Letterbox Gifts: The Sophia Box Giveaway - it's over!

I've got an absolutely gorgeous UK giveaway for you courtesy of Letterbox Gifts. You can win a fab The Sophia Box which is jam packed full of goodies. See my reviews of The Signature Box HERE and The Christmas Box HERE.

Inside is:

Wicked & Wonderful Marc de Champagne White Chocolate Truffles

Bee Good Natural Honey and Crambe Hand Cream

Nathalie Bond Organics Geranium and Patchouli Soap

The Natural Candle Company Vintage Blossom Soy Candle

Bellevue Tea Earl Grey Tea

All you need to do is enter via the rafflecopter below (and cross your fingers) Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

January: Lately I've been Loving

Here's the things I've been loving in January:

I'm absolutely obsessed with Clipper's Organic Indian Chai Tea. I like it with a splash of milk. A spicy, aromatic and warming drink.

Staying on the tea front I stocked up on the best green tea I've found - Sencha Green from Bellevue Tea. See my review HERE. It was nice also to get a few samples to try - I may find another favourite!

I picked this Aromatherapy Associates set up in the 50% off sale. Huge fan of these lovely bath and shower oils.  Love the cute packaging too!

I've been enjoying Maddi Alexander's Mistletoe Kisses diffuser*. It's really gorgeous. See my review HERE. I'd definitely be tempted to pick a few up for presents as it's absolutely exquisite. You can also buy Serene Floral Diffuser - see HERE which has notes of Lavender and Geranium and I think there may be a rose one for Valentines Day.

I know I'm on a diet but these biscuits and sweets from Crabtree & Evelyn are just divine! The biscuits are lightly dusted with crystalised rose petals - yum!

Glasgow based Mobros, a living wage employer makes gorgeous soya wax candles in delicious scents. I'm currently loving Black Pomegranate and Black Raspberry and Vanilla.

My pal Julie gave me this lush Oskia Renaissance Hand Cream (which I've lusted after for ages) for Christmas. It's really luxurious and scented with rose. It keeps my my hands supersoft and nourished.

My Honey Tree Publishing The Stationery Lovers Box arrived at the beginning of the week and it's stuffed full of wonderful things which are beautiful as well as useful.

The Holborn magazine which celebrates a well made life which I came across via twitter - I picked up issue 1 and issue 4 - from these I loved - issue 1 (High Holborn Pub Stroll, The Jim Dandy cocktail recipe, The Art of Writing and Ten Lessons from a Maker).

And from bumper issue 4 (oh so many - The Duppy Share, A Pub Stroll: New York (there is a pub which only sells own brewed light or dark beer!), a cocktail using Gosnells Mead (which I sampled at Maltby St Market in October), Tinder is the Night, Hackney Downs Studios, The London Artisan Market, Trevor's Tale, The Scent of Floris, You got Any Pie On Ya? and Mast Brothers Chocolate Makers. Have loved reading these mags and know I'll go back to them again and again...and try out the cocktail recipes! I definitely think a subscription is on the cards.

What have you been loving this month?

*PR sample

June: Lately I've been Loving

Here are the things that are making me happy right now -

I'm a huge Crème de la Mer fan although the only thing I've ever bought is the The Lip Balm which was gorgeous! I've managed to pick up a few samples before and these ones came from the new counter at Harvey Nichols Edinburgh. Suzanne, the manager was really friendly as well as being very enthusiastic about the brand.  She gave me 3ml samples of - The Moisturizing Lotion and The Eye Balm Intense.  Super pleased!

I can't get enough of the beautiful juicy and sweet home grown strawberries which are in the shops right now - yum!

I came across this delicious Belvoir Elderflower & Rose Presse at my local Earthy Store.  See my mini review about the store here.  This is simply delicious served chilled.

I adore nice notebooks and when I saw this teNeues Hanna Werning design I just had to have it! I've been using it for blog notes and drafting posts.

This is the book I've just finished. It was a great read. A review will follow in my monthly book review.

