Going For Gold

After years of planning, preparation and pandemonium, the 2012 Olympic Games are finally here! In honour of the glorious games, for the next two weeks The Amazing Blog will be showcasing the best in health and fitness, and we've even got a fabulous competition for you next week! But a great British event wouldn't be the same without some novelty items, so have a browse through these patriotic themed items to get you in the Team GB spirit! First up we have for you the Heyland and Whittle Hope & Glory Reed Diffuser. One of the more subtle but definitely longer lasting ways to show your patriotism for the Olympic games, Heyland and Whittle's Hope & Glory range is sure to have something to suit your home. The diffusers have a Lemongrass scent and are available from their website for £22.00.

With all the fittest athletes in the world congregating in London over the next two weeks, you can be sure that they're all getting their share of H2O, and what better way to hydrate yourself than with a brilliant Water Bobble. Water Bobbles are the latest must-have, as this unique water bottle filters water as you drink it, so you don't need to worry about drinking any yucky chemicals wherever you need to stop and refill! The British Bobble is available at Selfridges for £10.95.

If you're looking for a way to incorporate some more Red, White and Blue into your everyday life, then look no further than the Simply Swim Towels! Tom Daley, eat your heart out! Perfect for the pool or the shower, this Olympic souvenir will be handy long after the medals are handed out! Available from their website for £18.00.

And our last Olympic pick is the uber patriotic Cool Britannia Tangle Teezer. I'm sure a lot of you have had you eye on one of these miracle-working de-tanglers, so there's no better time to splurge on this olympic-themed hair tool. Perfect for your bathroom or stashing in your bag quickly, they're available from their website for £12.24.

So as the Opening Ceremonies commence and the best of the best compete for that elusive gold medal, make sure to check back here every day for the our top health and fitness picks. Let the games begin!

Good Heavens!

When you're in the middle of a meeting, on your way to school, or just busy around the house, it's so easy to reach for a quick treat that may not be so good for you. After all, no one wants to spend ages cutting up fruit and vegetables when you can grab a packet of Maltesers so easily. But The Amazing Blog cares about your health, so we have found a quick snack that's good for you, and tastes delicious. Good Heavens! drinking yogurt is going to be your new saviour. These delicious drinking yogurts not only taste seriously amazing, but they're completely portable and really good for you. The yogurts are all-natural with no preservatives, and much better for you than a regular fruit juice or smoothie. Good Heavens! takes care to source all their ingredients responsibly to make sure you're getting the highest quality product. They're a small boutique dairy with over 20 years yogurt making experience - so you can rest assured they know what they're doing. The Good Heavens! range has all the regular hits, like Vanilla, Strawberry and Banana but also delicious flavours like Mango Passion Fruit, Tiramisu, Apple and Pear and more. They're best when they're nice and cold, so keep them in the fridge until right before you want to enjoy them. My personal favourite is their newest release in Salted Caramel, its the perfect mix of sweet and salty and satisfies my sweet tooth every time.

They're available from their website, or you can pick some up Harrods, Selfridges, Tesco Express and Whole Foods starting at £1.69. So next time you think about reaching for a fruit smoothie, pick up a Good Heavens! drinking yogurt.

Sweet Treats for the Diamond Jubilee (Part 1 of 4)

Here at The Amazing Blog we're all about the royals (Prince Harry, you know where to find us). So what better way to show our British pride than a series of posts on the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Over the next few days be sure to check back for the best Jubilee inspired Food, Home, Beauty and Fashion picks!

First up, we have a must-have for all you foodies out there, The Great British Book of Baking. This recipe book is jam-packed (see what I did there?) with delicious recipes that will make all your friends and family proud to be in this fine country! Pick one up for just £20 at Liberties.

For all of you out there who aren't as kitchen savvy we have a solution for you. This Jubilee inspired tin from Biscuit Village takes all the hard work out of baking! Perfect to bring round to a friends barbecue, or at home with the family, order one today for £29.99 from their website.

For all of you hoping to enjoy the Jubilee festivities with a cool cocktail, look no further than the Raisthorpe Manor Liqueurs. We especially love the Peach flavour, at £16.45 it's perfectly priced to grab a few bottles! And to get you in the festive mood we've got a delicious recipe for you:

2 oz peach juice 1 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 oz Raisthorpe Manor Peach Liqueur 3 oz chilled, dry Champagne 1/2 cup crushed ice

This recipe serves two, drink responsibly!

