Keeping Out Of The Cold & Being On Twitter | Follow Friday

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I thought that it would be best to do a Follow Friday post as I'm planning to take the next week off from the blog to spend time with my family/to enjoy the festive holidays so I thought that I would tell you who to follow during the holidays.

Michelle Walker

Okay, so Michelle might not be a blogger but she's been featured on this blog enough times now to be classed as a feature blogger so I thought that I would give some Christmas cheer and make sure you're al following her for tweets about anything and everything which includes the events that I take her along to, her everyday life, photography and Disney. Click here to follow her on Twitter (shes on private so definitely go follow her!) Click here to check out her photography.


Luke Sam Sowden

I'd follow Luke during the holidays because I'll probably be spending most of the holidays with him so it might be best to follow him to check out what we're both up to which you can do at the moment via checking out his YouTube channel as he has been doing Vlogmas at the moment. Luke's blog talks about things from a visually impaired point of view so instead of focusing on the aesthetics of items such as food, clothing and beauty, he talks about how they feel and what they smell/taste like. He also loves to do a good haul from time to time! Check out his YouTube channel here and his blog here. Check his Twitter out here.


Big Fashionista 

Kellie (also known as Big Fashionista via her blog) talks about things that are ticking on her mind no matter how controversial they are. She also loves to talk about clothing that she is loving at the minute (especially anything that has a sleeve/a print to it) and colourful things such as lipsticks. She has also created a post that can be found on her blog and social media which gives the links and numbers for the helplines that you can contact if you're feeling lonely this Christmas. Check out her Twitter and Blog.


Lucy Loves 

Lucy's blog and social media will keep you going from Christmas Eve all the way into the New Year as she talks about everything including home decor, lifestyle, fashion and food including all things plus size fashion so if you love a bit of that then you know exactly where to go. Her photography is always on point! Check out her Twitter and Blog.

Glitterbat 

Some of us love a bit of spook no matter what time of the year it is and if this includss yourself then Glitterbat's blog is for you. This blog talks all things lifestyle, beauty and fashion. They mainly talk about events and venues within Leeds such as Issho Leeds but also talks about other events that happen within the Yorkshire region such as Sheffield and much more. Check out her Twitter and Blog.

I hope that you check out all of these lovely people and have fun enjoying their content! 

Thanks for reading this loving blog post. I hope that you come back for another blog post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Treating Myself | Mini Christmas Wishlist

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new post! I thought that today I would talk to you guys about a few little things that I've been lusting over this festive period!

The first thing that I've been wanting is a new pair of Avaj underwear. Now I know that this sound ridiculous, but AVAJ kindly sent me a pair of their underwear after featuring them and sadly I lost them somewhere during my move to Leeds for University so I've been lusting over some of their underwear which I will hopefully pick up after Christmas Day itself as their products are comfy and honestly help me to feel that little bit more confident on days that I feel a little bit down in the dumps. The fun thing is that they're based in Leeds. I love their jockstraps and briefs.
Go and check out AVAJ to look at their amazing clothing and skincare.

I know that the line is Diamonds are a girls best friend but I feel that my best friend is shoes. I know that sounds slightly weird but I love picking up cute and quirky shoes and at the minute I am loving the Vans X Peanut range. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick up some of the  shoes as I just love how cute they look.
Check out Schuh as they have a sale on at the moment.

Beauty is always on my mind and I love supporting local companies. I've been wanting to try out the Egg Nog range that is available at the minute so I'll hopefully get to check that out by Christmas or hopefully Boxing Day. I also love the Invigorate and Peppermint Cream range at Yorkshire Soap Company as the Invigorate helps me feel awake in the morning which is pretty difficult and the Peppermint Cream range makes me feel refreshed on those days that I feel a little bit meh.
Check out Yorkshire Soap Company to see if there's anything that you love the sound of .

What's on your wishlist for Christmas? Let me know down below! 

I hope that you've enjoyed this short blog post. I hope that you come back next time for another blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

Cutting The Denim,| Denham Jeansmaker Jason Denham Collection Event

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I was invited to the Denham Jeansmaker Jason Denham Collection Launch at their Leeds store so I thought that I would tell you all about it!

Denhams Jeanswear is known for creating amazing clothing items with the greatest quality possible via sourcing out the best materials for their clothes such as Italian Leather or English Denim which goes into their products such as their jeans which they are famously known for. Jason Denham is the founder of this business. He was born and raised within Newcastle, England. They have a store within Leeds but they are soon branching out to other parts of the UK including Manhester and York.

‘The Jason Denham Collection is a celebration of iconic styles that can be mixed-and-matched for everyday versatility,’ said Jason Denham, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, DENHAM the Jeanmaker. I gladly got to meet Jason on the day of the event who talked to me about the amount of effort and thought that Denhams Jeanswear put into creating an item of clothing that makes it ways to the stores around the world and the website which you can have a look at via clicking here.

