it would be a good to bring street-style photos to the blog.  I'm also hoping that, by introducing a photography category to my blog it will push me to start taking more photos again! 

So that is what will be changing around here! I'm not starting this straight away i thought id give a months notice & count down every time i post... So at the beginning of next month a new Addictions to Shopping will be here! I really hope you are looking forward to it as much as i am :D 

AN EVENING OUT

Hiya, how has your monday been? Have you been back to work or school? Not that im trying to rub it in, but i've not done anything today except this blog post. I did attempt to edit my birthday haul video, but desperate housewives was on and i'm a sucker for the whole chain. So i decided that i would edit it later when there was nothing on t.v that would demand my attention. Then millionaire matchmaker was on, so i thought i better get this post together while i'm not really doing anything. I did then take a trip to morrisons as i needed to get my months magazines before the months up, i think i caught them just in time! I'm also going film a review video for the beauty products that i did last week, i'm going to start with the Nailtiques cuticle care oil. While you are waiting for the video you could just read my review here.

So as i mentioned yesterday, Chris was being lovely and treating me to a great meal out. It was a bit of a celebration of the fact that he has now got a job (now i need to make sure i can find something!) and since we don't really go out as much as we'd like too he thought it would be a nice treat for us! Lucky girl eh? When we went, as you can probably see from my Instagram photos we really went all out! We were not holding back what so ever. 

Instagram- @hayley_mg

We had the same starter which was spicy sausage with mozzarella on bruschetta. Then for our main we shared a crumbled sausage and pepperoni pasta, as well as sharing two tapas dished of risotto balls with beef & pork and spicy chicken wings. We then had 2 tapas dishes to ourselves i had duck with black pudding and my always favourite mozzarella croquette potatoes. Chris had pork with balsamic vinegar and mozzarella sticks.

Go to Spuntini

My hair looks really weird here for some reason?! grey & ginger :P

Dress- Topshop on Ebay

Coat- Topshop

Heels- New Look

Bag- Cancer Research (gift)

Headband- New Look

Bracelet*- Romwomen

Lipstick- Chanel in Legende

OUTFIT DETAILS

I could not wait to dress up for last night. I wanted something that was quite sweet and girly but also a little sexy and i really feel that this dress is those things. I feel that the chiffon lace helps with that little sexy touch while staying girly at the same time. I thought it would be also perfect to wear because it hides my food baby :P And i snagged it for a fantastic 99p on ebay! Obviously because its cream i decided to go for brown accessories and everything else.

REVIEW: NAILTIQUES CUTICLE CARE OIL

The Brand

Nailtiques is a Florrida based brand that has been going since 1990. They are an innovator of healthy natural nails. Which is why they believe in using the highest quality of ingredients as well as using as many natural ingredients that they can. There are multiple products that they have which can be used for many of your nail problems! I love any brands that use natural substances in their products, as i feel they are much better and useful for you and your body.

The Product

This is a cuticle care oil which can be used to help your nails and cuticles if they are dry, as well as locking in the moisture, so that you aren't having to re-apply throughout the day. It has a lot plant oils in it such as safflower seed oil, hemp seed oil (which is cannabis oil), avocado oil and tea tree oil. Which for me is a biggie as i'm more likely to believe that the product actually works as its not pumped full of chemicals. Its all nature working its magic! Theres also vitamin A & E in it. Oh and not to mention the smell of it! Its gorgeous and it lingers around for a while as well so your finger tips smell heavenly, its not a clinical smell at all!

Applying

Luckily, the application is with a roller so its very easy and handy to use. You don't have to try and dribble a bit out and end of wasting half of it! I would say to use 2-4 strokes along the length of your nail, whatever the size of your nails may be, then use your fingertips to gently rub it in. As well as rubbing into the skin around your nails, as it can help with the dryness around them. Before you apply you need to make sure your hands are washed and are dry (I also like to cream my hands at the same time, just so that they are getting their moisture & care, two birds with one stone i say). How many times a day/week you apply i would say is preference. It will depend on how your nails feel to you, i personally only applied it a few times a week but i have heard that people like to apply a few times a day. So you will have to decide. I'm not sure if wearing nail polish will affect how many times you apply as i wasn't wearing nail polish at the time of testing!

Does it do what it says on the tin?

Well i have to say i was hugely surprised (im a bit of beauty sceptic), i really did feel/find a difference in my nails. I could actually touch how soft and un-dry they had become (as well as smelling reaaaally good). I wasn't even using it a lot. I had planned to use it every day of the week but due to my forgetfulness, there was the odd day i forgot to apply it. So due to the fact i was only applying a few strokes per nail 3-6 times a week AND my nails still manage to feel awesome. I would say that this product most definitely does what it says on the tin.

Before

Heart Earring- Asos

Skull Earring- Persunmall buy here

Multi-coloured Earring- Primark

China Doll Ring- Romwomen

Sunglasses- Religion

After

Earrings- Romwomen buy here

China Doll Ring- Romwomen

Bug Necklace- Persunmall buy here

Where to Buy & Price

Available at HQhair here

£14.20

(other nailtiques products available here)

Rating

8/10

The reason for this rating is the price. I personally find it a lot of money for what the product does. If you are a huge beauty/nail fanatic then maybe you don't mind spending that amount of money and its what you want/need so you'll spend it. But for me i think its a lot, saying that though, the brand is all about natural ingredients, promoting "healthy nails" and i am a sucker for a product with natural stuff rather than man made chemicals.

Disclaimer: I have been gifted this cuticle care oil all opinions are mine. I will never accept a product if i do not like it or work with a company/brand if i do not like them.