Travelling tips for Christmas

It has been said that it is only when we are lost that we begin to understand ourselves (Henry David Thoreu, it was, who said this) and sometimes we need a little time alone in a new setting to allow ourselves to be captivated by history, culture, fine cuisine or shopping.

Novelist Thérèse, was so enlightened by time spent in Paris one Christmas that she was inspired to write her latest novel, Letter from Paris, a witty and glamorous account of a trip to the city of light and romance.

“Travelling alone can be daunting, especially during the holidays - the idea of stepping off the plane into the unknown without a companion can seem alien– but believe me it can be one of the most liberating things you’ll do. Sitting in a café with a crisp glass of wine, a good book to read  and the delights of watching the world go by- is bliss and something you don’t appreciate until you try – after all, there’s always the possibility of  a handsome stranger or old friend to entertain you if you’re desperate for a little conversation.”

Thérèse has compiled 5 essential tips for travelling alone this Christmas:

1.       Look up old friends and business contacts through online channels and let them know of your impending arrival.  Don’t be too rigid with your plans as it could impinge on exciting opportunities to meet new people (perhaps even  under the mistletoe)
2.       Enjoy a glass of Sancerre before you set out for the evening, it will relax and reinvigorate you.
3.       Stay in a boutique hotel, the setting is almost guaranteed to be unique and charming, as well as elegantly festive. Often, boutique hotel bars are exclusive and intimate allowing you to meet like-minded guests travelling alone
4.        Buy a beautiful journal and note down your thoughts and musings; this will allow you to reflect on your time when and more importantly ‘if’ you decide to head home…
5.       Follow the footsteps of your favorite author / character from a book set in the city you are visiting, as well as providing inspiration for the book in you, you see the city in a different light. I followed Ines de la Fressange’s guide book Parisian Chic and every day felt like an adventure.
Read more about Thérèse’s adventures at www.thereseblogs and pick up her latest novel ‘Letter from Paris’, published by The Story Plant and available from Amazon $11.71, as well as on Kindle.

Heartsease Farm drink You'll need to remember the name

You will need to remember the name of Heartsease Farm, as you will need to order some of their sparkling fruit drinks for this Christmas and New Year.

The Blackcurrant drink is  sold as "Carbonated spring water with British blackcurrant juice."

And whilst that's certainly true as far as descriptions go, it certainly doesn't tell the whole story or show you the big picture.

It's a little bit like describing The QE2 as "quite a big ship, really" or a Rolls Royce as: "a nice ride."

When you open the bottle there's a pungent yet welcoming smell of real blackcurrants, so you know that real fruit is within the bottle.

It is not overly carbonated, the level of carbonation is just right, and it is obvious that a great deal of thought has gone into the correct level of carbonation for this drink. And I like that, because if the people who make a drink clearly care so much about it, then that makes it easier for me to care about it, too.

The flavour is another area where the Watkins family (who have farmed at Heartsease Farm since 1903, that's 111 years) show an extraordinary attention to detail.

The favour is just right, not too strong, not too weak, not too tart. not too sweet, but perfect.

They also use their own spring water to make the juice drinks, from Radnor in Powys, Wales, where their family farm is.

As well as blackcurrant they have Traditional Lemonade, Elderflower Presse, Raspberry Lemonade, St Clements Presse and Fiery Ginger Beer.

To learn more please visit  http://radnorhills.co.uk.

They are also looking for retailers so if you have a shop or run an online food and drink retailer, they'll be pleased to hear from you. Please tell them That's Christmas sent you along!)

Need provender for Christmas? The English Provender Company has it covered

Yes, the English Provender Company has Christmas covered for you.

The cook and then sell a wide range of very special condiments, chutneys, curds and salad dressings and they have now launched a very special range of festive gift packs.

They have eight gift packs now available. They make ideal gifts for the foodie in your life, or they'd make a spiffy Secret Santa Gift for a special friend or workmate. And what about an awesome self gift for you? Well, why not? You deserve a treat, too, you know!

