What we did in Buxton, April 2024

We have a few little UK trips booked this year, and the first of those was out recent trip to Buxton over the Easter weekend. Unfortunately it rained pretty much the entire time, but I still wanted to share what we got up to as it's a really sweet town!

We got there by train, which I booked via Trainline with our 'two travel together' railcard - it wasn't expensive at all. And we stayed in this lovely Airbnb which was up a very steep hill but totally worth it; spacious, clean and just what we needed to the two of us for a one night stay. I'd definitely recommend.

Sunday in Buxton

We arrived on Sunday afternoon, and had a quick coffee at Costa so we could piggyback their wifi and find out how to get to our Airbnb - just a note that signal/4G is very spotty in Buxton. Then we went and dropped our stuff off, got ready and ventured back out. Our first stop was Scrivener's Book Shop, which I'd seen all over Instagram and obviously wanted to visit. It has 5 floors, and they have a book binding service there which is super cool. They have all manner of books, from kids' books to Shakespeare and everything in between as well as book-related accessories, maps, postcards and more.

I loved exploring each floor of the Buxton book shop, and I'm so glad we got to visit. From there, we had a wander right up the high street of Higher Buxton before heading to Noonology for lunch - it's a little dog friendly café in Buxton that offers brunch, cocktails and more. I had the Elderflower & Orange Sparkle mocktail which had *actual glitter* in it, and Kate had a cookies and cream milkshake; both delicious and highly recommended by us. For food Kate had the Cheesy Classic burger, and I chose the Chicken, Grilled Halloumi and Lemon Mayo toastie. Again the food was fabulous and we really enjoyed the atmosphere in here; the staff were friendly and helpful too. For the two drinks and two meals it came to around £30, which I was more than happy with.

From here we went to the nearby Queen's Head pub for some pints and football - I will say the drinks are more expensive here than we're used to at home, at £5 per pint. Cheaper than London though! It's a busy pub showing Premier League football in Buxton, and we had a good time there. We're both big football fans, and it's one of our favourite weekend activities so this was perfect for us. Next door is the Buxton Charcoal Grill where we both got a big fat kebab to eat at our Airbnb afterwards, to round off a wonderful Sunday.

Monday in Buxton

We slept well then got up and got ready to head out the next morning; this was the day we'd set aside to actually check out all the things to do in Buxton. Of course, it was bouncing with rain again - we were determined, though, and walked through Higher Buxton then through The Slopes, a Grade II listed park. It's steep but has great views and a Cenotaph as well as a meteorological station. 

We made it to the bottom and crossed over to Pavilion Gardens, Buxton. We walked through here, surrounded by ducks and geese - it's a nice park and I can imagine on a warm, sunny day it would be even better. There's a miniature railway, too, which runs at the weekends. As the rain was picking up, we headed out of the park and inside where there was a craft market and gift sale taking place - everything from scarves to cupcakes! We carried on walking through the building, where there's a gallery featuring local artists as well as a brewery shop, café, and gorgeous conservatory with plenty of stunning plants and flowers. 

When you come out of here you end up at the Opera House, which is gorgeous, so we snapped a few photos here then tried to figure out where else we could go to shelter from the rain. I really wanted to see St Ann's well; Buxton is, as you probably know, famous for its water so of course this is on the list of must-dos! So we walked in this direction, doing some blue plaque spotting on the way - we also saw where the Roman baths used to be, but this is a lovely looking spa hotel now.

The well is located opposite the Crescent and has constantly running water, which is fairly warm, and next door is the visitor's centre, located inside The Pump Room. We popped in and read some information about the well and the water - they sell really cute tourist gifts here, too. We also had a nice look at the Crescent, which is a stunning building.

Our final stop was Cavendish Arcade, a really small and sweet shopping centre with gorgeous architecture and some great independent shops. I bought a shampoo bar and an art deco style Buxton postcard, as we collect them wherever we go! On the way back to the train station we had a little peek at the posh Palace Hotel (it really is stunning) and that concluded our trip to Buxton.

