Lake District – Beautiful Places Near Me

Living near the Lake District has been a curious experience for me, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I’ve somehow never ventured to see it. From what I have heard from others, it holds so much breathtaking natural beauty. The pictures I have seen have shown majestic lakes, hills rolling as far as the eye can see and villages straight out of a storybook. The Lake District also seems to have an almost mystical hold on the hearts of poets, artists, and wanderers.

Yet, here I am, a stone’s throw away, contemplating the mysteries of a place that’s become an everyday backdrop for those who are lucky enough to live there.

The Lake District is synonymous with panoramic views that redefine the meaning of picturesque. From the heights of its rugged fells to the tranquil shores of its lakes, the landscapes invite you to lose yourself in it’s beauty.

Not only is the Lake District a beautiful place, there are a number of reasons I would love to visit.

The region is home to a diverse array of wildlife. Whether it’s spotting red squirrels in the woods or the elusive ospreys circling above the lakes, the Lake District is a haven for nature enthusiasts.

The changing seasons bring an ability to transform the lakes, Spring brings a burst of life as flowers bloom, while summer unveils a symphony of greenery. Autumn casts a warm, golden glow over the landscape, and winter blankets the fells in a pristine layer of snow. The ever-changing seasons ensure that no two visits to the Lake District are ever the same.

From my research of the area, there are also many activities to try in the Lake District:

Hiking, Walking Trails and Mountain Biking:
There is an extensive choice of hiking and mountain biking trails. The hiking trails range from easy strolls around the lakeshores to challenging climbs.

Boating and Sailing:
Boats can be rented or there are guided sailing tours available of lake Windermere, Ullswater and Derwentwater.

Castles and Historic Sites:
There are many historic landmarks to explore such as Wray Castle, Muncaster Castle, and the medieval fortress of Kendal Castle.

I can only think the experience of visting the Lake District would be an incredible one, I hope to maybe visit in the Autumn time when the leaves are changing to a beautiful shade of amber and the wildlife is preparing for the winter months.

Have you ever visited the Lake District? What were your thoughts of it?

7 Cute Crochet Hooks From Etsy

Recently I was browsing crochet patterns on Pinterest and I came across a beautiful set of handmade crochet hooks, I had no idea that people handmade hooks. I clicked onto the link from the pin and it took me to Etsy where I discovered some really lovely ones.

Below are 7 cute crochet hooks from Etsy that anyone obsessed with crochet would love.

Play Hooky Hand Decorated Crochet Hook Mermaid Magic

This lovely hook is from buttonmeadow, it can be found here.

Purple Starry Night Crochet Hook

These pretty hooks are from KoruClayStudio, they can be found here.

Rainbow Cake Sprinkles Ergonomic Crochet Hook

These stunning hooks are from Forgetmenotmeadow, they can be found here.

Crochet Hook With Polymer Clay Handle Roses

These lovely hooks are from Creativinsel, they can be found here.

Individual Magic Wand Crochet Hooks

These stunning hooks are from SilverYarnHandmade, they can be found here.

Macaron Crochet Hook

This beautiful hook is from SusieJs, it can be found here.

Rainbow Cloud Crochet Hook

This cute hook is from PedrosPlaques, it can be found here.

All of these Etsy shops have other lovely crochet hooks, definitely worth checking out if you would like to purchase a beautiful hook for yourself or friend 🙂

Jess x

5 Cute Amigurumi Crochet Etsy Patterns

When it comes to Amigurumi crochet patterns the choices are endless, there’s so many cute ones to choose from. I have recently been having a looking through Etsy for new ones to try and below are 5 super cute patterns that I have come across.

Winter The Deer Girl Pattern

This Winter Deer girl pattern is a lovely project for someone who would like to try making a doll, as she is the perfect size and everything about her is simply beautiful. I love her pretty dress and her super sweet antlers.

This lovely pattern can be found here.

Crochet Sloth Pattern

How adorable is this crochet sloth? I just love how chilled out he looks, exactly what you would expect from a sloth. He’s wearing some lovely yellow dungarees too which makes him look even more comfortable.

This wonderful pattern can be found here.

Jeremy Bunny Pattern

This Jeremy bunny pattern is so cute, his whole outfit is adorable too. I love the autumnal colours and his adorable ears.

This sweet pattern can be found here.

Kicky The Cute Mouse Pattern

I can’t get over how sweet this pattern is, everything about this cute little mouse is adorable, from her big ears to her pink dungarees.

This wonderful pattern can be found here.

Summertime Hippos Pattern

This pattern for a set of adorable hippos is something you didn’t know you needed in your life. They are both super sweet and ready for a summers day out. The patterns for these two are sold together but you can also buy them separately if you prefer to try one first before buying both.

This lovely pattern can be found here.

I hope you enjoy these patterns, all of them are linked if you would like to take a further look.

Jess x

Easy Pasta Lunch Recipe

This pasta recipe makes a wonderful meal as it is super quick and easy to make. The recipe makes two meals and it is the perfect portion amount for lunch time. This would also be a great recipe to use with kids as there’s only a few steps to it.

The ingredients I used are:
Two small cups of pasta.
Half a small cup of peas.
A tablespoon of Mayonnaise.
A tablespoon of ketchup.
One chicken stock cube.
A handful of chopped chicken or tuna.
A pinch of salt.

