Taste of the Caribbean in Cardiff

Taste of the Caribbean in Cardiff

29/04/2015

11 comments

Oh how glorious was the weather last week, one could almost have mistaken for thinking it was the height of summer or that we even lived somewhere more exotic. It certainly made my mind wander to thoughts of far flung places, beaches, cocktails and palm trees and around this time of the year our wanderlust and travel plans are always in full swing so when Elegant Resorts challenged us to find a touch of the Caribbean in Cardiff we were very much up for the challenge.

Paper style menus

Cardiff at times could not more different to that of places like Antigua and Barbados but we were sure we could find somewhere that captures the spirit of these happy sunshine destinations. So after on a beautiful sunny afternoon I met John after work for a late lunch at Revolution De Cuba, a place we have been meaning to try for ages and we were both really surprised we hadn't before as the cuban style interior, relaxed atmosphere and colourful menu has meant this is now a firm favourite for after work drinks and a bite to eat.

John opted for various plates of Tapas which all looked divine, especially the Patatas Bravas and Cajun Creamed Mushrooms and I went for the Grilled Halloumi with spicy tomato rice wrapped in a banana leaf with a lovely fresh Cuban salad of green lentils and mango which I highly recommend this dish. As this was our first proper date since having the baby it only seemed right to treat ourselves to some fresh and tropical cocktails and they have a great selection, especially anything to do with Rum as there in house Rum Store has over 70 to choose from.

We really could not have asked for a better afternoon lunch in the sunshine in beautiful surrounds with deliciously fresh food as well as friendly and informative staff, like I said I really don't know why we have not been here before and having heart they do cocktails in teapots I am sure we will be back again when we want to capture the essence of the Caribbean in our souls and our stomachs and it's certainly set our minds on an adventure to St Lucia or Barbados hopefully sooner rather than later.

Thanks for being invited to try out Revolution De Cuba

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Travel inspired interiors

Travel inspired interiors

28/04/2015

5 comments

Ever since I was young I have been drawn to maps, in fact I would stare at them for hours, dreaming of all the adventures I would take in the future and even with age things have not changed. I find maps not only intriguing but also beautiful and they make perfect focus points in any interior space, from the living room or kitchen to your child's bedroom. As travel is something that we as a family are all passionate about it only makes sense to bring our passion into the home which is why I love these stunning wall murals from Murals Wallpaper as they not only well designed but also fun and educational.

I don't think our curiosity of far flung places and cultures will ever wain and it's something that Mr A enjoys learning about as well and I love showing him where Cape Town, my hometown is and how far away it is from Wales. It leads to many discussions as I show him the path I took from South Africa on a cargo ship back to the UK via the isolated island of St Helena and Ascension as he starts to make plans of his own ( he currently wants to go to Berlin, Russia, New York and South Africa). It's something I used to do with my Dad who went on a world-trip before my brother and I were born and I loved nothing more than hearing his stories of exotic places.

I am really hoping once we move house that we will have enough wall space in either our kitchen or Mr A's bedroom to place one of these large, stylish and fun maps as it makes such a great discussion point as well as bringing an element of design into any room.

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A family road trip with Fiat 500L Beats

A family road trip with Fiat 500L Beats

27/04/2015

18 comments

As some of you may already know just before Mr G came into the world we did a final family road trip as just the three of us. The lovely people over at Fiat asked if we would put their new Fiat 500L Beats Edition to the test as it's designed for family adventures and living life to the full. It'd a real tardis for one thing with a huge boot perfect for weekends away and this would also make a great festival/camping car as you could fit all your gear inside with no problem.

Running on the beach at Tenby

During our time putting it to the test we enjoyed a great day out at Cosmeston, a little city adventure to the Museum and Bute Park and a overnight trip to Tenby in West Wales were were we had fun at Heatherton Adventure Park and exploring the coastline in the glorious early spring sunshine. 

