LauraHadley.co.uk: lifestyle

lifestyle

An Introduction to DH Design

Hi, My name is Daniel (Lau's brother), a multi-disciplinary designer based in West Yorkshire, UK. I’ve been working in the industry for 2 years now after achieving a degree in Graphic Arts and Design from Leeds Beckett University. I'm glad I can guest post here today.

My practice is varied, working across multiple disciplines from branding, graphic design, illustration and more. I love finding new, exciting ways to work from ai generated art to new ways to explore typography. My online portfolio can be found at this link and you can find a variety of projects I’ve worked on, from industry to personal work and there are exciting projects getting added soon.

My current project focuses on experimental typography, creating a book of my typographic exploration throughout my career so far- from typographic sketches to 3d typography and more, this project is constantly being updated which can be found here.

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Nova Scotia Liverpool Restaurant Review

I was recently invited to review Nova Scotia on the Liverpool Waterfront and I was delighted to accept. Nova Scotia is an independent bar & eatery that serves breakfasts, small plates, lunches, main meals and desserts. Dishes include burgers, Dockside hotdogs, full English breakfasts, sandwiches, salads and traditional UK meals like Scouse and fish and chips. For drinks, Nova Scotia offers Signature Serves including Sea Brow Iced Tea, Jamaica Street, NS Old Fashioned and French Martini cocktails. They do serve mocktails too, which was very pleasing as I don't really drink alcohol. There is a selection of beers and wines too, so there is something for everyone. The menu includes veggie and vegan options, as well as clearly indicating allergens including eggs, dairy, gluten, mustard, nuts, fish, soya and more. This is great as it makes it nice and easy to see what is suitable. They are open 9am to 9pm 7 days a week so they should be open at a time suitable for everyone.

I knew I wanted a mocktail as soon as I was told they could make one and it had raspberry purée, lemon and pineapple in it, topped with a strawberry and a piece of orange. Andy chose an ice-cold San Miguel which was lovely to have on a warm but rainy summer's day. He said it was a nice refreshing beer to accompany the meal. There is a good selection of drinks at the bar so there should be one for everyone.

To start, we had the Halloumi Popcorn (£7, Vegetarian), which were beer battered halloumi nuggets which came with a roasted red pepper mayo. There was a fair amount of these given they were only a small plate item and were so light and delicious. The batter was crispy and the halloumi was soft and cooked perfectly, with the mayo pairing well to give a nice additional flavour. We also had the Salt N Pepper Fries (£5, Vegan) which was a plate full of homemade fries with salt n pepper seasoning, fried onions and red peppers throughout and topped with red chillies and salad onions. I was so impressed with these fries, so much so I would say they are one of the best we've ever had. If they ever got in a plant-based 'chicken' burger they would be so perfect together. Salt and pepper seasoning is most definitely one of my favourite flavours and these fries are perfect.

For our main meals, they asked if we would like them brought over not long after we had started our small plates, which we said yes to which was kind of them. I had the Mauretania (£12, Vegan if you choose the plant-based hotdog), which had salt n pepper seasoning, onions and peppers. I'm not normally one to choose hot dogs, but the salt n pepper flavour swayed me and I really enjoyed it. Andy had the Marco Polo (£14, Vegetarian), which is a Moving Mountains burger topped with cheese, house burger sauce and beer battered onion rings. This was a really tasty burger, and the onion rings worked well and gave a little added crunch and flavour. Both meals came with a generous portion of the Nova Scotia seasoned fries which were homemade skin-on fries and were the right mixture of crispy and soft.

Nova Scotia is located in the Mann Island building, right next to the World Museum and the Three Graces right on the waterfront. At the end of the 19th Century, the Mann Island area was actually a shanty-town called Nova Scotia and the dock served Canada and the lumber trade. It twinned with Nova Scotia in Canada, and there is also a Liverpool in Canada along with a Mersey River and a Mann Island over there too. Check out the video at the bottom of the post that showcases the creation of a composite 19th Century map of Liverpool’s waterfront and city centre, focused on the Nova Scotia dockland area.

The restaurant had a great atmosphere, with lots of plants and beautiful green and white tiles. It has a nice casual feel but in the best way possible. It's perfect to have a catch-up with friends and family, or a few drinks outside when it's sunny. It was open and airy and had a good view out to the Liverpool Museum and docks area. They have a selection of seating, including raised stools, booths and standard chairs. There is a small curb outside of the restaurant but after this, the restaurant is step-free (apart from a couple of small steps to the regular toilets) although there is an accessible disabled toilet down a small ramp as well. There is space within the restaurant to use a wheelchair where you could wheel up to a table.

