Our New Bathroom

Back in April, I wrote about our excitement about having a new bathroom fitted, it was something that had been on our 'to do list' ever since moving in. Our old bathroom had not been looked after by the previous owners and appeared to be much older than it actually was. It was a room that that my other half did not like to use and would frequently say 'it creeps me out'.

Thankfully since our new bathroom has been installed he is much more relaxed and we can have a bath (we wouldn't use the old bath!). It really has made a massive difference in our day to day lives!

Apart from the tiles, which we bought from Homebase we purchased everything from Victorian Plumbing.

My inspiration can from a variety if sources, browsing showrooms, other bloggers new bathrooms, my friends new bathroom and of course Pinterest!

From the outset I knew I wanted the brick tiles, I've always loved these and think they look fabulous. I wanted black grouting to give a bit of a contrast and not have too much 'white'. 



 We also wanted a built in toilet and sink, with a modern rectangular sink. After much browsing I found that Victorian Plumbing had the best value products that had caught my eye and I liked the fact there was a choice of delivery options.

So I went ahead and placed our order. We went for the Barmby Shower Bath with a hinged screen, even though shower screens can be a bit of a pain to clean I personally prefer the look and finish over a shower curtain.

I was immediately attracted to the Milan Thermostatic shower when I saw it. I love the large 'fixed' square shower head and equally love the smaller moveable shower head. It's so easy to use, you simply turn the bar backwards for the larger fixed shower head and forwards for the other one.

We ordered the Turin High Gloss White Vanity Unit Bathroom Suite, I couldn't wait to be able to hide lots of the bathroom bits in the cabinet.

To coordinate I ordered a bath and sink tap together which was the Milan Modern Basin Mixer and bath filler.

To ensure the bathroom had a more modern feel I also wanted a heated towel rail and went for the Diamond rail.

We also ordered radiator valves, the bath panel and bath waste.

We are all thoroughly enjoying our new bathroom, although it took Eliot a couple of baths to get used to the new one, he was asking for the old one back!

We still need to do a couple of things like paint the ceiling and get a blind fitted, which will be easy enough to sort quickly.

After that our next 'house job' is to get the downstairs toilet sorted, we had that ripped out over a year ago and had an idea of making it into a utility room but have decided it will better off as a toilet. Then we'd also like to sort the ensuite in our room but that won't be for a while.  

In my excitement of having a new bathroom fitted I also bought lots of bits to go in our new bathroom, you can watch the haul below to see what I purchased!



Have you had or are hoping to have a new bathroom makeover soon? I'd love to read about your ideas/see finished results!

Our Autumn Break & Peppa Pig World

Last week we went on a little holiday to Dorset with my parents. The OH couldn't get down until Wednesday due to work but myself and Eliot enjoyed the whole five days! The break was actually booked through The Sun's £9.50 holidays deal after my parents collected tokens and kindly treated us to a little break. You had to pay extra for entertainment passes and for electricity but overall it was a pretty good deal. If you're able to get away during term time there are some fantastic places to choose from on the deal.

We stayed at Parkdean Sanford a caravan park with a good range of facilities. We arrived around 5pm, checked in and drove round to our caravan, which was a luxury one much to our surprise. Everywhere was immaculate, it had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, even a washing machine! It was just perfect for a little break away with all the home comforts which I personally think you need when you have a baby especially if you are sterilising bottles.

 Once we'd  unpacked we headed for a nosey around the main building, Eliot was quite taken by Lizzies Limo ride in the arcade, particularly spinning the wheel! We checked out the restaurant and as it was getting late for Eliot, we decided to eat there. The menu was varied but in our opinion was overpriced. We weren't overwhelmed with the food, particularly my mum. After that we went into the main hall to see Sid and Lizzie (the Parkdean characters) say goodnight before I took Eliot back to the caravan for bed.

 Eliot slept through every night which was lovely and enjoyed having his breakfast watching Peppa Pig on channel 5.

