The Peninsula New York Hotel Review

The Peninsula New York is ranked by U.S. News as one of the Best Hotels in the USA for 2018, conveniently set in midtown location on 5^th Avenue in the heart of Manhattan. You have 'high-end' shopping a few blocks away. Central park, MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), Broadway and Times square basically at your finger tips. Where else to discover this crazy city than here?

Charcoal Detox Line: Iroha Nature Review

I am always on the hunt for a new facemask or a new skincare brand whether that be high end or drug store. You will never know unless you try it. If you read my blog, keep up with my social media or just happen to be a real life friend you will know I am facemask crazy. My skincare draw is just full of different brands I'm yet to try.

A beauty trend is for sure charcoal right now. I've used charcoal based products for a few years now being in the form of skincare and teeth. You cant go wrong! You know exactly what it is unlike a lot of hidden ingredients in things these days. Iroha Nature are a skincare company with their products ranging from sheet masks to foot masks.. who doesn't love a good foot mask huh? Head over to https://www.irohanature.com/en/ using the code LOLLIESTYLE20 for 20% of anything until the 20th April.

Febuary Empties

When getting to the end of a product I know that I loved it.. the best products are the ones you use to the very last drop you can get! If I really did love a product I repurchase it time and time again as I then cant imagine my routine without it. This is a makeup/skincare empty's with a random hair one thrown in! Ok its 15 days past February but... better late than never.

Gild Hall - A Thompson Hotel Review

As most of you probably know I visited New York recently for the first time. I loved it. Its definitely  fair to say I explored the city up and down for a week straight. This review is going to be on Gild Hall which is a hotel by Thompson

Its no secret I am picky when it comes to hotels. I want to my hotels to be boutique, luxurious and above all, in a thriving location.  When choosing a hotel I really do my research and prefer to trust personal recommendations from family, friends even fellow bloggers are great. I will be researching up to a year in advance sometimes. Especially if its a destination I haven't visited before.

Gild Hall is a luxury boutique hotel located in the heart of the new Lower Manhattan that you wouldn't guess was even their. A side to Wall Street you never knew existed.  Financial District brings the unseen side of Wall Street to life and I really enjoyed it. Its a great hotel in a quiet and convenient location in walking distance to most major attractions. Such as ground zero, brooklyn bride, brookfield plaza and west fields as well as close to downtown soho and little Italy.

I stayed at Gild Hall for 3 nights during my city break to New York. I cant complain about anything. Firstly, the location is perfect like I mentioned above. Close walking distance to a lot but also you have near by subways to take you anywhere you want to go. Around Lower Manhattan you have lots of quirky food places everywhere. You would never be at a loss of where to grab a quick bite or for a meal.  The hotel also has its own restaurants Felice Ristorante which is a mature Tuscan eatery with a damn good wine list.  The vibe in Felice Ristorante is a warm, cozy vibe that makes you wonder are you in NYC or Florence. Felice is open to the hotel guests and public.

Gild Hall also have a tasteful looking wine bar upstairs named La Soffitta . Quick drinks after a busy day or a catch up with friends you couldn't be disappointed being surrounded by elegant custom lighting, glowing bottle-lined walls (so cool).  I really loved how tasteful the décor was designed.

BE ITALIAN- Because what else? This big piece of art really stood out and by the looks of it everyone who has ever possibly stayed at Gild Hall has also photographed this.

  

Surprise Surprise that I had a smoked salmon bagel huh..? Not really. The photo doesn't do the bagel any favour's. My food photography skills are going to get better. They have too! Especially for someone who loves food!!  The breakfast menu was soo good. I could of easily chosen everything.

If the food isn't in your stride you are in a great spot being right near and in walking distance of a few bars/restaurants.


If your a Starbucks lover like me then you will be happy to know there is one right across the road. I mean what could go wrong.. not like I had 2/3 everyday .. moving on.



Everyone I spoke to before heading to New York let me know how you shouldn't expect a large style room.. I asked why?  I got the response " because its New York" quite a few times. The rooms at Gild Hall are the perfect size and the layout is smart. They use the space wisely. The room was just the right size. It wasn't the largest room ever but for sure not the smallest.

You can choose from staying in:

King Superior

King Deluxe

King Premium

Double Deluxe

King Suite

Thompson Suite

Penthouse Suite

 

Obviously like any hotel depending on which room you decide to stay in will reflect in the price.

All the rooms are designed by Jim Walrod who was an assistant art director for the Italian fashion house, Fiorucci. The Italian style comes into play again within the room and hallways.

