Days out: Wentworth Castle Gardens

Days out: Wentworth Castle Gardens

This weekend had the weather forecast of being sunny and nice so myself and my husband decided to don the walking boots and go out.

We decided to go somewhere within driving distance in Zoe, therefore we opted for Wentworth Castle Gardens. This is near Barnsley which is about 30 miles away from us. After a drive out around the countryside and some windy roads we arrived.

The car park was quite busy but we got a space straight away, Then there was a little walk up the hill to the entrance. (if you are disabled you can drive up this hill closer to the entrance and show your blue badge).

You enter through a quaint gift shop where you smell the food from the lovely cafe and buy your tickets. Then you get your map and you are off the explore. There is a lot to see and wether you like animals (lots and lots of sheep) the buildings or the gardens there are many places to see. Also something I really liked is there are lots of benches and seating around the park.

We went to see the newly refurbished conservatories. It was interesting to see how they used to look and their transformation to what is now a light bright and modern indoor garden space. 

From here we wondered off the main path and went into the woodland and the trails. This was ideal for the walking boots as it was still a little muddy underfoot. Yet again we were greeted by hundreds of daffodils. this reminded me why I like to get outdoors in the spring.

I then spotted a very interesting looking tree. Now don't think I've gone mental but I saw this and it took me back to my child hood and I shouted and pointed like a 2 year old. “Fairy Steps” my husband looked at me gone out and then looked where I was pointing and smiled. What do you think? I can understand why the fairies would like to live high up in the trees and maybe they don't want to use their wings all of the time.

We walked up to the castle and then went up the 83 steps to the top of one of the turrets. Where we had a nice view over the park and the countryside. The only thing that could have been better was the weather was still a little misty and after all of those steps a seat would have been greatly received.

We wondered back through the well manicured gardens and all of the little gates back towards the beginning. I can see how this would be a lovely place to come in the summer when the flowers are in full bloom. Finally we arrived back the the cafe, where a homemade jam scone and tea awaited. A great way to finish off the day.

I would recommend going here, I can see how some of the hills and slopes could be an issue for wheelchairs if you went away from the footpaths and I would think a more off road type buggy would be needed.

The entry was reasonable at £5.50 each and this included a parking token. We did spy that national trust members got 50% off. On entry and paying we were also asked if we were eligible to or interested in giving gift aid on our ticket price. I think this was a great idea as 20% goes back to the company as a tax relief donation.

http://www.wentworthcastle.org/ 

Sensationail : At Home Gel Manicure

Sensationail : At Home Gel Manicure

Last year I was very lucky to receive as a gift the Sensationail at home gel manicure system. I have been a lover of nail polish for a long time but never liked that due to my job my nails chip very quickly. I feel like to keep my polish looking perfect i needed to apply it daily. Even buying more expensive brands and taking time over proper preparation, top coats and base coats did not work for me.

I looked into having gels done at my local beauty salon as I was amazed at the 14 day wear tag. However I was put off by the £25 price tag.

In the summer last year the sensationail items were reduced in my local Asda and while out shopping and seeing this I mentioned it to a family member of how good the price was. 

Next thing I knew it had been purchased for me (very lucky I know). The set I got was the Pink chiffon set including the lamp. 

To be honest I am not the biggest fan of the bright pink colour but it was a great taster for the range and for me to realise that I did get a good 10 days wear before the sids started lifting.

Next time I was in Asda the polish’s were reduced to £5 therefore it was prime time to get more colours. I purchased Taupe Tulips, the Pink French Manicure, and Mauve Mauven.

The starter kit has everything in if for 10 manicures, I know i have not been using the pink colour for every manicure, but the rest of the kits bottles are still going strong and I am on about manicure 15.

I don't like the french manicure, I cannot get along with the stickers for creating the smile line. I really feel like I need another pair of hands, and I don't have that available.  But I do Love the Taupe Tulips colour, it is the perfect nude and does not give me mannequin hands.

 It is a great colour that will go with everything for the 10ish days of wear. Mauve Mauven is a great muted bright raspberry. 

I do love the system and it is like a full on usual at home manicure. It takes me about 30 minutes and that is taking my time. 

You simply, shape the nails, push back the cuticles, buff off the shine, wipe off with an alcohol wipe, primer, base coat, colour coat, top coat, wipe again = done.

