Upper West

We're always excited to hear about new fabulous openings close to The Amazing Blog's HQ, and this time it's Upper West's turn. Situated in Sloane Square right in the heart of Chelsea, Upper West is a New York inspired lounge, rooftop garden and nightclub.

Jad Lahoud, one of the minds behind Upper West, wanted to take the best of New York's iconic nightlife and put it all together under one roof. Jad has spent over a decade in the industry and was reponsible for the resurgence of South Kensignton's Amika; one of the ultimate destinations on London's nightclub scene.

The rooftop gardens of Upper West are spectacular - a perfect spot with views over the King's Road. The new club has also partnered with one of London's most innovative galleries, Notting Hill's London West Bank, to host regularly changing installations by the country's most talented urban artists. The displays will link with the capital's key events, such as London Fashion Week and the Frieze Art Fair. The artwork will also be available for sale for those who want to take a part of the Upper West collaboration with London West Bank.

Live music will be performed every night by both established and emerging talents. The Lounge will also offer an extensive drinks list, including a range of cocktails fand crafted by top mixologists, plus an eclectic menu of New York inspired dishes consisting of New York street food. We'll see you there in January... opening shortly keep an eye out on their Facebook page!

NU Vitality's EnergyMel

Feeling stressed or under the weather after Christmas? Boost your energy and support your immune system with help from EnergyMel, a new natural supplement made from honey. We at The Amazing Blog are always looking for products that will help boost our immune systems and even give us a lift of energy during those stressful work days. We love Nu Vitality’s EnergyMel because not only is it all natural, but we think that it works! These bees are fed a diet of powerful plants with known nutrients that help to enhance their honey and so when eaten it goes on to energise you. The active ingredients of the botanicals are intensified by the adding of enzymes in the hive. Along with the honey the bees produce, these ingredients combine to form the most natural supplement that contains healing health benefits of the individual herbs.

Some of the botanicals used in this miracle supplement are Panax Ginseng, Broadleaf Plantain, and American Spikenard. Panax Ginseng, (important in Chinese medicine), this first plant helps the body better cope with change and also helps stimulate the body. Thus aiding in the the immune system and recovery of illness. The second plant Broadleaf Plantain, commonly used as a battlefield wound healer, boosts the immune system and treats infection. And finally the third plant, American Spikenard, is renowned for its detoxifying properties. These three ingredients, along with a few others, help give EnergyMel the amazing benefits it contains.

Just one teaspoonful of EnergyMel twice a day gives an all around boost for those of you leading busy lives. This supplement will help reduce fatigue and improve resilience. It is also beneficial for people recovering from illness as it helps support and quicken the healing process (I've recommended it to my neighbour who suffers from ME). The benefits of EnergyMel can be felt within only a half an hour of taking it, and it is also safe for long-term use since it is totally and utterly completely natural!

EnergyMel retails for £20.00 and is available from your local health shop or pharmacy nationwide. We at The Amazing Blog are interested in trialling this for a longer period to see the real difference, it also tastes nice too.  We hope you will like Nu Vitality’s EnergyMel too.

Our Favourite Christmas Home Buys

Our next topic on "Our Favourite Christmas Buys" is home, whether you are a candle lover or go crazy about Christmas decorations, here you'll find some of The Amazing Blog's favourite picks for these Holidays.

Spice up your home this holiday season with Ancienne Ambiance’s Scented Candles. These candles are elegantly gift-boxed and created with the finest natural fragrance blends found in France. Their new look includes a line of stronger scented candles wrapped in luxurious purple gift-boxes, and a special edition line of Christmas candles. We tried and loved one of their six signature scents here in the office along with the Nativitatis candle from their Christmas line. The Phoenicia- Cedarwood Candle, one of the six fragrances in Ancienne Ambiance’s candle collection, has the scent of freshly cut cedar-wood blended with fresh herbs. The office smelt like the sweet smells of a forest, and it was so pleasant bringing the natural scent of the outdoors inside. The scent symbolizes prosperity and its roots trace back to ancient times. We also got to test out one of their two special edition Christmas candles. The Nativitatis candle is a wonderful blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The magnificent scents had us begging for the holidays to finally arrive. This candle is the best-selling winter scent and is presented in new signature black glass and giftbox. The New-Look Ancienne Ambiance candles are priced at £36.00 and the Special Edition new-look Christmas candles are priced at £40.00. All candles burn for over 60 hours which allows the long-lasting scents to linger in your home past the holidays. The candles are available for purchase directly from AncienneAmbiance.com. These lovely scented candles will be sure to keep your home smelling nice all year round.

