The Weekender!

Posted in Style, Travel by Jenna Louise

February payday is just around the corner & you have booked a cheeky little weekend away with your loved one, the girls, a family break or you’re away with work (boooo!).

You don’t want to carry a suitcase because it’s too big for just your undies & a few outfit changes, but you ALWAYS end up with 6 small bags & another full of your toiletries! (come on girls, I know this isn’t just me!).

I’ve put together a collection of weekend bags to cater for all weekends & all budgets! Weekend away playing bingo with Granny Joan? Romantic Birthday city break with Mr Perfect? Wild Hen Do with the girls? You’ve come to the right place!

Family Weekend

The lovely Cath Kidston is a very cute way to travel away with the family. Great for throwing everything in & putting in the car, it’s waterproof & will hold all of your essentials for that one night away.

This is their foldaway overnight bag & at just £40.00, you’ll have Aunt Susanne ordering one as soon as you arrive. With matching travel items available here, it’s a nice little item to have stashed away!

Festival / Camping Getaway

Your going camping or to that festival you’ve been planning all summer, but you want to look the part? ASOS have this little beauty to answer your prayers!

The printed canvas design on this Mi Pac Weekend Travel Bag will have you fitting in immediately & with a removable shoulder strap, it’s easy to lug around to the campsite showers. It’s also wipe down which is perfect for those festival spillages!

Was £34.99, now £25.00. You can get it here!

Romantic City/Countryside Break

Your man has just told you to pack a bag for the weekend. He’s whisking you away to a log cabin/weekend in London. For no reason. This could be it. It could be your big proposal. Do you really want to be taking that tatty old holdall that you’ve had since your last school trip to Devon?!

No! This is your big day. This is your future husband we’re talking about here! You NEED something to scream ‘LOOK AT ME! I AM IN LOVE!’

Even if your weekend turns into a big flop (his big ‘surprise’ was his promotion at work. Yuk!), then this little beauty will make up for EVERYTHING!!!

The Louis Vuitton Keepall collection is everything. It’s something I look at and I go weak at the knees. The David Beckham of weekend bags if you like. Starting from around £805.00, this little baby will last you a lifetime!

Activity Weekend

It was January, you needed to get fit, you & the girls had too much wine. Next thing you know, you ended up booking yourself on a ‘health retreat’ activities weekend. Running, biking, swimming. You name it, you’ve signed up to it.

Well now it’s March & you’ve realised that A) You’re never drinking again and B) You actually own no sports gear whatsoever. In the hope of at least looking like you know what you’re doing, here is your perfect companion to help get you through the weekend!

This Nike Brasilia Large Holdall can be picked up from Argos & at the moment there is £8.00 off! Get it online here!

I promise, if you turn up with this, Sporty Steve the swimming instructor will be thinking you’re fit as a fiddle from the get go! Also a nice option to have stashed away for when you do choose to join that gym you have been promising to join!

Working Weekend

So, you said yes MONTHS AGO to that email that went around the office about that conference in Manchester.

I know, I know, WHY?! But you did (silly!) and the only weekend bag you have is that big fluffy, faux fur number with the pompoms that is fine for those girly sleepovers, but hello! you’re an independent professional woman (or that’s what you want your boss to think!), well up steps River Island.

A firm high street fave, this is the perfect option to board the early Train & check into the hotel ready to greet Rob from the desk opposite, who you have never spoken to, but find yourself sharing the whole weekend with.

This is black, quilted & is big enough for everything you would need for the weekend. Did I mention it’s only £65.00?

With matching wheelie case & makeup bag available here, you can’t go wrong!

Shopping Weekend

You & the girls have booked a hotel in the city of London & are going to shop until you physically drop (preferably into a large mojito!).

This Radley large weekender is perfect to take for the whole weekend but also handy to stash away your shopping bags during the day.

With the pretty pink colours & the signature dog design, this will soon become a firm favourite in your collection! Prices start from around £90.00 & you can see a familiar version here.