 

I have to comment on how comfy the beds was. I never slept so good like that in any hotel bed!  400 thread count sferra linens are not going to disappoint. The hotel area is really quiet at night time, which some people find hard to believe.. especially in the middle of the hustle and bustle that we call Wall Street where nothing stops!

 

 

 

The bathroom was stylish. The lighting was .. well selfie approved. Lets just saying the lighting of dreams. Haha.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restaurant Hours

Mon – Sat: 6:30am – 10:30pm

Sun: 7:00am – 10:30pm

Room Service Hours

Mon – Sat: 6:30am – 10:30pm

Sun: 7:00am – 10:30pm

 

Some hotels don't offer room service as the same hours the restaurant where as Gild Hall does. The menu is impressive. Something for everyone. The rooms also have a book like a guide but not as such for food places in the area! Bonus! Love that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hallways are filled with amazing photos. I'm pretty sure every guest has been and looked at all photo they have around the hotel. They are definitely striking.

 

 

 

 

 You walk in and are immediately impressed by the lobby décor. You have to take it all in and look around everything. Leather, wood, candles make the lobby relaxing and a comfy place to sit an do some laptop work in the mornings, afternoons or evenings.

 

The staff at the front desk are lovely. I mentioned when I visit anywhere if the staff are nice and really show attentive to you then the visit feels 100x better and welcoming. Its safe to say the front desk staff got a lot of questions from me, nothing was too much! They value their guests is more than impressive when a hotel is non-stop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staying with Gild Hall during my first ever trip to New York made me love and discover a side to the city I never thought was even there. The perfect boutique hotel in area you wont be disappointed by.

 

 

A big thanks to all the staff who made me comfy during my stay and Thompson Hotels; Gild Hall for hosting this stay.

 

Thompson hotels have hotels in all different locations as you can see down below.

If I ever cross any of the locations I will be for sure to stay with Thompsons.

• Chicago, IL
• Thompson Chicago
• New York, NY
• Gild Hall (where I stayed)
• The Beekman
• Smyth
• Nashville, TN
• Thompson Nashville

• Seattle, WA
• Thompson Seattle
• Toronto, Canada
• Thompson Toronto
• Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
• The Cape
• Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
• Thompson Beach House
• Thompson Playa del Carmen

 

I'm going to be writing about my time in New York as a whole, so keep an eye out!

NYC is really the city that doesn't sleep, but there is something so memorizing that you will for sure never be able to forget.

 

I loved this crazy, busy and vibrant city and wouldn't fail to take a trip again at any given point.

 

xo

 

LETS GET REAL - LOVING THE SKIN YOUR IN AND BODY CONFIDENCE

 I read so many blogs about being body confident and loving the skin your in so I want to talk about body confidence. Being body confident is easier said than done with social media, magazines and everything else in the present telling us how we should look its harder than ever to break through and be confident in the skin your in. Even the most confident people that you just look at and cant believe one can look like that are sure to have days where they struggle. After all we are all only human so.

It can actually be quite of a downer.  Even though I eat well and exercise I am guilty of social media stalking until the point where I feel uncomfortable in my own body and for the rest of the night I am completely upset and left wondering how and why I can look like this and why I don't. I have to shut down Instagram to stop me feeling like that .. I am not the only one lets be real.

The Perfect Body - Everyone has a different idea of what they want their body to look like. Lets be real there is no perfect body shape. Jennifer Lawrence may be my motivation but to someone else 
they may adore Kim Kardashian's body and want to look like that. Everyone's body is different and everybody's idea of how they wish to look is different! That's the good thing. My body goals may be totally different to yours.. but at the end of the day if your happy with your own body or how your working towards the body you would like that's the goal. Your body hears everything your mind says so be kind!

 

 

For me, it's about confidence and happiness. Size doesn't matter. Happiness and confidence does. 
Best Advice - It's about how you feel in yourself not anything else. Being confident in yourself with show to the world. It will glow of you. The kind of glow that people say pregnancy gives you.



When I was young someone told me never to step on a scale! I refuse to step on something that leaves me thinking is this the right weight for me? When I say its about how you feel in yourself I mean do you feel comfortable in your clothes your wearing? Could you put on a pair of heels and feel like your about to take over the world?? Its 95% in the mind. I say it all comes back to the whole 'law of attraction vibe' Its important that if you are trying to achieve a certain body look to not rush it and go at your own pace. For example looking thorough Instgram and see fitness models and your thinking you need to look like that you could go for a whole week healthy eating and exercising pushing yourself to the limit only for the next week to be binge eating. I will admit I've done it been their and felt awful. Its important to make the change in your own pace without anything feel forced. 

