Autumn Fashion Picks

As we are now officially in Autumn (hooray!) I thought I'd share with you some of the new items of clothing I have bought recently for the new season. As I am trying to be more minimal in my lifestyle I now make much more conscious decisions about what I choose to buy and instead of buying loads of new things all at once I have instead thought long and hard about what it is I actually need and made more deliberate choices. I also try to buy more high quality items that I know will last the distance and not go out of fashion. I also obviously have to take into account that I only want to buy vegan friendly and cruelty free articles of clothing which means avoiding wool, fur etc, but there are plenty of great faux options available. 

Mildreds Kings Cross

Last weekend we popped into London again to go to the Design Junction exhibition in Kings Cross and as we were in the area I thought it would be the perfect time to make a first time visit to the new(ish) Mildreds restaurant there. Mildreds has always been a favourite restaurant of mine in London for vegan food and after having already checked out their Soho & Camden branches I was keen to see how this branch compared to the others. 

One of the best things about Mildreds is the variety and choice on their menu. There's a really great mix of different cuisines and dishes to suit all tastes. Although Mildreds isn't an exclusively vegan restaurant the vast majority of their food is vegan friendly, or can be made vegan. There are also an abundance of gluten free dishes for anyone interested. 

As I have previously tried their burger and pie I wanted to try something different this time and I was in the mood for something green and healthy so I went for their Soul Bowl and a side of guacamole with tortilla chips. This really hit the spot! The Soul Bowl was bursting with goodness and was so flavoursome. It also had a huge chunk of avocado in the middle with a cashew cheese dressing which really made it feel like a hearty and filling dish. 

I have had the guacamole side before and couldn't resist getting it again because it is seriously the best guac I've ever had! 

This Kings Cross branch is very similar to the Camden one in terms of size and style. It's worth noting that they don't accept bookings here for parties under 10 people but it was easy to walk in and get a table on a Saturday afternoon. 

It's so great to see this restaurant expanding into different areas as when I first visited they only had their Soho branch, which I think will always remain my favourite due to its cosy and homely vibes. I also discovered that they now have another restaurant in Dalston bringing their total to four restaurants in London. Clearly the demand for decent vegan and plant based food just keeps growing which is great as it means more options for us! 

Have you been to Mildreds yet? 

What's your favourite of their restaurants? 

Mooshies

If you find yourself in East London and in need of a great vegan burger I'd really recommend heading over to Brick Lane and checking out Mooshies. It's been on my hit list for a while so as soon as we had a spare Sunday available we headed into London to check it out. Now we live closer to London and a train station I am hoping to be able to get to visit more vegan eateries to review as it's something I really enjoy and have missed being able to do so easily. We decided to visit Mooshies on a Sunday as this is the day of the week when Brick Lane and the surrounding Spitalfields area really comes alive with markets and lots of amazing foodie stalls. 

#VEGANPROBLEMS

You may have noticed that I got my hands on the highly anticipated vegan Ben & Jerrys at the weekend and I couldn't wait to share with you all my thoughts on the two flavours I was able to track down in a nearby Tesco's. What I hadn't quite anticipated was the handful of people who crept out of the woodwork to attempt to argue with me on whether or not this is a brand I should be buying from, or promoting, due to the fact that they're owned by the unethical parent company Unilever. 

Cruelty Free & Vegan Bloggers Secret Santa

I don't know about you guys but I absolutely love getting some surprise happy mail in the post, it's one of my favourite things! So with Christmas fast approaching, this got me thinking that it would be fun to organise a Secret Santa happy mail event for fellow cruelty free and vegan bloggers. The idea being that we would post off festive packages to each other in December and spread some seasonal love within the  blogging community.

I've thought long and hard about the logistics of this and I believe I have come up with a suitable process for organising such an event.

The rules would be as follows...

To take part you would need to email me your name, address, blog link, social media handles and any allergies by the deadline of October 31st 2017 (*Your details will only be shared with your Secret Santa!).

You must be a cruelty free or vegan blogger / influencer / vlogger / YouTuber to take part. 

This time around, and due to costs involved, it is only open to UK residents. If there is a big demand for overseas exchanges this will be taken into consideration for next years event. (*This decision was made after conducting a Twitter poll where the majority voted for UK only). 

You will receive an email with your giftee's details on November 3rd 2017. (*If you're not already following your giftee then maybe hold off on the follow for a while so you don't give the game away!) 

Packages MUST be sent off in the post by no later than November 30th 2017.  

Secret Santa packages should be of a minimum value of £10, but you are of course welcome to go over this amount should you wish to. Please note that this value does not include the postage costs. 

Packages can contain any festive surprises as long as they are cruelty free and suitable for vegans. You will also be advised if your gift receiver has any allergies which you will need to take into consideration. 

Remember - it's called Secret Santa for a reason! No giving away who you're buying for before packages are received. Once you're certain your gift receiver has opened their package you are then welcome to reveal yourself if you wish to or stay secret - it's up to you! 

Have fun with it! And get creative! You may like to bake up some festive treats to include in your package, or if you have some crafty fingers why not include a handmade surprise!? You could include a letter with clues as to who you may be or even a postcard from your home town. Or you could add even more mystery by including a polaroid of yourself dressed up as Santa! Do some digging around on social media to find out what your giftee is into and make their package personal to them. And remember - the more festive the better!

You're free to open your package as soon as it arrives, or hold off until Christmas Day. The choice is yours! All I ask is that you announce on social media once your package has arrived so as to set your senders mind at rest. 

Don't forget to share your Secret Santa happy mail on social media and use the hashtag #CFVSECRETSANTA . If, like me, you do YouTube maybe do an unboxing video too! Or share on Insta Stories / Snap Chat. I am sure everyone will be excited to see what we have all received.  

In order for this to work we will need even numbers taking part and I will work on a first come basis. Therefore if you definitely want to take part please ensure you email in your details ASAP. If you are last in line, and the numbers aren't even by the cut off date, you will be notified that you're unable to take part this year.

Also please note that I will not be held responsible for any loss of packages. It is your responsibility to ensure that your package reaches the receiver and it would therefore be advisable to consider sending your package on a signed for delivery. Hopefully this won't be the case for anyone, and I would hate for anyone to be disappointed, but these things can happen. Please be mindful that I am only the organiser and if you are in anyway unhappy with your package it is not my fault!   

If you have any further questions then please email me and I shall get back to you ASAP. 

I am so excited for this and I can't wait to get making my own package up!

Let the festivities begin!

Pembrokeshire, Wales | Travel With Dogs

Last week we set off on the 5 hour car journey to Pembrokeshire in Wales for our annual doggie holiday. Every year we like to take the dogs away for a week somewhere in the UK and it makes such nice change to actually enjoy a holiday with them all in tow as we're usually spending our time missing them when we are away. 

My New Home Aesthetic

Ever since we decided to move house I have been mentally planning out what I wanted the new house to look like and it feels so good now, a few weeks into the new home, to sit back and see all my hard work has paid off!