How to make cheap homemade Christmas decorations

Tis the season to be creative… yes that even means if you have no arty skills whatsoever. You really don’t need to be no Picasso to have a go at making these simple decorations.

The festive season is not only indulgent on the waistline but it can also mean diving a little too deep into your purse. December is just around the corner so if you’ve got decorations on your mind but don’t want to break the budget, i’ve put together a handy guide to making your home festive under £5.

I will keep this page updated with my latest suggestions for you to try at home so keep checking back for more ideas.

Homemade candles

These are super easy to make and can easily be done with bits and bobs from around the house. Old jam and chutney jars are perfect to use after a good soaking but if no-one is a fan of the cranberry sauce and the jars aren’t going fast you can always pick up a choice of maison and preserve jars for £1 at stores like Wilko and Poundland.

Reindeer jars

How cute are these! I made two and filled one with mini Christmas pudding shaped chocolate balls… because who doesn’t want more treats on top of the advent calendar?!

• Tall jar
• Bronze/gold/brown coloured paper
• Red pom pom – I got a mixed bag from Poundland
• Strong transparrent glue
• Stick on eyeballs – I picked up mine from the 99p store
• Scissors

Glittery jars

These are so simple and can easily be done with items you already have from around the house.

• Any shape jar you have at home
• Scissors
• Strong transparent glue
• Festive ribbon or string
• Silver glittery snow fluff
• Coloured glitter paper of choice

They are lovely decorations for anytime of the year and can easily be turned Christmasy by filling with glitter snow and adding festive ribbon.

Easy decorations to do in less than 15 mins

• Pine cones – A pack of 5 from Wilko is just £1
• Snow spray
• Cava/wine corks
• Strong transparent glue
• Pipe cleaners
• Red Pom Pom for Rudulph’s nose
• Googly eyes
• Coloured paper
• Blue tac
• Scissors

DIY snow cones

Wine cork reindeers

I loved making these super easy decorations and believe me when I say ANYONE can make these at home. I mean, who doesn’t have cava corks lying around the house already? And if not… what a great excuse to pop a bottle of wine.

Homemade snowman

Who needs snow when you can make your own snowman on your doors at home?! I think it just looks adorable and the best thing is you can use everything you already have at home and it’s so so easy and quick to do!

These DIY decs take so little time to make you’ll still have time to put your feet up, pour another glass and snuggle up watching your favourite Christmas movie. They’re so cute for around the house and your guests and little ones will love them too.

Enjoy your creative night in and why not treat yourself to a mince pie and Buble playing in the background!

Love Leeanna xo

How to make Baileys and Terry’s Chocolate Orange hot choc

It’s that time of year again… onesies, Christmas movies and your favourite mug of hot cocoa.

Hot chocolate isn’t just for children though. Now you’re legal you can add as many shots of Baileys as you like to the nostalgic winter treat and what’s is more festive than the flavour of chocolate orange. Without fail, every year I find not one, not two, but THREE Terry’s Chocolate Orange’s in my stocking on Christmas morning.

So if you’re like me and can’t wait until the 25th of December for the delicious sensation, why not have a go at this easy and tasty Hot Chocolate recipe. Perfect for a cosy winter night-in while you put your feet up in front of the fire.

Terry’s Chocolate Orange and Bailey Hot Cocoa recipe

Ingredients

• Terry’s Chocolate Orange (Why not try the honeycomb or white edition for an even more christmasy feel!)
• Milk
• Baileys Irish Cream (Baileys chocolate and Baileys orange truffle would also make great additions to the drink!)
• Marshmallows – mini, sparkly or giant – whatever your preference
• Whipped Cream

Steps

1. Choose your favourite cocoa mugs – I am loving Maison Jars at the moment so thought I’d be all trendy and have a go with these.
2. Melt 1/4 of the Terry’s Chocolate Orange
3. Drizzle the chocolate as you wish around the inside of the mug – be as creative as you like!
4. Heat up two mugs of milk
5. Melt 6 segments of the chocolate
6. Pour the milk and melted chocolate into a blender and add 2 shots of Baileys (or as little or as much as you like!)