So what's the verdict? Had the weather been better, I think we would have absolutely adored our time in Buxton as there is a fair bit to see and explore - especially if you like a good walk around a nice park. With the rubbish weather, it did put a dampener on things a bit although we still had an amazing time exploring together! A day or so is enough in Buxton itself in my opinion, but it's a lovely part of the Peak District if you're planning a little UK holiday this year.

My 2024 reads so far

I have to say, 2024 has not been the most successful reading year for me so far. I haven't been able to get through as many books as I would have liked, due to work being busy and us doing some small house renovations and so on. But with that being said, I have done *some* reading and I thought I'd share my 2024 reads so far with you...

Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score

This is the third & final instalment in Lucy Score's Knockemout series, and I for one thoroughly enjoyed seeing the story continue through the eyes of dark and dreamy Lucian, and girl next door Sloane. The "will they, won't they" could be tedious for some but I knew they would, and I loved the tension that got them there. For spicy reads with a deep backstory, I highly recommend Lucy Score! Get it here.

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

I'm a big fan of the Netflix adaptations of Coben's books, but I'd actually never read any. I picked this up while on a work trip to London without my Kindle, and it did not let me down. It follows the story of a man who's in prison for killing his son, something he's adamant he didn't do - and when it turns out he actually might not have done it, the drama really starts. It's fast paced and maybe a little far fetched, but a great read nonetheless. Buy it here.

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

Ice hockey romances seem to be a big business right now, and I had to dip in - I actually really enjoyed this college-age romance, which was far spicier than expected but had some really interesting plot points and fun characters. An easy read but one that I enjoyed!

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Lisa Jewell can do no wrong, and I really liked how dark this story was. I listened to the audiobook version and definitely want to read a physical copy, as I'm still not sure audiobooks work for me, but nevertheless I thought the story was so twisted and interesting. Another winner for sure.

Confessions of a Bookaholic by Joslyn Westbrook

I got this on Stuff Your Kindle day last year (if you don't know, get to know) and I read it recently - it wasn't too long, but my god it was spicy. I mean SPICY. It follows a book blogger who's in love with her childhood best friend, and when she accidentally reveals that ...well, it's dramatic. But it's such fun, and a story that had me genuinely gasping from time to time.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Another audiobook I listened to, this is again a really twisted and convoluted story that in the end makes you go "duh, obviously" despite the fact you didn't see any of it coming. Cults, abandoned babies, French murders, mansions, secrets... it's got a bit of everything, and I loved it.

Two is a Pattern by Emily Waters

I don't actually read much sapphic fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed this; set in the early 90s, it's a gorgeous tale of a college spy and an older woman, of deceit and heartache, of the way families and institutions can hold us back from happiness. Highly, highly recommend this one for the twists, turns, and pure love.

So I've managed seven books so far in 2024 which, like I say, isn't many for me. But with more trips to London coming up (meaning more time on trains) and a determination to spend less time looking at screens, I'm really going to try and up this a little. I've also got a brand new 'Bookstagram' account which I would love you to check out here!

Everything we ate in NYC (January 2024)

Before we went to New York, I thought we would eat soooo much - and we spent a lot of time researching, saving and planning across TikTok and Instagram as well as other travel blogs, deciding where to eat during our trip. But as it happens, when we were there, we actually didn't eat all that much... Nevertheless, I did want to share everywhere we ate in New York in January 2024 in case this is helpful to anybody.

Pod 39, New York (Breakfast)

We stayed at Pod 39, a small budget-friendly hotel in midtown Manhattan, and the bar/lounge area downstairs had breakfast available everyday for guests. There was free filter coffee, tea, and ice cold water - I don't drink coffee but my fiancée said it was nice! They also had a variety of bagels (plain, sesame, everything etc) on offer, which you could get for just a few dollars with jam, butter, or cream cheese. As well as this there were some different pastries and muffins available as well as cappuccinos, lattes etc if you wanted. I was really pleasantly surprised by breakfast, and the bagels were definitely filling!

