Pies, Pasties, Sausage Rolls - if it involves pastry I'm probably going to want to eat it. I'm a huge fan of all things savoury, so when I was invited down to try out the new festive menu at PieMinister I couldn't say no. Christmas Pies? Yes please!
I decided to take my mom along with me to taste test the goods. We've been going for little lunches quite regularly lately and it's honestly been so lovely. Is there a better way to bond than over good food a drinks? I don't think so.
After studying the festive menu for a while and pratting about in our little Christmas crowns we finally decided on our Pies. We both went for Christmas Lunch which includes a Pie, two sides, a stick, and a pudding and costs £15. We probably could have gone for the Christmas Feast which is a little bit larger but honestly the portion sizes are pretty decent here and we didn't want to feel sick for the Christmas shopping we would be doing after lunch.
We both opted for 'The Cracker' pie which is a Turkey and Ham pie with Cranberries, Parsnips, and Sherry. I was very tempted by the 'Cristingle' too which is filled with Honey Roast Parsnips, Chestnuts, West Country Cheddar, and Leek, but I went with the more traditional option and I'm quite glad I did as it was yum.
The pie comes with a tasty poultry gravy which is quite fragrant. I've always enjoyed the chicken gravy but both my Mom and Sister have said they weren't massively keen on it. I have since been told there is the option to swap that gravy up for a veggie based one which might be worth knowing if you don't fancy a chicken gravy.
For our sides we both chose Mash, I chose the Festive Slaw and mother chose Minty Mushy Peas. The mash was perfect as always and Mom really loved her minty peas however I wasn't completely sold on the slaw. It was full of flavour and had a very strong citrus zing to it but it's not something I would probably choose again in all honesty.
For our Sticks we also both went for the 'Meaty' which included a Pig in Blanket, a Stuffing Ball, a Mini Yorkshire pudding, and some Cranberry Sauce. There was no competition between the Sticks if I'm honest, I was always going to choose the option with a Pig in a Blanket! I just wish I could have ordered a bowl of them as a side!
Now for our puddings, which we just about had room for, I chose the Hot Chocolate Pudding with Chocolate Sauce and Ice Cream and Mom went for the Sticky Toffee Pudding. When it comes to sweat treats I'm not usually all that bothered. I could skip dessert every time and it wouldn't bother me but if I did want something tasty at the end of my meal it has to be choctastic! I can honestly say I wasn't disappointed as my little chocolate cake came absolutely smothered in warm thick sauce which I virtually drank. It was good.
So would I go back to PieMiniser? Of course I would, I bloody love pie. I do think PieMinister can be a little pricey compared to a lot of the places I usually eat at but it's clear they use good quality ingredients in those pretty little pies. They also cater very well for Veggies, Vegans, and even have a range of Gluten Free pies which is always good to know.
Thanks for reading!
x
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* Our meals were complimentary however all opinions are my own.
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I'm not a cat person. Dogs are better. Fact. Sorry but it's true. That being said, I am quite fond of the funny little fluffballs so when I happened to stroll past a cat cafe on my solo trip to Leeds a few weeks back I virtually ran inside.
I wasn't really sure what to expect, and I really really wasn't sure if it would actually be an enjoyable experience on my own but I was more excited than anything so I paid my £6 entrance fee and off I went. I didn't know there was an entrance fee at first, there didn't seem to be signs anywhere, but I guess it makes sense as this particular cafe works closely with a cat rescue centre.
Once inside and shown to my seat I was allowed to wander around, I was actually encouraged in fact. This seemed like a good idea at first, the cats were great at hiding and I didn't fancy waiting for them to come to me so I got up to find them.
On my first walk I didn't actually see many cats, I can only assume they were hiding/ sleeping/ fed up of being poked by children all day. Admitting defeat I headed back to my table for a cup of tea. Being the clean freak I am I didn't want to actually eat food in a place full if kitties, no matter how clean it looked.
On a second thought maybe I should have ordered a snack or two to entice the cats over to me. I spent most of my 1 hour slot frantically trying to take photos of various cats as they desperately tried to run past my table without being touched or so much as looked at. These cats were wild.
Not having much luck with my furry friends in my seat I decided on yet another walk around. This would be my second of many attempts to see some kittens. Whilst there were various cats lounging around in comfy hiding spots, for the most part they were all out of sight.
It was on this wander that I realised why they were all tucked away, and that would be because of the children. Actually scrap that, it was because of the people acting like children. Old and young alike seemed to spend their hour slots chasing and poking the little fluffs as they went about their day. It's no wonder really that practically all of my photos from that afternoon are of cat coloured blurs.
So I took some snaps, drank my tea, and off I went to think about whether cat cafes are actually a good idea. So what did I think? Well on the one hand they are a fun way to make some money for good charities. Most of the cafes I've heard about are linked to a cat rescue in some way by either adopting cats, donating money, or both. That being said I also can't help but think there should be sort sort of 'stay in your seat' rule. I don't even know how they could enforce something like that but letting children run around after terrified cats isn't the best business plan i've ever seen to be honest.