7. Pour the mixture back into the mugs and re-heat

8. Now it’s time to decorate!! Add all your favourite hot cocoa toppings to your heart’s content. I added MORE Terry’s chocolate by grating shards and adding pieces with marshmallows but squirty cream would also be a fab addition.

I hope you enjoy these tasty Hot Chocs as much as we did on our cosy Sunday night. They go perfectly with mince pies too, to really get you in the Christmas spirit.

Love Leeanna xo

 

Easy Halloween Recipes: Simple spooky treats sure to impress on Fright Night

Happy Halloween!

It’s that time of year again… and I am SO happy about it. Halloween is such a good celebration and it always brings out my inner DIY creative self!

  
I have already been working on my pumpkin-carving skills, clown make-up designs and now I’m ready to get spooky in the kitchen. 

If you’re anything like me and don’t actually have a real knack for baking… have no fear! Just follow these simple steps for making some sure-to-impress super easy treats. Trust me if I can do it – you can!

BOO-nana Gouls

Omg how cute do these yummy bananas look?! And the best thing of all… you only need three ingredients and they take such little time.

   
Ingredients 

• Bananas
• White chocolate 
• Milk chocolate chips 

Method

1. Cut the banana into halves
2. Use lollipop sticks to skewer each banana  and pop them in the freezer…. Be patient! It will take a couple of hours…
3. Melt a bowl of white chocolate over a hob of boiling water 
4. Once the bananas have completely frozen, dip them in the chocolate and smother them in as much chocolate as you wish 
5. Place on greaseproof paper and top with two chocolate chips for eyes

* You can even make this Halloween treat healthy by switching white chocolate for fat free natural yogurt

Spooky Spiders

These spooky spider treats are so easy to make and something I’ve incorporated from a house favourite of ours. I’ve turned my go-to treat recipe for chocolate peanut butter cornflake cakes into a scary and delicious fright night snack.

  
Again all you need is just a few ingredients and you’ve got a winner! I mean can you even go wrong with the perfect combo of peanut butter and chocolate? Hell no!

Ingredients 

• 4 cups of cornflakes
• 1 medium bar of milk chocolate
• 1 large tbsp of peanut butter
• Worm sweeties/liquorice laces/strawberry laces
• Mini smarties

  
Method

1. Melt the chocolate and peanut butter in a bowl over boiling water (or in the microwave in short pulses)
2. Add cornflakes to the gooey mixture and stir until covered
3. On greaseproof paper lay out your spider legs as you wish
4. Top the legs with the cornflake mix in the shape of bodies
5. Add two mini smarties for eyeballs
6. Leave to chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours

I hope you have go at either of these recipes yourself for Halloween – they really are great fun for the kids and such a simple way to impress your friends.

  
Now pop the kettle on and enjoy your favourite horror with these tasty spooky snacks! 

Love Leeanna xo

Lingerie for your next ‘Netflix and Chill’ date

It’s official. Winter is back.

Now that I’ve forced my parents to drive all of my Autumn/Winter wardrobe up to London and trek back my – yes hundreds of – summer clothes, it means there are a lot more cosy nights in on the horizon for me and bae.

I’m most definitely not a big Winter weather fan. As you can probably tell from my blog posts… I’m more of a Summer girl. However, get me on a rainy minus-whatever-degrees day and I will be VERY excited about having a cosy night in my jammies with my favourite mug of hot chocolate!

So with some inspiration from Adore me’s new Fall collection, I’ve put together some date night outfits to impress that special someone for when you’re snuggling under the duvet on those icy evenings.

Lingerie must-haves for Winter 2016

Well, matching undies is obviously a necessity. I can’t be the only the one who thinks this? Wearing a matching bra and knickers instantly puts me in a good mood.

I can guarantee wearing any pair of these Adore me underwear sets above will kick start your day with happiness – not only because they are gorgeous but because a set costs as little as £20.

Pair with…

My favourite way to compliment your undies on a night in is with a kimono gown or a comfy casual jumper plus pretty accessories too!

Plus all of these are a must on my handy ‘Night In’ checklist
Netflix and Chill checklist

1. You’re favourite matching undies and slippers
2. A cosy jumper, cardigan or dressing gown
3. Something to snuggle under – maybe even a snuggie or one of those new mermaid blankets?!
4. Hot chocolate with ALL the trimmings. I can NEVER say no to whipped cream and marshmallows… and a flake!
5. Finally – my favourite. Naughty treats – obviously something chocolate-related!