Hen Do / Party Weekend

You’re planning a weekend clubbing or you’re flying out to Ibiza.

Another perfect option by River Island. It has an adjustable shoulder strap & with its black snake print design, it’s fun & a bit more ‘out there’ compared to your work or romantic weekend getaway bags!

Large enough for a few outfit changes & even enough room for a bottle of champagne, at £65.00 this will be a firm favourite for your girlie weekends! View this bag here!

The All-Rounder!

There are some things in life that are just perfect for any situation.

Like, a Chanel perfume or a Clarins mascara.

You can add Longchamp shoppers & travel bags to that list. These are absolutely perfect for anything.

Versatile & stylish, these will last you forever.

Starting from around £53.00, Selfridges have an amazing collection in all shapes & colours.

Check them out here!

SO! There you have it! What are you waiting for?! GET PACKING! x

16Jul2015

Vacation: Marbella Day Five

Posted in Travel by Jenna Louise

Our last day had arrived!

With 3 hours sleep, we made sure every alarm possible was set so we could enjoy our last few hours in Marbella!

I had planned a boat trip over to Marbella Old Town at 11am, so we made sure we were ready!

A beautiful walk down to the Port saw any hangover drift away!

The boat ride over to the Old Town was a highlight of the holiday. It was a perfect way to spend our last morning in Marbella.

The views were utterly magnificent & I found myself pinching myself several times!

Clear blue skies for miles & a beautiful sea breeze found ourselves feeling very lucky indeed!

After around 35 minutes, we were dropped at the beach. A little walk through shops, cafes & restaurants saw us in the Old Town.

We love it here in the day time!

The orange tress & the cute little shops are a must for us when in Marbella!

We brought lots of lovely things to remember Marbella by & then stopped for some lunch.

There was a singer in the square who was singing lots of beautiful love songs.

It was like being in a film and we felt quite emotional that the holiday was soon coming to an end!

After an amazing few hours, we got the boat back to Puerto Banus where we did some last minute shopping before catching our transfer back to the airport!

We had a late flight back to East Midlands, but with no delays & a good flight, we made it back to England with a lifetimes worth of memories.

The holiday was absolutely perfect & I feel so lucky to have spent such a wonderful 5 days with such beautiful people in an utterly remarkable place!

Now I just need to book my next adventure…

14Jul2015

Vacation: Day Four

Posted in Travel by Jenna Louise

Day Four saw us somehow get up bright & early with our last but one breakfast on the balcony!

We were getting very upset that the holiday was almost over, but we tried not to think about it!

We had a perfect relaxing pool day catching the last bit of sunshine & lounging around with a book.

We took a break from the 35 degree heat with some wine & some lunch at the pool bar!

We then got ready for our last night out in Puerto Banus!

After a bottle of cava on our balcony, we had just enough time for some last minute photos before our taxi arrived.

When we arrived on Day One, I had emailed La Sala restaurant to see if we could reserve a table. With waiting lists of 3 weeks, I didn’t know what to expect.

Thankfully, we got given a table & we were over the moon!

The busiest place by far in Puerto Banus, we grabbed a pre-dinner cocktail at the busy bar!

This is one of the best places I have been!

Live music, fantastic food, friendly people, it was perfect!

I couldn’t have picked anywhere else for our last night!

After our meal, we decided to order a bottle of champagne to finish off our holiday in style.

After La Sala closed at 2am, we then got given free entry into Aqwa Mist, which is the club attached.

The music was fantastic & we stayed here until around 4am.

We had a plane to catch the following day, but we were having such a great time, we didn’t mind!

Come back to see what we did with our final hours in Marbella!

12Jul2015

Vacation: Marbella Day Three

Posted in Travel by Jenna Louise

By Day Three, we well & truly felt like we were home!

We had planned a girlie shopping day for today & we were so excited!

We had breakfast & walked into the Port around 10am.

