Saturday was the nicest day Scotland has seen in … I don’t know how long. After what seems like the longest winter ever, there was actual sun. I could hardly believe it. Since the weather was in our favour we had two options: sit in the garden and soak it up or get out of the city. We opted for the later, and an hour-and-a-half later, we found ourselves in Balmaha, on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Super accessible (like I said, 1.5 hours from Edinburgh, 30 mins from Glasgow) Balmaha offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy a piece of Loch Lomond, without venturing too far into the West Highland Way. For example, we intended to do the Millenium Walk, but ended up off course. A walk that should have taken 45 minutes took us two hours. But that’s the beauty of it; you’ll always see something that catches your eye and pulls you off course.

Our walk left us hungry, so we stopped at the Oak Tree Inn for lunch. This is a lovely spot on the edge of the loch, which serves a wide range of food from pizza to burgers and salad. We had macaroni cheese (yum) and a burger. It saw us right after our adventure.

There are a lot of different walks you can do in that part of world – there is a visitor centre in the Balmaha car park, which is  great resource if you’re planning a serious walk. For us, Saturday was all about getting out of Edinburgh, enjoying the countryside and showing a bit of appreciation for Scotland. Personally, I’ve given this country a really hard time of late as the weather has been unseasonably bad. It took all of a sunny day and a hike to the top of a hill to remind me that Scotland is beautiful. Faith has been restored. I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

We all have them; those websites that you visit day in, day out, knowing that there will always be content that excites you. With the internet being what it is, distilling the good from the bad can be quite a task, which is why I’m sharing five of my favourite lifestyle websites. These sites have made the cut because they have a good balance of content, the quality is high and they leave me wanting more.  Here goes:

1. The Pool – If The Pool isn’t on your daily list of website to visit it should be. The content is geared towards however long you have to spend on the website, from the day’s news headlines in 60 seconds, to articles that are more meaty. It seamlessly blends topical issues with fashion, beauty and recipe posts, to give you everything you would expect from a well curated lifestyle website.

2. Stylist - I have long since been a fan of Stylist, from back in the day when I used to write for their sister email, Emerald Street. If you’re new to Stylist, think beauty, travel and fashion, with a good dose of topical posts. They also have a strong body of work in relation to feminism which is worth checking out.

3. Girl Boss - I discovered Girl Boss after listening to the pod cast of the same name. This website is slightly more career-focused, although there are a number of lifestyle pieces that translate beyond the office.

4. Refinery 29 - Fashion, beauty, health and entertainment, you’ll find them all over on Refinery 29. The also issue a handy daily email and a monthly feature which outlines everything that’s coming to Netflix. Win.

5. Pop Sugar - If I’m feeling in the mood for lighter content, I head to Pop Sugar. There’s a lot of celebrity content on there, which isn’t really my thing, but if you look beyond that to the fashion and fitness posts, there is some really good stuff there.

What are your favourite lifestyle websites? I’d love to hear about them.

Why is it that I love brunch so much? Firstly, my Monday to Friday breakfast is normally consumed at my desk, so is limited to yoghurt, fruit, porridge or a snack bar. There’s nothing wrong with any of those things, but let’s face it, nobody is going to choose any of those options versus a warmed croissant or eggs royale. If you would, it’s probably best you stop reading this post right now.

Last Saturday in quest of a breakfast that wasn’t compatible with eating in the workplace, we went to Salt Cafe. This wasn’t my first visit to Salt Cafe; far from it. This stylish eaterie in Edinburgh’s Morningside is one of my favourite brunch spots. I’m about to tell you why.

Salt Cafe offers everything you would expect from a great brunch establishment. It’s stylish, the coffee is fabulous and the menu boasts a mix of classic brunch time fare (eggs royale, fluffy pancakes) and items that are more unique (Italian omelettes, baked eggs).

I’ve tried pretty much everything on the Salt Cafe menu, and let me tell you, it’s all delicious. My favourite dish, however, is the eggs royale. We both had the eggs royale on our most recent visit and as we took our time over our brunch, we couldn’t keep talking about how good it was.

Salt Cafe’s eggs royale is stand out for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s served with artisan bread, which beats a toasted muffin hands down when it comes to mopping up the egg yolk and hollandaise sauce. Secondly, Salt Cafe is known for its fish and this is no exception. The eggs royale features hot home-smoked salmon and once you’ve tasted this – rather than the sad slices of generic smoked salmon so many other places offer – you’ll never go back. Oh, and did I mention that it comes with truffle hollandaise?