The main key piece from the collection that I absolutely adored and probably will spend the rest of my life lusting over was the Sky Aviator Jacket. If I could then I would wear it with every outfit as it just looks amazing from the wool based collar to the leather jacket itself

Another outerwear product that I absolutely adored from the Jason Denham Collection was the Norton Blazer. This Blazer is also a part of a suit but I think that this item of clothing would look fabulous in either dressed up with a buttoned up shirt, a pair of Denham Jeans and some brogues or dressed down with a t-shirt, a pair of Denham Jeans and a pair of Chelsea Boots.

The last clothing item that I loved from this collection was the Razor Slim Fit Jeans - JDCMIEV. I have never heard of Razor Slim Fit Jeans before so that instantly drew me towards these but also the fact that the denim that makes these jeans is from the UK which made them even more special. Again, I believe that they would look great either dressed up or down and would be a great piece for your wardrobe.

I had a look at the rest of the amazing clothes that Denham sell which include shirts, t-shirts and women's clothing so there is something for everyone. I also got to enjoy some amazing drink and food whilst chatting to some of the amazing staff that work at Denhams in Leeds.

If you're in Leeds then please do check out the Denhams Jeansmaker store, which gives great style advice whilst serving amazing coffee and hot drinks and selling fabulous clothing, at the bottom of Briggate next to House Of Fraser.

Click here to have a look at the Denhams Jeansmaker's website. 

 Thanks to the staff of Denham Jeansmaker for putting on and inviting me to this event and to Jason himself for taking time out of his hectic schedule to come to the event and talk to us.

I hope that you've enjoyed this blog post and that you come back for another blog post soon!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

This blog post was in return of goods or services. All views, opinions and ramblings within this post are my own. 

Do You Believe In Snow Fairies With Magic Wands? | Lush Leeds Spa Christmas Event

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new post! How's your week going so far? Sorting everything out for Christmas? Let me know down below! I thought that today, I would talk to you guys all about the Lush Christmas Event that I was invited to a good couple of weeks ago.

We entered the store and walked into a Winter Wonderland via Fairy Lights. The only problem with this was trying to guide Luke around them as trying to get a tall blind person ducking under fairy lights whilst there were bowls of water about was a bit tricky. It also kind of triggered my anxiety sadly because I kept thinking that either one of us would end up catching them then they'd fall into the water and the whole store would be evacuated... Just me, haha?

Anyways, we grabbed a drink each and went to go smell some of the amazing bath products from the Christmas range. I loved the smell of Christmas Sweater which contains Ginger & Mustard Powders and Clove Bud Oil which gives the bath a spicy but warming scent. These ingredients are all stimulating which is great for those cold nights. It also has a wonderfully festive reindeer design engraved itnto it.

Star Light Star Bright is back this Christmas! This Bath Melt holds a special place in my heart. It's one of the first bath products from Lush that I fell in love with. I'm not sure if its because of the wonderful butters that are in this product, the scent or the fact that its covered in sliver lustre but I just love it! The scent consists of Lime, Ginger and Almond Oil which gives the product a spicy but fresh scent which I love at this time of year!

Plum Snow was a new one that I was actually adoring. I've tried Plum Snow before via it's Shower Gel relative Plum Rain and I was a bit unsure with that but I think that this bubble bar is slightly more sweeter which makes me love it that little bit more. It's also quite a big size for a bubble bar! This product contains Osmanthus Absolute, Pettigrain Oil and Sicilian Mandarin Oil which gives this Bubble Bar a sweet yet zingy smell which is great for those long dark nights.

We then headed down to the Spa area with Jada to find out more about the Karma Spa Experience, If you want to find out more about the Karma Spa Experience then click here to read my post about the Karma Spa Event that happened at Lush Leeds Spa a while ago.

Mysef and Luke then talked to Katie and found out that we sadly had missed the chance to create two bath bombs so we decided to chat with Katie for a while and check out some of the new solid versions of products that are out for Christmas and the new Shower Gels.

The Solid version of Shower Gels and Shower/Body Conditioners are there for people that are on the go or for those who want to save some packaging. They are not a soap due to the ingredients that are packed in them but also because they actually lather up like a proper shower gel.

Due to moving into halls or the year, I have slowly being loving Shower Gels and Jellies from Lush more and more. Lush have released six shower gels this year which includes Bubbly, Snow Fairy, Rose Jam, Twilight, Santa's Christmas  and Berry Berry Christmas. I think that most Lush fans will hate me when I say I'm not the biggest fan of either Twilight or Snow Fairy. I can cope with Rose Jam every now and again but I normally forget to pick some up at Christmas due to the Rose Jam Bubbleroon and now the Body Spray. I love Santa's Christmas! If you like Santa Baby Lip Scrub or anything that smells of Cherry Cola then you will love this! I'm a bit confused as Berry Berry Christmas as I get Berries but I don't fully understand why this is under the Christmas range as it could be an all year round scent.

