How I Got A Variegated Monstera - Plants For All Seasons Review

If you're a houseplant enthusiast, you've probably heard about the coveted monstera albo, or the "variegated" monstera plant. I've always loved the beautiful patterns on these gorgeous plants, and today I want to talk about where to get a variegated monstera albo cutting in the UK. I have been eyeing a shop called Plants for All Seasons for a really long time now and I'm so happy to be able to review two cuttings from their lovely shop.

A bit about the shop- Plant for All Seasons sells wonderful houseplants for all seasons. They are an online plant retailer based in the UK, and all of their plants are grown right here in Britain. They have over 16 years of horticultural experience, and they've worked hard to make sure that all of their plants are healthy, high-quality and delivered straight to your doorstep without a single delay. Best of all, their packaging is 100% recyclable so they're a truly sustainable "green" shop! 

Going back to the topic of variegated monsteras, I just want to say that they're notoriously hard to find. The only places that sells these cuttings are Facebook marketplace or etsy, and both places can let you down because you never know what you get on these platforms. Facebook marketplace, for example, is quite hard to use and the quality of cuttings vary as they're usually sold by personal sellers who cut from their own plants at home. I struggled to find reasonably priced monstera albo cuttings too, as many people want crazy prices for these rare plants.

Plants for All Seasons sells a range of variegated monstera cuttings which can be lightly differentiated, or highly differentiated. I got a lovely variegated monstera cutting which was quite differentiated and it arrived in a lovely cardboard box in perfect condition. Take a look below! 

As you can see, the leaf was healthy and in great condition, with wonderful patterns and a very different stem. This means that the plant that grows out of it will have lovely white and green leaves, which was exactly what I wanted. The best thing about Plant for All Seasons is that they packaged their items securely, which means that none of the box was damaged in transit. The plant cuttings that I got were extremely supple and I am currently rooting them in perlite. I also got sent a philodendron tripartitum cutting from their collection and again, it was extremely healthy. Just look at the colour on the leaf! This plant seems huge and I am also rooting it in water. 

What truly stands out about this shop is their affordable prices. Variegated monstera cuttings usually sell for around £80 or £90 in the UK. This shop prices them at around 70 pounds, but you can get a lightly variegated monstera albo cutting for £30, which is incredibly affordable for something as rare as these beautiful plants. They also have great reviews from other shoppers. Many reviewers have said that their monstera albo rooted really quickly, and these positive reviews means that the shop is trustworthy and truly reliable. I, for one, do not really trust Facebook marketplace for buying rare plants, as the quality really varies and you might encounter people trying to scam you off money on these sites. Buying from shops such as Plants for All Seasons is a safer and more reliable way to get a variegated monstera albo cutting for a great price.

Overall, I'm really happy with my cuttings. Wish me luck on rooting these little leaves! 

How To Decorate Your House With Terrariums - Underglass Terrariums Review

 Hey all! It's getting colder and I'm staying home an awful lot these days. Today, I want to share a little something that I got for my studio flat since it's lacking a bit of life lately. I have a lot of indoor house plants, but they always need watering and so I decided to get myself a little terrarium kit from Underglass Terrariums, one of the best terrarium kit shops online that you can find. 

The thing about terrariums is that they seem intimidating- they're difficult to ship as the plants and soil gets damaged easily in the mail. They're not that common and you can't find them in any furniture or plant shop. Most of the time, people who own terrariums actually make their own at home. The best way to do that is through buying a terrarium kit with plants, where everything you need to assemble a planter is delivered straight to your doorstep. 

I ordered this fantastic kit from Underglass Terrariums and look what came in the mail after a few days! 

As you can see, the terrarium kit contained pretty much everything you need to make a beautiful closed terrarium. The shop is amazing because they packaged everything extremely well. By that, I mean everything was wrapped in paper and plastic, which means that nothing was damaged in transit. This is really important, because the terrarium jar is made from fragile glass, and the plants inside the kit are quite delicate too. What's great about them is that the packaged shipped after a day of dispatching, which was incredibly fast.