Tenby is such a beautiful and quaint seaside town in West Wales and has become one of our favourite spots during the off-peak season as it get's incredibly busy here over the summer but on this occasion we pretty much had the beach all to ourselves and sitting in the sunshine it was lovely and warm and of course we indulged in some wonderful Welsh ice-cream - which is a must when your at the seaside regardless of what time of the year it is.

Mr A is such an adventurer and loves nothing more than exploring new places. He discovered that jumping off this wall at the beach onto the sand was a lot of fun and spent a could half an hour doing it over and over again going a little higher each time. Since we got back home he has been asking when we will be returning as well as when our summer camping trips will start, either way we are looking forward to an exciting summer and thanks to Fiat for letting us put the Beats Edition to the test - we now have major car envy.

Fiat kindly invited us to review the Beats Edition - thoughts 100% our own

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Instafood and interiors

Instafood and interiors

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So I thought it was time to do a little instagram roundup as life lately has seemed to be filled with food, family and interiors and wanted to share this with you.

1. Reading Petter Rabbit, a classic - we love collecting books, they are everywhere in our house
2. Having a lazy sunday and enjoying my new Made.com bedding
3. Beautiful simple flowers in my mothers house
4. Enjoyed some delicious food at Wyndham Tea in Cardiff
5. Have been shopping for some prints for the home
6. The little man growing
7. Our rarely clean kitchen as we get the house ready to sell
8. Made some homemade swiss muesli
9. Excited to start using my new Le Creuset casserole dish - slow cooking here we come

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Street Style Sunday - Spring/Summer Transition

Street Style Sunday - Spring/Summer Transition

26/04/2015

3 comments

John wears - summer Ralph Lauren jacket & shirt, I  wear - light Urban Outfitters jacket & Barbour shirt

I always find this a really odd time of the year, it's neither warm or cold but fluctuates either way on a daily basis leaving you not really know what to wear, which is why I think Mr A came down with such bad tonsillitis this past week as we had a few blissfully summery days but still with a chill in the air and trying to keep a 4yr old to wear his jumpers when he running around in the park and sun is out a near impossibility.

John wearing a thin spring/summer Post Overalls Jacket

As we have been stuck in the house nearly all week because of Mr A being so unwell it meant no chance for an outfit post so every now and then I like to go back see what we were wearing this time last year and just like the weather it too fluctuates from thin jackets and shirts to short sleeve t-shirts and even shorts.

Me - HM Polka Dot shirt, Topshop jeans, Holster sandals. Denim Joules dress, Cheeky shoes

In a way it can be quite fun as you can really mix and match this time of the year from a sleeveless top with black jeans to a denim tunic depending on the daily weather. Either way with all this recent sunshine I really cannot wait to summer to arrive and my aim this year is to bring more colour into my life and more skirts for that matter.

The boys enjoying this time last year

I hope you can come and join in with Street Style Sunday and share what you have been wearing this week or simply what has been inspiring you.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Garden parties, picnics and Prosecco

Garden parties, picnics and Prosecco

24/04/2015

8 comments

Summer is coming soon and with the recent spell of sunny weather my instagram feed has been filled with photos of picnics and enjoying the outdoors, in fact we have enjoyed no less than three picnics in the past two weeks and how blissful it is to eat Alfresco in the sunshine and in this country we really need to make the most of any warm days.

Of course when eating al fresco or throwing a garden party you need to think not only about food but also what to offer guests in terms of drinks with things like Pimms and spritzers popping to mind as well as  Prosecco - a favorite sparkling wine of Venice throughout Italy. Prosecco really is the perfect social picnic companion with its bubbles and pleasant taste of sweet fruits, and it doesn’t break the bank, meaning you can still throw together a fabulous garden party or midday lunch on a budget.

Enjoying some family time eating outside in France last year

The reason why Prosecco is the sparkling wine of choice, not only due to it's budget friendly price but   also because it's perfect for a variety of cocktails, especially as it's not too sweet or two sharp making it perfect versatile base for mixing up something special for any outdoor occasion and not only for a picnic but birthday or celebration. Remember though that Prosecco unlike champagne does not age well so try and get a bottle from the last harvest or no older than two years in age. If you can see DOC on the label, it means that the wine is guaranteed to come from Italy. The most widespread of these regions is DOC Prosecco and the most prestigious one is DOCG Conegliano ValdobbiadeneProsecco.

