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Category Archives: Christmas
The World’s Most Christmassy Destinations (OneTravel)
Tis the season to see the world! Here are five destinations where it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Each would make an excellent place to find yourself during the holiday season and would yield so many rich experiences … Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Germany, Israel, Italy, Jerusalem, London, New York, OneTravel, Travel
Tagged 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, Bavaria, christmas, Finland, germany, Israel, Italy, Jerusalem, Lapland, London, naples, napoli, new york, new york city, Nuremberg, NYC, OneTravel, Travel, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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O Compact Oriental Spruce, O Compact Oriental Spruce?
Having just moved into a new home with a small garden a couple of months back, this Christmas is going to be a particularly green one for me. With a delivery last week of a Compact Oriental Spruce from Swiss mail order nursery, Lubera, the festive gardening season has commenced. Let’s hope Santa’s sack is filled with compost this year! Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Gardening, London, Shopping
Tagged christmas, christmas tree, Compact Oriental Spruce, gardening, London, Lubera, Shopping, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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You Better Watch Out – It’s Time for Krampus to Return! (OneTravel)
Oh sure, no child wants to make Santa’s Naughty List. But the dude whose bad side your little ones definitely should keep clear of this festive season ain’t Saint Nick. It’s Krampus (aka the anti-Santa and the Christmas devil) – … Continue reading
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Good Stuff
Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Christmas, Design, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Shopping
Tagged Another Country, beer, Christingle, christmas, Common Good, Dish Soap, Drink, Food, good stuff, London, Merry Berry, Mistlemoo, Nakd Bars, Nakd Pecan Pie Bar, Pieminster, pies, Primrose’s Kitchen, Raw 5 Seed Butter, Shopping, Single Hopped Kentish Ale, tesco, Tesco Own-Label Single Hopped Kentish Ale, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Valrhona 12 Buches de Noel (Great British Chefs)
Talk about a baker’s dozen! This Christmas for the first time ever luxury chocolate maker Valrhona has teamed up with 12 of London’s best pastry chefs to launch a dozen limited edition Buches de Noel – each made with Valrhona chocolate and with individuality, imagination and skill applied by the chefs. Continue reading
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Posted in Chocolate, Christmas, Food, Great British Chefs, Restaurants, Shopping
Tagged Buche de Noel, chocolate, christmas, Food, GREAT BRITISH CHEFS, London, pastry chefs, Shopping, Valrhona, Yule Log, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Win a Pasta e Sughi Christmas Gift Box from Carluccio’s
The gracious folks at Carluccio’s have offered (for a second year in a row – grazie!) to share a free Pasta e Sughi gift box valued at £29.95 with one tikichris reader. A Christmas gift to inspire the chef in you, this fantastic prize includes three delicious pasta and sauce pairings plus a recipe book by Antonio Carluccio! Continue reading
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Posted in Celebrities, Christmas, Competition, Food, London, Restaurants, Shopping
Tagged carluccio's, Celebrities, chocolate, christmas, christmas chocolat, christmas gift, christmas hamper, competiiton, competition, Food, free, freebies, gift box, italian food, pasta, restaurants, retweet to win, Shopping, twitter competition
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Jack Daniel’s Christmas
Are you starting any new traditions this festive season or looking forward to adhering to some well-established favourites? However you plan to enjoy the wind down to the New Year, be sure to celebrate joyfully and drink responsibly. Merry Christmas. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Drink, Video
Tagged christmas, JACK DANIEL'S, SPONSORED POST, whiskey
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Copas Turkeys and the Art of Christmas
I’ve been a fan of Copas Turkeys for a few years. So when an invitation from the family run farm landed in my inbox to attend “The Art of Christmas” masterclass on preparing and presenting their delicious free range, plucked by hand and game hung turkeys, I RSVPed ASAP. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Drink, Food, Thanksgiving, Wine
Tagged champagne, Charles Heidsieck, christmas, copas turkeys, Drink, Food, french wine, sparkling wine, thanksgiving, turkey, wine
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Christmas in July? Good Stuff!
