Ok so I love cocktails and I love prosecco so I thought this would be an exciting post for me to write! I have been loving going out for cocktails lately but it's still good to know how to make some of your own at home. Whether you are having people round, or whether we are in lockdown number 107583.
If you're a prosecco drinker like me and would drink it anyway, then it's very handy to know how to make prosecco cocktails because they are simple but look far more impressive than just an ordinary glass (even though there is nothing ordinary about it). What is it Gino D'Acampo says? Minimum effort maximum satisfaction - and I live my life by that mantra.
Related: 5 cocktail recipes you need to try
Why Prosecco Cocktails?
I always want to try making different cocktails at home but it can be expensive, and just a lot of effort to buy lots of different ingredients. However, if you're going to drink prosecco anyway then you will already have one ingredient in.
Also, they are just tasty and elegant and let's not lie, it will make you look fancy if you have guests over. Try any of these cocktails with champagne too if you're feeling really boujee.
5 Prosecco Cocktails you need to try
1. Kir Royale
This is a super easy cocktail, it's literally just a glass of prosecco with some creme de cassis (a fancy way of saying blackcurrant liqueur). At home we usually just use Chambord which is more widely available and tastes like a jammy doughnut. I am not going to give any measurements because everyone has different tastes, but its just a small bit of Chambord or your liqueur in your prosecco.
2. Peach Bellini
Again, super easy! It's just a glass of prosecco again with a little bit of peach puree added. You can make your own puree or just buy it.
3. Mimosa
You may know of this as a Bucks Fizz, it's a glass of prosecco with orange juice. This is breakfasty for me, I probably wouldn't have it in the evening but a lot of people like it. I am thinking more brunch on holiday vibes. (I saw a video saying how we get away with day drinking by calling it brunch, SO TRUE)
Related: A-Z of date ideas
4. French 75
I hadn't actually heard of a French 75 until I read a blog post from Faye at Female Original. It is usually gin and champagne but as I thought I'd swap it for prosecco for this blog post. Faye has a great recipe to make a French 75 with Bobby's Gin.
5. Pink Gin Spritz
OK, I kind of stole this one from Slug and Lettuce, but we have had to recreate cocktails in various lockdowns when we haven't been able to get them out. This cocktail is a bit bigger than the others so I'd use a gin glass rather than a prosecco one for this. It's a double shot of gin, prosecco and then topped up with soda water or lemonade. Basically like a posh, stronger G&T.
And there we have 5 really easy prosecco cocktails you can try making at home. Which one would you love to try the most?
AD: PR Visit - This experience was gifted in exchange for a review but all opinions are my own.
This week I had the pleasure of visiting the Greyhound at Corfe in Dorset with my friend and partner in crime, Maddie. The Greyhound is a stunning old English pub right next to Corfe Castle, which of course meant there were stunning views in their pub garden area. We had originally booked to sit inside but the garden just looked so nice that we requested to sit out there with the sun shining too. There were also some really cute dogs so that was a plus!
Upon arrival we were greeted by the most lovely staff that just couldn't do enough for us, they were very attentive and chatty - I wish I caught their names now but we were served by a lot of people so I safely assume that they are all as friendly as each other.
Maddie and I both ordered the same thing which was nice, nobody got food envy. For a starter, we had the Dorset Crab Tien (when in Rome). It was really nicely presented and tasted amazing too!
After that, we had the beef and chorizo burger for a main accompanied with halloumi fries on the side. It was a mega burger, you definitely won't be leaving hungry if you order it. The halloumi fries were 10/10 although, I did wish there was a few more of them.
Related: Places you need to visit in Dorset
We only had soft drinks but were very envious looking around at some of the cocktails, maybe next time.
If you are in Dorset or want to go then I'd definitely recommend visiting Corfe and the Greyhound. It's such a picturesque, historical village and did you know it's home to the smallest town hall in England? The Greyhound is such a lovely way to top off a great day out in Corfe.
I would definitely visit the Greyhound again, it's pub garden area is one of my favourites ever and the food and staff are both great.
Where have you been for food lately that you really enjoyed?
Related: A day at Sculpture by the Lakes in Dorset
This is a guest post by Love Em.
There are so many gorgeous places to sightsee and visit around the UK. I am lucky enough to live near Cambridge, a historic city filled with fun things to do. Whether you're looking for tours, buildings or thrills, Cambridge has something for everyone in the family to enjoy. Here are some bucket list things you need to do if you visit Cambridge!