We said our goodbyes and left the event with Jada and Katie and walked towards the train station.

Have you tried any of the Lush Christmas range? Let me know down below! 

Click here to have a look at Lush and all of their products.

Thanks to the Lush PR staff for inviting myself and Luke to the event and for putting on this very fesive event.

I hope that you've enjoyed this post about Lush and I hope that you come back next time for another blog post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

Going Loco For Coco | Coco's Beach Bar Trinity Leeds

Hey everyone!

Having a good day? Yes? No? Let me know down below! Today, I thought that I would talk to you all about an amazing event at a beautiful new bar that I went to a couple of weeks ago.

A dark pink cocktail with clear pieces of crushed ice in a large clear cylindrical glass in the middle of a light pink blow up Flamingo float on a light wooden table on a light background.

Coco's Beach Bar is the even more fruitier little sibling of Cabana (which if you haven't been to then click here and here to read my two posts about them) as the bar focuses more on tropical cocktails with a twist whereas Cabana focuses on giving amazing authentic Brazillian dishes and drinks. As you can tell by the name, the bar bases itself on a tropical beach. The best bit about Coco's is that all of the cocktails are £6, all of the shooters are £3 and most of the sharers are £10 from what I remember.

An overview of the bar including bright lights from above, rectnagular tables and light wooden chairs on a dark background. 

A long rectangular counter containing decorations including pink blow up flamingos with pictures of flamingos and green palm leaves danging off the side on a dark background. 

We walked through Trinity Leeds to find the beautiful beach which you can't miss as it has a bright white jetski outside it. Myself and Luke then entered the bar and sat down. After a couple of minutes, a bartender brought over Sprinkles Margaritas. I love Sprinkles and I love a good Margarita, every now and again, so I didn't see any downsides to enjoying this amazing drink. I mean I did instantly think of Ross Geller from Friends and the speech whilst everyone is drinking Margaritas whilst drinking them but ah well. This drink contains a normal Frozen Margarita with a rim of bright Sprinkles.

Two clear glasses filled with a clear frozen margarita with a rim of different coloured sprinkles with a black bowl of crackling in front on a light wooden table on a light background. 

A close up of a clear margarita in a clear glass with a rim of different coloured sprinkles with a black straw on a light background. 

When the Sprinkled Margarita's arrived, we also enjoyed some amazing Pork Scratchings. Yes, I know that Pork Scratchings aren't normally served on the beach but these were filled with spice and were super crispy so they went well with the coolness of the Margarita.

After the magical Margarita and nibbles, Cheeky Chilli Martini arrived at our table. This cocktail contains Gin, Grand Marnier, Apple Juice, Coconut Syrup and Chilli which is on the rim of the glass to look like devil horns. I'm not the biggest fan of Gin or Chilli so I wasn't that keen on the drink but I could see this being a favourite for someone who wants something different than a G&T this year but still wants to drink a little bit of Gin. I think that Gin and Apple Juice was quite a nice but different combination.

A bright orange cocktail in a clear glass with two slices of red chilli on the rim on a light wooden table on a light background. 

Carrying on from the 'Hot, Hot, Hot' theme, next up on the cocktail train was Flaming Passion. This cocktail contains Apple Juice, Vanilla Syrup, Lime Juice, Ginger, Mint, Vodka and Ginger Beer. I love anything that has Ginger Beer in so I was already sold on this but what I loved even more was the fact that it was topped off with half a Passion Fruit with a Brown Sugar Cube set on fire on top of it. I loved the fact that this drink was fresh from the Apple & Lime Juices but had a spicy kick to it due to the Ginger and Ginger Beer. Definitely one that I would drink again and again!

A tall hi-ball glass filled with a bright orange cocktail with a dark puple pasion fruit on top with a black straw next to a bowl of nachos in a bright silver metal bowl on a light wooden table on a light background. 

A close up of a bubbly cocktail with a purple skinned and orange interior passion fruit with a black straw in a tall clear glass on a light wooden table on a light background. 

We enjoyed this drink with some Nachos which I adored. I'm always a fan of Nachos as they're the perfect snack to pick apart with friends or family. I did take a few of the Jalapeno's off as I'm weird with spice but overall I loved these and they went well with the refreshing Flaming Passion drink.

Golden triangular Tortilla Chips with bright red Salsa, white Sour Cream and bright green Jalapenos in a silver metal bowl on a light brown table on a light background. 

Coconuts were the theme next/ We enjoyed the Bounty Hunter which if you love Bounty Chocolate Bars then you will definitely love this cocktail. It contains Vodka, Chocolate, Vanilla, Coconut and Cream. This drink is also served with a little Bounty Chocolate on the side of the drink which is served in a cute Coconut Cup. I love Coconut and Bounty's so this drink was definitely up my street. Even though the chocolate on the side would melt instantly, I'd definitely drink this at the beach on a holiday. I also think that this drink is great for the Christmas period as Bounty's are enjoyed at Christmas via the Celebrations Tub.

