Champagne Twist

For people living the dream on a budget

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The Great British Sewing Bee - Sustainable Style - Book review | Champagne Twist

The Great British Sewing Bee – Sustainable Style – Book review | Champagne Twist

Hello,

Here’s a short video of my review of the new Great British Sewing Bee’s Sustainable Style sewing book.  Hope you find it informative, don’t forget to leave your comments below.

Keep safe and well everyone.

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How not to help others during Coronavirus

OK folks, I’m not about to tell you how to live your life. It’s your life, do with it what you will – all I ask that you don’t hurt anyone in the process.

But really? This is the best these celebrities could come up with?  Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, a bunch of rich people singing John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, (I…

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Marvellous distractions during Coronavirus

At the time of writing, (11am), my day has already been made. Why?, you may ask. Well, after checking today’s TV listings, I discovered that Marvel’s Avengers Assemble is being broadcast later on BBC1, and now I’m planning my whole evening’s entertainment around this movie.

Yes, I know it’s sad, but a) I don’t care – I fully acknowledge that this is a ‘sad’ act, and fully embrace it. I love…

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Shopping during Coronavirus

This is just a quick note to say hi, and I hope you are all well and doing OK under these strange circumstances.

And also just to say this.

Photo by Vie Studio on Pexels.com

Here, in the UK, we are fortunate to live in the 5th richest country in the world. You do not need to stock pile on loo paper  – or anything else for that matter. Please do not stock pile, and just purchase what you need.…

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GARDEN | Thompson & Morgan – Van Meuwen Customer Service Update – BUYER BEWARE | Champagne Twist

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UK Bank Interest Rates to Double | Champagne Twist

UK Bank Interest Rates to Double | Champagne Twist

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

I flipped on the TV last night by chance, and caught the tail end of the Martin Lewis Money Show, and learnt that bank interest rates are set to double.

DOUBLE

DOUBLE

The fear and panic that came over me was so overwhelming, I immediately burst into tears. Thoughts included – I am bearly keeping my head above water as it is, and now could literally face…

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12th Night – The Great Christmas Decorations Take Down 2020| Champagne Twist

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The Garden Reflections Wooden Bird House - review | Champagne Twist

The Garden Reflections Wooden Bird House – review | Champagne Twist

Garden Reflections Wooden Bird House. Picture Source – QVCUK.com

It’s arrived! I have been waiting an absolute age for this, and after weeks of internal self debate, I finally took the plunge and purchased the bird house and it arrived yesterday.

Of course, knowing my luck the delivery was twice delayed by the worse delivery service known to, well everyone, but still I’m so happy that my brand…

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I have long given up on making new year’s resolutions.  Partly because by this time of year, i.e. the 2nd of January, I’ve broken half of them.  But I have started to implement my plans to help encourage birds and beneficial pollinators to my outdoor space.  I’m starting with the birds by making sure that I supply various foods to sustain their diet during these cold winter months.

January and February tend to be the coldest months of the year, and food is very scarce both for food gardeners and wildlife.  I’ve taken advantage of the Christmas and New Year sales and purchased a bird table and bird food supplies.

Wilko is my go-to bird food supplier, I normally buy a tub of 50 fat balls for £4.  The birds which especially love these fat balls are robins, blue tits, magpies and the occasional big pigeon.

  In an effort to attract a wider variety of birds and to tempt the blue tits away from my already blossoming honeysuckle, I’m trialing these suet blocks.  So far, however, they are not at all tempted by the, preferring to stick to the fat balls.  I’m think maybe I need to give the birds a bit more chance to discover them, or move the blocks elsewhere in the garden.  I’m hoping when the bird table arrives, I can place the blocks on it, and save my poor honeysuckle!

I also placed a bird seed feeder outside, but again, the birds are not biting. Oddly, I’ve never had much luck when it comes to loose bird seed.  A few years ago, I was filling a seed feeder, when I spilled some on a now defunct garden table. I went inside to get something to clean it up, and in the few seconds I had turned my back, a family of squirrels appeared in the garden.  For a split second, I thought I was a Disney princess, and the squirrels had come to visit me in my fairy tale garden. Then I remembered how I spilled the bird seed.  I admit I was more than a little hurt that the fantasy didn’t pan out, and more than a little bit cross that at least 10 squirrels, came from nowhere to deprive the birds of their lunch.

