Run The World Girls.

I thought it was the end of testimonial style TVCs, then out of the blue comes this gem. Always have created a brilliant, heart felt campaign named #likeagirl... and this is what they have to say about ...

“Using #LikeAGirl as an insult is a hard knock against any adolescent girl. And since the rest of puberty's really no picnic either, it's easy to see what a huge impact it can have on a girl's self-confidence.

We're kicking off an epic battle to make sure that girls everywhere keep their confidence throughout puberty and beyond, and making a start by showing them that doing it #LikeAGirl is an awesome thing.”

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs&feature=youtu.be

The Farm - Al Barari, Dubai

The Farm was definitely the kind of place I didn't expect to find in Dubai... Even though I had heard of its wonder. From driving down the bleak and unscenic Emirates Road towards Al Barari, you are all of a sudden welcomed into the arms of greenery - winding roads bound by large leafy hedges, grass and flowers which not only lead to incredible villas but also to The Farm which is tucked away in the heart of the complex.

Probably one of my favorite types of restaurants, The Farm understands the words organic, gluten free and dairy free which is something that hasn't completely caught on in Dubai yet, and not only offers a menu full of options for everyone but also has a small shop giving customers the option to take a slice of 'The Farm experience' home with them. Set among exotic flower beds, tidy lawns, trickling lakes and kitchy furniture and bridges, you have both a tranquil indoor area plus outdoor seating on decking among the vibrant oasis. Not only is it great to go for breakie, lunch and dinner, in the cooler months I can see myself taking a book and setting up camp in one of the idyllic hammocks whilst consuming copious amounts of coffee and dozing in the winter sun.

On this occasion the sun was beating down, however The Farm had it covered.. quite literally. The outdoor areas were covered and cooled so you could still enjoy the scenery without sweating. Breakfast was a mixture of eggs, fruits, amazing smoothies and truely scrumptious gluten free coconut and blueberry pancakes washed down with coffee. A combination of great food, perfect setting and friendly staff creates an incomparable ambiance of peace, calm and relaxation and even though you feel a million miles away from the flashing lights, The Farm is a mere 15minute drive away from MOE making it a weekend must! Be sure to treat yourself to a morning at the oasis of flavor and tranquility...

Thank FCUK its Thursday

The latest bit of brilliance from the amazing Ella Eyre. Happy Weekend y'all :)

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJr80jXCepc

The Beach Bar & Grill - The One and Only Royal Mirage, Dubai

The Beach Bar & Grill is a place suitable for a casual beach lunch or a date-like dinner (or any kind of dinner for that matter). Overlooking the Palm from the One and Only Royal Mirage, BBG sits between the green gardens filled with palm trees and the golden sandy beach, set on layers of chocolate brown wooden decking. The mood by day is beach chic - head down for a fresh sea food platter or refreshing cocktail under the shaded terrace or on the beach whilst you dig your toes in the sand, where at night, the place comes alight with flickering candles and lanterns, the dress code becomes a bit more grown up and seafood platters get swapped for steaks and grilled delights.

Like most Dubai haunts, indoor and outdoor seating is available but to capture the real essence of the place, outdoor dining is a must  - the breeze comes in off the beach with fabulous ocean views available even from the terrace. We dined on a selection carpaccio and steaks, however there were a vast selection of grilled fish and meats floating about as well as mezze platters, risottos and the odd pasta dish - something for everyone! Likewise, the service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing and they ensured the flow of wine and frozen daiquiris kept coming all night.

I would highly recommend this place for a quiet/romantic dinner or a great place to take family or friends to show them a part of the 'wow' of Dubai. Not the place for a crazy booze up - its peaceful and private and a definite gem in Dubai.

Smiling BKK - Al Wasl Square, Dubai

This was sold to be as a quirky Thai eatery, not too dissimilar from what you would find in the hustle and bustle of Bangkok - very un-Dubai and very cheap. 

On first appearances, this seemed to very true. Without completely being through the door we were greeted by a dozen 'Sa-Wad-Dee-Ka's - there must of been 10 waiters/waitresses present, for the 10 people that were inside. The place was dark but cool with lanterns hanging from the ceiling, a mass of framed pictures on the walls, dark wooden tables and large Mona Lisa prints everywhere from menus to napkin boxes. After being seated, the rules were laid out. Every diner gets given a toy black gun. When ready to order, one must pull the trigger making a rather scratchy sound which alerts the waiters to your table. 

The menu was vast, offering up a number of Thai favorites as well as the odd peculiar dish which i'd never heard of.. Being dry, in its place was a range of mocktails and soft drinks (lots of things including green tea which i guess is normal for Thailand..). To start, we devoured a selection of spring rolls, prawn crackers and chicken satay - all extremely tasty but also extremely small. The food here seemed to be shrunk to half the size of normal food, with the spring rolls looking the size of my finger. No place mats were laid out, instead, we had torn out pages from magazines to eat on which added to the fun of the place. 

