HP Sprocket Review

I have been wanting to get my hands on a HP Sprocket for sooo long now. I am quite a sentimental person and I absolutely love printing out my favourite snaps. I was lucky enough to get the Rose Gold HP Sprocket for Christmas and I am obsessed with it. It goes everywhere with me.

For anyone who doesn't know what the HP Sprocket is, it is a wireless photo printer which allows you to print your pics straight from your phone. There's no need for batteries as you just charge it up. It is so simple to use. All you do is download the app, set up your Bluetooth to connect to the printer, choose which photo you want to print in the app, customize it, and press print. Easy as pie.

You need to also buy the HP Sprocket ZINK photo paper to go with the printer. I think this is the only downside to the product as the paper is a bit expensive (around 50p per sheet!). But on the plus side, there is no need for ink cartridges as the ZINK photo paper has Zero Ink technology. You just pop the paper in the printer and you're ready to go.

The quality of the prints is also really good and because there is no ink you don't need to worry about smudging them.

One of my favourite things about using the HP Sprocket is being able to customise my images with borders, stickers, text, filters and more which are all on the app. The stickers are in different sets and are updated regularly to fit the time of year. In the photo above I have used some of the 2018 stickers on my snap from New Year's Eve and I also used one of the filters. Loads of pretty Valentines Day stickers have just been added!

The prints are 2"x3", which I think is the perfect size. I sometimes put mine on the back of my phone in a clear phone case, which looks so cute. I also love that the photo paper is sticky-backed so you can peel off the back and it becomes an adorable sticker. I love making scrapbooks and photo albums so this comes in so handy.

The HP Sprocket is about the size of a mobile phone, so it is portable. I love to take it out and about with me so I can instantly print off my favourite moments as quickly as I can post them on Instagram.

I think the HP Sprocket makes such a thoughtful gift so I thought it would be a good time to post this before Valentines Day!

Thanks for reading,
Georgia May X

Jamie Oliver - 5 Ingredients

My Mam's New Year's resolution for 2018 was to cook more from recipe books, instead of just making the meals we have been having for years (But Mam, please do not stop making your Chilli or lasagne. A girl has needs). I have kinda joined my Mam on that New Year's resolution, even though I am not the best of cooks, I do still try (emphasis on 'try') to help.

For Christmas, I got my Mam Jamie Oliver's 5 Ingredients recipe book, and so far so good! We have been making a few of these meals a week and we enjoy making them, and most of all eating them, SO much. With only 5 Ingredients you can't go far wrong. So, I would hugely recommend that you get your hands on this book and start cooking up a storm.

We made 2 of Jamie's recipes the other night and it was my favourite meal I have tried out of his book so far! We (mostly my Mam with assistance from me haha) made the sticky pork stir fry with egg-fried rice. 

The stir-fry was so incredibly easy. All you need is some pork shoulder, mixed-colour baby carrots, spring onions, honey and teriyaki sauce. Simple. For something so easy, it tasted unreal, to say the least.

The egg-fried rice was, in my opinion, the best part of this meal. I have never actually made egg fried rice before from scratch. I suppose I had never really thought of it when you can just get it in those Uncle Ben's rice packets, or even better, from the takeaway. But, hands down, this egg fried rice beats any I have had from a takeaway (sorry Sunnyhouse Newton Aycliffe...if u know u know). One thing I couldn't get my head around when I saw the recipe was that it had tofu in? TOFU? My first thought: errr. I've never tried tofu but I just assumed it was the veggie option you got at Yo Sushi. BUT, it actually made such a difference. It tasted AMAZING. So, all you need for this recipe is spring onions, a sachet of cooked brown rice, chili jam, eggs, and tofu. Then just follow the simple steps in Jamie's book and voila. 

I could not recommend Jamie Oliver's 5 Ingredients book more. It is the best cookbook I have ever used as it is just so simple. As I said, there is not much that can go wrong when only 5 ingredients are involved. Also, looking for the ingredients in a supermarket is so much simpler than hunting down 20 different ingredients and 10 different spices and herbs! This book makes home cooking so much easier, healthier and cheaper.

SO, there are now NO excuses!!!

Click here to order yourself a copy of Jamie Oliver's 5 Ingredients

Thank you for reading,
Georgia May x

A Trip To York

Recently, my family and I took a day trip to York and it made me feel so Autumnal and festive. The day consisted of lots of shopping, eating and sipping cocktails. All of my favourite things.

While walking from the train station we passed The Yorkshire Soap Company and I was drawn in by their amazing Autumnal window display. The shop was basically half Christmas and half Halloween (what more could you want?). It was so festive I loved it! 