Turning Envy Into Motivation - Something that really helps me is when I see an incredible pretty woman on social media you know after telling myself she may be filtered and even not trying to breathe out. I use it as my kick ass motivation. I think how I want to look like that and be ready to rock my beach body. Not because its the 'ideal' way to look but because I am happy looking like that. Once I started doing this I felt so much happier in myself wherever along the line I was. Its all about the mind don't let it trick you.. turn your negative thoughts into a positive energy. Don't get me wrong most of the girls I see on social media who are fitness based work damn hard. Comparing yourself really is the thief of joy.

Make It A Routine Get Into A Habit  - You never regret a work out trust me you walk in feeling like its the worst idea ever but walk out feeling like a total boss. After 2 hours of working out and sweating I feel so motivated to do it all again the next day! I used the 21 day rule to get into the habit. If you haven't heard of it its basically 21 days to form a new habit if you can keep it up for those days then it will be inputted into your life. I have tried it on many other things in life and safe to say it does work if you put your mind to it! When someone tells me they want to change something about their life maybe how they want to cut out a certain food I tell them to stop for 21 days and see after that.

 If I feel crap about my body or I'm having a bad body confidence day I'll go to the gym or take a bath and pamper myself. When your angry and pissed about something the best thing to do is sweat it out. Some don't like going to the gym or just don't have the time. Home workouts are great. In your own personal space. There are thousands' if not even more home workouts on the internet and google. I use them a lot at the most random times.

Lacking Confidence -  Everyone in this world has unconfident days its human. For me, it's when I walk into a room full of new people, walking into crowded places or even on the beach.

Around 3/4 years ago I used to suffer with crazy nerves and confidence. As I've got older it has slowly disappeared and not so much of a big issue now. Don't get me wrong it sneaks up sometimes and I have to try and over power it.

Everyone deals with their confidence in different styles, for me if Im going to a event I know I need to feel confident I'll get my hair done I always feel way more confident when my hair has been done or makeup.
When I've planned a vacation that I need to be in a bikini every day, I'll make sure I fit in my gym sessions at least 3 months before hand and change my eating habits to something more healthier.  Having that goal is a great way to push you and inspire yourself. Be your own motivation .. when you see a change in yourself for the better you can look back and be inspired.

There are plenty of books about helping with body image, self confidence, feeling comfortable in your own skin. They are my favourite types of books to read and really motivate me.

xo

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

I've been having a bloggers block recently ... not with motivation but struggling to write something that I would read myself.. I love reading other peoples blog as it brings ideas to my head.. I accidently clicked on a page of people revealing their fondest childhood memories .. it got me thinking.. what a great idea for a post! I have lots of childhood memories but some stick out more than others!

Childhood memories are so much different to watch children will have these days!
I didn't have a phone, ipad or xbox when I was young! I actually went outside and got muddy believe it or not.
So here are my favourite's .. you can probably relate ..

 Playing in the sand, collecting seashells from every beach I went too. No joke I walked the whole beach to find the most eye pleasing seashells. I had the biggest seashell collection. Being at the beach has always been one of my favourite things.

 

 Making daisy chains and wearing them around your head.. if theirs daisy's around no doubt their was about to be a whole lot of DIY going on.. I feel like everyone had to have done this as a child at some point..

Falling asleep on a car journey home.. and waking up in your bed! Magic,? I thought so.

Protein World: 30 Day Challenge first thoughts and results.

Last week I started the 30 day challenge with Protein World in collaboration with UNiDAYS as part of the new year revolution campaign.

You can follow their social media here:
https://www.instagram.com/myunidays/
https://www.instagram.com/proteinworld/
https://twitter.com/ProteinWorld
https://twitter.com/myunidays

If your not aware of what UNiDAYS is its a free platform with perks for students. Once you sign up for free and prove your a student (so easy) you have access to the best student discounts and coupons not just online but in store too. They are teamed up with lots of retailers to bring you the best discounts! Protein World being one of them which I think is great and you get a big 30% off here  http://bit.ly/2jrmdpU


I have to be honest and say at first I was super nervous to start this. I can barley stick to a sleeping pattern 7 days a week never mind a 30 day challenge. As it just so happens a new year resolution of mine was to get back on track in every possible way including getting healthier and fitter. So here we are a week and half later and I have stuck to the challenge so far; its more like I've inputted it into my daily life routine so its a norm now.