The only criticism I have for the menu, is that it would be great if Nova Scotia could add the option to upgrade your Seasoned Fries to Salt N Pepper Fries with your meal, potentially for an extra few pounds. If an upgrade to the fries was available, I highly recommend getting the Salt N Pepper Fries with a main, but if you really want to try them you could get a few small plates to share as the Salt N Pepper Fries easily serves two people. The staff were really friendly and helpful and contributed to a really enjoyable and relaxing visit. I'm definitely going to be returning at some point soon and would recommend making a visit if you enjoy great food and drinks.

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AD | Making a Functional and Stylish Space

Designing and creating a space in your home is exciting and enjoyable and something that many people love doing. When you've invested in your own space, it gives you the freedom to create areas to make it personal and suited to you. One of the most sought after rooms in a house is a cinema room as people love being able to watch things on a big screen with great acoustics, and having an at-home movie theatre adds that added luxury to a home that you have curated. When it comes to making your very own cinema room, why compromise on aesthetics to have good acoustics when you could achieve both with a product like the MuffleTimber Acoustic Wall Panel. The timber wall panels are designed to improve the interior sound quality by dampening excess noise and adding a touch of contemporary style that is effortless to match the rest of your design choices to help form a cohesive home.

Improving the acoustics in a cinema room can really change your experience, and can be the difference between just playing a film from a streaming service to feeling that you are actually in a cinema and being immersed in the movie you have chosen. When it comes to selecting where to place the panels, don't just think about your walls, as the acoustic timber is designed to also be used on your ceilings, so you can transform the entire room to achieve the optimum sound quality. If you wanted to create a cinema room yourself, you might be thinking that adding wall panels is going to be a complicated and time-consuming process. Think again. The Muffletimber panels are installed using only screws, which makes them quick and effortless to fit into your space. This would prevent any delays to your revamp as the wall panels can be added in a short period of time.

If you have a wall that is a different height to the panel, don't worry as the acoustic wall panel can have the length amended by simply sawing off a section so that it fits perfectly into your space. This makes Muffletimber customisable to any room and will let you cover whatever area you desire. The visual appeal of the panels can also convert the space into something you will be proud to show off and will enjoy inviting people around to experience it with you. There are a variety of colours available for the panels so you should be able to find one that is suitable for your taste.

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What You Should Include On Your Wedding Website

I have a website set up for my wedding for so many reasons. They are a really good resource for both you as a couple and your guests. You can add as much information as you'd like and this can save you some money when it comes down to invitations by not including multiple info sheets. We have our website password protected with the password being only something we would both know, and we are including it on our info sheet. Your website has private information so this is important. Once our wedding has been and gone I'll upload our invitations in a blog post and explain how we made them. For now, here is my advice on what to include on your wedding website.

The info on the invitation

It seems obvious, but what if a guest has lost their invitation closer to the day but saved your wedding website on their phone? Well then, they need the main information. This should include the location, date, time to arrive and whether the ceremony and reception events are in different locations. A lot of other information can be covered in the FAQ.

Your story

It's nice to add a bit about yourselves, not only to bulk up the website and make it look pretty but to give guests some extra information about yourselves. We have added in how we met, the proposal story and our timeline of events. The timeline bit includes each year and what we've done, so in 2012 we met, in 2014 we got a flat together, in 2017 we got engaged for example. We will have been together 9.5 years so I guess there is more to fill in. Your story can include anything you wish. It's nice to add some pictures in where you can too.

Your colour scheme and dress code

I can't stress how important this is. If you don't want guests to wear certain colours, you'd like them to dress in black-tie attire or you want a bit of a theme to your wedding, you really should include a dress code. By including your colour scheme, you can ask guests to avoid dressing in your Bridal Party colours, you could ask everyone to match in say black or white (which looks amazing) or specify if there is a specific colour you do not want guests to wear. The specific colours which come to mind from tradition or superstition are white (bride's dress), black (mourning colour) and red (certain culture's bridal colours and also superstitious from what Google tells me). On our dress code section in the FAQ, we've laid out what formal attire and cocktail attire is (the guests can take their pick) so that those who aren't used to going to formal events can see clear as day what is expected. As a guest, I would find this really helpful, especially if someone wanted tuxes and floor-length gowns because I would see any kind of formal event as wearing a cocktail dress. We have also specified that you can wear any colour and have included the colour scheme in case anyone wants to match on purpose.