Explore Heffers
I recently visited Heffers on a trip to Cambridge, and I was thrilled to have found this gem. Heffers is a bookstore filled with books, stationery and even music. If you want to purchase a ukulele, you can! I have never fallen in love with a bookstore the way I did with Heffers. While it may seem ordinary for some, I loved how cool and quiet it was compared to the busy street. I loved that you can find a range of board games too. The books are reasonably priced, so you can get the books you want without breaking the bank. My favourite section was the stationery as there were lots of affordable cards that I've stocked up.. My partner and I spent a good hour here, and I would highly recommend you do too. It's a lovely place to get out of the heat and get lost in a book.
Skate Around On The Ice Rink
Cambridge has recently built an ice rink! Ice skating may not seem like anything special, but it's a fun way to spend a rainy day. It's different to the cultural activities you may find around the city. It allows you to get active while having fun, and it's away from the busy streets. The ice rink is indoors, and it's affordable too. I love ice skating, and the rink has allowed me to have fun with friends doing something different. If you want an even more magical experience, you should visit Cambridge at Christmas. Cambridge holds a small fair on Parkers Piece around Christmas time. There are rides, stalls and more to enjoy. More importantly, there is an outdoor ice rink that comes to town! Every year I visit with my partner to skate around and have fun. Make sure you bring gloves as this rink is especially cold!
Swim At The Jesus Green Lido
Every year, the Jesus Green lido has a long queue of swimmers waiting to get into the pool. You can see a long line of people running along the river, which is when you know the summer has begun! The lido is a lovely place to relax and take it slow. Before the lockdown, the lido offered a sauna and sunbathing terrace for guests. There is a picnic area and cafe, making it the perfect place to spend a warm summer's day. It's a well-kept pool, and I have found it cleaner than other lidos I have visited. It is also one of the longest outdoor swimming pools in Europe, so make sure you visit if you're going to Cambridge!
Go Punting Down The River
If you visit Cambridge, punting must be on your list of things to do. This Cambridge classing has you pushing a boat along a river. You can choose to have a tour guide or punt yourself. For first-timers, I'd recommend having the tour guide. It was relaxing to have someone push you along and teach you about the history of Cambridge. Many offer an afternoon tea package deal so you can have a slice of cake in a local cafe too! Don't forget to tip the punter! It's not required, but it's a nice gesture as many of the guides are students. Every little helps!
If you have a larger group of friends with you and want to have some fun, you can take the boat yourself. I have never done this, but I have heard it can be quite hard to steer! If you're feeling brave, this is something I'd recommend you try! Bring along a small picnic and enjoy a drink together on the river!
Take A University Tour
Cambridge is famous for its universities. There are many in the location, all with beautiful gardens and tours. If you're visiting Cambridge, why not take a tour around the campuses? There are lots of different tours to try, so you'll find something for everyone to enjoy. There are punting tours, which I have personally taken. The tour guides are lovely and well informed about the history of the universities. You can get guided audio tours and even scooter tours if you want to try something more thrilling.
Cambridge is quite a historic place, and there is a lot to learn about the city. Even if you don't take a university tour, you could try a walking or bus tour of the city itself. Tours are an affordable day out, and you can educate yourself on this beautiful area!
Try One Of The Many Escape Rooms
If you're looking for some fun, why not try an escape room. Although escape rooms aren't exclusive to Cambridge, there are many on offer in the city. An escape room is a perfect way to escape from the bustle of the street. Cambridge can be busy, full of students and cyclists. Sometimes it's nice to duck away for a few hours. The escape rooms can last around an hour to two, so it's a fun way to spend a rainy day. You can have up to 6 players, so it's good if you're visiting with friends. Most escape rooms let you choose the theme/difficulty of the puzzle, allowing you to customise your experience. I'd love to hear how long it takes you to escape!
Enjoy A Slice At Tom's Cakes
I love grabbing a slice of cake wherever I go. For me, it wouldn't be a day out without a sweet treat. If you're looking for a local coffee shop with a large selection of cakes, I'd highly recommend Tom's Cakes. It's a small coffee shop with a rustic-looking interior. They have barstools by the front window, so you can eat while you watch Cambridge go by. There are tables both indoors and outdoors for you to sit at too. As for the food, you won't be disappointed.
Firstly, the cakes on offer are high quality and delicious. There are so many to choose from, including a slice of a layered cake, brownies, eclairs, Bakewells and more. There are even some less common options, such as crumble and hummingbird cake. The selection is changed regularly while still having a few classics on offer. They also theme some of their treats to seasons and upcoming celebrations. If you're not a sweet person, you can get a selection of sandwiches, cheese scones and other savoury treats.
