Mothers Day Love

Just thought I would put a mini post together about our lovely day. Mothers day is one of my favourite of all the "special" days on the calendar as I think it's something we can all celebrate as with anything in life sometimes we forget to tell the people we love how special they are to us. I know I couldn't do a lot of the things I do without the support of my mother, something which is even stronger since my father passes away. Unfortunatly my mother has come down with a horrible cold so it was a very brief stop in to give her some flowers before we set off on our adventure across the boarder to England and one of my favourite cities - Bristol, for some fun in the sun (yes it was both sunny and warm!) at Bristol Zoo. 1. Couldn't resist wearing the same shoes as Mr A - Converse all the way 2. A quick little selfie with the little man before bedtime 3. Driving across the Severn Bridge into England 4. The two men mad me breakfast in bed and I go......

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Raspberry Cranachan with a twist

Jordans cereal got in touch with me asking if I would like to try out some of their cereals in baking and add a little twist to traditional dishes. It's been such a busy week but I thought I would share a real tasty and quick way to create a fairly low fat dessert that is perfect for mothers day - a Raspberry Cranachan with a twist. Now Cranachan is usually made with fresh double cream but I used a low fat creme fraiche instead for a lighter and less rich but still deliciously creaming version. This recipe also uses the wonderful Country Crisp cereal with raspberries and it adds a lovely crunch to the dessert. With a little bit of preparation this dish shouldn't take you any time at all and I managed to whip three up while cooking supper. Ingredients 100g Jordans Country Crisp with Raspberries 300g raspberries (thawed if frozen) 300ml Low Fat Creme Fraiche (or double cream) 2 table spoons whisky mint leaves if you have, to decorate 1. Crush the rasp......

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Let's run and be free

Life seems to have become very busy lately, something I do feel all the comfortable with and long for the calm we had a year ago, just us two on our daily adventures, now it seems like we are going from one place to another without a moment to stop and breath. So when we have that simple time during the week I treasure it even more. This week we visited one of our favourite places - Bute Park in Cardiff. It has so many elements to it, a river and small bridge to play poo sticks, daffodils to run through, a natural adventure area and lots and lots of space to run. It also feels like the little man is changing so much and we are all oman adventure into the unknown. He is growing, bigger and stronger everyday and his love for the outdoors still shines as strong as ever, as does mind, I just wish I could slow down time every now and then. We spent a good two hours in Bute Park and collected a bunch of sticks and acorns for our nature table at home. We also spotted a fe......

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The scent of paradise

What does paradise smell like? Or to be precise what would be the signature scent of the Maldives? Well Kuoni has put this question to bloggers, to find out what nose tingling smell would encapsulate the beautiful islands of the Maldives, a truly inspirational place that would equally need an inspiring scent. To me it was be a combination of things - that wonderful lung filling smell of the fresh ocean air and sea salt in your hair, the sand beneath your feet and the warm sun on your skin, the taste of fresh coconut for breakfast, straight out of the coconut, the warming taste of freshly cooked curry in the evening and the sweet delicate notes of the frangipani flower that your child bends over to take a closer look. It's the scent of blissful happiness, of family time, of adventure, of time together. The scent would be soft but full of depth, fresh and floral and full of fun, which is what I think a holiday would be like in the Maldives, a place that seems......

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Bringing nature in

Beautiful fresh flowers in our kitchen I don't know about you but I love to have freshly cut flowers in the house - there is something lovely about bring nature inside - with all it's beautiful colours and smells to lift the soul. Especailly with this time of the year when the little daffodil buds have raised their heads to bloom and explode into beautiful  colour wheel of yellows and oranges. Throughout the year we collect items for our nature table and I am also growing more and more found of floral prints and inspiration and thought I would share what it inspiring me at the moment Fresh and simple (image via stylebymileyhenderson ) What a creative way to have a herb garden in your kitchen A beautiful Wiggles Posy I am in love with flowers so much that I have taken it upon myself to order a beautiful Posy from Wiggly Wigglers from mothers day as a treat to myself - not because John won't make sure I have a wonderful day but because they make me h......

