Afternoon Tea at the Kensington Palace Orangery Restaurant

Here at The Amazing Blog we are big fans of tea, in fact we have at least eight varieties on the go in the office! But sometimes a mid afternoon tea break just doesn’t cut it, we want to be treated like royalty... Luckily we have found an idyllic spot to spend our bank holiday weekend, basking in the sunshine at the Kensington Palace Orangery Restaurant. Here you can relax and enjoy the splendid scenery, all whilst indulging in a wonderful afternoon teathat is fit for a Queen.

You can dine in Queen Anne’s 18^th Century Orangery in the Kensington Palace Gardens, which we think is a perfect bank holiday treat for any tea and cake lover. The afternoon tea looks delicious, there is a range of sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and pastries served as well as a selection of over ten different teas.  Afterwards  you can take a stroll through the enchanting gardens of the palace as well as see the historic King’s and Queen’s State Apartments.

For this quintessentially English treat,  afternoon tea starts at £22.65 per person, and for £29.95 you can also indulge in a glass of wine with your afternoon tea and see the new ‘Fashion Rules Exhibition’; a collection of dresses worn by HM The Queen, Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales. Whether you are just visiting London or have lived here all your life, this is sure to be an afternoon you won’t forget. To book your Afternoon Tea, please visit the Kensington Palace ORangery Restaurant website .

Go on a Sugar Rush with Chocolate Ecstasy Tours

 

At The Amazing Blog, it isn't just beauty products and fashion that gets our gears going. We absolutely adore food; each one of us having our favourite things to enjoy. Personally, I am an avid lover of chocolate. I find myself always pondering new ways to enjoy my favourite sweet treat. What I can eat it with, or on, and what are the newest and most delicious chocolates on the market. When I found out about the Chocolate Ecstasy Tours, I was incredibly excited, as it is a tour completely about chocolate.

 

The founder, Jennifer Earle, believes that each tour should be a ‘chocolate adventure’ starting with a hot chocolate, and ending with the guests being ‘completely chocolat-ed out’. To me, this sounds like a perfect way to spend a day. There are four different tours to choose from, and I promise, you will want to attend every single one! First on the list is the Mayfair Chocolate Tour, which samples some of the most traditional chocolates in England, even the Queen’s favourite. This tour is perfect for milk chocolate lovers of all ages. A more sophisticated option is the Chelsea Tour, where you will be sampling chocolates from some of the most cutting edge chocolatiers that include a few award-winners. This tour is perfect for someone who wants to become a true connoisseur of the sweet! There is also an Evening Tour, in which you delve into the VIP treatment and get to sample bespoke chocolate cocktails and even get to watch chocolate being made.  Last, but certainly not least: the Full Day Chocolate Tour in which you receive 8 hours of chocolate upon chocolate. Meals are served as well on this tour, so you won’t have to worry about a sugar overload.

The best thing, in my opinion is that on any Chocolate Ecstasy Tour, you are sampling premium chocolate, without artificial flavourings and vegetable fats. You can also choose a customised tour for occasions like a hen party or a birthday. For booking and a calendar of dates, check out the Chocolate Ecstasy Tours website.

Get Festival Ready This Summer: Glam Style!

Whether you went to Glastonbury or Isle of Wight, summer in the UK means Festivals! There are many good ones to attend that happen through the summer months, so plan away! Here at The Amazing Blog HQ, we all love a good bit of music. And we know our readers love music, summer, and festivals, so we thought this was  the perfect time to introduce some wonderful new products that are perfect for taking with you to a festival.

 

A company called Wacky Practicals really caught our eye in terms of unique, special products that serve a purpose when the original version just won’t do. Their Collapsible Tea Kettle is perfect for taking with you to any festival or even a camping trip. It is made of silicone and stainless steel, which means it is a very durable kettle and the fact that it is collapsible means packing it away is a breeze. It is available to purchase from their website for £29.99. You definitely won’t miss your next cup of tea with this perfect kettle.

 

Ever heard of Glamping? Yes, that’s right: Glam Camping. A new phenomenon that we at the Amazing Blog think is absolutely wonderful. You are going to a festival or camping, but don’t want to sacrifice being a girly girl? Well, now you don’t have to. Boutique Camping offers festival and camping products that are chic, fashionable, and portable! One product we thought you wouldn’t want to miss out on: the Quilt/Sleeping Bag in Rosa. Absolutely Adorable and sure to keep you warm and snugly on those chilly summer nights. Available on their website for £90.00.

 

 We were so excited when we received Ickle Bockle’s Festival Kit here at The Amazing Blog. It is the perfect travel accessory kit for any festival goer. The Kit is packed full of perfect items: two ickle bockles (travel-sized bottles), one ickle pot, a waterproof poncho, eye mask, ear plugs, toothbrush and toothpaste, compact mirror, tissues, plasters, antibacterial hand sanitiser, and lip balm. Absolutely everything you need in one handy little bag! Can be purchased on the website for £16.95. I know I won’t be heading away without mine!