The kit contains fittonias, a larger plant, gravel, activated charcoal, soil and a set of terrarium tools which can be used to create the terrarium. I really loved how all the plants were healthy, strong and beautiful. The shop wrapped everything up very well. As you can see, I got four plants and I chose to use three of them for the terrarium since one was a bit too large. The terrarium kit contained instructions on how to assemble the planter. I first put a layer of gravel at the base for drainage, added activated charcoal to filter out the dirt, added soil and finally the plants and decorative gravel. 

The overall assembly process took around 20 minutes and afterwards, all I had to do is close the cork lid and voila- a beautiful terrarium is born! I didn't even have to water it at all to maintain it afterwards, and the terrarium has survived beautifully at the time of writing this review. The best thing about terrariums is that they require virtually no maintenance except the occasional pruning. I've had this terrarium for over a week now and it's starting to grow! Decorating my studio flat has never been easier. 

Overall, this terrarium kit is well worth the money for 49.50 pounds and would make an excellent gift for yourself or a loved one. If you want to decorate your house with a plant that essentially waters itself, is low-maintenance and beautiful, you should definitely check out Underglass Terrariums and what they have to offer. 

The Best Gift For Plant Lovers- Poppet Plants (Mystery Cuttings) Review

As a plant lover, there's nothing better than receiving a surprise gift. It feels even better when the gift is a mystery box of plant cuttings which can be propagated and grown into full-sized plants. Today, I want to talk about one of the best gifts for plant lovers that you can get. The shop in focus is Poppet Plants, a lovely Etsy shop that sells mystery plant cutting boxes that contain a huge variety of beautiful plants. 

The shop is run by Merry, who packages all her mystery plant cuttings beautifully in the most amazing packaging that I've ever seen. There are lots of mystery plant boxes to choose from, ranging from Halloween "Trick or Treat" mystery boxes, Christmas boxes and regular boxes which contain rooted and unrooted plants. The cuttings can be from a large variety of plants which is listed out in the description, but Merry takes her time to make sure you don't get repeated cuttings or something that you already have. I really enjoyed ordering from their shop and Merry was very communicative and helpful.

Shipping times are incredibly quick and the box I ordered came a day after it was shipped. Take a look below at what I received in the mail! 

As you can see, the cuttings that I received were beautifully labelled with instructions on how to care for each one. Some of these plants were from species that I've never owned before, so it was incredibly helpful to know the names of the plant, how to water them and what lighting they require. The gift wrapping was stunning and probably the highlight of opening the package. Poppet Plants makes sure that each of their boxes are wrapped up beautifully and personalised, and all of the plants came in bubble wrap with protective tissue paper around the cuttings. None of the plants were damaged in transit and everything arrived in perfect condition. Five of these plants were from their "trick" list, and five were from their "treat" list. This means that there's a huge variety of plants for you to potentially get. 

The halloween box contained 10 cuttings and 2 of the plants were already rooted, which means that I could place them in soil immediately. The other 8 cuttings were not rooted, so I placed them in water to grow. The shop provided clear instructions on what to do, and even included a few halloween candies as "treats" for me! 

Overall, I had a lovely experience ordering a mystery plant cuttings box from Poppet Plants. Their beautiful and personalised packaging, as well as the lovely surprise of cuttings means that this would make one of the best gifts you can get a houseplant lover for any season, whether it be halloween, birthdays or Christmas. I can't wait to update you on how these plants grow up in the future.

Fighting Depression With Fashion - Solis Review

Depression is something that so many people deal with but rarely talk about. Today, I want to share a bit about my experience with depression, how I coped with it and how I discovered a wonderful new brand called Solis which sells clothing that brings positivity into the lives of people who suffer from this mental health phenomenon. 

