In this series of lifestyle blog-style posts, which I prepare every other month or so (the last one was in August 2022), I share a list of ten things that I’m currently loving. Okay, I know that’s obvious, but at least I’ve said it just in case you needed clarification. On this page you will find a bunch of my favourite things, things that are bringing me joy, my top ten things of the moment.
“Things” is something of a loose term. I might include clothing, shoes (I love shoes…), books, music, food (mmmmm food), experiences I’ve had, places I’ve been, and anything else that takes my fancy. While some things on my list will be new to me, a lot of the time I also include long standing favourites, tried and tested for months or years.
And even though Splodz Blogz is primarily an outdoors and adventure focused blog, or at least I want it to be that way, this post always includes a few bits that are much less of that – homeware, food, personal care products. It could be anything. One thing that is always true: my currently loving posts include things that make me smile. And that is why I write it.
This month is clothing and food heavy… three pairs of trousers, a pair of shoes, my new multi-cooker, the best ladle I’ve ever owned, and a few other bits besides. Grab a cuppa, because it’s a long one!
Currently Loving | October 2022
01 Alpkit Sequence Jeans
I was influenced by a tweet from Alpkit and bought their Sequence jeans a few weeks ago, because the blurb promised me comfort and freedom of movement. Trying them on a few days later, I knew I’d made the right choice. A most excellent addition to my wardrobe.
These are a regular fit jean, with plenty of material for my curvy legs, giving me a mirror-friendly casual look. The real reason I like these, though, is they are built to climb in – which means they have good stretch, panelled knee articulation, Cordura sewn in to increase durability, and don’t lose their shape after one day of wear. It’s like Alpkit saw what I do to my clothes, even as someone who doesn’t actually go climbing, and decided to make something to suit.
Made from sustainable cotton, Alpkit have used three additional fibres to create this jean. Alongside the Cordura to protect the jeans from scuffs and scrapes, there’s also both Coolmax and Thermolite built into the fabric. That means these both moisture wicking, keeping you cool and sweat-free, and trap still air to keep you warm. Nice.
Jeans for Striding
I always recommend against serious hiking in jeans, because walking in soaking wet jeans is more uncomfortable than hiking in wet socks. But you can most certainly stride up hillsides or scramble down rocky descents in these on dry days without worrying – perfect for Sunday morning walks in the countryside, and for some determined exploring of urban environments.
They got their first real test when I travelled to Greece earlier this month – anything you wear on a plane has to be super comfortable, and these definitely passed. That deep pocket on the thigh is especially pleasing – ideal for my phone (or snacks).
I shopped in the sale which meant I paid £55 for the jeans (RRP £75), which is a similar price I paid for my FatFace jeans (as featured in my currently loving post in February, and still a favourite).
02 Best Day Hikes Great Britain, by Lonely Planet
Originally a PR Gift
Best Day Hikes Great Britain is a new colourful compendium of 60 one-day walks from all over Great Britain by travel guide publisher Lonely Planet. With walks taking a couple of hours to a whole day, on all kinds of terrain, it has been designed to inspire walks and provide an excuse to explore the country.
It’s full of walks with countryside views, historical features, and even mountain tops. I’ve walked the couple of routes I consider close to home, and hope to use the book to inspire weekends away in Great Britain over the coming year.
There is just about enough descriptive information, along with a very simplified map, to get the gist of each route, but I won’t be relying on space given to each walk for route finding. I can’t imagine many people would carry this around with them on the trail anyway – it’s much better to keep this one on the coffee table to instigate trips, and use OS mapping when out and about.
There will be superb hikes missing from any compendium covering the whole of Great Britain, but there is a decent list here, and it would make a great gift for someone who likes walking if you’re looking for such a thing.
I was given this book to review by Ordnance Survey. It’s also available on Amazon and Waterstones.
03 Lands’ End Green Jeans
Originally a PR Gift
I was invited to take part in a jeans campaign by Lands’ End recently, meaning I could choose a pair from their current range. They make my currently loving feature post this time around, not because that was part of the deal, but because I really like wearing them – if I’d have bought these they’d have still made this post.
I chose these high waisted straight leg jeans (or see the whole range) in “deep woodland green”, ordered in a UK size 12 with the short leg option. First up, the colour is just fantastic – green is definitely my favourite colour and this is a particularly good shade, absolutely perfect for jeans. And yes, while a downside of green jeans that most of my jumpers don’t seem to go with them (something that will be a nice problem to fix at Christmas…), the colour is surprisingly versatile.
They are made from a comfortable and slightly stretchy denim (3% cotton / 24% polyester / 10% viscose / 3% elastane), sit over my belly at my natural waist without feeling like they dig in too much when I sit down (the problem I normally find with high waisted jeans), and have a straight leg right down to the ankle. They are a little soft to the touch, meaning they feel nice, and are easy to wear with trainers or boots.
