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PANCAKE DAY

March 04, 2019Sommer Pyne

It’s pancake day tomorrow and who doesn’t like an excuse to whip up some yummy pancakes. We have some great sweet and savoury recipes to try at home and some ideas of where you can go out to treat yourself. Why not delay your celebrations and host a brunch this weekend. Shop our table and glassware for future brunch dates.

Sweet Potato & Leek Pancakes by Anna Barnett

This versatile dish of Sweet Potato & Leek Pancakes with Smoky Baked Beans is perfect for breakfast, brunch or lunch and is even hearty enough for dinner too! It works well prepared ahead of time should you be entertaining, you can simply reheat the pancakes and beans and serve with minimal effort and fuss. For the recipe just click here.

Tom Daley’s Banana and Blueberry Pancakes

Banana & Blueberry pancakes

Ideal as a treat breakfast or if you’re hosting a brunch for friends. These banana and blueberry pancakes will hit the spot. Blueberries with pancakes are a classic combo, add in some cooked bananas for the winning touch. For the recipe just click here.

Gluten Free buttermilk pancakes by Wilde Orchard

The best gluten free buttermilk pancakes

Avoid that heavy feeling when you devour a plate of pancakes and try out these gluten free pancakes. Whether you’re gluten free or not these are definitely worth a try. Topped with fresh fruit to tick of some of your five a day you can’t go wrong. check out the recipe here.

Aussie Hotcakes

Bill Granger’s chain of sunny-side-up all-day restaurants preaches the gospel of bronzed healthy indulgence, with a line-up of goodness-packed dishes including some proper thick Aussie ‘hotcakes’. Find these ricotta-based pancake riffs among the breakfast and lunch ‘classics’, stacked up and served in mouthwatering modern style with banana and honeycomb butter. Branches in Chelsea, Clerkenwell and King’s Cross. for more info click here.

Where The Pancakes Are…. a not so traditional pancake house.

Pancakes are an ideal meal any time of the day or a perfect snack to revive the spirit - after school, after work, after the gym, after a gig. Where the Pancakes Are serve nutritious buttermilk pancakes – savoury or sweet, each dish a feast of colour and flavour, made with heaps of tender loving care for more info click here.

sale

MUSHROOM SIDE PLATE

£8.00 £13.95

sold out

NUDE LINEN NAPKIN (SET OF 4)

£15.00 £27.00

sold out

CRYSTAL CUT GLASS MILK JUG

£7.00 £12.99

categories blog
tags pancake day, brunch ideas, recipe ideas, house curious, recipes

February

January 31, 2019Sommer Pyne

You may be suffering the winter blues but we have a hit list of things to do this month that is sure to lift your mood. It may be the shortest month but its jammed packed. From Super Bowl parties, Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, new exhibitions and festivals there is plenty of fun to get stuck into…

The Year of the Pig

Marking the turn of the lunar year, the Chinese New Year has been celebrated for centuries in China. Also known as Spring Festival and Lunar New Year around the world, this colourful celebration starts on the last day of the last month in the Chinese lunar calendar and ends on the 15th day of the first month with the spectacular Lantern Festival.

In 2019, Chinese New Year falls on 5th February and celebrates the Year of the Pig. The main Chinese New Year events take place in London’s Chinatown, the West End and Trafalgar Square on 10th February. to find out more info click here.

The Valentine’s Party

After an alternative Valentines Day this year? Why not escape to a surreal and exotic underground society where madness and love collide, for a bohemian party overflowing with drinking and debauchery. Safe from prying eyes, guests will be welcomed into a seductive bordello, complete with a roster of outrageous performances, wayward rogues and beautiful temptresses. Enter a whispering world designed to feed your fantasies, and be snared by seduction and allured by intimacy in the ultimate lavish setting. As the clock chimes midnight, lost hearts and souls will meet on the dance floor in the Ballroom of Romance where infatuation, obsession and eccentricity intertwine. Throughout the night, entertainment will include risqué burlesque, theatrical performances, live bands, masquerade dances and sensory, interactive visual delights. So don your finest attire and come join and celebrate the darker side of love where scandal and desire are the order of the day. For more info and tickets click here.

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The Heartbreak Hotel

Heartbreak Hotel, a week-long festival in east London, will explore the many aspects of heartbreak, including self care and the journey back to love.

Exploring the reality of heartbreak and understanding it as a collective experience, Heartbreak Hotel Festival is the very first of its kind. Taking place from February 8th to February 14th, you can expect an array of visual art; from installations and photography, to spoken word and drag and burlesque performances. For more info and tickets click here.

Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

Something for the fashion lovers out there.

"There is no other country in the world, besides my own, whose way of life I like so much. I love English traditions, English politeness, English architecture. I even love English cooking." Christian Dior

Spanning 1947 to the present day, this exhibition will trace the history and impact of one of the 20th century’s most influential couturiers, exploring the enduring influence of the fashion house, and Dior’s relationship with Britain. To find out more info and tickets click here. FYI, tickets are selling fast so be quick to book your chance to see this stunning exhibition.

Orchids: Celebrate the colour of Colombia

Escape the dreary winter with Kew's annual festival of orchids.

This year, Kew are celebrating Colombia, the world's most biodiverse country, through a spectacular ensemble of orchid-laden displays along a curated route.

Their flagship display is a carnival of animals, depicting a toucan in flight, a hanging sloth and a swimming turtle. They will bring to life the breath-taking rainbow river Caño Cristales and Colombia's incredible forests - complete with life-sized jaguar!