Ho ho huh? Here’s a bagful of seasonally premature Good Stuff to stuff keep in mind as 2014 rolls onwards to a hopefully very festive end. With many major brands (and those wishing to be so) hosting sneak preview shows every July to highlight what’s on their nice lists for Christmas, it’s a fun if odd time to be on the consumer end of media. Anyway, I’m never one to turn down an invite to a party – even if I’m not sure if it’s half a month early or late. So, deck the hall and all that jazz as I share some of the more notable Yuletide prospects I came across this past month. Enjoy. Continue reading
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Posted in Chocolate, Christmas, Design, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Shopping
Tagged Buche de Noel, Buches de Noel, carluccio's, chocolate, christmas, christmas 2014, christmas in july, dark chocolate, design, dunelm, dunelm mill, Food, la maison du chocolat, London, London blog, luxury, maison du chocolat, Shopping, Valrhona, WAITROSE, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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New Year’s Eve Dinner at Nobu London
What a way to end (and start) a year! The seven course New Year’s Eve 2013 dinner and wine menu at Nobu London at the Metropolitan Hotel ended the year on a delectable note and set high the bar for restaurant experiences for the months to come. Check it out … Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Restaurants, Wine
Tagged Drink, Food, hyde park corner, JAPANESE CUISINE, japanese food, japanese restaurant, London, London blog, mayfair, menu review, metropolitan hotel, new year's eve, nobu, NYE, old park lane, park lane, restaurant, restaurant review, sake, seafood, sushi, tasting menu, W1, W1K 1LB, wine, zomato, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Top Tips for London’s Big Winter Sales (CheapOair)
London’s best shops and department stores may be taking down the Christmas lights and tossing their trees to the curb, but for bargain hunters visiting in search of a heavy dose of retail therapy the festivities have only just begun … Continue reading
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Posted in CheapOair, Christmas, Fashion, London, Shopping, Travel
Tagged after christmas sales, bond street, BOXPARK, Chatham Street, cheapoair, christmas, covent garden, department stores, designer outlets, east london, fashion, hackney, january sales, knightsbridge, London, London blog, malls, oxford circus, oxford street, regent street, sales, seven dials, Shopping, Travel, westfield, winter sales, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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2014 Resolutions
I like what I do and I like how this past year played out. New Year’s resolution for 2014? Keep plugging away. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas
Tagged 2014, christmas, new year, new year's resolutions, new years, resolutions
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Bompas & Parr Add Flavour to London’s New Year’s Eve Celebrations with World’s First Multi Sensory Fireworks
London’s favourite jellymongers, Bompas & Parr, are working with Vodafone, in partnership with the Mayor of London, to create the world’s first mutli-sensory firework display for London’s New Year’s Eve. Wow. If you’re planning on hitting the street for a … Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Food, London
Tagged Bompas & Parr, BOMPAS AND PARR, christmas, fireworks, flavour fireworks, Food, jellymongers, London, new year's eve
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London Daily Photo: Well, I Tried.
So, my first attempt constructing a traditional Scandi Pepperakashus turned out to be a bit of a disaster. I blame the glögg. Still it tasted great, and I had a lot of fun playing around with my gingerbread kit from Scandinavian Kitchen … Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged Annas Pepperakashus, christmas, gingerbread, GINGERBREAD HOUSE, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Pepperakashus, Pepperkakor, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Top 5 Christmas Lights in London (CheapOair)
Tis the season to enjoy the twinkly show of holiday lights in London. Here’s the definitive list of the five best spots to get in the spirit. Merry Christmas and happy new year! Read my complete post at the CheapOair … Continue reading
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London Daily Photo: Merry Christmas
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Posted in Christmas, London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged christmas, christmas tree ornaments, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, roborts, robots, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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London’s Top 5 Department Store Christmas Windows (CheapOair)
Doing some last night gift shopping in London? Be sure to take a moment to enjoy all the festive sights and pretty lights! The city’s famous department stores do it up in grand style this time of year to show … Continue reading