Looking for some truly unique and intricate Christmas ornaments to decorate your tree with? Monty’s Vintage Shop sells beautiful glass ornaments. Although unusual, these ornaments are original and quirky. Many of them are shaped as animals, from bugs to a mammoth. Monty’s Vintage Shop truly exhibits quality over quantity. Some are decorated with very sparkly jewels, and all of them are decorated with immense detail. Consumers love their newest Christmas ornaments that retail between £9.40 and £14. They can be purchased on their website here. I hope there are some left to order for my Christmas tree!

IC Innovations has a great line of cutting boards to give as Christmas gifts, but the Cheeseboard with Magnetic storage & guillotine was our favourite. This unique wooden cheeseboard includes a magnetic storage strip, a stainless steel cheese guillotine, and four specialist cheese knives. This cheeseboard is one of the most diverse of its kind on the market. This cheeseboard would make as the perfect gift to add to someone’s kitchen accessories. It retails for £25.00 and can be purchased on their website here.

Looking for a simple and more affordable home Christmas gift? You will love Ella James’ Heart Shaped Wired Baskets. These large heart shaped baskets are perfect for holding soaps, small toiletries, flannels, and other bits and bobs in the bathroom. You can purchase a set of three in the distressed white colour for £22.50 from their website here.

Are you sick of giving the traditional photo frame to a family member or friend for Christmas? Ostrich 2 Love has created an Ostrich Leather Photo Frame that retails for £79.00. This unique frame comes in 12 different colours and has three different clear slots. The frame folds over into three pockets so you can easily take it on-the-go. The folding capabilities also make it perfect to store a selection of photos or cards in. This coloured photo frame would brighten up any room. The Ostrich Leather photo Frame can be purchased on the Spirit Boutiques website here.

Cedarlia’s Hand Painted Frangipani Jugs make the perfect Christmas gift if you are looking for something different yet practical for the home, particularly the kitchen. These beautifully designed jugs really pop in their bright feminine colours. Hand painted with great care and skill in such unique designs and colours, these jugs truly have the wow factor that will brighten up kitchen shelves and can also create the most striking vase. There are three colour combinations to choose from. These jugs really do make the perfect gifts. You can purchase the jugs on Cedarlia’s website here. They retail for £27.00.

These are The Amazing Blog's Christmas picks for the home. Cute pieces that could be the perfect gift to any member of your family. From luxurious candles to unusual and beautiful Christmas decorations, we're sure you'll find something that you'll like. Tomorrow's post is on Fashion, visit The Amazing Blog tomorrow once again to discover our picks!

Inspired: London, A Guide to Handmade in London

After the increasing popularity of handmade products and DIYs, it seems that customers are now, more than ever, interested in designers and online shopping. With every purchase, they look for a "shopping experience". Inspired: London, a Guide to Handmade in London allows customers to meet designers, closing the gap between the producer and the buyer. The guide was created by Mary McDermott, owner of We Make London, a series of regular craft events across the city, after she spotted a rise in the interest in handmade products in the UK. From clothing to art, and detailed information about their creators, this guide helps you getting in touch with people that hand make products in London. The book aims to support local businesses and includes a useful directory of almost 100 organisations, suppliers, independent shops and designer-maker markets. We have absolutely loved the book - we've found super inspiring and we literally couldn't put it down. And the fact that it features products to suit every budget is a definite plus.

Inspired: London, a Guide to Handmade in London is available to buy online for £12.00 via the We Make London Website and in selected bookshops.

The Cape Cod Cookbook

At The Amazing Blog we're great advocates of both food and good causes, so imagine our joy when we stumbled across The Cape Cod Cookbook by Kelly Moss and Michael Aviles. . Bringing  a slice of New England home-cooking to British shores the proceeds of this cookbook go to Spinal Research thus raising money for a fantastic cause.

Written by sisters Kelly and Michael, who grew up on the beaches of Cape Cod, the Cape Cod Cookbook is a celebration of family, friendship, and food. A beautifully presented hardback book, the Cape Cod Cookbook has wonderfully evocative photographs that perfectly capture the New England way of life. Reminiscent of beach BBQs with friends, the sound of a ferry horn nearing the shore, sailboat races and sand dunes, this is more than just a cookbook.

The book boasts a selection of traditional Cape Cod recipes that include New England Clam Chowder, Boston Baked Beans, and Slow Roasted Pulled Pork. The book also comprises a number of more enticing dishes such as Falafel with Garlicky Tahini Sauce, Kofta Kebabs, and Farfalle a la Vodka, all of which have been collected by the sisters as they have travelled around the world.

The Cape Cod Cookbook caters for all occasions; whether you’re after a tasty afternoon snack, or are putting together a fabulous family feast. A superb gift for both amateurs and foodies alike, the delicious recipes are easy to follow with readily sourced ingredients.

The cookbook can be purchased both on Amazon and through their website for £18.50. Having tried some of the recipes, including the Boston Baked Beans and the Crab Cake, we can certify that the recipes taste just as good as they look!