A creamy white cocktail with clear square pieces of ice with a black straw in a brown Coconut Shell inspired cup with a small Bounty Chocolate on the side of the cup on a light brown table on a light background. 

The next drink that we enjoyed was Pink Flamingo. The fun thing about Pink Flamingo is that it comes in a little Flamingo float which you expect on a beach and as Flamingos are such an Instagram trend, its a great drink to snap and share. This cocktail consists of Rum, Coconut Syrup and Orange Juice. This may sound simple but it is a delicious drink as the mix of Rum and Orange Juice creates a a slightly sour taste but then Coconut Syrup comes through and makes it a bit sweeter. We enjoyed Sweet Potato Fries with this drink and they were delicious. Honestly, I can eat Sweet Potato Fries all day!

A dark pink cocktail with clear pieces of crushed ice in a large clear cylindrical glass in the middle of a light pink blow up Flamingo float on a light wooden table on a light background.

Sadly, we were filled with enough drink and food to last a lifetime but myself and Michelle rceieved a voucher for an amazing cocktail from Coco's so we went the week after to enjoy it. We both had an Island Life. which contains Vodka, Agave Syrup, Apple Juice, Grenadine, Raspberry & Passion Fruit Puree's. I love anything Passion Fruit but also I thought adding Agave Syrup was an interesting thing to do as I know a lot of cocktails contain a general sugar syrup. Raspberries in a Cocktail are always a fab thing as you get to find and eat the Raspberry itself.

A dark red liquid containing red Raspberries and dark Purple Passion Fruit with a clear straw in a brown Coconut Shell inspired cup on a light wooden table on a light background. 

We were also given a free Caipirinha due ti the staff training to make them. This contain wonderful Cachaca and Lime to create a refreshing cocktail. I loved it as it was bright, zingy and something great to drink before some amazing food to eat with great friends.

A tall clear glass containing a clear cocktail with clear crushed ice and green bits of Lime Zest at the bottom on a wooden table on a light background. 

Have you checked out Coco's Beach Bar? Let me know down below! 

Click here to find out more about Coco's.

Thanks to the wonderful staff at Coco's for having us and the wonderful staff at Trinity Leeds for inviting myself and Luke to the launch event.

I hope that you come back next time for another interesting blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Playing For Peace All Around The World | The Body Shop Christmas Event

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! The wonderful guys over at The Body Shop invited me to their Christmas Preview Event at their Briggate Flagship Store and I thought that I would talk to you all about it today.

A mixture of red, yellow and purple circular tubs with different shaped gift sets at the side including a golden rectangular one and a green patterned box on a light wooden table on a light background. 

The night began via gathering at the front of the Briggate store and going to the back of the store as the event was held in the meeting rooms that are normally meant for employees and other private things.

We started the night off by learning about the concept of the gifts for this years Christmas range. If you buy any of The Body Shops Christmas gifts then you will not only get a great gift set filled with amazing products for the body, but it's also a makeshift game board. Some of the giftsets even come with spinners! We also found out about the amazing Play For Peace. The Gift Sets also help the Play For Peace campaign that The Body Shop are running during the festive holiday period. Every gift set that you buy helps children to play in a safe place for a year.

After this, myself, Luke and Katie decided to have a play with the ranges that are available in stores for the Christmas period. Frosted Plum, Frosted Berries and Vanilla Chai. Out of all three, I loved Frosted Berries as I am a big fan of anything that is Berry scented or flavoured! If you're more of a floral sort of person then you will love Frosted Plum as I think that Plum has that sort of lightly floral yet still sweet scent to it. If you're more a Vanilla person then I'm sure that you will love Vanilla Chai! Personally, I'm not a big fan of it as I'm very difficult when it comes to Vanilla scented things.

We then chatted for a while, then ate some of the wonderful Vegan food that was available at the event including the Sweetcorn based Fritters that were available at the event as I think I ate far too many of them. (All students take advantage of free food though, dont they?!) We then went to go get our pictures taken at the stand which was in a corner of the spacious room. There were props to help the photo. I chose the bunny ears and pretended that I was giving Ariana Grande Dangerous Woman realness... Well, I can pretend that I did, okay?!

We then slowly made our way back round to the Briggate store and chatted and wandered around. This what meant for bloggers to get a full play of the new products and to pick up anything that they wanted from The Body Shop. We talked to Katie and Lizi before deciding to go home.

We received a wonderful goodie bag which included some of the new products including the Frosted Berries Hand Cream which if you want to know more about then comment down below.

Have you checked out any of the Christmas products including the Frosted Plum/Berries/Vanilla Chai products? Let me know down below!

Click here if you want to find out more about The Body Shop.

Thanks to the wonderful guys over at The Body Shop for inviting me to the Christmas Preview Event and also thanks to the staff at the Briggate store for putting on an amazing event.

