INTERIORS - Cox & Kings Blogger Challenge

Cox & Kings are an established travel company who arrange tailor-made holidays to some of the world's most exciting and exotic places. When they approached me with a special blogger challenge to create an interiors look around a specific country I thought it was an awesome idea so I've been shopping and gathering my ideas this week. They've given us £250 to do the makeover with, I just hope it stretches to all the things I've got in my mind. Once the reveal takes place I'd love for people to vote for me over on the Cox & Kings Facebook page (hit the 'like' button now and you'll be ready to vote later).

The country that Cox & Kings chose for us was India, definitely one place that's on my list to travel to in the future! I was a little apprehensive at first because I'm a bit of a minimalist at heart and India definitely doesn't conjure up an image of sleek simplicity. What it does say to me is vibrant colours, intricate embellishment and pretty patterns. I've been thinking of ways to take inspiration from India but also ensure it's something that fits my home and my personality. For this reason, I wonder if my room will be very different to the other challengers. The other reason my room might be quite different is because I live in a very compact flat in central London and I don't have a lot of space to play with. My bedroom is also my study, so it's a multi-tasking space, so function as well as what it looks like is really important to me.

The other blogs taking part are... Cosy Home Blog, Home Gems, Bibbity-Bob, That’s Yummy Mummy and Mary Poppins. Follow us on Twitter with our special tag #CKBloggerChallenge

I don't want to give too much away at this stage but I've included some of my pins from Pinterest below when I was looking around for inspiration.

Source: brides.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Source: porterhousedesigns.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Source: houseandhome.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Source: google.co.uk via Jenny on Pinterest

Source: amberinteriordesign.blogspot.com via Jenny on Pinterest

SHOPPING - Top Home Buys For February

1. A brightly coloured bin

If there's one way to update your kitchen for spring it's with a splash of colour. I love the lime, pink and purple bins on offer from Sabichi. With a practical pedal operation, removable inner bucket and non-slip base you think they'd cost more than £35 for a 30 litre capacity. But no, these are bargains! 

2. Cara Gray art

If you've a love of fashion, Paris and art then you won't be able to resist the work of Cara Gray. The collection of artwork captures a beguiling spirit that's enchanting and covetable.

3. A Scarlet & Argent throw

I love this Albion blanket from Scarlet & Argent. In cream, red and blue, it gives a nod to this year's patriotic events but is stylish enough to be timeless and last well beyond 2012. 

REVIEW - Little Miracles Organic Drinks

I am a bit of a slave to caffeine, yet I also know how bad drinks like Diet Coke are for me. But can an organic drink rival the caffeine drinks that we all get so hooked on? Little Miracles are hoping to help replace the boost of our usual drinks with all-natural ingredients, free from artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners.

There are three flavours to choose from which I got to try recently:

White tea, Ginseng, Cherry & Acai
This was my favourite of the bunch because I loved the cherry flavouring that comes through.

Green tea, Ginseng, Pomegranate & Acai
This version was tasty and refreshing. Nice and fruity.

Black tea, Ginseng, Peach & Acai
This was my least favourite of the three, it did really remind me of peach tea that my Nan used to drink though. If you like that, you'll like this.

So do they give you energy? I think I'd need to test them out as a replacement for my diet coke for a longer period of time to know for sure. But drinking one in the morning felt pretty good and even if the ingredients aren't quite as dramatic for an energy boost, then just having a healthier alternative to replace nasty fizzy drinks could be enough to wean you off your caffeine addictions.

Enjoy all of these drinks straight from the fridge or with plenty of ice, that's how I felt it tasted best. Overall, all the flavours didn't feel too watered down or too intense, the levels of flavour were definitely about right. It's still caffeine so it isn't a complete fix to the problem of getting hooked on it, but at least the sweetness is derived from natural sources rather than being synthetic.

You'll find the drinks in the likes of Waitrose, Holland & Barrett and Morrisons, among other retailers, retailing around the £1.50 mark. Find out more about them at the Little Miracles website.

GIFTS - Valentine's Cards From Lazy Oaf

Looking for an uber-cool Valentine's card for someone special on 14 February? Lazy Oaf have some of my absolute favourites and they aren't all that conventional. In fact, I love the quirky, back-handed compliments the best. Which is your favourite?

Shop cards at Lazy Oaf