Afternoon Tea at The White Horse Romsey

If there is one thing I love doing with friends, it's going for afternoon tea and this was all started by my Nan a few years ago. My Nan took all her grand-daughters for afternoon tea and we had such a lovely time that it has become something I do quite regularly now, it's just a really great way to spend time with the ones I love. The White Horse in Romsey have recently been awarded highly commended in the Afternoon Tea Awards 2018 so with that in mind, I spent a rainy afternoon curled up in a huge armchair with friends sipping tea and eating warm scones. 

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Why we upgraded to the Sleepyhead Grand

Sleep is a big topic when it comes to babies and it doesn't let up the older they get. I've been asked how Joshua sleeps by shop cashiers, waiters and strangers and it's something I always find a bit odd. We become obsessed with how babies sleep whether they're ours or not and it's something I really try not to discuss.

If there is one way to bring out the sleep-deprived green-eyed monster in other parents, it's having a child who sleeps relatively well.

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Our Weaning Favourites

Weaning is an absolute minefield and nothing can prepare you for the fear of your little one choking whenever they put the slightest crumb near their lips. It's partly why we went down the traditional weaning route of purees. That way we knew exactly what Joshua was eating and there was low risk of choking as it was smooth purees. Now Joshua is nine months old, we're much more adventurous and he has a variety of finger foods and fruit and vegetables alongside his puree meals. We make some bits of his food ourselves but we love the ease of what is available in the shops.

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He's Crawling! Home Safety with Fred

If there's one thing we've learnt this month it's that babies move really fast and our home is incredibly unsafe. It seems like only yesterday Joshua was a little cute lump not really doing much and now he's whizzing around, trying to eat chargers and push the tv off the stand so we've had to go full-scale home safety to stop the little devil from hurting himself and us having a heart attack. 

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The new Astonishing illusion show on P&O Cruises

In June, Southampton Bloggers headed down to Ocean Terminal in Southampton for an astonishing day with P&O Cruises at the official premiere of their brand new magic and illusion show produced by Stephen Mulhern and Jonny Wilkes. The brand new show combines the talents of both to create an incredible and interactive show to get guests exclaiming wow from their seats on P&O Cruises. 

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Step on-board Celebrity Silhouette

A few weeks ago, I was invited on to explore another cruise ship with Hays Travel and you guys know I like my ships so I obviously jumped at the chance. This time it was Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Silhouette which was docked in Southampton before a Baltic cruise which FYI I am dying to do! 

It was another gloriously sunny day and after meeting at Mayflower Terminal, grabbing our passes and heading through security, we made our way on to the ship and into Ocean View cafe for fresh pastries, coffee and juices before we went off in our own tour groups for the day. I took my mum on-board with me for the day so we mooched around, escaped out on to the deck for photos and had lots of fun. 

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Take a bite of Mexico at Wahaca

(Complimentary meal for the purpose of review - see disclaimer)

I've never been a huge fan of Mexican food, I don't mind an El Paso kit on a Friday night but that's usually my limits, Arran, however, loves it so over the years I've had to accept him and his love for nachos, enchiladas, tacos and more. We first visited Wahaca last year in the early stages of my pregnancy and I hated it, nausea and tacos aren't a match made in heaven so when Wahaca recently introduced a new menu and invited me back, I thought why not?! And do you know what? I loved it! You can imagine the smile on Arran's face when I told him. 

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The ultimate cider experience at The Stable

If there is one thing that get's me in the mood for summer, it's an ice cold cider but my knowledge of cider goes as far as Crabbie's. I've spoken of The Stable a few times on this blog because it's somewhere Arran and I love to eat and recently I headed back for a Southampton Bloggers event which involved cider tasting and of course plenty of pizza. We chose a very sunny Sunday to head into our local Stable so an refreshing cider went down a treat! 

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Make the most of ParkLives this summer

*This is a sponsored post* 

For the last few years, I've been making the most of Park Lives which is completely free and the ideal way to get out in the fresh air in the beautiful local parks we have in Southampton. Park Lives from Coca Cola is now in its third year and you'll find numerous activities to take part in across the city, you'll get to meet people from all walks of life and you get to feel good about yourself by getting outside.