Thanks for reading!
Jamie x

This blog post was in exchange of an invite to a bloggers preview event and was in exchange of products or services. All opinions and ramblings are my own. 

Five Bloggers To Check Out And Follow | Follow Friday

Hey! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I thought that tjat today I would try something different and do a Follow Friday but in a blog post due to being busy most Fridays. I also wanted to showcase some of my favourite bloggers so I thought that I would do the two within one. 

A large tall black smartphone next to a cup of black hot beverage in a white china mug on a light brown table on a light background, 

Katie Cupcake 

Katie is an amazing blogger who focuses on testing beauty products out so you know exactly what is good and what's horrible. She also focuses on her battles with ME and Fibromaylgia Katie's blog is amazing and is a great place to start if you want to learn the ins and outs of knowing about surviving with chronic pain such as Fibromalygia. Click here to read it. 

Jada Quotes

Jada talks about a variety of topics on her blog including living within pain and at the moment her baby progress and how it is to be a citizen of ethnic minority. If you want a blog thats honest and truthful yet with a bit of love then I'd definitely say to check out Jade's blog by clicking here. 

Faith 

Faith who is also known as Music & Eyeliner who is known for talking about great music including indie and unsigned artists. She also talks about amazing Beers from time to time and how she gets around the city of Leeds within a powerchair including the good, the bad and ugly (which includes public transport.) If you want to read more of her amazing posts then click here. 

Lucinda 

Lucinda is an amazing person and is the host of the blog The Fashion Fictionary which contains wonderful posts on fashion including her favourite trends and hauls but also contains a lot about food and her love for a good old brunch. Go and check out her blog if you want some delicious content by clicking here. 

Have you checked out any of these blogs? Let me know down below. 

Thank you for checking out this rambly sharing blog post. I hope you come back next time for a brand new blog post. 

Thanks for reading!

Jamie x

Follow The Bear! | Hofmeister

Hey!

Welcome to a brand new post! I thought that I would talk to you all about an amazing beer brand called Hofmeister today.

If you are old enough to remember, then you will remember the beloved Hofmeister sdverts which urged you to follow the bear. Well, some time has passed by but the brand is back and is still telling us to follow George The Bear!

A collection of tall black glass beer bottles with a gold label saying Hofmeister in black bold font positioned like a set of ten pins on a bright background. 

Made in the heart of Bavaria using natural mineral water and locally grown barley and hops. The new Hofmeister Helles Lager is slow-brewed, colder and longer than most other beers today. That’s because Hofmeister believes that all the extra time and effort is well worth it and when you try the fresher and gently carbonated Helles, they think you will believe the same too.

Helles Lager Tasting Notes

Colour: Light golden blonde beer
Look: Thick, white head
Aroma: Fresh, soft malt, subtle hop notes
Taste: Very clean, fragrant, long dry finish
Head: White, generous, foamy
Style: Gentle carbonation
Overall: Well-filtered, easy drinking, refreshing

The Best Way To Drink Hofmeister:

1. Rinse a glass. Don’t dry it. This creates a more slippery surface inside the glass for a smoother pour and better head.
2. Pour Lager Beer at 45 degrees Step  Angle the glass 45° and pour half in slowly.
3. Straighten the glass and pour the rest in quickly. The head should be 3-5cm deep (or 1.5-2 inches if you remember Hof the first time round).
4. Then just sit back and enjoy our genuine Helles Lager like a Bavarian would. No lederhosen required.

This beer is light and slightly malty in my opinion. I love it and thats something because I'm very particular when it comes to drinking beer but I think that this would be great to drink whilst catching up with friends or on a night out. I think that everyone should definitely be folowing the bear even if its into the deep pits of the Bavarian Forest.

Remember to drink responsibly.

Find more out about Hofmeister here.

Do you drink beer? Have you tried Hofmeister? Let me know down below!

Thanks for reading this drink based blog post. I hope that you have enjoyed reading it and I hope that you come back next time for reading another blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

This blog post was in return of goods or services. All views and ramblings are my own. 

Slamming The Newspaper To The Floor | Slam Dunk Festival 2018 First Announcement

Hey!

Welcome to a brand new post! I know that festival season has finished for the year but I thought that I would talk to you guys all about the news of Slam Dunk Festival 2018.

A bright pop art based poster with an animated pattern containing different colours with Slam Dunk in bold white font, Festical in smaller black font in an bright orange banner and different band titles in different sizes of black font in a light grey rectangular box. 

If you love music and festivals then you will understand how it feels to wait for a line-up to drop when it comes to a music festival. Slam Dunk finally dropped a headliner and a few other bands that have decided to perform at the infamous pop-punk centric festival Slam Dunk Festival 2018.

