Film Nights With The Family

Hello, my name is James and I run Daddy Space I have written a post about what makes film nights so special to us. I hope you enjoy reading, I would love to know what you think so leave a comment for me to see. 

The DVD aisle full with hundreds of titles, some of which you have on the shelf at home, some which you have seen and accidentally but intentionally on purpose lost, and some which you have never seen before. Possibly my favourite aisle in Tesco closely followed but the man section of car bits. The kids also love coming down here and choosing DVD's, instead of letting them randomly have a film whenever we like to specifically have film nights.


 

We as a family often have film nights we really enjoy them and get so much out of having some quality family time. We often find ourselves rushing around so much that you can often forget how important it can be to all sit down together and just be. When is the last time you all just stopped doing everything and sat down together and concentrated on one thing as a family?

Having film night allows you to do this and gives you all something to concentrate on without distraction. When we have our film nights we specifically choose a new DVD get some snacks in specially and choose a nice drink each. It can be nice to bring a duvet down for everyone to sit under whilst the film is one this makes everything nice a cosy.

With the film chosen the snacks in bowls and drinks with straws in its time to go often the first thing to happen is one of the kids knocks the bowl over! We just clean the most of the mess then we worry about the crumbs later so the emphasis is on the time spent together.



Having had a film night it leads to conversation involving the whole family during the next day or so with talk about what happened and the kids playing out the scene. It really is our number one way to spend family time together and  would urge you all to try it out if you don't already.

What was the last DVD you watched together ?

* a guest post
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Tenby - A Seaside Town In Winter


Last month I was lucky enough to win a break at Bluestone holiday park. Bluestone is not far from where I spent many a childhood holiday - Tenby. Tenby is a stunning seaside town in West Wales, known for its powder sand beaches and beautiful harbour. 

We spent our day in Tenby walking around the shops and taking in the sights.



I hope you like my photos of Tenby, let me know if you have ever been and what you think of my photographs.




Illumi - Delicious Food Free From

Illumi is a food company specialising in "Free From" food. Their nutritionists and chefs work together to create delicious food that is perfect for those with allergies and dietary conditions such as Coeliac disease and I.B.S. and those that feel their diet benefits from avoiding certain foods, specifically their food is nut, gluten and milk free.

Personally, I try to avoid milk, cream, onions and garlic where possible so I was interested in giving this a try. I don't have any allergies luckily so I do eat these foods but I find my digestion much better if I avoid them. It's not nice to have to take a tablet if I am eating a creamy dessert, and speaking to friends of mine I know I am not an isolated case.

Illumi food is 'proper' food - no diet foods here but they have a keen eye on nutrition and flavour and don't use unnecessary oils and fats. The food is delivered in pouches and packets, they say they gently steam their pouches to keep the flavours and the moisture in.



I tried the Boost Energy diet. The Boost energy diet is designed to offer you an easy to follow gluten free one-week meal plan. It's a flexible plan so you can switch a food you don't like for another one from their large range.

Recommendations on the plan are:-

  • That you eat regular meals, three meals and up to three snacks each day (all provided).
  • That you always eat breakfast and try not to eat your evening meal too late or close to bedtime.
  • You vary what you are eating and add fruit and veg so you are getting your 5 portions a day and 3 portions of dairy.

So here are my thoughts on some of the dishes.

The gluten free porridge was lovely, not as powdery as my normal porridge as the oats were quite large and it wasn't milled but a very acceptable porridge. I made it with water and added soya milk and honey to taste. I had this most days and it certainly kept me full until lunchtime.  For a snack throughout the week I had the oatcakes. I enjoy these anyway although some people may think they are bland, I like them, and there is also the benefits of oats being great for your heart health. 


Gluten Free Porridge

The lunches were really tasty in general. The Tom Yum soup had a real depth of flavour, you could taste the coconut, galangal, lemongrass flavours and it tasted creamy - no mean feat when you realise there is no cream in it.

