I feel like its been forever since I wrote a proper restaurant review and honestly I want to get back into it. I love going for meals and I try to go somewhere new every few weeks so I might as well start reviewing them again! Anyway a few nights back me and Sean went for a little Meal at Ebb & Flow in Solihull. Neither of us had eaten here before so we were excited to try something new!
Price - As usual I'm going to start with the price. Most meals average out at around £9 - £10 which is pretty standard but might seem a bit on the steep side if you're used to good old Wetherspoons, which I am. Drinks again are pretty standard with a pint of coke priced at £2.10.
Service - When we ate here the place was dead, like completely empty aside from two other couples. I always like this because it often means service is pretty good. We didn't have to wait long at all for our food food to arrive and our waiter was also pretty friendly, bringing over whichever condiments we wanted. But that's the last we saw of him. No-one came to clear our plates or asked if we wanted any desserts which was quite surprising considering we were the only people eating at this time.
Food - For our meals Sean and I both chose burgers. I chose the chicken in sesame seeds while Sean opted for the ultimate burger, they both sounded amazing. The food arrived on two lovely platters with our coleslaw in little pots and our chips in a mug. The presentation was perfect. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy my chicken, and neither did Sean. I can only assume that it just wasn't to our taste as Sean really enjoyed his burger and we both loved the chips! Another bad point was that when I ordered our meals we we given a choice of either a plain bun or one with sesame seeds on, Sean wanted plain and I ordered sesame seeds. When the food arrived they got this mixed up which wasn't a huge deal however all of Sean's sauce was on his bun so we couldn't swap them. Like I said this wasn't a big problem but if you have allergies its worth making sure they have the order down right.
One last thing I will mention is that the menu on the website is completely different to the menu on the tables so don't pick your meal before you arrive like I did!
Cleanliness - Apart from our plates not being cleared the place was pretty much spotless. The whole restaurant was really well presented/ beautifully decorated and I have no complaints about how clean it was.
Location - Ebb & Flow is located in central Solihull directly opposite the entrance to the Touchwood car park. There are also several other car parks within walking distance and a number of bus stops just around the corner. It's incredibly easy to get to and would be a perfect place to stop by after a long day of shopping around Solihull.
Overall I did enjoy my time at Ebb & Flow, even though the Chicken wasn't to my taste I would love to come back and try some of the other meals of offer.
★★★
Thanks for reading!
Okay so I know I skipped my April wishlist but honestly I've been so busy with college and work that I just haven't had time to blog properly. I finish college in just over a month for the summer so hopefully I'll have more time for my fave hobby then.
Anyway, I'm going on holiday in just over a week so this wishlist is a bit of a jumble of things I'd love to be able to take away with me. I'm really in love with trainers lately. I've always been a 'girly girl' who loves her ballet flats but over the last few months I've developed a taste for trainers and pumps. I've already ordered those fab pink ones as they were only £15 and remind me of these gorgeous converse I fell in love with last week!
Hope you've all had a good weekend!
Thanks for reading!
Last Saturday I was invited down to the Miss Patisserie Spring Event in Cardiff to take a look at some new releases and sample some of their gorgeous products. I'd never been to Cardiff before so this really was the perfect chance to check out a new city and lust over some amazing goodies. I arrived at around 10am and after a quick dash to the loo (2hrs in the car without a service stop is not fun) I was given a brief tour of the shop. Everything in store was 100% Instagram ready and I honestly had to stop myself from posting 400 snaps of the place.
One of the lovely girls quickly offered to demonstrate how a few of the new products worked, starting with one of their gorgeous Bath Shards. Unfortunately I never got a photograph but it can be used like a Bubble Bar; you just crumble it into you bath and mix it in.
The next product I got to see in action was the Water Melon Sugar Scrub which smells absolutely incredible! I put a small amount on my hands, rubbed it into my skin as if I was using soap, I then rinsed it off under the water. Not only does it make your skin super smooth, it also leaves behind its glorious fruity scent. After washing my hands I tried out one of their Body Souffles which also comes in a range of beautiful fragrances.
The last product I got to see in action was the Pink Clay Face Mask which I had seen online before the event and was curious as to how it worked. The face mask is actually a powder which you add water to to create a paste. You can then apply it like a normal face mask and wash away after 10 minutes or so. I really liked the idea of this product and thought it would be great for popping in your hand luggage when liquid restrictions are tight!
After testing some of the best selling stuff out I wandered around the store trying my hardest not to spend all of my student loan as everything was just so tempting! I did come away with a few goodies though so let me know if you would like a haul post!