They have the English Provender Co Hamper Selection, at a remarkably modest £28.00, this one consists of Caramelised Red Onion Chutney, Sweet tomato and Chilli Chutney, Sea Salt & Rosemary Biscuits, English Mint Sause with Balsamic Vinegar, Grated Horseradish and a Luxury Leon Curd, for good measure.

Then there's the English Provender Salad Bowl, £26.00 for a lovely wooden salad bowl, some servers and some light balsamic dressing.

The English Provender Slate Cheese Board which costs £25.00 and has some Caramelise Red Onion Chutney and some Sea Salt & Rosemary Biscuits.

There's their Cheese dome, this costs £22.00 and which comes complete with Sea Salt &Rosemary Biscuits, plus some delightful Plum and Apple Bramley Chutney.

There's also the Sunday Roast Condiments Selection, £12.50, an ideal adornment for the dining table, with Mint Sauce with Balsamic vinegar, Bramley Apple Sauce with Calvados, Grated Hot Horseraddish and wild Cranberry Sauce.

The Classic Chutney Trio at £12.00 is ideal for the chutney folk in your life. Apple Pear & Fig Chutney, Plum Bramley & Apple Chutney and another opportunity to purchase their Caramelised Red Onion Chutney.

What about the spicy one? The Chilli Duo at £8.00, Sweet Tomato and Chilli Chutney and the hot Chilli and Red Pepper Chutney.

To buy online visit http://www.englishprovender.com/natural-foods
To find a retailer visit http://www.englishprovender.com/wherecanibuy

Vaseline an ideal present this Christmas

Although at first blush, the name Vaseline might not be a name that one might consider to be synonymous with ideal presents at Christmas time, as Christmastime in many parts of the world falls during the time of year when the weather is cold and damp, it actually is a very good gift idea.

Vaseline acknowledges this and it has a range of gift sets that show off their highly useful products at their best light.

For example there is the Vaseline Lips Lip Therapy set with a handy compact complete with an integral mirror and a tin of Vaseline Lip Therapy that's sure to help stop the people you care about getting chapped lips.

And the attractive case it comes in, with its handy magnetic clip, is sure to wow even the most hard core fashionista!

There are also a wide range of Vaseline gift sets that are available form a wide range of retailers both in the High Street and online. Boots, Asda, Tesco and more plus, the like and Amazon and other online retailers.

Give the love of your life a Vaseline gift set and your kind and thoughtful Christmas gift will last them well beyond the New Year.

Give the gift of beauty this Christmas

You can give the people you care about the gift of beauty from within this Christmas with the science of Alimetics.

How does it work? The theory is that what we consume makes us stronger and better. If that wasn't so, would vitamin C prevent scurvy? Of course not! But it does.

So beauty 'in has taken this basic scientific concept and developed it into a whole range of beauty products that work from within.

There's teas that can be drunk either hot or cold, drinks that you Blast, Shake and Drink, beauty candies and beauty bars to be eaten.

The range of products contains a wide range of minerals and vitamins, oils and hydrolysed collagen to help you maintain a good healthy and glowing skin.

They not only taste remarkably good they are also remarkably good for you, too.

The range has been developed by Cristiana Arcangeli, one of Brazil's foremost beauty experts.

They are available in the UK, to learn more visit www.beautyin.com.

Kirsty thinks about the foods you eat, so you do not have to

The problem is with people who are on restricted diets (gluten free, for one) is that their allergies or food intolerances do not, magically, switch themselves off for the Christmas period.

Those who are on diets to reduce their weight can laugh off the extra pounds that they put on over Christmas and address the problem in the New Year,  but for people who can't eat gluten or wheat eating delicious foods over Christmas can't be  compensation for the terrible pains that can, literally, have them rolling on the floor in agony.

So what can you do for your guests or family members (or even yourself) if they or you have such irksome food allergies or intolerances?

You don't need to do a thing, you don't need to think, puzzle, or worry, all you have to do is to let Kirsty do all the work for you.

