*Press event. All opinions are my own.

Last month I was invited to a travel event in Leeds with eShores. They are based in Manchester and are a 15-strong team of dedicated travel consultants. When booking a holiday with them, you will be given a personal travel consultant who will take the time to get to know you and your needs. You can learn more about the eShores story here. Also if you use the discount code USA/LeedsEvent you will get £100 off your booking!

The event was to celebrate and explore their USA Multi-centre holidays and the night was split up into 3 sections (destinations).

*All the photos in this post are thanks to Elouisa Georgiou. You can check her out on Instagram @egphotographer.

 San Francisco

The first destination of the night was San Francisco!

This compromised of 4 different cocktails which were made by Anthony from Mix & Twist;

Wall Banger - Vodka, Mango & Pineapple Juice, Mint & Galliano

San Francisco - Vodka, Cherry Brandy, Lime & Sugar

Pornstar Martini - Vanilla Vodka, Lemon, Pineapple Juice & Passionfruit Syrup

Californian Ginjito - Gin, Mint, Apple Juice, Lime, Sugar & Soda

My favourite was the San Francisco because of the cherry (super yum!) but I also really enjoyed the Californian Ginjito. I got to meet and chat with the other bloggers there, who were all super lovely and then it was onto the second destination. 

Los Angeles

The second part of the event was a gorgeous 3-course meal which was inspired by Los Angeles Restaurants and was made by Bears Pantry.

For the starter, I had the Hawaiian Tuna Poke which was Tuna fillet, Macadamia and Sushi Rice. To say I don't usually like Tuna, this actually tasted so good! The other starter available was the Vegan Cochinita Pibil Tacos which included Yucatan Jackfruit, Pink Onions, Crispy Shallots and Corn Tacos.

With the starter, we were served Californian Nettie Viognier wine and as someone who isn't a wine lover, it again tasted better than I expected and went really well with the starter.


For the main, I had Abigaile Fried Chicken Sandwich which was Chicken, Maple Syrup Sage Biscuits and Julienne Potatoes with no bread! I really enjoyed the main, the chicken tasted so good and I love how it was served. The other main available was a Beachwood Cafe Sofia Bowl which had Tofu, Kimchi, Brown Rice and Peanuts.

For this course, we were served Chain Reaction Californian wine.

For the dessert, I had Vegas Greek Yoghurt Martini which has raspberry and pomegranate in. This was so yummy and such a great way to end off the meal. The other dessert available was a Californian Vegan Doughnut which had Raspberry Glaze, Popping Candy and Sparkle.

and finally, for the dessert, the wine was Elysium which was a red dessert wine. This actually tasted really nice and was my favourite wine of the 3 available.

Las Vegas

The final segment of the night was Las Vegas themed which was a magic show performed by Sebastian Walton. Throughout the meal, he performed some mini tricks to each of us and then a main show at the end. The tricks he performed were so cool and mind-bending and I always love a good magic show.
Overall, I had a really great night, drinking, earing, being amazed by the magic and learning all about eShores. As I mentioned in the intro if you are planning on booking your own holiday definitely check out eShores and mention the discount code USA/LeedsEvent for £100 off. You can also follow them on social media:

Twitter: @eshorestravel
Instagram: @eshores.co.uk
 and to see more photos of the event check out #BeShoreToTravelUSA on Instagram and Twitter.

   While you are here, why not check out more of my travel-related posts?

Today I bring you another gift guide. This time in the form of a Birthday Gift Guide for females. I have previously done guides for Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mothers & Fathers day. So let's get straight into it.

*Items marked with a star were gifted items for the purpose of this post. All opinions are, of course, my own.
First things first, the card! Why not go for something a little bit different and pick a chocolate card from Thortful? They also do cake cards if chocolate is not your recipient's thing. I opted with the salted caramel chocolate (my fave!). They have several other flavours including sea salt, orange, dark and honeycomb so plenty of choices. They have numerous designs too so you can totally pick the perfect personality.

*Happy Bday! Card

 What female doesn't love receiving a bunch of flowers? Why don't you get them a birthstone bouquet from Appleyard Flowers? They are beautiful big bouquets with gorgeous flowers that would make a great gift. Pictured here is the Peridot Birthstone bouquet for August (My Birthday Month) but check out the website for the other Birthstones and they also do many other types of bouquets.

*Birthstone Inspired Bouquets

This mirror from Light Mirrors could be the perfect option for a make-up lover. It is portable, lights up with 2 colour options, can be charged using a USB cable and comes in a plush case for protection plus it has a stand so can be placed anywhere without having to hold it.

*Hollywood X-press Make-up Mirror 

 This is personally recommended by my mum! St. Moriz is one of her favourite brands for fake tan so why not gift this set which includes Express Tanning Mousse and the Gradual Tanning Mousse? or check out what other items they have available in their tan collection.