How to RSVP

Most wedding website providers allow you to add a page to RSVP on. On our website, we have a little bit of information first, such as what date to RSVP by, alternative ways you can reply (email, posting the RSVP card back etc) and how to RSVP. Ours is on Zola, so you add your guest list in, so when a guest opens the RSVP page it's a lot easier for them. They just have to start typing their first name in the box and a new page will appear. When you make the guest list you check off which events you are inviting people to, for example, the ceremony is an event, the reception is an event, or you could do an all-day event and then an evening event. This works for multiple cultures as you can make separate events for different ceremonies if you're having two, a wedding rehearsal, brunch the next day etc. I would make sure to add to your RSVP, even on a paper invitation too, that dietary restrictions can be catered for so leave space for guests to add in what theirs are. We are particularly understanding as a couple as we're both vegetarians with intolerances!

Travel information

One of the first things guests think of when they're figuring out whether they can attend your wedding will be about the travel. If your website allows it, add a Google Maps feature to pin your locations in. This page overall should include where the wedding is taking place, how to get there, local hotels (if you have a specific one booked out, specify this) and taxi numbers. We have also added some things to do in the area, such as cool places to visit, places to go for walks, and places you can grab a bite to eat at.

An FAQ section

This can include all the extra questions that guests may have on the day. You should include information about parking, whether the venue is accessible to disabled guests, whether plus ones or children are invited etc. You could add in some extra answers to questions like should I bring confetti, what food will be served, whether it's an open bar and so on. All those extra questions that may not be deserving of a whole separate page should be on the FAQ page.

A gift registry, or not

I think it's more common in American weddings to have a gift registry, whereas in the UK it's more common to put money or a gift card inside the card you give. We have added this bit into our FAQ as I didn't end up liking the look of a page being titled something like 'gifts'. We added a simple poem to explain if you did want to gift money, and that wasn't expected, that you could add some to contribute to our Honeymoon. We also added in an explanation too as this is the second wedding we've planned as the first one was completely cancelled. Some guests gave us money in advance too so we've taken note of that.

Here are some other wedding posts you may be interested in

Our Engagement Story

What I've Learned from Wedding Groups

My Wedding Dress Story & Experience

So You Just Got Engaged, Now What?

