Secret Diary of a Scavenger

A lifestyle blog about my art, interior design and cruelty-free beauty

Wandering around Rushmere Country Park Heath and Reach

I’ve not shared an outing photo set for a while so thought I’ve put together some winter snaps from a walk round Rushmere Country Park in Heath and Reach.

The park is one of those places that caters to lots of different interests including a bike trail, wildlife spotting, hiking, a cafe and lots of beautiful scenery.

Wildlife at Rushmere Country Park

The hive of activity appears to be around the lake, where you’ll see ducks swimming and squirrels darting across the wooden bridge. But what the park is most famous for are its herons. You can view these birds nesting during Spring from their cafe’s terrace. This time we went, I actually saw a heron stood by the water and a blue tit perched on the bridge.

The Gear I Wear

For any walk, in any season, I’m never without my hiking boots. A must if you cover as many miles as I often do at the weekend. I’ve got these navy hi-tec boots with solid ankle supports for all terrains.

I also take this zip up North Face fleece from Simply Hike. It’s breathable and light weight, perfect for cooler months and evenings walks. Obviously it’s in black so it goes with everything I already own.

If you’re after something similar yourself, you can pick one up from Simply Hike’s Mountain Wear range.

Unique Travel Ideas for Summer Holidays That Don’t Involve Flying

There are over 43 thousand daily flights handled by the Federal Aviation Administration and over 15,800,000 flights each year, according to information from the FAA. Air travel might be popular, but sometimes it can be crowded and stressful. And while airplane travel allows for efficiently getting to a destination, not everyone can fly or wants to fly. If you’re looking to plan a summer holiday but don’t want to fly, or just want to try something unique, we’ve collected a couple of travel ideas for your trip that won’t require you to take an airplane.

Plan A Day Trip

Regardless of where you live, whether it’s a big city or a small town, you likely don’t spend a lot of time exploring your area. While many of us dream of traveling to far away locations across the sea, we sometimes forget to take advantage of the adventures in our own backyard. One unique summer holiday idea is to treat explore your hometown like you’re a tourist.

Try to see where you live with fresh eyes and do some research. Find popular restaurants and shops that you’ve never been to before and make a list of popular tourist attractions in your area that you haven’t made it to yet. You can even book a hotel room in your city for a home away from home vacation. To go even further off the beaten path, try to find a local guide that features town secrets or myths that out-of-town tourists wouldn’t likely know about. Make yourself an expert on your city.

Go on a Road Trip

If you can’t fly or are tired of waiting in airports for hours at a time, the best way to travel across the UK, or anywhere really, is to take a road trip. Air travel might be fast, but you don’t get to experience the many strange, exciting, and surprising sights along the way. All you have to do is make sure you have a reliable vehicle to take you along for the ride.

You can plan an iconic road trip route such as through Snake Pass in England or Black Mountain Pass in Wales. Or, you can create your own travel itinerary based on cities and sights you’ve always wanted to see. You can customize the trip and plan restaurants, national landmarks, cultural sites, museums, and more that you want to hit as you take to the open road.

Think Outside the Box

There are many ways to plan a fun summer trip that doesn’t involve airplane travel. If saving money is keeping you from traveling, going on a short road trip or being a tourist in your hometown are also great ways to vacation without breaking the bank. Sometimes it takes a little bit of open-mindedness to find the perfect travel adventure.

Feeling Festive With Prestige Christmas Hampers Review

Things are starting to feel festive in my household. The tree went up on the 1st December (the earliest it’s ever been up in our house) and I’ve managed to purchase three quarters of my Christmas gifts for friends and family. This is possibly the most organised I’ve ever been. Must be getting old.

To kick off the first of my Christmas posts, I’ll be reviewing this beautiful Christmas Hamper from Prestige Gifts:

I enjoy receiving a hamper as a present because they’re a gift of multiple things and usually contain something you haven’t tried before. In mine, I received:

  • Eton Mess White Chocolate
  • A Chilean Merlot
  • English tea
  • marshmallows (not vegetarian unfortunately)
  • dark chocolate and orange shortbread
  • Milk chocolate and orange traditionally made biscuits (in a cute red hessian sack)
  • Marinated olives with chili and black pepper
  • Milk chocolate bar
  • Highland Oatcakes

Pretty much everything ticked the right boxes for me, apart from the marshmallows which aren’t vegetarian but these were happily received by other family members. And, there was plenty of other things that are top of my list such as the chocolate and the olives.

The dark chocolate with orange shortbread has been a new discovery for me. I’ve never been a fan of shortbread as I didn’t like the texture and felt it was bland, but nontraditional varieties seem to be more palatable.

I’ve been drinking the English tea most mornings but kept a few in reserve for the Christmas break as it’s really nice but quite scarce now with only ten bags in the box.

In all, this is something I’d like to receive and to give as a gift because it introduces you to new flavours and brands you wouldn’t usually find at your local supermarket. Plus, the produce you receive is something that you can snack on throughout the days or over a holiday. I know we’ll all be using the oatcakes for the cheeseboard which is something we’re really looking forward to. Who doesn’t like a cheeseboard at Christmas?

If you’re thinking of gifting someone you know with a Prestige Hamper, take a look at their Christmas Hampers range. There’s many combinations and varieties to chose from including port and cheese, fresh deli hampers, chocolate and wine and much more. With price ranges to suit all budgets.

 

Merry Christmas x