We did a little walk along the beach, visiting some shops on the Port as we strolled along!

We then stopped off at Piucaro for lunch. This was one of my favourite places.

The views were utterly remarkable. Sitting overlooking the sea with a bottle of wine & fantastic food was perfect. At that moment, I realised this is what working hard is all about.

After lunch & with the sun still shining, we were excited to hit El Corte Ingles!

Just off the strip, it has the best Zara! We spent an age in there trying everything on & then we found some wonderful independent stores outside.

The Spanish girls selling their beach dresses, playsuits, day dresses etc were gorgeous! We loved walking around the little stalls & ended up buying a few little dresses from there.

Everyone is so friendly in Marbella!

We then walked back to the resort & had a few hours in the sunshine before getting ready for night three!

We went to the Hard Rock Cafe for a cocktail before dinner.

I love it in here. It’s just a fun place to go for a cocktail!

It’s always busy, which makes for a great atmosphere before heading off on your evening!

We then moved on to dinner at the Belvedere.

This place was beautiful!

The views overlooking the beach were gorgeous & the food was delicious.

We went to our favourite little bar on the strip for champagne & cocktails & then found ourselves in Funky Buddha/Seven nightclub.

This place was stunning inside, with amazing VIP areas.

We found ourselves in here until closing which was around 4am.

I had a feeling Day Four would include a relaxing pool day after tonight!

10Jul2015

Vacation: Marbella Day Two

Posted in Travel by Jenna Louise

Hello & welcome to day two!

After a perfect sleep, we got up bright & early to enjoy breakfast in the sunshine!

We had done a food shop on our first afternoon & stocked up on bread, meats, cheeses, fruit & yoghurt so we could enjoy our breakfasts on our balcony!

We then got dressed & ready for a pool day!

The pool area at the Vasari is beautiful.

It’s so quiet & peaceful, with palm trees & bright flowers that moving from the pool is a hard task!

We grabbed some morning smoothies which are made fresh at the pool bar. I went for fresh mango. Perfect in the sunshine!

At lunch time, we grabbed a salad & a gorgeous glass of wine at the pool bar.

With temperatures hitting over 30 degrees, we were in pure heaven! Our holiday tans were officially started!

After a fantastic pool day, we got ready for a lovely little evening in Marbella Old Town.

Marbella Old Town is a firm favourite of mine & I love eating here!

Less commercialised than the strip in Puerto Banus, all food is traditional Spanish.

With the old churches & restaurants lit up in the evenings, it’s just the most beautiful place.

We chose a restaurant on the corner & sat there for the majority of the evening.

With the candles twinkling & the white wine flowing, we were so happy.

After our meal & around 1am, we grabbed a taxi back into Puerto Banus.

With nothing really closing until the early hours, we decided to go to the Shisha Lounge on the edge of the Port.

Overlooking the sea & underneath the stars, we sat there & relaxed with a cocktail & some apple flavoured shisha.

I do not think we had ever been so chilled!

Around 3am, we got a taxi back to the Resort ready to grab some beauty sleep ready for Day Three! x

8Jul2015

Vacation: Marbella Day One

Posted in Travel by Jenna Louise

So the time had come. We had been working hard for months like little beavers, counting down to this day.

HOLIDAY TIME!

Me & the girls visited Marbella, Spain last year for a girlie break & we loved it so much that we just HAD to go back this year!

Flying from East Midlands Airport with Ryanair, our flight was just after 6am. I love early flights! It just means that you have a full day at your destination – what could be better than that?!

After picking up breakfast & some duty free, we boarded our plane!

We arrived into Malaga Airport just after 10am Spanish time & headed off to grab our transfers.

We booked private transfers so we were greeted by a lovely old Spanish gentleman who took us away to our resort.

