Currently Loving | January 2016

It’s the start of a new month and so time to think about things for a few moments before I go back to experiences for the rest of the time. The fact is we all like stuff; stuff is useful, it’s nice to have, and this post is simply my way of sharing some of my favourite stuff of the moment.

1 | These boots are made for walking. Walking and walking and walking. I love them, I think they are easily the best boots I’ve ever had – even better than the old ones I had for 15 years before they eventually fell off my feet. They’re the Merrell Chameleon Shift Mid Boots and if you’re looking for a pair to help with your walking goals this year then definitely try these on.

2 | Over the last few months I have rediscovered my love of magazines thanks to my partnership with magazine.co.uk. I always used to have several subscriptions on the go, choosing to read articles rather than books when it’s time to relax. At the moment I get Trail and Lonely Planet, both fuelling my wanderlust in a huge way.

3 | This little coin purse was a gift a while ago but I still love it. It’s this one from Not on the Highstreet and is so cute and very handy. It’s the perfect size for a few cards and some coins, taking up very little space in my bag.

4 | While we’re looking at the purse I should also mention my love of £2 coins. Okay not actually the coins themselves, that would be a bit weird. Every year I put any £2 coins that come my way as change from normal spending into a money box, and at Christmas I count them all up and head out on a mini spending spree. It’s a really easy way to save a bit of money for frivolous shopping without noticing it – these little things add up. This year I saved around £80, which is plenty for a nice day out at Meadowhall!

5 | Who likes home made sweet treats? My rocky road just had to make an appearance on my currently loving this month. I know it’s the simplest thing in the world to make but I’ve had so many complements this stuff makes me smile – and not just because of the amount of chocolate that goes into it! I’ve been asked to share the recipe here on Splodz Blogz so I will be doing that later this month, watch this space.

6 | Body warmers or gilets or vests or whatever you want to call them, are so handy. They are perfect for any kind of outdoors activity when you just need a bit of extra warmth. This one is the result of my £2 coin savings a number of years ago now, and it’s still going strong. The North Face goose down filled Nupste Vest is probably the most iconic but there are loads to choose from these days. Well worth buying a good one.

7 | Put your hands up if you’ve indulged on too many sweets this Christmas time? I know I have! Mostly thanks to this gift of flying saucers – sherbet filled ufo’s – from a friend who knows they are my favourite pick and mix sweet. I admit I’m not fussy when it comes to sweets, especially when they’re a bit retro, but these are right up there at the top.

8 | Anyone going travelling? I’m getting quite a collection of useful things from Flight 001 now, I just think their products are SO useful. Here I’ve pictured the Space Pak for Clothes (blue) and underwear (yellow) which are ideal for packing things in to keep organised and save space, along with the Seat Pak and Carry On Toiletry Bag which were both Christmas gifts and will be so useful in my aeroplane hand luggage. I can’t wait to use them!

9 | I definitely go through phases when it comes to wearing jewellery. I generally don’t wear much or in fact any; just a pair of stud earrings and my watch. But recently I’ve been reaching for these two little items, which I think you can just about make out in my photograph. The necklace is a pendant that has huge sentimental value and reminds me of someone very special, I’ve been wearing it daily for the last couple of weeks just tucked into my jumper, and the bracelet is a green leather one I bought for myself years ago that seems to go with everything. A few people have commented recently that the bracelet is just “me” – you can see something very similar here on Amazon.

10 | I don’t drink alcohol but that doesn’t stop me wanting something other than water to drink with nice meals at home. I love this handmade lemonade from Belvoir, it’s so sharp and yummy. It’s fizzy and not particularly cheap so isn’t for every day, but is perfect for a nice dinner or for making a toast. There’s a raspberry lemonade version too, but I drank that on Christmas day so it didn’t make it into the photo!

What are your favourite things right at this moment?