Christmas/Winter Instagram Captions

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is Christmas/Winter Instagram captions post! I’m sure it will be helpful to many of you if you struggle to caption your posts. So, here are the captions you can use on your next photo!

▪️ It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas 🎄 

▪️ Santa Claus is coming to town 🎅

▪️ Baby, it’s cold outside ❄️

▪️ Winter wonderland ⛄️

▪️ Just so we’re clear, the Grinch never really hated Christmas. He hated people, which is fair

▪️ Family time is the best time 

▪️ Tis the season to be jolly

▪️ Blanket, Netflix and hot chocolate, all I need right now to have the perfect winter

▪️ I am only a morning person on the 25th of December 🛌

▪️ Like snowflakes, my memories gather and dance: each beautiful, unique, and too soon gone. ❄️

▪️ My favourite time of the year 🎅❄️

▪️ Make it a December to remember 🎊

▪️ Christmas Magic is Silent. You don’t Hear it. You Feel it. You Know it. You Believe it. 💫

▪️ Believe in your elf 🧝‍♀️

▪️ Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal 🦊

▪️ Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 🎄

▪️ Tis the season! Let the overeating begin! 🥗🍗🥧

▪️ Some people are worth melting for 💦

▪️ Fairy Lights on Winter Nights ✨

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! My favourite caption is ‘Fairy Lights on Winter Nights ✨’ because I recently put fairy lights up in my bedroom and it feels so cosy so this caption makes me think of it! I’d love to know what your favourite caption out of these is! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

The Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide 2018

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog is a Christmas gift guide post! I know that some of you may be thinking it’s too early to be thinking about Christmas, but I have already started my Christmas shopping and I think it’s better to start early or at least start getting an idea of presents for people! So, here’s ‘The Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide 2018’

▪️ Women:

Chanel Chance Eau de Toilette 50ml - £77

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Home Candle - £47

Next charcoal Embellished Scarf - £22

▪️ Men:

Tommy Hilfiger Damon Watch - £150.00

Hotel Chocolat The Winter Chocolate Puddings Sleekster - £22.95

Pringle - 3 pack black plain and argyle socks in a gift box - £20.00

▪️ Teens:

JBL Flip 4 Bluetooth speaker - £119.99

Adidas Originals Tape Fleece Overhead Hoodie - £65.00

Morphe The Jaclyn Hill Eyeshadow Palette - £37

▪️Children:

Schwinn Amplify 18 Inch 2018 Kids bike - £145.00

Boxer robot - £80

Chad Valley 60cm Unicorn Soft Toy - £15.00

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! Now I definitely feel Christmassy and also want to just go out and gift shop! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Gingerbread Loaf

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is a bake! Some of you may be thinking it’s too early for gingerbread but I can explain! I went to Zara Home yesterday and every year I buy a gingerbread candle for Christmas and when I smelt it I was instantly in a festive mood and wanted everything gingerbread! Hence why I baked a gingerbread loaf!

Makes: 1 loaf

Prep time: 8 mins

Cook time: 1 hr

Ingredients

175g unsalted butter

200g caster sugar

3 tablespoons golden syrup 

250ml milk

250g plain flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger 

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease and flour a 20x10cm loaf tin.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, golden syrup and milk. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat and set aside. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and allspice into a large bowl. Stir in the boiled mixture until just blended. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.

3. Turn down the oven to 160 C / Gas 2 1/2 and bake for 1 hour or until the top of the loaf springs back when lightly touched.

That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! This bake ticked every box for me and now I feel ssoooo festive! This loaf has such an explosion of flavour and the texture is great and soft. Make sure you wait until it has cooled down to cut it because if it’s too warm it can be crumbly. I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all! 

  Byyeee!!!!

Monthly Favourites

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is a Monthly Favourites for October! I have a few things that I’ve been loving last month to show you so let’s get right into it!

▪️ Fit Boutique teddy bear jacket - I’ve been looking for one of these jackets for ages so when I finally found this one I was so excited! It’s a camel coloured jacket made from faux Sherpa fleece. The fit on it is lovely because it isn’t huge and oversized but it is almost like wearing a duvet! I just want to be wearing it all the time!

▪️ Matalan pink slide on slippers - As it’s getting cooler, slippers are a must! I like these ones because they are so easy to slip on which actually makes me want to wear them more! The colour is a pretty dusty pink with a little pink velvet bow detail!

▪️ Peacocks black shoulder bag - I really like this bag because it’s the perfect size to keep all your essentials in! It also goes with almost everything so I can use it for nearly every event or outfit!