What I’ve Learned From Being In Wedding Groups

Ever since we got engaged I joined wedding groups on Facebook to get advice, DIY ideas, helpful tips and a lot more. In order for me to find out what would be useful to have at the wedding, what is a waste of money what people didn't even notice on the day etc. I have combed through the groups for people who have already had their wedding day to see what they had to say and here is what I've found so far.
Favours get left behindThis is probably one of the most common things I found when looking in the groups. People will spend a ton of money on favours for a huge percentage of them getting left behind. Sometimes people don't want to take home a personalised pen, some flower seeds or a mini bottle of vodka. Even though these things might be what you like, you have to weigh up whether you'll be left with 60 favours at the end of the evening to take home. I really wanted to make small cookies or something but with dietary requirements (including my own) I just couldn't justify the cost. Every favour I could come up with cost way too much and if I had a lot left over, what would I do with them? Overconsumption is one thing that is contributing towards climate change and for someone who is passionate about trying to save the planet, there is no way I could confidently say I was happy to risk it. If people don't have bags or pockets big enough too, that may be one reason why favours are getting left behind. Think about it in advance before getting settled on an idea.
Sweet carts often go untouched unless you invite childrenWhen you first go to Pinterest when you get engaged you see all these pictures from American weddings and think, wow, all this would be so good at our wedding. I am a fiend for some vegetarian sweets but so many people on wedding groups said that their sweet carts barely got touched. I couldn't believe just how many people said this, with the same going for other food areas that wasn't part of the wedding breakfast or evening food. Well that idea got swiftly thrown out of the window. I couldn't bare the thought of making custom labels for each jar and buying bags and little tongs and things for all the sweets for them to barely get touched. Now with the pandemic too, I don't think I would want people hovering over food or touching sweets. I feel the same way about buffets too and haven't been to one since. You really need to look at who you're inviting to the wedding and look at it from there. We have one child coming who is my sister. I love her but I'm not making an area dedicated to sweets just for her.
Breaking traditions to have your perfect dayA lot of people were wondering on the groups whether they should stick to old wedding traditions or switch things up to how they'd like things to happen. This could be eloping, having a different coloured dress or wear a jumpsuit, having their hair dyed a bright colour, having different food at the venue and so on. There are certain things you have to compromise on like having a seating plan if you're having a sit-down meal to make it easier for the caterers, and if you're getting legally married in England at least you need to have a Registrar or get married in a Church. There are so many traditions you can break but it really comes down to what you'd like on your own day. This depends also on culture and religion too.
Look outside of major chains for thingsWe bought our rings from Etsy from two different stores, and we are so glad we did. Not only have we heard horror stories from these wedding groups (think the major UK jewellery chains) with rings breaking, stones falling out, not getting what they were promised etc, we decided to shop small. I feel like even if a store gives you a guarantee it doesn't mean that they won't fight you first before you're able to get what is in the guarantee. Nothing is certain, so we looked at small businesses on Etsy because as a fall back you have Etsy customer service to rely on if something went wrong. You could say the same for outfits as you could use a local business to handmake items instead of buying from big businesses. You could do this for your invitations, your flowers, and little bits and bobs for decoration. You will find that you can find more unique items on places such as Etsy because things have been made by one person, not on a factory line.
Be present in the momentCherish every second and really be present in the moment. People said that the day goes so fast so you should relax and soak up every minute of the day. Another comment of a similar vein is how you set up your tables. We're doing a sweetheart table for me and my partner as divorced families make a top table difficult but it also means we can sit and (attempt) to have our wedding breakfast just by ourselves. We know we will have to mingle and say hi to people or people may come up to us but if we can, we will just be chatting to ourselves and enjoying a bit of down time.
Don't let others opinions get the better of youAs a people pleaser it is so easy to give up and let other people put their opinions across and just plan the wedding for you, how they'd want it. It's yours and your partner's wedding. So many people have been posting dilemmas about how to do things their way, how to tell someone no, whether they should just elope to save the hassle and so on. Luckily we personally haven't had too many opinions thrown our way, but since we re-planned our whole wedding after we cancelled the first one, we've kept a lot of ideas and things we've bought to ourselves. I personally have spent the last few years setting boundaries and have been better at enforcing them so if you practice being firm with what you'd like at the wedding, hopefully it will really help to stop you trying to always please other people there. You can't please everyone, so you need to think about what you as a couple want to do.
Be careful how much you DIYDoing something yourself or making something yourself does not always guarantee things will be cheaper. Having a read of some Pinterest posts early on really opened my eyes. We bought a Cricut and a Minc foil applicator machine ahead of the wedding as we wanted to make our own invitations and use the machines later on. So many people don't have those machines so you can't just look at a 'laser cut wedding sleeve design' and think yep that is affordable. It costs hundreds of pounds and you could pay someone on Etsy to cut them out for you. Unless you have the items ahead of time, it can cost you so much money paying for all the bits and bobs before you've even made it. You also need to figure out how much you need to DIY; whether you are doing all the decor, just some of it or just the odd bit. You absolutely can put too much on your plate and give yourself a huge workload when you could maybe rent items out. There is a fine line so the wedding groups helped me look at what my ideas were and see where I could rent things and where I could make things myself.
Spend money on things that matter to youWe really value photography, with my partner loving taking portrait photos and his Dad and Uncle being able to take amazing landscape scenery and wildlife photos. We knew that having amazing photos was one of the most important things to us, and that's why we chose Two For Joy Photography. You only do the day once and actually, photography was the very first thing we booked. We got dates from them and booked our venue around when they were available. If you have a budget, prioritise the things that matter to you first. You want an amazing suit, you would like lovely flowers, you want custom made engraved rings, you prioritise them all.
Having a change of outfitI was surprised to see how many people had a second dress, their Groom changed outfits, they changed their shoes, or just did something different later on. I used to see on Say Yes To The Dress people with a lot of money would get 2 or even 3 wedding dresses and I just thought how ridiculous it was. It wasn't until myself and my partner were looking on the groups more regularly that we saw people were having outfit changes later on, for the first dance or for the 'party' part of the day. Some people changed for the first dance because it was easier to dance in a different outfit or their dress was just too heavy. Some people just changed their shoes for this or took off their outer skirt. Some had completely different outfits for the party side of things as they were too hot or uncomfortable wearing the same thing for hours on end. At first I couldn't see how I'd want to take off my dress but I was quickly reminded that because of my illnesses I have poor temperature regulation and I am likely to get really warm from dancing. My partner has now bought me a lovely dress for the party part and he is looking to get a new shirt and new shoes for himself for the same time. On this one day, we want to look good but be comfortable too, and that's the same thing other people said too.

Q&A With My Partner: What It's Like Being My Carer

When do you think your role as my carer really began?

I think it was around the time I noticed you were struggling with pain and mobility a few years ago as it was becoming clear that you needed a hand with certain things, even if these were small things that I could do that would make a big difference to you.

How do you feel like you manage your workload working a full-time job and looking after me too?

I think generally I have got quite good at doing both of them successfully. I'm able to work effectively in my job and help and care for you around this and when I'm home. For the times when I'm in work, I will plan ahead to anticipate what you might need during the day to prepare this for you, such as making sure your meds are available and anything you need is easily accessible for you.

What does looking after me involve from your perspective?