I had a really fab time and met some gorgeous blogger girls, some of which I'd been following for quite a while. Right now you can get 10% off everything with the code GRACEBEE10 until June 30th 2016.
Have you bought anything from Miss Patisserie before?
Thanks for reading!
xxx
This is my final Whittlebury Hall review post and its all about food. If you haven't read the other two yet you can find them here and here. Whilst on our Spa Break at Whittlebury Hall we ate three meals; Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
The first meal we ate was lunch which was scheduled for 2pm on our day of arrival. We rolled up to lunch around 20 minutes early but were seated straight away by a member of staff. Unlike our night time meal, lunch was presented as a 'help your self' buffet which I usually like when I stay at hotels as I can choose exactly what I want on my plate.
There was a nice selection of cold food (Salad, CousCous, Cheese, Rice, Cold Meats and Dips ect.) which were all on one table in individual bowls. The hot food was on a central table which on our day consisted of Mushroom Ravioli, Fish, Baked Potatoes and Beef Chilli, none of which I actually like which was a shame. The final table featured Soup, Bread Rolls, Fruit and Yoghurt. Luckily for me today they were serving Potato and Leak Soup which is one of my all time favourite Soups and this one really was delicious! I wasn't overly impressed with lunch but I was very excited for dinner.
Our night time meal was served in a different room from Lunch and this one was much more luxurious. Our dinner was 3 courses and we had a nice selection of things to choose from, however little miss picky (me) really struggled with what to eat for my main. I was happy with my Soup Starter and I knew I wanted a Chocolate themed dessert but I didn't really fancy anything on the main meal section. I eventually picked the Stir Fry after being promised it was very mild, it wasn't. It was incredibly tasty but the spices blew my head off. Luckily a very helpful member of staff took my meal back to be remade without any fuss at all which was nice.
So Dinner wasn't exactly perfect either but I had high hopes for my favourite meal, Breakfast. Breakfast was served in the same room as dinner but this time it was another buffet. We were seated very quickly again and our waitress bought over teas and coffee for each of us. I found that breakfast had a huge selection of things to choose from. You could either pick up a full english or grab some ham and cheese for a continental or a bit of each if thats what you fancied. One of my favourite things about breakfast was the selection of pastry items (Croissants, Pain Au Chocolats ect.) all of which were beautiful. I left Breakfast feeling very full and very happy that I finally found something I enjoyed!
There is only one other bad point that I want talk about and that is how slow the table service was once we were seated. At all three meals we had to wait for quite some time to have our plates cleared and on one occasion we actually had to move them ourselves as we wanted our next course. That's not something I would usually moan about but as it wasn't very busy the weekend we stayed I couldn't see why it was taking so long.
As you might have guessed I wasn't overly impressed with the food however that is mostly down to me being one of the pickiest eaters I know and no-one else with me had any complaints about the food. My Mom thought the food was delicious and was really impressed with the selection.
If you love food I'm sure you wouldn't have any problems picking out some really tasty meals here however fussy eaters like myself will find it a little harder. With that being said I would return as I really enjoyed the overall experience.
Thanks for reading!
xxx
So finally managed to make time to get some 'face of the day' pics! I hardly ever get 5 minutes to blog anymore because of Uni and work but I'm so glad I got around to taking some half decent blog photos for once! This is a really basic look I wore for college one day and I really loved the colours so I thought I might as well write about it!
So I'll start with the boring part which is my base makeup. I don't wear liquid foundation anymore because I like my skin to feel like it can breathe, instead I simply use the Collection Cover Up Stick in shade #01 'Light Translucent'. It gives a nice amount of coverage without being too heavy on my skin. After applying that I use my MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Powder in 'Light Plus'. This is fast becoming my new favourite powder foundation despite the price tag.
To give my face a bit more definition I contour slightly with this dirt cheap Body Collection Pressed Powder Bronzer. You might have already seen this product in my latest haul post as I only bought it last week but I already really like it. It's a very subtle bronzer that's easy to build up and blends in well. I've already managed to drop it and crack the lid but despite some slight crumbling the product itself is holding up pretty well.
To highlight I've been using this MAC Highlighter in shade 'Lightscapade'. I picked it up at the airport a few weeks ago and I've been head over heels for it ever since. I think its quite pricey, coming in at £20 without tax but I've never seen a highlighter with the gorgeous pastel colours that this one has.
