#AtoZChallenge / YouTube Catch-Up

For those of you who may not know, as well as having my blog, I also have a YouTube channel. It's my own little place where I upload beauty, fashion, lifestyle and how-to videos and generally ramble on and often make a fool of myself. And I love it.

So for those of you who may be discovering Just Add Ginger for the first time, here are my most recent uploads, and a snapshot at what you can usually see on my channel. Upload days are on Sundays, and even though I've been a bit MIA recently (for reasons that will become clear soon,) I'm hoping to get back in to my YouTuber routine soon!

Got a channel too? Leave your links in the comments so I can check them out!

#AtoZChallenge / X Marks The Spot: 3 Restaurants You MUST Visit In Liverpool

Food plays a huge part in my existence as a human being. I love the stuff. Where I used to save the majority of my money to buy tons of make up and copious amounts of clothes, now I always make sure I have enough to go out to at least one fancy meal a month.

Now I know that some of you reading this may not live in Liverpool or know the area that well. So, for the sake of thinking that you might pay a visit, I wanted to share my top three restaurant picks in Liverpool. The ones that have seriously impressed me, and where I highly recommend everyone to visit. 

1. YUKTI

Come on...how many of you knew I was going to say Yukti as my first choice? Boyfriend and I really love this restaurant. It is such a hidden gem in the city when it comes to food and deserves all the praise in the world. Each dish has always been cooked to perfection, with my taste-buds doing a happy little dance with each mouthful. The staff go above and beyond to make sure that your dining experience is the best possible, and do their best to take in to account food allergies and requirements when suggesting dishes. We go there so much that we don't even really need to order any more. We trust the staff implicitly to make amazing choices for us. There hasn't been a meal so far that I haven't liked. The ambience is really lovely too. Twinkling tea lights sit prettily at each table. The lighting is low to create a romantic and peaceful atmosphere, and there is even a little homage to Liverpool in the décor. It is just beautiful in there.

I'm always telling my friends to pay a visit to Yukti. It's not just my favourite Indian restaurant. It's my favourite restaurant of any that I've been to in the city. And there have been quite a few of those, believe me! 

To read my food reviews on Yukti, click here and here

2. HANOVER STREET SOCIAL 

I am always tempted to pop back in to Hanover Street Social every time I bring a friend in to own. But nearly all the time the restaurant is full to the brim. And if that doesn't say something about this place then I don't know what does. The food is just exquisite. Unlike Yukti, I wouldn't say the food is of a certain food genre. It is well-made, hearty, and totally fabulous and definitely speaks for itself. I had one of the most amazing main courses here ever, and even now, almost two years on, thinking about it makes my mouth-water. It left that much of a mark on me. 

The restaurant décor is the perfect combination of modern, rustic and ever so slightly Bohemian. Everything always looks so warm and inviting, and every time I've been in, the atmosphere has been electric. 

For a more in depth review of Hanover Street Social, click here. 

3. BISTRO JACQUES 

Discovering Bistro Jacques was definitely a very happy accident. After seeing a concert at the Liverpool Philharmonic on Valentine's Day, we popped our heads in to the restaurant to see if they had a table left. And boy am I glad they did. I love this place. Sitting in Bistro Jacques really is like stopping off at a Parisian cafe. The décor is gorgeous, with the most wonderful attention to detail, and the food is just divine. It's not al frogs legs and snails (although these are on the menu.) There is something for everyone, and everything is cooked beautifully. Certain special price menus are also available. I know that there is a 3 course lunch menu, a pre-theatre menu and a wine and dine menu on Monday and Tuesday nights too! 

To read my full review of Bistro Jacques, click here 

Which are your top three favourite restaurants in your city? 

#AtoZChallenge / Thank You

I don't ever say this enough. But I need to. I need to say these two little words every now and again because I really, really mean them! So... 

Thank you.

Thank you to each and every one of you out there who has taken the time to read one of my blog posts, has watched one of my YouTube videos, left me a comment, chatted to me on Twitter, followed my Facebook page, sent me an email. Thank you all so much! 

This little pieces of the internet. My little pieces. My blog-baby. My channel. My spaces to express my creativity. My areas to ramble and ramble on mercilessly. They means so much to me. I thrive on my creativity. I need it. I can't suppress it. Otherwise I just wouldn't be me any more. 

I am so passionate about all the content I post. Of course I am. Otherwise I just wouldn't post at all. It's all a little bit varied. I don't think I can pigeon-hole myself into a category as a blogger, I just share important things, things I love, things I hope might help people. I never find myself sitting back thinking "I can't believe I posted that. What was I thinking?" 

I have received so much support along the way. I have made so many amazing friends, been to fabulous events, and worked really hard to push myself and make myself really proud of my blog and channel. I am never 100% satisfied. I am always finding new ways to improve, grow and learn, and I hope that if you've been with me from the very beginning, that you can see that. 