Next, we wandered past Betty's Tearooms. You can't go to York without getting a treat from Betty's can you? The Halloween window display was shouting my name and my Dad and I got some little pumpkin and ghost cakes to take home. They were delicious as always. 

Finally, it was time for a cocktail break! We popped into Vodka Revolution, which is in a lovely location by the river. I had some Strawberry Woo Woos but forgot to take a picture, that isn't like me at all! Revolution has bars all over the country, and if you go you need to get yourself a Revs card. So, how it works is you pay £4 for your card which gets you 2-4-1 cocktails all day, 25% discount on food, deals on pints, pitchers, shots and more. Oh, and you get a pair of free pants. It is definitely worth getting one if you go regularly or if you are planning to go for a meal and a few drinks. You can save yourself quite a bit of money! Click here to find out more.

As Revolution was SO busy there was an hour wait on food and we were way too hungry for that. We ended up in Banyan Bar & Kitchen which is located on Little Stonegate. The decor is really modern and stylish (the theme was rose gold so of course, I liked it). It is very spacious inside and a comfortable place to eat and drink. For a starter, we shared some Calamari which was so crispy, just how it should be. For my main, I went for the Banyan Burger which was insane. I was absolutely starving after all the shopping and sipping cocktails so, a massive burger was exactly what I needed. I had a gorgeous grapefruit and gin cocktail but I can't remember what it was called! It was 2-4-1 though!

After walking around the city a little more we ended up in the cosiest little bar called Vj's. I had a Rhubarb G&T, AMAZE. 

I absolutely love going to York. It has SO many bars (I think it is 365?). Some of which are modern, stylish and all about the cocktails, while others are just so cosy and chilled. The streets are so cute and it has a good selection of shops! I can't wait to go back in December when the Christmas markets are on!

Thanks for reading,

Georgia May X

August Favourites

I can't believe summer is over and it is already half way through September! Seriously, where has this year gone? Over the summer I have acquired quite a few items which definitely need to make my monthly favourites post. From beauty to homeware, there is a bit of everything this month.

I am going to start off with homeware, as it is something I have became increasingly interested in over the past few months. Buying bits for my room gets me so excited! I spotted these gorgeous small and large feather trinket trays in Paperchase and they go perfect with the golden theme I have got going on in my room. I love having trinket trays on my dressing table as they are so handy for jewellery, keys or any other important little things.

Sticking with homeware, the next item is this lovely little pot from Zoella's new lifestyle range. I think this is absolutely adorable! Now all I need is a cute little plant to go in it.

The next thing I have been loving over the summer months is Chanel's Soleil Tan De Chanel. I have mentioned this product many times on my blog before, but I had to include it in this favourites post as I used it so much while I was on holiday! I didn't wear much makeup on holiday apart from this product and some lipstick. Soleil Tan De Chanel is a cream bronzer which gives off the perfect, healthy glow.

I bought the Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Kiss in the airport back in July. I used it the whole time I was on holiday and now this smell takes me back to lying by the pool in the Cyprus heat. I wish I was back there now! It is a light floral scent which was perfect for summer.

I have also really enjoyed using the Pixi Glow Tonic toner. It is so refreshing as it feels very hydrating. This product was perfect for when I was on holiday as I could use it a few times a day to freshen up my skin.



Finally, the last thing on my August favourites list (which may be my ultimate favourite)... I got semi permanent eyelash extensions done for my summer holiday this year and they were simply a dream. I got Nouveau individual lash extensions at Sorelle Beauty in Darlington. These lashes were AMAZING while I was on holiday as I did not have to worry about eye makeup at all. Being able to wake up in the morning with my lashes looking perfect was a god sent. The lashes lasted around 2 weeks before needing an infill. I have been getting them done ever since (which reminds me... I need an infill ASAP!). I would highly recommend Sorelle Beauty salon to anyone who wants a good pamper. The staff are lovely and ensure that all your needs are met to have the most relaxing experience possible.

Thanks for reading,
Georgia May X

NCL Restaurant Week - George's Great British Kitchen

Last week was Newcastle Restaurant Week which is an event where over hundreds of restaurants across the city get involved and have low price set menu's for everyone to enjoy. It gives you a chance to try the finest restaurants Newcastle has to offer, which would be usually on the pricy side or visit your favourite place for cheaper. Most restaurants do 2 courses for £10 or 3 for £15.

George and I decided to try George's Great British Kitchen which is located in Eldon Square's new food hall, on the ground floor. If you love your proper, traditional British dishes then this is the restaurant for you.

