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.

The Return of Brick Lane’s Oldest Market, Cheshire Street, London

Sundays are for strolling. After an exciting Friday and jam-packed Saturday, we at The Amazing Blog like to have a bit of a change of pace... The Cheshire Street Market is new to the market scene and strives to support local traders, crafters, and artists who work with recyclable materials, fair trade products, homemade and locally sourced crafts and fashions. Located on Brick Lane, the Cheshire Street Market has an enjoyable, family-friendly environment that we have the pleasure of checking out!

Revived by the East End Traders Guild, the Cheshire Street Market has a showcase for independent designers to present their polished work to the public. As you may know, The Amazing Blog team are huge fans of art and artisan products, like homewares, art, crafts, jewellery, vintage fashions, and clothing. No worries, Cheshire Street Market has it all! It’s powerful to see in person the hands that made the items we take home. If you’re more of a foodie than you are artsy, not a problem! There are plenty of products tailored uniquely to you such as sauces, spices, and chilli plants.

We love how the products are handmade, sustainable, and locally produced—far more meaningful than being mass-produced. We are definitely going to get creative in at least one of their offered workshops to hone new skills! Pop by from any Sunday in September 10.00-16.00 to enjoy the lingering summer heat and discover new artisan products! Also to quickly add, many thanks to Cutlass Comms for sending us information and images which were kindly donated by Phil Maxwell and assorted photographs by Jeremy Freedman and Rossana Leal.

Zip Now London

The Amazing Blog is seeking adrenaline junkies, adventurists and those unafraid of heights. Zip across the scenic Archbishops Park with Zip Now London is on until 9 September. During the trip, riders will see Lambeth Palace, Parliament, Millbank and Nine Elms. Join our team on the world’s longest and fasted urban zip line.

The zip line has three wires, these are 225 meter zip wires with speeds of up to 50 kph. Now, friends and family can ride alongside each other. Prepare to launch at the height of 35 meters – the equivalent of nine double-decker buses stacked on top of each other! As you glide across the 225-meter zip wire, you will reach speeds up to 50 KPH. Thrill seekers can top off this exhilarating experience with a mega drop free fall. Instead of taking the stairs, riders can exit by a 15-meter jump. Want to get a feel of the excitement? Then see Youtube link here

Although there isn’t parking available on site, it’s just a ten-minute walk from the Waterloo station and the Vauxhall tube, train and bus station. Tickets vary according to packages and group rates. You can purchase an adult ticket for £26.50 or at a discounted price of £20 on weekdays. Tickets for 8 to 15-years-old are £18.50 or £15 on weekdays. Please note that children are welcomed to participate, but must be over the age of 8-years-old and over 1.2m tall. Opening times are from 12-20:00 on weekdays, 9:30-20:00 on Saturdays and 9:30-18:00 on Sundays.

Predator Adventures with the Seabreacher Experience

We at the Amazing Blog sent Simon to explore...

So here’s a question - do you ever watch David Attenborough’s latest watery adventure, and from the relative safety of the living room sectional, thinking ‘hell yeah, I wish I could dive like that?’ Now is your chance, thanks to last year's launch of Predator Adventures and the Seabreacher. The Amazing Blog just loves the fact that you can literally become an 18-foot long killer whale - or perhaps a dolphin in our case, gliding majestically along the River Thames. It is undoubtedly one of the most innovative and exciting options for the metropolitan adrenaline junkie. 

To see for yourself how fun this adventure can be, check out this video. Who doesn't want to give this one a go? Whilst protected by the elements with the F-16 Fighter Grade glass cockpit, you get to live out that Top Gun fantasy. With speeds up to 60 mph above the water, or 40mph below the surface, you will also get to jump 18-feet or dive to 6-feet, it’s one hell of a way to get your heartbeat racing.

Tickets cost from £89.00 (book here) for 20 minutes or £104 for 30 minutes. They also currently have an offer of two people for £189, for 30 minutes.  You can choose your preferred level of adventure: Dare To Conquer, Weekday Blast, or The Ultimate Thrill. However, children have to be over the age of 8-years-old. The demand for a fantastic way to spend 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the level, is going to be huge. So get in there fast and be ready to experience something unique. If you see a BBC camera crew jostling for a picture on the embankment - SMILE! You could be fronting Blue Planet’s opening titles on the new series!

For more information about Predator Adventures and the Seabreacher experiences they’re going to be offering in 2018, or for any other information, please visit here or email info@predatoradventures.com.