Garden Party and Picnic Must Haves

On a beautiful day why not make an effort and set the scene for some fun outdoor eating and entertaining by putting up some bunting in the garden. Also it's worth picking up a good quality rug to place on the grass, even if your sitting on seats it's great for children. Having a stylish picnic basket and plates is perfect for adventures further afield. Also if your going to be sitting out in the sun all day it's worth having a nice pair of sunglasses and fedora hat to keep with the care-free summer feel.

My picnic wishlist

1. Beautiful Picnic basket with plates
2. Picnic striped watercolour mug from Anthropologie £10
3. Jaipur picnic throw from Nordstrom £31
4. Keds champion picnic shoes £33
5. Picnic Fedora
6. Pink flute from CB2 £2


This is a collaborative post 

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My beauty routine & big Flint & Flint giveaway

My beauty routine & big Flint & Flint giveaway

23/04/2015

149 comments

A Happier clearer skin me

So I am not going to lie, when you have a newborn baby that means total lack of sleep and that can have a real toll on your skin and some days I have looked far from normal with dark rings under my eyes, pale and broken out skin and cracked lips, not a good look to say the least. Recently however the baby has been sleeping a slightly more manageable 5-6 hour block during the night and pairing this up with drinking lots of water and trying to be on top of a basic skin routine I have started to see some positive results and a return to a more fresh faced looked.

I have been trying out some new products lately and investing more time into my skin, especially after turning 30 in September I really need to have some kind of action plan in place, so each night I have been using the Rajeunir Moisture Serum which is formulate with seven active ingredients to help combat early signs of ageing leaving your skin feeling hydrated and moisturised, which it really does, without feeling oily or to rich for my sensitive skin. I also love how quickly it absorbs into your skin and there is no need to use a primer, eye cream or separate night moisturiser as this does it all and a little really does go a long way especially as it's on the higher end of my budget at £42 but this plant & science based product is great and I would really recommend treating yourself to a bottle.


With regards to my morning routine both John and I have been using Flint & Flint everyday wash and the Moringa Oil in it works as a perfect cleanser removing any traces of makeup or oil from the day before and makes may face feel so fresh and really wakes me up, it also gentle exfoliates so my skin feels lovely and clean after using it.

I follow this up with a natural rose water toner and then the Green People tinted SPF 15 moisturiser, as you know I love Green People products as they organic and with this one being 98% natural ingredients and I like the bendable coverage this tinted moisturiser offers while also providing a daily defence SPF and nourishing my skin without being too rich or heavy.

After this I apply some Rajeunir lip serum as my lips really suffered during the winter and my pregnancy so this serum offers lip protection with plant extracts and SPF and works well as a base before applying lipstick and it's really nice having crack-free lips again.

I feel now more than ever that having a decent skin routine that actually works for me not only makes my skin look and feel great but is also beneficial for my emotional and internal wellbeing as constantly looking rundown can have a negative effect on the way you think and approach life. When my skin feels clean and glowing I feel like a far more positive person who is ready for the day.

Great news is I have an amazing giveaway for one of my readers to win from Flint & Flint and The Beauty Crowd worth £283 to ensure you have perfect skin this summer. Up for grabs is their whole range including - SPF 30 Primer,  Glycolic Cleanser, Everyday Wash, Exfoliator, Serum, Moisturiser, Moisturiser triple, Eye Hero, Lip Hero.



a Rafflecopter giveaway
I was offered some of these products to review but words & thoughts 100% my own

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Getting your family home ready to sell

Getting your family home ready to sell

21/04/2015

7 comments

As some of you may already know we are currently working on our home in preparation to put it on the market, we are aiming for early this summer but with a newborn and a 4yr old that is easier said than done.