In the middle of the stages you put your nails under the lamp for either 30 seconds or 60 seconds depending on the stage. (the lamp give you a handy beep to tell you when done)

One thing I have learnt from using the system is not to get the products on the skin, i.e cuticle or the side of the nail. firstly when it goes under the lamp the product goes solid and it is hard to remove post curing, secondly if you get it on there this is the place you are likely to catch and this is where the lifting will appear first.

I do love the products, and I would like to get more colours for my collection. I do prefer the more muted colours from the range, as I have currently stuck to the beige, pinks and browns. I wish I could be more adventurous with the brighter colours.

Sensationail have just brought out a secondary line called Fuze, this is aimed i think at a slightly different audience. Everything is in the one bottle, so one coat and you put the finger under the light and you are done. But I think the wear time on this range is up to 1 week. Therefore on me with my hands on job I think this may only be about 3-4 days. I would be happy to try this range if I see it on offer. It would be a good alternative for if I don't have 30 minutes to spare. Also I think the colour are brighter and may be a good alternative for spring / summer.

Overall, I would recommend the Sensationail range. If you can paint your nails and you want hard wearing and long lasting nail colour without the salon price tag I would say give this a try.

At the time of writing this post there is an offer at Boots for a Mother day promotion to get the kit including lamp at a reduced price. This give you everything yo need to get started for 10 manicures. Why not buy one for a loved one or for yourself. 

I would suggest waiting for an offer to come up, as there are quite often discounts on Sensationail’s direct website or in boots.

10 Things you didn't know about me:

10 Things about me: (and 2 you probably did)

Where do I live:

I live in Doncaster, South Yorkshire

How old am I:

I am 27 (just)

Where did I go to school:

I went to school in Doncaster and University at Staffordshire (stafford campus)

Where do I work:

I am a warehouse manager at an online furniture company based in Doncaster. I also have my own photography business that covers weddings, studio photography and corporate photography.

What car do I drive:

I answered this in a recent blog: I drive a 100% electric Renault Zoe

http://nicolasnewthings.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/have-you-met-zoe-i-love-her-very-much.html

Are you in a relationship:

Yes I am married and have been for around 5 years, I went to 6th form and university with my husband so we have been together for what seems like forever.

What is your favourite food:

I have to be careful with what I eat as I am coeliac, I love Chinese food but I cannot just go to the chinese as usual and have to make it at home which takes away the sparkle. Therefore my safe favourite is a good steak and chips - (http://nicolasnewthings.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/about-me-im-coeliac-and-what-that-means.html)

What is your favourite beauty product:

May favourite thing ever is perfume, I love love love, D&G the one. I would safely say this is what I always smell of.

What is your favourite home product:

I love candles, At present my favourite is my Partylite jar in Iced Snowberrys. It has a very fresh and clean smell, which is not too overpowering. 

What is your favourite electronic:

This is a though one for me as I do love my gadgets. From my I-pad, to my phone (nexus 4), to my car, to my camera and lenses and many more things besides. I would class myself as a gadget lover. 

I think ..... the award goes to ...... my Canon 650D (and the lenses to match of course)

Where is your favourite place you have visited:

I have been very lucky to have visited a number of countries. The best holiday I have been on as a whole was one big surprise by my husband. It was kind of a late honeymoon but I knew nothing of the location for nearly 2 years. We went to Singapore via a stop off in Dubai. This was amazing and the country is so beautiful to visit. I don't understand how many people just stop off here and never leave the airport. I would love to go back again, we spent 10 days here and we did not see everything.

Who are your favourite bloggers:

I do have a few, from the famous to the not so famous.

I do love Tanya Burr and her style and the way she is so effortless. Also I love Louise - Sprinkle of glitter and how down to earth and real she is.

I also love to read from http://wonderfullyrandom.blogspot.co.uk/ this is one of my school friends Kiri. She has a lovely baby son and she is a very keen baker she always shares something insightful.

And my home and beauty go to guru: http://lucyywrites01.blogspot.co.uk/

This girl is Coeliac like me and loves to bake, she knows home style and is a beauty guru. I have on many occasions direct messaged her with beauty problems and she always responds to me.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know me more.

Speak soon

Nicola 

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Our spring day out to The Yorkshire Sculpture Park:

Our spring day out to The Yorkshire Sculpture Park:

This weekend we braved the weather and donned the ski jackets, walking trousers and boots to have a rare day outside. As we set off the weather looked grim and dull but the trusty weather man said it would not rain. 

We arrived at the park and proceeded to the entrance. The park is free to enter but you pay per car for parking at £7 for a full day,  therefore great for a low cost family day out.