Sometimes it's hard to separate what would come under 'carer' activities and what is just the things anyone would do for their partner. Some of the things are small things like I've already mentioned such as making sure your meds/food/drinks are prepared, along with ensuring you remember to take your meds at the correct times. I also need to give you a hand or be available when you get a shower/bath due to the risk of you fainting being a lot higher. The other main activity I would say comes under a carer is helping you get around when we go out somewhere, whether this is supporting you when needed if you are walking or pushing you if you need to go in your wheelchair.

Is there anything you've learned from being a carer?

Being a carer will be different for each person doing it and the person that they are caring for and some of the things that you help them with are often not a huge task. Many of the things are a straightforward and easy task for someone such as myself who is not disabled, but they can make a huge difference for those receiving your care. These small things that you do can have a real impact on the persons quality of life and help ensure they are able to do things that they would not necessarily have been able to otherwise.

Has it changed our relationship since you've been my carer as well as my partner?

I think because were have always been very close and enjoyed spending time with each other, along with always being very good friends from the get-go, I don't feel like things have changed drastically. As your conditions have developed over time it has been more a case of adapting as we go rather than things changing overnight. We are still able to do the things we enjoy, some of these have just been adapted. I would say that we have become a lot stronger over the years as a result of me being your carer and you going through a lot.

Do you wish you were able to pay for someone else to come in and be my carer?

In one way it would be great if you were able to have more care if you needed it and able to be taken out if you needed to. But on the other hand, we seem to have a good way of managing it and organising things at the moment but obviously, things may change in the future when there may be more of a need to have someone else come in and help you.

What are the negatives of being a carer?

I think sometimes people see me as your carer first rather than your partner and just immediately think that I must only be your carer and that's it. I have noticed that you sometimes see people judging the situation without knowing anything about it.

Do you think carers are acknowledged enough by the government?

I think it's hard that a lot of carers are not recognised and given any financial support by the government that would make helping and caring some someone a bit easier and could help to provide things that would improve the quality of life for the person they are caring for, such as certain adaptions.

Do you regret not having a more private relationship between us, since there is absolutely no privacy between us now?

As we've always been open with each other about everything I don't feel like it has changed that much and it really doesn't bother me. I know that I help you with certain things now and know a lot of information about your medical conditions, but I'd rather have it this way as it means I can support you more effectively. I'd also there be less privacy and be able to help you with anything you might need rather than keep certain things private and then you have to struggle on your own.

What is frustrating for you being a carer?

It's annoying how difficult it can sometimes be for me to get carer access to places when we visit. We've had to purchase a few different cards to 'prove' that you are disabled and that I'm a carer in order to allow me to get into a venue as your carer. Some venues, such as concert venues, don't make it easy if you need accessible tickets. I remember when trying to get tickets for a concert, I just had to ring up the general booking line even though there were only specific seating that we were able to get tickets for. Other venues have their own dedicated accessible booking lines which are much better so I know it can work - I just feel not all venues are considerate enough for those who have additional needs.

From experiences pre-covid, when going on days out, what have you witnessed that has shocked you?

One of the things I have noticed is the number of people that stare at your when you need to use a mobility aid, especially when you are in your wheelchair. I understand that younger children may stare as they are not used to seeing people in wheelchairs so they may just be curious, however, for anyone else, there is no excuse to stare. I understand you may glance over but people I have seen look at your for a considerable amount of time.

What is it like having to speak for me sometimes?

I don't mind ever having to talk for you as I know it can be difficult for you sometimes. I've seen it a number of times when you have been trying to explain something for yourself and people don't take you seriously and I'm more than happy to speak up and advocate for you to reinforce what you are saying, such as needing considerations for something we are doing.

Do you feel like you've become a disability advocate yourself?

Definitely. I have noticed that I became much more aware of things and feel I will take more things into account realising how it could affect disabled people. I think that my mindset has changed and I will always try and look at things considering how they could impact disabled people. This could include access to places, adaptions needed or even whether the red emergency cord in a disabled toilet it correctly all the way to the floor.

What is one thing you wish people would know about disabilities and chronic illnesses?

Each person's experience and situation with having a disability or chronic illness is different and their needs will vary. Just because one person with the same or similar condition(s) is able to do something does not mean that someone else will be able to so you should never assume anything about someone who is disabled or chronically ill.

Have you ever witnessed medical gaslighting with me in my appointments?

Unfortunately yes, and on more than one occasion. When you weren't able to see your regular GP, you had one appointment where the other GP downplayed the symptoms you were explaining to them. They even turned to me and started responding to me even though you were the one who was speaking with them. I know for some of your conditions that you experienced gaslighting on more than one occasion and it took multiple appointments for you to be taken seriously, which meant you weren't able to access the help you needed to control things such as your pain you were experiencing.

What are some misconceptions about caring for a partner that you'd like to address?