I could wax lyrical about how good Salt Cafe is at doing eggs for days on end, however, I should spare a mention for the fact that this is so much more than somewhere to brunch. It’s a place to eat lunch, meet friends for drinks and have a romantic meal. It’s so many things and in my opinion, a true gem of the Edinburgh dining scene.

Now over to you, what’s your favourite brunch dish?

It’s mid-way through January, which can only mean one thing: it’s time for a monthly finds post. I’ve come across a few noteworthy things since my last post, meaning there are lots of new things I recommend adding to your eating/drinking/viewing regime. Enjoy!

1. The Primal Pantry Paleo bars – I’m always on the lookout for healthy snacks and Primal Pantry bars tick all of the boxes. The fact that they are paleo approved is another plus point. There is a variety of flavours, but my personal favourite is the raw almond and cashew variety. Delish.

2. The Crown – I’ve spoken about Netflix’s The Crown before, but since season two is now available, it’s worth another mention. Even if you have little interest in the royals, this show is seriously entertaining and worth adding to your watch list.

3. Nordes gin – A Spanish gin variety, I recently discovered this delicious gin at a tasting. It’s become a firm favourite down to its citrus undertones. I think I’ll be drinking this a lot in the summer.

4. HUH. – An online lifestyle store, I’m seriously crushing over many, many homeware items on HUH’s website. Go on, have a look.

5. Split – yes, I know, it’s weird to put a place in my list of finds, but I have only just discovered how darn pretty this Croatian city is. It’s rocketed to the top of my 2018 summer holiday list.

What have you discovered recently in your world? I’d love to hear about it!

It feels like forever since I wrote a blog post. In reality, I last posted in October, so a lifetime in blogging terms but in actual terms, it’s not that long, I suppose.

I can attribute my hiatus to a multitude of things, more commonly referred to as life. Major home renovations combined with a busy job and various other intermissions resulted in a feeling akin to the later half of 2017 disappearing in a puff of smoke. In fact, if I’m honest, I feel like 2017 went by quicker than ever. The saying, ‘time flies’ has never felt truer.

So here it is, 2018. I’m not one for making resolutions, but rather I like to establish things I plan to do or want to achieve. Here’s a sneak peek of what I hope my 2018 will look like:

1. Travel – so far I’m heading to Austin in March and Berlin in April. I already can’t wait. I’m also hoping to explore more of Scotland. Despite living there for most of my life, it’s shameful how little of the country I’ve visited. Driving through the Cairngorms on New Year’s Day made me absolutely want to change that.

2. Climb a Munro … or two – for those wondering what a Munro is, it’s a Scottish mountain that stands at more than 3,000 feet (914m) high. This goes hand in hand with my desire to see more of Scotland and mix up my exercise routine.

3. Feel less guilty – I’m growing tired if feeling guilty about one thing or another. Whether it’s feeling bad about watching too much TV, giving myself a hard time for not being more organised, or being pedantic about what I spend my time on. It needs to stop.

4. Pay off my student loan – I’m excited to say that this one is in reach and I should finally be rid of all university-related debt by the end of the year. Hurrah.

5. Go out for brunch more – I don’t need it explain this one, do I?

6. Try not to waste a minute – I want to be more mindful with what I do with my time. First step, stop wasting time looking at pointless chatter on the internet. It’s not doing me any good.

7. Read more – I have a terrible relationship with reading. I read a fair bit (I always have something on the go) but I feel guilty if I don’t finish a book, which is toxic as if I’m not enjoying what I’m reading, I don’t read at all. I need to learn that it’s ok to give up on a book I’m not getting anything from.

8. Work on my novel – I started writing a novel last year. I didn’t get as far as I would like but I’m hoping to work on it more this year.

9. Be more spontaneous – I have a bad habit of over planning. That’s going to change in 2018. Watch this space.

10. Appreciate the world around me – I am the first to admit that I’m not the best at living in the moment. I feel permanently distracted by things I’ve got to do, places I need to be and chores that need to be completed. It makes me think I’m missing quite a lot. I’m going to make a conscious effort to change that this year.

What’s your approach to thinking about the year ahead? Do you make resolutions or set goals? Regardless of what you do, I hope you have a very happy 2018!

You would think kitchen renovations would keep me from new discoveries, but no. In fact, surfing the web for some beauty in the world while my real life is covered in dust has kept me going. So with that, here are a few of the best things I’ve stumbled across this month:

1. As you know I’ve been renovating for a while and in my quest for furniture I discovered The Sofa & Chair Company. One word; wow. This company has the most beautiful luxury furniture, with everything from luxury rugs to beds, dining tables, lighting, artwork and more. Their range is to die for and many an item is now on my wish list.

2. If you haven’t heard of Jain go fire up Spotify now. This French songstress has a real funk to her tunes, making shoulder dancing impossible to resist.