▪️ Bijou Brigitte mirrored sunglasses - I somehow lost my last pair of sunglasses :( so I wanted to get some new ones and I knew Bijou Brigitte had some so when I found these I was in love with them so had to get them!

▪️ Word Cookies app game - This game is so addictive! I always play it if I don’t have WiFi since it doesn’t require a WiFi connection and even when I’m at home bored. It is a word searching puzzle game in which you have to find all of the hidden words. This game really makes you wanna think and can make you laugh with all the silly words you try and convince yourself are real! 

▪️ Netflix - I recently got Netflix and I’m so excited to be able to snuggle in bed with a hot chocolate and binge watch some series! If you have any recommendations please leave them in the comments!

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! If there’s anything you’ve been loving this month too I’d love to know what it is in the comments! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Halloween Food

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is all about Halloween food! Last night my family had a Halloween party at our house and the food was spookily great, so I thought I’d write about it! This menu is good for a sit down meal or a buffet!

Starters

▪️ Stuffed cockroaches - We stuffed dates with cream cheese and finely chopped walnuts, by cutting a small slit into the the dates and piping in the cream cheese and walnut mix. These really looked like cockroaches so they were very effective and so easy to make! It looks even more effective if you put some fake plastic cockroaches on the plate too!

▪️ Pukin’ pumpkin - We carved a pumpkin to make it look like it was vomiting and put some spicy bean dip coming out of its mouth to look like vomit. We then added a small pot of salsa in the part of the head cut out to make it look like brains! We put the pukin’ pumpkin on a plate and surrounded with Doritos for dipping.

▪️ Mini pizzas with spiders - This is pretty simple - all we did was cook mini pizzas and cut up a black olive to make it look like a spider and placed it on top of the pizza!

▪️ Mummy sausages - We got frankfurter sausages and wrapped puff pastry strips around them to make them look like mummies!

▪️ Cheesy Halloween shapes - We cut out ready-made puff pastry using cookie cutters in Halloween shapes such as ghosts, pumpkins, bats and tombstones etc. They were brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with cheddar cheese on top and then baked in the oven!

Mains 

▪️ Chilli with pumpkin purée - We cooked a normal chilli, but put pumpkin purée in it! We served it with rice and sour cream.

▪️ Monster tacos - We made normal tacos using a taco kit and then sliced some black olives and put them in the filled tacos to look like monster eyes!

Desserts

▪️ Halloween cupcakes - We bought some cupcakes from Morrisons that were Halloweeny and they were delicious.

▪️ Mixed berries cheesecake - We bought a mixed berries cheesecake and stuck fake finger into it to make it look like there was a hand emerging from the cake! We added puréed fresh mixed berries as a finishing touch to resemble blood!

▪️ Strawberry jelly brain - We bought a jelly mold from Morrisons to make some strawberry jelly and it was really cool because it wobbled so much (so much that I dropped mine lol) and it looked like a real brain! We put some worm sweets around it too.

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! I hope you all have an amazing Halloween if you celebrate it! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Halloween Makeup

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is Halloween themed! I’ll be showing some of my favourite Halloween makeup! Credit to the people included in this post. I’m so excited for Halloween and this blog post is perfect to get you into the mood!

▪️ Half-skull

▪️ Witch

▪️ Pennywise

▪️ Day of the Dead skull

▪️ Pumpkin

That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! I’d love to know if you have planned your Halloween costume and makeup, so let me know in the comments below! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all! 

  Byyeee!!!!

October 2018 Playlist

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is something I haven’t done in ages! I’ll be showing you what’s on my playlist at the moment and I’d say my taste in music is quite mainstream, but there are the odd songs that are different! I have Spotify (@ISayBell.blog) so you can listen to my playlists! I last did a blog post like this in April 2018, but I have downloaded so many songs since then so I’ll be sharing them with you now!

▪️ I Love You So - The Walters

▪️ Warned You - Good Morning

▪️ Ava - Famy

▪️ Waving Through a Window - Ben Platt

▪️ Turning Tables - Adele

▪️ Personal (Jaded Remix) - The Vamps

▪️ Imagination - Shawn Mendes

▪️ Hawaiian Party - Club Sport

▪️ No Control - One Direction 

▪️ Your Song (Cheat Codes Remix) - Rita Ora

  That’s all for this weeks blog post! I hope you enjoyed! I know these songs aren’t new releases, but they are songs I’ve been loving and listening to over this month! If there any songs you’ve been listening to recently, I’d love to know what they are in the comments below! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Simple Cinnamon Rolls

  Hello everybody!  

