Lifestyle and Dog Friendly Living
Lifestyle and Dog Friendly Living
Fabulous food served in a beautiful room by passionate and friendly people? If this is your thing, Casamia in Bristol is the place for you. If you don’t, then I am afraid we will never be friends! This classy Michelin restaurant in Bristol is perfect […]
This easy plum crumble recipe is so simple and tastes delicious. With the addition of Lotus biscuits, It creates a soft, sweet crumb. For those loving a crumble with a little more crunch, try adding some oats or a little more flour to the crumble […]
My favourite gifts are the personalised kind, so what could be more thoughtful and practical than a pair of personalised dog socks? PrintsField offer a range of socks with the gorgeous faces of your loved ones on. I went for their dog socks but you can have other species (including humans) too! Their collections include love (family), cats, animals and food. They also have seasonal celebration pairs.
Ordering the socks was so quick and easy. Simply upload a photo of the face you want and the designers do the rest. You don’t even need to crop your own face- just choose a picture that you like and give the designers any specifics. I asked to have the face sizes altered on my photos to match as one was taken closer than the other. This was no problem for the designers.
There is an option to have more than one face on your socks for us multi dog owners. There is an extra charge for this so see the website for details.
The socks are one size. I found them roomy as a size 3, and Jon found the images a little stretched as a size 11, so anywhere in the middle will fit perfectly! They are made from a soft, flexible fabric and wash well at low temperatures.
Prints field is a Polish company set up by best friends (and dog lovers) Jakub and Mykhailo. 1% from every pair of socks bought from PrintsField goes to an animal shelter.
The dog socks cost $17.99 (for one face) plus postage of $4.99. Within 8 days I received my socks, having received regular updates on the status of my order. Fabulous customer service.
These socks are such a fun idea for a personalised gift. I love having my dogs on my feet and it brings a smile to my face every time I take a peek!
For more personalised pet ideas, please click here.
PrintsField invited us to review their dog socks but as always, the opinions shared are our own.
Our third visit to this beautiful part of Scotland- the dog friendly Dumfries and Galloway. This time we stayed at Woodfoot Cottage. The cottage is situated on the edge of the Carstramon Woods, and close to The Gatehouse of Fleet and the foodie town of […]
Root, offering seasonal sharing plates in Bristol, can be found within the former shipping containers of Wapping Wharf. Vegetable focused (with some fish dishes on our visit), the menu is interesting and inviting -the most difficult part of all is deciding what not to order! […]
Sleep gives our brain and body a chance to rest, repair, and prepare for the next challenge. This is why it is vital for our health and wellbeing. A busy mind can make it difficult to get to sleep, or achieve a relaxing sleep. This reflexology for insomnia offers self help strategies and tips for those finding sleep a challenge.
Reflexology is a complementary therapy based on the theory that there are reflex points on the feet, hands, and ears that link to every part of the body.
These reflex points are stimulated using massage techniques to promote balance, well-being and relaxation. As a qualified Reflexologist myself, I am a huge fan and promoter of the power of Reflexology.
Good habits alongside reflexology can really help. Exercising during the day can help to manage adrenaline, release endorphins and set you up for a positive, relaxed evening.
Adopting a calm bedtime routine to help promote a deep sleep. Try a relaxing bath, reading a book, or snuggling up with a pet- this works for me every time!
When in bed, don’t be tempted to watch television or use a mobile phone screen as this is proven to interrupt sleep. Put your phone in a drawer, or even better keep it out of the bedroom.
Use a sleep balm such as Elemis Quiet Mind Temple Balm, or Neals Yard Goodnight Pillow Mist to help you relax. These are both cruelty free brands.
Now to the reflexology! To work the target reflex point, use a pressure that feels pleasant to you. Use a pressing, pushing motion with your thumb over the reflex point, breathe deeply and slowly as you do so. Try to focus your mind on the points, perhaps listening to relaxing music and in a quiet space.
First, calm the mind by working on the head and brain reflex. This is located on and across the top of the thumb on each hand. Pay particular attention to the top, outside edge of each thumb as this is the Pineal gland which helps to control sleep. Press and massage as deeply as feels comfortable whilst taking a deep, slow breath in. Release the pressure as you slowly exhale.
Then to the solar plexus reflex which is wonderful for promoting a sense of calm. Located below the joints of the index and middle finger. Apply a comfortable pressure to this area, front and back and hold this for a few seconds, inhaling as you press and slowly exhaling as you release the pressure. Working along your hand horizontally, across the finger joints as this will also stimulate the diaphragm reflex point which is also very calming.
Now to the adrenal glands which work very hard during stressful times. To locate the point on the hands, draw a V with your fingers down your index finger and thumb. The point should meet in the middle of the Venus mound. Hold here gently in the fleshy, web part of the hand. To use this with breathing, inhale through your nose as you hold on both sides of the hand and exhale slowly as you release the pressure. Use a gentle pressure on this reflex.
Once you have stimulated and balanced using your reflexology points, try a simple breathing exercise to help drop off to sleep. For our favourites click here.
Dedicating some time to finding these reflex areas will make the routine more relaxing and natural when you come to use it at bedtime.
Wishing you a peaceful and relaxing sleep.
For our other relaxation and pampering posts click here.
The school holidays- the perfect excuse for a long overdue visit to Provenance Kitchen’s Brix and Mortar restaurant. Having (on many occasions) enjoyed the food from the silver Airstream, I was excited to see how this transferred into a restaurant setting. On to our Provenance […]
For a great afternoon tea near Cambridge, head to The Stove Cafe in Bourn. Part of Manor Farm, The Stove Cafe offers a range of breakfasts, brunches and lunches, all of which are homemade and delicious. On this occasion we went for the afternoon tea- extremely reasonably priced at £14.50 per person.
We start with tea and sandwiches. The sandwiches are satisfyingly chunky. We chose the coronation chicken, and the club. Both of these arrive crammed full of filling on thick, fresh bread-really tasty. A choice of different teas and coffees are available.
On to the scones. I am a little fussy when it comes to scones but these were really good. Freshly baked, generously sized with that delicious crisp outside. Served alongside, a beautifully presented elderflower fizz this suited us drivers perfectly.
I have to confess, as this tea was so generous we were beaten and boxed our cakes for home. I most certainly tasted them all later though! A gooey, rich brownie, a springy little coffee and walnut sponge with the loveliest coffee flavour, and a moist cherry bakewell. All excellent and delicious.
I urge fellow afternoon tea fans to try The Stove Cafe. It is a calm and spacious cafe, with friendly service and really great home cooked food. All cakes and scones are freshly made on the premises and this really shines through in the way that they taste. The value for money price (at £14.50) is just the cherry on top of the bakewell!
For our other afternoon tea recommendations click here.
Trying new places to eat in Cambridge is our favourite pastime and we recently had the pleasure of Amélie in the (newly revamped) Grafton Centre Cambridge. Look out for the bright yellow vintage Citroën van opposite the VUE cinema. This independent, family run venture serves […]