Another lunch dish I enjoyed was the pea soup with mint and pancetta. This soup was thick and delicious but wasn't too smooth. I don't like smooth soups and normally I wouldn't pick pea soup but I honestly really thought this was yummy. To add some crunch I made my own croutons out of wholemeal bread lightly fried in olive oil.



Pea soup with pancetta and mint

Out of all the evening meals I had some favourites. The beef stew was rich and delicious, again there were decent chunks of meat in the stew and you could really taste the wine. I served this with potatoes although these were not part of the plan.

The lamb casserole was filling and hearty. It didn't need anything other than some vegetables perhaps. There were real chunks of lamb and there was a hint of mint in the gravy, topped with sliced potatoes it was a real meal in itself and very satisfying.

With this plan, you also get gluten-free lager. As I don't drink lager my husband sampled it. He enjoyed it and said there was no difference in the taste and flavour to normal lager.


lamb casserole

The downsides of the plan you may ask? The Kerala chicken curry I didn't rate, it was just not to my taste and the spicy butternut squash soup could have been seasoned more and I thought it had a grainy texture.  I would have liked to see another accompaniment included other than rice in the weekly Boost Your Energy diet. All these dishes are meant to be heated in the microwave, those in the pouches with the top cut off but I often found the motion of the microwave turntable moving would tip over the pouch. I combatted this by opening the pouch and putting the food in a dish instead and then heating in the microwave.

In conclusion 

Most of the food was very tasty, and I really did enjoy the diet. It made me eat regularly and pay attention to what I was eating. I didn't fully stick to the week as I went out one night for a Valentine's meal. Would I recommend this diet and Illumi foods? I would say yes. I can see how it can be very useful for those with dietary problems. My digestion did feel better, and I had less bloating. My energy levels were also good.

Recommended.

* I was sent a week's worth of food for an honest review.

Henryka Jewellery Review

Hello I'm Helen and I blog at Beautiful Things (www.allthebeautifulthings.co.uk) I'm guest posting for Mellissa while she enjoys some R&R. 

It's no secret that I love jewellery but lets face it what female doesn't! I like lots of different styles varying from quirky, fun, sparkly and statement pieces but also I really like nice jewellery, the sort that you wear on special occasions or make an effort to show it off. I do have to admit that I own alot of jewellery, over the past few years I have collected many beautiful pieces and quite a few of them hold lots of different memories. I have just recently discovered a company called Henryka who specialise in Baltic amber and silver jewellery which I also particularly like, on searching the site I couldn't resist a couple of cheeky purchases. 


I do truly believe that you can never have too much jewellery or too many necklaces so I chose two necklaces one from their sale range and the other non-sale and when they arrived it's fair to say I was pretty happy with my choices! 


The jewellery arrived in beautiful embossed boxes as you can see in the above pictures. Nestled inside them were two beautiful amber necklaces that I couldn't wait to wear. Both chains are sterling silver and are manufactured to a very high quality. Henryka, being a member of the International Amber Association means that you can be assured that they only sell genuine Baltic amber and Silver Jewellery Hallmarked in the UK.


Amber has been around for years and years about 40-60 millions years, the Greeks and Romans were often seen wearing amber as it was believed to contain magical properties and to bring good luck. Amber is fossilised tree resin and is widely loved for it's colour and natural organic beauty. 

One of the legends that surrounds the Baltic amber in jewellery is the association with Jurata, queen of the sea who fell in love with a fisherman names Kastytis. According to legend her jealous father punished Jurata his daughter by destroying her amber palace and changing her into sea foam, it is said that the pieces of Jurata's palace can still be found on the Baltic shore. How cool is that legend!! 

My first choice was a beautiful butterfly necklace from the Little Princess Trust Collection this cost £10.00 and all of the funds go to the charity which is dedicated to providing specialist wigs for children who are sadly suffering from cancer or hair loss. I think this is an excellent charity and I hope my buying this necklace can ease a child's suffering in some small way. You can read more about the charity by clicking this link to The Little Princess Trust. Butterflies are also sentimental to me, they were the theme for my wedding and when my Dad was poorly he gave me a butterfly necklace and since then they've remained a special part of my life. 