 

Fox & Pepper’s After Welly Gelly is perfect for those tired festival feet! We all know how your feet can feel after a day of wearing our favourite rubber boots, and this soothing gel takes care of the problem. Best part? It’s Paraben Free, so no nasties there. Available for £7.99 from Made In Heaven.

 

Another product we thought was most interesting. Bloom.fm, a downloadable music app has created Bloom Boots, which are Musical Wellington Boots! There is a speaker actually placed into the boot itself, so you can attach your IPod or MP3 and crank up bloom.fm! Unfortunately, there were only 10 pairs created originally, but a thought for next summer! However, you can still tune into Bloom.fm when you download the app! Check out their website for more info.

One last thing: when you're feeling tired and worn out during the day, you're going to need a pick me up. We have found the perfect way to get it, naturally of course, with Scheckter's Organic Energy Drinks! We were so excited when they arrived at the office, and needless to say, they are everything you want in an energy drink, with none of the nasty additives! They taste great, and are 100% Natural and Organic. Perfect for stowing in your rucksack for the trip, you can get the drinks from Ocado starting at £1.29 or on www.amazon.co.uk. Take a look at the Scheckter's website for more information on the drinks.

Pucker up with Lush for International Kissing Day July 6th!

 

Many of you may have heard about or even use and love products from the brand Lush. They specialise in creating fresh, handmade cosmetics that are cruelty free and offer an extensive range. Some products we adore here at The Amazing Blog? The Bath Bombs are absolutely Lush-ious, as well as the Face Masks and of course the Lip Scrubs and Balms.

So get your pout ready readers, because International Kissing Day is this Saturday July 6! Want a way to really enjoy the day? Pop over to your local Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics store and help set a record. Lush is attempting to break the current Guinness World Record of 22,174 lipstick prints collected in 12 hours, and we can all help them do it!  From 11:00 am this Saturday you can get your lips ready for the perfect print in store. You will begin by using a Lip Scrub that includes castor sugar and Jojoba oil. A lip balm will be applied next, and you can choose from amazing flavours of Whipstick or Honey Trap as well as the original Lip Service and None of Your Beeswax, a vegan option.  Last, but certainly not least, you will plant your kiss while wearing a long lasting colour from the 'Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lips' collection. This range includes six 100% vegan colours:  Believe, Passionate, Ambition, Drive, Strong, and Confident.

Not only can you help set a record by giving Lush your kiss ‘print of approval’, but you will be supporting ‘Cruelty Free Kisses’. Lush Cosmetics is a big supporter of the ‘Be-Cruelty Free’ campaign that is run by Humane Society International. It is a campaign to end animal testing worldwide, something Lush is very passionate about. We want to help them become the ‘Cruelty Free Kisses’ record holder here at The Amazing Blog, and you should too! So get ready and head over to a Lush store on Saturday July 6^th starting at 11am. Plus, you can get your hands on lots of wonderful products while you’re there! Can’t get to a store? You can also participate online by posting a picture of your lip print on Instagram. Make sure to also post your pictures to the Lush Cosmetics Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Don’t forget to tag #crueltyfreekisses in all posts!

London Zoo LATES 2013

We here at The Amazing Blog  we all work hard but enjoy letting loose every now and then (only occasionally mind!) Since it's now officially summer and we get to experience the longer lighter evenings;  it's great to  discover a new range of sun-down activities for you, our dear readers. So we have to tell you about this one which captured our attention, the little known London Zoo Lates which is now in its third year of happening. When we first heard about this, we couldn't believe our ears,  I mean who would have honestly thought about partying with the animals?!

London Zoo Lates is an incredible way to spend your Friday nights, chilling out and exploring the urban jungle - that is actually London Zoo. Leaving the stress of your week at the gates you'll enter into a giant sized adult carnival. Featuring there is a wide range of animals and entertainment; such as an adult sized playroom with ball ponds, cabaret sketches and improvised comedy. There's also an international street food festival, several pop up bars, carousel rides, and much much more…You can even get your face painted! You are never too old get your face painted (well, in our world you’re not.... Based in an exotic setting, the night is full of drinks, laughter  and all guaranteed to give you some great memories with friends to treasure.

Taking place since June 7 and continuing until the newly added Friday August 2, tickets are £25. With a group of 10 or more tickets are half price. Starting at 6 pm to 10 pm, all London Zoo Lates guests must be 18 and over, and by the way don't even think about bringing your own alcohol - they'll police you at the door. Drinks are available on-site with a plentiful selection (including alcohol) So why not live out your childhood memories and be a kid once more even if it is just for a few hours -  it'll be totally worth it.