CLAUDIA LOVES CATS


This weekend Jonny and I decided to use our new National Trust membership cards (only £30 for young people) and head to Sudbury Hall and the Museum of Childhood that's next door. We have had such a busy week, I got my results for my essays from over Christmas and on Thursday I was on BBC Question Time (actual live TV). BUT back to this weekend, I really like Sudbury Hall but this time we went it looked a little differently to normal because they were showing how the National Trust begins to renovate new houses it acquires. Therefore when we entered the exhibition showed the house as it was in 1967 50 years ago when it became the property of the NT.

This house is super light and bright, and they have said that later on in the year if we return we will be able to see more of the house including the basements! 
What are you doing this weekend? On Sunday I am hoping to go to Lou Lou's vintage fair in Stoke on Trent. 
Claudia




Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No comments

A couple of weeks ago I treated myself to The Avocado Cookbook by Heather Thomas because I am OBSESSED with avocados and sometimes it's good to get ideas on more dishes to make with them. I decided to look at the main meal section first, and last night I cooked the Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Chilli with Zingy Avocado Salsa. 

I really enjoyed cooking it, especially as it went in the slow cooker which meant I could do it in my own time in the day rather than stressing about getting all the veg cooked in the evening. I thought it was really tasty (mum wasn't so sure about the texture) but best of all it was great to try something new now we are having a big cut down on meat eating. (And this meal was about 2 million of my 5-a-day). The salsa was really lovely though - I think the best bit of the meal - the avocados saving the day once again! 

I would really recommend this book, it's not massive to carry round, or expensive, and has some really nice ideas on how to use avocados for every meal of the day including pudding so if you're also obsessed with avocados it's amazing! It would make a really good present for someone too. 

The final dish isn't that aesthetically pleasing (see below) but I really enjoyed making and eating it! Let me know if you've tried any of these recipes in this book! Claudia 


Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
6 comments

So my February Glossy Box arrived a bit ago, but I had forgotten to post about it! The box was GORGEOUS! It was a lovely black and white striped lid with Love written on it in pink. This is definitely my favourite looking box so far and I am going to keep it to put bits and bobs in it on my bedside table.

So the five things (four of which were full-size) I had in the box - with reviews of the ones I've tried so far. 

Jeanne Arthes - L'Eau de Rose
This was full-size but still very petite, which I actually really liked as it is perfect handbag size. I currently use Chloé but this is good as a more everyday perfume as I usually forget to put it on! It is a very rosey scent, which is really nice and isn't too overwhelming for wearing in the day.

La Theorie Des Volcans - Noir Eternae Youth Potion Face Scrub
I haven't used this yet, but this is a full-size tube and is worth £26 so I'm hoping it's good! It says it's vegan and silicone free. This mask is apparently good for anti-ageing which as I am nearing my 25th birthday is much appreciated! I am thinking of using this on a pamper evening when I can examine the effects fully. 

Ciaté London - Paint Pot in Fade to Greige
I love this colour, I wore it to go to Birmingham to see my friend Claire and it lasted for a night out and brunch the next day so what more do you want! The colour goes with loads and loads of other colours and is girly without being sickly. I think this is undoubtedly my favourite product in the February box. I will definitely get lots of wear out of this!

Garnier - Ultimate Blends Honey Treasures Strength Restorer Balm
I haven't used this yet, this is only a small tester and I am currently half way through my Lush hair mask pot and so I want to save this for when my hair really needs it! I have been buying a lot of honey scented things recently, so this will fit into my collection nicely!

Bee Good - Honey & Camelina Facial Exfoliator 
I love this exfoliator, you can really feel the scrub when you are using it and it's amazing that it's also saving the bees! Smells lovely and a really good size (took it to Birmingham also to try it out!) for travel or to try. 

Let me know if you have recently subscribed to Glossy Box, or if you have tried any of the products in the box and what you think! 
If you would like to get a Glossy Box subscription too you can get one here. ~ Claudia

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No comments

So this weekend me and Jonny decided to do something a bit different, and we visited our local wildlife park, Peak Wildlife Park. Despite being just down the road from Leek we hadn't been before. It was amazing, most of all because it was super peaceful and because it's a little out of the way it wasn't massively busy (which is great because there's nothing worse than when you go somewhere for a fun day out and it's heaving and you can't see the animals - you can tell I've had wayyy too many of these days). 

We saw loads of animals there, I have taken photos (see below) of all my favourite ones. Most of all, the enclosures were the best ones I've ever seen at this type of zoo/wildlife park. Most of it was interactive, and you could go into the animals' enclosures, which were all huge. I also liked the way that they all had friends to hang out with, there's nothing worse than just one lonely lemur or elephant in an enclosure, when most animals are quite social.