  This week’s blog post is a baking post! This bake is different to anything I’ve baked before! I’ve always loved cinnamon rolls, but I’d never attempted to make my own, so I was really excited to see how these would turn out! This recipe is a simple version because it doesn't use yeast and therefore no need to let it proof.

Makes: 8 

Prep time: 40 mins

Cook time: 35 mins 

Ingredients

300g self-raising flour

2 tbsp caster sugar

1tsp ground cinnamon 

100g butter, melted, plus extra for glazing

2 egg yolks

150ml milk, plus extra for glazing

For the filling

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

55g light brown soft sugar

2 tbsp caster sugar

1 tbsp butter, melted 

For the icing 

150g icing sugar

1 tbsp cream cheese, softened

½ tbsp butter, softened 

½ tsp vanilla essence 

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment. Mix the flour, caster sugar and cinnamon together with a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk the butter, egg yolks and milk together and combine with the dry ingredients to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out to a rectangle, about 30 x 25cm.

2. Mix the filling ingredients together. Spread evenly over the dough then roll it up lengthways, like a Swiss roll, to form a log. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 even-sized slices and pack into the prepared tin. Brush gently with extra milk and bake for 30-35 mins or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 mins before removing from the tin.

3. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Place the cream cheese and butter in the centre, pour over 2 tbsp boiling water, and stir to mix. Add a little more water until you have a drizzly consistency. Stir in the vanilla essence, then drizzle the icing over the rolls. Serve warm or cold.

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! These tasted great however they weren’t the easiest thing to bake. They were maybe a tad dry and not the neatest, but overall I think they were a success and my family and I are looking foward to eating them in the morning with a hot chocolate or a cappuccino. I will see you all next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Monthly Favourites

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is a Monthly Favourites! If you don’t know what a Monthly Favourites is, basically I show you some things I’ve been liking this month! So with that being said, here’s what I’ve been liking this month...

▪️ Stradivarius photographic T-shirt - I actually bought this to go with the trousers below and I don’t have anything else like it so I’m really excited about it!

▪️ Stradivarius carrot fit trousers with zip detail (colour: vanilla) - I’ve been wanting some trousers for ages and when I saw these ones I loved them! They fit so well so I had to get them!

▪️ Stradivarius printed denim skirt - When I first saw this I wasn’t sure if I liked it but when I tried it on I really loved it! It’s so different and I can wear it when it’s hot or cold! (Bare legs or tights!)

▪️ Stradivarius travel wallet (colour: black) - I’ve been wanting a new purse for ages because sometimes it’s easier to take just a purse rather than a bag when you go out, but it’s really hard to find a purse that will fit my phone in. So when I saw this one it was perfect because it fits my phone in nicely without it being too tight and it’s a really simple colour and style, so it can go with everything!

▪️ Glamour magazine A/W18 - I’ve been waiting so long for this to come out and it finally hit the shops a couple of days ago. I’m so looking forward to reading this from cover to cover!

▪️ Yorkshire & Co. bath bombs - When I went to England I saw this really cute soap/candle/bath bomb shop and picked out a few bath bombs that look and smell amazing and they do wonders for your skin!

▪️ MergePlane app game - this game is perfect for when you don’t have WiFi! I don’t know why, but it’s just so addictive! 

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! I’d love to know what you’ve been loving this month as well! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

MTV Gibraltar Calling 2018

  Hello everybody!

  This last weekend, on Friday and Saturday there was a yearly event called “MTV Gibraltar Calling” which is basically a music festival in Gibraltar. I went in 2014, 2015 and 2016; in 2016 I actually did a blog on it called “Gibraltar Music Festival”. I had such an amazing time at the festival so I thought I’d share my experience with you!

  The festival is over the course of two days (Friday and Saturday) and is generally considered to be the last event of the summer festival season in Europe. Unfortunately due to other commitments, I wasn’t able to attend on Friday, but I did go on Saturday! Although I didn’t know all the acts that came to Gibraltar, it was still a great experience! There were two stages (MTV main stage and the classic stage) and I only watched the acts on the MTV main stage.

Here’s the lineup for Friday and Saturday...