The other necklace I chose is unfortunately now sold out, it's a really pretty flower necklace featuring 3 daisies with small amber stones in the centre of the flowers. It's stunning, originally was priced at £60.00 but I paid less than half price for it.  I think it's beautiful and as I said above amber is ever so versatile and can be worn with pretty much anything.


I think what I particularly like about amber is the way it catches the light and is multi-dimensional, it can look so beautiful and different from various angles and I love that about it. I find it very pretty and I look forward to wearing both these necklaces and adding them to my ever growing collection of jewellery.
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Cidered Pork With Sage Dumplings

Recently I bought a slow cooker and I love it! I was thinking of what my new favourite winter recipe is. This cidered pork recipe is utterly delicious and is very easy to make. Let me know if you make it and what you think?




Ingredients

A little oil for frying
4 pork shoulder steaks cubed and fat removed
1 large leek sliced and washed
6oz of button mushrooms cut into halves
2 tablespoons of flour (plain or SR)
300 ml ( 1/2 pint) cider
300 ml ( 1/2 pint) chicken stock
2-3 large carrots sliced into chunks or batons
2 dessert apples cored, peeled and  sliced into chunks
sage ( 2-3 leaves) or a sprinkle of dried sage
any other herbs (optional - e.g. thyme, rosemary)
salt and pepper

Dumplings

150g (5 oz) self raising flour
75g (3 oz) vegetable suet
Chopped fresh or dried sage
Chopped fresh or dried thyme
Salt and Pepper
Cold Water

Method

Heat the oil in the pan and brown the pork all over.
Stir in the flour then gradually mix in the cider and the stock.
Add the leeks, apple, carrots, sage and any other herbs if used and salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil stirring until thickened.
Put the mixture into the slow cooker pot and cook on low for 6 hours.

Make the dumplings

Put the SR flour, suet, herbs and salt and pepper in a bowl.
Gradually stir in enough water for the mixture to come together and not be too sticky.
With clean hands take some mixture and roll into balls.
Make 6-8 dumplings.
After the pork has been cooking for 6 hours, take the lid off the slow cooker and stir the mixture.
Add the dumplings on the top of the mixture.
Put lid back on and cook for another hour.





Serve with fresh steamed vegetables and Yorkshire Puddings.

This is my entry into the Co-op winter warmer recipe competition .

What do you think of this slow cooker dish? Do you have a slow cooker? If so what recipes have you made?

Marisota SS14 Style

Marisota is is one of the leading direct home shopping companies in the UK. They sell clothes for women size 12 and above, with a keen eye on fit and value they are specialists in this area. They also have a large range of bags and footwear too, from classic designs to the latest trends. Did you know they have been going since 1875 and that they were one of the first companies to use parcel post to send products direct to their customers?


I was sent this panelled blouse to review.



Truly Wow panelled blouse £35

This longline blouse with the monochrome floral print is bang on trend, and the panels on the side create a slimming effect. It is generously cut and skims all your problem areas. If you are in between sizes I would suggest you ordering the smaller size as it was a little too big for me.




My daytime look

I think this blouse is great for a smart daytime look with navy jeans, flat boots and a cross body bag, perhaps for a shopping trip or lunch with friends. I often find as I am short I have problems buying shorter trousers. Well Marisota have a section for petite ladies. The jeans I have picked above come in a 25 inch leg length, so they are perfect for me and the dark navy look is slimming and comfy in a stretch denim.




My evening look 

You can also smarten it up with black trousers for the evening and some killer heels. These wide leg trousers have a flattering fit. What about adding a clutch bag and some statement earrings? The 'Diamondfire' earrings are particularly stunning in sterling silver with cubic zirconia. I would match it with this bag below.

Lili Bou satin box clutch £26.95


I was pleasantly surprised by the prices too on their website, next day delivery is only £3.99 and you can also spread the cost with a personal account.

Another great thing is they have a couple of useful fitting video guides on their website. Check out their Bra Fitting Guide and Shoe and Boot Fitting Guide.

You can follow Marisota on Facebook or Twitter for some fab offers, and at the moment if you follow them on Facebook you can get a code for 15% off.

