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The holiday season is just around the corner and its time to stock up on your summer reads for the beach and beyond. We’ve rounded up our favourite books to pack and enjoy forever.

The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

An extremely captivating Bildungsroman, that we can guarantee you will not want to put down. The Kite Runner is also currently showing at the Playhouse Theatre, London for under £20! It’s the perfect start to the trilogy by Khaled Hosseini, but unlike those more light-hearted reads, these are guaranteed to pull on your heart strings.

Hideous Kinky - Esther Freud

An adventure from a child’s eye, this book will leave you inspired to throw on a rucksack and go exploring. The title aside, this is a very subtle piece of writing. Set in Marrakech in the 1970s, it’s an often hilarious tale, conjuring up crowded medina alleyways, incense and the search for a break from the norm… it’s already in our suitcase!

The Paris Wife - Paula McLain

This is an encaptivating story of the great Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Elizabeth Hadley Richardson during their time in Paris during the 1920s. Imagined by the author, Paula McLain, it’s a deeply evocative story of betrayal and ambition. We’ve heard great things so we’re excited to get stuck in this summer! 

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck – Sarah Knight

More recently we’ve been enjoying a good, tongue-in-cheek self-help book. This book popped up in our recommendations, and having read the reviews, we’re eager to enjoy something practical and applicable, whilst leaving us ‘belly-laughing’. More importantly, it appears easy reading suggesting it will be the perfect read to dip in and out of between pool trips.

The Beach - Alex Garland

We love the film adaptation, but the only way you can top DiCaprio’s performance is by reading the book! It’s part of a wonderful tradition exploring the dark side of paradise, set amongst a supposedly idyllic community on a remote Thai beach.

Peony in Love - Lisa See

It’s hard not to initially judge this book by its beautiful cover, but gladly, the story is equally just as wonderful. Set in 17th century China, this historical period drama takes on the theme of star-crossed lovers. We’re going to leave it at that, and say it’s the perfect holiday accompaniment.

Mothers Day is coming, and we believe there isn't a more important day to appreciate our beautiful mums, showering them with wonderful gifts. We have put together a list of our top picks right now to give you some mothers day gift inspiration, other than the usual flowers and chocolate...

Firstly, a white shirt is an essential for every woman’s wardrobe and one can never have too many. This particular one is on our current wish list. The relaxed look is perfect paired with a pair of jeans. For a smarter and office-chic style, tuck it into a pair of navy wide leg trousers. And for a night out, the shirt looks super stylish with a pair of leather trousers and a statement necklace. And even better, its organic and designed by British premium label, Beaumont Organic!

 This is our favourite all-round nail shade and thanks to the beautiful work of O.P.I you can be sure your beautiful mani wont chip after a few days! This gorgeous nude hue is perfect for day-to-day glam or makes a great base layer if like us; you like to add a little bit of sparkle.

This double bar sterling silver ring from Tada & Toy is a little treat for us jewellery lovers, without breaking the bank! We love stacking this up for a for a punchy look, but looks equally as beautiful as a statement piece paired with the perfect mani.

We absolutely swear by this beautiful product from Liz Earle. The overnight superskin face mask is great for when your skin needs that extra lift. Not alike those oily night masks around, it’s wonderfully light and super hydrating. The perfect protection from the harsh winter weather!

It’s never too early to start that spring clean and we believe these would be the perfect start! These hexagon shaped vases are great for adding a splash of colour to your home. You can buy them individually or treat your mum to all four.

                   

These gorgeous cushions from Hexagone can create an elegant arty-feel to your sofa. The graphic designs and bright colours are super exciting and look wonderful mis-matched altogether or, why not add the Taze Hammam as a throw for an extra vibrant look!

We’re welcoming spring with this beautiful cocoon jacket from The Cross Shop.  It has a lovely drape creating an effortlessly elegant look, while the jacquard heavyweight fabric ensures you’re both warm and stylish. In fact, we’d recommend taking a trip to store in Holland Park if you’re on the hunt for some timeless, classic pieces!

Happy Pancake Day from Hammam Havlu… or to put it more formally, Happy Shrove Tuesday!

Shrove Tuesday is a carnival day, also known as Mardi Gras which is French for ‘Fat Tuesday’…yes the time we all stuff our faces with pancakes and all things naughty, before making false promises to give up our temptations for Lent; which begins on Ash Wednesday (if you would like to try something new this year, take a look at our blog on Vegetarianism). But, before thinking about giving up something, we’ve put together some of our favourite classics for the special day:

From the traditional, but arguably unbeatable lemon and sugar…

A must-have combination is Nutella and strawberries…well, any berries for that matter, and melted chocolate works just as well!

For something more light, but undoubtedly delicious is fresh natural Greek yogurt and banana, sweetened with a dash of honey, or syrup.

 Maple syrup must make a show on Pancake Day, so try adding some juicy raspberries for an extra spark.