Next came the mains - a mix of  Thai green curry, Pad Thai and veggy rice - all looking great. The curry (even though i asked for it mild) appeared to be extremely spicy... to cut the long and the short of it, it took them 3 attempts to get the curry right and whilst attempting there were a lot of half-hearted tries which was disappointing  especially after the enthusiasm of the staff. Finally, the curry came (complete with micro mini prawns) and it was fair. Not the best, but considering the price we weren't going to complain. The total came to around 200aed for two, and considering the amount of food we ordered and drinks we drank, it wasnt half bad.  

Overall, it was a fun experience and I am glad I gave it a go. I don't think I would rush back but I would definitely recommend a visit if you are in the area and love Thai cuisine - maybe just avoid the curries! 

West 14th - Oceana The Palm, Dubai

West 14th might just be my new favorite joint in Dubai for a casual dinner - I can't believe its taken me this long to try out the fab steak shack on the Palm. Overlooking the sea with views of the Marina on the main land, West 14th is a great place to unwind or gear up. Offering up swanky indoor dining options, decked out with black and red interiors appearing sleek and very 'New York' as well as a chilled out al fresco eating area, filled with long tables, great views, cool breeze and a bar which is reachable from every angle - the perfect place for sunny d's - flips flops are not only allowed outside when eating, they are appreciated which is nearly unheard of in a place as dressy as Dubs.

At the core, West 14th is a steak house, however, fish and fresh market veg are also served up as well as other meats, vegetarian dishes and other fruit de la mer.  Vegetables are often home grown in Dubai however the steak comes straight from a ranch in Nebraska - ordered by Mr West himself - the resident butcher at the Oceana based hang out. I must say, the steak is delicious and reasonably priced for the quality...

Quality must be high up on the list of commitments Mr West wants to keep, as the wine (we sampled a selection of whites, reds and rose), like the food, went down a treat - the cheapest glass being 38aed, meaning you get more for your money (so i thought..). This however, is not necessarily the case. As it tastes so damn good it is very easy to spend more than anticipated - a clever trick there from Mr West. The ingrained West 14th stamp that is burnt into pretty much everything (chopping boards, uniforms, menus etc) is prominent for all customers to see giving the place a unique/edgy touch, and the staff, emblazoned with large name tags, are helpful, friendly and on the whole, knowledgeable.

Just a few things to note:

• Drinks service can be quite slow - be warned!
• Happy Hour is from Saturday - Wednesday with two for one offers between 6-8
• They do a great (so im told..) brunch on a Friday donned "The Butchers Brunch" 
• From the car, its quite a walk in heels - make sure they are comfy! 

Its safe to say that ill be heading back for many more steak nights in the near future. 

Tugging at the heart strings..

I'm sure that most people can guess (if you are not a mother already) that the pressure of being a perfect mother is intense.. This advert from Comfort is aimed to remind mothers that at the end of the day, the things they do for love is all that matters - perfection is not the be all and end all. Something to remember later in life..

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI91QERCJow

Go fun yourself..

Driverless cars have been all the rage lately, and Toyota has jumped into the fray with its own version.

Toyota's entry — revealed in a new commercial — is a lot less complex than Google's latest model, but significantly more hilarious.

The public sure seem fooled by Toyota's stunt, which was pulled off by renowned web prankster Magic Of Rahat.

As you can imagine, this has gone viral over the last couple of days racking up nearly a million views.

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KihTNmmi24Y

Catsies and Kittens

Who doesn't love an advert featuring cats or kittens - especially when they can talk or wear fun outfits! Have a look at two of my favorite 'cat-esque' adverts from the past month.. Enjoy

Dear Kitten - Friskies 

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4Sn91t1V4g

Virgin Mobile presents: Catsies

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NlSuDDcV8M

CIF Cleans Up

With the help of the community and digital mobile tool, CIF cleaned offensive graffiti containing profanity and hate messages out of the city walls of Romania's capital Bucharest.

On the campaign website WWW.CIF.RO, CIF offers a mobile reporting app, which users can download and use to record an offensive message they encounter in their neighborhood. The location and picture are noted and CIF cleaning crew is launched to clean the reported site.

The Campaign website also holds a full gallery and map of sites cleaned, including a before/after photos and some of the cleaning process videos.

WATCH HERE: http://youtu.be/0WJrmQe2rRk

A fridge full of food but no idea what to cook?!

If you, like me, you are often in this situation, call on Hellmanns for some help #preparapramim #prepareforme.