Have you ever bought from Marisota? What do you think of the items I have picked?
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Scotch Eggs Recipe

You can't beat a homemade scotch egg. The type you buy in supermarkets are inevitably rubbish so why don't you have a go at making them. It is very simple to do, quick to make and you get a crispy delicious result. 

Serves 2, double up for a family of four.

Ingredients

2 eggs
4 good quality large sausages or sausage meat equivalent
2 tablespoons crushed cornflakes for coating (or you can use breadcrumbs)
oil for frying

Method

Boil the eggs for 10 mins, cool and shell.
Put two tablespoons of Cornflakes per egg into a plastic bag then crush until broken.
Skin the sausages.
Take two sausages per egg and make into a flat round on a floured plate.
Coat one egg in the sausage meat keeping the floured side outside.
Shape neatly.

Brush the coated eggs with beaten egg.
Toss in the cornflakes or breadcrumbs.
Reshape.
Fry gently in the oil for five minutes until browned.
Put into an oven at 190 c for 30 minutes or until hot through and cooked.



Drain on absorbent paper.
Enjoy hot or cold.

Quick Tips: These are easy to make in advance. Use cornflakes rather than breadcrumbs to save time. Boil the eggs in advance and set aside until ready to use. Once made up with the sausage meat but before frying, place in the fridge. This will help the scotch eggs firm up so they don't fall apart when cooking.

Serve with salad and a jacket potato or any way you wish!

This post is an entry for the #ShortcutEggsperts Linky Challenge sponsored by British Lion Eggs. 



Cycling Safety

Cycling is a great sport, it's perfect to get you fit, lost weight, and a great hobby for pleasure and enjoyment. Unfortunately there are dangers to cycling. Cyclist casualties have risen in recent years as the amount of cycling has increased.  Did you know every year 17000 cyclists get killed or injured in reported road accidents?

Some Important Safety Precautions When Cycling

  • Wear a helmet - this protects your head if you fall off your bike or are involved in an accident.
  • Wear sunglasses as these can help prevent any debris like dust or insects getting into your eyes as well as prevent any glare in the sun or snow.
  • Wear bright reflective clothing as this can help you be seen in dark conditions. If motorists can see you then they are less likely to knock you off your bike. 
  • Lights and reflectors are important to alert other road users to your presence.
  • Padded gloves will make it more comfortable for you and give protection to your hands.




Cycling is fun and great for fitness, take precautions and ensure you cycle in safety too. 


* Brought to you in collaboration with Osbornes

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Augustine Jewels - Review And Giveaway - Ends 11th March

I love pretty jewellery, and Augustine Jewels is a brand new love of mine. All handmade in England, their beautiful, glamourous collections are perfect to be worn on a special occasion, or even every day.





The brand was created by designer Alexandra Morris Robson, born out of her desire to create exquisite jewellery and share her passion with others. After studying at the renowned Esmod School of Design in Paris she went on to attend Cambridge University and forged a successful career in Consumer Goods and Retail before launching Augustine Jewels in 2013.

The brand was named after the home and studio where her creations came to life. By staying true to her identity, Alexandra uses the finest quality materials, precious stones and near flawless diamonds to create her designs. Everything is handmade in England by some of the finest craftspeople in London. She uses purely 18ct gold, platinum and sterling silver which are all hallmarked Augustine Jewels.


Alexandra's inspiration comes from her extensive travels and the beautiful sights encountered along the way. Each collection represents a place, a discovery, or its beauty, and captures precious moments.

The Heirloom collection is inspired by the stunning  flowers in the gardens of Mexico. Rubies are beautiful precious stones and the diamond detail makes these pieces of jewellery come to life. Unique, different and certainly something to treasure forever.
Heirloom necklace and earrings

The Parisian collection set in 18ct gold or silver, is inspired by the charming cobbled streets in Paris and the picturesque scenery of the romantic city. They have really thought of the design here, as each oval in the design swings independently so the jewellery shines and glistens with every movement. A classic range with a twist.