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The Best Christmas Markets in Paris (CheapOair)
They say Paris is the City of Lights. This is certainly true during the festive season, when the French capital seems to twilight and enchant just a little bit more than usual. So bundle up, hit the streets, sip your vin … Continue reading
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Posted in CheapOair, Christmas, France, Paris, Street Markets, Travel
Tagged cheapoair, christmas, christmas markets, france, paris, street markets, Travel
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Cooking up a Scandilicious Christmas with Norwegian Seafood and Signe Johansen
Here’s a quick mention about a fun cookery session I recently sat in on at rather swank cooking school, Aveqia. Hosted by the Norwegian Seafood Council with London’s own Scandilicious chef Signe Johansen at the helm, it was a tasty opportunity to discover what makes seafood from Norway so special and delicious while dabbling in a bit of Scandi Christmas tradition too. Continue reading
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Posted in Blogs, Christmas, Food, London, Recipes, Shopping
Tagged aveqia, bergen seafood chowder, Blogs, chowder, chowder recipe, christmas, cod, cooking, cooking school, dill pollen, fish, Food, global harvest, hot & chilli, London blog, norwegian cod, norwegian seafood, norwegian seafood council, recipe, recipes, rosana mcfee, scandilicious, scandinavian food, seafood, seafood chowder, seafood from norway, Shopping, signe johansen, sustainability, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Top 5 Christmassy Things to do in Madrid (CheapOair)
Heading to Madrid this month? Here’s a list of tips to help have a Feliz Navidad in true Spanish style. Read my complete post at the CheapOair blog.
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Tilia: Christmas Nibbles Sorted
Started in 2011 and incorporating a “Five Point Selection Criteria to identify producers who display qualities that set them apart from the pack”, Tilia connects Londoners with some of the best local suppliers of artisan food and drink. Currently, Tilia is only a London only thing, but there are plans to expand. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Food, London, Money, Shopping
Tagged artisan food, artisan food and drink, artisan food and drink delivery service, artisan food delivery, barclaycard, Barclaycard’s Freedom Rewards Card, belle epoque, belle epoque patisserie, breakfast, cheese, cheesemonger, christmas, cooking, deli, delivery, fishmonger, Food, food shopping, gourmet, groceries, independent retailers, London, London blog, mortimer & bennett, online delivery, online home delivery, online shopping, patisserie, review, seafood, Shopping, small business, steve hatt, tilia, tilia.co.uk, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Tweet Your Christmas Wishes from atop the BT Tower – #TweetsOnTheTower
From Thursday the 19th to Saturday the 21st of December (yep, this week!), BT will give folks a chance to share their personal Christmas messages to millions of people across London via giant screens at the top of the BT Tower. To get your message displayed, all you have to do is tweet it to @bt_uk with the hashtag #TweetsOnTheTower on the day you want the message to be shown. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, London, Social Media
Tagged @bt_uk, #TweetsOnTheTower, BT, BT Tower, christmas, London, social media, twitter
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Win a Free Bottle of Appleton Estate VX + How to Make a Mai Tai
Appleton Estate VX is one of my favourite rums, especially when it comes to mixed cocktails. So it’s a pleasure being able to spread some Christmas cheer with my readers and offer a free bottle to one of you. I’ve only got one bottle to give one lucky reader though. For everybody else, I thought I’d share not one but two recipes for my favourite rum cocktail, the Mai Tai! Keep reading for a couple of ways to mix one of the world’s tastiest cocktails along with your chance to nab a bottle of excellent Jamaican rum! Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Competition, Drink, Freebies
Tagged appleton, appleton estate, appleton estate rum, appleton estate VX, cocktails, competition, contest, Drink, free, freebies, jamaican rum, Mai Tai, mai tai recipe, retweet to win, rum, spirits, twitter competition, WIN, win a free bottle of rum
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Having a Dickens of a Happy Christmas with Attractiontix
Attractiontix got in touch with “seven of London’s most influential bloggers” to come together and create a special Festive Tube Map “highlighting the most fabulous feasts, seasonal shops and glorious grottos” in London. One-seventh of the map was my own Christmassy creation, the Dickens Express Line. Continue reading
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Posted in Attractiontix, Books, Christmas, London, Shopping, Travel
