The Best Hot Chocolate Recipe

A few months ago a friend and I went out for some cake and hot chocolate -as you do on a hot summer day- at Café Blond in Amsterdam. Blond Amsterdam is a cute Dutch brand for all your homeware needs; mugs, plates, napkins, tea pots: they have it all! Now because it's so popular they created a Blond themed café around the brand including cakes, sandwiches and coffees all served on Blond tableware.

Now I'm not a huge fan of the café. I mean, it's nice and all but a bit overpriced, but if they do one thing right it's hot chocolate. We both went for ''Blond's heaven in a hot tub'', which was indeed heaven in warm cosy mug. Imagine creamy hot chocolate with plenty of whipped cream, marshmallows and extra chocolate on top. It was €5 but totally worth it now that I think back to that day.

Since December has the perfect hot chocolate weather I wanted to recreate the recipe. It makes one cup of amazing hot chocolate that will give you all the Christmas feels. Ooh and don't forget to drink it with a large slice of cake by your side. It's mandatory.

What do you need?
30 gr chocolate -or more if you are a real chocoholic-
1 cup of milk
Whipped cream
Mini marshmallows
Sprinkles
More Chocolate 
A cute cup to serve it in

Measure the milk in your cute cup of choice. Pour the milk in a pan and slowly heat it up over medium heat. Add the chocolate and let it completely melt. Pour the chocolate milk in the cup. Add plenty of whipped cream and sprinkle mini marshmallows, colourful sprinkles and more little pieces of chocolate on top. Tada! Your own heaven in a snazzy cup is here. On a more casual day I also love a simple sprinkle of cinnamon. Nothing beats a good old classic.

What is your favourite kind of hot chocolate?

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The 4 Most Christmassy Instagram Spots in Amsterdam

That time of year has come where Amsterdam is covered in lights and Christmas spirit. December and summer are my favourite times to be in Amsterdam. When the sun shines the city has that chill vibe where everyone is relaxing in Vondelpark and you see flowers around the canals. In December it can be cold, but the lights, the ice rank on Museum Square and Christmas trees make up for it. Since it’s that time of year I decided to put up my top 4 of most Christmassy Instagram spots in Amsterdam in a blog post. Hope you like it!

1. Museum Square
One of the most Christmassy places in the city. I have to admit it's quite touristy, but when you forget about all that it's the best place to get festive. There is a huge ice rink there -you can drink hot cocoa as well if you are like Bambi on the ice, aka me- and a cute bridge where you can take the most instagramable pics. It can be busy with people taking snaps but wait your turn and you'll have the most amazing Amsterdam photo with the IAmsterdam sign and Rijksmuseum in the background!

2. The Bijenkorf
The biggest department store in Amsterdam -it's similar to Harrods in London- and they have the most amazing window display and festive lights on the sides of the building. Rokin -the street where it's located- in general gets very festive around that time of the year. With so many sparkly lights everywhere and a tree on Dam Square it's hard not to get in the festive mood.

3. Magna Plaza
A gorgeous shopping centre that I actually never visit. It's right behind Dam square and around the festive time they have this huge floating Christmas tree in the middle. It's amazing to have a bit of a wander and take a few snaps whilst you're there. Nothing says Christmas like a mega Christmas tree.

4. The Canals
The canals in Amsterdam are good all year round but in winter they are even more festive with jazzy lights. I don't have one specific canal where I usually take my pics, so my advice would be to walk around the Nine Streets and see what you'll find.

Those were all the spots. Not that many, but when you are in Amsterdam for the weekend or a day, it's good enough. When it's snowing in Amsterdam the city is even more magical. Do take your pics as quick as possible though, because the snow will turn into grey mush fast. I mean it's all fun and games until you fall flat on your face with your bike. 

Want more Instagram spots? See my London house edition here! Or when you fancy a bite to eat in Amsterdam, I put up my 5 favourite brunch spots in the city here!

What are your plans for Christmas?

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The London Trip November 2017

London around Christmas is the best place on earth. The entire city is covered in lights, decorations and Christmas joy and even if you hate Christmas it's hard not to fall in love with that particular holiday.

I have visited London quite a few times this year, so it's no surprise that I had to pay a visit around the festive season. I was with family so I didn't go as Instagram crazy as I normally do, but I still managed to take a few pics.

We started off our short trip at Daisy Green. A quirky cafe behind Oxford Street where your brunch dreams come true. I love the interior with the flowers on the ceiling and the hippy vibe. I went for the coconut bread, which I had last time, and it was as good as I remembered. They also have charcoal bread, which can be very interesting, but overall I love this hidden gem. 

When our tummies were full we headed off to do some shopping, and I have to say it wasn't as successful. Normally I find the cutest things and this time I just couldn’t find anything I fancied. Considering it was Black Friday as well it was a bit of a let-down, but on the positive side: it saved me a lot of money!