Parisian bracelet

These are some of the beautiful designs from Augustine Jewels, as you can see they are stunning, and I have a chance for you to win an item today.

I am giving away a lovely Parisian silver bracelet worth £95 as seen above. To enter pop over to the Augustine Jewels site and then come back and answer the question below.

The competition closes at midnight March 11th and is open to those in the U.K. only, and you must be 18 or older to enter.

If you love this competition, don't forget to bookmark it and come back every day for a tweet for an extra entry via Rafflecopter. Please share on Google plus if you like this competition.


Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

Getting Older, It Comes To Us All

Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren (Photo credit: annecentral)
Recently I have been feeling not as young as I used to feel. Although I go to Zumba I guess I could lose some weight. I have always had dark brown hair and I've noticed one grey hair appearing right at the front. I think I am lucky really, my mum was grey was she was 17.

My skin has always been a little oily, but now I am noticing the odd wrinkle around my eyes. laughter lines I prefer to call them though! I'm happy in my skin in general however when I get older I wouldn't rule out the odd treatment here and there. I think the secret with any treatment is to improve on the original. The craze for having plastic surgery to look like you have no expression is too extreme. 

We have many great role models now that embrace their age such as Helen Mirren, Germain Greer and Meryl Streep. These ladies look after themselves but acknowledge their age and experience in life. That's not to say they have or haven't had any treatments, I guess only they would know. But why not? If you feel you need a cosmetic treatment it should be up to you. 

It's important to go to a reputable clinic and allow them to guide you in the treatments available. Being a member of the Care Quality Commission shows they meet national standards. Some people go abroad for treatment, just be sure to check the aftercare and the standards of cleanliness. Whether you go for vaser liposuction Ä°stanbul for a body shaping procedure or decide to have other treatment, read about the risks and read the patients reviews to be sure you make an informed decision. 

Wrinkle relaxants, laser treatments and laser skin resurfacing all have their place when carried out correctly to high standards. Other treatments like laser hair removal and tattoo removal can give you a new lease of life.

An example of laser skin resurfacing is below. In 2 to 4 treatments improvements are shown in a variety of areas including skin texture, pores, tones, elasticity, and pigment. I think this lady looks refreshed and rejuvenated, what do you think? 


pixel laser skin resurfacing


It's inevitable getting old, and it comes to us all but would you ever have any treatments? I wouldn't say no, I think it depends on the individual situation. At the moment I'm happy but who knows what the future brings. One thing is for certain I don't want to look like Jacqui Stallone!

*Collaborative post

Silent Sunday - 9th February 2014




Jewellery Making For Absolute Beginners

The London Jewellery School is a great organisation. Coming from a jewellery and teaching background I was delighted to find out recently that I have acquired part sponsorship from The London Jewellery School towards my visit to Brit Mums Live, the largest blogging conference in the UK. Consequently you will be seeing more posts about them in the near future. Today I am going to talk about a new venture of theirs.

Called Jewelry From Home, The London Jewellery School are bringing their jewellery making courses to people up and down the country. This is a great idea for those who are interested in making jewellery but don't live near London where they are based. The online video based courses are delivered by jewellery professionals in the comfort of your own home, and come with a lifetime access and downloadable course notes to support your learning. Information is also given on where to source the materials you need. 


Recently I tried their first course, which is free, called 'Jewelry Making For Absolute Beginners.' This is presented by Jessica Rose the young entrepreneur and director of The London Jewellery School. 

What I liked about the first video is that Jessica appears to have a natural teaching style. Her descriptions are very clear and the video angles are excellent to capture exactly the steps she goes through when making the jewellery. At certain stages it was also useful to have the important points highlighted on the screen to reinforce it.

 Jewelry Making For Absolute Beginners - A free course

The first part of the course takes you through what materials and equipment you need. I suggest you check this carefully, as my husband said we had everything we needed and then I had no round nose pliers.

Then onto making my first piece of jewellery!