Included is: The slender blend chocolate porridge, slender blend shake also in chocolate, hunger buster and fat metaboliser capsules. The slender range is a low calorie but high protein shake. Less than 150cals per serving and still tastes so good!



The chocolate protein powder shake is my favourite out of everything. I found it super east to place it into my daily routine of drinking/eating. Like everything in life I had to get use to the taste for the first 3 days.. after that I couldn't even tell. I really enjoy drinking it everyday now too. It cant be used as a meal replacement if you are trying to loose weight but I don't want to write about how you should replace it and not eat! No no and no. I am using this to help me tone up and get healthy as well as keeping me going through gym sessions or hard working days. I have used it once a day to replace myself snacking of bad things! It has really helped and I feel better than every right now. I will either have 1 shake or 2 a day depending on how I'm feeling. A booklet is provided of workouts and meal plans so if your feeling a tad lost no need to worry. I mostly mix 40g of the powder with 400mls of water. They also recommend blending it in with fruit smoothies. I am yet to try that combination.

Nutrition info:
Protein 24g

Calories 141

Fat 1.5g

Saturated fat 0.5g

I have loved porridge since I was a tiny girl! It was my favourite  breakfast every morning before school especially on the winter mornings. Their wasn't quite anything like waking up to a hot bowl of porridge. I kind of knew I wasn't going to mind having this most mornings. I have the chocolate porridge around 4 times a week with strawberries, bananas on top. It makes it just a little most enjoyable as it is protein porridge its a little grainy as expected. Around 8:30 am is when I have breakfast most days the porridge fills me up till lunch time usually around 12:30pm.. and if I do get snacking the shake is to the rescue!


Anything to do with weight loss and capsules everyone seems to be worried and think they are dangerous. Its true in some situations too many off them is bad for you also like anything in life.

I have also give my friends/family a talk about how the protein world fat metaboliser and hunger buster capsules are safe for me. I had concern .. which I suppose is common.

Fat metaboliser - for the first week take 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon with meals. For the second week and onwards take 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon with meals again. They have green tea and caffeine included in them to give you a boost! Increases metabolic rate obviously.

 Ingredients:
Caffeine.
Green Tea.
Guarana.
Choline.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12




Hunger buster capsules are what they say they are. All natural filled with fibre to help control your appetite which comes with helping weight loss. The special ingredient's off Konjac Glucomannan fibre gives the stomach a feeling off fullness like you just ate. Its tottaly safe and causes no harm what so ever.  I take one of these with my breakfast every morning so hopefully I don't get hungry till lunch time.



Phewww! I feel like I just went on forever and more. I've really been enjoying my first week with the 30 day challenge with Protein World so I guess I just wanted to share it and put it out.

Remember if your a student to sign up to UNiDAYS for the 30% off Protein World and for amazing discount across other brands.  http://bit.ly/2jrmdpU 
I will be weekly updating how my progress is going. On the last week I am also going to include a start photo and end photo! I have all ready had big improvements but ill keep that for the next post!

Stay fit!

xo
 

My 2017 travel goals

I love reading about where people want to visit and why .. I feel like its so refreshing to set personal goals as well as travel goals. So here is a just a few of the places I want to visit in 2017 and why.

Sri Lanka if you wasn't aware this is an island nation south of India in the Indian Ocean.  2016 seems to be the year so many visited Sri Lanka and I was amazed at the photos I got to see! It gives me feels of a exotic place but with some amazing things to see. The one thing that draws me in is seeing the elephants in the natural habitat. What could be magical than that feeling? It looks like a big green paradise!

New York City!
I feel like everyone and their dog has experienced New York but me! Surprisingly I haven't ever took a trip over. Its one of those places so many people seem to re-visit over the years.. so it must have something super special to offer.
Food, Views , Shopping and much more.
I'm pretty certain I am going in a few months. Its a big bucket list one if you must say.
City that never sleeps.

Paris is somewhere I would love to revisit, if you have been following my blog for the past 2 years I wrote about going to Paris back in 2012 and not really enjoying it as much as others seem to. I think if I hop on the plane without too much thought of planning going into it I would hopefully enjoy it more.

 Venice  the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region is a place everyone should visit in their lifetime as my mum says. No roads just canals makes it all that bit more special. Just looking at the photos makes it look like a slice of heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Mexico has lots of different islands to visit and I will always go back to Mexico. I want to visit Isla Holbox and Isla Mujeres soon. I am in awe of the photos. Even more in awe if you have had a chance to visit.