Once we were all ready we went into Poole for the day, had a wander round the quay and shops. My mum and I also enjoyed clotted cream scones, a must when your away by the sea!

Before leaving Parkdean for the day on Tuesday and Wednesday Eliot had lots of fun in the Crazy Caves (soft play) and it was amazing only sharing with one other baby, one time and then having it all to ourselves!

 

On Wednesday we went to Swanage and had stroll by the sea, fed seagulls and I repeatedly failed at winning anything out of the teddy grabber machines! The OH arrived in the afternoon.

Thursday was my favourite day, I was super excited to be taking Eliot to Peppa Pig World at Paultons Park, as he has recently become a bit of a Peppa Pig fan! Unfortunately the weather wasn't on our side and it rained on and off the whole day but we still had lots of fun. It also meant the park wasn't that busy and we hardly had to queue for the rides.

Entry is free for little ones under one meter so we didn't need to buy a ticket for Eliot. Eliot was able to go on all of the rides in Peppa Pig World apart from one as he wasn't quite tall enough.
There is also a large indoor play area which has different sections for different ages. It was simply fab, by far the best ever soft play area I've stepped into!

We also visited Peppa's house which was pretty cute but a little disappointing on the inside, it would have been nice if they'd made it bigger. Still all the kids were excited and that's the main thing.

 We then had a wander around the rest of the park and found a bouncy castle and trampoline area undercover that Eliot had a bit of play in. The OH and I also had a go on some of the 'older' rides whilst my mum looked after Eliot. We wandered back to Peppa Pig World through the gardens and had a look at some of the birds at a nice leisurely pace.

We arrived back in Peppa Pig World just in time for the last few rides, flying a helicopter, driving a car and sailing in Grandad Pigs boat.

 This was Eliot's favourite ride, he threw tantrums when it had finished on previous go's. Luckily he didn't make a fuss on his final turn!

Wanting to drive again!

I would definitely book a holiday with Parkdean in the future as I was impressed with the facilities and caravan we stayed in. There's no doubt we will be back to Peppa Pig World in the future too as it's brilliant for tots!

Here's a little video of our hol, including a caravan nose and Peppa Pig World!

Have you visited Peppa Pig World/Stayed with Parkdean?

 

Disclaimer-I was not asked to write about Parkdean or Peppa Pig World, all views are my own.

New Hair & A&E

If you follow me on twitter or Instagram you may have seen that I paid a long overdue visit to the hairdressers. And when I say long overdue I mean a year and a half :-0
The last time I had my bonce cut is when I was three months pregnant with Eliot. I realise this is probably 'shock horror' for many people but seriously time really does fly. Needless to say the ends of my hair were in a terrible condition and my poor locks really were crying out for a revamp.
I went to a salon I hadn't been to in my home town before. Luckily I walked in at the right time and just had to wait ten minutes for my haircut.
I talked through what I wanted with the hairdresser and she got to work.
It was literally like a weight off my shoulders as she snipped away! I love it, it looks and feels so much better and I can actually do something with it whereas before I was just scraping it up out of the way. Overall I'm very pleased with the cut but why oh why do hairdressers always take off more than you requested?
Feeling good about my hair I went shopping in the hope that I may have some success with outfits for Britmums. My mum was looking after Eliot so I made the most of baby free shopping! I bought a few things but I'm not overly happy with them, I need to try them on again.

When I arrived back at my mums she said that Eliot had had an accident. He'd fallen off the bed face first. My little man had a red nose and upper lip. He hadn't been sick, there was no bleeding and he didn't have any bumps. We thought to be on the safe side we'd take him down to A&E to get checked over. He did seem ok in himself but as I hadn't been there when the accident occurred I wanted some medical reassurance he was ok.
As expected there was a fair bit of waiting involved, Eliot got cranky as he wanted to crawl all over the floor.
We saw a nurse who assessed him first of all. He was a bit uncooperative but thankfully she said he appeared ok but we would need to wait for a doctor to check him over.
It wasn't too long before we were called again. The doctor asked some more questions and carried out some checks, much to Eliot's disapproval. E was not a happy bunny and screamed the place down. But after his battle with the doctor we were told that all looked well, thank goodness! We were advised to bring him back if there was any further concern.

