Taste of the Caribbean in Cardiff

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......

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Travel inspired interiors

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......

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A family road trip with Fiat 500L Beats

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......

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Instafood and interiors

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

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 sanda......

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Garden parties, picnics and Prosecco

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 ......

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My beauty routine & big Flint & Flint giveaway

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 re......

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Getting your family home ready to sell

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 you......

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Family Festival love

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 bee......

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Street Style Sunday - LBD

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 u......

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Trees Trees Trees

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 a......

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Kids Bedroom essentials

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 th......

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