Even if nobody ever read my blog again, I would continue to write. I want to write. I need to write. Writing, blogging, and all the things that come part and parcel with that realm I just think are wonderful. They really intrigue me. And I really do love it. Doing all of this is my dream, and I will never tire of chasing it. 

Oh look - I've let my mind run away with me... Ahh! 

This is really just a big appreciation post to sway how much I appreciate everybody who has ever stopped by to say "Hi." These past three years have flown by and I am so excited for the next three, five, ten! I don't really ever see myself stopping. I just love this all too much! 

The blogging community is such a fabulous one, and it's so vast. So if you are reading this post right now and we haven't "met" before, please leave me a comment with your blog link so I can check it out! 

#AtoZChallenge / #ShareTheLove Tag

The A to Z Challenge is starting to come to an end. With only 8 letters to go after today I thought it was about time that I took the time to share some of my favourite blogs and YouTube channels. 

Sometimes there can be some unnecessary negativity in the blogging community, and even though it may not directly involve you it can really drag you down (just like any negative energy would.) At the end of the day we blog because we love it, and we should be 100% supporting each other all the way So sod the haters, I'm starting a new tag, and I'm calling it #ShareTheLove. 

The #ShareTheLove tag is simple. I'd like you to share up to five blogs/channels that you think are absolutely fabulous. I want to start an appreciation and positivity train. 

Once you've tagged your five top blogs/channels, why not reach out and let those bloggers or YouTubers know you really enjoy the work they do and that they have been tagged? (Feel free to add the image at the top of this post to yours to let everyone know you are involved.) 

If you have been tagged, carry on the love and tag your favourite bloggers and YouTubers. Let's see how far we can make this go! Hopefully it will introduce you to some new people to follow too!

I am going to tag: 

BLOGGERS

SARAH: http://www.salocainwonderland.co.uk 

ZEE: http://glitzeeglam.com/

BETH: http://bethanyworrall.com/

YOUTUBERS

ELLIE STEADMAN: https://www.youtube.com/user/xelliesrambling

JORDAN BONE: https://www.youtube.com/user/JordanBone89

Feel free to also share blogs and channels in the Comments! 

#AtoZChallenge / Ready For Spring (Style Inspiration)

Now that I've reached my *whispers* late twenties, I feel like my style has made a U-turn. Where I once was comfortable in more colourful clothes, I now seek a more simplistic, casual-chic style. Even for Spring. A more monochrome wardrobe for me is more timeless, and I can invest in pieces that I can transition from Spring to Summer to Winter with ease.

I'm loving ripped jeans, comfy tees, floaty blouses and over-the-knees. Chunky knits, lightweight coats, and side braids. Clothes that I can dress up, dress down, wear out to go shopping, or for a night on the town. I'm done rifling through row upon row of clothes, hoping to become more adventurous. I've found a way to combine my desire for comfort and my love for chic.

This is my style and I'm sticking to it!

#AtoZChallenge / Quotes

Quotes often resonate a lot with me. I'm definitely not one for quoting (*bombomchush*) them off the top of my head, but often when I'm reading, or browsing the internet, there are certain one that stand out to me more than others. 

At the moment I'm really trying to work on building my self-confidence and courage. There are some things I've wanted to do for ages but have almost been to scared to take that first step out in to the unknown. And the quotes I wanted to share really resonate with me and empower me at the moment to just go for it. They are all quotes from A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh, (strange that) and I wanted to post them not only to maybe bring some empowerment to others, but also as a reminder to myself that with the power of self-belief, anything is possible!

#AtoZChallenge / Photo Diary From The Lakes

Sometimes words are completely unnecessary. Here are a few photos from a family weekend away in the Lake District. 

Isn't England beautiful?

#AtoZChallenge / Orange-Chocolate Loaf Cake

It doesn't happen very often, but from time-to-time, I really get the urge to bake. I'm not the best at ma,king cakes. They never really turn out that pretty, and I cannot improvise and make up new recipes to save my life. But when I have a lot of time on my hands, I find baking very therapeutic.

Stupidly, in between baking and typing this blog post I have deleted the recipe I used from my phone. But literally all I did was type in "Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake" in to my search engine and picked the one that looked the simplest to follow. No fanciness. No frills. Just a good hearty cake recipe. 

And here are my results. I didn't get to try much of the cake but I have it on good authority that it was delicious. 

Got any simple cake recipes you think I should try? Leave me a link in the comments! 

#AtoZChallenge / New Hair DO Care

Oh Yes. It's shameless selfie time! 

This year, I am growing my hair. Not only for my 2016 nuptials, but also because I want to donate some of my hair afterwards to the Little Princess Trust.

