IN THE SPOTLIGHT- YORK (Shopping & Eating)

Hello everyone!

York is one of those places that is perfect for tourists and visitors all year round. The shops and attractions are open through all weathers and there are plenty seasonal events too.
York Fashion Week is coming up next month (25-31 March 2019) which will be an exciting opportunity to explore fashion, style and creativity in the city.

York has so much to offer, and I've categorised a few popular places, along with some of my personal favourites, below. Don't forget that if you're a student, many shops and restaurants accept student discount through apps such as Student Beans or UniDays.

 Shops


Wild & Westbrooke
W&W is my favourite shop in York, selling all the perfect items a country girl could wish for! From Fairfax & Favor to Morris Richardson, they have it all! The family business has been featured in this season's issue of Femme Magazine, where you can browse a huge selection of Holland Cooper clothing. With friendly staff and gorgeous clothes- what's not to love?

 Abraham Moon
Abraham Moon is a gorgeous shop full of luxury tweed clothing and home furnishings. I'll pop some pictures of the shop up on my Instagram highlights so you can have a browse for yourself. My dad has some shirts and a blazer and I'd love to have the cushions and blankets in my home.

The Imaginarium/ Yorkshire Soap Co
The Imaginarium has a massive selection of homewares and gifts. I will pop some more pictures on my Instagram for you to see. My mum got a highland cow head (pictured below) from here. The Yorkshire Soap Co sells gorgeous soaps in the shape of cakes alongside other bathing essentials.

Here's a list of my other favourite shops in the city centre:

• Joules
• Jack Wills
• Pandora
• Daisy Taylor's 
• Rise & Shine Living
• Seasalt
• Azendi
• Superdry 

And some other popular shops:

• Molly Browns
• Boots
• Superdrug
• Fenwicks
• Browns
• Topshop
• Primark
• New Look
• Urban Outfitters
• Waterstones
• Lush
• WHSmith
• HMV 
• Disney Store
• The Body Shop

 For the fellow Hinchers:

• Savers
• Home Bargains
• Poundland
• B&M

Of course there is the Designer Outlet too, which you can check out here.

Restaurants/Cafes

• The Ivy
• Carluccio's - one of my favourites!
• Zizzi
• Pizza Hut
• Pizza Express
• Rustique
• Brew & Brownie
• Costa
• Cafe Nero
• Starbucks
• Nando's
• Wetherspoons (The Postern Gate)   

Attractions

• York's Chocolate Story
• Jorvik Viking Centre
• York Minster
• Ghost Walk
• York Dungeon 
• National Railway Museum

 Hotels

• Novotel- really family friendly with loads of facilities, including a swimming pool!
• The Principal- my parents love staying here!
• There are also various Travelodges and Premier Inns too.

Thank you for reading & I hope you enjoy exploring York!
Follow me on Instagram @thatmardyyorkshirelass to see more pics of York!

Until next time,

Charlotte x

COUNTRY VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT GUIDE

With just under a week to go until Valentine's Day, I thought it might be a good idea to list a few of my favourite gift ideas for both him and her this Valentine's Day. I've tried to keep the country theme running through the guide.

For Her:
The obvious gift for a special girl in your life is a Pandora ring or charm. Pandora have a gorgeous selection of love themed gifts this year, including this Beaded Heart Charm. Most lasses would be over the moon to receive something in a Pandora bag for Valentine's Day, especially a special ring...

If you're going down the jewellery line, why not try Hiho Silver? There are some classic pieces available, like this stunning sterling silver Bumblebee Necklace, or why not choose a gorgeous equestrian themed piece, like the Cherry Roller Snaffle Bangle ?

Bathbombs are extremely popular with lasses as we love having a perfect soak at the end of a long day in the field. I love Bomb Cosmetics as the bathbombs smell really nice and leave your skin feeling so smooth. There are so many available, and my personal favourites include the Crazy Stupid Love bath blaster and the Cherry On Top bath blaster. There are some fabulous gift packs available too.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I love these gorgeous rice mice from Heart Of The Dales. Between myself, my mum and my sister, we have a huge collection at home. These would make a perfect gift for your girlfriend or wife, or even as a 'Galentine's' gift for your best friends. The mice are available in various colours and sizes.

Finally- who doesn't love a pair of cosy pyjamas? I am obsessed with my Rydale pyjamas as they are so comfy and look great too! Perfect for lounging about in the evenings and for snuggling up in bed. You could even get matching sets to be ultimate #couplegoals this Valentine's Day.