                Having a late dinner & choc buttons after his ordeal.
                                   
                       So I guess it's true, Friday 13th is unlucky for some!

Have you had any bad luck on Friday 13th?

Sheridan AW14 Collection

Last week I attended the Shridan press event in central London. If you haven't heard of Sheridan before they are an Australian brand with innovative designs that ooze the highest quality.

On arrival I was offered some prosecco but I opted for sparkling water instead, better to be safe than sorry when I was returning home to mummy duties! Before I had a chance to look at the collection I was lucky enough to get a manicure, what a treat! Whilst my nails were being beautified I eyed up this gorgeous bedding. I loved the peacock inspired print.

When my nails were (almost) good to go after I'd already smudged them once I was shown the rest of the collection by one of their lovely team.
I am a HUGE fan of floral print so this bedding was right up my street! I love how the stripes work so well with the floral.

Later this year Sheridan's loungwear range for men and women will also be available, from basic cottons to wrap overs.

My favourite piece from the clothing collection had to be this cardigan with knot feature. I love grey, it's lightweight and that knot helps hide some sins!

Overall though my favourite collection was the baby range. This striped blanket is so adorable and the blue blanket to the left is named the 'Elliott blanket'. A firm fave as it shares the same name as Eliot!

I must admit I do get jealous of girls clothes and accessories as they are so pretty. It was the same with Sheridan's bedding rnage. Just look at this beautiful print on a baby sleep bag!

 

Have you browsed the Sheridan collection yet?

The Food Shop and Picnic Fun #Morrisons Mum 1

Last week I received some rather exciting mail from BritMums and Morrisons. I'd been chosen to be one of their #MorrisonsMums to help promote Morrisons 'New Everyday Prices'.

 Over a thousand price cuts have been made on the products we buy most and the great thing is those prices are here to stay, they are not just another promotion!

 

'This is the start of a new cheaper Morrisons.'

 

 So armed with Morrisons vouchers we headed to one of our nearest stores, in Wimbledon. When we arrived, Eliot got comfy in the trolley and we began our shop. We quickly spotted the products that had price reductions via their easy to spot labels. 

Morrisons 'New Everday Prices' are marked with the 'I'm cheaper' label.
 

 I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was not only Morrisons own brand range that had price reductions but also plenty of other brands too!

 

One thing I particularly like about Morrison stores is the way their fresh produce is displayed on 'Market Street'. We picked up some lovely fruit and veg. It wasn't too long before our trolley was virtually over flowing!

One thing we quite fancied eating over the weekend was pizza, not completely from scratch because if the weather was good (which it was) we wanted to get out and about without worrying about rushing home to prep food. What we wanted were pizza bases so we could add our own toppings. There weren't any bases with the fresh pizzas so we asked a member of staff to help us locate some. He was friendly, helpful and tracked down what we were after! Shortly after it was time to head to the checkout. Our shop included some  yellow stickered reduced items as well as products with the new price cuts so we did come away with some great  deals and value for money!

 

 

There was one slight problem though, we bought so much we needed to use Eliot's pram as a trolley to help us get everything up to our flat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Then of course there was the unpacking to do!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following morning the sun was shining so we decided to go for a picnic. I made some cheese and spinach muffins to take along with us. And of course other 'usual' picnic food, we made ham and tuna sandwiches (not together!), hot smkoked salmon flakes, baguette, houmous, crisps, yogurt, strawberries banana, cucumber and sparkling water. All were purchased on our Morrisons shop.



 Making muffins!

 

 Just out of the oven

 

 

Getting ready to slice some cucumber and strawberries. 

 

Eliot and his packed lunch. 

 

We had a lovely time at the park and enjoyed a great value picnic.

 

Here's a video of our Morrisons Shop and picnic.