After the not so successful shopping trip it was time for a bit of chill time at the hotel, which was a few blocks away from Marble Arch station. We headed out in the evening to get food, but that's when Oxford Street was closed off due to the attack that was going on at Oxford Street station. At that point we had no idea that there wasn't really an attack, so we quickly went to Paperchase and shopped there for a bit. It was a scary experience though, mainly because out of nowhere so many people came running in our direction. It makes you think there is this crazy person out there with a gun that is following them. We ended up buying a few bits at the local supermarket and headed back to our hotel to watch the news. I was happy to find out that nothing had actually happened, but it also made me think, because I was there an hour before it happened. What if I took a bit longer with my shopping? Then I would’ve been there. So scary when I think about it.

The next day we visited Notting Hill and Kensington for some shopping and soaking up the London vibes. Again I didn't buy anything, which came as a shock to everyone. Not even at Camden Market where we went to the Poppie Jasper stand to buy jewellery. I already have half of their ring collection, so I wasn't in need of any rings. After visiting Camden we went to Covent Garden, which is one of my favourite places around Christmas time. I love the big Christmas tree and decorations around there. Of course we also had to go to Winter Wonderland, so that's what we did in the evening. If I lived in London I would probably be there every week, sipping hot chocolate and enjoying all the rides and snacks. We ended the night in a Dutch bar in Soho. We stumbled upon it and randomly decided to go in. It wasn't as cringe as normal Dutch bars go, it was actually quite classy. We had a few drinks and then headed back to the hotel for a good night sleep.

On our last day we had breakfast at Patisserie Valerie -I had the pancakes- and I met up with a friend of mine. We drank glitter pastel lattes at Fiorucci by Palm Vaults. They definitely look better than how they taste, but I always wondered what they would be like and now I know. After we both went our own ways I went to M&S to stock up on British food. I think I ended up buying more mince pies, ginger snaps and salt & vinegar crisps than make-up and clothes haha.

Sadly, it was time to say goodbye to the magical, festive city and head back to Amsterdam. I ate my last Pret a Manger sandwich and stocked up on my favourite Toblerone chocolate at Gatwick airport -I'm nibbling on a piece as we speak-.

I am happy to have seen London around this time of the year and it has definitely put me in a more festive mood. Also, I'm doing #blogmas in December. I know I have been a bit crap at posting regularly, but if the last month of the year isn't the right time to get my shit together than I don't know what is. Strap yourself in for lots of content each day!

What is your favourite city around Christmas time?

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The Christmas Make-up Look 2016

Christmas Day means going all out with glittery gold eyes and red lips. I thought I'd share my look for the day to give you some last minute inspiration. Hope you enjoy!

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Gingerbread Cookies

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a lovely day with your family and friends. To celebrate this day I am sharing the recipe for these gingerbread cookies. I made them yesterday and they are very tasty and so easy to make.

What do you need?

300 gr self-raising flower

150 gr molasses

125 gr butter

75 gr dark brown soft sugar

3 ts ground ginger

2 ts ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Oven: 190C

First, mix the sugar and butter until it becomes creamy and fluffy. Add the molasses, ground ginger, ground cinnamon and salt to the butter and sugar and mix it well. Then add the self-raising flower slowly to the mixture and use your hand to create dough. It can take a while before a dough is formed. You can always add a bit of molasses or milk to make the dough less crumbly. Put the dough in some plastic foil and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Sprinkle some self-raising flower on the countertop and roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it's 3-4 mm thick. Use some festive cookie cutters and press them in the dough. Place the cookies on a baking tray lined with baking paper and put them in the oven for about 10 minutes. After you've taken them out of the oven place them on a wire rack to cool down. They are perfect to eat, but decorating them is even more fun. I used some writing icing from Dr Oetker, but you can always make your own.

These cookies are the perfect Christmas treat and they are so much fun to make. Decorating them is definitely the most exciting part so get your colourful icing out and let's decorate!

What is your favourite Christmas treat?

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Christmas White Chocolate Pretzel Bark

What's December without a festive chocolate bark? I have seen these chocolaty barks all over the internet and decided to make one myself. The salt of the pretzels and the sweetness of the white chocolate go so good together. It makes my mouth water if I think about it.

What do you need?
300 gr white chocolate
Pretzels
Christmas sprinkles
Candy canes, broken into pieces

Now it's very easy to make. Melt the white chocolate au bain-marie. Spread all that chocolate goodness on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and sprinkle the pretzels, Christmas sprinkles and candy canes on the chocolate base. Place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set and break into large pieces when it's all ready to serve. So simple, but so good!

What is your favourite Christmas chocolate recipe?

