Gousto

To maintain a healthy lifestyle, we at The Amazing Blog find it effective to sit down and plan out our meals for the week. Nevertheless, we are a very busy bunch. Luckily for us, there are companies like Gousto to help make our meal preparation so much easier.

Gousto is an innovative company that shops and delivers all of the ingredients for any tasty meals you desire. Each week, Gousto offers 10 different meals to choose from. Once you have chosen what you want, they deliver all of the ingredients right to your doorstep. No matter how big or small, if it’s included in the recipe, Gousto will put it in your parcel.

One of the best things about Gousto is the quality of the ingredients. The vegetables are all organic, the meat comes from a family owned farm in Devon and the fish comes straight from a fish monger in Scotland. Not only is it convenient and saves time, but it allows you and your family access to only the freshest organic products available.

Gousto boxes contain the needed ingredients for three meals on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Though you may be thinking, ‘What if I’m at work, or unavailable to pick up the products from my home?” Not to worry, because all you need to do is simply let Gousto know where you want your parcel delivered.

We tried a Gousto box with recipes for Moroccan Spiced Lamb with Apricots and Couscous, Cream Pork Steaks with Apple, Thyme & Link and Crunchy Cashew Stir-Fry with Basmati Rice. Not only were these all delicious, but the recipe cards were efficient and simple to use. We enjoyed what we ate and we knew it was quality food.

Box prices vary depending on the meals you choose and the number of people joining you (2 or 4).  All pricing information and other FAQ’s can be found here.

Maison Dog

A dog is a man’s best friend! We at The Amazing Blog love to spoil our pets, and we believe that The Maison Dog is the perfect shop for furry fanatics of all kinds. The Maison Dog just opened its first store in East Dulwich on October 4th. Their website is split into two stores that you can access through the two front doors- ‘Antique Dog’ and ‘Retro Dog’, depending on which you prefer. ‘Antique Dog’ specialises in canine collectibles sourced from all around the globe, while the concept behind ‘Retro Dog’ is that of eco awareness and sustainability. Not really a dog person? Well, for you cat people out there, ‘Maison Kitten’ provides a small range of feline inspired collectibles and antiques as well.

Aside from their gorgeous canine antiques and collectibles, the shop also sells their own range of top quality leashes and collars, all made in England by a top saddlery maker in the finest leather and brass. They will also have luxury dog beds and blankets, toys and other accessories available for purchase.

Finally, the shop offers a fun feature called “Dog of the Week,” starring photographs of real pets sent in by people like you. In order to have a chance at getting your pet featured, send photos of your dog to maisondoglondon@gmail.com and tell the Maison Dog staff all about your little friend. If you are interested in having your pet become “Dog of the Week,” please include the name, sex, likes, dislikes, their favourite food and their favourite toy.

No matter what kind of animal you love or what kind of pet you may have, there is a little something for everyone who genuinely loves their pet. Visit the Maison Dog’s new store at 20 Northcross Road, London SE22 9EU or give them a call at 020 8299 3390.

Take a look at Maison Dog and everything they have to offer here.

Ogilvy's Honey

Have you ever wondered why we seem to pay more attention to our coffees and teas rather than what we add to them? Though UK consumers take pride in our milk and sugars, we at The Amazing Blog believe that honey is one of the most highly underrated sweeteners used every single day. Now that our friends at Ogilvy’s honey have sent us a wide selection of mouth watering flavours, we feel as though our sugar days may be completely over.

We were happy to receive the Honey Tasting Collection gift box, for it features a unique assortment of honey: Balkan Linden, Zambezi Plains, New Zealand Rainforest, and Himalayan Highlands. After sampling a selection of each individual flavour, we were intrigued to discover where each honey was sourced and how it was all prepared.

The Balkan Linden is found in the southern Danube in Serbia and extracted from Linden tree nectar, allowing it to feel airy and be light in strength. The Zambezi Plains flavour is found in the remote Miombo forest at the head of the Zambezi River, making it strong in strength and utterly delicious. The New Zealand Rainforest honey is sourced in the mountainous rain forest in New Zealand’s South Island and the Himalayan Highlands honey is found in the forest of the Himalayan Mountains, in the Kashmir Valleys. Both of the forests the flavours are extracted from are virgin forests, allowing an exotic taste and medium strength.

We were pleasantly surprised by the cooling sensation we felt when we tried the honeys. They are all cold pressed, 100% pure, and were selected to win a variety of stars for the Great Taste Awards.