Friday 

MTV main stage

16:15 Sour

17:15 Jetstream

18:15 Albert Hammond Jr

19:30 America

20:45 Texas

22:15 Two Door Cinema Club

23:45 Chase & Status DJ Set & Rage 

The Classic Stage 

17:00 Dead City Radio 

18:15 C+C Music Factory 

19:15 George McCrae

20:15 Eruption ft. Precious Wilson 

21:30 Gwen Dickey (voice of Rose Royce)

22:45 Sister Sledge

Saturday 

MTV Main Stage

15:30 April

16:30 Nova Twins

17:30 Girli

18:30 Scouting For Girls

19:45 Taxi

21:00 Rag’N’Bone Man 

22:30 Rita Ora

00:00 Stormzy 

01:15 Club MTV ft. R3WIRE & Varski 

The Classic Stage 

16:05 Jacver 

17:15 Glowq

18:30 Sweet 

20:00 Bad Manners

21:30 The Boomtown Rats

23:00 Suzi Quatro 

As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t go on Friday so I missed all the acts that were performing, but on Saturday I arrived at around 18:00. I didn’t watch Girli who was just finishing her set, instead I just looked around the festival site and got a drink and some Chinese food which was really good! After I’d looked around and eaten, I met up with a few friends and we made our way down to the MTV main stage to watch Scouting For Girls. I didn’t know many of their songs, but it didn’t really matter because the atmosphere was great and it was fun dancing and singing (to the songs I knew) with my friends! 

After Scouting For Girls finished a local band called Taxi came on, but my friends and I didn’t watch them, so instead, we looked around the market stalls where they were selling all sorts! It ranged from official merchandise to handmade jewellery to body glitter! Body/hair glitter was probably the biggest trend at the festival, but I didn’t get any. 

Next on was Rag’N’Bone Man which I was very excited for! I managed to get quite close to the front of the stage to watch him and he was really incredible, his vocals, his band and the interaction with the audience made it so enjoyable! Again, I didn’t know that many of his songs, but it was still so amazing and the songs I knew I definitely screamed (probably a bit too much) to!

After Rag’N’Bone Man finished I waited for Rita Ora to come on stage. I was the most excited for Rita Ora because she has so many songs I know and love! She had come to the festival before back in 2015 and she was amazing! Her whole performance this year was outstanding as well, probably even better because she has more hits now! The production was incredible. On the screen behind the stage there were lyrics so even if you didn’t know all the lyrics you could definitely sing along! She had four amazing dancers on stage with her too! She also sang her new song Let You Love Me live for the first time!

After she finished I waited for Stormzy. I was aware of his music, I just don’t listen to it so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I stayed for about half of his performance, but then unfortunately had to go home as my feet were in agony from standing up and dancing all afternoon and evening! 

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! I had the absolute best time and I’m already counting down the days until next year’s festival! Although I wasn’t very familiar with all the songs, it didn’t make me enjoy it any less, and it helped that I spent it with the best people in the world! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Autumn Wallpapers

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog is similar to something I did ages ago and that is wallpapers! The last time I did this, I made flamingo wallpapers so this time, since it’s coming up to Autumn I thought I’d share some wallpapers to get you in the mood for the new season. I made some of these wallpapers and I also got a few I liked from the Internet!

#1 

#2

#3

#4

#5

The last two wallpapers are the ones I found online...

#6 

#7

That’s all for this weeks blog post! I hope you enjoyed! I love all of these wallpapers and they all made me feel very cosy and... autumnal! My favourite is #7 as it reflects autumn in a city like London or New York. I’d  love to know what your favourite one is in the comments below! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Key Lime Pie

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is a bake! The last time I baked was July so I’m very excited to be back baking! For this month’s bake I’m making a key lime pie which originates in the Florida Keys, USA. If you want to know to make this refreshing treat carry on reading!

Serves: 8

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Ingredients

300g Hob Nobs 

150g butter, melted

1 x 397g can condensed milk (I used Nestlé)

3 medium egg yolks

Finely grated zest and juice of 4 limes

300ml double cream

1 tbsp icing sugar

Extra lime zest, to decorate

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.

2. Whizz 300g Hob Nobs or Digestives to crumbs in a food processor (or put in a strong plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin). Make more if you prefer a thicker base.

3. Mix with 150g melted butter and press into the base and up the sides of a 22cm loose-based tart tin. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

4. Put 3 medium egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk for a minute with electric beaters.

5. Add a can of condensed milk and whisk for 3 minutes, then add the finely grated and juice of 4 limes and whisk again for 3 minutes.

6. Pour the filling into the cooled base then put back in the oven for 15 minutes. Cool then chill for at least 3 hours or overnight if you like. When you are ready to serve, carefully remove the pie from the tin and put on a serving plate.

7. To decorate, softly whip together 300ml double cream and 1 tbsp icing sugar.

8. Dollop or pipe the cream onto the top of the pie and finish with extra lime zest.

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! The outcome of this was amazing and I would definitely recommend making it! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

 

Back To School Preparation

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is a back to school post! Personally, I am not excited to go back to school and I’m sure some of you feel the same so hopefully this post will give you some motivation! There are definitely pros of going back to school; you get to see all your friends! However, there are cons; having to wake up early! Here’s some tips to help you get through going back to school!