I like the way they look, subtly coloured but different to blue wash denim, decent enough to head to a nice pub for dinner, and keeping their shape even after a few days of wear. They have become a firm favourite when I want something that’s a little smarter than the Alpkit jeans above (which really aren’t smart!), and are definitely on the regular wear-to-work rotation.
Lands’ End are doing some good things with the sustainability of their clothing, which is good to see. For this style, they are purposefully using less water than conventional denim wash techniques. Normally £75, you can get them for £45 using code NWC2 at the moment. No idea how long that offer is on for, I spotted it on the website when I was grabbing the link for this post in case you fancied making use of it.
04 Vivobarefoot Primus III Shoes
After much thought and deliberation, and I mean serious thought and deliberation, I recently purchased a pair of Vivobarefoot shoes. You know, the ones everyone is talking about, because they are challenging the status quo when it comes to shoe-shape.
I chose the Primus Lite III, part of the performance category of shoes from Vivobarefoot, in the “deep sea blue”. There are trail-specific shoes available, but I wanted something for every day wear, not necessarily for the trail, and these seems to be a good sneaker-style option. Costing me £100 of my hard-earned cash, this is not a cheap experiment – and (thankfully!), they find their way into my currently loving post because I really, genuinely, love them.
I’ll be honest, I’m not planning to transition to barefoot shoes completely – not yet, anyway. That is the main reason I’ve not bought any before – I had always assumed it was all or nothing. I’ve got a selection of really fantastic footwear that are not about to go to waste, but I was so curious about these and really wanted to try them for myself.
Shoe Addict Reporting for Duty
Let’s face it, I am and always have been, a bit of a shoe addict. I love – love – trainers and boots and all things footwear. It is completely on-brand for me to want to try something that so many of my friends swear by. A couple of friends reassured me that part-time barefoot is fine (it’s not a cult!!), so here I am.
So far, so excellent. I know some people aren’t fans, but I love the look and feel of these. They go well with the kind of clothes I choose to wear, and have become an absolute staple in my day-to-day life since they arrived back in September.
I don’t seem to be having too many issues with my legs adjusting to them – even though I’m not in them full-time. They were fine for a fast five miles on concrete and tarmac earlier today, and my legs only feel as achy as they would in any other shoe. I am finding the soles of my feet are getting a bit sore though, which is partly the ground-feel provided by the thin (but robust) 4mm sole, and partly that I have the grace of an elephant and rely on cushioning to spare my feet from my stomping!
Road Trip Shoes
These will make the perfect motorcycle road trip shoe in future. And maybe even as a camp shoe when multi-day hiking. The fact that they are thin, lightweight, and flexible means they are going to be super easy to pack. A definite bonus for when space is next a premium.
This has turned into a post-within-a-post, so I’ll plan an adjusting to barefoot shoes type post when I’ve had these for the full 100 days Vivobarefoot say it takes to get used to them. If you have any questions for this part-timer, then please let me know.
I appear to be writing essays in this currently loving post – oops! I’ll make the next few a bit shorter!
05 Twinings Decaf Earl Grey Tea
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of a good cup of tea. I am that English person who carries a flask of tea when she leaves the house, and has tea bags in her bag at all times. I might argue it’s to save money, but really it’s because I’m a living stereotype, addicted to tea.
At the moment, the one I am loving the most, is Twinings decaffeinated Early Grey. It’s just perfect for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up whether I need refreshment during a busy working day, or am taking some time to sit and relax. I’ve always had a box in the cupboard above my kettle (which is everyone keeps their tea, right?!), and at the moment I just seem to be racing through it quicker than normal – a sign I’m drinking it daily.
If you’ve not tried anything other than English Breakfast tea, this selection box from Twinings might be an opportunity to sample some other options.
06 Apples!
It’s apple crumble season! Well, it is in our house. And that is solely down to the fact my parents visited last weekend and brought a massive bag of apples from their apple tree with them. So far, I’ve made (and eaten…) a family-sized crumble (do you add oats and cinnamon to your crumble topping?), and have the same amount of stewed apple in the freezer ready for another one.
The apples you see here, over 2kg of them, are what’s left. The question is, therefore, what do I do with them? I’m thinking I should try and make a Dorset apple cake (inspired by the ones they always serve at Comms Unplugged). Any other ideas?
07 Fresh Tinted Moisturiser
Originally a PR Gift
When I included the RINGANA Fresh Sunscreen in Weekly Blog Episode 111 (a series which is still on hold while I write my Coast to Coast Adventure Journal series), I mentioned that I quite fancied trying their tinted moisturiser. Well, here I am, including that exact product in my latest currently loving post; the team at RINGANA were kind enough to send me some to try out, and it’s rather agreeable.