On my eyes I'm wearing the shade 'Baby' from the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette which is without a doubt my favourite ever eyeshadow palette. Its another pricey product but one I'm so glad I forked out for! The mascara I'm wearing is another favourite, the Benefit Roller Lash. I've been using it for around a year now and its the best mascara I've ever tried, however I am tempted to test out They're Real Mascara when I finish this.
To top my eyes off I've used the Cat Von D Tattoo Liner that I picked up from Barcelona. I'd heard nothing but good things about it online and it really does live up to the hype. I've only really used budget eyeliner pens up until now but I wouldn't hesitate to pick this one up again!
To complete the look I'm wearing another brand new purchase, the KIKO Smart Lipstick in shade #917 'Mauve Pink'. This is the first thing I've ever bought from KIKO and I'm honestly really impressed. Its a pretty glittery pink colour thats a bit different to my usual matte nudes and I'm so glad I decided to try something new. Although it doesn't having the staying power of my usual MAC lippies, it does feel incredible on my lips and the colour is super vivid considering its a cheaper product!
Have you tried any of these products? Tell me what you thought!
Thanks for reading!
xxx
Its been bloody ages since I did any sort of haul post on here and I'm so glad to be able to show you guys some new bits. Between saving for Barcelona and putting money away to move out, there hasn't really been a lot of left over cash for treats. Now my holiday is a distant memory and we've almost hit our goal so I wanted pick myself some presents up!
The first thing I grabbed whilst out shopping yesterday was this gorgeous NYX Eyeshadow in shade #53 Zen. NYX is a brand I've always heard great things about but I've never actually tried for myself, so when I saw this amazing Khaki Green beauty for just £3.50 I had to give it a go. I have't tested it out yet but I'm super excited to smother my eyelids with its green goodness.
After leaving Boots I had to pop into Bodycare to pick up one of my all time favourite makeup brushes. I usually fork out between £5 - £10 on a decent eyeshadow brush but I've discovered an amazing range in Bodycare that don't seem to go over a couple of pounds. I picked up my usual Blend Brush for £1.49 and another similar brush from the Body Collection for just £1.19!
Last week I invested in the most gorgeous MAC Highlighter from the Airport (Haul vid soon I promise!) and I really wanted a new bronzer to go with it. Now this little Body Collection Pressed Powder Bronzer won't be MAC quality but for just £1.50 I was willing to give it a go. It's not too dark and has a subtle shimmer too which I love. I will definitely be reviewing this as I'm really interested to see how good a cheap little bronzer really can be!
So that was everything I picked up last week whilst doing a bit of shopping after college. I swear studying next to a shopping centre will be the death of me!
Do you have any of these products? What did you think of them?
Thanks for reading!
xxx
So I'm back again with another monthly beauty favourites post and honestly I'm running out of things to talk about! I haven't really picked up anything new lately and its been like that since Christmas so I'm thinking of retiring my favourites posts. I might go back to just reviewing products as and when I use them because I feel like that might be more interesting? Let me know what you guys think either way!
The first product I want to talk about is this Eco Tools Precision Blush Brush. This makeup brush which retails at around £8 is perfect for either blusher, bronzer or highlighter. I use it to apply a nice dusting of highlighter at the top of my cheekbones, on my forehead, on my chin, down my nose and on my cupids bow to give my face a shimmery glow. The bristles are very soft but at the same time pick up a good amount of product and make it really easy to blend powders into the skin.
I received this Parlor Sea Salt Spray around 6 months ago in a Birch Box but I've only recently got around to really using it. I can't believe its took so long for me to pick up a salt spray as I love the volume and hold you get from using one. This little bottle really does make my hair feel twice as big and it also helps to encourage subtle waves even with flat hair. Although I haven't used it yet on curled hair I can only imagine the gorgeous beach waves I would get after spraying this all over. I do think the full sized product is very expensive however so I might have to find a cheaper alternative when this runs out.
Where do I even start with this product? This little bottle of Soap & glory Deep Cleansing Milk is honestly the stuff of dreams. I've been using this since Christmas and it has completely replaced my way more expensive Trilogy Cleansing Balm. Although this cleanser is on the more budget side of things it works incredibly well and easily removes my stubborn Roller Lash mascara, which can be a bit of a bugger to budge! This product also smells amazing and doesn't even sting when I accidentally get it in my eyes (this happens more than I would like to admit).
So Those were my March beauty favourites! I'd love to hear about the products you guys are loving this month! I'd also like to know if I should keep my monthly favourites or should I just go back to my old ways and review products as I try them out?