Getting ready over the summer

▪️ Read your notes over the summer - this is particularly important for subjects that you find a bit trickier! Just spend time reading over last year’s notes to refresh your memory! Keeping your brain in the habit of learning means you’ll have an extra advantage when you go back to school!

▪️ Buy your school supplies - This is probably the most obvious and important one! Make sure you have all the equipment you’ll need for lessons!

▪️ Buy your school uniform - Not all schools have a uniform, but for those students that do, it is a good idea to shop early in the summer holidays to ensure you can get your size before stocks get low!

Preparing the night before

▪️ Figure out how you’ll get to school - Make sure you arrange reliable transport, on top of the stress there may be in the morning, you don’t want to find out that the buses aren’t running or the car has no petrol two minutes before you’re about to leave! Here’s some ways you could get to school; walking, driving in the car, school bus or public transport!

▪️Choose what you’re going to wear - I have to wear a uniform, but if you don’t, choose your outfit the night before! If you’re indecisive when it comes to choosing what to wear (like me) choose an outfit you’re happy with to save time! To be extra organised, you may even want to lay out your school clothes ready for the morning!

▪️ Go to sleep early - You need to make sure you have had enough sleep so that you don’t feel tired in class and start getting distracted! If you've been staying up late throughout the summer, it’s recommended you start to get your sleep schedule on track up a week before you go back. That way, you'll have a much easier time adjusting to the new routine.

Getting through your first day

▪️ Wake up early - I recommend that you wake up early so that you’re not rushing in the morning. This will allow you to get ready calmly and you won’t find it as stressful.

▪️ Eat breakfast - I know a lot of people don’t eat breakfast but it is so important! Eat something nutritious that will give you energy! Also, if you're feeling groggy, coffee can help! Just make sure you don’t drink too much as an overdose of caffeine will leave you with anxiety and headaches.

▪️ Get to school early - 15 minutes is ideal as this will give you time to find out where your classes are, and give you time to catch up with friends. Just make sure you’re not late! Being late won’t give a good first impression!

  That’s all for this weeks blog post! I hope you enjoyed! I already feel more prepared! Although going back to school isn’t always the most enjoyable thing, try and have fun! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Monthly Favourites

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is a Monthly Favourites! It feels like ages since I last posted a monthly favourites so I’m very excited to show you what I’ve been enjoying this month...

▪️ New Look yellow striped block jumper - As some of you may know, I’m visiting England right now so this jumper is perfect for the weather we’ve had recently! It’s nice and cosy for cool weather! 

▪️ Sheffield Wednesday home shirt - I went to my first ever football match last Wednesday and afterwards, I had to get a shirt! I went to another match on Saturday and now (to my mum’s delight) I’m a Wednesday fan! I loved both matches and I am really happy with my shirt. 

▪️ Nike Air Force 1 ‘07 LV8 Women’s - I bought these for school, but I know I’ll wear them all the time! They have a really pretty peachy coloured tick!

▪️ PINK grey campus backpack - I bought this for school after a long time of looking around, but when I saw this one I knew it was perfect! It has three main compartments and a front pocket so it’ll be perfect for putting lots of books and “school stuff” in! 

▪️ New Look pink pearlised face dial watch - I saw this watch and fell in love with it! It was super affordable and looks stunning so I’m very glad I bought it! I absolutely love the pearlised face and the rose gold edges!

▪️  Zoella Beauty Splash Botanics collection - If you’ve seen some of my blog posts you’ll know I love Zoella and her beauty collection! She bought out a range called “Splash Botanics” in June, but I only just bought it! I chose the “Drench Me Bath Soak”, “Botanic’EAU Body Mist”, “Lagoon Love Bath Milk” and “Make A Splash Moisturising Wash”. The packaging is stunning and the range smells incredible so the body mist is definitely going to be my back to school scent!

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! Sorry it was so short. I’d love to know what you’ve been enjoying this month! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all! 

  Byyeee!!!!

Marrakech | Part 2

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is a follow up from last week’s post, so if you haven’t read that yet, make sure you go back and then continue reading this post. This post is about all the restaurants I went to on holiday in Marrakech! I was there for seven days, but only went to six restaurants since we enjoyed one so much we went twice!