A surprise around every corner, you'll spot hundreds of colourful butterflies suspended from the glass ceiling and a floating golden-yellow display to honour the legend of El Dorado.

Colombia has 4,270 species of orchids alone. Together with its sprawling landscape of tropical beaches to snow-capped mountains, Colombia is the perfect inspiration for our vibrant festival. For more info and tickets click here.

Get out and dance this February.

REIMAGINE is known for it's mind-blowing revisits of classic albums, with your favourite records being interpreted by a 16-piece orchestra. February sees two hip-hop goliaths getting the REIMAGINE treatment as Dre's '2001' and Biggie's 'Read To Die' get outings on the XOYO stage. Set to be two of the best events in London in February, you won't want to miss out. For info and tickets click here.

Super Bowl LIII

Home to the BIGGEST SUPER BOWL screening in London for the last 10 years, 2019 is no different!

Catch every moment on the biggest HD Screen in London - 24ft wide to be exact - along with two 8ft x 6ft HD screens and six 50 inch plasma tv’s thrown in for good measure too. Trust us, there isn’t anywhere where you can’t see a screen and be part of the action!

Combine this with a vast array of standing and seating options across the main auditorium, VIP Boxes and Balcony Bar and you have the ideal location for all your viewing needs. For more info and tickets click here.

You may have seen our interview with Chloe co-founder of The London Botanists back in January. As we explore CBD oil and how it can be incorporated into our day to day life. We wanted to suggest a few London hot spots where you can try some CBD oil infused treats.

categories Culture Fix, blog
tags February, Culture fix, february culture fix

SELF CARE SUNDAY

January 23, 2019Sommer Pyne

It’s Wednesday and I’m chatting about Sunday. Don’t worry I haven’t lost my mind I’m just doing a little forward thinking to help you prep for a beautiful sunday that’s centred around you. Sunday is one of my favourite days of the week. It’s the day I focus a little on me, setting myself up for the week ahead. If I don’t take time out for myself I tend to have a breakdown midweek and it’s all a bit too much. Let’s face it most of the time we’re juggling many different hats and rushing here and there, looking after the important people in our lives. How often do you take an hour or two out just for you (and not feel guilty)? For me Sunday is self-care Sunday and it always starts with a bath, music, my favourite Fig and Yarrow Love bath salts, essential oils and a candle. I’m also working on my personal goals at the moment to give me more focus and direction. If I have purpose in my life and a goal to work towards it makes me feel calm and in control. You can get my free guide here on how to create goals that set you heart on fire and a vision board to help bring it to life.

First things first, book some time out in your diary on Sunday and treat it like you would any other important appointment. Discuss it with your partner in crime and make sure its in their diary too and if you have kids its over to them or your family, friends to take them off your hands for a few hours. Whatever your situation is make sure you have some free time and all the help you need to make this happen. You may be reading this and thinking this sounds ridiculous but trust me you will feel great for it and it’ll set you up for a great week. It may feel indulgent but that’s the whole point. You totally deserve this and you will be a much happier partner, friend and mother etc Now, that you have space for you each week booked in the diary here are my top tips for carving out some much needed time just for you. We like to call it #selfcaresunday - this was actually inspired by Melissa Ambrosini who is an absolute Goddess of positivity. My interpretation of this is to indulge and pamper myself but your idea of #selfcaresunday may be something totally different. How you do it is personal to you, so take on my tips but ultimately I just want you to do what makes you happy. So if you want to join me for #selfcaresunday this sunday head over to my Bathe and Beauty section and order some goodies. Tag me in any instagram post with #selfcaresunday. It’s all about being prepped so when Sunday comes along you have no excuses. If you order today you’ll have your products by Friday. If you already have your own beauty products to hand then you’re one step closer. Here are some of the things that I like to do to take care of me….

Block off some time (hopefully this is already in the diary) - This is your time, so ask yourself what is it that I most need right now. Do you need to relax and give yourself a little pamper or do you need to laugh or you may just need to sit in a cafe on your own with your fave book. Only you can answer this.
Losing yourself in a podcast is a great distraction from our daily grind and can help shift your mind to a positive place. Some of my favourites are Tony Robins, Happy Place by Fearne Cotton, The guilty Feminist, Melissa Ambrosini, Nick Broadhurst,Ted Talks, The High Low
I love a bath because it’s relaxing and I seem to be my most creative when I’m in the bath. I love using our pink love salts and our matcha milk from Fig and Yarrow. I have my music playing and I read. I always look forward to this time and feel super relaxed afterwards.
I’m terrible at taking my makeup off or giving my skin any extra attention and then I wonder why it gets irritated. So now I try to put some time aside at least once a month where I put on a face and hair mask. With this cold weather I like to inject some moisture with a hydrating face mask. and hair mask Why not even go one step further and shave your legs ;) Or why not get Blow LTD to come to your home for a pamper session for the ultimate indulgence.
Another thing I love to do is go to the movies on a rainy day when everyone is at work. I grab a glass of wine and popcorn and lose myself in a movie. I used to hate being on my own when I was young but it now feels like a real treat to be on my own.
Breathing is so important but I didn’t know just how important it was until I had a breath coaching session with Stuart from Breath Pod. Yes we need to breath to live but did you know that it could help with your health and wellbeing? Stuart from Breath Pod says it can help with increased productivity, communication, confidence, focus, alleviate stress, anxiety, fatigue and help reduce negative emotions such as anger, fear, frustration and depression. My session was incredible and by the end of it I felt the most relaxed i’ve ever felt.