We stayed at the Vasari Vacation Resort which is located in Puerto Banus. I stayed here twice last year, & I could not recommend the place more! It is beautiful. The location is fantastic – 5 minute walk to the Port where you will find all the bars, restaurants & clubs. It’s gated with security so safety is fully taken care of. There is a supermarket at the end of the road, so stocking up your fridge & cupboards is no problem!

The drive from Malaga Airport to Marbella/Puerto Banus is around 40 minutes. We arrived to the Resort just after midday. Check-in time is normally around 4pm & therefore our room wasn’t quite ready. We LOVE the pool bar at the resort so we grabbed some lunch & a bottle of Cava.

Reception said we could change into our pool wear in the reception bathroom, so we changed & grabbed some sun loungers & another bottle of Cava!

When we finally got into our room, we were not disappointed! We had a huge balcony, which is great as we love to sit out on an evening & get ready. For our first night I wore a River Island dress, my Michael Kors shoes & carried my DKNY bag.

We took a taxi to the Port around 10pm & grabbed some dinner at Picasso’s. We love it here! The food & the atmosphere are second to none. People queue to get in on an evening as everyone wants to attend this popular pizzeria. We ate so much food that we seriously could not move!

Just look at the view we had over dinner! It truly is surreal!

After dinner we went to a few bars on the strip & then called it a night around 1am. It had been a long day & an early start & we were so excited for the next few days!

Be sure to come back to see what we got up to on Day Two! x

6Jul2015

Holiday Eve at The Hilton

Posted in Travel by Jenna Louise

So it’s the Eve of your holiday. You have been counting down the minutes, days, weeks & months to this moment and your excitement levels are off the scales. Sound familiar?!

Well, me & the girls had the same excitement so we booked ourselves into a hotel to start off our holiday in a relaxed & fun way.

We chose to stay at The Hilton’s East Midlands Airport Hotel. Our flight was from East Midlands Airport very early the next morning so it all made perfect sense. We managed to get a great offer on the Holiday Extra’s website & I would highly recommend them.

The Hotel was wonderful. We headed off around midday & checked in just before 2pm. We grabbed some lunch at the hotel bar/restaurant & then went to check out our room.

As we were going on holiday, we had packed all our swimsuits etc, so we decided to take full advantage of the pool & spa area that the Hilton has to offer.

We spent around 2 hours lazing around in the jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, before showering & heading back to our lovely room.

We had pre-brought food & a bootle of prosecco & had our very own little pre-holiday slumber party!

With a 3am alarm call for the morning, the spa was just what we needed & we headed off to bed feeling so relaxed!

It was a perfect way to start off the girlie holiday!

If you do want to check out the Hilton at East Midlands Airport, then you can do so here

Make sure you come back to see Day 1 of our Vacation!

2Jun2015

Vacation: Mykonos Day Five

Posted in Travel by Jenna Louise

Hello & welcome to our last day!

We have had SUCH a wonderful holiday! I have felt like the luckiest girl in the world the last few days.

We had our last breakfast in the hotel & had our last few rays of sunshine!

The thought of leaving the island make me so sad, so we went back into the Old Town & grabbed some Greek Froyo from a hidden frozen yoghurt place!

It was SO hot today, that my hat became a permanent fixture! I wasn’t going to take one as I’m not quite sure it suits me, but boy was I thankful for it!

We made sure we walked slowly back to the hotel to prolong everything & we then went for some lunch to keep us going before our journey home!

The thought of it being our last lunch made me super sad!

We grabbed a glass of wine to toast the holiday before getting changed & checking out of the best hotel that we have ever stayed in! The staff were absolutely fantastic & we really hope to be seeing them again next year!

I changed into my travel outfit, which consisted of a H&M maxi dress, my Marc Jacobs sunnies, my trusty hat & my flip flops. I also carried a little black cardigan in my travel bag as I would have frozen to death on my return to Gatwick!

I’m really not the best flyer, but the sunset was pretty cool! We arrived back to Gatwick at 10:15pm. We then had a long journey back home to Birmingham, where we stopped for a Starbucks & had a very loud motorway singsong!