3. Aesop’s new scent, Hywl, might just be the most beautiful thing I have ever smelled.

4. A coconut latte from Pret a Manger has become something of a habit in recent weeks. What can I say, coconut and coffee shouldn’t work together but it really, really does.

5. HBO’s Divorce is highly entertaining. I recently got NOW TV, and Divorce is one of the shows it has available to stream. What’s it about? The clue is in the name.

What have you discovered this month that’s worth knowing about? I’d love to hear.

The clue is in the name; wine and olives. And let’s face it, I wouldn’t have named my blog after something I didn’t love. There’s so many reasons I enjoy wine. My passion for food is one, and the other is the social aspect. Nothing much beats sharing some good wine over a nice meal with friends. It’s good for the soul.

We have a sociable house and when people come round, I like to make sure I’m prepared. Much like I do my grocery shopping online, I also buy my wine on line. And I’m not alone. It turns out that 25% of British wine consumers are turning to the internet to stock up. But which merchants are worth using? Below, I’ve outlined my favourite online wine retailers.

Naked Wines

Naked Wines, established in 2008 by Rowan Gormley, is one of the foremost digital wine retailers in the UK. The online wine merchant invests in independent wineries and receives premium wines from those businesses at wholesale prices and I love following them across social – they do a fantastic job on social media.

Laithwaites

Laithwaites is a driving force in the wine market and, since their inception in the mid-1960s, it has become one of the most successful online wine merchants in the UK. Their selection of award winning-wines, made from over forty grape varieties and sourced from twenty-seven countries, can be bought for as little as £4.99 and as much as £60 a bottle. You can even find some Laithwaites voucher codes online, and make things even cheaper.

Ten Green Bottles

Based in Brighton, Ten Green Bottles is a prestigious online wine merchantthat runs a bricks-and-mortar shop and bar in the Sussex coastal resort alongside its web-based business. A selection of quality wines, sourced from small vineyards and originating from both the New and Old World, are available to purchase from £7 to over £30. The company, also supplies wine to several Michelin star restaurants, which is a plus point. They are also worth checking out on social.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Berry Bros. & Rudd, founded in 1698, are veterans of the wine industry and in recent times have started selling their products onlineand have moved into using social media. There is a large selection of excellent wines available, sold in cases or individual bottles, that cost anywhere from from £5.75 to £100 per bottle. The company promotes their brand and products via Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter and a self-hosted blog.

Yapp Brothers

Yapp Brothers, established in 1969, specialise in French wines that are difficult to find elsewhere on the market. The Wiltshire-based wine merchant has diverse range of red, white and rosé wines, sold via the company’s website,which range in price from around £10 to £200, while their informative wine blog is updated on a regular basis.

So, those are the places I use regularly when I’m buying wine. Are there any online wine stockists you would recommend?

You know that girl who would never be seen dead without a pair of heels? That was me; the operative word being ‘was’. But, gone are the days of tottering around Edinburgh’s hazardous cobbled streets. Gone is the unmistakeable throb in the ball of my foot, which was never worth the four extra inches it gave me in height. I’ve seen the light and I’m not turning back, and that light, my friends, comes in the form of the humble trainer.

I sort of feel lucky that come the time I was ready to throw my heels on the fire, trainers started become fashionable again. Get them right, and you can effortlessly transition them from day to night, as I did at the weekend, when my trusty all-white Adidas kicks saw me through breakfast, lunch and dinner, not to mention a walk the length and breadth of Edinburgh.

The trainers I’m wearing in this post were purchased from Lyst, a fabulous online shopping experience that gives you access to over 11,000 designers and stores in one place. The Lyst world of fashion has everything the busy working woman or man needs, plus personalised style recommendations and a super easy checkout system. Lyst is my go-to shopping app – I wouldn’t be without it. Plus, they have a fabulous range of trainers, which I’m tirelessly adding to my wish list.

Back to my Sunday, we started with brunch at Montpeliers, a local bistro, followed by a saunter around Edinburgh’s West End and through the New Town’s streets. One of the things I love the most about Scotland’s capital is that you don’t have to actively seek out beautiful architecture. It’s there for the taking, and around every street corner you’ll see some other little detail you’ve never spotted before.

After walking for a few hours we ended up at one of our favourite coffee haunts; Soderberg. Over flat whites and cardamon buns we watched the world go by. It was blissful. We then headed to a friends for a Sunday roast, before wandering back home.

