The Monday Piece - Havaianas x New Era

This week's Monday Piece is on Havaianas x New Era! When it comes to flip-flops, it is inevitable - not to say impossible - to not think of Havaianas, the traditional brand of Brazilian flip flops and shoes for over half a century. On the other hand, when we talk about caps it is equally unlikely that you wouldn’t think of New Era, which is celebrating 100 years of history and has one of the best-selling caps in the world, in its portfolio, namely the New York Yankees. These two brands have joined forces, tradition, history, and lifestyle in a collab launched globally last week.

The two global brands, leaders in their segments, have introduced a new line with seven products. Dubbed as “Step into Joy”, the line consists of two TOP style flip flop prints, a bucket hat, a single color 9FORTY cap and a 9TWENTY cap with four color variations. All the items have the identities of both brands, such as a rubber icon on the caps. The creation is the connection between the Havaianas beach and the New Era street styles. The products were designed to play around with combinations, as each flip flop print matches a cap/bucket hat. This is such a fun Collab, I've got my eye on the hats :)!
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Tiki Time With Captain Morgan

Get ready for Tiki Time with Captain Morgan... Created for rum lovers across the land, Captain Morgan has launched a new, tropical rum-based spirit drink inspired by the exotic South Pacific Islands. Captain Morgan Tiki, RRP £16.50, is made with the finest rum with pineapple and mango flavours, so you can enjoy a taste of the tropics without having to travel 9,000-ish miles... Instead, you can just click here to buy from a range of supermarkets.

With Captain Morgan Tiki, you can enjoy a delicious drink with minimal effort. It’s like serving up a cocktail without having to shake or stir. Just serve with lemonade and ice. Sorted.  

Captain Morgan is all about bringing friends together, whether IRL or via URL (that’s meeting in person or video chat), and that’s what ‘Tiki Time’ represents. It’s a time made for fun and banter with your mates; and it’s up to you when it happens. It could be Saturday afternoon or a Wednesday, the sun might be shining or the rain on its way; you could be at your house or favourite bar. Wherever and whenever you decide, Tiki Time is your time for fun with your pals.

How to serve Captain Morgan Tiki with lemonade:

Simply enjoy 25ml Captain Morgan Tiki over ice and finish with lemonade. No fuss, full of flavor. 0.6 units per drink, ABV 25%.

Captain Morgan Tiki is available from selected retailers, including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Co-op. RRP £16.50. Served simply with lemonade and ice, it’s the easy-to-make addition that brings full-on fruity flavours and a splash of fun to crews across the UK :).

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The Monday Piece - Our New Family Member

This week's Monday Piece is on our new family member! Togo is our new puppy and is an absolute handful - he's been with us just over a week and is a total delight, we've been socialising him with lots of family and he's being totally spoiled. Togo is a long haired chihuahua and is already a chunky boy at 10 weeks old :)!
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The Monday Piece - National Relaxation Day

This week's Monday Piece is on national relaxation week!

It’s not easy to switch off and relax on National Relaxation Day (15^th August 2020), especially when you are worried about your job, finances and health. But this year, more than any other, its vital to take time out and relax. Nimesh Shah, shares six positive steps people can take (independently and at no expense) to relax especially whilst we’re feeling in a state of limbo.

Digital detox

We are well aware of how bad screen time can be for your health.  So switch off the phone, TV and put your laptop away. Try to organise fun and relaxing things for yourself to do, like listening to music, sitting in the garden (even better do some gardening) or reading a book to help you slip more easily into ‘relax mode.’ You could even have a long, warm bath.  Throw in a bath bomb and pop on an eye mask to help you escape for an hour.

Get outdoors

Seeing the same four walls non-stop isn't good for anyone and people always say that getting out in nature calms you. Try and go for a brisk walk in your neighbourhood to relax.

Sleep

Key to feeling relaxed is improving the quality of your sleep. You should limit the amount of light you’re exposed to at least 2 hours before bedtime. The blue light from your screens can stop you from sleeping as it tricks your body into thinking it’s still daytime and you should be awake. Try listening to a podcast or reading a book in the evening, you could also use a lamp instead of the main light.