Day 1: Quattro Restaurant & Bar

This restaurant was in the hotel I was staying in; the Four Seasons. It was an indoor-outdoor restaurant where they served incredible Southern Italian dishes. I had shared starters and we ordered; calamari and prawns served with a pesto aïoli and tapioca chips; and beef carpaccio, truffle vinaigrette, arugula, parmesan cheese, toasted bread and fried capers. For mains, I ordered a margarita pizza and for dessert I had traditional tiramisu, mascarpone cream and sponge cake coffee. The food was so tasty and the setting was stunning. It had dim lighting and Moroccan lamps all around.

Day 2: Inara

This restaurant was also in the hotel. It was an indoor setting just above Quattro. The food here featured more Moroccan-inspired dishes. Again, I had shared starters and we ordered; a selection of briouates and a selection of Lebanese mezze. For mains I ordered chicken skewers. I (surprisingly) didn’t have a dessert. I really enjoyed the food in Inara because it was my first time having Moroccan/Lebanese food in Morocco! 

Day 3: Mythe

This restaurant was in the Medina. It was a small but tall restaurant, if that makes sense, set on many floors. The dishes served were traditional Moroccan. I didn’t have starters this time, however for mains I ordered Couscous with vegetables and chicken. I didn’t have dessert either. The food here was more basic and the view over the square was probably the best bit!

Day 4: Azar

This restaurant was in the ‘new town’ area of Marrakech. It had an incredible indoor setting with a chill area to enjoy cocktails/mocktails and a seating area where they did henna tattoos; obviously I had to have one! The main restaurant served Moroccan and Lebanese food, of which all options looked delicious. We started off with cocktails/mocktails and I ordered a (non-alcoholic) watermelon mojito! For food, we had the set menu which included an assortment of 9 mezzes for starters. For mains I had the beef tenderloin with bearnaise sauce and homemade french fries. For desserts we had a selection of three traditional Moroccan desserts. The food was absolutely incredible along with the atmosphere... there was entertainment starting at 10pm which we stayed for and it was insane! There were women dancing with candles on trays on their heads, belly dancers, and my favourite, an amazing live band! Overall, the restaurant was delightful in every way! 

Day 5: Comptoir Darna

This restaurant is actually the sister restaurant of Azar and since we enjoyed Azar so much we had to try their other restaurant. Comptoir Darna is in a part of town with lots of other fancy restaurants around. There was a magical outdoor setting for pre-dinner drinks, with huge trees covering the sky like a roof and star lanterns hanging off branches. The walls outside were painted green with gold swirls which made it feel like I was in a secret, magical garden and there was also a very decorative swinging chair hanging from the tree which was perfect for photos! There was the restaurant inside with dim lighting and Moroccan lamps and intricate carvings in the walls. The food was mainly Moroccan with the exception of a few international dishes. I had a mocktail in the outside patio which was called Coconut Lips. For starters, we shared an authentic chicken and almond pastilla which I wasn’t that keen on and we also ordered an assortment of “briouates” which were delicious. For mains, I ordered the seafood tagine and I also tried  a bit of my mum’s “Legendary weeping Tiger” which was a grilled sliced filet of beef served with grand chef mashed potatoes and homemade tiger sauce which was delicious! For dessert I had salted caramel ice cream which not only tasted incredible, but it was presented beautifully as well! There was a live band playing for a little while and then we had the same entertainment as Azar; women dancing with candles on trays on their heads and belly dancers! 

Day 6: Quattro

We did come to Quattro again just because it was so lovely. For starters, I ordered the calamari and prawns served with a pesto aïoli and tapioca chips again and gorgonzola, pear walnuts and balsamic reduction focaccia and for mains I had an escalope breaded with herbs and spiced bread crumbs served with sautéed potatoes. I didn’t have a dessert! 

 Day 7: La Villa des Orangers 

This was our last night so it had to be special and my dad chose a restaurant himself as a surprise! It definitely was special. The restaurant was located just outside the old Medina and was in an old Palace courtyard with a pool in the centre. The food served was Moroccan. I didn’t have a starter but for mains I had sea bass filet and for dessert I had a delicious lemon macaron. There was a man playing a guitar-like instrument throughout the evening which was lovely! I think the restaurant was also a boutique hotel but I’m not completely sure. Overall the restaurant was the perfect way to end an amazing holiday! 

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! Visiting Marrakech was such an amazing experience and I would recommend it to everyone! I went to some incredible restaurants. Personally my favourite was Azar but the others were great too! I’m actually travelling today to England so I’d love to know whether you’d like to hear about my travels there in the comments below! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Marrakech

  Hello everybody!

  Some of you may or may not know that I’m on holiday right now in Marrakech. I arrived on Tuesday and return home on Tuesday. So far it’s been amazing, so I have to tell you all about it! 