My hair is such a big part of who I am, and I rarely ever get it cut. But due to a little bit of blonde ombre that had overstayed it's welcome, it was time for the chop, and yesterday, I headed off to my hairdressers in the hope that they could get my hair healthy again.

New hair always reignites my confidence and makes me feel so sexy! It's not 100% back to how it was pre-blonde, but it feels so much better! I know I can handle starting the growing process again without those crunchy, crispy blonde ends driving me crazy, and when it's been the wedding, and I'm ready to donate my locks to an incredible cause, I'll be able to give more than I ever anticipated. 

I've had this thick hair for 28 years, it's time to do something with it that can bring hope and joy to someone very deserving. 

To find out more about the Little Princess Trust, head to: 

http://www.littleprincesses.org.uk/

#AtoZChallenge / Making A Spring Slice

It seems that Spring has finally sprung here. And with the promise of bluer skies and warmer weather, I always start to feel inclined to make lighter, brighter-looking dishes. 

I haven't made a pastry slice in a while, and since I have had some time off work, I found myself perusing the ready-rolled pasty packs in my local supermarket. The Jus-Rol website has loads of great ideas to take inspiration from. I used some of the recipes on there to guide me, and decided that I wanted to make a pesto, mozzarella, tomato and basil pastry slice.

The steps to making the slice were so simple. I layered all the ingredients on to the rolled-out pastry (greasing a baking tray first,) then brushed some beaten egg over a scored-out border. Twenty or so  minutes in the oven (with a guide temperature from the Jus-Rol website) and it was done. 

Okay, it doesn't look the prettiest, and it was a bit burnt, but it was very yummy indeed and didn't last very long at all!

What recipes or dishes do you bring out when the weather changes? 

#AtoZChallenge / Line A Day

I am a person who is often deafened by my thoughts. I'm a worrier. An over-thinker. A planner. A dreamer. A writer. Sometimes with so much going on in my mind I can't separate my ideas and everything becomes a discombobulated mass of chaos! 

Sarah very kindly gave me the One Line A Day book as a Christmas gift. I held out to using it until exactly one year to the day before my wedding. One of my wedding planning "resolutions" is to try and stress less, so I thought that keeping a 'journal' of sorts would help me manage everything going on in my mind and help me think clearer. 

This book now comes with me everywhere I go and I write in it religiously. Some of the thoughts so far have been sad. Some have been angry. Some, incredibly happy. But whatever I'm feeling, whether it be good, bad or ugly, goes in to this book. It comes with me everywhere - my most devoted travelling companion, and it is really helping me out. 

And what I like most about it is that it is a five year book. So all the thoughts and feelings I have in the next five years can be tracked. And one day when I'm older, greyer, and surrounded by plump, cherub-looking grandchildren, we can look back on it together and I'll be reminded of what I was like in my youth. 

Who else keeps a One Line A Day book or a journal? 

#AtoZChallenge / Kick Ass Concealer (Soap & Glory)

Disclaimer: Before I get in to my review I must apologise for the state of the product photos. For reasons which will become clear in the review, I left taking them too late and now they look a bit messy! Eep!

When my beloved Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer started to run out, I was a bit at a loose end. Should I repurchase? Or should I bite the bullet and go for something different?

The lack of my concealer shade in my local drugstore made my mind up for me. Instead of despairing, my eyes fell upon the Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer. Having heard lots of promising things about the product, I decided to be brave, break my habit of a lifetime, and try a different beauty product. 

The S&G Kick Ass Concealer is a 3-step concealing product. Step 1 - an apricot tone colour-correcting concealer. Step 2 - a fleshy toned facial concealer. And Step 3 - a pressed setting powder. I had never seen a product like it, and was really excited to crack it open and give it a try. 

One of the reasons I love Soap & Glory is because their pretty packaging is always on point. And Kick Ass is no exception. The unmistakable pinks, and stand-out typography make it really stand out in your make up drawer, and instantly attract your eye. The packaging is plastic, with each step located in a separate tier, each of which can be opened separately to help keep everything clean and tidy.

The two concealer shades are rich and creamy, and apply to the skin beautifully. The apricot shade is perfect for counteracting those dreaded purple hues of tired under-eyes, and the skin-toned shade was an amazing match for my face. I picked up the concealer in Light, and it was one of the best- if not the best colour matches in a base and face product that I've ever found. Usually paler shades aren't pale enough, and leave my face a tad orange-looking. Or they just wash me out completely because they are a more brightening than concealing product. But Kick Ass Step 2 was perfect for me. 

I use the apricot shade of Step 1 religiously every time I'm applying make up. The minute I've patted the product on my dark circles they are instantly brightened, and I look so much more awake. It's been a God-send product for those early morning work wake-up calls. The Step 2 face concealer has been great for hiding any pesky blemishes that have snuck in around my time of the month, and really help neutralise any areas of redness on my skin.