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Wedding Dress Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask

The wedding ceremony is the event when, “every step you take, every move you make—they’ll be watching you.” It sounds like a corny rendition of a classic, but it’s true. The moment you set foot on the aisle, all eyes will be upon you. Many brides feel self-conscious because of this, but keep in mind that in truth, the only gaze that really matters is of The One who’s waiting for you at the other end of the aisle. This is why it helps to look and feel your best on your wedding day, and to feel beautiful, you have to have the right dress. You may have seen intricate ball gowns in magazines, embroidered Lazaro wedding dresses in websites , and sleek A-lines on television, but which one of them is for you? How will you go about finding the right dress? Newly-engaged brides have a lot of questions, from picking out the style to trying one on. The best tip for the baffled bride? Ask! W hat should I wear? There are many wedding dress styles to choose from, ea......

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Le Bistrot Pierre review and giveaway

John and I were lucky enough to be asked to come and do an honest review of the newly opened french eatery - Le Bistrot Pierre, in the Brewery Quarter in the centre of Cardiff. It's been a while since we have had authentic French Food and it's something I love, especially after having spent some time living in the South of France. We really didn't know what to expect and our initial impression was very good. On arrival we were promptly seen too and taken over to our table. The Restaurant was buzzing with people chatting and enjoying there meals over a glass of wine. The interior feel real and inspiring with beautiful lighting, lovely wooden tables, well designed menus - and I know this may sound random but amazing toilets which has an authentic vintage feel to them. The menu really had something for everyone and I was spoilt for choice when it came to vegetarian options. We decided to try some nibbles and starters I went with the plump olives and some f......

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Decadent Mothers Day Pudding with M&S

So the wonderful people at Marks and Spencer set me the challenge of creating a decadent slant on a traditional treat - Bread and Butter Pudding, which is a world away from my normal wholewheat low sugar (and usual vegan) creations but I though I would throw caution to the wind and create something really indulgent - I mean Mothers day only happens once a year. The first point of call was using a more indulgent base - so instead of just normal white bread I went for Brioche - a lovely slightly sweet french style loaf paired with some lovely Turkish Sultanas and deep dark chocolate. Now for this recipe I just couldn't help but lower the amount of milk and double cream - by adding water as a third ingredient and it worked really well, leaving a still very creamy pudding but slightly less heavy. So here is what you need 6-8 Brioche Bread Rolls sliced into 3 length ways Around 3 tbsp Good Quality Orange Marmalade 75g Sultanas 100g Good Quality chopped Dark Chocol......

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When we open the door

So as many of you may already know we only just moved into our new house in December and we still have months of work ahead of us to make this house a home from upgrading, renovating and painting there is a lot to do although we are slowly getting there. There are a few sections of the house that I do love, one being an alcove to the side of the front door and it holds a few of our favourite things. The three little cacti never fail to make me smile, as does our authentic vintage radio and little trinket box from Australia. Underneath the ledge is a side table which still needs to be painted and an umbrella stand we picked up from a bric a brac store. For some reason Mr A likes to put on and take off his shoes right next to the front door so it's also somehow become his own personal shoe space, which it what happens when you become a parent. I love the retro feel and would love to carry this through the hallway and love this inspirational image below which would be my dre......

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John Picks - Shoes

Every man has their thing and for John it's salvaged denim jeans and shoes, in fact he spends more on shoes than I do. We already do a Boys Club post - showcasing what the two men have been up to but we thought it would be great if John put together some of his mens wear trends inspirations and this week he has gone with shoes from the long established American luxury brand Andrew Marc , which create mens shoes with a real sartorialist style in mind, using the best quality materials. The Dorchester sums this up with a combination of preppy and casual style with a rugged look, perfect for the East London bearded chap. Johns top picks are - The Woodside, The Dorchester, The Parkchester, The Rockwood The Woodside The Rockwood The Dorchester The Parkchester  This seasons shoes see a more simple and refined look using traditional leathers, suede creating a vintage inspired look such as the Woodside above, perfect for when your wanting to ad......

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You and Me

On the weekend we visited the grandparents and Johns old stomping ground. The sun was out and since Mr A was at the park it gave us half an hour to have a walk around the town and enjoy each others company - it's strange walking around the place I was pregnant and our old house we welcomed Mr A too when he was a newborn. I know it's always brings back a lot of nostalgia for John especially since he grew up in this town. For me it was a part of the patchwork that makes up my life but I am happy we have moved on, closer to the city. John weras - Levi's Jumper, Gap Shirt, Edwin Jeans and Superga shoes It was lovely having the sun on our faces and actually being able to use sunglasses for the purpose they are made. It also gave John a chance to finally wear his new Superga shoes he picked up for a bargain at TKMaxx in Bath last month. I am very much into denim this winter/spring - there is something very comforting and about it and practical of course. I am so hap......

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