So that’s it! Our 5 day vacation is complete! It’s back to work & I’m counting down until my next getaway!

31May2015

Vacation: Mykonos Day Four

Posted in Travel by Jenna Louise

After our little sleepover last night, we were feeling even more relaxed & refreshed!

I felt like I had definitely had a lot of sun over the last few days & I had planned a lovely little pool day, sitting in some shade finishing my book!

The book that I was reading was a truly heartbreaking true story, which put me through every emotion! I was angry, upset, empathetic & annoyed. Back home, it’s sometimes hard to completely get lost in a book, but this holiday was the perfect opportunity for me to do so!

If you would like to check this book out, you can do so on Amazon here.

We then went for lunch, where AGAIN we were served amazing food.

Greek salads always taste better in Greece!!

Dan ordered coffee & we caught the last few hours of sunshine!

With it being our last evening, we wanted to make the most of it & to stop me from crying the whole day, Dan went & brought some prosecco from our little wine shop.

We sat on our balcony together for the last time (sob!).

I felt like I could have sat there forever!

We then dressed for dinner & had drinks in the Bar, before our last meal in the Restaurant.

We went for a salmon bellini & an Octopus salad to start, which was delicious of course!

I then went for the chicken served with couscous. The staff then brought over some Greek shots to finish our holiday! It was a lovely gesture & one we welcomed!

With our last few hours looming, I went to bed that night both devastated & thankful for the chance to be in such a wonderful place!

*come back to see what we did on our last few hours in Mykonos!*

29May2015

Vacation: Mykonos Day Three

Posted in Travel by Jenna Louise

After last night’s dinner, I woke up in another wonderful state of happiness & excitement!

We had planned to go to Nammos for lunch.

After hearing lots about it & with all celebrities being fans, it was a must do on our list!

Located on the beautiful Psarou Beach, it was a 10 minute scenic taxi drive away from our hotel.

We got dropped right on the Beach & was confronted with stunning views!

Lunch was served from 1pm, so we took a stroll along the beach first. Spotting the yachts in the distance was a sight in itself & Nammos actually offer a yacht service where they will deliver your food right to your yacht. (Maybe one day, huh!).

We managed to get a seat right on the front, where we people watched whilst having a lovely lunch!

We went for pitta bread & homemade humous to start & it was the BEST humous ever. Seriously.

I then went for the chilli shrimp linguini & Dan settled on the chicken salad.

We were super full & when paying our bill, we got given some Greek shots. Oh wow. I am not good with shots. But you’re on holiday, right?! I think I dealt with it quite ladylike (& when I say that, I mean I didn’t puke!). CHEERS!

It was a lovely gesture by the restaurant & a perfect way to end lunch.

We then got a taxi back to our Hotel & went for a little walk.

We had decided to have a little sleepover in the evening so we went on the hunt for local produce stores, where we could stock up on Greek food for dinner!

I was so excited to do this as I love to visit all the local butchers, fruit stores & markets! In England, we’re used to big, commercialised supermarkets, where convenience comes first. On holiday, I don’t want this!

We found a wonderful little shop where we brought olives, meats, bread & cheese.

Dan then found a local wine store where he went & brought a bottle of red wine to go with our food.

We spent the whole evening in our robes & slippers just chilling out on the balcony, drinking our wine & eating our home brought Greek food!

It just goes to show that you don’t always have to spend a lot to have the best nights! To be able to do both with someone is very special! It was a perfect evening!

*come back on Friday to see what we did on Day Four!*

cashmere caviar

…The finer things in life.

Category Archives: Travel

The Weekender!

Vacation: Marbella Day Five

Vacation: Day Four

Vacation: Marbella Day Three

Vacation: Marbella Day Two

Vacation: Marbella Day One

Holiday Eve at The Hilton

Vacation: Mykonos Day Five

Vacation: Mykonos Day Four

Vacation: Mykonos Day Three