  Souks (indoor market)

The souks can be described as "a honeycomb of intricately connected alleyways, this fundamental section of the old city is a micro-medina in itself, comprising a dizzying number of stalls and shops that range from itsy kiosks no bigger than an elf's wardrobe to scruffy store-fronts that morph into glittering Aladdin’s Caves once you're inside." I do think that is the best way to describe it. My experience was a sense of crowding and lots of different smells and a “feast for the eyes”. I wanted to look everywhere! There are shops with traditional Moroccan things such as; patterned bowls, leather shoes, leather poufs, spices and herbs and they even had “genuine fake” items the shopkeepers called them, referring to fake designer bags and watches etc. It is hectic since shopkeepers are always trying to get you in their shop so it can get a bit overwhelming sometimes but it’s all good fun!

  Jemaa el-Fnaa (square)

The Jemaa el-Fnaa is a square and market place in Marrakech’s medina quarter. It remains the main square of Marrakech, used by locals and tourists. The day time experience is very different to the evening experience. In the day time there are a lot of fruit/juice stalls, women doing henna tattoos, and men selling locally made goods and souvenirs on a sheet on the floor and snake charmers! However, in the evening a lot changes. Men selling their goods and the snake charmers leave to make way for food stalls! The square is filled with what seems like hundreds of food stalls of all kinds. You have all types of food from traditional Moroccan food to fried fish to fast food! I haven’t eaten in one so far, but some of the food smelt and looked incredible!

  Koutoubia Mosque

The Koutoubia Mosque is largest Mosque in Marrakesh! It has a large plaza with gardens and is floodlit at night. Unfortunately, when I went to see the mosque it was closed so we couldn’t go inside, but just from the outside you can see it is beautiful. It is ornamental with curved windows, a band of ceramic inlay, pointed merlons and decorative arches.

  Menara Mall

 Menara Mall is one of the largest shopping centres in Marrakech and opened in June 2015. I really like this Mall because it has local shops. There’s local clothing brands such as DeFacto and Koton and then there’s an upmarket souk. There are also lots of cafe’s and restaurants. We went to a really nice cafe called Victor which was perfect for breakfast!

  Carre Eden Mall

I really like this Mall too because not only does it have local shops but it has well known brands such as H&M and Starbucks. There are also a lot of other shops around the area.

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! My holiday is finishing soon :( but I would definitely visit here again and perhaps stay a little longer. Next week’s blog post will be a continuation of Marrakech so make sure you read that too! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all! 

  Byyeee!!!!

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again | Movie Review

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is a movie review! I’m sure you’ve heard of, if not watched Mamma Mia! Well, it was released 10 years ago which seems absolutely crazy! And as it’s been 10 years since the first film they made another movie called Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. I went to the cinema yesterday to watch it and I really enjoyed it so I thought I’d do a review on it! 

Film: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Starring: Christine Baranski (Tanya), Pierce Brosnan (Sam Carmichael), Dominic Cooper (Sky), Colin Firth (Harry Bright), Andy García (Fernando), Lily James (Donna Sheridan), Amanda Seyfried (Sophie), Stellan Skarsgård (Bill), Julie Walters (Rosie), Cher (Ruby Sheridan), Meryl Streep (Donna Sheridan)

Director: Ol Parker

U.K release date: July 27 2018

Rating: PG

Genre: comedy, musical

Runtime: 1h 54min

Storyline: In 1979 young Donna, Tanya and Rosie graduate from Oxford University -- leaving Donna free to embark on a series of adventures throughout Europe. On her journeys, she makes the acquaintances of Harry, Bill and Sam -- the latter whom she falls in love with, but he's also the man who breaks her heart. In the present day, Donna's pregnant daughter, Sophie, dreams of renovating a taverna while reuniting with her mother's old friends and boyfriends on the Greek island of Kalokairi.

My star rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Favourite character: Rosie because she’s soooo funny

Memorable moment: When Sophie sees her mother. 

Favourite song: The Name of the Game by Lily James

   That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! Overall, I loved the movie a lot! I really enjoyed the flashback scenes! I knew I’d like it before even seeing it because I was and still am obsessed with the first movie. Also, I love musicals so I was looking forward to watching it! I will see you next week with another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Monthly Favourites

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is a monthly favourites! I can’t believe it’s almost August already! Summer is going too quickly. Most of this month’s favourites have a Summer theme. 

▪️ Beaded shell anklet - I’ve been wanting an anklet for a while now and when I went on holiday recently, all the small beach shops had them and I was looking for the perfect one and I found it! I knew it was the right one because I’d been looking for one with shells on it; check! I also wanted it to have turquoise on it; check! If you read my monthly favourites last month you’ll know I got a turquoise Thomas Sabo bracelet so I wanted the anklet to match.