The decor is so fun as the whole restaurant is decorated to make you feel like you are at the seaside. You can even sit and eat your food in a little beach hut, which all have names of coastal towns in the North East. They have stuck to the seaside theme so much the menu looks like a newspaper. It is such a unique place!

The first thing I did when we sat down was look at the cocktail menu. To be honest I nearly died at the price of the drinks. The cheapest cocktail was £7 while the majority are as much as £8.50. I think any drink over £8 is a bit steep and personally I wouldn't pay that much for a cocktail. At this point I was thinking 'sack this I'll get a pint' but then I saw that they did 2 cocktails for £8 (between 2pm and 8pm) and I was sold. I got the Fab cocktail which is inspired by the popular ice lolly. All that the menu said was that there was vodka in it so I have no idea what else was in there but it was very nice. It even had sprinkles.

There was a 3 item set menu and George and I went for exactly the same meals. For starters we ordered George's fish fingers. These were very posh fish fingers. They came on a bed of salad with tartar sauce drizzled over the top and a pot of ketchup on the side. They were SO good.

For our mains we ordered 'The proper dirty burger'. When I read this on the menu I just imagined a massive burger filled with cheese, tomatoes and onions inside a massive bun. Exactly what I wanted. I hadn't had a burger for so long so I was quite excited. The burger came and it was exactly what the menu described; it was HUGE. There was so much in the burger that I had to give up with the bun as there way no way I could eat it all. It came with a shovel load (literally) of proper chip shop chips. 

I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you love British food and big portions! It is also so quirky and unique inside, I love it! The staff are also really attentive even when it was extremely busy. If I am being completely honest I wouldn't have paid the normal price for the burger (which was around £14!!! For a burger!?!?) but getting it for £5 was a nice bargain. I had a look at the normal menu and there were so many other yummy options which I really want to try. I definitely want to go back and try the halloumi skewers and calamari. 

If you want to find out more about Newcastle Restaurant Week then visit the Get Into Newcastle website. Restaurant week is back in January and I recommend it to anyone! In the mean time you can find some fantastic food and drinks offers for a wide range of restaurants and bars in Newcastle on the Get Into Newcastle website. To get email updates about when the event begins go to the website and sign up - you won't regret it!

Thanks for reading,

Georgia May x

Sunday Roast - The Fox Hole

We all love a good Sunday roast mmm... However, I am definitely one of those people who usually sticks to having Sunday dinners in the winter/autumn months (I don't know why). BUT, after 10 days of amazing food in Cyprus I just needed some good home comfort food.

We headed to The Fox Hole in Piercebridge the day after getting home from our holiday. It was George's birthday, so what better birthday meal can you get than a big Sunday dinner?

The decor inside The Fox Hole is basically how I want my kitchen to look when I get a house. It was all dark grey, rose gold and fancy wine glasses. The restaurant was bright and open with big patio doors leading to a beer garden.

For my starter I had the poached salmon salad, which tasted so fresh. It had all the greens and all the goodness. It was also the perfect sized starter so that I had plently of room left to indulge Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes.

The roast was served on a huge platter so everyone could just dive in and grab. It included three portions of meat for everyone, which were chicken, pork and beef. The beef was cooked perfectly so it was still pink in the middle and wasn't tough. The platter was then packed with roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings - yum.

The veg was also amazing and cooked perfectly. There was a bowl of greens which contained broccoli, green beans and mangetout. Then there was red cabbage and a turnip and sweet potato mash. So, there were plenty of options!

As it was George's birthday the kitchen had made him a cake. This cake was possibly the best birthday cake I've ever tasted. It was chocolate and mint flavour with chunks of cinder toffee and meringue on top. It had a layer of chocolate icing which was then covered in white chocolate - omg.

I will definitely be going back to The Fox Hole for Sunday dinner and I also really want to try their normal evening menu. The food was perfect and exactly what we needed to welcome us back to England. 

Thanks for reading,

Georgia May x 

Cyprus 2017

It feels so good to be back at my computer, writing blog posts again. I have been so on and off with my blog due to getting through my A Levels, it basically took up all my life since about April! But now I have finished my exams, I am back from a very relaxing holiday and I am ready to get back to blogging. So, get ready for a very long post with lots of photos!

I have recently got back from the most chilled out 10 days in Northern Cyprus. It was exactly what I needed after the stress of A Levels completely wiped me out. Northern Cyprus is basically my perfect holiday destination as you are guaranteed 35 degrees+ heat every day, it is not too tourist orientated, there are beautiful beaches and the food is AMAZING to say the least.

I'm going to start with my favourite day of the holiday which was when we hired a boat and sailed around the coast of Northern Cyprus. It was so relaxing and we got the chance to see some amazing views and have fun jumping off the top deck into the warm Mediterranean sea!