I went from brunch, to coffee, to drinks and dinner with friends all in the one outfit; all in my trainers. On one hand it made me think about how times have changed, but on the other, I liked the fact that I didn’t have to carry several different pairs of shoes. I enjoyed the feeling of freedom and the lack of compromise. I embraced not having to use the term, ‘I can’t walk that far in these shoes’. And all down to the humble trainer.

Are you into flats or heels? And what are your thoughts on the trainer resurgence?

I can’t be the only one who has noticed hints of autumn. Although it’s not quite with us yet, the evenings aren’t as long as they were last month and the trees I see on my walk to work are slowly transitioning and taking on more autumnal hues. But, it’s not quite arrived yet and I’m determined to make the most of every last moment of summer, by doing all of the things that I associate with this time of year.

Summer makes me think of going for long runs, eating dinner in the garden, and making the sort of drinks that take you back to frolicking on the beach with family and friends. In my case, the one drink that stirs my senses of summer is the Margarita, or rather in my iteration, one of the grapefruit variety.

The Margarita is undeniably a classic cocktail, be it in its most traditional guise (made with tequila, triple sec and lime juice), or frozen and flavoured with fruit. It’s one of my favourite drinks for sipping on a hot summer evening.

If I’m making a classic Margarita, I always go to thebar.com and use their Margarita recipe, which provides me with the basis for my Grapefruit Margarita. I adore grapefruit. Whether it’s in a salad, served with yoghurt for breakfast or muddled with tequila and triple sec, its versatility makes it one of my favourite flavours. It also tastes mighty fine in a Margarita. Fancy giving it a try? Here’s my recipe for a Grapefruit Margarita. Before you get started, you’ll need a cocktail shaker, some ice and the following ingredients:

• 100ml of Don Julio Blanco Tequila
• 70ml of triple sec
• 50ml of grapefruit juice
• A squeeze of agave nectar
• A little salt, for the rims of the glasses.

1. Put a little salt on a plate. Wet the rim of two short glasses and dip into the salt to coat the rim.
2. Add some ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour in the tequila, triple sec, grapefruit juice and agave nectar
3. Shake until cold, before pouring into the glasses.
4. Serve with a slice of grapefruit.

There’s often a preconception that cocktails are difficult to make but they really aren’t. A few ingredients is often all it takes to make your favourite drink at home. There’s lots of inspiration over on thebar.com, for those of you keen to try making your own.

Do you make cocktails at home? If so, what is your go-to drink?

*This post was sponsored by thebar.com.

One albeit slight downside is that this part of the world isn’t that easy to get to. If you’re my kind of traveller, you’re used to flying into city airports, boarding a tram or a train, or (depending on your budget), hopping into a taxi and arriving at your accommodation in a few easy steps. If that’s what you hoped for in the Amalfi Coast, you might want to adjust your expectations.

If you are basing yourself in and around the Amalfi Coast, flying into Naples Airport is your best option – most major flight carriers operate routes to this part of Italy. Once you arrive at the airport, you have a few options for onward travel, depending on where you’re staying.

If you’re staying in Sorrento (the gateway to the Amalfi Coast) most public transport options head in that direction. You can take the bus, which costs €10 and takes around 1hr 30minutes. It stops at the train station in Sorrento, which is centrally located.

The train is another option, however you need to get the airport bus to Naples Central Station first. The Circumvesuviana train is a viable way to Sorrento but the train isn’t the most modern, doesn’t have AC and there’s little space for luggage. However, it is budget friendly at just €5.

Three further options are available. The hydrofoil from Naples port to Sorrento, which takes around 40 minutes and costs roughly €11, or a taxi. Many companies do special rates on private transfers, and depending on your budget, they are worth looking into. You can also get a taxi from the airport, which is by far the most expensive option. There was six of us sharing a taxi, so at a total cost of €120 straight to our hotel, it worked for us without breaking the bank.

The final option is to hire a car. I say this as a confident driver, I wouldn’t recommend it. The roads are winding, the traffic is busy and the overall experience is not conducive to a relaxing holiday.

Once you’re in the Amalfi Coast, transport options will depend on where you are staying. Since we were in Sorrento, it was pretty well connected for boats to Capri and other neighbouring islands. There’s a decent local bus service and most hotels put on a shuttle service, which takes you into the city centre should you wish to explore Sorrento itself.

When it was time for us to return to Naples, we took the hydrofoil and I couldn’t recommend it enough. It takes around 40 minutes, costs €11 and there is plenty of space on board for luggage. There’s also a bar on board serving tea, coffee, water, beer and a selection of snacks. It’s a pretty relaxing experience, not to mention convenient.

So there you have it, a few quick and easy tips for navigating the Amalfi Coast. If you are heading to that part of the world and have any questions, please do let me know, I’d be happy to help with more information.