The first pair of earrings were very easy to make. Jessica explains in simple terms how to cut the findings and put together your earrings.  I was pleasantly surprised how great they looked as well. Although I found creating the loops on the headpins a little tricky, these earrings are certainly an achievable project for the complete beginner. A key note is that practice makes perfect here.

Then I went onto making the three drop earrings. I have to admit, I did have problems again creating the loops, so they ended up as two drop earrings, but I think they are very effective still! Luckily my husband who used to repair jewellery showed me how to create the little loops. Again I think it is practice creating the perfect round loops with the round nose pliers. I put too much pressure on the wire, and bent it, so I have learnt my lesson there. 




Simple drop earrings and bracelet

The next section shows you how to make a bead bracelet. For this you need elastic type plastic twine and a selection of beads. I found this very therapeutic to make and enjoyed picking out the colours. That's the beauty of making your own jewellery, you can design the piece however you want, to go with an outfit or colour scheme. In the end I was pleased with my finished product although the twine I used wasn't the correct one I found out later. The beauty of making your own jewellery yourself however is that it is easy to change, I just snipped the twine, measured out the more stretchy one and made it again. 



My first bracelet

It's obvious here that there are some skills involved in making the jewellery, which at first can be time-consuming, but persevere as it is surprising how quickly your skills develop.

I'm now going to source some different beads to make my next project - a necklace.




Camera angles help show techniques required, highlighted text to reinforce points

So would I recommend the "Jewellery Making For Absolute Beginners" ? A resounding Yes! If you are new to the whole aspect of making jewellery, love crafting and making projects or are even someone who has made jewellery in the past, it is a simple easy to use video to take you through the steps of making your first pieces of jewellery. Best of all, the first one is FREE! All it takes is some basic materials, some pliers, time and your creativity.

What do you think of this course? Would you give it a go?


Family Fever

London Designer Outlet

Quintain's London Designer Outlet opens
Quintain's London Designer Outlet opens (Photo credit: EG Focus)
I do love shopping, I mean most women I know do, don't you? I also love London. Coming from a small town I crave the buzzing restaurant scene, culture and most importantly shopping. Did I mention I love shopping? 

I'm here today to tell my lovely readers about a great shopping emporium in London which specialises in designer clothing in the UK.

The London Designer outlet has a fantastic range of of 70 aspirational and high street brands, many with up to 70% off and a brilliant range of over 15 restaurant and cafes and even a Cineworld cinema complex for all the latest movies. All the shops and restaurants you need from Adidas to Zizzi are all here. If you or your children love 'cool' brands they have Superdry and Nike, and if you are after traditional quality brands they have M and S Outlet and Crabtree and Evelyn, something for all the family really.  One of my personal favourites at The London Designer Outlet, is the Body Shop, their coconut body butter reminds me of sunny days, holidays and fun! Their men's aftershave also smells divine and is well priced and their makeup range has some great lipglosses.

It is perfect if you live in and around Wembley or are visiting that area, perhaps Wembley Arena, and it is the only designer outlet centre within the M25 and easy reach of London and the South East. 




Why don't you sign up to the newsletter to keep up-to-date with the latest news, competitions, special offers and events and be one of the first to be 'in the know'? 

The special offer page has some brilliant Valentines offers at the moment too, such as Valentines meals by Pizza Express, Zizzi and Prezzo, with some great prices. So now, he has no excuse not to take you out ladies, and while you are there why don't you get him to buy you a Valentines Day gift as well!
So tell me, do you love shopping as much as me and if so what are your favourite brands?

*This is a sponsored post

My Trip to Bluestone Wales

Just before Christmas, I was lucky enough to win a trip to Bluestone in West Wales. Bluestone is set in the Pembrokeshire national park with luxury accommodation set in the hills, and various activities which you can pay for. It is an all year "all-weather" attraction. Think of it similar to Centre Parcs.

There are different types of accommodation from lodges to cottages to studios, we were given Ramsey Lodge as our place to stay for the week.