For the more patriotic readers, this shortbread tin from Selfridge's celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee is a must have. £13.99 is a bargain price to pay to have our Liz watching over you forever (or until you throw away the tin).

If some of you were hoping to carry through your Jubilee spirit long after the festivities, this Hawkshead Relish Jubilee Jam is perfect for you. Every morning when you're making your toast and spreading you jam, you can remember your Jubilee weekend! Available for £2.60 on their website.

While everyone doesn't have the selection of crowns that our gracious Queen has, I think I'd prefer this Diamond Jubilee Fit For a Queen chocolate selection from Selfridge's a bit more. Who needs carats when you can have chocolate! Pick up a box of these festive treats for £11.99.

A nice cup of tea is about as English as you can get, so celebrate the Queen's big day with a brew of Fortnum and Mason's Jubilee Blend. At £11.50, it's definitely a treat, but you'll only see one Diamond Jubilee.

For those of you wanting to celebrate the Jubilee somewhere besides your home, The Handbook's Jubilee Japes lists the best places in London for you to celebrate the Jubilee in style. From dinner to dessert, you're sure to find an event that suits you this weekend.

Hopefully this post has given you some ideas on how your Jubilee celebrations can be enhanced with festive food, so be sure to check this space over the next few days for our top Jubilee picks for Home, Beauty and Fashion. This afternoon we'll have our Home picks (Part 2), and tomorrow look out for our Beauty (Part 3) and Fashion (Part4) installments.

Byron Bay Cookies

Yesterday was, according to reports, the day that three-quarters of people broke their New Year’s Resolutions. So in addition to having to face the fact that it was a Monday, and indeed another gloomy start to another long week at work, it was also the day that greatest amount of resoluters were most likely to skip the gym, have a crafty fag or indulge in some forbidden chocolate. And while I may not have been a direct casualty of the curse of January 9^th, having made specifically ‘vague’ resolutions, my ‘healthy eaten plan’ had certainly seen better days, particularly with the arrival of the deliciously decadent Byron Bay Cookies.

With a variety of flavours, including the mouth-watering White Choc Chunk & Macadamia Nut, Museli and Triple Choc Fudge they are the ultimate in indulgent treats and certainly not to be missed - diet or no diet!

In 1990, founders Maggi Miles and Gary Lines, inspired by the picturesque Byron Bay in Australia played around with ingredients to create the cookies that nowadays are sold all over the world. Since they found worldwide fame with their fabulous flavours, the company name officially changed to Byron Bay Cookie Company. They now bake over 50 million cookies a year that are sold in over 40 countries worldwide. In 2007 Byron Bay Cookie Company signed a deal with one of the UK most prestigious bakeries to produce the cookies in this country, which also meant they could be certified by The Vegetarian Society as they now contain only free range eggs. On their website you can also find their green creed: they now ship orders by sea rather than air and their packaging is bleach free and 100% recyclable, so all the more reason to treat yourself!

If your mouth is watering at the thought alone, you can find Byron Bay Cookies in a number of stores, including both Sainsbury’s and Selfridges. They are also available to buy at www.cookie.com.au. And you can follow them on both twitter and facebook, where you can find out more about this fabulous baker company including all their product flavours.

All I Want For Christmas...

  With December just three days away, the countdown to Christmas is about to begin. And even at the ripe-old age of twenty-five, I must admit there's nothing quite so satisfying as the daily opening of one's advent calender. However this year, having eaten my way through my body weight in chocolate, I'm on a pre-party season diet and the usual Cadbury's Calender will do nothing to help my chances of fitting into my planned work-do outfit. Not wanting to go without, I decided to look further afield, so imagine my delight when I came across the Selfridges' Beauty Advent Calender.

Following last year's success, Selfridges decided to follow suit this year with their exclusive Beauty Advent Calender - the perfect way to treat yourself to something extra special this season. The ultimate in the height of luxury, behind each window lies minature versions of the beauty industry's most coveted products.

From the seductive Diamonds Eau De Parfum by Emporio Armani to Yves Saint Laurent's Khol Pencil and Victor & Rolf's Flowerbomb, with additional treats from Shu Uemura, Lancome and Kiehls, it really is the perfect treat for any beauty fanatic this Christmas.