My first real experience with depression was in 2020 when the COVID pandemic hit. I was living alone and moved cities to study for a PhD program. I also had problems with my personal life and everything felt hopeless. I remember crying a lot and having nothing to look forward to in my daily life. It's as if things started looking bleak and every moment was difficult to get through. Something was missing in my life, and I felt like getting past everyday was a struggle. It's important to note that mental health isn't something my family used to talk about. It is somewhat of a taboo subject. Depression is a scary thing, and it can slowly creep up on you just like it did to me a year ago.

The way I coped with depression was through therapy and finding little things in life that brought me joy. Little things such as painting, shopping and going out for walks helped boost my moods and made me find happiness in the little things in life. Depression can be dealt with through doing small things that make you happy. 

This is why I really wanted to share my latest haul from Solis, an awesome brand that was created to bring joy into the lives of people who suffer from depression. The founder has suffered from depression for many years, and wanted to create a clothing line for people with depression in order to, as the name "Solis" suggest, bring light into people's lives. Take a look below at my two tees from their awesome shop! 

Solis sells men and women's t-shirts that feature cute and cheerful designs. All of their styles are unique and extremely stylish, with designs featuring different graphics that are related to happiness and positivity. I got this beautiful Coloroulogy t-shirt from their shop that was bright red. I chose red because it was the color that cheered me up most. Their tees are soft and made with organic cotton, which is super comfortable to wear. Their tees come in a variety of bright colors that reflect a variety of moods, so there's something for everyone. This t-shirt is super chic and stylish, and I paired it with a pair of denim shorts for a casual look.

The next thing I got was this lovely Change Your Lens shirt. This t-shirt's design was inspired by David Burns's book on depression where he talks about how depression is caused by people viewing the world through a "negative" pair of glasses. The founder designed this t-shirt because he wanted the wearer to see things through a positive light, improving perceptions of themselves and deciding to see the world in a happier way. I think this shirt is probably my favourite piece and I wear it whenever I am feeling low- it instantly cheers me up!

Overall, I'm really impressed with the quality and designs of these t-shirts. All of the brand's designs are carefully chosen to reflect a particular theme about depression and inspire wearers to become a happier, more positive people. The brand's mission is truly noble and meaningful, and I hope you can check out their store and share the word to anyone who has suffered from depression. 

My 28th Birthday Celebration- featuring HappyCakes

Age is a funny thing- the older you get, the faster time seems to pass by. This October, I turned 28 years old and I want to share with you what I did for my birthday! I went to London this weekend to have a joint birthday celebration with my best friend. We booked a lovely restaurant called Pachamama East in Shoreditch, and I bought a customised birthday cake from Happy Cakes, one of the best cake shops in Oxford for the big day.

Birthdays are always a joyous time for me. I love celebrating with loved ones, but having lived abroad for many years it's hard for me to gather everyone I care about in one place. This year, I've decided to treat myself to a customised birthday cake because I wanted to make memories- of good times gone by, of good food, of good people and good nights out. Happy Cakes is run by Julia and they're based in Summertown, Oxford, a lovely area up north of the city. 

As a PhD student studying at Oxford, I've ordered from Happy Cakes for my past 3 birthdays. They're always amazing- Julia can customise your birthday cake to any specification, design and size. They have a brilliant Instagram page where they post their creations. The cakes are extremely delicious and well-made. I personally got this cactus-themed cake because my friend and I love plants. We wanted something special and unique. I sent Julia a photo of the cake design that I wanted, and she made a beautiful cake! 

The taste of the cake is lovely. It's made from vanilla icing and a lovely sponge cake inside. The cake was moist, soft and sweet. It was just the right texture and tasted absolutely delicious. The icing was my favourite part of the cake. It was thick, creamy and absolutely mouthwatering. The cactus design on top looked very "Instagrammable" and so many of my friends complimented the cake! They all wanted to know where I got it from! 

The cake came wrapped in a lovely cardboard box which was sturdy and secure. It was easy to transport the cake around, so it would be easy to carry even if you live a bit far away. 

