Mother's Day 2016 This is Your One Week Warning! What's in Store at M&S?

Mother's Day this year is Sunday 6th March, which means you have a week to find a lovely present. Here's what's in store at M&S, Homeware and Food Hall gift ideas. 

The Mother's Day Food Hall gifts are all themed with this beautiful, Spring, floral design.  

There are various chocolate box selections, but if you fancy something sweet but different, why not buy your Mum this pistachio, hazelnut, honey & sour cherry nougat. 

Thank you chocs £9 : Handmade nougat £5

These are the chocolates in the Thank You box. A beautiful selection of dark, white and milk chocolates.

Biscuits £3 : Sweet treats £8

If your family all get together for Mother's Day, then this triple chocolate brownie cake would be a welcome sight. I'm a huge fan of M&S flavoured creams, they really top off a delicious dessert. 

brownie cake £5 : vanilla cream £1.50

And how about this amazing Mother's Day cake? And if you buy one thing I recommend from M&S, make it this pink champagne cream, it's unreal. 

cake £12

Cream £2

Finally, here are some of the cool cards on offer and you can check out more gift ideas on the M&S website.

Are You Season 8 Ready, Hunty? RuPaul Artwork For The People.

Sharon Needles

I've been rewatching Ru Paul's Drag Race on Netflix, with season 8 approaching next month. I've even delved into 'the lost season', series one, the one filmed with Vaseline smeared camera lenses & questionable wigs.

Alaska 5000

I've watched mostly in reverse, so I'm on season 2 now. The episode I've reached is one where the mini-challenge is to makeover a RuPaul doll into a lady of the night. Which sent me immediately to eBay to see if I could afford a Ru Paul doll. Sadly they start at £55, but I found something Drag Race fans can have for their home without busting your budget. 

Bianca Del Rio- one of my favourites

Phi Phi O'Hara

ebay seller 88to92 is who you need to search for. They make these cool, queen-quote artworks. I would love a whole set framed going up my stairs at home. They start at £5 so pick your favourite queen and have her home in time for series 8 beginning. 

I didn't like Dela, but she did look like Michelle Visage! 

If anyone wants to chat Drag Race on Twitter I'm @rudedoodle. I posted some behind the scenes secrets and stills from 'the lost season' this morning.​

I love you, Ru! 

Love It Local, Try Some Belfast-Blended Suki Tea at Your Nearest Ground Espresso Bar.

 Ground Espresso bars are scattered far and wide through out Northern Ireland, with new branches opening all the time. We visited the new Bangor branch again, it's located on the ring road beside Pure Gym. There will also be a second Bangor Ground concession inside the new Next that's being built at Bloomfield Shopping Centre.

The easiest way to see if there is a Ground branch coming to your town is to  join their Facebook page.

Last month we visited the new Bangor store and tried their special coffee brew bar experience. This time around I chose from their selection of Suki loose leaf teas, picking Apple Loves Mint.

Suki Tea is blended in Belfast and Ground are proud to source local products when available. If you are unsure which loose leaf tea to go for, ask a barista can you smell the different aromas on offer.  

Your tea will be served in a classic Suki Tea Pot, which are also available to buy in store, or on their website. 

£30

£22.50

The food choice at Ground are also sourced locally, and hand finished in store. 

Today my choice was a big, soft, lemon & blueberry muffin. Smix had his favourite, Nutella Cake.

So why not support a local coffee shop and visit a Ground Espresso Bar this weekend? 

Dare You Wear Ouija Jewels? Or Be a Mega-Ru-Fan with Drag Race themed Jewellery.

Sugar and Vice and all things sparkly. Check out their Ru Paul's Drag Race necklace. Please make more! Not today, Satan! Not today!

Would you have the nerve to wear a planchette? 

Next on to their fruit and veg jewellery, and the most important food group- sweets! 

Annoyingly the piece I fall in love with, is one of the most expensive on the whole website!  Look at those colours.

This isn't novelty shaped, but I love how the colours go together. A bit like a 1970s' living room. 

Speaking of 70s' tones, I'm loving The Shining necklace. 

Sugar & Vice designs are often themed by retro sci-fi shapes and objects. 

27 Retro Pussycats Purring For You This Valentine's Day

Starting with this brilliantly laboured pun... 

And finishing with total creep of a cat! 

The Complete Menu of Options for the M&S Valentines' Dine In Special 2016. What Will You Choose?

It's my favourite Marks & Spencer Dine In long weekend of the whole year, the £20 Valentines' selection. The courses are always sprinkled with total show stopping choices, like this year's silver pearls of smoked salmon as a starter.

So without further ado, here are the options for each course.

So, what did I choose? The Mexican lime non-alcoholic option for our drinks. Starter just HAD to be those silver salmon pearls. The main is steak, side is garlic mushrooms. For dessert I chose the twin hearts for us, and the meal also includes a little box of chocolates.

I also picked up this gorgeous white chocolate mini-cake, which wasn't in store when I did the Valentines' gifts post last week's. It hasn't lasted until Valentines' day however, Smix and I ate it this afternoon. 

The M&S Valentines' Dine In 2016 runs until 15th February, and is in store now. 

Novelty Pancakes. Too Good to Eat?

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, so that makes today Pancake Day. The day to use up all the ingredients that people adhering to Lent will be avoiding. The day to ruin a frying pan or two, and set off the hall smoke alarm.  

Whats your choice though? Thin, European style crepes? Or thick, fluffy, American breakfast pancakes? 

I asked Twitter for their favourite pancake accompaniments. 

@RaphaRat "I'm French but I definitely go for the big, fluffy, thick ones!! #yum" 

@TheSarahStoryNI "I *may* do mine with bacon and Nutella today!" 

@SummerRay "Bacon & Maple syrup all the way". 

@RichardJohn "Golden syrup, banana". 

@LeStewpot "Lemon & Sugar or icecream & raspberries". 

@Foppyish "Chocolate, peanut butter and banana. ALL AT THE SAME TIME". 

@JayneKitsch "Weave bacon into a lattice and bake with a layer of brown sugar and cinnamon. It'll go beautiful and is amazing for pancakes or as a burger topping". 

The Valentines' Day 2016 Marks & Spencer Lust List

Marks & Spencer Valentines' Day food & drink gifts 2016 are as inventive yet classic as every year. Lots of sweets, and a selection of comical Valentines' Day cards. You can view many gifts online, but here's what I spied in the Sprucefield store yesterday.

The floral options are bright and colourful. Stray from the usual dozen red roses with yellow, orange and pink buds.

They had these limited edition chocolate sculptures at Christmas, but the red shoe has came along for Valentines. 

Here are some treats I brought home. 

Jellies £3 : Sweet Hearts £1.50 : Love Hearts £3

These are from the spring sweet collection, but many boxes are wrapped in wrapping paper. Saving you the job. 

Rose & Violet £4 : Marzipan Fruits £4

These mini cupcake chocolates are so cute. 

Cupcake chocs £8

If chocs & sweets don't suit your loved one, then I spied some gorgeous Indiand themed interior accessories in the home department. The faux elephant taxidermy is very cool.