One of the things about caring for a partner isn't about doing things for them all day every day. Sometimes, just helping them with simple things can be really helpful for them, such as taking their medication or helping them get to the loo if they are physically struggling one day. Something else is that it's not a burden to help care for you. Everyone needs help sometimes, so helping someone you love and care for should not be seen as a negative thing.

Are there any misconceptions that you yourself have learned about that you once thought were true?

I didn't previously realise the realities of ambulatory wheelchair users. I knew that just because someone used a wheelchair, this didn't mean that they couldn't walk at all, however, I'm now much more aware of the reasons people use a wheelchair and this can vary day to day and even within the same day. People may be able to walk for so long and reach a point where they then need to use a wheelchair. I also thought that accessing support for help and financial support was much easier than it is, and now realise that getting access to things such as a blue badge, never mind financial support is a lot harder than it should be.

What advice would you give people in the same situation as us, with one partner caring part/full-time for the other partner?

Obviously, things will be different for every couple depending on your own situation, but there are some things I think would be applicable to a lot of people. Taking the time to plan ahead and prepare can really help. This could be for if you are going away on holiday, or even for the next day when you will be out at work. Things such as the Sociability app are useful to download as they collate a whole host of accessibility information in one place. I'd also reassure you that it's worth sticking to your guns when it comes to things and don't be afraid to speak up for your partner. Be firm but kind and don't let anyone gaslight or downplay your partners needs as you and your partner know best.

What are your hopes for the future regarding my care and our situation?

I'd prefer to be able to work from home in the future in whatever work I'm doing as it would make it easier to help out when I was on a break from work or on the off chance you took a turn for the worst I'd be able to help straight away. I know it's something we are currently working towards, but I hope we are able to get a blue badge to make it more accessible and safer when parking. It would be a help if you were able to get some financial support, even a small amount to help cover the additional costs you experience such as medications and access aids. I know we have also talked about our house situation in the future, and I think if we could either move or extend our house at some point to make it easier for you to get around if we could have a more open-plan space. I know we don't have the funds to do this any time soon but I hope in the future we'd be able to.

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Sleep is an important part of our daily lives. We all have our different routines, schedules and practices when it comes to sleep, but getting good quality sleep is something that's important for all of us. Many of us probably don't get as much or as good quality sleep as we would like. Reasons for poor sleep vary for different people and can be due to a temporary situation or more long-term issues. Over the past 18 months, we've all been put through, and are continuing to go through, the pandemic that has affected our lives in ways that we may never have seen before or may never see again. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people have had disturbed sleep during this time. I know for myself the worries of trying to avoid getting ill in itself was enough to have further impacts on my own sleep. Even though we all have different implications from poor sleep, one of the common effects felt by many is an impact on memory. I can say for sure I've experienced problems with my memory, and have had countless poor nights of sleep that has just made things a lot worse. I've been working with Tempur to look at the impacts of poor sleep and how this can have detrimental effects on memory.

Tempur is known for its mattress material which is designed simply to help you to 'sleep better, longer and deeper'. Having a good mattress is important, but you can't underestimate the importance of a good pillow, which is why the memory foam is also used in their pillows to help evenly distribute your pressure and weight to contribute to a more comfortable nights sleep. It has proven pressure relief that helps with minimising how much you will toss and turn, which is something I often struggle with. Tempur was first created by NASA in the 1970's to help the comfort of astronauts during lift-off into space - not something many products could boast. The Tempur Material is the original memory foam that is its own unique type like no other which is why their products offer supreme comfort.

Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who really struggle with their sleep and have done since I was younger. In more recent years I have developed a number of chronic illnesses which have an impact on my sleep for different reasons, however, my biggest hurdle to getting a good nights sleep is my pillow. When I say I've tried a lot of pillows over the past few years I really mean a lot. I have to take medication each day, and when I've not been well-rested the night before I find it much harder to remember when I need to take my tablets or that I need to take them at all. I'll sometimes also forget to go and get myself food and can miss mealtimes altogether. I'll speak to my partner in the afternoon once he's finished work and only then when we are talking about dinner I will realise I didn't have any lunch. When it comes to drinking enough, I normally had some bottled drinks next to me, but even then I will still forget to pick them up and drink during the day and can end up dehydrated because of this. I'll also really struggle to remember things I had planned to do that day, even if it had been planned to do on that day for a while.

Having impacts on my memory can get really frustrating if I forget to do the things I needed to do, or even what I was saying. I can be in the middle of a sentence and forget what I was going to say and really struggle to recall what it was, sometimes not being able to remember at all. It can actually be quite upsetting, especially when it happens on multiple days when I have had a run of poor nights sleep. Some nights I have insomnia and just cannot get settled for hours on end however hard I try. Even if I'm getting to sleep at a normal time and wake up at a normal time, I often don't end up feeling that rested in the morning as my body hasn't been that comfortable during the night in order to rejuvenate and mend from the day before. Other times I will wake up much earlier than I was due to get up and cannot get comfortable again to allow me to drop back to sleep.