Target and 7-11

We of course got ourselves loads of snacks at Target - a birthday cake KitKat, some Hostess brand cakes - and 7-11, like Golden Oreos and Skittles Gummies. All stuff we struggle to get over here! And of course, a huge shoutout to the Big Gulp machines at 7-11 which allowed me to fulfil my TikTok influencer girly dreams.

Bagel Express on Lexington

As happy as I was with the plain/buttered bagels at the hotel, I did want to get a proper filled bagel and found Bagel Express around the corner where I ordered an everything bagel with sausage and cheese as well as a bottle of juice, for around $7.95 - it was really big, tasted nice, and filled me up for the whole morning. I didn't necessarily love the type of cheese, as it was typical American cheese, but I should have asked for actual cheddar so that's my bad! The sausage was absolutely delicious, though, and there was no queue at all so the service was super quick.

Previti Pizza on Lexington

Also on Lexington we found Previti Pizza, where we visited twice - two huge slices of cheese pizza and a coke for $8! And honestly we could not fault the pizza, it was so flavoursome and the slices were huge. The staff were really friendly, and service was quick, and it was close to our hotel; we saw no reason to walk any further to grab a slice when we had amazing NYC pizza right by our accommodation! You'll struggle to find actual 'dollar pizza', in my opinion, but you can definitely find it for a reasonable price outside of the super busy areas.

Raising Cane's

I am nothing if not easily influenced by people on TikTok and I'd seen sooo many people visiting Raising Canes in Times Square during a trip to NYC; we of course wanted to visit Times Square anyway, and we decided to eat here too. First of all the atmosphere is buzzing - there's a DJ, and it was jam packed even when the city itself wasn't so full of tourists. We did wait a while for our food, but honestly I wasn't surprised given how many orders were going through; my fiancée ordered the sandwich combo and I opted for the 3 fingers combo, both of which come with a drink. For the two meals it was just over $28, which I was chuffed with for such a tourist hotspot location and when let me tell you the chicken is soooo well cooked and flavoursome, the sauce is TASTY, and the Texas Toast is to die for... highly recommend!

Juniors at Times Square

I really wanted cheesecake (obv) and this is where we ended up going for it; we had to wait around 15 minutes for a table and it was so busy, but there was a nice vibe and a really big/varied menu. We ended up sharing a chicken salad sandwich with chips (and they were chunky chips, not fries) and a slice of Oreo cheesecake with a hot chocolate and a refill Pepsi. We paid bang on $50 with tip, which was definitely our most expensive meal but again for the portion size and location I wasn't mad about it at all! The food was all really fresh and delicious, and you get complimentary beets/pickles too if you so wish. Definitely worth a visit if the queue isn't too big.

The Allerton Club

The downstairs of our hotel was also home to the Allerton Club, a bar/restaurant that was open to the public too. We got 25% off a meal here with our stay, so of course we decided to eat here one night when it was too cold/we were too tired to head out and find somewhere for dinner. We both ordered the smash burger and a coke, which were tasty - the portion sizes were enough for us but definitely not as big as other places! There is just a lovely atmosphere in here, with low lighting and dark wood and a varied cocktail menu if you fancy a tipple. With our 25% off the bill came to around $30, which I was more than happy with.

McDonalds

I truly believe that trying McDonalds abroad is a cultural experience, and if you disagree that's okay but I'll always try and do it at least once! In terms of American McD's, I genuinely didn't think it was any different to what we have over here except the chicken nuggets weren't as nice and they have some different sauce options which were fun to try. Meh! One thing that I did absolutely LOVE that we can't get here, though, was the frozen Coke. Whyyyy do we not have those in the UK?!