Overall, I'm super happy with this beautiful creation from Happy Cakes. I'm a huge fan of their cake shop (they sell cupcakes as well) and I'd definitely recommend trying them out if you need to order a cake for a special day. 

Affordable and Versatile Gift Ideas This Season - Gift Hampers UK Review

It's getting closer to the end of the year and that can only mean one thing- gift-giving season is coming into full swing! Today, I want to talk about an awesome gift hamper brand called Gift Hampers UK, a shop that sells a variety of gift hampers for every occasion. Now, I'm a huge fan of gift hampers because they're so versatile- you can pretty much get them for anyone, for any occasion. Gift hampers are often beautifully packaged and contains a variety of goodies under a certain theme. For example, Gift Hampers UK sells food hampers, wine sets, gin hampers, beer collections and sweets. This means that you can find something that's suitable for any occasion. 

I got sent this beautiful Pretty in Pink Gin Hamper and I want to show you all what I received. Take a look below! 

I chose this gin set because it looked stunning. The packaging of the hamper was phenomenal- it came via DHL and was marked "fragile", which means that none of the goods got damaged. This is so important for things such as wine or alcohol. The parcel was wrapped beautifully in a lovely grey box, with an orange ribbon and crepe paper. The inside of the box was a surprise- there were so many delicious snacks, sweets, chocolates and cookies included with the hamper, as well as a beautiful bottle of Finders pink gin. It pretty much contains everything you'd need to make someone's evening, or indulge in a night of relaxing drinks. 

Feeling a little cheeky, I opened some of the sweets and chocolates and had a try. They were absolutely delicious and tasted really good. All of the items in the hamper were high-quality edibles, and they looked luxurious and elegantly wrapped. The box was filled with foam and shredded paper which protected the insides well. In terms of overall presentation and quality, I have to say that this hamper was top-notched! 

Overall, I'm really impressed with Gift Hampers UK because their hampers are excellent in quality. Their website is super easy to use, accessible and contains a huge selection of different hampers, suitable for everyone's tastes. Their prices are also very reasonable, and most of the hampers are under 100 pounds. They also have a huge variety of different hampers and I'd love to try some of their wine and beer ones in the future. I'd highly recommend giving a hamper as a gift to someone if you want to impress! 

Autumn Outfit Finds- Baukjen Review + 10% off discount code

 I love autumn- it's one of the best time to shop for new outfits because the weather's changing, things are turning chilly and everything just looks more...cozy and cute! Today I want to feature three items from Baukjen, one of my all-time favourite fashion brands from the UK. Baukjen sells a variety of trendy, modern and stylish clothing for women and they launch new styles every season. This autumn, they've recently launched a new line which features Scandinavian-looking styles that have minimalistic designs, neutral colors and flattering cuts.

Take a look below at my goodies! 

Perhaps my favourite combination of clothing is this Gabby Lambswool Shacket and Ashley Organic Cotton Top. These two items look great together as they complement each other. The dark navy blue knit shacket offers warmth and a cozy vibe, and the striped top is minimalistic and simple. Together, I wore them with these lovely black Liz Pants for a modern, sleek look. I chose these trousers because they are high-quality and made from super soft Lenzing Ecovero material, which is breathable and perfect for work or play. I love the elasticated waistline as it doesn't hurt my tummy. 

The shacket is perhaps my favourite item from the haul. I love how it's made from 100% pure merino wool, which is breathable and warm. I wear this jacket over jeans or shorts, and it's a perfect transitional piece for the cooler months when you don't want something too bulky but still want to stay warm. I think the shacket is something I've never owned before- it's essentially a combination of a "shirt" and a "jacket" which means it gives off a casual, off-duty kind of feel. I think it's extremely well-made, as with all of Baukjen's clothing. 

Baukjen has some of the best quality items that I've ever owned. I still wear the goodies that I bought from them from 2-3 years ago on a daily basis. With autumn and winter coming around, I'd definitely recommend doing some shopping from this lovely brand. 

Use the discount promo code [FLORYX15] for 15% off all orders!