I’m glad to say that the squirrels have not returned in such numbers, although we do get the occasional visit from a solo squirrel, one who I suspect keeps digging up my raised beds. But thanks to the neighbourhood cats, mainly stays out of the way on the roof tops.

While I hope that encouraging birds into the garden now, will encourage them to help me control the snail and slug population later in the Summer, I’m also doing this to help increase the local bird population. Some species have been declining for years, so every effort I make can only help them flourish.

I’m looking forward to receiving the bird table, and hopefully a bird feeding stand, currently on waitlist, and will review them, along with the bird food in due course.

This may not be a new year’s resolution in the true sense, but I’m glad that I’m actually doing something that will help the environment.  Far better than trying to be more healthy – that kinda went out the window yesterday morning when I ate 6 Spiced Blueberry Panacakes for breakfast, which I covered with icing sugar (not so bad on sugarless pancakes), vanilla yogurt (quite good) and half a bottle of maple syrup (ooops!).

Wait, blueberry is a super food right? Maybe I can still keep my ‘be more healthy in 20’ resolution then!

OK maybe not.

Saving the birds and No New Year Resolutions | Champagne Twist I have long given up on making new year's resolutions.  Partly because by this time of year, i.e.

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Mince Pie Filling Recipe| Champagne Twist

Mince Pie Filling Recipe| Champagne Twist

This is a quick and simple recipe for the festive season. You can use this recipe for mince pies, or as an ingredient for fruit cakes. A useful store cupboard standby.

Mince Pie Filling Recipe | Champagne Twist

  Ingredients:

100g glace cherry halves

400g jumbo raisin mix

200g dried cranberries

100g mixed citrus peel

100g ginger

1 tbsp of ground allspice

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tbsp ground…

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Spiced Blueberry Pancakes recipe - Champagne Twist

Spiced Blueberry Pancakes recipe – Champagne Twist

Well, it’s the first day of a brand new decade.  It’s a sobering thought that we are now in the new 20s era.  Personally, I’m hoping that this decade is better than the last one, and that all my plans and hopes pan out in a positive way.

With that, here’s the new look Champagne Twist YouTube Channel, the theme for this year being “New Vision”.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO5aF5NlTZ8…

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Happy New Year, Happy New Decade

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Apple Oat Breakfast Muffins recipe| Champagne Twist

Apple Oat Breakfast Muffins recipe| Champagne Twist

Using apples from my recent fruit and veg shopping trip at the Chiswick House Kitchen Garden sale, I decided to make something healthy and delicious for breakfast, making a welcome change from the usual cereals and scrambled eggs.

Apple Oat Breakfast Muffins Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 cup medium stoneground oatmeal

2 1/4…

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Roqberry Coco & Joe black tea - review | Champagne Twist

Roqberry Coco & Joe black tea – review | Champagne Twist

Roqberry tea – Coco and Joe review | Champagne Twist

Purchased at the National Tea Day event in Woking, East London earlier this year, Roqberry’s Coco & Joe is a fascinating blend of 3 of the world’s favourite hot beverages – Tea, Coco and Coffee.  Usually, when I hear the mere mention of coffee, I run a mile.  I maintain that coffee is the drink of the devil and should be cast aside in all…

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Ticket Giveaway – Knitting and Stitching Show – Harrogate | Champagne Twist

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Knitting and Stitching Show - Harrogate Convention Centre - 28th November - 1st December | Champagne Twist

Knitting and Stitching Show – Harrogate Convention Centre – 28th November – 1st December | Champagne Twist

The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace is over for another year. But never fear, the next show will be held at Harrogate this winter on the 28th November to the 1st of December – just in time to grab supplies for all those Christmas makes and gifts.

And to help your fabric and yarn piggy banks stretch a little further, I have a ticket discount code.  Just take a look at the video…

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Knitting and Stitching Show – Ticket Giveaway | Champagne Twist Brand new Ticket Giveaway for the Knitting and Stitching Show held at London's Alexandra Palace 10th -13th October 2019. Watch the video to find out more -