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmbL2tFF8-M

Cannes Campaigns

Any parent who's ever visited a crowded beach knows that, second to your worries about sunburn, having to keep a constant eye on your kids is also a sure-fire way to make the day less than relaxing. So Nivea Sun, and agency FCB Brazil, came up with a clever idea for the Brazilian market: create an ad that doubles as a device for keeping track of children. The magazine ad contains a strip that can be torn out and used as a bracelet; there's also a code for parents to link to Nivea's smartphone app NIVEAProtege. Once the kid is wearing the bracelet, the app will alert parents if they stray beyond whatever pre-set boundary the parent has selected.

WATCH HERE: http://youtu.be/OlvjzQJGDnY

TOMO - Raffles Hotel, Near Wafi Mall, Dubai

Set on the 35th Floor of The Raffles Hotel sits TOMO which brings Dubai authentic food straight from the heart of Japan. TOMO - meaning 'lifelong friend' - encourages people to come, eat splendid food, share memorable occasions and is a place where the staff and chef want the diners to feel at home (which is very apparent through the attentive and friendly servers).

Split into bar and restaurant, it is easy enough to pop in for a drink as it is to go for dinner with large, spacious rooms inside as well as two expansive balconies which wrap around each side of the top floor offering up amazing views of the extensive sandpit skyline and down town Dubai.

TOMO surprised me in a few ways. Firstly, being out of the center of the 'city that never sleeps', there was a lot of life in this hotel with people bustling around the hotel, the glam pack heading to People by Crystal or Qbara, or shoppers hitting up the Wafi Mall. Secondly, the views were incredible, giving you a full on view of the sun set with barely any obstructions (try and ignore the odd crane that crops up). And thirdly, the extensive, unique menu and healthy light cocktail choice.

They offer happy hour until 7pm every night with a selection of BOGOF offers (including cocktails!). Try either Cucumber or Noshi Martini - light and (reasonably) healthy as far as cocktails go.
When it came to ordering food we decided to be slightly adventurous (as the menu is quite wild and wacky compared to other Japanese menus i have seen) and got a selection of hot and cold dishes to share. It was the first time I had also seen a variety of 'tuna' on the menu. Not only was there normal tuna, there was also a fatty tuna, a very fatty tuna and a medium fatty tuna... to be honest, i didn't really see the difference until we tried the fatty tuna maki rolls - so delicious - i'd like to know what they feed these fish!!

Other dishes to try would be the tempura Gobi fish, the rice porridge with egg and salmon and the pickled octopus. As far as sushi restaurants go I wouldn't choose it over Sake No Hana, however it is the best all round Japanese restaurant I have been to and well worth a visit.

Note: even though it is a great spot to visit throughout the year, in order to dine outside with the views, go in the cooler months as the terrace is closed for dinner during the summer months.

 

Bliss Lounge - Sheraton, JBR Dubai

Bliss has been high up on my list of places to visit for a while... Situated in the middle of the grounds of the Sheraton Hotel, Bliss does stand out from its surroundings. Being quite a bit smaller than I expected, this did not dampen the setting of beach and sea which laid out in front of the bar. Pitching itself somewhere between the ultra glamorous and beautiful Jetty Lounge and the heavy beats and booziness of XL, its pleasant with some pumping tunes (meaning a spontaneous boogy could definitely be on the cards) and cocooned by long bamboo looking sticks with a circular bar greeting you at the entrance.

Bliss hosts different levels of decking, featuring booths, low table settings and seats on the beach where one can dig their toes into the sand. Sleek whites, grey and mauve can we found in the furniture with low mood lighting in the form of boxes on tables, spot lights in the floor and white large bulbs leading up to the lounge. 

Even though it is probably a better destination for the cooler months, on the breezy night it is definitely bearable and the Bliss staff come prepared with large industrial fans - these might slightly spoil the setting but at least it keeps you cool whilst still being outdoors.

They offer a variety of finger food, sushi, healthy salads and tapas which come served as perfect sharing plates. Try the Ahi Tuna Tartar - the mix of sesame, tuna and avocado is delicious and light and leaves room to try the scrumptious cocktail and wine variety that they have on offer.

Great spot for sunny d's, dates or just casual dinners. Bliss is there to suit your every mood.

For Fathers Days..

Happy Father's day to all the dads out there.. from Dove.

Calls for Dad - #RealDadMoments

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jpb2_YdxYM&feature=youtu.be

Im Lovin' it

Mad skillz from McDonald's - football fever is in the air. 

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smh0QXSmF-A

Brazilliant!

A little something to get you in the mood for tonight... RISK EVERYTHING. 

WATCH HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjT4T2gU9sM