The setting powder I haven't really used yet. Purely because I use my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, but just the fact that a powder is included pleases me greatly. The concealer is such a compact, handy little size, that if you were away overnight and needed a multi-functioning product it is perfect. The powder did also come with a dinky little sponge, but mine has got lost in transit. 

The reason that my blog photos are so messy is because I literally haven't wanted to be parted from this product. I've been a bit too nervous to let it out my sight in case I misplace it. And you can see how much I've used it. Not even two months in and I'm touching pan. But I'm getting so much use out of the concealers I don't think I'll be running out any time soon. The 'blendability' (#newword) is so ridiculously good that you only need the smallest bit. It goes a long, long way. 

The only minor downside to the product is the packaging. As pretty as it is, it's not 100% as durable as I would like. If you are not really careful opening each tier, the plastic can become disjointed or snap. The lid is now broken on mine because it has been manhandled so much. If you're light-handed (unlike me) this isn't a problem, but if you are over-enthusiastic, just be careful!

There is no question as to whether I will be repurchasing. I seriously have found my dream product. Not only does it work to perk my complexion up, but it's the perfect make up bag sized multi-functional product For the £10.00 (approx) price tag you are getting so much bank for your buck!

#AtoZChallenge / Jam, Tea & Cake at Bill's

This afternoon I met up with Sarah for a little girls' afternoon out. It has been ages since I had a wander around town with a friend, and I was really in the mood for some girlie fun. 

After a quick browse around the shops and a cheeky bit of shopping, we headed to Bill's in Liverpool One. As a bit if a treat I had booked us in for Afternoon Tea. Having never had Afternoon Tea in my life, I was really excited, and ever so slightly intrigued. With a rumbling tummy I took my seat and waited to see what gastronomical delights awaited me. 

The whole process started with the arrival of a huge pot of English Breakfast Tea served in a beautiful blue teapot. Now, I'm not a huge tea drinker. In fact, these days I try and drink as little caffeine as possible, so having a cup of tea was a real treat. I've never appreciated a cup of tea as much as I appreciated that first one. It was absolutely delicious. 

Shortly afterwards, our waiter appeared with a tall metal stand with a cute little bird on top, sectioned off into three levels - sandwiches, cakes, and scones. It looked beautiful. Almost like a bird table or garden ornament, and with a definite rustic feel. Bill's, I don't know where you get your Afternoon Tea stands from, but I want one! 

Resisting the urge to dive straight for the cakes we tucked in to the sandwiches first. We had four choices each - egg mayonnaise, salmon and cream cheese, cucumber, and ham, tomato and mustard. Each sandwich was the perfect bite-size morsel. Ample for a first course, and the perfect amount for the two of us. Each sandwich was as delicious as the next. My favourite was definitely the salmon and cream cheese, but I'd happily eat them all all over again. 

The middle plate - the cakes - was even more pleasing. With four choices of sweets on offer it was very difficult to choose what to go for first. There was something that would please everybody. Poppy seed and lemon, strawberry tart, chocolate brownie, and a very cool fluffy raspberry flavoured marshmallow topped with meringue pieces. All the cakes were light, moist, and extremely delicious, and the tart topped with the freshest strawberries imaginable. The marshmallow was really interesting, bursting with fruity flavour and with a texture that was melt-in-the-mouth. Definitely my favourite 'course' by far. (I can never say "no" to anything sweet!)

By this point you would think that we had run out of tea. But no. Oh no. We poured cup after cup into our cute china teacups, and I started to think we had a bottomless pot. It was such a delight to be provided with enough tea to last us throughout each 'course,' and I really did enjoy the experience of getting reacquainted with some English Breakfast. 

The third and final tier was the scone. One each and with an accompaniment of jam and clotted cream. I really did like the fact that both the jam and cream came in their own separate bowls ready for self-application to the scones. Clotted cream really does not agree with me, so having the option to leave that to one side made me very happy. 

The scones themselves were richly packed with fruit, and not the least bit dry. Not as large as I thought a normal scone to be, but by the last tray I was starting to get a bit full, so this wasn't a bad quality in my eyes. The jam was fruity and fresh, and tasted absolutely beautiful. It was the perfect quintessentially British way to round off the tea, and really did leave me comfortably full. 

Afternoon Tea at Bill's was wonderful. For £9.95 we got plenty to eat, plenty to drink, and left feeling like we had definitely got our money's worth. There was the option to upgrade and have a glass of fizz (which was £12.95 instead) but having a giant teapot full of very British tea made the experience all the more traditional. 

Would I book in again? Definitely...Although maybe next time I'd go for the fizz. I am a girl who loves her bubbles after all!