It was amazing that Peak Wildlife Park had really focussed on having a few types of animals (although there were a lot looking back) rather than trying to pack hundreds of animals into a tiny space, like the big zoos seem to. My favourite animals were definitely the meerkats, which have definitely got me wondering about Peggy's parentage - they were so similar to her! They had penguins, wallabies, deer, pygmy goats and loads more. 

So, moving onto the second most important thing with a day out, the FOOD. Peak Wildlife Park had amazing pizza which I had to take a photo of (see below), that was buy one get one free after 3 pm! Jonny and I both had a Margarita pizza, Jonny had a Coke and I had a hot chocolate (was very cold by this point!) all for the low low price of £13. I would also highly recommend the gift shop - you can go in there without paying to go into the park. They had hundreds of cuddly toys as well as lots of arty prints and homeware - we had a great look around. 
I got a membership for the park (only £30), because it is so close and I thought that whenever I was having a low moment or feeling stressed or couldn't concentrate I could head down here to have some fresh air, a walk round and a look at all the gorgeous animals. 

You can find Peak Wildlife Park here: www.peakwildlifepark.co.uk
Peak Wildlife Park, Winkhill, Leek ST13 7QR

There are loads of wildlife parks all over Britain! You can see them here and search your area. LOADS OF LOVELY ANIMAL PICS BELOW ~ Claudia 














Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No comments

I thought it was only right that I got on the Valentine's bandwagon, as I love pink things and had some really lovely stuff to show you! See under the photos for the low down on my favourite Valentine's day beauty and home.




My Valentine's Day favourites for 2017!

Clinique Crayola Chubby Sticks - £17.50 each
I LOVE these, I actually don't think I have left the house without one since I got them, including today, when I played a rugby game. Just so moisturising and the colours are so nice

Cat Trinket Dish - £9.50
This is from Oliver Bonas and I LOVE IT. I got it at the Manchester station store - my sister and I were laughing about how we had spent money before we had even left the train station. BUT it is amazing and matches my room really well and is a CAT'S FACE!!!

This Works In Transit Camera Close-up Primer - £30
I was really sceptical about this when I first got it because I wasn't sure how much this would actually work on my super oily skin. But under the right foundation, this works really well! I usually wear it under my Kat Von D foundation (which I really need to do a blog post on soon), and I don't seem to get much shine on me, as well as it helping my make-up go on better. Would really recommend this.

Lush Butter Bear - around £2
I can't find this on the website was it a Christmas exclusive do any Lushies know? Either way, I can't wait to try it this month. I am trying to start having more baths to relax after deadlines etc so this little guy will be getting used soon!

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 75 ml - £17
I had heard amazing things about this and got it before Christmas but with a recommendation from my sister, I am only starting to use it now. I have used it once or twice, for the 10 minutes that it suggests for damaged hair.

Chloé Eau de Parfum 50ml - £65
This smells gorgeous and the bottle is so beautiful. Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Equally as crucial for this post were the heart lights- I got them from Morrison's for TWO POUNDS - such a good price! And the Love Hearts, which you can get from a newsagent but I got mine from Morrisons in a jumbo pack

What are you doing for Valentine's Day? It is also my mum's birthday so we will be going out for lunch for that.
Claudia x

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No comments

Kittens are without a doubt the cutest thing, I mean my blog wouldn't be called Claudia Loves Cats if I didn't love cats right? Beware, this post has lots of photos of cats in it!

Getting a kitten is no small undertaking, as I hope you are all aware. I am the proud parent of Peggy, who definitely comes under the "naughty tortie" description in that she is very very naughty. It is lovely to have a little furry friend to cuddle and to tell your secrets to. Peggy hears all my secrets, it really is a good job she can't talk to other people. 

Prepare to have your house FULL of cat stuff
Honestly, you know when you see the photos of my bedroom on Insta and you think oh how lovely and clean and tidy and uncluttered. It's an illusion as I've probably just picked at least FIVE cat toys up off the floor, as well as some cat fur and maybe something that Peggy has been playing with that isn't a cat toy. In fact, I found her stash the other day under my bed, there was all sorts she had stolen from me (a sweet, a tampon, a little bell from a Lindt chocolate, Christmas wrapping paper, you can imagine the etc.). I also have a big scratching post in my room, that I got at the local pet shop. It isn't very photogenic (prepare for this with cat toys!) but I do have some other really pretty stuff like Peggy's wicker carry case, pictures of which are on my instagram @claudialovescats. 
Basically, our house is full of cat stuff, but she plays with it, and to be honest I would rather have a house full of toys she plays with than her being bored and sad!