 

 

See our second blog post including our favourite recipe here

 

*We were sent vouchers to spend in Morrisons



Review-The Lobster House Restaurant

Last week Eliot's Nana M was kind enough to babysit one evening so we could steal a rare few hours of 'us time'! We headed down to The Lobster House,  a 'seafood, steak & champagne pontoon bar', nicely situated on The River Thames in Wandsworth. A perfect setting for dinner.
When we arrived we were greeted by the pleasant staff who showed us to a table in the window, overlooking the Thames.

We ordered some drinks and began browsing the menu. I opted for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, which was served chilled to perfection! A bug bear I've inherited from my parents is serving wine at the wrong temperature, so I'm happy to report there were no issues in the 'vino' area here!

 

On the menu there were a selection of starters, predominantly seafood based with a vegetarian option. We didn't order any starters, instead we went for a couple of side dishes with our main courses instead.

No prizes for guessing that lobster is at the top of the menu in this restaurant, however it wasn't the dish I selected. I'm not keen on lobster, the taste,  having it served in its full form before having to break and crack it open. Not for me. However it was what the other half ordered and what the other diners went for.

I had a struggle choosing between a fish or meat dish. I do love a good steak but I  was also drawn to the Atlantic cod in a tempura batter. In the end I went for the cod.

Dinner was served and we got stuck in! The fish was cooked perfectly and 'fell away' as it should. The batter was light and crispy, certainly not heavy or greasy like some batters can be. It was served with fries, peas and tarter sauce.

For our extra sides we ordered sautéed spinach and onion rings. Like the fish, the onion ring batter was not greasy and they tasted great. I loved the sautéed spinach but couldn't eat too much as it was a little salty for me.

The OH was impressed with his lobster, he described as 'succulent and fresh'. Apart from it being, as expected a bit fiddly, the OH thoroughly enjoyed his meal choice!

We had just enough space to share a dessert which again was a tricky decision as there were a couple that caught my eye. The OH managed to narrow it down for us and I singled out the chocolate fondant. I was more than happy with that choice, it was delicious! All in all melt in the middle chocolate goodness beautifully presented!

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here and a few hours off from parent duties for some 'us time'. Definitely worth checking out particularly if you're a lobster or seafood fan! This would be an ideal venue for date nights, celebrations or simply catching up with friends. On first impressions I assumed the restaurant wasn't particularly family friendly but I soon discovered they have changing facilities and highchairs available.

* We were given £40 off our bill in exchange for a review. All views and opinions are entirely my own. 

Review-Ozeri Green Earth Pan

 

 I have been lucky enough to review a couple of the Ozeri Products in the past and have been impressed. So when I had the opportunity to review the Green Earth Pan , I of course said yes!

The first thing I noticed was the quality, a sturdy well made pan that also comes with a lifetime warrenty (as long as it hasn't been misused).

 

With an eight inch diameter this pan is perfect for cooking food such as mini omelettes and pancakes. I've also found it useful for cooking small/baby portions of vegetables or meat.

Its 'scratch resistant100 ceramic coating' makes cooking and cleaning a doddle! And an easy clean pan is always a bonus in my books! It also 'Boasts a comfortable heat resistant Bakelight handle, and a magnetized induction stove safe base for rapid heat transfer'.

 

What makes this pan different from many others is the fact it has a 'natural ceramic' coating and is free from harmful chemicals such as PTFE which can release harmful toxic chemicals at a high temperature and PFOA which pollutes the environment.

 

'With the Green Pan's Ceramic coating, even under high temperatures, no harmful toxic fumes will ever be released into the environment'.

 

The colour of the pan, like its name is green. It may not be to everyone's tastes but I love the 'freshness' it brings to my kitchen. 

We've found it fantastic and even took it on holiday with us for when we did cook in our accommodation.

We took it away with us to use!

The Ozeri Green Earth Pan is currently on offer for £24.95 on  Amazon

* I was sent the product in exchange for a review.  All views are entirely my own