Cambridge is full of fun and family-friendly activities. Whether you're there for the day or making it a long weekend, I'd highly recommend all of these activities. It's a beautiful place, so you can get some unique pictures for social media while you're there. What are your favourite things to do in Cambridge? I'd love to hear what hidden gems you've found on your trip!
About the Guest Writer!
Em is a UK blogger focusing on blogging, business & sustainability on her blog "Love, Em". With 4 years of experience in the blogging world, she is keen to share her knowledge. Emily is passionate about helping others, and since leaving college, has decided to put her passions in writing. You can find her over on social media!
Blog - https://www.loveemblog.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LoveEm_blog
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/loveem.blog/
Yay another travel blog! I haven't written one in so long due to the pandemic and travel not really being as accessible anymore, but the future is bright. We may as well start thinking about places we'd like to go as something to look forward to. Or if you're like me, you would have been thinking about travel this whole time.
If you are dying to travel when it's safe again then you should start by checking out this amazing list of cities in Europe that I have lined up for you.
10 cities you need to visit in Europe
1. Amsterdam
I have been to Amsterdam twice now and would still love to go again. There is so much to do and I really loved it there. It's not too far to fly from the UK either and you can usually find reasonably priced flights.
Read more about my trip to Amsterdam.
2. Sorrento
I think Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast are some of my favourite places in the world. Everywhere you go is just so beautiful. Staying in Sorrento, it's really easy to travel to other places along the Amalfi Coast too like Positano, Amalfi and Capri. I love Italy and would love to see more of it, so many Italian cities are on my list.
Read more about my week in Sorrento.
3. Krakow
Krakow is such a beautiful city with a lot of history. It's also really close to Auschwitz Concentration Camp which is the reason I went. It's really good prices to go out for food and drinks there too and again, flights from the UK can be found at reasonable prices a lot of the time.
4. Dortmund
My family and I have been to Dortmund for the last couple of Christmas markets, except for 2020 because of the pandemic. My family used to live there and the Christmas market is amazing so I really love going there, although I haven't been there any other time of year that I can remember. I would definitely recommend the Christmas market though.
5. London
I know London isn't too far for me to travel but I still think it should be included as it is one of my favourite places! There is just so much to do and I keep seeing more and more things I want to add to my list of things to do in London for next time I go. I always have such a good time in London and haven't visited in a while due to the pandemic.
6. Dublin
I have been to Dublin twice now too and I loved it both times. If you want to go somewhere for nice weather then it's probably not the place for you but I really love Dublin it's such a cute city with so much personality and the people are a lot more friendly than in London.
7. Paris
OK I admit I only visited Paris for one day with college when I went to Disneyland but I really enjoyed my time there and would love to visit again for longer. I feel like it's just a classic place to go and if you want to travel around Europe, you need to go there.
8. Cardiff
This is definitely an underrated city and again, it's not very far for me to travel. I only went to Cardiff for a couple of days for work experience but it seems like a good place for nightlife and shopping. Hopefully I will be able to go again soon.
9. Barcelona
Barcelona is one of my favourite cities in the world. It just has it all with beautiful architecture, amazing food and the beach!
10. Budapest
Finally, I would love to travel to Budapest I just think it looks really cool and hopefully I will be able to go soon and say more about why it's a good city to visit.
I might write a list like this of UK cities that you need to visit too, let me know if you'd like to see that.
Related: UK cities you need to visit
Where is your favourite European city?
Bloggers you need to check out this month
Start by checking out these posts
Make sure you check out these blog posts by Sarah
Check out these posts
As a blogger, I am often spending a lot of time on social media. Whether that is to promote my blog, or to research trends to grow my presence, I feel like I spend most of my free time on there. As a lot of us know, too much time on social media can sometimes become a bit toxic, as we may find ourselves comparing our lives to others too much. That's why I've come up with a list of activities you or your child could try instead of scrolling social media for hours.
Social media can be great in moderation, as it helps us to connect with people we may not get to see a lot, especially in recent times in the pandemic. It can also help us to connect with new people too, but it's important to take breaks from it too.
Activities to try instead of using social media
1. Exercise
2. Painting
Related: 22 things I've learnt in 22 years
3. Gaming
4. Reading
5. Go for a walk
The return coach journey was a gifted PR service, however, all views are my own.
This week, my boyfriend Joe and I went on a press visit to London with National Express coaches. In this blog post I will be sharing my day with you and what we got up to, while also reviewing my return coach journey.