After my upcoming boozy camping weekend I can guarantee next Sunday will consist of me and bae watching Breaking Bad with our favourite chocy bars, peanut butter cup ice cream, chocolate popcorn and probably some Tim Tams too.

Far too often, hangover Sundays exist in my weekend. Does anyone else have that awkward pause on Monday mornings when your boss asks what you got up to at the weekend? I mean… Should you tell them you got absolutely trollied on Saturday night and almost faked your own death to avoid work the next morning because the hangover was still so bad.
No. You use your Netflix binge to your advantage explaining ‘how relaxing your CHILLED weekend was finishing the House of Cards TV series and learning more interesting facts about Brendan Dassey in Making a Murderer’.

Just follow my steps above for the perfect cosy night in and you won’t even care if you haven’t been out of the house.

Love Lee xo

Have you ditched the New Year’s resolution yet?

We’ve all been there… year after year we make a resolution that for one day we are so determined we will complete. Whether it’s giving up smoking, tackling a Dry January or changing your lifestyle in the aim of having a body like a Victoria’s Secret Angel. Bye bye 2015!

“New Year New You”

January 1st is the day I feel most motivated to complete it and I really persuade myself and all my friends that I will. But I feel all of your pain when the struggle hits and you feel like you can’t go on any longer.

This main struggle supposedly happens every year on January 17- National Failure Day. The day we stress and bought our first 2016 pack of cigarettes, ate the WHOLE of the Cadburys Milk Tray and chucked back shots after shots of tequila.

Read more: Happy New Year! My highlights of 2015 and some 2016 ideas for you

If that’s you, I hope you still gave it a good bash until the 17th. If not 2016, maybe next year? And for those of you still powering through to Feb… Well done you! I’m very proud to say I am one of the contenders this year.

How to keep your New Year’s Resolution?

Make it fun! 

It will be so much easier if it is something you know will enjoy doing or actually get some sense of reward out of i.e. learning a new skill or fulfilling something you’ve been wanting to do for ages.

When you’re pressurising yourself to lose weight for example and getting angry when you are too tired for the gym, it will just make you want that chocolate biscuit you’ve been craving even more! When you go to the gym and try classes that suit you and your timetable it is more fun and easier to turn into a lifestyle change. Don’t bother with the 5 am run if it’s not for you!!

Just ease into it. Don’t think about the end product of some celebrity’s body, because 1. it is probably impossible to achieve and 2. it will stress you out more.

That is exactly what I have done this year, I’ve ditched the ‘Get fit’ and ‘Learn to cook‘ resolutions. I hate exercising excessively- I just can’t deal with the aches and pains, and I don’t particularly enjoy cooking! But I do believe I gave it my best bash in 2015! I just will always prefer to be the dinner party guest.

Read more: Recipes for sweat treats, eating healthy and snacking lightly

For me 2016 is a year for doing more and seeing more of London- the capital city I have now lived in for two years… yet barely even seen any of it!

I’ve made myself a bucket list of things to do, yes the typical tourist hot spots but also things my work colleagues have been raving on about and things I’ve always wanted to do but never got a chance!

So it’s time to actually appreciate my home city and tick off this checklist:

• Cahoots bar √
• Secret cinema
• Secret bars
• Climb O2
• Sky Garden √
• Sea Life
• London DungeonsGo inside Buckingham Palace
• China Town √
• Hampton Court Palace
• Beigel Bake
• Kew Gardens
• Hampstead Heath
• Royal Ascot √

So far this month I have drunk Vera Lynn cocktails in a 1940s bar, drunk prosecco on the rooftop of the Walkie Talkie building and munched on crispy duck pancakes in China Town.

Things to do in London

After living and visiting London all this time I am still so shocked I’ve never even seen China Town or walked through it. I obviously knew it existed somewhere central but I didn’t realise the whole streets were actually kitted out with special themed architecture! Love it! Bet it’s wicked there on Chinese New Year.

