A review of the newly refurbished Ty Mawr Pub, Lisvane

*Ty Mawr kindly invited us along to the press night. I've not been paid for this review & all words are 100% my own On the mountainside, overlooking Cardiff, with the Severen Estuary in the distance sits the beautiful Ty Mawr Pub . Having been closed recently for refurbishment, it reopened just before Christmas, looking and feeling more wonderful than ever.  I had been long overdue a child-free evening out with my mum, so I organised childcare for the kids and she and I set off to see what the new menu was all about. On arrival, the pub had a lovely festive atmosphere and the staff were very welcoming, taking us to our seats near the warm wood fire.  The Ty Mawr has a very impressive drinks selection, not only do they have an array of cask ale and beers but also a variety of wines, gin, whiskey, cocktails and mocktails to try out.  As it must have been at least 5yrs since my mum and I have had an evening out without the kids, we started the night with a small glass of......

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How to plan a Great Party or event

*This post contains affiliate links  Everyone loves a good party, whether that be a birthday, anniversary or an office event, it's just the ticket to bring everyone together. The only problem being is many parties are pretty lame. If it's poorly planned, low turn out or you haven't budgeted correctly leading to slim pickings for food and entertainment. Instead of settling for boring once again, why not go the whole nine yards, and plan something your friends, family or employees will look forward to attending? An organised event, celebration or office party is a great way to boost team spirit while having fun. Here are some ideas on how you can plan a great party or corporate event that will be a hit. 1. Wine and Dine  One of the best ways to show people a good time is by treating them to some delicious food and drinks. This doesn’t mean you have to go overboard and spend a fortune, but it’s worth splurging on good quality food and beverages for your party. Maddalena wines ......

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Wahaca, Cardiff - A family friendly Mexican feast

*AD - We were kindly invited by Wahaca to try out their family-friendly menus - words and thoughts 100% my own I love Wahaca , every time I've eaten there I've come away having enjoyed every single plate, I'm a fan of street food style dishes which they offer in perfectly sized portions and their food is authentic, fresh and vibrant, plus the cocktails are really tasty too. Saying all of that it's always been somewhere I've gone with friends and never with my kids so I was really interested to see what they had to offer for younger diners. I was recently invited to come and try out their family-friendly offerings and as I have a passion of travel and sharing as many cultures and influences with my children, I was really excited for them to try far superior versions of the taco's I make at home.  So my closest Wahaca is in the centre of the vibrant Welsh capital that is Cardiff, which has become a real hub for foodie delights. The restaurant is very light and ai......

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Six Tips To Get The Most Out Of your future Travel plans

*Contains affiliate links  While life feels like it's on hold right now in the UK, there is no harm in looking positively towards the future including laying down some plans to tick off those bucket list destinations. After 2020 I think we all feel like we are in need of a time to press pause on daily life as well as to reevaluate our lives after the rollercoaster we have been on this year.  If you are looking to get away next year here are six tips to get the most out of your next vacation. Prep Your Budget Firstly, it’s important to focus on making sure the budget is sorted. When it comes to prepping your budget, you want to look at what you have in savings currently and how much you might need for your trip away. At the moment, you might have some savings, and you plan to pay a deposit perhaps ahead of time. However, there are going to be some holidays where you need to pay the upfront bill as soon as you decide to book, although in these unsure times you want to read the ......

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4 simple gift ideas for couples

*Contains Affiliate links  Gift buying can be stressful. Knowing that your gift matches the taste of the recipient is something that will be on your mind as no one wants to waste money & getting something practical and needed is a more sustainable choice that just getting a gift for the sake of it. You want to know that the gift that you are buying will be received well and will be appreciated. Gift buying can get even more challenging when it comes to choosing suitable presents for couples and recently I've found this out with my friends who are either getting married, moving in with each other or expecting a child. While you could buy separate gifts a combined gift is less waste and often less time consuming although you will have two different people’s tastes to meet, not just one so it can feel like buying for a couple is double the stress. Here are some tips for getting the right gift for a couple. An Experience Experiences are something that can create lo......

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Trying exotic fruit from around the world

*This post contains affiliate links The world is brimming with tasty fruits and I don't know about you but I love trying new things and whether you're on your travels and get the chance to taste a dish completely new or you come across a seasonal delight at your local market, why not give it a go. There are tasty plants and fruits that are totally unfamiliar to many individuals as each culture has its own local delicacies. If you're keen on delectable plants and fruits of all kinds, then you may want to put time into learning about amazing lychee, agave, pineberry, and dragonfruit options. These yummy fruits can be used in a variety of ways and ff you want to take your culinary concepts up a notch or two, then you should find out all that you can about these incredible things. It can help to zero in on all the different benefits of each fruit such as looking into the irresistible recipes that involve timeless pineberry syrup . The perfect summer drink - Pineber......

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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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Hotel Indigo Manchester - Best Location in Town

*This post is in collaboration with Hotel Indigo  If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I have recently collaborated with Hotel Indigo and headed up to Manchester, one of the most colourful and creative northern cities for a much needed child-free break. The last time I visited Manchester was over a decade ago and that was only for a couple of hours en route to Scotland so I was really looking forward to exploring everything this fashion forward city has to offer and I will be sharing my weekend guide with you very soon but for now I want to concentrate on Hotel Indigo Manchester and why it's the perfect spot for a vibrant weekend away. Now as you may already know I am very passionate about staycations as the UK has so much to offer and many people seem to overlook that. With such excellent public transport networks in the UK you don't even need a car to get to most places and the train from South Wales to Manchester was much quicker than anticipated being......

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Perfect night away in Cardiff with Aaron Wise Apartments

I love being a tourist in my own *adopted* city of Cardiff so being invited to come and check out the newly opened Aaron Wise Apartments, in the centre of Cardiff, I couldn't wait.  It's rare having a child-free evening in the city and it's been a while since I have been right in the heart of Cardiff later than 9pm. I was really excited to not only to enjoy some good food but also stay at the luxury Aaron Wise Apartments which look out across the river Taff and only a stones through from St Mary's street and an abundance of eateries and bars. The apartment was really easy to find and you are sent a secure pin to access the building, there are a few different one and two-bedroom luxury apartments to choose from, we stayed in a one bedroom and it consisted of a spacious lounge and kitchen area, separate double bedroom with luxurious linen, large flatscreen tv, plenty of storage and space to set up your laptop, en-suit to this is a very stylish bathr......

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