First of all, we got our coach into London from Bournemouth bright and early at 6:30am. We got into Victoria Coach Station at 9:50am so we could spend a lot of time in London. Our coach had phone charging facilities which was needed for a day out in London, air conditioning, leather seats and a toilet (also needed).
National Express have competitive prices and are often cheaper than trains. It didn't even take much longer than the train journey from Bournemouth to London and it didn't feel too long at all. Coaches are also the most environmentally friendly form of public transport, so well worth considering for your next trip away. I'll be honest, I never really thought of travelling anywhere by coach until this experience but it's definitely worth doing for a day trip like this.
Related: UK cities you need to visit
Exploring London
The first thing we saw when we left Victoria Coach Station was Peggy Porschen cakes. I had seen it all over Instagram so we decided to go in and try a cake. We had the salted caramel and popcorn cupcakes and it was the best cupcake I've had in my life. It should have been for £4.50 per cake but I didn't mind spending that as I enjoyed it so much in the end.
After sitting in Hyde Park for a short while eating our cakes, we decided to go to Covent Garden. We had a walk round there, then Leicester Square and finally China Town. I had to refrain from going into M&M world because I always want to go in but never buy anything. London was actually quite quiet, probably because it was a Monday, but I thought it would be a lot busier than it was being the first day indoor places were open.
Camden Market
We then went to Camden and looked around the market for a while. Of course, we ended up getting food at the market! I got a cheeseburger from Burger and Beyond which was amazing, and mac and cheese from The Mac Factory which was also amazing. We had planned a boat trip on the canal that goes around the zoo and ends up in Little Venice, but we didn't get to go because it started pouring down just as we were about to depart. Classic.
When the weather turned and we couldn't get on our boat trip, we ended up just going inside places to stay and stay dry, and away from the thunder and lightning. Our coach back was at 7pm so we just made our way to Victoria again and went inside pubs to stay dry.
Related: 48 hours in Lincoln
Home time
We then got the coach back and ended up back in Bournemouth at around 9:20pm, it was a lot quicker on the day home due to less traffic. By this point we were so tired from getting up so early, but a good tired as we had a lovely day out. We walked almost 8 miles and over 20,000 steps.
We both went straight to sleep when we got in and I had the best sleep I've had in so long! It was such a lovely day, despite not going quite to plan with the weather, and getting the coach was so easy too. It was also very well socially distanced on the coach which I was happy with, I felt safe due to the limited seating and wearing of face coverings.
Related: 3 days in Suffolk
Thank you to the National Express for a lovely journey, we had a great day.
Have you ever travelled by coach before?
AD - This is a sponsored post.
This month marks 5 years of Wool of the King, so I thought I’d share my experiences over the years and the sort of things I have got from blogging and growing my social media channels, including gifted products and payment. I am hoping this post will encourage young people, bloggers or not, to pursue their goals.
Early years
When I first started my blog in 2016, I was at college and I
only really wrote blog posts occasionally. It was just a space for me to chat
about things I wanted to chat about as a hobby. When I started university, I still
only occasionally posted updates and one day, one of my posts got over 1000 reads.
I was so happy and this really motivated me to write more, but with assignments,
a part-time job and a uni social life, I found it really hard to keep up with
my blog so I stopped writing for a while.
It wasn’t until 2020 at the start of the pandemic that I
started to write weekly blog posts and really start focusing on my growth. At
first, it was just out of boredom, I had so much more free time so I decided to
use that time to grow my blog and social media.
Growing my online presence
Once I started blogging more regularly, I wanted to make
sure these posts were being seen and gaining an audience, so I focused on
growing my social media channels including Twitter and Instagram. As a result
of this, my blog views were growing each month and I began to partake in gifted
influencer campaigns on my blog and over on Instagram. I was so excited by this
because I never expected to be doing anything like that!
If you want to find out more about influencer marketing,
check out the Mindy Parisi Influencer Spotlight.
In this instance, engagement is key! The more you engage
with others, the more they will engage with you, it’s so important in growing
your blog and socials.
Onwards and upwards
This year is the first year I have started making money
through blogging and I never thought I would be able to say that. It may not be
a lot to some, and it’s not enough to make a living from at the moment but having
any extra money through blogging is crazy to me as it started out as just a
hobby when I was 17.
So far, I have made money through sponsored posts on my blog,
influencer ads, advertising slots on my blog and affiliate sales. Last month I
made a total of £184 which has been my highest paid month yet. I would love to
be able to write E-books one day and sell those.
