Exploring Edinburgh

Exploring Edinburgh...

As soon as you arrive in Edinburgh, you are immersed in a city of beautiful stoned architecture, winding streets of dusty unexplored secondhand book stores, and quaint coffee shops, each with a life and pulse of its own. Home to the Fringe Festival, Unesco's first City of Literature and numerous art galleries, it's a city with culture, creativity and progression bursting from every seam of its archaic backdrop, ever watched by the eye of the 12^th century castle high above the city. It is a timeless capsule whose energy is perpetuated equally by the nurturing of the past, and with the flourishing of the creative.

Here's a guide to what not to miss on a quick weekend break to this stunning city.

For a lunch with the girls...

The Outsider.

Spacious, light, airy, good food, good price, great views.

For a quick bite to eat...

Oink

Infamous in Edinburgh, this delicious one-of-a-kind hog roast cafes is always popular for city dwellers and tourists alike. Pick up a classic hog roast roll for just £3.80, but a tip is to avoid the peak lunch time as it can get busy.

See http://www.oinkhogroast.co.uk/

For a drink...

Brew Lab

This artisan coffee shop in the heart of Edinburgh in its own words aims to 'meld traditional and innovative brewing techniques and local artisan produce to create a new coffee shop experience.' As the name suggests it relies on brewing its coffee to bring out its best characteristics. Not only is the coffee making this shop famous, but it's modern but cosy brickwork décor makes it the perfect location for a catchup with friends, or a hideaway to work in.

See http://www.brewlabcoffee.co.uk/

For shopping...

From tweed shops in old town, to high street favourites on Princes Street, Edinburgh really has everything on offer. Not to miss are also the vintage shops should you wish to enter a treasure trove of unique and exquisite pieces, one of the best being Armstrong's.

See http://www.armstrongsvintage.co.uk/

Also not to miss...

Writing on the 'Before I die' wall.

National Museum 

8 unique Seating Chart Ideas for Your Wedding or Party

Even the simplest of details such as the reception seating charts can be executed in the most creative of ways. Directing guests to their table at your wedding may be a small detail, but can be achieved in many different creative ways...

1) Pegged Names

Straying from the usual folded name cards on a table, is the fad of pegged seating charts. As seen on http://florafaunadesigns.com having individually pegged handmade name cards can be a creative way to show guests where to sit for the reception.

This idea is not only creative but allows guests to keep their pegged name cards as a keepsake of your wedding. 

2) Wine/Champagne Bottle Name Cards

What better way to kick off the celebrations than with some bubbly, and why not tie this into the theme? Guests can take their first drinks into the reception room with them, and will be talking about this quirky idea long after the wedding is over. Of course this can be translated into any drink of your choosing, such as bottled homemade lemonade or a cocktail. 

www.jetfeteblog.com

3) Edible Place Cards

If wine seems too expensive, or you have many kids present, why not translate this idea onto a guest's favourite thing....food. There are many ways of doing this, either by lollies, cupcakes, jars of sweets, apples, chocolates or gingerbread shapes, but bear in mind if people are leafing through trying to find their name, it is probably more hygienic and eating-proof to provide wrapped food!

4) Sand Box Shell Escort Cards

Attaching guests' names and table number to a object which can be kept as a keepsake is a creative way of helping a theme come together.

5) The Key to Your Heart

Perfect for a vintage feel is attaching a key to the name cards, which makes it stand out from ordinary place cards. Old keys can usually be bought fairly cheaply from ebay so this idea need not be an expensive one. 

6) Polaroid Place Cards

One of my favourite ideas was using a polaroid picture of the person for their name card. This creates a much more personal feel for seating chart and can add a bit of humour to the wedding, depending on which embarrassing shot you've decided to pick for them. This idea does require having polaroids of all relevant guests but photos could also be used for far flung family members who you haven't seen in the last few years! 

Picture from m.theknot.com 

7) Back to School 

Tailor the theme around you and your partner. This cute theme using pencils provides not only something for the guest to keep after the wedding, but also is obviously relevant for teachers getting married, and provides a personal touch on the wedding. 