Friday Favourites - Natural Deodorants

Summer for us at The Amazing Blog, is enjoying the sunshine, drinks on the terrace, buying new swimsuits, and lots of SPF protection. Wonderful though it is to be in Summer, currently here in the UK it's 30+ degrees, humid and very hot! Which has concentrated our thoughts on coping with the sweaty commute and being forced to get far too up-close-and-personal on the crowded tube. Why is it that some people don't use a deodorant?! This led us on to a search for effective, fragrant and natural deodorants that don't contain harmful chemicals like aluminium and parabens. We hope these three new and natural #amazingfinds will inspire you to throw out your old deodorant and try something new. 

First up is the recently launched vegan and certified organic company, Ben & Anna. Ben and Anna are a German conscientious vegan couple, who wanted to formulate their products with as many sustainable and organic sources as possible. They saw a gap in the market and decided to create their own range of unisex deodorants, all based exclusively on natural ingredients.

Ben & Anna have created seven different fragrance combinations for their deodorants, all packaged in their eco-friendly plastic-free Natural Soda Deodorant Stick Paper Tubes. Each of the deodorants contains the key ingredients of shea butter and soda. These are solid deodorants, free from aluminium compounds, vegan and cruelty-free.

We tried the Pink Grapefruit scented stick which glides effortlessly over the skin with absolutely no sticky residue. When applied to the skin, it activates the sweet citrus scent of pink grapefruit, proving to be light and fruity summer choice.  The packaging is young and stylish featuring each of the fragrance themes on each tube, all of which are coated with a natural wax. Purchase a Ben & Anna Natural Soda Deodorant Stick Paper Tube 60g here for £9.95

We now move on from the stick deodorant to a deodorant balm 'Déodorant Crème Botanique' by o.Moi Skincare. O.Moi is a Danish company founded by Kristele Sun, who sought to develop a gentle, skin-friendly range to help soothe her eczema. Every o.Moi product utilises aromatherapy and is inspired by Kristele’s experiences. For instance, some products contain neroli oil (orange blossom) because the scent reminds her of her childhood on the island of Mauritius. 

Finding the right cream deodorant can be very tricky. We've found that many of the cream deodorants were too pasty and left our underarms feeling sticky and damp. O.Moi offers a wonderful alternative. Their award-winning Beauty Shortlist  2018 Editors’ Choice  Déodorant Crème Botanique (Botanical Cream Deodorant) is made from pure, moisture-absorbing kaolin clay, to preserve dryness, and deter odour-causing bacteria. When we tried this certified organic deodorant, we found that it had a revolutionary cream-to-powder consistency. When smoothing it onto the surface of the skin, we also noticed it absorbed quickly as it released a subtle mix of essential oils.

The Botanical Cream Deodorant is composed of shea butter, grapeseed and glycerine which hydrates to protect the skin. It also encompasses tea tree, lavender, bergamot, and sweet orange oils for scent. We found that this combination leaves the skin with a clean, sweet fragrance. It is also aluminium-free and an ideal natural solution to body odour. Purchase o.Moi Skincare’s Botanical Cream Deodorant 50ml here for £23.00.

We’ve looked at German and Danish skincare companies, next up is Sweden with the beauty brand Rosenserien. Established in 1980's they are an award-winning and leading Swedish organic skincare brand, who is one of the top trailblazers in the natural and sustainable beauty sector. Rosenserien has a long-standing international fan base of environmental-friendly consumers. With a range of over thirty-five different skin and haircare products, they are all free from synthetic and animal ingredients, are vegan-friendly, and use only 100% naturally sourced ingredients.

We tried their rose-scented Deodorant Spray and were not disappointed. This was on the recommendation from our client The Beauty Shortlist, where they recently won 2018 Finalist with their Roll-on Deodorant. As you can imagine we were eager to try one of their organic deodorants. We found that the Deodorant Spray was long-lasting and had us feeling fresh throughout the day. As big fans of rose based products, we were excited by the fresh floral scent and also loved the easy action spray pump. Their organic ingredient index must be applauded too: Essential rose oil, certified and fair trade aloe vera gel, Chinese green tea, and vegetable oils. Making this product perfect for sensitive skin, it's free from parabens, aluminium, and alcohol. This Deodorant Spray will certainly be keeping us dry and smelling garden-fresh this summer. Purchase Rosenserien Deodorant Spray 100ml here for £14.00.