I spent most of the day sunbathing on the top deck while drinking wine (so basically two of my favourite things) while taking in all of the gorgeous views.

We also had some incredible food on the boat. We barbecued fresh seabass and tucked in to lots of delicious traditional meze dishes.

I loved the boat trip so much as it was incredibly relaxing and chilled. It was also very exciting that we had this huge boat to ourselves! I aspire to live like this everyday.

Bikini - Calvin Klien 

Sunglasses - TopShop

Hoops - NewLook

Now, lets talk about the villa. Oh my god, this villa was stunning. It was the perfect holiday home as it was modern, spacious and had the most amazing pool with an insane view. George and I were lucky enough to have the main bedroom with that gorgeous big balcony (pictured below) which overlooked Kyrenia and the coast. It was so nice to be able to wake up every day and step straight out onto the balcony and chill. 

The pool area was also perfect for chilling out and catching rays (and tanning on an inflatable unicorn). I was by the pool, soaking up the 30C heat as early as 6:30am! I was so determined to make the most of the stunning pool area and the heat that there wasn't a morning that I slept past 7:30am! 

Bikini - River Island

Flipflops - Havaianas

Bikini - River Island

I could easily live in this villa and in this location permanently. I just didn't want to go home! Having the luxury of a private villa and pool was just so relaxing as you didn't have to worry about anyone else. It was the perfect time to zone out of everyday life and get away from everything.

Pictured bellow are two of my favourite night time outfits which I wore on holiday. Number one has got to be these floaty white trousers from French Connection. I feel like the only time I will ever be able to pull these off is on holiday when I have a tan. I have been waiting to wear these trousers for so long, as I got them last year! I paired them with this little embroidered bralet from River Island. This top is so comfy and it is just one of those tops which will go with anything. I wore my black and silver heeled sandals from TopShop and used my Mulberry clutch.

The next outfit I loved was the one I wore on the first night. I adore this little blouse from River Island. It has a black, cotton crop top underneath and then a mesh overlay with embroidered sequin flowers on. It also had a cute flared hem. This top is definitely very me. I wore this with a white denim skirt which is from TopShop. The skirt has embroidered pink flowers on (I am spotting an embroidery theme in this post) which are so summery. The pink flowers on the skirt match the ones on the top perfectly! (I couldn't find the skirt on the website but here are some white shorts with the same embroidery). I then wore my black lace up sandals from Kurt Geiger which I got years ago but they are still going strong.

Now I definitely wanna talk about the food, wow. 

I was in seafood heaven. My favourite kind of food. On the first day me and George went out for lunch and I spied octopus on the menu and I immediately knew what I was ordering. Octopus is hands down one of my favourite seafoods, and I only ever get to eat it on holiday! So, it is safe to day I thoroughly enjoyed this meal.

I also consumed a lot of seafood linguine and pizza. The seafood pasta dishes were just packed with so many different types of seafood and there was SO much of it. It was so much better than the seafood pastas I have had in the UK where you get about 3 prawns and a few mussels. The pizzas were also incredible because they were SO cheesy. They weren't greasy and the dough wasn't to thick, just perfect cheesy goodness.

Speaking of cheese, I ate my body weight in halloumi. Halloumi is a food from the gods, enough said. Halloumi salad, halloumi pittas, halloumi kebabs, just halloumi on a plate... You name it, if it had halloumi involved then I ate it. 

Finally, I can't finish this post without mentioning the views and the sites. Pictured below is Kyrenia harbour, which was about 15 minutes from our villa. It was packed with boats of all sizes and it was lined with tones of restaurants. You can also see Kyrenia castle in the first photo. George wanted me to climb to the top of the castle with him but there was no way that was possible in the heat!

We also travelled to the Karpass peninsula. This is a gorgeous cove with white sand and clear waters. On the drive up we were stopped by donkeys who stuck their heads in the car windows! Thankfully, we had carrots to feed them and they let us be on our way. The beach was stunning. I am not really a beach person, as I don't like sand and I'm not a fan of the sea, so usually I avoid them. However, I loved this one! It was quiet and so gorgeous. I could happily swim in that sea everyday.

Bali Body helped me a lot with my tan this summer! The Cacao tanning oil is my fave.

So, I had the most amazing, relaxing time in Northern Cyprus. I would 100% go back in a flash. I would recommend this holiday destination to anyone, especially if you love the heat. I have had major holiday blues while writing this post, I need to get on a plane and get some more sun! I want to say a huge thank you to George's parents for organising this brilliant holiday and kindly inviting me to come along! 

Thanks for reading,

Georgia May X