Live Well London

February is here, and we are proud to say that we are keeping to our New Year’s Resolutions at The Amazing Blog (well, for the most part anyway). Many resolutions revolve around health and fitness, aiming to make 2019 our year of maintaining a healthy body and mind. We were therefore excited to discover the new event, Live Well London, taking place from the 1st-3rd March in Old Billingsgate.

This event will encompass a full line-up of classes, workshops, inspirational talks, live kitchen demos and much more. From fitness to nutrition, beauty and well-being, Live Well London offers a number of contributors and influencers who will be giving well-founded advice, from both personal and professional experiences. This ensures that you will leave having gained wisdom from a range of experienced professionals. Understanding the need for a varied range of advice, organisers have secured speakers from all walks of the fitness and health industries. Matt Roberts, one of the UK’s leading personal trainers, and best-selling fitness authors, will be on hand to provide science-based advice, to help you live a more energised life. The founder of Mind and Meditation, Niraj Shah will imparting her knowledge for those looking for well being and inspiration. If that’s not enough, then skincare expert Liz Earle will be offering advice on how to really take care of your skin. These names are just the tip of the iceberg, with a vast amount of other speakers with equal amounts of wisdom to share. Click here to see what's on over the course of the three days.

The event will also include sessions from More YOGA and Barre Studio, unique and popular classes that prove exercise isn’t limited to running on a treadmill (although this is of course allowed if it’s your thing). The event focuses on four key areas: Well Moved, Well Balanced, Well Nourished and Well Restored. Well Balanced will help you to find new ways of moving, from addressing fitness crazes, to explaining the benefits of HIIT or Pilates. Well Balanced is centred around mental health, an ever prevalent and important topic. You can expect advice on mindfulness and meditation, as well as life-coaching and therapy. Well Nourished will focus on getting the glow from within, with tips and tricks on upping your intake of vitamins, and nutritional food and drinks. Finally, Well Restored will allow you to discover retreats, spas, wellness holidays, courses and more - because we’re all in need of a little escape sometimes.

We predict tickets will sell fast for this event, and as they are limited, we urge you to order sooner, rather than later. If you’ve fallen off the New Year bandwagon, or are simply looking for ways to ramp up your healthy routines, then we’re sure there will be something for you. Click here to purchase a ticket from £35.

Christmas at ZSL London (London Zoo)

Even though we’re nudging into December, some of us need a helping hand to get into the festive spirit. Don’t tell anyone but there still are a few ‘Bah Humbugs’ amongst us at The Amazing Blog. When we heard about Christmas at ZSL London we decided it would be a perfect chance to encourage some ‘festive cheer’!

At Christmas at London Zoo there’s something for everyone to enjoy. With spectacles such as the iconic penguin pool dance, the illuminated trail, a vintage carousel and a number of hidden surprises, getting into the festive spirit is almost a given. While the animals are tucked up in bed, you can also hop aboard their special train, where you’ll experience both fantasy and fairy-tale; soaking up mesmerizing voices of Singing trees and playful projections of Magic Mountains.

This is the first ever Christmas event at London Zoo, and is being launched in partnership with Raymond Gubbay Limited. The site has been designed by Culture Creative - so expect the unexpected, with sky high animal sculptures encircling the 36 acre zoo site! Cleverly they make sure you circumnavigate the animals so you don’t disturb the habitat of the nocturnal animals; although you might catch a fleeting glimpse on your train ride.

Of course the evening would be incomplete without indulging in a glass of mulled wine or hot chocolate. You will find these in the Zoo’s Christmas village, alongside a plethora of other festive treats such as toasted marshmallows and roasted chestnuts. You can also start your Christmas shopping at ZSL gift shop. For full details visit the gift shop website here.

Don’t miss this magical illuminated trail - it opens from Thursday 22nd of November until Monday, 1st of January 2019. Tickets are available here from £16.50.

Les Rêves De Revuelesque: Burlesque Showcase

It is time to treat ourselves to some sizzling entertainment, flashing lights and beautifully manufactured costumes. You heard right; we at The Amazing Blog, are returning to the Clapham Grand this November for the City Academy’s premier burlesque show - RevueLesque.