If these have got your taste buds tingling, why not start with some savoury pancakes to get the most out of your last cheat day. We’ve made a list of some recipes we’re going to try this year:

- Buttermilk pancakes with bacon and avocado

- Squash, goat’s cheese and rosemary

- Carrot Cake Pancakes

- Smoked salmon, smashed avocado and crème fraiche

Aside from all the same ol’ sugar free lent’s we all try; we’re here to give you inspiration to give Vegetarianism a try. Whilst we’re proud animal lovers ourselves, and indeed the meat farming industry is an issue we can no longer turn our backs on, the health benefits are something heavily shadowed yet surprisingly substantial. Equally, vegetarianism is becoming much more accessible, with a greater number of our favourite restaurants joining the ‘trend’ there’s loads of really yummy veggie dishes for us to taste and even better, they’re easy to make at home too. To introduce those taste buds, here are some of our favourite veggie dishes and recipes, which, quite frankly, we think are tastier than most meat options.

With an urban, trendy aesthetic DISHOOM serves what we can only best describe as exciting modern Indian tapas kind-of deal with prices kept low. One of their go-to-dishes is the Black lentil daal, but needless to say it can’t go without the fried paneer and finished with the Malai Kulfi for desert (a caramel ice-cream lollipop)! It’s worth taking the trip around DISHOOM’s three vibrant spots in London and exploring their menu all round.

Click on the image for an easy recipe to follow if you’d like to give it a go at home!

Home Slice. One of the best independent pizza stores in London. This street-stall come restaurant offers, as quite rightly put, “tradition with innovation; a take on the classics alongside unique flavour combinations”. We’re going mad for the Aubergine, Cauliflower cheese, spinach and harissa pizza.

If you’re feeling inspired to try out some recipes yourself, here are some truly flavour-packed and easy meals for everyone to enjoy at home.

Alana’s Speedy Bean Stew is absolutely veggie friendly, kind to your gut and fresh and delicious. This is a particular favourite of ours because leftovers can easily be popped in the fridge and the flavours are even better for lunch the next day!

Don’t let the word kale blind you; these Vegan Kale Burgers are an absolute dream to your taste buds. It’s also a super fun dinner to make with the kids. Perfect for satisfying those burger cravings, and taste even better when done on the bbq!

A particular favourite from this wonderful list of veggie curries is the Spinach and Chickpea, but the Potato and Garlic Dhal is a pretty close second. In fact, take a look at Lucy’s blog for some mouth-watering veggie recipes…

Headed east to Calvert Ave. E2 last week to say hi to the girls at Beija Flor who have opened a stunning pop up shop on this pretty Shoreditch street.

If you get a chance, pop in before the store closes on the 30th August.  It's worth the visit to see a modern, effortless collection of beautifully designed lingerie made in high quality fabrics in a stunning space.

So thrilled that Mazie and Abbie, the talented sisters behind the Beija Flor brand spotted Hammam Havlu in the Stylist and are stocking our Esra and Taze towels in their shop alongside East Wick candles and beauty products.  

I treated myself to the No. 7 Candle in dreamy Geranium and Tangerine.  How good does it look with Esra Hammam Havlu in Paprika.

Our favourite Beija Flor collection is the For Keeps Bra and Briefs that comes in Black, Carbon, Pomegranate and Red.  We love the Black - the bra £50 the brief £25.

Beija Flor have kept the authenticity of the brand in this luxe capsule swim collection Get Wet.  For girls who have a more demanding duo, this bikini is stocked in sizes from B to a G cup - what's not to love.  The top from £50 the brief £25.

If you do get a chance to visit the store, all purchases are beautifully wrapped and presented in an exclusive Beija Flor tote bag.  Perfect for carrying your Hammam Havlu and Beija Flor bikini poolside, to the beach or for us lucky girls on board a Sunseeker... we can dream.xxx

We have been so excited with the positive response to our Hammam Havlu towels from some very credible and influential Instagrammers.  We are feeling the love!

Susannah Taylor, editor and founder of Getthegloss.com the UK's leading online authority in beauty and health and former beauty & health editor of UK Vogue & Glamour posted this pretty picture of Pink Esra Hammam Havlu... what a beaut.  This towel continues to be one of our most popular and as well as pink, comes in Indigo, Paprika, Fresh Blue and Smoke Grey.

The Pool makes interesting, inspiring, original content for busy women and we love getting their daily updates in our inbox.  If you haven't subscribed then do it today...food, fashion, beauty and life.  What's not to love.

The ladies at The Pool loved our Sapphire/Fresh Blue Deniz Hammam Havlu and made it onto the 20 Picnic Ideas feature.  They totally understand the versatility of our towels.

The summer is still waiting to start but don't leave it too late to order your Hammam Havlu.  They are flying off the shelves and off to far flung destinations as they are so lightweight and easy to pack.

We were thrilled and excited to be featured on the very influential The Style List alongside brands that we love including Mulberry, Apple, Tom Dixon and Anthropologie.  Doesn't our Pink Esra Hammam Havlu towel look right at home with these great brands!  

We are lucky enough to be working with Rosie Davies and her talented team at LFA who are doing an amazing job with our PR coverage and helping us grow our Hammam Havlu brand.  Check out their stunning Instagram feed and while you are there follow us on our pretty page.