All posts tagged: London

Flower Arranging With Bloom &Wild 

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Flower arranging is the new hot hobby, seriously. So many of my girlfriends are forgoing wild weekends in favour of artfully arranging blooms. And I can see why. It’s an activity that is so relaxing it’s like meditation, plus it kind of involves nature (though the stems are cut and dead) which is never a bad thing. I first tried this new thing last year and now I can’t get enough of it. Bloom & Wild who you may know from ‘flowers through the letterbox’ fame hosted a class at West Elm’s beautiful Tottenham Court Road branch where we created a floral letter – which my friend pointed out was not dissimilar to something you’d see at an East End funeral. Morbid associations aside I am so proud of my colourful ‘S’. Find out about Bloom & Wild classes here.

12 Amazing Gym Classes to Try in London

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I have a love/hate relationship with fitness… I basically hate working out, but I love the afterglow when all the endorphins are rushing around your body and you feel invincible. However, it is a struggle for me to get to a class, I fight against it all the time. So knowing that a class is going to be fun and the showers are better than my own at home helps motivate me. Here are 12 of the best in London.   Rumble, 1Rebel 45 minutes of punching the crap out of a punch bag, in the dark to a soundtrack of grime and hip hop. Lots of horrible burpees but very luxurious showers and changing rooms. 1 Rebel, Broadgate London EMS, Excerceo training The class where you get electrocuted while you work out. It doesn’t actually feel that bad, plus, you only have to work out for 25 minutes. Bonus. Exerceo Training TRX Yoga, Ethos A mix of yoga and TRX that really works on strengthening your core, it’s pretty hard but yields great results. …

pure ride spin class moorgate

Workout of The Month: Tribe Ride at Pure Ride

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Now that I’ve joined the amazing Classpass (check out my review here) – the workout subscription service or ‘Netflix for fitness’ as I like to call it – I check out an awful lot of new classes around London, so as my raison d’être is to share knowledge, or anything, with as many people as possible I thought I’d review, in-depth, a class each month to help you on your fitness journey. This month it’s Tribe Ride at Pure Ride, a spin class with a difference…   Overview I think Pure Ride is owned by the cheapo gym chain Pure Gym, not this is something that I could google but I don’t want to. The reason I think this is the name and that Sir Chris Hoy, the cyclist, is spokesman for both gyms. Anyway, there is no similarity between the gyms, Pure Ride (which is located in Moorgate, heart of The Square Mile, and yuppie central) is state of the art, gorgeous and new. They just do spin classes, hence the name. The workout …

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Workout of The Month: Box & Bell at BLOK London

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Now that I’ve joined the amazing Classpass (check out my review here) – the workout subscription service or ‘Netflix for fitness’ as I like to call it – I check out an awful lot of new classes around London, so as my raison d’être is to share knowledge, or anything, with as many people as possible I thought I’d review, in-depth, a class each month to help you on your fitness journey. This month it’s Box & Bell at BLOK London, where you can perfect your left hook… Overview BLOK is based in Clapton, so it’s pretty out of the way unless you live in Clapton, but don’t let that put you off it’s a great little gym with a community feel. The Box & Bell class does what it says on the tin, it’s a mix of boxing and kettlebell work. The workout The classes are kept small, around eight people, which means there’s a chilled atmosphere – I felt like I was doing a class in a village hall – which I mean …

Dandelyan Wyld Tea at Mondrian London

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The Mondrian Sea Containers Hotel stands proudly on London’s Southbank and offers great, if sometimes a little grim (not their fault, the London weather) views of the city. Their resident bar Dandelyan is well known for some of the best cocktails in the capital courtesy of the award-winning Ryan Chetiyawardana. Now Dandelyan is branching out into afternoon tea with the Wyld Tea, a botanical take on the classic British tea. I went along on the first weekend to try it out.  The Dandelyan bar itself is a retro affair with rich fern green walls, pink leather banquettes and copper fixtures – designed by Tom Dixon no less. It’s a beautiful room, and has riverside views. The staff are attentive and knowledgeable and were happy to cater to any request. I had the non-boozy afternoon tea as I’m off the hard stuff for a while (in my old age hangovers are just too real). The selection of loose-leaf teas from Camelia’s Tea House was excellent and included a lemongrass infusion, citrussy Earl Grey, a peppermint blend and fresh …