I've swapped out my current pillow with the Tempur Comfort Pillow Original that I was sent to test out and have already noticed the benefits. It's really comfortable and I find that even if I turn on my side during my sleep I won't wake up, which normally wakes me because not all pillows are suited to sleeping in different positions. I can also lie on my front and 'cuddle' the pillow and which is often a comfortable position to sleep with, especially at the start of the night. The pillow can also be shaped to the contours of your body to tailor it to what you need. Another benefit is that the soft fabric cover can easily be removed to wash at 60 degrees so you can ensure it's always fresh. I often end up waking up with neck and back pain from not having a good enough pillow to properly support me during the night. It can get into a negative cycle where I have a poor nights sleep resulting in aches and pains the next day, which then makes it harder to sleep the next day. I've had a run of bad nights sleep for a couple of weeks at a time where the knock-on impacts have become worse and worse. The pain from this alone is enough to affect my concentration so when you add in a 'sleep deficit' as my Dad calls it, it makes recall so much worse.

I'm really looking forward to using this Tempur pillow on a longer-term basis as I've already started to notice a difference with comfort improvements which is allowing me to get better quality sleep. It's really nice to feel more refreshed in the mornings and I'm hoping I can catch up with my sleep and be able to have a more consistent and good quality sleep routine. If you also struggle with your own sleep, it will definitely be worth checking out what Tempur have to offer. Don't underestimate the positive change that having good quality and properly designed products can do for your sleep. This will in turn give you other benefits, whether this is mentally such as improvements in memory, or physically such as a feeling rested and refreshed in the mornings.

This is a sponsored post in conjunction with Tempur and contains press samples but all thoughts are my own

AD/PR Sample | Trying Gluten Free & Vegan Products From Incredible Bakery Company

When The Incredible Bakery Company contacted me and asked if I'd like to review some of their products, I jumped at the chance. I found out a few years ago that I have a fair few food intolerances, and one of them is gluten. It's been hard to find gluten-free bakery products that I like and it's only been in recent years that supermarkets have started to make an effort to provide these products to people. I thought it was great that I have been given the chance to review some free-from items and I am so happy to have been introduced to this lovely company. The Incredible Bakery Company is an award-winning bakery that wants to "help everyone to lead an allergen friendly life through a better diet - without compromising on taste". The difference with this bakery is that they are catered to multiple dietary requirements, as all of their products are; gluten, dairy, egg and soya free. Another great bonus is that they are vegan and coeliac friendly. The bakery is based in Warkton, Northamptonshire where you can pick up your orders if you are local, or if you're not in the area they deliver to all UK businesses and homes. They offer a range of products, both sweet and savoury. I'm glad the products are vegan-friendly too, as I'm a vegetarian who is starting to cut out some foods to lower my impact on the environment.

My favourite product I received had to be the Onion Focaccia (£3.75) which was a 280g tray that was so tasty. It was a lovely fresh and soft texture with an amazing flavour which made it so moreish. It had a good level of moisture throughout and was topped with finely sliced onion which gave it that great taste. The tray would be ideal to use as part of a sharing platter if you were hosting or even one to just nipple on over the course of a few days. I'd buy this again in a heartbeat as the caramalised onion was such a delicious flavour and has to be one of the best things I've ever eaten, and it has the bonus of being gluten-free and vegan.

The second item I received was the Gluten-Free Oat Loaf (£3.90) which is designed to taste like a wheat loaf. This was a family-sized loaf that kept us going for a good few days. It was nice as both bread for sandwiches and worked well being toasted also. I was pleasantly surprised how soft and fresh the bread was, as gluten-free bread from other companies/brands I've tried tended to be quite dry. The loaf still managed to maintain a good crisp crust to it, with the oats that topped the loaf gave a nice flavour and texture. It was a nice change to have a fresh bakery loaf that I wouldn't have known was gluten-free which shows they have really put the effort in to make a good product. I've really missed loaves that are close to being freshly baked and this was a treat.