If you haven’t been already Sky Garden is awesome. The 360 view of London from the top of the Walkie Talkie is absolutely amazing, giving you visual hot spots of The Shard, London Bridge, Canary Wharf and the London Eye. Plus you get to have a play around in the indoor jungle garden. Yes we acted like kids getting pictures in the bushes.

One of the things I love about London is all of the quirky bars you hear people saying they’ve visited and the opportunity to get a delicious cocktail within probably just a 20 minute walk from wherever you are standing! Cahoots is one of the best bars I’ve been to. Hidden in Kingly Court just off Carnaby street, you follow the Underground sign to take you down into the secret hotspot, where you feel like you’ve gone back in time.

                 

Not only are all the staff fully dressed in 1940s get ups but they are all in character too, putting on accents whenever they talk to you! The drinking den has reverted back to its roots as an air-raid shelter and everything in there- from the bathroom’s radio station to the stack sof sandbags- is reminiscent of post-war London. I definitely recommend having a visit.

Woo and more good news! Tickets are finally booked for mine and Effie’s 2-year discussion of wanting to go to the Royal Ascot Ladies Day Races. Yes it would be cool to see the queen but really we are much more excited about the hats!!

Read more: Why I loved London Fashion Weekend

Let’s hope February is another fun month of experiencing more of London and ticking that checklist of!

Love Leeanna xo

Happy New Year! My highlights of 2015 and some 2016 ideas for you

So the new year started with a bang… from what I have heard. Unfortunately I can’t actually remember the first few hours of 2016 as I may have got a little too excited about the festivities. I did drink a third of a bottle of champagne before I’d even put my sparkly dress on!

I can’t believe how fast 2015 went, it just flew by but I have had one of my favourite years so far and these are definitely my highlights:

Turning 20

IBIZA

Secret Bar

Chase & Status

DJ Fresh

Thorpe Park

Riding Harry’s broom

Hertfordshire Zoo

Harry Potter world

Sunny Beach

Sunny B!!

Notting Hill Carnival

Angel of the North

Newcastle

Rooftop Cinema

Bestival ❤

Embracing the Besti rain

I ❤ sunny Bestival

I ❤ Suny Beach

Zoo trip for the birthday boy

Redlight @ Soundclash

Soundclash Festival

HALLOWEEN

Rudimental @ Ally Pally

Cosy in my snow cape

ICE BAR

Cambridge (Hogwarts)

Feeling glam @ Winter Ball

Girls out punting

First ever silent disco

Winter Wonderland

Christmas house dinner

Family time in Bruge

Magical Ice Kingdom

Cirque Berserk

Alcoholic Architecture. Breathing alcohol steam responsibly

Somerset House

Christmas decorating

Ice Skating (pros on the ice)

Before NYE got messy

2015 has been great… especially my trips to Newcastle, Cambridge, Ibiza, Sunny Beach and Bruge!! And despite turning 20 this year I’m glad I have still embraced my inner child riding all of the rides at Thorpe Park, ridding Harry’s broom and flying Ron’s car at Harry Potter world and visiting Hertfordshire Zoo and London Zoo.

Read more: Summer Time Healthy Dinner Inspiration

New things I’ve done this year that I would love to do again and definitely recommend is a partying at a silent disco, having yourself a go at punting and seeing the Angel of the North in Newcastle.

Read more: Beat The January BluesWith some Bargain Buys

London life

Things I have loved about my second year living in the city… watching my fave chick flick, Mean Girls, on a sunny rooftop in Fulham Broadway, scaring all of the tourists when I dressed up as a petrifying Cheshire Cat for Halloween and partying at Notting Hill Carnival for the first time where I tried Caribbean jerk chicken. Mmm mm Summer in London this year was wicked!

Winter

But I can’t work out if Christmas in London was even better… my favourite winter moments were  sipping a cocktail from a frozen glass in the Ice Bar, while wearing a huge igloo cape, and typically being a regular at Winter Wonderland and its German Bar.  But this year I got to embarrass myself going down the Magical Ice Kingdom slide and also watch Cirque Berserk, which was absolutely incred! This Christmas we did ice skating at Somerset House and I’m so glad we did because it is just one of prettiest places i’ve seen in London especially when it’s all Christmasy.

