Breakfast at The Ivy, Cardiff

*I was kindly invited to the Press night and breakfast at The Ivy in exchange for an honest review.  Cardiff has really seen a boom in the recent years with regards to the foodie scene with a variety of independent eateries popping up as well as pop-up events, festivals and street-food markets. It's also attracted some high-end chains with the most recent being The Ivy . I attended the press night which was packed to the rafters with guests being entertained with musicians, dancers and even fire performers - one way to make an entrance on the Cardiff scene that's for sure.  While I did get to try out some of their amazing cocktails & I know this will quickly become a popular jaunt for evening get-togethers but it didn't give much insight to what they plan to serve up and bring to the table as they say, so another visit was immediately on the cards. Excitedly I was invited to their blogger breakfast and the chance to experience more of what makes The Ivy g......

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11 Of My favourite foodie spots in London

Living in Cardiff means I am only a 2hr train from central London, making the English Capital an accessible and easy destination for day trips, weekend breaks and work events and luckily I get to visit on a fairly regular basis. This, of course, means I have a variety of favourite foodie spots from family-friendly dining to cocktails, coffee on the go to brunch and breakfast spots. In collaboration with SquareMeal, the UK's best-known restaurant, bar and venue website that offers unbiased reviews and an easy to use booking system, I thought I would share my favourite foodie places in the Capital city. Breakfast and Brunch La Boheme , Soho Located in the heart of Soho, Cafe Boheme, a very cool and chic long-standing French establishment that has been going for 25yrs and serves up some of the best french toast with Chantilly cream and rhubarb around as well as pastries and cold-press juices and is somewhere I love to have an indulgent treat when I'm in that part of ......

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Food, fun and mini adventures in Cardiff

Enjoying a fresh Kale salad at Benugo's Life has been so busy lately I feel like I've not done many updates on what we have been getting up to in and around Cardiff. We have been exploring so much of the local area lately I thought I would share a few foodie places we have been enjoying and some mini adventures in the city. We have also done a lot more outdoor exploring but I will keep those for another post so this one is more about accessible family friendly city stops and places to eat with kids (as well as childfree). Firstly we were invited to try out the new menu at Benugo's, John Lewis in St Davids two. I love how well they cater for vegetarians with some fantastic fresh dishes as seen above with their Kale and Pomegranate salad as well as child friendly options, it's also great to see this London based British company expand to Cardiff. John and I also managed to stop into Jamie's one morning and try out their new breakfast menu, I di......

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Brunch and Blooms - Spring Style

Between the mine and kids wardrobes I have recently dropped of no less than 8 full bags of clothes to charity shops as part of my minimalist challenge. This has made my closet look rather sparse and in need of a few items for spring. Clothes are one of those items that do need to be replaced and fashion is also about individuality and having fun with fabric and colours. It's just about curbing excess and loving what you purchase. Lately I have been picking up a few things here and there mainly with ethical and independent stores and brands and have not looked at the high street in a few months and I think thats a really good thing as I was pleasantly surprised when walking through New Look the other day and come across this super cute blue shirt with embroidered flowers. It's really light and perfect for these warmer days and I love the floral theme. I have paired it up with some skinny jeans and my black Sperry shoes for a easy casual weekend look. This spr......

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Weekenders - Cardiff Castle

It was so wonderful to finally have a sunny and dry bank holiday and we made sure to make the most of it. We headed out early in the morning to have brunch at one of our favourite spots - 29 Park Place . I opted for the avocado and chilli toast while the boys had blueberry pancakes and enjoyed playing some pool and sitting on the beanbags outside. There is a wonderful chilled vibe about the place and they welcome families and no rush to leave straight away so it was great to have a nice slow start to the day. Having finally picked up our Castle Key which we should of done years ago and if you either live or work in Cardiff I completely recommend you do as it's £5 for 3yrs and you can visit the castle grounds and apartments as much as you and it's so nice to know we can pop in anytime. We initially thought it would be pack on a bank holiday but actually it was surprisingly calm and we knew we had made the right choice as there is a lot of things to explore and s......

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Brod, Danish Bakery, Cardiff

We love nothing more than checking out new places to eat in and around Cardiff, with breakfast and brunch being our favourite time of the day. We were at a lose end one Sunday morning and as we are planning a trip to a northern European country next month (more to come about that) we thought it was time to pop into Brod, a Danish inspired bakery in the heart of Pontcanna. The simple and stylish scandi interior is welcoming as is the staff and even in the morning there is a buzz around the place with nearly all the tables taken, luckily we managed to find a spot for all four of us while we decided which baked delight to try. The menu is very simple and uncomplicated and everything is baked fresh on site. I opted for a Flat white while and as a real treat Mr A indulged in a warming hot chocolate. We decided to share a few different pastries including a Danish pastry of course and Copenhagen slice as well as their savoury tomato swirl which Baby G wolfed down. ......

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January through Instagram

As it's coming to the end of January (how did that fly by so fast?) I thought it would be nice to just share a little round up of what we have been up to through the eyes of my instagram . The weather has been so up and down but we have made the most of the dry days as well as enjoying some quality family time and good food...what have you been up to? 1. We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon in the park with friends and came across a beautiful wall with a dragon on it in Caerphilly 2. Both the boy and I are going to attempt to learn the Ukulele this year. 3. Finding those moments of calm with a cup of coffee, notepad and an inspiring magazine 4. Exploring Cosmeston country park 5. A little brunch date with this guy in Whitchurch 6. Nothing beats a good cup of coffee, this is a flat white but my new favourite is a Cortado 7. Some homemade gluten-free finger waffles and chopped apple. 8. Poached eggs with spinach and Hollandaise sauce is a great way to start the day 9. Even ......

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Brunch, Boys and Motherhood

I have to be honest and say we are still adjusting to the new year and coming off the back of the wonderful but manic festive period. The baby is not sleeping at all lately, which has meant very long exhausting days but we have still made sure to focus on family time and creating some kind of equilibrium even when sleep deprived (such is parenthood). We treasure the two days John has off each week and always try and do something nice wether it be a walk to the park, hike up the woods or a spot of brunch (for those who know me you will know that breakfast and brunch is my favourite meal of the day). So last week we decided to jump in the car and take the short drive into the city which also gave me a chance to rock my new Selfish Mother jumper John picked up for Christmas for me.  Wearing M&S Jacket, Selfish Mother Jumper, Necklace from Tiger Lilly Quinn, Wallis Jeans We have been meaning to visit 29 Park place properly since going to their opening party la......

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