The first headliner that has been announced is Jimmy Eat World who are an Rock based band from Arizona with nine studio albums. For those who don't really know this amazing band, you may know of Jimmy Eat World via Tayor Swift covering one of their songs, The Middle, via Taylor Swift lip syncing to it within an Apple Music advert.

The other amazing bands that are coming along to Slam Dunk including Taking Back Sunday, Sleeping With Sirens, Four Year Strong, State Champs and Trash Boat so there is something for anyone who loves Alternative Music from those who have only listened to a little bit of the genre all the way to those who live their life by the genre.

Slam Dunk South has also changed it's location for 2018. Slam Dunk South will now take place at Hatfield Park. In previous years, it has been held at the University of Hertfordshire. Hatfield Park is situated directly opposite Hatfield train station. The Slam Dunk South Afterparty will be held at University of Hertfordshire which is also known as Hatfield Forum.

Do you listen to any of the bands mentioned above? Have you been to Slam Dunk Festival before? Let me know down below! 

Check out everything Slam Dunk here.

I hope that you have enjoyed this music based blog post. I hope that you come back next time for another blog post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

This blog post has been in collaboration with a press release from a PR. All opinions and ramblings are my own. 

Satay, Pizza Burgers & Having Your Cake & Eating It | Trinity Kitchen Novemnber 2017

Hey!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! Trinity Leeds invited me to Trinity Kitchen to try some of their new vendors so I thought that today I would tell you all what I thought about them.

If you havent heard of Trinity Kitchen then let me tell you all about it. Trinity Kitchen is an open plan food court within Trinity Leeds that serves a plethora of food from different cultures such as Vietnamese food from Pho, Italian Pizza's from Pizza Luxe, Mexican food in the form of Tortilla and much more. Every so often, Trinity Kitchen like to bring in six different street food vendors to give variety but to also ensure that new businesses are getting exposure.

Myself and Luke (who comes to most of the events alongside myself) made our way around to Trinity Kitchen and decided to sit down in a sort of quiet sectioned off corner that had a wide rectangular glass window overlooking the wonderful architecture that surrounds Trinity Leeds within the city centre of Leeds.

We decided to start off by checking out Tikks Thai Kitchen. Tikk's Thai Kitchen is known for cooking amazing yet authentic Southern Thai Street Food. The reason behind why the business is called Tikk's Thai Kitchen is well because all the food is prepared and cooked by Tikk who is an Thai Native and a trained chef. We enjoyed a dish of Chicken Satay and Sriracha Fries which came with a wonderful nutty Satay Dip and some wonderful fried Shallots. I love Chicken Satay! This Chicken was wonderfully charred but still tender which I think is quite hard to do as sometimes charred Chicken loses all of its moisture. The Dip was wonderful light and nutty. Luke hates Peanuts but he loved this dip which well contained Peanuts! The fries were crispy and the Sriracha gave a slight tang to them which I loved. The Shallots were there to add a bit of crispness but also a tad bit of cooling if you thought the Sriracha was a bit too much. I'm still wondering why I haven't tried Sriracha Fries before this because I was missing out!

The next place that we decided to try was Sela Bar who have collaborated with Little Red Eats to create a vendor that creates amazing burgers ranging from ones from ones with Candied Bacon and one that was made for Cheese Lovers. I decided to get a Pizza Burger to share with Luke. Yes, you heard right! A Pizza Burger. This Burger consisted of an great homemade Beef Burger topped with a great Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Pepperoni and a whole host of amazing goodies. I did think that this would be more of a just an Instagrammable product and that it woudn't taste amazing but oh my god did I eat my words and much more. The Patty was succulent and delicious. The powerful tomato sauce against the creamy Cheese was wonderful and the little pieces of Pepperoni gave the burger an extra lift of flavour and texture. I was kind of glad that this came in a Brioche Bun. I love the good old Sesame Seed Bun but I also love a smooth Brioche Bun as you don't get Sesame Seeds everywhere. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that's going to Trinity Kitchen soon!

The last vendor that we decided to visit was Meli Patisserie  Meli Patisserie create amazing cakes, sweet treats and mousses to fill that sweet hole that has been left in your soul. We tried a Lemon Cake which consisted of a White Chocolate Sponge, White Chocolate Mousse and Lemon Curd smothered on the top and a Baileys Cake which consisted of Dark Chocolate Sponge, a wonderful Baileys Mousse and smothered in Dark Chocolate Ganache. I loved the Lemon Cake as it was sweet but tart at the same time. Luke loves White Chocolate and Lemon so he was in heaven with this one! The Baileys cake has a sort of deep sweetness going on due to the Dark Chocolate but I loved it. I'm not the biggest fan of Dark Chocolate sometimes but when paired with the Baileys Mousse, it was divine! These would be divine when catching up with friends!

Trinity Leeds has some other amazing vendors at the moment including Food4Festivals who create great Greek food including Gyros, Gravy Train Poutine who create amazing Canadian Poutine and Bunnymans Bunnychow who create amazing South African food that comes in an edible bowl.