Another product I've been trying out is the Flat Bread Wrap (pack of 4) (£4.00) which can be used for multiple different things like fajitas or pizzas, or simply just wraps. The wraps were so soft and really tasty and fresh to eat just as they come, or heated in your oven or toaster for a warmer snack. I also decided to try out using one as a pizza base, with just some tomato puree and cheese on top. I stuck it under the grill for a few minutes to melt the cheese and crisp up some of the flatbread so that it still had a nice soft base. Alternatively, you could pop it in the oven for a little longer to get a crispier base also depending on your preference. I also received the Submarine Roll (pack of 4) (£3.00). These were good-sized rolls that my partner particularly enjoyed using for a sandwich for his lunch. They were fresh inside with a good crusty outer which would also make them great for dipping in soup - I don't like eating soup unless I can enjoy it with some good crusty bread. I could see these being perfect for a BBQ also for those wanting a home for their hot dog.

The last item I received was 2 of the Brazilian Carrot Cake slice (£1.30). It was a generous sized slice perfect as a sweet treat. My partner loves carrot cake so was excited when this turned up. He liked the spongey and moist texture of the cake and the flavour packed within and the melted chocolate chips topping the cake off nicely.

I have been really happy with the products I received from the Incredible Bakery Company, all of which were fresh, tasty and a welcome change to some of the other gluten-free brands I've had in the past. There is a good selection of products available at a reasonable price, with UK wide delivery available making it accessible wherever you are located. They sell multiple brands on the website too, like the Gluten-Free Pie Company which I really need to try out in the future. If you need gluten-free or vegan products, or even if you don't have a dietary requirement, I would definitely recommend checking out what they have to offer and you won't be disappointed.

Post contains press samples

AD/Gifted | Daisy London Jewellery Review

Daisy London is a jewellery brand from the UK that create pieces that they feel are missing from jewellery collections. They launched in 2009 on Portobello Road with the name Daisy London; inspired by wildflowers and has grown from a small business to a cult favourite. I love how they've blended together bohemian style with contemporary fashion. It's a brand made by women and they want the brand to represent us all. All their jewellery comes with a 6-month warranty, so you know you're in good hands. The rings I've kindly been gifted have come from the Esteé Lalonde collection which is their third collaboration now, as I just couldn't resist the theme. When I was watching YouTube a lot I used to watch Esteé's vlogs, so it's nice to see she is doing well and helping to make beautiful jewellery. On the Daisy London website there is a page on how to keep your jewellery clean and beautiful which is fabulous as this is often not provided.

The first ring I chose from the Esteé Lalonde collection is the Goddess Hexagonal Ring (18Ct Gold Plate) £49 which is a cocktail ring with 18ct gold-plated silver with a carved border and the lunar goddess symbol within the hexagon. It has a slim band which is perfect for me. If you know me, I love all things celestial, so this ring was the first one I chose. If you're more into different colours, it also comes in silver. The Goddess collection includes bracelets, earrings and necklaces too, which I'm so tempted by! I have to remind myself I am saving for my wedding. I just love the full moon and crescent moon design with what I see as like a moonbeam coming from behind them. For some reason I really love hexagons too, I'm even fitting bathroom tiles in this shape. It just looks different and that's exactly what I love about Daisy London's jewellery. These rings are a fusion of vintage and modern style which is right up my street, and I'm sure it's up your street too.

The second ring I chose was the Estée Lalonde Mini Sunburst Shield Ring (18Ct Gold Plate) £49. It reminds me of the 1920's Art Deco style which I adore. If you're into subtle designs with a bit of a twist, this is the ring for you. According to Daisy London, it symbolises positivity and happiness, with the sunburst engraved within the shield. Along with the Goddess Collection, the Sunburst Collection contains necklace, bracelets and earrings too which are also available in silver. The rings go from size XS to XL which covers UK sizes from J to S. I am usually an O (if you've seen my engagement ring its Q 1/4 as it's American and it's too big now!) so I chose an L to make sure it was the right fit and wasn't too tight. Daisy London has a sizing guide and also teach you how to measure your fingers to find out what size you are. If you wear rings on multiple fingers this comes in handy!

The products in the Esteé Lalonde collection range from £19 to £408, with the higher prices for the necklace layering sets. If you're not looking for layering sets, the prices go up to £179 which I think is great for a jewellery company in the UK. There are pieces that are affordable for everyone. They are also working hard to be as sustainable as they can, which is a must-have in this current climate. Daisy London's jewellery is made from 100% recycled silver and packaging is made from FSC approved paper. They are continuing to work with factories to limit the amount of plastic used whilst maintaining their high standard of hygiene. Daisy London is working with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to minimise the impact of their jewellery on the environment. There is a whole page on sustainability here, where you can read their environmental statement. I'm really thankful for Daisy London for working with me, and I hope more people can support their business, given the impact of the last year or so. I'm definitely going to be checking them out when it comes to gift-giving over the next year, as I have a lot of people who like jewellery who might be interested in their lovely products. I hope in the future Daisy London will consider creating rose gold jewellery too, now that would be beautiful!

Post contains press samples