For Mr A this will be his forth move and hopefully the last for a while (well I say that now but we do love a project). We have learnt a fair amount about renovating and moving with young children in tow and how to get a house ready for market and those all important Estate agent photos.

Here are our top tips for getting your house ready to sell

1. Dress up your home - don't leave anything unturned, your house should be in the best condition possible, especially when people are coming to view it. No one wants to see laundry on the floor or dishes in the sink, you need to sell a lifestyle and that lifestyle needs to be desirable so make sure each room is clean, tidy and ready for viewing.

A clean and tidy nursery 

2. Space is key so use this time to detox your home and get rid of anything you do not need including furniture and try and create a light and airy feel within your home.

3. Don't be too personal, everyone loves their children but in Estate agents photos and on open days make sure you pack away toys and keep children art on the fridge to a minimum.

4. Be organised and make sure you use any storage space efficiently. Clean lines and simplicity goes a long way when selling a house.

5. Finishing touches - buy some fresh flowers for the kitchen when people come to view, you could also light some rented candles before a viewing (make sure they are out before you leave) - nothing over powering but something subtle and sweet.

6. As I motion din number one make sure your house is as clean and tidy as possible, it may be worth getting a commercial cleaning company in to make sure everything is spick and span

At the end of the day you want to get the best price for your home and hopefully make a little bit of a profit as well so do some research and see what is being sold in your area and for how much, look at the images online and how those homes are being presented.

There are also lots of options when it comes to listing these days with alternative options to that of the high street Estate agents such as My Online Estate Agent who offer set rate packages as oppose to commission based agents and they offer a fully professional service including a visit to your home, floor plan and photography and it's something we will consider when we come to sell later this year.

We cannot wait to all the ups and downs of our next home move, hopefully everything will go fairly smoothly, well we can dream anyway

This is a collaborative post

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Family Festival love

Family Festival love

20/04/2015

13 comments

The one thing we love about summer is the prospects of festivals - we have been taking Mr A to festivals since he was around 18 months old and so far we have done Wychwood, Camp Bestival and Beyond the Border, as well as Glastonbury, Reading and Guildfest before Mr A came along. This year as we have Baby G with us so we are looking for slightly more chilled out festivals, perhaps smaller and more intimate ones. I always enjoying camping before having kids - John was pretty indifferent but it has over the past few years become one of our favourite summer pastimes and Mr A just loves sleeping under canvas. We have faired good, bad and terrible weather and this year and it will be interesting to see how coming with a young baby will be like, something we are very excited about.

So here is our mini wish list if you will of festivals for 2015 - ones that are child friendly and offer something a little bit different.

Larmer Tree Festival, 15th-19th July, Salisbury - we have been meaning to go to this one forever, it's said to be the happiest, friendliest and quirkiest festival and set in the heart of the Larmer Tree Gardens it's a safe, secure and intimate space for children and families alike to have fun under the sun. It has a really interesting line-up this year as well with Tom Jones, The Magic Numbers and Bill Bailey to name a few.

Starry Skies, 22nd-26th July - this is more like a Family camping weekend with lots of extras rather than a full scale festival. There is a small stage for live acts but the focus is really on fun and connecting with nature in a child friendly way. With forest school, star gazing, family sports day and cinema club to name a few this is our type of thing

Connecting with nature at Starry Skies

Wilderness Festival, 6th-9th August - with a whole family oriented lineup and exceptional food, workshops and community feels with a focus on connecting with the outdoors, this is one for our list. You can even go wild swimming in the grounds, as well as boating or foraging for food. Plus it has a quality lineup not to be missed.

The Green Gathering, 13th-16th August,  Chepstow - we love the sound of this eco family friendly festival that is all about community, crafts, music and food in a totally non-consumurism way. They have a really interesting line-up of not just bands but also workshops, permaculture, interactive art, stone circle and faerie glen. It's also completely of-grid and the PA systems are said to have a fairly low volume meaning children don't have to wear ear defenders.