 Avoid alcohol at night

Although alcohol consumption will help you feel relaxed and initially help you fall asleep, you’ll end up having very light and poor-quality sleep. This is one of the reasons people tend to feel so tired when they’ve had a lot to drink the night before. If you do have a drink, make sure it isn’t right before bed.

Create a routine

Structure makes our brains happy because the patterns and routines we don’t have to think about will allow our brain to go into autopilot. Establishing a set routine (with some room for flexibility) will give your day some structure. This should make you more productive and hopefully more at ease in these uncertain times.

A routine is just as important for your mental health as it is for your productivity levels. It can be as simple as getting up at the same time every day, reading a book or doing a workout, making a coffee and breakfast, then setting down to start your day.

Personalise the routine to work for you. As long as you are consistent and the routine loosely mimics the one you had before lockdown, it should work for you.

Get dressed

Even if you put on sweatpants and a jumper, putting on your daytime clothes will make a big difference to your mindset :).
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The Monday Piece - Northside Surf School

This week's Monday Piece is on Northside Surf School!

From one-on-one surf lessons in the morning swell to stand up paddle boarding down the stunning Warkworth, Tweed or Till, the Northside Surf School www.northside-surf-school.co.uk in Northumberland provides fun for those looking for a new adventure this summer.

Northside Surf School was the first surf school to establish itself along the wild Northumbrian coastline over 14 years ago. Now home to a growing surf scene, the team know where to catch the best waves on any day of the year along the coast between Spittal, Bamburgh, Beadnall, Amble and south to Durridge Bay. And, if the waves aren’t playing ball, then the Northside Surf team will take you Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Boarding along the beautiful Warkworth river. 

Catering for beginners through to seasoned pros, Northside Surf Schools team of instructors have over 16 years’ experience. Open seven days a week, the family owned surf school is run by local Jon. A pro surfer for over 25 years, Jon and his team all carry above and beyond the required instructor and lifeguard qualifications to provide customers with total peace of mind. Northside Surf School is based in Amble. Located on the beautiful and picturesque Northumberland coast there is nowhere better to enjoy a fun packed day at the beach.

Visit www.northside-surf-school.co.uk or follow them on Instagram (@northsidesurfschool), Facebook (@Northsidesurf) or Twitter (@NorthsideSurfSc). To book and for further information contact Jon on 01665 713146 or email jon@northside-surf-school.co.uk :).
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The Monday Piece - Big Apple Buddy

This week's Monday Piece is on Big Apple Buddy! Recent lockdowns and travel restrictions have resulted in significant changes to the shopping behaviors of many around the world. Be it bulk-buying or online shopping, COVID-19 has changed what, when, and how they shop. With ongoing international travel restrictions in place, popular shopping destinations for beauty lovers such as the U.S., continue to remain off-limits to most international visitors.

Prior to the pandemic, planning a shopping trip to the U.S. to stock up on the latest skincare and makeup products was not uncommon for beauty aficionados in the UK. Many are now left searching for ways to procure brands like Biossance, Youth To The People and Drunk Elephant, which have limited availability outside the U.S., without the overseas trip.

Those in the know are turning to shopping services like New York-based Big Apple Buddy. Since 2014, the company has been helping shoppers around the world access products from America that are not available in their country. The company’s shopping platform aggregates the product catalogs of popular U.S. retailers, allowing international shoppers to conveniently buy from multiple U.S. stores with a single checkout. 

Highly focused on delivering quality customer service, Big Apple Buddy takes care of everything from start to finish, making it easy and convenient for its customers to buy from the U.S. This includes sourcing the item, checking and repackaging the goods upon arrival at their facility, preparing all necessary customs documentation, and having the parcel safely shipped to the customer’s international location.

Based in New York, Big Apple Buddy is a personalized shopping service that helps people around the world buy from U.S. stores that do not ship internationally. The unique shopping platform provides international shoppers with the opportunity to buy anything they desire from the U.S., regardless of where they are in the world :).
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