I'm a huge tea fan and these are a few of my favourites.

I'm addicted to hearts!  This quirky one was picked up at a local shop - I'm a huge Tunnocks Teacake fan too.

I came across Wellgreen Lewes on Twitter and recently bought a lovely basked of rose scented products.  This body butter is simply divine! Lightly scented with rose and really rich. It's packed full of shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, Vitamin E and rose essential oil. It's the most luxurious butter I've ever used. A full review will follow.

And finally, our dog Bess who I love all of the time!  I thought this was such a cute wee picture - isn't she a beauty.

What have you been loving lately?

7 Days Raw Challenge - Day 1

I picked up my food for the next two days yesterday at Orb Cafe from Claire (Orb stands for Organic Raw Bountiful).  See my challenge post here.   It all looks delicious!  I love that snacks are also included and cake!  I can also add in some fruit too.

Here's what I ate today:

For breakfast - raw sprouted buckwheat fruit bread made with apples, pecans, raisins and cinnamon served with almond nut butter and raw jam with banana and a mug of Bellevue Sencha Green Tea.

It was really delicious, the almond butter and raw jam tasted divine and I was full until lunchtime.  Although I did sneak in a snack of parsnip crisps which were peppery, salty and delicious.

For lunch - Avocado sandwich with pine nuts and spicy peppers with a side salad. This tasted really fresh and all the flavours went well together.  The "bread" is Mediterranean sprouted buckwheat and is made in the dehydrator (like the fruit bread).  The side salad came with a really tasty dressing.

I snacked on some grapes and some raw chocolate in the afternoon.  The chocolate was really quite nice (not like Mr Popple's chocolate!). It contains fruit and is slightly sweet.

For dinner - Veggie Lasagne - courgette lasagne sheets layered with spinach, mushrooms, sweet tomato sauce and "cheese" sauce.  This was simply delicious!  All the flavours worked well together and I'd love to eat it again.  I served it with some raw spinach.

Pudding too! - Pumpkin pie with cashew cream. This has a nut crust and the filling of pumpkin has a touch of cinnamon.  This was really tasty.  I served it with some blueberries and strawberries.

I also drank water and herbal teas throughout the day.

Thanks to Hannah who made up all my food to take away. I'm going in for lunch on Friday so I'll make sure and take some photos to show you how the food is presented in the cafe.

Follow Claire on Twitter @RawcousGirl 

See the website here

Orb Cafe
Shining Light
246 Morrison St
Edinburgh
EH3 8DT

Do you eat raw?  What are your thoughts on my food today?

Bellevue Sencha Green Tea

Bellevue Tea's Sencha Green is the best green tea I have ever tasted!  This is not the first time I've posted about it.  You can read about my favourite teas here.

I placed an order earlier this week and I picked up my tea at the post office yesterday.

Made with leaves picked on highland estates in Sri Lanka.  Smelling like cut-grass, it has a fresh green taste.  Served without milk and brewed not for too long.  It's also full of antioxidants and can help you relax.  The best tasting green tea I've found - and I've tried loads!

Retailing at £2.50 for 25 bags plus a flat rate P&P charge of £3.50.  I stocked up and bought six boxes.

Delicious! Especially drunk from a favourite mug. Karen, from Memories Made in Silver made me two gorgeous olive mugs.  So my favourite tea in my favourite mug - ah such a simple pleasure!

Tea

It's really horrible weather here today so nothing I like better than a cup of tea.  I love teas from Teapigs, my favourites being peppermint or Chamomile.  I also love Aveda Comforting Tea (though I don't get this often as its £9.50 for 20 tea bags).  I also love Bellevue Tea. My favourites from this brand are - Green Tea (the best green tea I have ever tasted, its mellow and flavoursome) and Earl Grey.  Yogi Cinnamon is big on flavour with cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cardamon.  BrewHaHa Rose Tea tastes like turkish delight.  I also picked up the wee tin of smoky tea which is smoked over cinnamon - its loose tea and not tried this one yet.

Does anyone else love tea and what are your favourites?