the refinery e9 gym

Workout of The Month: AAA at The Refinery

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Now that I’ve joined the amazing Classpass (check out my review here) – the workout subscription service or ‘Netflix for fitness’ as I like to call it – I check out an awful lot of new classes around London, so as my raison d’être is to share knowledge, or anything, with as many people as possible I thought I’d review, in-depth, a class each month to help you on your fitness journey. (Pssst! get £30 off a ClassPass with by clicking HERE) This month it’s AAA (Arms, Abs and Ass) at The Refinery… Overview The Refinery is a fairly new gym in East London and it’s definitely a boutique, hip workout space. They offer many classes including yoga and even meditation workshops. I wanted to target my problem areas, also known as my entire body, and AAA seemed to cover most of that. You can try your first class for £5 or do three using Classpass. The workout AAA is a hard as balls workout that uses cardio, HIIT, kettlebells, weights and mats. The warmup …

What’s Hot? September Edition 

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What’s happening in the month of September, according to me anyway… The iTunes Festival Turns 10 Newly rebranded as the Apple Music festival, this gigantic music-fest touches down in Camden Town once again this month. And since it’s the 10th anniversary Apple have pulled out all the stops because – stop the press – BRITNEY IS PLAYING! Yes, that’s the one and only legendary Ms. Spears playing in the little old Roundhouse, crazy. There’s also gigs from Michael Buble, Elton John and the amazing Chance The Rapper. Check out the full line up and apply for free tickets HERE Dr. Martens Lighten Up Full disclosure, I am now an employee of Dr. Martens – I’m their new brand copywriter – but I’m nothing if not honest. So believe me when I say that their new DM’s Lite boots are a wardrobe essential. They have all the style of the classic Dr. Martens 1460 boot but they’re only a third of the weight, plus they feel like you’re wearing a sneaker. They’re so comfortable that I placed …

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ClassPass London Review

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In case you don’t already know, ClassPlass is a subscription fitness service – you pay one monthly fee and get to go to classes at hundreds of gyms and studios in London. It’s like Netflix for your health. I was interested as I often book a hot yoga class or Frame class which can cost £15-£20 per class, so it adds up quickly. There are two plans with ClassPass: £55 Where you can visit 5 classes in a month £110 Where you can visit unlimited classes in a month WHAT ARE THE PROS? You can save a lot of money as the gyms you can use are super luxe and include Boomcycle, Triyoga, Frame and 1 Rebel amongst others – these classes are without a doubt much better than the ones included in your gym. I personally love 1 Rebel, it’s the most beautiful gym and a killer workout, but their classes usually cost £20! It’s nice to change up your routine, and you can use gyms at multiple locations. The booking system is super …

What’s Hot? August Edition

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What’s hot this month? Hopefully the weather because I want to go hunting for Squirtles… and do other things much more becoming of an adult woman.  POKEMON GO I can honestly say, no game has captivated me like this since Theme Hospital (which I played for three straight days at my family’s Dell when I was 13). Pokemon Go has hit the headlines for doubling Nintendo’s value, being one of the most downloaded apps ever and for causing many an injury. After downloading it (not fully understanding it for a few weeks) and playing it, I can see why. I’m hooked, not in a ‘haha how ironic and post modern of me’ way, in a sincere and genuine ‘I love this fun game, can I play forever?’ way. My friends Hannah, Ben and I went on a hunt on Hampstead Heath and walked SEVENTEEN KILOMETRES. I’ll leave that thought with you… Download Pokemon Go PAPIER STATIONARY I have something of a stationary fetish despite doing the majority of my work on a computer. There’s just something about …

Palm Vaults Hackney (The Place With The Pink Lattes)

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I’ve been wanting to pay a visit to London’s most Instagram-friendly cafe for a while now so this week my BFF Ben and I hot-footed it to Hackney’s Palm Vaults to see what all the fuss was about. Firstly I was blown away/insanely jealous of the plush pink and very 70s-inspired interior. Lots of crushed blush velvet, gold decor and of course green foliage; it really is a great looking place. I’d been intrigued by the pink velvet latte after seeing it on Instagram but I a/ hate coffee and b/ I’m lactose intolerant, so I didn’t think I’d be able to try one. Luckily for me it was a whole new drink! Almond milk, vanilla and beetroot… And it was delicious. They also serve a variety of teas, coffees, snacks and cakes. I especially love their new acai bowls, seriously pretty and very healthy. And soooo tasty. If they weren’t so bloody delicious I’d feel bad about eating them. Oh and do try their juices and smoothies – they do a great refreshing grapefruit …