*St. Moriz Tan Collection

  How cool do these necklaces from Ethiqana look? They are the most unique jewellery pieces I own and they are definitely statement pieces. They are made from Handwoven Khunn Fabric which you can find more about HERE. If you are looking for an ethical sustainable brand then this is definitely the right place to look.

*Lotus Pendant Necklace - Black
*Lotus Pendant Necklace - Orange

Perfect White 2 in 1 Teeth Whitening Kit from Beverly Hills Formula includes whitening strips and a pen. You should use the strips for 30 minutes twice a day for whiter teeth and you can also use the pen for touchups on the go. Just pop in your bag and you are good to go.

*Perfect White 2 in 1 Teeth Whitening Kit

Havaianas are the perfect gift for anyone who goes on holiday a lot. There are several styles and colours to choose from as well as collections such as Game Of Thrones and Harry Potter if that's their thing! The ones I have in the pic above are the 'You Metallic' and the 'Slim Crystal Glamour'

*You Metallic
*Slim Crystal Glamour


Secrets Projects are a company who create items that can be transformed into other things. They have dresses, bags, pillows and more. Their project inspires women as each item is made by women in India who may not have the same opportunities as we do. They are supported by training and development and they help them to become financially independent. You can find out more about their story HERE. I picked a Secret Sari dress which was created by Molly's Sewing Unit and has this lovely bird print featured.

*Secret Sari Dresses

Savage Vines are a wine subscription company where you can have a monthly delivery of wine. You can either pick a 2, 3 or 6 bottle subscription and you can choose to have it for 3, 6 or 12 months. You also have the option which colour wines you want from Red or White and each of the wines is handpicked from independent family-run vineyards. Each box comes with a fact book about each wine so you can get to know more about them so this would definitely make a great gift for any wine lover.

*Savage Vines Gift Wine Subscription

If wine is not their thing, then why not get them a bottle of passion fruit martini cocktail mixer from Tipplesworth so they can create their own cocktails? Just add Vodka and you are on to a winner.  They also do other cocktail mixers so you should definitely check them out.

*Passion Fruit Martini Cocktail Mixer

How about this mirror from Gift Pup? Its frame is this gorgeous copper colour and comes in a hexagon shape. You can personalise the text on the mirror to say what you like so you can give a little message to the recipient. I always love personalised gifts as it feels more thoughtful and that's exactly what Gift Pup do. You can check out their Personalised Birthday Gifts to see what else they have to offer.

*Hexagon Copper Mirror

Paladone does a huge range of 'nerdy' and pop culture related gifts and is the best place to go for awesome merchandise type gifts. From Marvel, DC, Harry Potter and Disney, they have it all. As you can see above I chose the Avengers Infinity Light, Deadpool Playing Cards, The Flash Light and a Spiderman Travel Mug. This is the coolest place to go for the coolest gifts so check it out.

*Avengers Infinity Light
*Deadpool Playing Cards
*The Flash Light
*Spiderman Travel Mug

Birchbox is a monthly subscription beauty box which has a selection of different beauty related items each month. It's £10 per month and comes with a differently designed box every month. As you can see above each of the designs are so cute!

Birchbox Subscription

 And last but certainly not least is this Pink Grapefruit Rock Rose Gin from Dunnet Bay Distillers. The gin tastes lovely and the bottle design is very eye-catching. They have other gins available so definitely have a look on the website if you feel this would make a great gift. I gave this to my mum and she loved it!

*Rock Rose Pink Grapefruit Gin

So which gift from this list would you most like to receive? Let me know in the comments below and while you are here why not check out more of my lifestyle-related posts?
Cocktail Masterclass At The Milton Arms

*This is a contributed post. All opinions are the writers own.

More and more people are choosing to have their wedding in a foreign country. It is arguably the biggest, most important, and most special day of your life. Thus, why not do something different and extremely exciting? Getting married in a different country is certainly that. The only difficulty comes when determining what country to go to. But why not consider Kefalonia or Cephalonia? The stunning Ionian Island is the perfect place to get married. Imagine you and your other half standing by the coast and having your wedding pictures taken in front of the beautiful blue waters. This would be truly magical. If this sounds like heaven to you then read on to discover all the tips you need; from finding the best Kefalonia villas to picking the perfect dress for a warm climate.

https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-sand-beach-summer-sea-love-2925103/

There are several places you can get married in Cephalonia; nonetheless, a lot of people choose to get married via using a hotel package. This means that the hotel sorts everything out for them and of course, this is highly recommended because it makes the whole occasion easier to sort out. Nevertheless, don’t feel like you have to stay in the hotel for the entire vacation. You can always stay in the hotel for one or two nights and then stay somewhere else. This is something that is highly recommended because there are loads of fantastic Cephalonia villas situated all over the island. These will allow you to experience all that Kefalonia has to offer, you will get the privacy you desire whilst enjoying newlywed bliss, and you will get to stay in one of the most luxurious Kefalonia villas. Don’t limit yourself to the constraints of the hotel if you do indeed get them to sort out your wedding package.