This show combines cabaret with can-can, with a cast of 23 powerful women performing a range of mind-blowing dances from traditional to modern burlesque. The artists are business professionals during the day that seek to inspire their audiences at night, offering a new perspective on burlesque and female freedom of expression. We have no doubt that your senses will be enlightened. With its 5th show right around the corner, the revival of the burlesque is hard to unsee. The City Academy is known for its adult creative and performing arts courses across London, including two burlesque companies.

Suzy Molnar, founder of RevueLesque and Head of Commercial and World Dance, tells us “We return to Clapham Grand for a second time- with brand new content that we’ve been working hard on all year. I believe this will be our best show yet.”

If this sounds as promising to you as it does to us, you can join the show on Tuesday 13th of November at 19:30 at Clapham Grand, 21-25 St John’s Hill, London SW11 1 TT.

Tickets are available for £19.50, click here to purchase your own from the City Academy website. If you can’t wait to see the girls in action, you can also click here for a little sneak-peak of their latest work.

Willow Basketmaking Course with Jenny Pearce

We don’t know about you, but every so often we get the urge to flee the smoke and head to the country to get down and dirty. And if we can find a recreation that uplifts our spirts and occupies our hands - that’s even better! The Amazing Blog learned of a Willow Basket-making Course run by Jenny Pearce out in Herefordshire. Jenny, a Dublin native, has been a basket-maker since the early ‘90s. She honed her skills in the West of Ireland, England, and France. Nature primarily influences Jenny’s work, of which is based on Celtic and English regional designs.

The course is run out of Canon Frome Court, a farming community. There, they host a number of different classes like basket-making; working with unstripped willow in a variety of colours and textures. The weekend will give you enough time to make a basket, and possibly a handle. This could be a basket to hold fruit and veg from farmer’s markets or perhaps to fit a potted plant. The airy look of baskets are darling inside and out. However, you’ll probably want to keep your basket out of the rain. We think that it’s very special to make something so versatile for yourself.

This course is a weekend-long affair, running from 10:00-17:00 on November 3rd and 4th. The total cost is £155, which includes tuition, materials, refreshments, and a lovely lunch on both days. Accommodation is not included. See Jenny’s list of places to stay here. If you would like to spend a relaxing weekend in the countryside learning to make a basket with Jenny, book here.

Williams Handmade - Leatherwork Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course

We like to shake it up a bit on our activity weekends. After all, we can’t let those precious free days go to waste. This is when The Amazing Blog discovered Williams Handmade, a company who specialises in craft leather goods.  They offer several leather-working workshops, like the Half Day Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course.

Designer Sarah Williams founded Williams Handmade in 2010. As award winners of the Accessories Collection of the Year Award at ITS#NINE, The Accessory Award from Absolut Vodka, and taking part of the “Power of Craft” exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Williams Handmade truly deserves the description of high-quality craftsmanship. The company has also been shortlisted for the Ketel One Modern Craftsman Award and was nominated by Selfridges as one of their Bright Young Things.

From glasses cases to bags, Sarah Williams creates each of these items herself in the Williams Handmade Workshop in Bircher, Leominster which is located on the Hereford/Shropshire borders. If you love to support local artisans as we do, you should also know that the products are made from English Bridle leather coming from Northamptonshire.

We’re particularly excited about their Half Day Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course. By the end of the day, you’ll have your own clutch bag or iPad case to bring home and put to use.  Our team members have never worked with leather before, but luckily there’s no need for prior experience to take this course. The day entails learning the basics of leatherwork (i.e. how to cut and prepare leather), the traditional saddle stitch, and learning how to finish the edges. You also get to choose your preferred colour and pattern combination, so your lovely bag or case is just to your liking!

The Williams Handmade Half Day Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course runs from 9am-1pm on the 20th of October for £65. Tea, coffee, and cake are included. If you’d like to spice up your Saturday with this fabulous course, click here. If you’re interested in finding out about their other classes, click here.