Check out Trinity Kitchen here.

Have you tried any of the above vendors? Would you try any? Let me know down below! 

Thanks to all of the vendors for creating amazing food and the wonderful gius at Trinity Leeds for inviting me along to try the vendors.

Thanks for reading this food based blog post. I hope that you enjoyed it. I hope that you come back next time for another blog post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

Jamie Sowden Is Going Through Some Changes

Hey! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! 

A large silver Macbook with black keys and a white xcreen on a rectangular light wood table with two white hands on the keys of the laptop with a large green plant in a light brown plant pot on a bright background. 

This shall be a pretty short post but as you can tell via the title, this blog will be going through various changes and as the current blog template hasn't been working out for myself or the blog for a while/ I've decided that it would be best to change it to a simple template until I find one that fits with the blog and myself. 

The latest this change shall be is by the 8th of January. I shall still be uploading content so don't worry about getting your fix of rambly yet great blog posts/ 

I hope that you're having a great week! 

Thanks for reading this blog post! 
Jamie x 

Having A Wonderful Wintry Weekend | Trinity Leeds Wonder Weekeend 2017

Hey!

Welcome to a brand new post! The wonderful guys over at Trinity Leeds invited me to come along to their Wonder Weekend event and I thought that today I would tell you all what happened at Wonder Weekend.

A tal; dark green tree in sparkly blue lights all the way up the tree with a big red box supporting it at the bottom on a white floor on a dark background.  

Wonder Weekend is a weekend long event that is held within the shopping centre Trinity Leeds near around November. Wonder Weekend is a weekend full of well, wonder and things that you would never expect to end up in a shopping centre. The best part of Wonder Weekend is that as well as attending and participating in these events, you get to experience the lights of the Trinity Leeds Christmas Tree/Wishmas Tree being turned on for the very first time that year.

I started by going straight to the belly of the wonderful beast. The Ball Pit and Bar space. This space was turned into a massive ball pit with a bar and some brands offering free goodies next to it. Sadly, due to the amount of people as Wonder Weekend was open to the public, I decided to not go into the ball pit but I did get to try one of Meatliquors amazing burgers for the first time and I absolutely loved it!

After the ball pit, I decided to carry on and go to the Sherbet Shack which contained wonderful sweets for the taking!

Carrying on from this, I then went to decorate my own Toffee Apple which I absolitely loved as it meant that I got to dip my own Apple into the Toffee. I love it when I get to create something and take it home!

I then made my way to the viewing area for the switch on of the Wishmas Tree Lights. This bit was hosted by the wonderful Jojo that works at Capital FM. This part of the event included acrobats, singing, dancing and much more. After a while, the lights were switched on which made the shopping centre look wonderful and sparkly, there were things such as balloons that descended from the top of the shopping centre to the bottom.

I then slowly made my way towards Everyman Cinemas to have a look at their Slumber Cinema. Sadly as I think a good few decided to do this after the switch on, it was still quite packed for myself to fully embrace it but I think that this is a wonderful idea as it encapsulates being wonderful and rested but cosy at the same time. I think that Everyman should do something like this more often.

I then decided that it was time to head off back home even though I felt completely festive and wanted to smother myself in things such as Spicy Hot Drinks and luxurious food which is associated with the festive times.

Thanks to the wonderful PR team that invited me to this event and to Trinity Leeds for putting on such an amazing event. 

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this festive post and that you come back next time for another blog post!

Thanks for reading!
Jamie x

Roll That Dice! | Victoria Gate Casino Menu Tasting

Hey!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I was invited to the Victoria Gate Casino's Christmas Menu Tasting and I thought that today I would tell you all what happened at the tasting.

A big bold black V with one side of the right side of the V cut off with Victoria Gate Casino in big bold black font underneath on a white background. 

We walked into the grand casino and sat down at a terrific looking table with elegant looking glasses and superb silverware. Myself and Luke chatted for a while and waited for the drinks to start to flow. As there were an abudant of dishes to try and share and because my phone was being weird on the night, I think that it's just best to list the everything with the pictures that I think are somewhat okay.

Drinks: 

White Christmas: 

• 50ml Double Cream
• 10ml Creme De Cacao Blanc 
• 10ml Cherry Syrup
• 10ml Goldschlager 
• 1 Egg White
• 100ml Prosecco 

I liked parts of this and I hated other parts of this. I thought that Prosecco kind of stopped the Cherry and Creme De Cacao Blanc coming through but I did love the Cherry Syrup as it gave a fruity note against the creaminess of the Cream and 

Festive Royale 

• 10ml Creme De Cassis 
• 10ml Gordons Sloe Gin
• 100ml Prosecco

I'm not a fan of Gin or Prosecco but I kind of liked this one. I think that it was the Cassis that made me like it so much as I love anything with a Blackberry sort of taste to it. I think the deeper flavour of Sloe Gin worked alongside the Cassis to create a deep Berry drink. 

