Three top tips for a girls night in

Let's face it, nothing beats a cosy night in with your favourite girl or two putting the world to rights, scoffing endless snacks and lusting over Ryan Gosling, wondering when on earth he is going to ask you out. All fun girly nights have three main ingredients. Include these and you'll end up having the best night in. I promise.

1. Pampering
I love a good pampering session but due to a busy life, I rarely make time. Something I need to work better on! But a girls night provides the perfect excuse while giving you a chance to natter. I'm loving sheet masks at the minute - thanks for introducing me Michelle! - and they really do work their magic. Worth it too for the comedy factor of having it on your face and pretending to be a ghost. Just me then... So pull together your favourite nail polishes, moisturisers and face masks to give each other some much needed TLC.

2. Food
Food is probably the most important aspect of any meet up or any occasion really. But pigging out doesn't always have to mean shoving a 20 inch pizza, a bowl of nachos and 25 chicken wings down your throat in less than ten minutes. Luckily Go Ahead!* have the perfect snacks that allow you to indulge but feel a little less guilty too. My favourite are the cookie bites - especially the sweet white chocolate and raspberry nibbles. They're the perfect treat to make sure you indulge your sweet tooth and less than 100 calories. Perfection right?!  The crispy fruity yogurt breaks also get a massive thumbs up for me. I'll be making any excuse to eat these!

3. Films
Finally you need films. But not just any old films. Films that make you cry with laughter, smile until your face hurts and make your heart swell. So obviously any films with Ryan Gosling in. Light-hearted, funny films that you don't have to concentrate too hard on. Because let's face it, you'll be doing a hell of a lot of chatting throughout. If only to discuss THAT scene in The Notebook...

What are your top tips for a girls night in?

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Review: Sugar Dumplin', Camberley, Surrey

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we all know that Caribbean food is my favourite. My ultimate favourite. So I didn't need to be asked twice when Sugar Dumplin got in touch to see if I wanted to sample their menu at their new restaurant in Camberley, Surrey.

After collecting the party bus from London Bridge station and a very strong rum cocktail in both hands, we were soon on our way to Surrey. Trust me when I say it's well worth the journey out of London. As soon as you walk in the restaurant its like you've been transported thousands of miles away. The sounds of a steel drum tinkers in the background, pumping reggae music blasts as you scoff your food and the whole place feels like you've stumbled into a shack on a tiny Caribbean island. It feels a million miles away from just plain old Surrey - I absolutely loved the vibe. To me, the atmosphere is just as important as the food served up.

Boy did we eat a feast that night! Fiery jerk prawns with an added kick of ginger, sticky and extremely addictive BBQ ribs, perfectly cooked Bajan sword fish and salt cod fish cakes, chunky fried plantain chips and the signature sugar dumplins with incredibly moreish sauces. That was just to start!

More food still came out! When the goat curry arrived I was excited yet skeptical. This is my favourite dish and I'm always worried it's never executed good enough. But I needn't have worried! This was delicious. With mixed peppers and soft potatoes, the goat was incredibly tender with just the right amount of spicy chilli. I tried not to be too greedy with this dish! The rice and peas were the perfect partner to soak up the delicious sauce.

Thanks so much for such a delicious meal Sugar Dumplin - I wish I could eat it all over again!

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5 cities I want to visit in Germany

After spending four days in Cologne last week, my need to explore more of Germany has intensified. I find it so hard to believe that it has been a unified country for just 27 years - mind-blowing. Paired with beautiful architecture, my favourite time period of history and yummy, stodgy food, Germany has captured my heart. After reading my guidebook cover to cover, I now have a whole bundle of places I'm dying to visit. Here are my top five.

Image by Pascal Poggi via Pinterest

1. Dresden
This city on the edge of the River Elbe never really appealed to me - until I saw some pictures. Then it shot straight to the top of my list. Just look at that skyline above. Give me mesmerising historic building over sterile skyscrapers any day. The riverside beer gardens, incredible Baroque architecture, historic old town and interesting museums all help to make this East German city well worth visiting. The Allies unleashed a staggering 3900 tonnes of explosives on the city over two days in February 1945 meaning so much of the city had to be rebuilt following the destruction. Which only makes Dresden even more remarkable.

Image from Incredible Pictures via Pinterest

2. Nuremberg
Nazi Germany was always my favourite period during my history lessons at school, a period of history that fascinates me still. I think the fact World War II is so recent, so close to home and quite frankly mind blowing that one man nearly realised his atrocious dream. It's something that could quite easily happen again, especially in this current climate. Nuremberg was such an important city for the Nazis. It was here that the first Jewish businesses were boycotted, fanatical party rallies were held and the site for the Nuremberg Trials. But morbid reasons aside, Bavaria's second-largest city is also said to boast one of the best Christmas markets in Germany so I would love to catch that.

Image by Danny Groner for Photocritic via Pinterest

3. Munich
Surprisingly I do not want to visit during Oktoberfest - in fact I can't think of anything worse than facing those crowds. But I do want to soak up the Bavarian heritage, trawl around the famous beer halls, wander around the many museums and visit the Olympic stadium. I've heard such great things about Munich and am dying to experience it for myself.

Image from Flickr via Pinterest

4. Hamburg
Germany's second-largest city boasts that it is 'the gateway to the world'. Is this true? I'd certainly like to find out! The port city has numerous neighbourhoods each offering something different. From the Altstradt in the centre offering cultural museums to the gentrified St Georg as the hub of the city's gay scene. It sounds like a great place to spend 3/4 days just soaking up the German atmosphere.

Image from Stuck in Customs via Pinterest

5. Leipzig
I fell head over heels for Berlin four years ago and I've heard on the grapevine that Leipzig is a cheaper, fun version of that city. Cool, hip and alternative with a nightlife to die for. I'd love to find out more about the city that has been cited with a leading role in the 'peaceful revolution' that helped to draw a close to the Cold War. The east German city has so many museums and exhibitions devoted to the GDR. A period of history I'm eager to look into a bit more.

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