To begin cook the pasta following pack instructions, add the peas and a stock cube into the pan and wait until the pasta is cooked. While the pasta is cooking, mix mayonnaise, ketchup and a pinch of salt in a small bowl together.

When it is ready, drain the water and place the pasta in two bowls. Add the mayonnaise mix into the pasta bowls and finish the dish with a handful of chicken or tuna.

 

And there is your finished pasta lunch, very simple but tastes delicious.
Jess x

 

Crochet Tulip Flower Pattern Review

I found this super cute crochet tulip flower pattern online a few weeks ago and just had to give it give it ago. The pattern is from a website called sweet softies, they also have some other lovely patterns that I would love to try. The patterns are free and in simple terms which is great for beginners like myself.

I really enjoyed doing this pattern as it was really easy to read and follow, it also only took me a couple of days to complete. My tulip looks a little different than the pattern but that would probably be because of the use of different yarns and the different experience levels 🙂

If you would like to try this pattern you can find it here.

 

Jess x

Crochet Tea Pot Cozy

I recently took up crochet and although I am still a beginner I am really enjoying learning new patterns and spending time making new things.

When I first started to learn how to crochet I was watching simple YouTube tutorials and thought that it was really only a way to make blankets and larger items. I made a few small blankets but found them to be quite repetitive and time consuming.

Since then I have realised that there are so many other wonderful things that can be made and I have also learnt how to read patterns which is so much easier than having to watch videos for hours.

This is a tea pot cozy that I finished a few days ago and I am so pleased with how it turned out. I must admit it looks a little different than the pattern that I was initially following, mostly because I only used two colours and also because my tea pot is a completely different size and shape but I am still so happy with it 🙂

Jess x

Sass & Belle Cat Gifts Review

I was gifted these pretty cat gifts from my family a few months ago, these are from Sass & Belle.

They are a Cutie Cat Trinket Dish, a Cutie Cat Feline Good Clear Water Bottle and these really sweet Cutie Cat Purrfect Paws Mini Nail Files.

The trinket dish features a super cute cat in the middle of a pink polka dot dish. It’s only small but it’s a lovely way to keep earrings and rings safe. It also looks really nice on a shelf in my bedroom.

I really love the water bottle, it features an animated cat wearing heart shaped glasses and the words ‘feline good’ which I think is so sweet! The colours are so pretty and girly which I adore too.

The last thing I got were these cute mini cat nail files. They come in this really lovely packaging that has a cat on the front with the words ‘purrfect paws’ underneath. It opens up to six nail files that have a paw pattern on them.

Since being gifted these pretty bits, I’ve had a look at some of their other stuff and they have so many gorgeous pieces. I would definitely buy things for myself and loved ones from Sass & Belle as they have some wonderful gifts to choose from.

Jess x

A Trip To Blenheim Palace

Last month my boyfriend and I stayed in Woodstock for a few days and while we were there we took a trip to the beautiful Blenheim Palace. 

It was overcast the day we visited and it was still absolutely stunning.

We received this lovely map when we purchased the tickets and we couldn’t believe how big the grounds actually are! We initially thought it would take maybe half an hour to look around but we ended up staying for at least two hours as there was just so much to see.

Unfortunately the day that we visited there were a lot of things that weren’t open such as the train, the butterfly house and some other parts but it was still so pretty to look around. There was also a massive maze that we spent a good 20 minutes lost in.

Being big Harry Potter fans, we were really excited to see the womping willow. It was so cool to see something that had played a big part in the films!

The wild life at Blenheim was wonderful too, there were so many lovely animals, ranging from geese to ducks and even squirrels darting across the grass and up into the the trees.

Below are some more pictures that we took, I can only imagine how stunning it must be on a sunnier day.

Have you ever visited Blenheim Palace?

Jess x

Aliexpress Phone Case Review

I recently discovered a website called Aliexpress which is a market place for so many different items and they are a real bargain too!

I bought these two  lovely phone cases for myself and my mum. I was suprised at how quickly these arrived as they came all the way from china! I thought they would take around a month but they arrived within 2 weeks of purchasing.

I picked this pretty Candy Marble phone case for myself as I absolutely loved the pattern as soon as I saw it, I’ve never seen any like this one before. I have an iPhone 6 Plus and I found that this case fits really well and it’s quite strong without damaging my phone.

The second phone case I bought was for my mum, I was immediately drawn to this British Short Hair Cat case because my mum has got a British Short haired cat and I knew she would love it. The cat on the case is so sweet and looks exactly like my mums! This was a great purchase and again it fits really well and seems to be quite durable.

I was a little unsure about what these would be like as they were super cheap but I am so happy with both of them!

Have you bought anything from Aliexpress?

Jess x

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Nude Basics Eye Shadow Palette Review

I received this beautiful Nude Basics eye shadow palette last Christmas and I absolutely love the colours that it features. Nude colours are always the type of eyeshadows I pick up but what I love about this palette is that there are some shimmery / sparkly shades too which makes it a great every occasion palette.

£4 from Primark

Not only are the eyeshadows in this palette stunning, they are also very pigmented and I found them really easy to blend. I have yet to use some of the bottom row as I have been really loving glittery pinks latey but I am looking forward to trying different looks with them.

I am super excited to keep practicing with this lovely palette and I will definitely be buying more make up from Primark in the future. Have you tried Primark make up?

Jess x