Any time is play time
5 am or while you're eating your dinner is play time, while you're brushing your teeth - play time and worst, when you're tying your shoelaces - play time. 
Kittens have loads of energy, and will want to play constantly. The best thing to do is to play and play with them, this helps them to burn off energy and you to avoid them chewing/scratching everything. It also helps you to build up a relationship with your kitten - they become your friend through playing with them!

Kitten-proof your house where possible
At first, they won't be able to climb on much, but before long they will want to climb on everything! I started by moving breakables to a safe place. There really isn't much you can do when they start getting bigger though, but I would really recommend an anti-chew spray. I was most paranoid about Peggy's chewing of wires (oh my god) and sprayed my anti-chew all over them and she didn't like the taste of it at all! I got one from my local pet shop, but you can also get one from Pets at Home here. 


Buy toys that will last 
The best toy I have bought for Peggy is her "Cheese". I got this from Fetch Online, and while it was initially quite pricey, she really loves it and plays with it all the time. I really hoped it would be quieter than it actually is, but she always goes and bashes it with her paws when she wants me to switch it on. The little mice have seen some action but they are seriously hardy and the batteries are still the same ones I put in in June!!! 
If you're going to spend money on toys, then make sure you buy ones that last so you can get your money's worth!

Get them insured! 
This is key, if you have a pet you need to make sure you can pay for vets bills if they get sick. This is not just for when they swallow a sock (it happens guys) but also if they get diagnosed with something like diabetes and need an extensive course of medicine, potentially life-long care. I have insured Peggy with John Lewis Pet Insurance, which so far has been great. They have a 24-hour Vet line so you can ring them any time you are worried about the health of your kitten/cat! I have also had Peggy spayed and microchipped, even though she is a house cat. 

Actually getting the kitten
I paid 30 pounds for Peggy. It makes me sad sometimes to think that her whole little life cost only 30 pounds. We were advised to get a girl cat because we already have a boy cat, and we were worried it would disrupt his routine if we got another boy cat with all his tom cat smells. I am not an expert at all at cats, but I would definitely recommend asking to see the mother before you take home a kitten, and make sure you know how old the kitten is. I would also recommend de-fleaing and de-worming them when they reach the right age BUT I am not an expert on this - you can find out more here.

I hope this helps with anyone thinking of getting a kitten, I would really recommend getting one through Cats Protection - I am a cat sponsor and all it takes is £4 a month to feed a cat.

If anyone has any questions then pop me a DM on instagram (@claudialovescats) or email me at: claudialovescatsblog@gmail.com 

Has anyone else recently got a kitten? What do you do to keep them entertained? 
Claudia x


***NOTHING on this post is sponsored, they are all my own views 

**** I have had 2 kittens before I got Peggy, unfortunately, one got hit by a car in 2009 and died and the other died of a heart attack at 5 years old when I lived in Paris in 2013.
Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No comments
Newer Posts
Older Posts

INSTAGRAM

I'M CLAUDIA AND I LOVE CATS

My photo
Claudia Loves Cats
I am a 26 year old former Masters student, blogger, campaigner, history geek and full-time cat owner. I love Christmas, farms and vintage clothes. Peggy the cat is 2 years old and likes washing herself in the sink, watching the birds out of the window and sleeping in the sun. Pip the cat is 1 year old and likes pom poms, chasing toes and crunching his food loudly.
View my complete profile

Follow Me

  • TWITTER
  • PINTEREST
  • INSTAGRAM

BLOGLOVIN'

Follow

READ MORE

recent posts

MY OTHER WORK

  • The Perception - From Echo to Engagement
  • How I survived my first Masters semester at Keele University (and how you can too!)

Blog archive

  • ►  2018 (3)
    • ►  September (2)
    • ►  May (1)
  • ▼  2017 (34)
    • ►  December (3)
    • ►  July (2)
    • ►  June (2)
    • ►  May (4)
    • ►  April (2)
    • ►  March (5)
    • ▼  February (6)
      • Sudbury Hall National Trust
      • Avocado Salsa with Vegetarian Chilli
      • February Glossy Box
      • Peak Wildlife Park Day Out
      • Valentine's Day Beauty & Home
      • Tips for getting (and more importantly looking aft...
    • ►  January (10)
  • ►  2016 (24)
    • ►  December (14)
    • ►  November (2)
    • ►  October (7)
    • ►  September (1)

GROUPS

Blog ON Conference

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO READ?

  • Out and About
  • At Home
  • Christmas
  • Beauty & Self-Care
  • Food
  • Cats & Dogs
Powered by Blogger.

Created With By ThemeXpose & Blogger Templates