Thanks for reading!
xxx
Silver Asos Flats | Brown Fiorelli Rucksack | Gold Plated Unicorn Earrings | Coconut Lane Leopard Print Sunnies
Coconut Lane Marble Phone Case | Silver Palm Tree Earrings | Black Metallic Converse | Long Sleeved Asos Top
Asos Glitter Sunglasses | Coconut Lane Banana Plant Case | Aldo Saddle Bag | Asos Check Shirt
Jeepers Peepers Sunglasses | Denim Dungaree Dress | Black Flat Sandals | Coconut Lane Marble Bangle
Gold Plated Ring | Black Asos Flats | White Coconut Lane Sunglasses | Brave Soul Dungaree Dress
Yoki Fashion Fringe Backpack | New Look Striped Shirt | Coconut Lane Queen Bee Socks | Asos Cactus Top
Asos Biker Jacket | Coconut Lane Sparkle Flake Case | Monki Short Sleeve Blouse | Pull & Bear Jumper
Seriously how bloody fast has March gone?! It's basically summer now, not that I'm complaining, I just can't believe that we're almost half way through the year! I'm super excited for the warm weather to come back and I'm already lusting over holiday clothes.
I'm actually going to Barcelona next week and although it probably won't be that warm, I'm taking some summery pieces just in case. I did hope to pick up a few of these gorgeous items before jetting off but I'm having my hair done tomorrow and that has eaten up any budget I would have had, so they will have to remain on my wishlist a little while longer.
Right now I've teamed up with www.coconut-lane.com to give you guys 20% off everything on the site if you use the discount code GRACEBEE20 so don't forget to use that code at that checkout!
Thanks for reading!
xxx
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You might have already read my Whittlebury Hall Spa review I posted last week (If not you can find it here) but today I wanted to talk about the hotel itself and the rooms we slept in. I don't think I've ever written a thorough in detail hotel review on my blog before so let me know if its something you'd like to see more of!
I've never stayed at Whittlebury Hall before and come to think of it I don't think I've ever stayed at a Spa Hotel before so this was a new but very exciting experience for me! Like I explained last week, we spent the first day in the actual spa only heading to our hotel room at around 7pm. When we finally got to our rooms, our bags had been placed inside which saved us lugging them around. Not many hotels I've been to offer this service so either I've stayed at rubbish hotels or this is a nice extra touch.
I thought the rooms were very spacious. Unlike previous rooms I've stayed in there was plenty of space and the dressing table was long enough for 2 people to use which was great considering I was staying with my sister. There were also two sinks, one for us to use and one for us to leave our soggy bikinis to drain overnight (and almost forget the next morning). The wardrobe was also huge and contained a safe, an iron and board and all the drink making facilities and biscuits we could want. We were spoilt rotten for space in this room so it really was a shame we were only staying one night. I also thought our rooms were really nicely decorated. I can only speak for our section of the hotel but everything in our rooms was really modern and aesthetically pleasing.
When staying in a hotel room there are a few things that are an absolute must for me; a comfortable bed - check, a full length mirror - check, a plug socket by the bed - check, freebie toiletries - check, a hot shower with good water pressure - check, a well lit dressing table - nope. For the most part our rooms had everything we could ask for but the only thing that let it down was not having decent lighting at the dressing table. Although the bathroom had perfect lighting to do our make up in we had to wait until both of us had showered and the steam cleared before we could even attempt to get ready, and even then the mirror was quite far away so I was difficult to see properly. It was just such a shame that they had installed such a gorgeous dressing table set up for it to have literally zero lighting by it.
We didn't really get chance to explore all of the hotel but the rooms I did get chance to see were really nice. The reception area was very large with more than enough sofas for guests to relax on whilst they were checking in or out. All of the dinning areas were also very nicely decorated and clearly kept clean by the staff. Although we never drank in the bar area it seemed decent enough with sporting memorabilia and TV's dotted around the walls for the guests to enjoy. Not one bit of the hotel looked unkept and both days we were there I spotted staff dusting and polishing the wooden furnishings.
So would I stay at the hotel again? Yes, although it would have to be as part of the spa break package again as its not exactly close to anywhere I would like to visit (Silverstone racetrack just doesn't do it for me). Its the perfect country retreat for relaxing and ignoring the outside world, however there is free wifi throughout the hotel if you would still like to be connected!
Have any of you ever stayed here before? I've love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for reading!
xxx
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