Who is Kirsty? Kirsty is a young, professional chef who produces a range of foods that are designed to taste excellent yet to have no gluten and to have no dairy products in them, making them not only good to eat but safer to eat, too.

Kirsty states: "I don't think our products need dairy or wheat to taste delicious... so we avoid putting them in our recipes. That way everyone can enjoy them, including people with these allergies."

People like my wife, who has, usually, to be very careful about what she eats.

My wife said: "What I love about Kirtsty's meals is that I know the hard work about what allergens might be in them has already been done by Kirsty before I eat them. There are none!

"And I also love the fact that they taste so good! The sausages in the Sausage with Sweet Potato Mash were really tasty, the best sausages I'd tasted in a while and the sweet potato mash was really very good, too.

"I'm not normally a fan of gravy, but I ate all of the gravy as it was very good!"

To learn more visit www.kirstys.co.uk.

Currently the range consists of: Moroccan Vegetables with Quinoa, Sausage with Sweet Potato Mash, Beef Lasagne with a Rich Bolognese Sauce Thai Chilli Chicken with Rice Noodles, Cottage Pie with Sweet Potato Mash, Chicken Tikka Masala with Brown Basmati Rice and Spanish Chicken with Brown Rice.

It's a gift, Jim! But not as we know it!

LivingSocial has unveiled a very interesting selection of free gifts to spread Christmas goodwill.

Special ‘deals’ include promises to do the dishes on Christmas day, share the remote control and even entertain the in-laws!

Local discovery engine LivingSocial has unveiled six alternative Christmas deals to spread Christmas goodwill over this festive season.

In a bid to capture to true spirit of Christmas, the six deals will show that the best presents don’t have to cost you a penny.

LivingSocial’s six goodwill gifts:

1.      Do the dishes on Christmas day https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/554-dishes-xmas-uk

Once every last bit of turkey is eaten (and every last sprout brushed aside), there’s the inevitable pile of washing up. Only the chef is exempt so if you need to do your bit, don your favourite pair of rubber gloves and promise to do the dishes after Christmas dinner!

2.      Share the remote control https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/556-remote-xmas-uk

Christmas TV is hardly the best, but at the very least it should be democratic. Are you guilty of hogging the remote control? Can you not live without every second of Eastenders or the Downton Abbey Christmas Special? If you’re ready to relinquish control, then share this free gift and promise to let someone else choose for a change!

3.      Entertain the in-laws https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/562-inlaws-xmas-uk

Some say Santa Claus has the right idea…only visit once a year. And if that’s all it is, it ain’t too bad! Is it your turn to entertain the in-laws or chat to that wacky aunt this year? Share this free gift and promise to put the effort in this Christmas.

4.      Designated driver https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/566-driver-xmas-uk

A festive cocktail or two is a nice treat, but getting stuck in town without a taxi home is no fun on cold winter nights. Do a nice thing and designate yourself as a responsible chauffeur one evening this Christmas by sending this free gift to your friends.

5.      Take your pick from my wardrobe https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/570-wardrobe-xmas-uk

Christmas is a time to scrub up and don your glad rags but don’t forget – sharing is caring! Has your friend been dropping hints about your designer shoes, sparkly top or little black dress? Sate her green eyes this Christmas and promise she can take her pick from your closet.

6.      Free pass from the sales https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/574-salespass-xmas-uk

The pre-Christmas shopping frenzy is never quite enough, as we all know the best bargains are to be had on Boxing Day and beyond. Remember though, crushing through shopping centre doors isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Send this promise to your long-suffering bag carrier and let them put their feet up for a change.

Steven Marritt, the ebullient CEO of LivingSocial UK told That's Christmas: "Christmas is all about giving a little back to friends, family and the people who have supported us throughout the year. This is why we've launched our free goodwill deals - to spread a little joy this festive season.

"Lost for ideas? Need a stocking-filler or two? These alternative Christmas gift vouchers are fun, free and exciting presents to share with friends, family and loved ones at Christmas."

The gift vouchers are available to download now from the LivingSocial website and from the links above.


For more information and for your downloads please visit: https://www.livingsocial.com/gb/