Tagged a christmas carol, charles dickens, christmas, christmas in london, dickens, festive season, festive tube map, London, London blog, london blogger, tube map, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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20 reasons why Londoners love Christmas (Time Out)
As an American expat living in London, Christmas time makes me think of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. I reckon Spitalfields has the most Dickensian feel for London these days, and I love … Continue reading
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London Daily Photo: Play-Doh Slopes
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Posted in Christmas, London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged christmas, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, Play-Doh, selfridg, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Twelve Days of Christmas Afternoon Tea at the InterContinental London Park Lane
It’s no secret. I’m a big fan of the fine foodie offerings InterContinental London Park Lane. With Executive Chef Paul Bates calling the palate pleasing shots (not to mention chef Theo Randall doing his own tasty thing with onsite upscale Italian restaurant), I’ve never never even come close to having a less than ideal dining experience here. So an invitation to try the hotel’s limited edition Christmas afternoon tea was one I greedily accepting. This was my second time to enjoy an afternoon tea at the InterContinental and it did not disappoint. If anything, my expectations for a high level of quality and service were exceeded. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Restaurants, Wine
Tagged 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, ARCH BAR & WELLINGTON LOUNGE, bar, champagne, cheapoair, chef paul bates, christmas afternoon tea, cocktails, Drink, executive chef paul bates, gin, hotel, hotels, INTERCONTINENTAL, InterContinental London, INTERCONTINENTAL LONDON PARK LANE, intercontinental park lane, jazz, live music, lobby bar, London, London blog, london hotel, mayfair, park lane, paul bates, tea, Travel, Twelve Days of Christmas Afternoon Tea, W1, W1J 7QY, wellington lounge, wellington lounge & arch bar, wine, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Torino Unshrouded
Initially pursuing an opportunity to visit Torino (perhaps better known to some of my readers by its anglicized name, Turin) was what eventually led to me coming up with my the full blown “Ham Highway” itinerary. The city was (and I assume still is) keen to have bloggers visit to write about the city. There was a chocolate festival scheduled for when I knew I would be able to go, and I was pretty sure I could get a commission to write about it. The more I looked into Torino, the more I of a hunch I had that it would be the sort of “content rich” place that I’d enjoy checking out. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Christmas, Coffee, Drink, Food, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine
Tagged ancient egypt, barbaresco, barbera d'asti superiore, barney's bar, bicerin, chestnut gnocchi, chocolate, chocolate festival, Cioccolato, coffee, Drink, egyptian museum, Food, gelateria pepino, gelato, hot chocolate, hotel, hotel victoria, hotel victoria torino, hotels, ice cream, Italy, lavazza, museo egizio, museum, museums, northern italy, Palazzo Madama, pepino, piedmont, Piemonte, pinguino, red wine, restaurants, Shopping, spa, swimming poll, swimming pool, Tabernalibraria, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Torino, Torino+Piemonte Card, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, turin, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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Wine of the Month by @willbedwards: Pol Roger ‘White Foil’ Brut
Champagne is a wine intimately linked to celebration and festivities, and Christmas is the one day of the year when the ‘wine o’clock’ rule is entirely disregarded. Wine, and particularly Champagne, makes a wonderful gift at Christmas; or if like me you are just choosing a breakfast tipple, then the Pol Roger ‘White Foil’ Brut is a perfect candidate. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Drink, Social Media, Will Edwards, Wine, Wine of the Month
Tagged brut, champagne, pol roger, pol roger white foil, pol roger white foil brut, Shopping, sparking wine, white foil, Will Edwards, wine, Wine of the Month, wotm
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Win a Pair of Tickets to The View from The Shard
The View from The Shard provides unparalleled 64km (40 mile), 360 degree views of London. Almost twice as high as any other viewing point in London, it is the only place where you can see all of London – all at once – making it the perfect first stop for visitors to the city and a brilliant place to take anyone who loves this city. Stuck for gift ideas this Christmas? Why not give that special someone the whole of London – in one great big sweeping panoramic perch from atop its newest and sleekest icon? Keep reading for details about The View gift certificates and for a chance to win two free tickets to share or keep for yourself. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Competition, Freebies, London