We just didn't eat as much as I thought we would - we found ourselves super busy, and the food we did eat was very filling! So here's everything we ate in NYC if you're looking for budget food in New York for your next trip...

My MI-free and BoP-free make up wishlist

Okay, very niche post but I'm sure there will be other people stuck in the same position as me: just been diagnosed with weird allergies, not sure where to go from here, and feeling frustrated. I recently had some patch testing done on the NHS and it came up with two main allergies. These are methylisothiazolinone and Balsam of Peru, and these two pesky things are in a lot of make up and beauty/personal care products - and I mean a lot! I've been using the SkinSAFE app/site to scan and search products to see if they contain either of these allergens. The app is really useful and I will do a whole post about it at some point, but for now here's my MI-free and Balsam of Peru-free make up wishlist!

I've tried to put together a full face of make up for those with a methylisothiazolinone allergy, which encompasses a range of brands. So none of these products contain Balsam of Peru or methylisothiazolinone, meaning they are 'safe for me' and hopefully for those of you reading this blog post who share my silly little allergies!

MI-free face make up

For primer I opted for the NYX Angel Veil - the primer I was using isn't safe, but this one is. I've not heard much about it, but I'm definitely going to try it as I find primer to be an absolute necessity for wearing make up with my dry skin. It's more of a nice budget option too, as a lot of MI-free make up is from high end brands.

For foundation I've chosen the Clinique Beyond Perfection Foundation & Concealer, which I've heard very good things about. I don't think I've ever tried any Clinique make up before, not off the top of my head anyway, and this looks like a really lovely foundation. It's high end, but then again I've always found I get on better with more expensive foundations. Just the way it is!

I need a concealer too, and Bobbi Brown have quite a lot of MI-free make up including their Skin Full Cover Concealer - it's £30 which is a bit 'yikes' but they have loads of shades and also it's supposed to be really full coverage, as the name suggests.

For both bronzer and blusher I've opted for Charlotte Tilbury, which is a favourite brand of mine anyway. The bronzer looks a lovely cool tone, so it's perfect for contouring, and the blushers are just really nice - I do already have one of these, but it's a few years old so definitely needs replacing. Of course, they're on the pricier side: but they do last a long time!

I've popped in a really budget-friendly highlighter, which is this £4 Revolution 'highlight reloaded'. I adore this champagne shade, which (I've learned over time) this is definitely the highlight colour that tends to suit me best and work with my skin tone. Loveeeee.

MI-free eye & lip make up

I don't wear eyeliner and I've absolutely forgotten to include a brow product, but for mascara I've gone for the Benefit Bad Gal Bang Waterproof Mascara. Another higher end option, but I've heard great things about it and there aren't loads of MI-free mascaras available in the UK.

In terms of eyeshadow, I found that a few of the palettes I own are actually safe and MI-free, which is great! But I wanted to include one here, and I've opted for the Nude Mood palette from ColourPop - a brand I've used and enjoyed in the past. This is a nice small palette so it would be great for travel, too, and I like that there's a mix of mattes and shimmers. These are around £22 to buy in the UK but if you're planning a trip to the USA, you can grab them for about $14 over there.

Finally I've added in a lip product, and this is the the Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint in the shade Uncuffed, which is definitely my kind of nudey pink shade. I've tried some Fenty products in the past and really liked them, although these lipsticks are £22 (!!) which is a bit pricey...

And there you have it - a full face of MI-free and Balsam of Peru (BOP)-free make up. If you've tried any of these products let me know, or if you have a BOP or methylisothiazolinone allergy then let me know *your* favourite products in the comments below.

Pod 39, New York City | Hotel Review

When it comes to hotels in New York, space is a premium - the bigger the room, the pricier it is to stay there and believe me, the prices shoot up quickly. We booked our NYC trip through LoveHolidays and I really wanted a fairly central location, especially one that would be easy to get to from the airport! After looking at a few different options and areas, we settled on Pod 39 Hotel New York, and I'll talk you through our thoughts today...