I have spoken a lot about blogging in this post, but a lot
of my influencer campaigns are on Instagram. These days, lots of brands look to
collaborate with content creators on there. I used to think you had to have
over 10k followers to collaborate with brands but this is not the case anymore
as smaller accounts often have higher engagement.
Read more about the rise in influencer marketing.
I have really loved my blogging journey, but it hasn’t
always been easy. There have often been times where I’ve wanted to give up, or
thought no one was going to take me seriously and it’s fine for that to happen.
The trick is to just not give up when you feel like that, and keep pushing
through with whatever it is you may be wanting to do. I have been blogging for
5 years now, but it has only been in the last year that I have started seeing
signs of success.
When was a time that you wanted to give up on something but
kept going?
This product was gifted to me as a PR product but all views are my own and I will be honest in my review. This post also contains affiliate links, meaning if you purchase a product through the links I will gain a small commission at no extra cost to you.
So if you're in the blogging community, you will probably already know that Eleanor from Not So Modern Girl, recently released an E-Book called The Art of Blog Writing, and I am so excited to have a copy to review!
Even the most seasoned bloggers need advice on blog writing from time to time and it's always great to hear advice from different sources, so we can keep on top of our game.
The E-Book usually retails for £3.99 which is a great price considering Eleanor is a blogger with over 4 years experience. It includes a step-by-step guide on writing a new blog post as well as tips on creating great social media posts and advice on spelling mistakes to avoid and proof reading checklists.
Related: How to find out the best blogging niche for you
A lot of E-Books these days can have some scary jargon in that is intimidating for new bloggers but The Art of Blog Writing, in my opinion, has really straight-forward points that could easily be applied to blog writing.
The text also includes some great advice on writing social media posts as well as blog posts. If you are using social media to support your blog as many bloggers do, you will need to know how important it is to represent yourself and your brand across your social media channels and Eleanor explains this in the E-Book.
If you are looking for advice on writing blog posts and social media content then look no further. The Art of Blog Writing explains all the basics in a simple way, without any scary information or jargon that you may learn later down the line.
Related: Top tips for creating digital branding as a blogger
Have you read Eleanor's E-Book?
AD - This blog post features my monthly advertisers. If you would like to advertise with me or find out more then please contact me.
This is now my 4th month of featuring advertisers on my blog and I have been really loving it. I love reading posts like these too and discovering new bloggers so I hope you have been enjoying discovering these wonderful bloggers too! This month, I have 5 amazing bloggers to share with you, I also offer ad slots to small shops too so if you are a small shop or business owner wanting to increase sales or views to your website then let me know!
The first blogger I have to share with you is one of my favourites, it's Enviroline Blog. Caroline is not only a lovely person, but she also shares amazing content about the environment and eating disorder recovery. I always learn so much when I read her blogs and love keeping up with her content on social media too.
Check out these posts from Enviroline Blog
Start by checking out these posts
Here are a few of my favourite posts from Georgia
- 10 locations that should be your UK holiday destination for 2021
- 5 cost effective ways to make a visual impact in your home
Start by checking out these posts
Check out these posts from Miel and Mint
I have been so excited about posting this! I love travelling to different places in the UK but I haven't been to enough cities yet so I asked some bloggers on Twitter to collaborate with me and send me their favourite cities and why. I've included some of my own favourites too. Sorry if your city is missed off, these are just the favourites of some bloggers and myself.
As coronavirus restrictions continue to be lifted in the UK, we may as well make the most out of being able to visit the different parts of the country, as well as being safe of course. Be sure to keep up to date with government guidelines before planning anything.
I have listed the cities and the blogger who wrote about it next to them so be sure to check them out after this post! The ones with no name next to them are my favourites.
Cities you need to visit in the UK
1. London
I love visiting London, there is just always so much to do and I have a great time any time I go there. I feel like everyone in the UK should visit if they can because it's just such a cool place to be and really has everything.
2. Lincoln - Sophia Patel
3. Bristol - Polly's Pad
4. Bath
5. Bournemouth
6. Liverpool - Until Another Day
7. York - Skinned Cartree
8. Brighton - Samanthia Blogs
9. Cambridge - Jess in your Ear
10. Oxford - Rays of Adventure
11. Leeds - Aimsy's Antics
12. Edinburgh - The Learner Mum
13. Belfast - Grace Bee
14. Norwich - Anny's Adventures
15. Swansea - Cruise with Amber
16. Derby - Lovely Local Indie
17. Winchester - The Globe Trotter
18. Salisbury
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