Tagged ARCHITECTURE, book tickets to the shard, christmas, christmas gifts, christmas shopping, city of london, cityscape, competition, contest, free, freebies, gift voucher, London, london bridge, london bridge quarter, LONDON BRIDGE STATION, retweet to win, river thames, RT to win, shard, skyline, skyscraper, skyscrapers, tallest building in western europe, thames, the shard, the view from the shard, tikichris competition, trainers, twitter competition
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TONIGHT: Seven Dials and St Martin’s Courtyard Christmas Shopping Night Out
Tonight, Seven Dials will be transformed into a pedestrian shopping haven with the entire area closed to traffic. There will be live music including performances by “vintage pin-up singer” Roo Savill and urban pop trio Mama Do as well as other bands and DJ in shops and around the area; street food from Urban Food Fest and sweets from Merinuqe Girls; free cocktails at St Martin’s Courtyard; a Champagne & Fromage pop-up bar; in-store parties; free makeovers; exclusive one-day offers; comps and giveaways; a festive spirit in the air and lots lots more … there’s even a tikichris special! Check it out. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Discounts and Special Offers, Drink, Fashion, Food, Freebies, London, Music, Restaurants, Shopping, Wine
Tagged BARS, cambridge satchel company, champagne, christmas, christmas shopping, christmas shopping night, cocktails, covent garden, discounts & special offers, discounts and special offers, DJs, free, free canvas bag, FREE COCKTAILS, free drinks, freebies, g-star, joules and Orion London, live music, London, mama do, Meringue Girls, neal's yard, neal's yard remedies, peter werth, pop-up, roo savill, seven dials, Shopping, soho, st martin's courtyard, tikichris special, WAH Nails, WC2
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Good Stuff
Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some yummy treats I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy! Copas Turkeys 2013 saw the third Thanksgiving in as many years with a Copas … Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Christmas, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Shopping
Tagged apricots, beer, bootlegger, christmas, copas, copas turkeys, crazy jack organic soft apricots, Drink, Food, good stuff, London, Meantime Brewing, Meantime London Smoked Porter, pâté, Pâté in a Jar, spelt, Stress-Free Christmas Day masterclass, The Patchwork Traditional Food Company, turkeys
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Christmas Festivities and More in Edinburgh (CheapOair)
Things are getting hot up north this winter with seasonal celebrations already underway in the great Scottish capital of Edinburgh. Here’s the scoop on how to make the most of a Yuletide visit to one of Europe’s most fun and … Continue reading
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Posted in CheapOair, Christmas, Scotland, Travel
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London’s Top Christmas Markets (OneTravel)
December is a fantastic time to visit London, offering a healthy dose of Christmas cheer that’s unparalleled. Here’s a roundup of the city’s best Christmas markets to help you fa la la your way to an excellently English Christmas. Read … Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Drink, Food, London, OneTravel, Shopping, Street Markets, Travel
Tagged christmas, christmas markets, Drink, Food, London, OneTravel, Shopping, street markets, Travel
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Win a £150 Voucher from Zalando: UK’s Largest Online Wardrobe
Online shopping for top brands with guaranteed free deliveries and returns – that’s not just a Yuletide offer from Zalando, the UK’s largest online wardrobe, but what they provide to customers year round. With a great range of festive styles, a smart selection of Christmas gifts, and of course vouchers to give that friend or loved ones who might be a little more difficult to shop for, now is a great time to browse Zalando’s online aisles – especially since I’ve got a Zalando gift voucher worth £150 to share with one lucky reader. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Competition, Fashion, Freebies, Shopping
Tagged #LargestOnlineWardrobe, £150, adidas, ben sherman, bench, Birkenstock, brands, Camper, christmas, christmas gifts, christmas shopping, Clarks, cocktail dresses, competition, contest, converse, Crocs, Desigual, Diesel, fashion, free, free shopping, freebies, French Connection, gift voucher, Guess, Jack Wolfskin, Lacoste, Levi's, Miss Sixty, nike, Oakley, Pretty Ballerinas, retweet to win, Roxy, RT to win, shoes, Shopping, Sisley, Ted Baker, The North Face, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, trainers, twitter competition, UK's largest online wardrobe, vans, win a £150 gift voucher, zalando, zalando gift voucher, zalando.co.uk
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