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The Christmas Tree

For today’s #blogmas post I'm giving you a peak at my family's Christmas tree. Technically I have three: one at my dad’s, one at my mum's and one in my bedroom at my mum’s. I wasn't planning on having one in my room but when I saw how cheap the little trees were I couldn't resist taking one home. It makes my entire room so cosy and Christmassy!

This is the tree we have at my dad’s house. My sister and I get to choose the ornaments every year and this year it was my sister’s turn to pick them. She went for red, green and white: the classic Christmas colours. My personal favourite is the London bus and a few weeks later I went with my dad to pick that ornament up myself. As I travel to London quite a lot I felt like that one was meant for me.

The big bows, special ornaments and classy baubles make it a lovely tree for that time of the year! 

What does your Christmas tree look like?

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White Chocolate Gingerbread Truffles

Christmas is the best time of the year to go crazy in the kitchen. I love baking and since the oven at my dad’s house is broken I had to find a festive no bake recipe to make. In the end I stumbled upon these gingerbread truffles and I have to say they taste AMAZING!

What do you need?
250gr gingerbread cookies
120gr cream cheese
250gr white chocolate
Christmas sprinkles

First, put the gingerbread cookies in a food processor and mix until they are turned into a fine cookie crumble. Add the cream cheese to the cookie crumbles and mix it into a dough. Take a bit of dough in the palm of your hand, roll the dough into a small ball and place it on a tray with grease-proof paper. When you have all the cookie dough balls on the tray you put it in the fridge to set for at least ten minutes.

Melt the white chocolate au bain-marie and get your cookie dough balls out of the fridge. Dip them in the melted white chocolate one at a time and make sure that they are fully covered. Place them back on the baking tray and sprinkle them with Christmas sprinkles. When you are all finished it's best to put them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to make sure they are completely set and ready to eat. I know it's hard, but you can spoon the leftover white chocolate out of the bowl. Those 15 minutes will be over in no-time!

Then it's finally time to take a bite of that gingerbread truffle and oh my god it will change your life. The combination of all the spices with the white chocolate is the best thing ever. I'll definitely make these again!

What is your favourite no bake Christmas treat?

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The December Primark Haul 2016

Whenever I get in a Christmassy mood I always have to go to Primark to have a look at their cosy Christmas stuff. I actually bought these things a few weeks ago, so you can only imagine how obsessed I am with Christmas!

It's not the most exciting haul I have ever filmed, but I have my London and ASOS hauls to prove the fact that I already have way more stuff than I actually need. So this was more ''a Christmas and basic stuff that I can't live without'' Primark haul haha.

I hope you still enjoy it and get ready for some new videos, because a huge ASOS and Topshop haul is on its way!

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The Best Red Lips for Christmas

When you have all these Christmas parties to attend to - or when you are snuggling up on the couch to watch Home Alone, aka my life #granny -  it's nice to spend a little bit more on your make-up. I find that a red lipstick can immediately pull a look together and it makes me feel so festive and Christmassy. I have quite a few red lipsticks in my make-up drawer and decided to share my faves!

Catrice - Behind the Red Curtain

This is the newest addition to my make-up stash. I was one of the lovely gals to test this out and I do really like it. It's a very bright red and because of the long-lasting power it stays all day. I am actually wearing it in my profile pic on Instagram, so if you want to know what it looks like on my lips, head on over there.

Tanya Burr - Lets Travel the World

Sometimes you are just in the mood for a bit of gloss. This one from beauty vlogger Tanya Burr is perfect for that. It gives a subtle hint of red and makes your lips look really glossy and full. It won't stay on when you are eating your yummy Christmas dinner, but that's what touch ups are for, right?

CoverGirl - Hot Passion

The main reason why I asked my friend to pick up this lipstick on her trip to the USA was because, rumour has it, this is Taylor Swifts' lipstick. I love her red lip colour, so why not get the exact same one? It's a bright red that is very creamy and stays all day. Definitely one of my faves that I should wear way more! * And I got that red lip classic thing that you like *

Rimmel - Kate Moss 107

This matte lipstick is so lovely. It's a bit darker than your typical bright, Christmassy red, but oh boy I love it so much. It has been my go-to fall lipstick and I think it's going to be one of my winter favourites too.

Maybelline - Pleasure Me Red

A couple of years ago, my mum actually bought this for me as a Secret Santa present. We went shopping together and as we were at the drugstore looking for make-up she asked me if I had seen something I liked. I already knew that she had to buy something for me, so I basically picked my own present haha. I still use this lipstick quite a lot and the red colour is amazing. Not too bright and not too dark, just perfect!

MAC - Riri Woo 

This limited edition lipstick has to be my favourite of all. The packaging is gorgeous and the lipstick itself is amazing. It's matte and it really lasts all day. I wore it last Christmas and after eating A LOT of food my lipstick was still perfect. I think this will be my go-to lip colour again this Christmas!