Read more: London Fashion Weekend at Somerset House

Read more: A Guide to 2015’s Winter Coats

Music

I have seen some of my favourite DJs, bands and artists play live this year and my highlights have got to be…

Chase & Status at Amnesia in Ibiza. This might even be one of the highlights of the life. I saw Chase & Status about three years ago at Reading festival and ever since I’ve been desperate to see them again! And omg there were even better abroad… probably because I dancing on the podium the all night grabbing strobe lights straight apposite the DJ set.

Rudimental at Ally Pally in North London. I loved this night even more because Alexandra Palace is such an amazing venue… You would actually feel like a Princess in a place if you were wearing a ball gown. I definitely recommend going to a gig there! I’ve seen Rudimental three times and they’ve never failed to impress… I loved it this year because their guest singers were flawless and I still can’t stop playing ‘Lay it on me’ all the time!

BESTIVAL. I know I go every year, so it’s no surprise this was one of my highlights!

NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT – SEPTEMBER 13: Tito Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Jermain Jackson of The Jacksons performs on day 4 of Bestival at Robin Hill Country Park. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/Getty Images,)

I’ve got to say though this year my faves were defs The Jacksons (can you believe they’re actually grown ups now?!), Duke Dumont, sweating it out in the Bollywood tent for Shy Fx, dancing in the pouring rain with the girls squeezing under one rain cape for Mark Ronson and of course Annie Mac at the port- she’s amazing every year!

Read more: Festival Fashion Fever

If you haven’t tried any of my 2015 highlights then make sure you do this year!!

Love Leeanna xo

Follow me on bloglovin’

I’ve just joined up with Bloglovin’, which I personally adore for being able to follow all your favourite blogs, including mine ;D.

There is also a new App for Iphone, which is a really easy and practical App to browse and read posts from all your favourite blogs.

Don’t wait any longer and download the app from here 🙂

Oh and follow me too: bloglovin.com/blog/11741423/?claim=a72e2xmysaj%E2%80%9D%3EFollow …

It’s raining, it’s flooding, there’s tube strikes…

So let’s all just chill out and have a cosy night in. No rain, no trains, no hassle. 

This is exactly what I need tonight to help me relax after the hectic few days of rushing about, catching buses that won’t finish their routes, queuing in the rain and walking long distances in the cold and darkness.

Time for Ted, a milky coffee and some bedtime reading of Look magazine. You cannot resist picking up a mag with Queen Bey as the gorgeous cover star! Ted is one of my favorite films and I just had to watch it because it never fails to make me laugh! 

Oh and it’s definitely time to get into your comfy pj bottoms and cosy slipper socks!

Let’s hope with the tube strikes over tomorrow the weekend ends the week on a high note! 

Love Leeanna xxx

I’m an ASOS Insider whoop whoop

On Thursday I found out some amazing news- ASOS emailed me to say I had been accepted as an ASOS Insider and today I received these cute gifts in a little package sent to my home.

In a cute box filled with mini stars, I found a  hand-written note, a notepad, a fortune cookie and some ASOS sunglasses.

I am so excited to be welcomed into the #AccessAllASOS family and I can’t wait to meet other people who love fashion as much as me. I am so buzzing to be invited to the first ASOS insider-only event- maybe I will get to try on ASOS clothes or get a sneak peak of the Spring/Summer 2014 collection.

Eeek exciting times.

My first week at ITN studios working with ITV News

On January 13 I pretty much grew up. I am now living in the big city of London and am working as a Digital Journalist for the ITV News website. I was so lucky to have been offered the apprenticeship for the year and apparently out of about 1000 people, what is that all about?

A cute studio on Holloway Road is where i’m currently living, and yes that is the road where a couple of scenes in Luther were filmed. Remember, in that weird shaped modern-looking building? I say this because I was quite excited when I found out. I got pretty addicted to the programme and ended up finishing all three of the Luther series in one week! With my new job, maybe I could grab an interview with the director and beg him to make a fourth series.

I’ve already met some lovely people, got my own desk in the newsroom, found stories and published some reports for the site. I still can’t quite get my head around the fact that some of the copy I’ve written is actually on the ITV News website.

I am so excited for the year ahead!

Oh and my director, Tom Hill, from uptospeed had a lovely message for me on his own uptospeed blog.