Festival No.6, 3rd-6th September, Portmeirion - this is such a magical place to start with and being able to camp within the private grounds of Portmeirion while enjoying art, music, film, food and culture. There is a real eclectic line-up including some interesting talks and discussions

Mr A being a dinosaur at Beyond the Border festival last year

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Street Style Sunday - LBD

Street Style Sunday - LBD

19/04/2015

6 comments

Yeah it's Sunday and that means Street Style Sunday linkup - hope you can come and join in with anything fashion related from what is inspiring you to what you and your family is wearing. The weather has really taken a turn for the better this week, warm spring sunshine and the feeling that summer is just around the corner, which has meant all those heavy winter jacket being packed away and skirts, dresses and chambrays are out. I have also welcomed spring with a slight hairstyle update in the form of a fringe

Since I am feeding Baby G it can be pretty hard to find a decent nursing dress, something that is both stylish and practical. While I was pregnant I work this Bibee tunic dress which works both as a maternity and nursing dress and is perfect for this time of year since as it's long sleeved but not too warm and can be worn with leggings on cooler days. Today was also the perfect opportunity to wear these cute Hush Puppies penny loafer style shoes I picked up in a charity shop a few months ago but didn't fit well during my pregnancy due water retention

This week I am wearing - Bibee Black tunic dress, Diesel Chambray shirt, New Look bag, Thrifted Hush Puppies shoes

An InLinkz Link-up

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Trees Trees Trees

Trees Trees Trees

18/04/2015

10 comments

Wow what glorious weather we have been having lately and that can only mean one thing, lots of outdoor adventures, exploring new places, picnics and spending time with friends in the wonderful sunshine. 

Bute Park right in the heart of Cardiff were running two fun outdoor inspired days during half-term - as Mr A is at home we usually avoid these type of things during half term as they are normally so busy it can be overwhelming and opt for countryside walks but at they were doing a Tree activity day and a Bat day we couldn't resist and to our surprise it was very quiet - I don't think many knew about it.

The tree day was a great combination of outdoor fun and educational activities from tree and bark rubbing to making green tree monsters as well as learning about the rings on the trunks and telling it's age as well as planting our own tree seed to take home. The Bat discovery day was more a drop-in style event at the Bute Park Educational centre and gave us a chance to see two small pipistrelle bats up close as well as learn more about the species found in the UK and making some colour bat masks which Mr A loved as we ran around the park pretending to be bats.

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Kids Bedroom essentials

Kids Bedroom essentials

16/04/2015

8 comments

So in the last post I spoke about stylish kids and toddler beds as well as a few cute and quirky accessories and thought I would share even more cool and colourful bedroom essentials for turning your child's space into a fun and interactive area. In my search for something a little different to hang on Mr A's wall I came across Urbanara which do a collection of wool felted animal heads such as the Elephant above as well as lions, giraffes and countryside animals such as foxes and rabbits and it offers a real 3D wall art affect that is perfect for a kids bedroom.

There is no reason why a child's bedroom cannot be a place of wonder and somewhere that sparks one's imagination and transports them off to magical worlds. I remember spending hours in my room dreaming up all sorts of adventures which at times with the influx of technology today seems somewhat lost but can easily be brought back by using soft fabrics, bright colours and incorporating good design into the bedroom or playroom.

The great thing is you don't have to spend a fortune or even buy loads of things, less is always more and just simple and small touches can make a big impact and it's easy to add a touch of fun even to essential items we buy often such as bedding, I love the nautical theme to Lucko Bed linen above which is hand woven and 100% cotton and retails around £30. You could also complement this bedding with these super fun pillows from IKEA - I have my eye on the cloud one and at only £6 it's the perfect budget accessory as well these practical and colourful woven storage baskets at £7 for a pair

Urbanara also do some lovely rugs, blankets and throws which would not only add some colour to the floors and beds your child's room but also yours as well as any living space. The season is all about small details, creative palettes and beautiful handmade accessories...what is your favourite?

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