What is your favourite Christmas lipstick?

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The Magic of Christmas

Christmas isn’t complete without popping into a Lush store. I love Lush all year round, but I love it even more in December. The special Christmassy editions to their collection are always fab and I always have to take a peak to see what they have. Now I do think Lush is a bit overpriced and way more expensive than it used to be, but when I saw this bubble bar on a cinnamon stick I couldn’t resist.

This is 'The Magic of Christmas' and it's a wand that you swirl in the bad or keep under running water to great the most amazing bubbles. Now what I love the most about this is the scent. It's made with cinnamon and cloves and it really smells amazing. I also like that I can reuse it, because I always feel like I am wasting so much money on something that I just use one time. The glitter is something that I am not the biggest fan of, but after one bath most of them are gone anyway. 

I used it this Sunday and it was really relaxing. I was just lying there in the hot, orange water with my iPhone in my hands, catching up on Vlogmas - there are so many vlogs! - and really taking in all the spicy scents that were surrounding me. I will definitely use this on Christmas Day too!

What are your favourite Lush bath products?

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Baking Christmas Cookies

Last weekend I really wanted to make Christmas cookies. I see them all over the interwebs and I have actually never made iced cookies like this before, so I thought it would be a lot of fun to try it out. I think they turned out really well and they tasted great too! I love the spices in there and the shapes of the cookies really put me in the Christmas mood!

What do you need for these yummy cookies?

100g unsalted butter

100g dark brown caster sugar

1 egg

1 tsp of vanilla extract

275g plain flour

Pinch of salt

Cinnamon

Speculaas spice (similar to pumpkin spice)

Decoration:

Icing sugar

Tiny bit of water

Decorating pen

Oven: 190C

The first step is to cream together the butter and the sugar in a large mixing bowl until it's all fluffy. Then add the vanilla extract and the egg and mix it all together. Now mix all your dry ingredients and slowly add this to the buttery mixture. I personally like to put a lot of Speculaas spice and cinnamon in there. Usually the recipe says like one tablespoon, but I always put way more in it. I just love the taste of it!

Mix all the ingredients together until you get a nice dough, wrap the dough in foil and pop it in the fridge for about an hour (or do it like me and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. I do recommend an hour in the fridge though).

Sprinkle some flour on your counter top, put the dough on there and roll it out until the dough is 1cm thick. Now it's time for the fun stuff! Get your cookie cutters out and cut biscuits out of the dough. Place those on a baking tray laid with parchment paper and put them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until they are golden brown. Get them out of the oven and set them aside for 5 minutes before you place them on to a wire rack. Wait till they are cooled down and then it's time to decorate!

I mixed some icing sugar with a few drops of water. I don't have the exact amounts, but I basically put some icing sugar in a bowl and added drops of water until the consistency was nice. You can also use a decorating pen which I did for the red icing. 

I had no fancy icing kits, so I used a small knife to spread the icing very carefully onto the cookies. Then I waited till the icing was all set and put them to the taste-test.

They are really yummy and I love the spices in there. I am a huge fan of cinnamon and Speculaas spice anyway, but at this time of the year it tastes even better. I am planning to bake something again this weekend, so look out for another baking post next week!

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Going Christmas Shopping

December always makes me feel very festive. Even though our Christmas tree isn't up yet, I've already played the Michael Bublé Christmas album a million times. Something I also love to do is going to a garden centre and look at all the Christmas decorations and maybe even buy some of the gorgeous ornaments. 

I didn't pick up a lot, only two cacti and some ribbons (they will look lovely in blog photos), but I did take some photos of all the Christmas festivity!

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The London Trip

Sadly I am writing this post. Not because I don’t like writing, but because this means I am back from London. I had five, amazing days and I will tell you all about them!

Me and my sister left last Saturday to spend five days in the amazing city that is called London. My sister had never been there before, so besides shopping we also went to a lot of touristy stuff.

In all those days we saw Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower Bridge and many more of the typical London sightseeing attractions. Besides that, we went to the Harry Potter WB Studio Tour and had a lovely high tea at Bea of Bloomsbury’s. I love Harry Potter, so seeing all the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff was very interesting. Also I might have picked up some ‘Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans’ and a Hermione Granger Wand in the gift shop.

Our trip wouldn’t be complete without a lot of shopping. Primark, Topshop, New Look and Dorothy Perkins all had amazing things, so I picked up quite a few fashion items. My beauty addiction also got a bit out of hand in Boots and Superdrug, but I got everything that was on my wishlist. I will feature all the new items in a blogpost or vlog soon!

I will definitely be back soon. Being there made me realize how much I missed it and how much I want to live there. Hopefully my wish will become reality one day.

See here: a few pics from the London trip 2014!