The kitchen had a full cooker, dishwasher and microwave

The two on-suite bathrooms are of a high standard, one with a bath/shower and the other with a wetroom

As you can see the lodge was furnished to a high standard. Besides a full kitchen it had a TV with DVD player, and free Wi-Fi. It is marketed as 'upside down' living and this was definitely a plus factor. As we came into the lodge the bedrooms are downstairs and the kitchen/living room/diner is upstairs. What you don't realise though is that this is a great way of organising the layout, as from the lounge you get a fabulous view over the park. When I rushed upstairs I actually said WOW, as the view was amazing! 


The beautiful view from our lounge

When we are on holiday we like to eat out as much as we can, so we didn't use the kitchen much, however, you could have easily cooked full meals here, in fact it was almost better than my kitchen at home, with one exception it only had a small fridge/freezer. 

We used the break to relax and visit local areas such as Narberth and Tenby. Due to the weather we decided not to do the paid for activities. It actually rained every day, and many of the activities were based outside like archery and bicycle hire, although some children's activities are indoors. They have a great pool area which we could use free of charge, and we did bring our swimming costumes but did not venture in, in the end. 

We ate at The Tafarn pub on our first night. It was pub grub, nothing more, nothing less, however, my husband's pasta was a notch up from most pub food. The prices were more expensive than some pubs but not stupidly so. They provide entertainment a couple of times a week in the pub too, I think I saw a pub quiz and they had a live singer when we were there.


The Well Spa, one of the children's play areas and Carreg Las restaurant

The other place we ate on site was Carreg Las, the high end restaurant. They pride themselves on sourcing local produce and it showed in the quality of the food. The food itself was really tasty, and presented beautifully. However the meal wasn't without some niggles. After waiting 30 minutes for our starters they realised they had actually forgotten about us. A complementary glass of wine was greatfully received! Twice we were offered other peoples food. Our main courses arrived without the extra vegetables I ordered, and my husbands without mash. However another glass of wine was offered, so we were happy at the end of the day. The food was good, not overly expensive for this type of place, and they were busy so I hope it was just an off day.

I think it is a great holiday for those with families. The pool looked super and this is in with the price of the holiday. The list of activities include messy play and beast hunts for little ones and movie nights and safari driving for older ones. The adults are catered for with archery, bicycle hire, crossbow activities and a great spa. All of these are chargeable except the pool. I think it's a cool place to be in touch with nature. I took this photo below from the lodge window.



Some tips - After you unload on your first day, you need to move your car to the car park at the top of the resort. The resort is very hilly. If you have little ones you may want to rent a buggy for your stay, this is at the price of £25 a day, which isn't cheap. Bring a selection of essentials like tea, coffee and bread as prices are steep in the grocery shop. Booking is recommended in advance for Carreg Las, and I would pre-book activities in high season too.

The crunch question is - would I come again and pay for it next time? I would say yes, certainly I would. The lodge we stayed in was of a high standard, it was beautifully located in amazing scenery, and we felt it was a lovely relaxing holiday. At low season such as January when we went Monday to Friday our lodge was only £155, which I personally think is a steal! The activities are mostly chargeable - from around £10 upwards. You do need to price these up beforehand and budget for these in with the cost of the holiday.

So in summary - Bluestone Wales - is a lovely resort based in beautiful scenery. A great holiday for those who want to unwind or love an activity based outdoor break, but don't forget to budget for any activities.

Would you go to Bluestone or have you been? What do you think of my review?

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Pulled pork in BBQ sauce sandwich with slaw
Pulled pork in BBQ sauce sandwich with slaw (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A very simple and delicious dish

Ingredients 

1 joint of pork shoulder 1.5 to 2kg is perfect
1 mug of liquid - I used apple juice or you can use coke or water 


Method 

Brown shoulder joint or skip this if you are in a hurry.
Put joint in slow cooker add mugful of liquid Cook on low for 8 hours.
When cooked remove skin and fat.
Shred. 

Serve with homemade or shop bought barbecue sauce, jacket potatoes or wedges and coleslaw. 

Top tip - do cook it on low, I cooked this on medium for 5 hours and although it was cooked through it wasn't soft like the texture of pulled pork. This is why my photo is from Wikipedia!

Reminisce about the Florida holiday you had....
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