8) If in doubt...

...remember what it is all about. At the end of the day, the wedding is not just all about an elaborate show, it is about sharing the love you have for your partner with everyone else you love, and creating a day to celebrate this. 

Adventures in Thailand

Riding elephants, getting lost in Bangkok, snorkelling in the waters of Phi Phi, I discovered what this exquisite country has to offer no matter how tight your hold on the purse string is.

For the sun-worshipper...

If it is turquoise seas, and golden beaches you are seeking, travel to the beautiful Thai islands to soak up the rays. Not to be missed are the snorkelling trips on Koh Phi Phi. For the cost of about 10 pounds for the day you can explore the islands most beautiful spots. Highlights of this included seeing the island's Monkey Beach and Maya Bay, which famously seduced the likes of Leonardo di Caprio in the movie The Beach.

For the explorer...

Go beyond the touristy areas to the stunning backdrop of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Here there is ample opportunity for the traveller to immerse themselves in cultural activities such as Cooking School, Mahout Elephant Training, White Water Rafting, and trekking to see the many beautiful waterfalls. Check out the elephant places online before you go to ensure you choose an ethical place. Ranked top on trip advisor is Woody's Elephant Training in Mae Taeng. Fairly inexpensive, this was an unforgettable day riding, feeding and washing the elephants in the river. www.woodyelephanttraining.com/blog/

For the city breaker...

Full of noise, colour and smells, Bangkok is a vibrant bustling city which marches to the beat of its own drum. Stay on Khao San Road at the inexpensive D and D Inn, to be right in the heart of the bars, restaurants, street sellers and local cuisine. The hotel even comes with its own roof top pool; perfect for soaking up the city's nighttime skyline after you have viewed the stunning temples, floating markets, and the Grand Palace in the day. www.khaosanby.com/DD-Inn

For the party goer on a budget...

An obvious choice for many is to head to Koh Phangan for the famous Full Moon Party and join the tens of thousands filling the Haad Rin beach each month. Book your accomodation as soon in advance as you can to avoid getting somewhere inexpensive, far away and less than luxurious. Not to be overlooked is the beach nightlife on other islands such as Koh Tao, Koh Phi Phi and Phuket (although steer clear of Patong) where impressive fire shows are often performed by locals at night.

To get there...

Look on skyscanner.net for the cheapest flights. A top tip for students is to use statravel.co.uk as it provides discounted prices for those studying. Our return flights were under £500 and I'm sure the savvy online shopper could reduce this further by booking further in advance. 

Becky Buys: “Fun” by Lush

New by Lush is a wacky multipurpose and entertaining product which is guaranteed to be making a splash with Christmas approaching.

Fun looks like a throwback to our childhoods, and at first glance could be passed off as a stick of plasticine. The genius of this malleable product is that it is actually can be used for four purposes; as body wash, as shampoo, and bubble bath and if you like, for sculpting into shapes when you are taking a long soak.

Costing £5 a stick, this novel invention comes in five vibrant scented colours guaranteed to beat bath time boredom.

Yes, that is my attempt at a bunny believe it or not

“I got this product a few weeks ago as I thought it would save space in my suitcase on holiday,” Cosmopolitan reader Sara Collins writes, “seriously though, how can anyone not love a shampoo you can also use as playdoh. My kids who usually hate bath time where desperate to try this out. I'll definitely be stocking up on these as they are the perfect stocking fillers.”

The products is also ethically made with 2.5% of sales going towards FUNd which creates safe places for children to play outside in Japan. Fun is also preservative free and made in a biodegradable wrapper.

There must be a downside to such an amazing product? Sadly it takes quite a lot of effort to lather up a foam, so when being used as bubble bath; don't expect heaps and heaps of bubbles. When tested not all of the product dissolved properly into the tub and there were some residue chunks when the bath was drained. Similarly when being used as shampoo, the lack of lather results in having to scrub the head harder than usual in order to prevent being left with green chunks in your hair for the rest of the day.

However you will be seduced by the powerful aromas by these exciting products and are definitely worth a try, especially if you have kids. 

See www.lush.co.uk/fun