RINGANA is an Austrian skincare brand with vegan and reef-friendly formulations. This tinted moisturiser is billed as an alternative to foundation, providing a light tint with medium coverage thanks to mineral pigments that adapt to your skin tone and correct small flaws and redness. The formula is said to be hydrating, improve complexion and protect against environmental influences.
I like it. It’s not going to cover all my skin difficulties (!), but for day-to-day wear, this is enough to help boost my confidence and feel a little less meh about my face. I’ve been using it to replace both my moisturiser and green cream (although the latter is very much still a staple for me), and it works well, feels nice, and lasts all day.
08 Old School Tracksuit Bottoms
Excitedly, I’m working on a collaboration with Adidas this season, and bought these old school tracksuit bottoms at the same time that I ordered the bits they’ve kindly gifted me. Keep an eye out for those posts, there will be two between now and Christmas, but in the meantime let me tell you about these stripy joggers.
I guess they just remind me of my teenage years. The uniform of sporty girls at the time, these track pants are just the perfect shape and fit for sport and fitness activities – and I did a lot of those things back then. I don’t know if there is a more iconic tracksuit trouser out there. Maybe for someone of a different age, but not for me.
They are just so comfortable. Stretchy, slim fitting (but not too slim…), an elasticated waist that stays put, ribbed cuffs to stop them riding up, pockets, quick drying material. Designed for warm-ups and cool-downs, but as someone who really hates shorts, these are just the sort of thing I like to work out in.
These days, Adidas makes these trousers from Primegreen, which is a series of high-performance recycled materials – it’s good to see massive brands provide a more sustainable choice after years (and years) of using so much virgin plastic. One step in the right direction (here’s to Adidas becoming wholly sustainable in the near future).
What kind of sport I do in these over the coming weeks remains to be seen (I talked about maybe joining a gym in my Autumn Bucket List post), but they’ve already proven particularly good for active days.
09 The Best Serving Spoons
When I bought my Crockpot – the next item in my currently loving list – I needed to get a new ladle. I didn’t want to scratch the lovely non-stick pot with the stainless steel ladle I had, so I went on the hunt for a plastic one to add to my utensils drawer. Unfortunately, I had no luck for a while, finding the ones available at the supermarket and even Lakeland to be far too small for my liking.
I popped into Lidl for something else and came across this pair – a serving spoon and ladle – in the middle aisle. They are honestly the best two serving implements I’ve ever had, which is not something I ever thought I’d publish here on Splodz Blogz! Nice and large, the bit that makes them great is the silicone edging, which helps me get every last morsel from the dish.
They are scratch-free, good up to 200C, have a shape which is easy to hold and use, and go in the dishwasher. At just £3-ish each, they were a bargain, too.
I’ve since found very similar by Addis on Amazon. Mine are clearly a copy, but don’t judge me too harshly, they’re probably made by Addis just without the label so Lidl can sell them by the bucket load.
10 Crockpot Turbo Express
When my slow cooker needed replacing (the heating element had gone very wonky, running far too hot for a slow cooker), I decided to spend a little bit more and buy a multi-cooker instead. I use my slow cooker at lot – at least once a week if not more – and not having one was simply not an option. Swapping to a multi-cooker would give me the added benefits of a pressure cooker, plus the ability to fry things off and thicken sauces in the pot itself.
I chose the Crockpot Turbo Express (here at Currys, here at Amazon) because it provided the most compact model by a brand I already trusted. Instant Pot are the market leader, but the lightweight and non-stick pan, along with the included features, made me choose the Crockpot as the best one for me I very nearly spent a lot more money to get one with an air fryer built in, but in the end decided against it based on size (they’re so big!) and price.
I am still experimenting with the pressure cooker side of things, and need a lot more practice before I’m confident with that, but the slow cooker, brown, simmer and keep warm functions are getting a lot of use. It’s given me an excuse to try new-to-me recipes, and my freezer is once again full of ready-made meals thanks to past-me – one of the best reasons anyone should own a slow cooker in my opinion.
Do you have a multi-cooker – the Crockpot, Instant Pot, or something else? What are your favourite recipes to cook in it? Any recommendations for me?!
What are you currently loving this month? What do you think of my choices? Tell me in the comments below.
Want to see all my currently loving posts? This link should help.
In the interests of full disclosure for this currently loving post, and as mentioned within the text above, the Lands’ End jeans, Lonely Planet Book, and RINGANA tinted moisturiser, were originally PR gifts, for which I am very grateful. I have therefore marked this post as gifted, but it is not sponsored – none of these brands asked to be included in my currently loving feature, I did that because I’m genuinely currently loving the items. There are also affiliate links on this page, the funds from which help me go on the mini adventures that make life interesting. Thank you.
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