So would I go back to one again? Maybe. I did enjoy it don't get me wrong but it wasn't the magical kitty utopia I imagined. It might be a better idea to visit these kind of places in the week, that way it wouldn't be full of wild children and maybe the cats would be more inclined to make an appearance if the room was a bit quieter.
I love animals and I love a good cuppa, so combine the two and for me you're on to a winner. Maybe I wouldn't go out of my way to visit a cat cafe again, but if I happened to walk past one I would probably give it another go.
Have you ever been to a cat cafe before? What did you think?
Thanks for reading!
x
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- Posh Burgers and Cocktails - A taste of Miller & Carter
- Afternoon Tea at Mckenzies
Another month has come and gone. How we are in November already I don't know, but as its the start (ish) of a new month it's time for me to write down my three keys to happiness again. So what have I got to look forward to in November?
Something to look forward to...
The first thing is my Dad's 60th which is actually tomorrow. We are going out for Chinese food which I am super excited for. On the weekend we're also going to the Bear Grylls Adventure over by the Airport which looks amazing! We will be doing obstacle courses, escape rooms, and even indoor skydiving. It's going to be wild.
Right at the end of the month is the Vuelio Blog Awards. I went a few years back and had a crazy night (see here & here) and I can't wait to do it all again! I've been given a plus 1 this time around so I'm taking my sister and were having a bit of a girly weekend in London which will be really really nice.
Something to be proud of...
So what am I proud of? Well apart from just generally keeping my shit together and staying on top of most things, I finally booked my first solo trip! So I know I haven't got to the scary part yet, but to me just having something booked and knowing there is no going back is a big step. I'm going to Belfast in January for 3 days and I don't have much planned yet so feel free to send me all of your recommendations!
Something to do...
What have I been up to and what am I going to do? Well when I'm not working or studying I've still been blogging (sometimes) and jogging (occasionally). I've been so lucky to have been offered lots of fun bloggy things lately and I still get excited over every single opportunity, even if it does sometimes take me a little while to reply!
I've also mostly been keeping up with jogging although I did manage to tear a muscle which has put me out for a couple weeks. What am I like? But I have been getting better and I've even been enjoying it amazingly!
Here's to a fab November!
Thanks for reading!
x
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A few weeks back I popped down to Resorts World to check out their brand spanking new Beauty Outlet. As a lover of all things beauty I was excited to smother my hands in swatches and bring home some new bargain products to try out.
So what did I pick?
Victoria's Secret Fragrance Mist in 'Secret Charm' - I've had scents from Victoria's Secret before and I've always loved them. They're not as long lasting as perfumes but they're still pretty good. That being said I do think they are pricey so when I saw this little bottle for just £8 I knew it was destined to live on my dressing table.
Exposed Cosmetics Sahara Sunset Palette - Heard of Exposed Cosmetics before? No? Neither had I. This palette was a complete impulse buy but I just fell in love with the shades! I've used it a few times now and although the shades aren't as vivid as the likes of Mac or Urban Decay, they aren't bad for a palette under £10.
W7 Makeup Remover Cloth - I've had makeup remover cloths in the past and I will more than likely buy them again in the future. They are so much softer than wipes or flannels and they actually do take your makeup off without any product. I paid a tenner for my first cloth but this one was only £1.99 and works just the same.
Blistex Happy Lips - I have about 400 Lip Balms dotted around the house and in various handbags but I thought one more wouldn't hurt. I actually picked this up to keep in my desk at work (I have an actual adult job now you know) and at less than £2 it didn't break the bank.
Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser & Balm - I haven't tried this out yet but I am very excited to. I have the worst cuticles known to man but I'm too lazy to do anything about them. If a simple cream can handle that mess I will be very very happy.
Bourjois Rouge Velvet Lipstick in shade 02 'Flaming Rose' - Now this beauty I have tried and loved. It's a little darker than my usual lip colours but I do think it suits me well and its super long lasting too. I did find that it dries almost like a chalky liquid lipstick so I just apply a thin layer of lip balm before wearing it.
Bag full of W7 goodies - This is the only product I didn't pick out myself and if it wasn't gifted to me I'm don't think I would have chosen it in all honesty. Its a bag filled with W7 products and at only £10 it's not a bad price. It holds practically every product you could want if you were just getting into makeup but as someone with a pretty solid collection it didn't offer me anything special.
Cover FX Highlighting Powder in 'Moonlight' - Like a lot of the brands in the Beauty Outlet, I'd not tried anything from Cover FX before. It's one of the higher end brands in store and had a good selection of quality products. I fell in love with this highlighter as soon as I set eyes on it and I wasn't disappointed. It's a little darker than my usual highlight but it gives me a great little glow.
Rimmel Lipstick in shade 650 'Pretty Penny' - I'm a sucker for a lippy so obviously I went home with two. Both shades I chose were similar but this one is a lot more sheer and shiny than the Bourjois one which is probably why I haven't reached for it too much yet.