▪️ Springfield red jumpsuit - This jumpsuit is very formal but stunning. The trousers part is culotte style which is perfect for summer. I like to pair this with a big chunky gold necklace and gold sliders, but you could definitely pair it with heels to make it more formal.

▪️ Koala Bay shibori crochet bikini - When I saw this bikini I fell in love with the design and colour. It is a royal blue shibori, which is a type of tie-dye. It’s cream coloured crochet detailing makes it look stunning and just adds a bit more detail.

▪️ Carrefour tie dye round beach towel - I’d seen these kinds of towels all over Pinterest and Instagram, but never had one until I found this fun, brightly coloured beach towel which I just had to buy! It’s huge and comfortable to chill on at the beach or pool and it’s great to sit on with friends and chat! It has colourful tassels around the edge which makes it that bit prettier!

▪️ Straw beach bag - I’d been wanting a small/medium sized beach bag to carry my water bottle (coming up next!), towel, books, etc. When I found this one, I really liked the simplicity of it and at 6 euros it was a bargain compared to some other bags I’d seen, so I knew I had to get it!

▪️ Carrefour water bottle - Since it’s summer I need to be drinking a lot of water and I know it might sound silly, but I found that with regular plastic bottles I wasn’t drinking as much as I should be so I got this pretty reusable water bottle and I’m drinking way more water! Better for the environment too!

▪️ Plant Nanny app - I’m sure some of you have heard of this app. Basically, this app reminds you to drink water. There’s a cute plant inside of your phone that you have to take care of and the way you take care of it is by watering it. So every drink you have is helping your plant grow. I think this app is really helping me drink more water because it’s a motivation.

▪️ Carrefour Tie-dye patterned Lilo - It’s summer so of course I need a lilo! It’s brightly coloured tie-dye design gives me all the summer feels! It is also great for chilling on in the pool! 

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! This blog post is making me realise that I have a thing for tie-dye and bright colours! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Coconut and lime cake

  Hello everybody!

  This week’s blog post is baking! I’m glad to be back baking since it’s one of my favourite things to do. For this months bake, I’m doing a coconut and lime cake - perfect for summer with a zingy and tropical taste. If you want to know how to bake this; carry on reading!

Serves: 8

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients

175g butter, softened

175g self-raising flour 

175g caster sugar

Finely grated zest of 2 limes

3 eggs 

40g desiccated coconut

For the topping

4tbsp caster sugar

Juice of 2 limes

2tbsp desiccated or shredded coconut

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C, Gas 4. Grease a 500g loaf tin and line the base and short sides with a strip of baking paper long enough to overhang at each end.

2. Place the butter in a large bowl. Add the flour, sugar, lime zest, eggs and coconut and, using an electric mixer, mix until soft, smooth and creamy.

3. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and level the surface. Bake for about 40 mins until golden and just firm to the touch. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.

4. While the cake is still warm and in the tin, mix together the caster sugar and lime juice for the topping and spoon over the cake. Sprinkle over the coconut and leave to cool in the tin. To remove from the tin, run a knife along the long sides to loosen and lift the cake out of the tin holding the overhanging paper at each end. Slice to serve.

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! The outcome of this bake was incredible and so delicious. Perfect for a summer party! If you make these I’d love to see, so tag me on Instagram @ISayBell_blog. I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!

  Byyeee!!!!

Swimwear

  Hello everybody!

  I hope you’re all enjoying your summer! This week’s blog post is kind of a follow up from last week’s blog post. If you can’t remember, last week’s blog post was “Beach Day” so for this week’s blog, I’ll be showing you some of my favourite swimwear. So without further ado, here is some swimwear I like.

#1 H&M black triangle bikini top (£12.99) + H&M black bikini bottoms (£8.99)

#2 New Look white gem embellished ring strappy front swimsuit (€34.99)

#3 New Look bright blue rainbow trim triangle bikini top (€14.99) + New Look bright blue trim Hipster bikini bottoms (€12.99)

#4 Zaful cactus print bandeau bikini ($23.25)

#5 Zaful cami palm leaf print bikini ($24.49)

#6 Calzedonia Indonesia one shoulder ruffle bandeau bikini top (£25.00)  + Calzedonia Indonesia Brazilian bikini bottoms (£18.00)

  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! I’m so happy it’s summer because it means I can buy new cute bikinis and go to the beach and pool! I’d love to know what your favourite bikini is! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all! 

  Byyeee!!!!