 

Liuwa, Zambia Africa’s most remote national parks. I have wanted to visit Africa for the longest time I can remember.. for some reason It has never happened! I am not so sure what is stopping me from doing it? I would love to see the animals in the wild where they belong.

So like everyone else I have the desire to travel everywhere. Literally. These are just a few I would like to conquer this year.

xo

 

Work motivation

We are 15 days into the new year.. which is going super quick its crazy. I set myself a few new year targets .. not so much the typical resolution but things I want to do in the long run.

One of the things was to be more dedicated to spend time on things I really love to do with my blog .. having a full time job makes it hard for me to spend a lot of time on my blog and replying to emails which makes me upset as I love it! Its a passion ..


I have marked two days a week where I can sit and focus on my blog, emails and everything surrounding this. So far its been good and I'm really pleased! If you did set yourself goals that maybe you aren't achieving to your expectation don't beat your self up about it!


xo

Merry Christmas

Merry  Christmas everyone! I hope everyone has an amazing day with friends, family or whoever it may be!

This year I decided to go out and buy a real tree! Which made me realise I should do every year! We bought a tree about 3 years ago that we put up every year.. but its just not the same as the real smell and the real thing. It makes it all come together! I put my tree up on the 13th which in some peoples eyes is too early and too late! You cant win?!

I haven't felt the most festive this year .. I guess as you get older the excitement of Christmas fades away! In some strange sort of sense. I didn't really have a chance to sit down and enjoy the whole Christmas period this year. Maybe next year.. somewhere on a beach.

What I am looking forward to and excited about is 2017 the new year. I feel like everyone has recently been saying how challenging 2016 was for them and how it opened there eyes to a lot of things. I kind of feel the same way. Almost as if this year was a run through for 2017. I was tested on a lot and realized a lot about myself and people around me as well as figuring out what I want for the future a lot more that I thought.

As we all do I have a lot of hopes, goals and dreams for the new year. Things I want to see, achieve and step more and more out my comfort zone.  For example I hope I stop drinking a hot chocolate nearly every single day! Although if there is any excuse to pig out for a good week I will take Christmas.



Merry Christmas!!

xo

Why Mexico is my go to destination

Followed me for quite a while over on my social media? You will know Mexico is my go to place I always return to. Its kind of like my safe option I know what Im getting and I know its good. I am going to hit up some new places in the new year but also once again go to Mexico.. I have so many reasons why I go! Here are my top 4 If your looking to visit for the 1st time or endless times to the area of Playa del Carmen.

Short and sweet lets go!

• Playa Del Carmen is a lot more relaxed than Cancun. I mean it obviously depends on the type of person and vacation you want. Depending on what trip I plan usually I want a relaxed vacation. Cancun has been named as "americanized" so its suited up for the Americans really.  Looking for a spring break trip then head to Cancun! But if not stay clear especially as American calendar holidays.  Playa del Carmen is laid back. More of a chill out by the beach place.. Don't get me wrong there is so much to do in Playa del Carmen if your looking to do it.. and just walks away! Its a no brainer for me every time.

 

 

• Its safe. This is a big plus for me it is so safe. I have been to places before where I haven't felt so safe even if its branded as safe. I have been in some crazy situations when heading to explore a country's town. From my very first trip to Playa I knew it was for me. I stayed in 'Playa Car' this has security check points on the arrival of the homes an hotels in the area.  Also 5th Ave is so safe! I have touched on this in my 5 things to do in playa del Carmen post but I visited at night and day and equally both as safe. Nothing to worry about! Also I had to walk on the back streets a few times ok so a few people did turn eyes and must of thought "does this blonde girl know where she is" haha! No one bothered me and went about the normal day! :)



Taxi rides ..

 

• The Mexican people are lovely. I mean how rare is it for about 99% of people you see on the street or in stores to smile at you ... unfortunately its really rare :-( For some reason Mexican are super kind! I mean the staff where I stayed are second best to none. (Currently writing a big review about the hotel) From walking the 5th Ave streets to being in taxis... they are nice kind people.

 

 

• Its only going to get better. They are constantly on the go building new things and improving old things. This is a good sign. Tourists are going to be going here for a long long time to come. Its already a upcoming place for people to go.. I don't blame anyone. I love this place its like a second home as soon as I land.

Oh and Tequila is Mexican water ;) Be sure not to drink the Water.. only bottled or what your resort provides you with. I got told the water was ok to drink where I was or brush my teeth with but I haven't ever chanced it and not going to start!

adios amigos... xo