Most would argue all honey tastes the same, however after trying the wide array of honey Ogilvy's sent us, we’ve realized that is far from the truth. From Eastern Europe to Africa and mildly to strong flavoured, no matter what kind of honey you are searching for, Ogilvy's products are sure to please your taste buds.

The Honey Tasting Collection gift box includes 4 x 42g jars and is available for purchase here, however the company offers a wide selection of other flavours on their website as well.

Friday Favourites - Home Fragrance Feature

Here at The Amazing Blog we know how much of an impact the smell of a room can have on the overall atmosphere it provides. Whether it be a candle, a spray or a diffuser, we feel that the way a space smells directly affects the attitudes of the people in it. That being said, to assist you in creating the perfect atmosphere for your space, we have complied a list of some of our top three home fragrances. After hours spent drifting away into a fragrance induced trance, we’ve decided True Grace Room Sprays, Gli Oli and Illumens are the prefect brands that will keep your home and office smelling just delightful.

First, we tried out two sprays from True Grace. The Seashore – No.26 spray is a very light and fresh fragrance. Seashore, as the name suggests, is designed to provoke happy memories of the seaside. With Moss and Amber base notes, the earthy scent is easily detected but is then balanced with geranium and neroli top notes. In complete contrast, the company also provides the scent of Black Lilly – No. 31. This product will give off more of a dark, heady fragrance, rich in ingredients such as Vanilla, Amber, White Pepper and Jasmine. Although this may seem like an unusual mix, it makes the scent diverse and perfect for cosy nights during the colder months.

Made in the UK, True Grace room sprays are unusual and diverse, and here at The Amazing Blog we can’t get enough.

Both Black Lily – No. 31 and Seashore – No. 26 are available for purchase here. 

Next on our list is a company that has truly perfected the art of scent. Gli Oli sent us their Patchouli diffuser, providing our office with a gorgeous blend of Patchouli, Frankinscense, Ylang – Ylang, Cypress and Sweet Orange. Traditionally used in Asia, this heady fragrance has a sweet yet musky aroma which is ultimately cosy, giving the scent warmth and making it ideal for the winter as well. Though the key note within the diffuser is patchouli (as the name suggests), the ylang-ylang acts as a bridge between the spicy and strong mixed fragrances that the diffuser contains, creating a refreshing, fruity, and spicy scent. What an excellent combination!

You can purchase the Patchouli diffuser here for £45. Other Gli Oli products are offered in a large selection of various scents here as well.

Not as familiar with the spray or diffuser fragrance techniques? Not to worry, because we received a candle from the Illumens Winter Collection, and needless to say…it was indeed like Christmas in October!

We burned the Juniper & Spruce candle in our office for about six hours, and the smell never faded. Each time we re-entered the room, we were reminded of how blissful the experience of burning a Illumens candle can truly be.

Though we received the Juniper & Spruce candle, Illumens also offers the Votive Candle Set, complete with Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Fig and Ginger. No matter what kind of scent you are looking for, this package will provide endless fragrance opportunities for your space.

Visit the Illumens website here and browse their delightful collection!

INA Crystals

Here at The Amazing Blog we just love products that make us feel fresh and free from toxins. When we received a few products from INA Crystals to try, we were ecstatic to cleanse ourselves and truly give our skin a fresh start.

INA Crystals ever so kindly sent us White Gold Restoring Night Serum, White Gold Day Moisture Cream, and White Gold Radiant Skin Tonic. Each product could be used simply as a standalone, but collectively, the combination creates the immediate luxury of toned, refreshed, and rejuvenated skin.

All of the products from INA Crystals are free from parabens, synthetic solvents, and petro-chemicals, meaning we can slather them on to our heart’s content. The Radiant Skin Tonic contains White Gold Crystal Salt, and Allantoin, which improve the tone and texture of your skin. It can be used several ways, whether it is applied over makeup or stored in the fridge as a cooling agent. The Day Moisture Cream protects against photo-inflammation, DNA damage from UV rays, environmental oxidation and pollution. The Day Cream has a very light scent, avoiding distraction from the nose from any other scents you may have in your daily beauty routine. Finally, the Restoring Night Serum, also known as the “Caviar of Night Creams,” is filled with seaweed bio-peptides and Lola Implexa for maximum plumping of the skin and the removal of fine lines.

 Overall, INA Crystals’ products will tackle all of your pesty skin problems. If you want to try any of them out, they are available for purchase here with prices ranging from £26-£33.