One of the best ways to make your destination wedding one to remember is to make it part of a luxury cruise. There is a port in Cephalonia, and you can visit www.bolsovercruiseclub.com to find out more about the different cruise packages that are available for this.

This is pivotal for a whole number of different reasons. First and foremost, if you leave it until the last minute then there is a possibility that you will miss out on the best resorts. After all, Cephalonia is a popular destination and thus you should never chance it. In addition to this, prices tend to rise the longer you leave it and you don’t want to experience extortionate costs – weddings are expensive enough as it is. And lastly, let’s not ignore the fact that weddings take a while to plan and organise and thus you should give yourself at least six months to make sure you have your dream wedding in the pipeline. 

Everyone wants to look beautiful on their wedding day – that much is a given. Nevertheless, this proves to be a little bit trickier when in a hotter climate, thus you need to use the two following tips in order to ensure no disaster happens. Firstly, don’t sunbathe too much before your big day. The last thing you want is to look like a lobster on your wedding day. If you are going to get married in Cephalonia then it is best to do so near the beginning of your holiday so that you can spend the rest in marital bliss getting a gorgeous tan! And secondly, you need to give a lot of consideration to the material of your wedding dress. The only thing worse than looking like a lobster is rocking sweat patches! Go for a material that is light and airy. A Grecian style dress would be perfect; not only are they ideal for the climate and look beautiful, but they are extremely fitting for a wedding in the Greek Island of Kefalonia. You can truly be a Greek goddess!

Never has making a list before packing being more important. The last thing you want to do is turn up to one of the gorgeous Kefalonia villas you have rented to discover you don’t have everything you need for your big day – nightmare!

Would you have your wedding in Cephalonia? Let me know in the comments below and while you are here, why not check out more of my travel & lifestyle-related posts?

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*This is a contributed post. All opinions are the writers own.

From Pexels - CC0 License

Japan is a unique and fascinating country. With its ancient temples, sandy beaches, and talking toilets, this luxury destination is one that all travellers want to visit. Japan is the kind of place that will open your mind, stimulate your senses, and steal a piece of your heart. While you’re sure to make lifelong memories, regardless of how long you stay, they can be tarnished by the confusion many first-time visitors feel. To make your first trip to Japan easier, here are six essential tips. 

1. Buy A Rail Pass

A Japan Rail pass is a worthwhile investment for any traveller to Japan. Like similar passes available in other countries, it gives you unlimited access to most of Japan’s rail network, including the high-speed trains. That means you can venture out of the city on day trips. Although the pass is pricey, it’s definitely worth the investment, and can be found much cheaper online.

 Photo from Pexels
 

2. Hide Your Tattoos Away

While you can wear almost whatever you want in Japan, you should cover your tattoos. Despite how pretty or artistic yours might be, they aren’t socially acceptable in the country. In fact, they are heavily associated with criminal gangs. Some places might even deny you access if you have tattoos on display. This may be changing with increasing tourism, but the transition is slow. 

3. Eat All The Foods

Eating out in Japan is an experience like no other. The amount of restaurants is incredible, and the service is top-notch. Even Japanese snacks, which you can order online from websites like 99japan, taste better in the country. The standard of food in Japan is so high that it’s practically impossible to have a bad meal. This is why you should take advantage and eat everything.

 Photo from Pexels 

4. Carry Cash With You

Japan would definitely be described as a cash-based society. Even places where you would usually expect to take a card, such as McDonald’s restaurants, very rarely do. Because of this, you must have plenty of cash on hand. Although you can take out more money, finding an ATM might be difficult. Your best bet is to head to a local post office, Citibank ATM, or to a 7-Eleven. 

5. Forget About A Tip

Even if you have plenty of cash to spend, you shouldn’t tip your waiter. Not only is this not necessary, but it might be seen as rude. No matter how exceptionally good the food or service is, make sure you keep your money to yourself. Rather than accepting your tip, the waiter will probably chase you down the street, assuming that you’ve left your change behind by accident.

6. Learn A Few Phrases

With Japan travel apps and translator tools, there is no reason why you should have to speak Japanese to visit Japan. Nonetheless, you should try to learn a few important phrases before you visit. Politeness is a huge part of Japanese culture. When you make an effort to learn the language, you show politeness, which will be appreciated by everyone you meet. 

Hopefully, with the advice above, your first trip to Japan with be an unforgettable one.

What essential travel tips do you have for the first trip to Japan? Let me know in the comments below and while you are here why not check out more of my travel-related content?
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