Christmas Eve Crumble

• 25ml Rhubarb Vodka
• 12.5ml Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• 12.5ml Goldschlager
• 50ml Apple Juice #
• 25ml Double Cream 

I loved this one. I think the Apple Juice mixed with the Goldschlager and Elderflower iqueur did it for me. I feel like I could drink a lot of these. I didn't think that it needed the Double Cream but you can be a bit decadent and naughty when its Christmas so I understand why its in the drink. 

Food:: 

Chicken Liver Pate which is served with toasted brioche and red onion marmalade

I loved the sweetness of the Chicken Liver Pate. I loved the Red Onion Marmalade as it added a bit of sharpness to the Pate. I love Red Onion Marmalade in anything as it just makes whatever youre adding it to that little bit extra special. 

Prawn Cocktail 

Juicy Atlantic prawns drizzled in a classic Marie Rose dressing

Sadly, I didn't get to try this but I love a good Prawn Cocktail nso I'm sure that I would have loved it if I did get to try it! 

Petit Camembert with Rustic Bread - 

Rich, creamy camembert with a cranberry centre served with rustic bread

I'm weird with Cheese so I sadly stuck to the Rustic Bread but I absolutely loved the Bread! 

Winter Vegetable Soup -

A blend of winter vegetables served with a rustic roll and butter

(Gluten free option available)

I loved this as it had a sweet but spicy taste to it which you want when its cold in the festive season. I love Christmas spices and Soup! The bread roll was fluffy and soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. 

Roast Turkey Roulade 

Tender rolled turkey escalope with stuffing served with chipolatas, cranberry and a red wine jus

(Gluten free option available)

I love a good Roast Turkey. Do you know what I love more than Turkey though? Stuffing! I loved this as it combined the best parts of a Christmas Dinner into one.

Salmon Fillet 

Roasted salmon fillet in a honey glaze, served with a rich cranberry, ginger & orange sauce

I rarely eat Salmon but I loved the fact that it was served with such a Festive sauce and had a Honey Glaze as it made the fish extra sweet. This dish would be great for anyone who loves Fish. 

,Mushroom & Brie Wellington 

Sautéed mushrooms, cranberries, seasoned spinach & hazelnuts, topped with brie, wrapped in puff

pastry and served with a blue stilton sauce

I'm that 1% of the public who actually likes Mushrooms and I honestly think Mushrooms and Spinach is always a good mixture. I thought that the pastry was a great contrast in textures and I think that this would be great for anyone who falls in the same one percent as myself. 

Daube Of Beef 

Tender slow cooked daube of beef braised in a red wine jus. 

I loved the fact that this was braised as it made the meat extra tender. I loved the deepness of the Jus. I think this dish would be great for a family dinner outing. 

The last four dishes come with seasonal vegetables and roast potatoes. 

Christmas Pudding 

Traditional Christmas pudding served with brandy sauce

People either love Christmas Pudding or hate Christmas Pudding and sadly, I hate it so I didn't try this sadly. 

CHOCOLATE & ORANGE TORTE

Crisp chocolate biscuit layered with a dark chocolate orange truf f le & rich chocolate mousse, f inished with a caramel glaze.

Sadly. I didn;t get to try this as it didn't come to my table but it sounds delicious. 

Lemon & Raspberry Posset

Tangy lemon posset on a ginger crumb base topped with raspberries

I love Lemon, Ginger and Raspberry so this dessert was made for me. I love the difference between the sweet Raspberry sauce, the tarter fresh Raspberries and the spicy Ginger. It was delicious. 

Cheese Plate 

Selection of British cheese served with a delicious plum & ginger chutney.

I didn't really try any of the Cheeses from this but I tried the Chutney and I loved it. I think the Ginger cuts through some of the sweetness from the Plums. 

A clear tall martini glass containing a dark red liquid with a thick white layer on top on a dark wooden table on a dark background. 

A round white porcelain plate containing a square of Dark Brown Pate with an dark red oval of Red Onion Marmalade and golden brown long finger shaped pieces of bread on a dark wooden table on a dark background. 

A dark brown piece of Meat with green spherical Brussels Sprouts with golden oval Roast Potatoes, thin rectangular batons of orange carrots on a white circular plate on a dark wooden table on a dark background.  

A square golden piece of Mushroom Pie with oval golden brown Roast Potatoes, green spherical Brussels Sprouts on a white circular plate on a dark wooden table on a dark background. 

A large rectangular piece of Beef with black charcoal lines on the top of it with green vegetables and golden brown oval roast potatoes 

a square piece of dessert consisting of a golden brown base, a bright white creamy filling and a red raspberry sauce on top with some bright red raspberries and a sprig of mint. 

Check out Victoria Gate Casino Restaurant here. 

I hope that you've enjoyed this food based blog post and I hope that you come back next time for another blog post. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x