4 Tips to Travel to New York

Facebook Memories can be both a great and terrible thing. They remind me of great times with friends over the years but they can also induce some pretty intense wanderlust. This week, Facebook decided to kindly inform me that exactly one year ago I booked an incredible trip to New York and since I don't yet have any holidays to look forward to this year, I spent my week reminiscing about my previous travel. I wrote a diary of our New York trip last year but I thought I'd put together a tips post if you were thinking of heading to the Big Apple in 2016:

1. Time It Right
This time of year is perfect to book a holiday to New York, as almost all of the airlines are offering great savings to tempt you to spend away those January blues. Last year, we booked some great value flights with British Airways and they currently have another great sale running, which is due to end on the 2nd February.

2. Plan, Plan, Plan!
We spent four days in New York and I found my need to organise every detail of a holiday really useful. Sometimes it's nice to 'go with the flow' but since we had such limited time in such a huge city, we wanted to make the most of our time and planning was the way to do this. Another great way to ensure you see all the famous sites is to consider a Vacation Pass, which allows you to pay one lump sum and guarantee your entry to all the museums, tourist attractions and tours in New York - they can be pricey, but they definitely take the hassle out of your trip.

3. Get Spendy
One of the things we were most excited about was, of course, the shopping. There are some incredible deals to be had in the USA and there are also plenty of products which aren't available in the UK. I watched tonnes of American YouTubers and decided on two 'must-buy' products I needed to track down; the Kat Von D Foundation and the Sephora Lip Stains - both of which have become staples in my make-up routine.

4. Layer Up
If you do plan to travel to New York in February, remember that it will be cold! We weren't quite prepared for the cold and snowy weather, although it resulted in some pretty and impressive photos in Central Park. Definitely invest in some warm layers, a coat, snuggly scarf, gloves and a hat to keep your ears warm. There is nothing worse than the cold ruining a fantastic trip - although it's always an excuse to go shopping in the huge Forever 21 on Times Square!

Do you have any other tips for a trip to New York? Will you be heading to the Big Apple this year?

*This is a sponsored post.*

Jess

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Discover Newmarket

I've lived in Newmarket all my life, but in reality I know very little about it. Growing up in a horseracing town when you have never ridden a horse means that I am blissfully ignorant about the most of the history and culture of the town in which I live. Luckily, things recently changed when I went on a Discover Newmarket tour to find out more about the town I call home:

Discover Newmarket is the 'official tour guide' for Newmarket, working to promote the town as a centre for horse-racing and everything connected to the sport. We started our tour by driving in our tour guide's car to The Gallops and watching the horses ride out in the morning. By using a car to get around Newmarket, we were able to see most of the town from the comfort of the vehicle and I was seriously impressed with our guides' local knowledge and gossip! After a quick driven tour past some of the key studs and buildings, we headed to The Jockey Club Rooms for a viewing of this prestigious member's only club. There are limited opportunities to visit The Jockey Club Rooms as a member of the public, so a tour around the artwork and building was a rare treat and I was fascinated to hear about the history of this club which was so vital to Newmarket's beginnings.

Next, I was excited to have the chance to go behind the scenes of a working stud and see the horses and trainers in the yard. The horses were, of course, beautiful and we were shown around by the head trainer, who was able to answer all of our questions, big or small. We then headed to the National Stud for a quick cup of tea followed by a tour of the stud. We were told about the famous lineages of some of the most successful racehorses and the insane amount of money involved in breeding future horseracing champions. Finally we headed to the National Horseracing Museum for a quick look around the exhibits before heading back.

We packed a huge amount in to the couple of hours spent on the Discover Newmarket tour and I left with so much more knowledge about my home town. We often neglect what's on our doorstep and I loved the opportunity to explore and learn about the town and the horseracing industry which is so important to it. If you're interested, check out Discover Newmarket to find out more about the various tours they offer - it's definitely worth it!

Do you often overlook your home town? Have you ever visited Newmarket?

Jess

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Fitness Friday: Dry January

After somewhat overindulging over the festive period, like many, I have decided to use January as an opportunity to give myself a healthy boost. I’m back at the gym, watching my diet and taking those all-important vitamins; none of which are unusual in the new year. However, this year I'm also doing something new – I’m taking part in Dry January.

Dry January is fundamentally a charitable cause and you can donate here. However, for me, it’s not just about charity. January is the perfect time for a ‘detox’ and as 2015 drew to a close, I frequently found myself thinking about having a break from alcohol. I don’t think I will ever be able to resist a gin and tonic, but after a few too many nights out, I found myself waking up with bigger hangovers than ever before, getting ill more frequently and (whisper it) feeling a bit old! 

I decided to take a break; partly to feel healthier and partly to simply see if I could do it. I drink alcohol because I enjoy the taste and for me it is a social pastime, so I was curious to see if this suffered when I cut out the booze. My weekends always involve gin and tonics or a bottle of wine with my parents, cocktails with friends or drinks at blog events. Once the bottle has been opened, it always get finished, so for me, I really needed to go extreme and cut out the booze completely.

It’s now half way through January and I haven’t had any alcohol – hurrah! I was worried that I would genuinely forget that I was taking part in Dry January and have a drink without thinking about it, but I’ve stuck to lime and soda when out with friends. There is of course the added bonus of saving money and I haven’t felt like my social life has suffered at all. I'm interested to see if my drinking habits change when February arrives, particularly when it comes to finishing that opened bottle or simply choosing to be the designated driver once in a while. I'll make sure I post an update once the challenge has ended!

Are you taking part in Dry January? Do you think you could cut out alcohol completely?

Jess

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