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Seaside in the Square Southampton

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside, oh I do like to be beside the sea! We're all familiar with the song but what if I told you the seaside has come to the centre of Southampton? In the middle of various restaurants, bars, coffee houses and offices there is now a beach and it's going to be the place to be this Summer in Southampton. 

From 20th July to 22nd August in Guildhall Square, Seaside in the Square will be playing host to over a hundred events for all ages from yoga to beach football and outdoor cinema nights to a Nandos takeover. You are guaranteed to find something perfect for you.

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Simple Home Styling with Desenio

*This is a sponsored post* 

Making a house a home can take love, care, attention and especially some time. I'm very much the interior queen in our home, I have a soft spot for candles, lanterns and storage baskets much to Arran's annoyance but one thing we haven't quite found our way with is wall art and prints. We have a couple we love, a canvas of us on the night of our engagement party and of course snaps of Joshua but we haven't quite found our style throughout the rest of our home until now thanks to discovering Desenio.

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Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas

This is a paid partnership with Royal Caribbean - see disclaimer

Cruising has changed massively the last few years, what was once the ideal holiday for older generations has fast become an option for all ages and to keep up with the demand ships are getting bigger, better and more magnificent. Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas has recently come back from an incredible refit so I grabbed my pass and hopped onboard to discover the 154-tonne cruise ship while she was docked in Southampton. We had glorious weather, clear blue skies and temperatures pushing the thirties it was as if we were already on holiday. It was just a shame we had to get off. 

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The Pork Lovers Tour 2018

This is a paid partnership with Pork Lovers - see disclaimer

Over the next coming weeks, up and down the United Kingdom you might spot something big, something pink and something to satisfy the foodie in you! The Pork Lovers Tour has arrived in the UK for the largest travelling promotion of Spanish pork, something I am a huge fan of after my many years of living in Spain.

You just can't beat Chorizo.

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A South East Delight by Jane Devonshire

Last week, I spent an evening with a group of fabulous bloggers, Marks & Spencer and 2016 Masterchef winner, Jane Devonshire. Over a delicious spread of speciality cheeses, sweet chutney, summer delights and of course Percy Pigs we talked food, food and more food. Hampshire based chef, Jane Devonshire has come up with the M&S Best Ever South East Burger using ingredients from Marks & Spencer so I headed into store to pick up everything I'd need to recreate the burger at home in time for the football last weekend. 

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8 Reasons to visit The Mulberry Bush Nursery

This is a paid partnership with The Mulberry Bush Nursery - see disclaimer

We're coming up to the time that nurseries are a main topic of conversation and after our visit to The Mulberry Nursery last month it felt like a good time to look back over all the information from the day and reasons as to why we really do love it so much. 

The Mulberry Bush Nursery recently held its latest open day at their Bitterne Park home and with the nursery now complete, it was the perfect time to head back and take a look around. The Mulberry Bush Nurseries first opened in 2013, located in Locks Heath between Southampton and Portsmouth, started by husband and wife team, Oliver and Rachael with their most recent nursery opening in Bitterne Park offering premium daycare for babies, toddlers and young children.

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Come onboard Holland America Line Zuiderdam

Hi, my name is Alice and I love cruise ships! You know those weird and wonderful facts you discover about people? Well, that is one of mine and in the last few months, I've been getting to live my happy cruise ship obsessed life by hopping on to a number of cruise ships to explore. A few weeks ago, I was invited to experience Holland America Line and one of their ships, MS Zuiderdam which is a Vista Class cruise ship and like nothing I've ever seen before. 

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Celebrate the Summer

Summer is officially here and for once, we have the weather to go with it. This year is our first summer with Joshua so making sure we had everything we needed in the garden was pretty high on my priority list. A paddling pool was essential but I couldn't resist everything else to go with it to make the perfect baby play area for our little squidge. There were two lifestyle and homeware companies I headed to first, Hema and Amara. I've shopped with both for the last year or so and I adore their products.

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HarBAR on 6th & The Dreamiest Roof Terrace

Ocean Village has had quite a bit of a make over in recent years with various apartments being built but not a lot else. You're really limited for choice for food and sometimes bar options so the Southampton Harbour Hotel was a fabulous new addition to the area when it opened in 2017. With summer officially here, HarBAR on 6th held a Summer Terrace launch to really see in the warmer months and for once, the weather played ball. 

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