Where is Pod 39, New York?

Pod 39 is located on East 39th street, around a 5-7 minute walk from Grand Central Station New York. This is in Midtown Manhattan, and within easy-ish walking distance of Fifth Ave and Times Square, and all of the iconic landmarks/places within those areas. We genuinely couldn't have been happier with the location of the hotel, especially for the price.

Pod 39, New York: first impressions

We arrived at the hotel at around 7.30pm after travelling all day, and checked in at the desk where we had to pay around $100 in fees/security deposit. We were told we would get some of this back as it was just a deposit, and as yet we haven't received it so I have chased the hotel on this. I wish I'd paid more attention to the breakdown of what was a resort fee and what was the deposit, but alas I was knackered. 

The foyer area was bright and modern with plenty of leaflets and info re: things to do in New York, sofas to sit on, a concierge desk, and iPads on the wall which were free to use. We could also see that there was a bar/lounge space with a pool table, but more on that later...

We were on the 5th floor, so we got in the lift and headed on up. I'd booked us a 'full room' and I was aware that it would be small... and boy, was it small. Inside there was a small desk along the wall with plug sockets, and opposite this was around 4 hooks for clothes/coats. There was a double bed, which did have drawer space underneath it, and a shelf next to the bed with a lamp on it. The bathroom was around 1ft away from the bed, with a frosted glass wall, and the bathroom itself was spacious enough with toilet, sink and shower as well as a long ledge to store cosmetics etc on. 

Now, when I say the room is basic it's BASIC - and on first impressions, I was a bit worried that we might have to book somewhere else as it just looked to tired and a bit grim. The door is made of a grey metal, which gives it a prison vibe and is notoriously hard to clean so it was covered in weird marks. The walls were a bit scruffy, too, and the heating (much needed) was SO loud. 

Pod 39 NYC: what did we really think?

So our first impressions of the room itself weren't the best. But we woke up feeling okay - the bed wasn't the comfiest and the window was right above our heads with a draught coming through; our room was right next to the lifts, so it was fairly noisy too. However, we then went out for the day and only came back to rest our feet for an hour then back again to sleep, and do it all over again. So we just weren't in the room that much, and that's the key thing about budget hotels in New York: you're only in the hotel to sleep as there is so much to see and do in the city.

Now, the good stuff: we had daily housekeeping, which is a rarity post-Covid, with the bed always made perfectly and fresh towels every day. The shower was really powerful and hot, and there was always enough loo roll - the bathroom had soap, shower gel and shampoo too. Storage might have seemed lacking at first but we had enough space to store our bags, so we just lived out of these for the 4 days.

There was heating and a TV in the room, and it felt perfectly safe. It wasn't overly dirty, just a bit tired and scruffy as many of the hotels in the city are. Yes it's small, but it was everything we needed for a busy American city break. In the warmer months you can take advantage of the rooftop bar, but it was closed because of the weather while we were there - understandably! We did go up and peek through the windows, and the view looks like it'd be great.

We did, however, get to experience the Allerton Club downstairs. In the morning, the lounge area has FREE tea, coffee, and iced water; you can purchase bagels, pastries, muffins and more. There are tables, chairs, comfy sofas, giant screens, and it is warm. This space also has the pool table, a foosball table, and other games. It also leads into the bar, which serves cocktails and beer and some really delicious food - we had the smash burgers, and they were lush; you get 25% off your bill here when you're staying at Pod 39 Manhattan, so we were thrilled with that.

All in all: the location is spot on, the rooms are basic but have everything you need, and at the end of the day we only paid £324 between the two of us for 4 nights. That's £40pppn, which is a bargain for anywhere let alone New York! So would we recommend it? Yes, I think we would, you just have to know that the rooms are not glamorous.

PS, apologies for the lack of photos of the room - with it being so small it just looked constantly messy. The below photo (stolen from Yelp) is the room we stayed in, and gives you an idea of the size...