L'oreal Paris Colour Riche Eyeshadow in shade 500 'Lumiere' - Now this little beauty I haven't tried out yet but I cannot wait to. It's a gorgeous bold gold shade that is going to be perfect for the festive season. I've been trying to build my eyeshadow singles collection this year and I'm very glad I picked this one up. If I remember right it was only about £3 aswell!
TRESemme Perfectly Undone Sea Salt Spray - I'm slowly but surely trying out every sea salt spray I can get my hands on. I haven't tested this one yet but I usually get on well with TRESemme products so I do have high hopes.
So those are the goodies I took home with me from the Beauty Outlet. I honestly could have picked up so much more as there are loads of products from various brands at decent discounted prices.
Thanks for reading!
x
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* I was gifted a number of items which I chose myself in exchange for an honest blog post. I would never promote anything I didn't believe in.
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I did it. I joined the instagram club and took myself off to do a photoshoot with some pumpkins. I'm not even sorry, I actually enjoyed it. Okay so it wasn't the cute little pumpkin patch I imagined it to be but I had a lot of fun and took some fab photos with my pals and my friends little girl. Its her first Halloween so we had to do something special! I enjoyed it so much I'd happily go 'Pumpkin picking' again next year, even if they are already picked for you ha!
Since the start of October when photos of perfect girls holding perfectly round pumpkins started to appear on my timeline, I knew I had to get in on the action. It wasn't all that easy to find a pumpkin patch in the Midlands though, there doesn't seem to be that many at all. After what seemed like hours we did eventually track down Pumpkins R Us just down the road in Kenilworth. I'm not sure how you'd get here without a car as it's out in the stick but lucky for me most of my friends drive!
It's not the prettiest place for a photoshoot I'll admit, but do you think that stopped us from taking 4000 snaps? Spoiler - it didn't. And we weren't the only ones. There were dozens of parents carefully placing their children and even new born babies on top of various sized pumpkins just to get that special shot. I would usually judge parents for doing weird shit like that but it's exactly what we went there to do. I also made my friends take a million photos of me too, I mean if you don't put it on instagram did it even happen?
In between our mini photoshoots we did actually pick up a few pumpkins. As tempting as it was to go for a giant one we were all very boring a chose a nice selection of teeny weenie pumpkins that will probably take us about 5 minutes to carve. I also picked up the cutest striped pumpkin and Sophie grabbed a handful of miniature ones for the baby. I think she was pretty chuffed with her little pumpkin haul even though I'm sure she had absolutely no clue what was going on.
If you just can't resist doing a little autumn photoshoot of your own, Pumpkins R Us are open from 10am until 7pm everyday, but be warned it gets really busy. We arrived around midday on sunday and by that time it was already rammed! I do think it's well worth a taking trip this halloween though. Whether you've got kids or not it's a bit more fun than rummaging through a supermarket crate trying to find the least bruised pumpkin in the pile!
Thanks for reading!
x
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I'm sorry but what happened to September please? That month came and went quicker than my last paycheck! But in all seriousness I cannot believe how fast this year is going, time flies when you're having fun, right? So what fun things am I doing this month to keep me happy? Last month I wrote down my three keys to happiness and now here are my October keys...
Something to look forward to
I had so much to look forward to this month, but I do feel like most of it has already happened now. I've done so SO much fun bloggy stuff in the last few weeks and I don't want it to end! From fancy cocktails at my fave Dirty Martini, to picking out goodies at the new Beauty Outlet, and having a little get together at the Prezzybox Jingle Mingle, I've done it all.
I've also just booked quite a bit of holiday off work so I am excited to start filling that! I do also have a very exciting trip half planned at the moment that I'm hoping to book in the next week or so! I will reveal all soon!
Something to be proud of
Whilst I was planning this post earlier today I did have to think long and hard about this one. What am I proud of this month? I haven't really done anything major but the more I think about it, the more I am just proud of me right now. I'm getting on with things, I'm smiling more, and I'm crying less. Of course I have down days but they are just so few and far between now. I have moments of just pure overwhelming happiness and its amazing. I'm doing okay.
I've also started exercising more. I know I know, pick your jaw up off the floor, but its true. I've even started jogging(!!!) I'm not going to become a gym bunny anytime soon but I am starting to look after myself a lot more and having the motivation and willpower to do that is something I never really thought I'd have.
Something to do
Well where do I even start with this one? I am just so bloody busy right now. Sometimes it's good busy and sometimes it's just flat out boring, but I have no time for anything either way.
College is eating up a lot of hours with studying, and I'm spending as much free time as I can meeting up with friends, so relaxing isn't exactly something I'm specialising in right now but thats okay.
For the first time in a long time I feel like my life is full and that I am getting somewhere. I've had a bit of a shake up lately but I'm feeling good. I know I am going to live an amazing, beautiful life and I cannot wait to see how it all turns out.
Thanks for reading!
x
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