Upon entering you arrive in a modern building with a shop, restaurant and information desk. Where we were supplied with our maps. I had not realised quite how large the park and grounds were. They explained that the artwork was being changed around at present and some pieces were not on show. I didn't mind this as I had gone for the scenery and greenery as my preference.

I loved to see the first daffodils of the year out showing their lovely sunny colour. It was a great way to instantly cheer up the dull day.

On walking around there were lots of sculptures to see and a few enclosed exhibitions for if the weather had turned. I looked at a few of the intriguing pieces of work and carried on walking. The ground is a little hilly and mainly walking on grass rather than pathways therefore I would not really recommend this for push chairs or wheelchairs. Also due to the wet weather we have recently had our walking boots were well appreciated.

I had then seen this sign. I love the concept of that everything is intertwined and that every action has a purpose. Giving everyday life and aims a purpose and structure. 

After a walk of about an hour we realised we were ready for lunch and started to head back up to the entrance. This was when we realised how far we had walked and that it had all been downhill. We had seen other car parks down by the lake and the lower sculptures and had not thought anything of it. We now realised these were very clever people who had thought of the hill or been before.

We passed a lovely conservatory with lots of newly blossomed roses and while appreciating the flowers I spotted this door and wondered where did it go?

We got up to the restaurant and sat at a lovely table by the window, overlooking the gardens and the lake. By this point the sun had come out and the day looked truly spring like. The food in the restaurant was amazing, all home made and locally sourced. I had a large bowl of Beef Stew and a bucket of twice cooked chips for £9.50. Therefore the food was not cheap but of a high standard and very yummy. (I wish more attractions had a selection of real food and not processed rubbish.)

Overall I would recommend going to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. I would probably suggest going when the weather is better, as there is not a lot of shelter. It is a great place to go for a wander, take lots of photos and appreciate the scenery.

If you were thinking of having a day out here is the website address: http://www.ysp.co.uk/

I shall be looking for more affordable options of what to do with my weekends throughout the year. Any suggestions are more than welcome. Where do you go?

Speak Soon 

Nicola

Have you met Zoe? I love her very much.

I drive an Electric car.

So I own a lovely White shiny Renault Zoe. This is a 100% Electric car. I shall apologies now is if I call the car she, she is part of the family and we love her.

It too a lot of patience to get her but now we have her I wouldn't look back. 

What is different about an electric car. Well it is powered by electric and not petrol, therefore I have to plug it in to get mileage. We have a charger in our garage and also use chargers when out and about such as a supermarkets or motorway service stations.

We get around 80 miles distance in the winter and around 100 miles in the summer. I know this would not suit everyone but me and my husband have a less than 20 mile return commute to work. We also combine charging the car with the use of our solar panels.

A normal home charge takes around 3 hours and costs about £2.50. Therefore the cost is about 4p a mile. I do not know of any other vehicles that can match anywhere near that. We have also started using the Superchargers at our local services and these are free to use, are powered by sustainable electricity and take around 30 minutes.

Also she is a joy to drive, Before we go this car my husband would automatically walk to the drivers side of the car as I would never voluntarily drive anywhere. Now we argue who is driving and usually resort to one there and the other back. She is silent to drive and usually you can only hear her if the radio is on inside the car or we have the heater on to keep warm. The car is automatic and the smoothest drive I know.

The car is classed as being a super mini, but is spacious on the inside. The boot is quite large to and can fit in a wheelchair and shopping besides. The seating is comfy and firm and the leg room is better than our old car.

Yes we do have the second car that is a petrol car, but I can honestly say since we took delivery of Zoë in September we have put petrol in this twice. That car is only for use when we have more than an 80 mile trip, or where we are going do not have chargers. 

We are even planning a holiday to Cornwall this year and we shall be taking Zoë. and staying in a cottage where there is a charger.

I do understand that this type of car is not for everyone, and that Zoe is suitable for my lifestyle. There is a great community of EV car drivers and I am very proud of being one of those people.

There are a number of Ev cars on the market and over the years to come there will be many more no doubt. My aim is one day to be a Tesla car driver but right now I love my Renault Zoe.

February Favourites video now live:

I have just posted my February Favourites video to Youtube.

Why not take a look at what I have been loving.

Please excuse the thumbnail, Youtube did not give many flattering options.

Why not comment with you would have been liking too and maybe I will purchase it to try in March.

More blogs coming up later this week. 

I shall be still aiming for a written blog at least once a week. 

Speak Soon

Nicola

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