For Him:

This is my first Valentine's Day in a relationship so I'm not claiming to be an expert on what the lads like, but I've picked out a few bits and bobs that I think look good, as well as some things that I reckon Callum would like too! 

Firstly, I would suggest a Morris Richardson Watch. I love mine as it is practical (everybody needs to know the time at some point!) and it's really stylish too. There are various straps available, including tweed, leather and Milanese mesh.

Hiho Silver also do a range of jewellery for men. The Chunky Plaited Leather Bracelet looks really good and is actually half price at the moment! Your other half would look stunning with a new watch on one wrist and a leather bracelet on the other.

Socks never go amiss with men, I know Callum needs some new pairs! These Hortons England socks are really good quality and look really nice too. I know I'd love a pair of these as well- I absolutely love new socks.

Another thing men can never have too many of is shirts. You all know I love Rydale shirts and my wardrobe is full of them. Callum has a few as well and they look really smart and are amazing quality for the price. There are so many colours available as well as the fleece lined shirts. What a great idea!

Finally, I've been eyeing up these gorgeous personalised keyrings by Mackenzie and George for ages and think they would make a perfect Valentine's gift for your special man. You could even get them for you both so you can match!

(Side note- lads, if you're thinking of proposing to your lass this Valentine's Day, why not get her a keyring with her new initials on as a gift? She'd absolutely love it!)

Thanks for reading, I hope I've inspired you a little if you were stuck for what to get you other half this Valentine's Day, other than the usual flowers and chocolate (although there's nothing wrong with them of course!)

Until next time,

Charlotte x

WHAT I GOT FOR CHRISTMAS 2018

 Happy New Year everybody! I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and all the best for 2019.

Before I start, I'd like to say that I am in no way bragging about what I got- I am very lucky to have received some lovely presents and am grateful to everyone who bought me them. This is purely so people can be nosy and see what I got or get some ideas for gifts they might like or might like to get someone.

Now that the disclaimer is out the way, let's crack on with the blog. My main present from my parents was this gorgeous pair of Fairfax and Favor Henley Driving shoes. They are so stylish and look great with any outfit.
I got this Hiho Silver leather bracelet which looks really pretty and is quite simple too, so it goes with lots of outfits. It is only £20 as well!
Also pictured is my Rydale Polly Checked Scarf in the colour gunmetal. It is so cosy and is reasonably priced at £10.

I was really excited to receive my 2019 subscription to In The Country Magazine which I am very excited about. I have been loving Hollie-Ella's magazine this year and can't wait to see what next year's issues will bring. The 2019 In The Country Calendar with illustrations by Rosie Young was another perfect gift which I am excited to use in the New Year.
The feather hairpin is by High Bird Designs and features a shotgun cartridge with colourful game feathers. I am excited to wear this at various events this year.
I also received the Cartridge Fairy Lights by High Bird Designs but I haven't got a picture of them up yet. 
The hedgehog is from The Imaginarium in York and is supposed to be a Christmas tree decoration but I am definitely keeping him up all year! He's too cute!

This shirt is from Crew Clothing and looks really nice. I haven't had a chance to wear it yet but will post some pics on Instagram when I do! The frog bathbomb is by Bomb Cosmetics and the perfume is BonBon by Viktor & Rolf.

I got a fair few bits and bobs from Rydale, including the scarf that I mentioned before. I also got a pair of Roxby Canvas Trainers in the 'Spotty Navy' variant. These are only £19.99 and are really comfy.
 The shirts are in Sally Pink and Lucy Grape and are 2 for £25. I love wearing these with my new Garton II Fleece Gilet. It looks lovely and has the warmest fleece lining ever! It kept me nice and toasty on Boxing Day.
Finally, my pyjamas are so comfy and look really nice too! Mine match my new shirt and have a pheasant on the top but you can also get a set with a dog or horses too.

I also got some Pandora charms and various other bits and bobs and I'll probably put some pictures up on my story highlights if you'd like to have a look.

For those of you who don't know, I've created a separate Instagram account for my blog and have decided to keep my original account more personal. You're still more than welcome to follow my personal account (@charlottebrown23) but I will be posting all blog related things over on @thatmardyyorkshirelass now. I also have a Facebook page, just search 'That Mardy Yorkshire Lass'.

Thank you for reading and I hope that you all got what you wished for and had a happy and healthy Christmas. Christmas is a difficult time for some people and my love and best wishes go out to everyone who struggled through this time.

Until next time,

Charlotte x