We went to Poland. Yep, we flew on New Year’s Day to Krakow for a little mini break. Now, let me tell you, it was budget – I used my Nectar card points to buy some of the break on Expedia, so it wasn’t exactly a ‘treat’ in terms of luxury. READ MORE
Well hello, look a bit of a disclaimer to start with – this book is written by a lovely lady called Angela Romeo (what a gorgeous name!) who I met when I used to be in little recipe films for Sainsburys. This was not very long after the Bake Off had finished and was my first proper job where I made real money rather than breaking even, or, shock horror, pay to work. There is SO much of that in the early days of blogging. If you are new to it and feel like you give more than you receive then just hang on in there, it does get better! READ MORE
“Hi Holly, would you like to review a gastro weekend including pies, cheese and beer?”
“Erm, let me think…”
I reckon it took all of half a second, maybe a quarter, to say a huge yes please. READ MORE
Now do you remember me telling you all about the Maiyango closing menu I went to? No? Well, if not, here it is. The big question I was left with after enjoying some delicious food was what on earth was going to take the place of Maiyango? Some might say that the owner is a master of marketing – there were lots of teasers but nothing concrete for some weeks. You could even book into the new restaurant (in advance of it re-opening) without knowing anything about it! A lot of mystery and intrigue.
I have two lovely book reviews for you. I am lucky enough to be sent lots of lovely books ahead of publication but these two I wanted to tell you about as I enjoyed them both very much (for very different reasons). READ MORE
I love bees. Bees are good. We all know that. Trying to convince my little boys that anything buzzy is a good thing is not so easy when one of them has been strung by a wasp and hence, all things that buzz and fly are potential givers of pain. READ MORE
Yes, I’m back! And I have another review for you. This time, given we’re in summer holidays full swing, I thought I’d tell you about a little trip I took with the kids to The Phoenix, our local independent cinema. READ MORE
I’ve made a conscious effort to pop more reviews up on the blog as I know from seeing my Facebook stats that people seem to like it. And I know that the summer holidays brings with it the conundrum of how to entertain the kids without spending a fortune or resorting to iPads. READ MORE
Maiyango is a restaurant (and hotel) in Leicester city centre. It opened 12 years ago and caused quite a stir because back in those days Leicester didn’t have many non-chains to eat in. In fact, Leicester was a bit of a foodie wasteland. And then Maiyango kind of led the way. I remember going not long after it opened and being impressed by the food and kind of Moroccan style dreamy decor. I took clients there 7 years ago for Christmas dos and secretly asked the bartender to make my cocktails virgin as I was pregnant. He kept my secret and no one was any the wiser. READ MORE
So, as a disclaimer I should mention that I absolutely love the Phoenix. I have been a customer since, ahem, 1996. The Phoenix is an independent cinema and arts venue in Leicester where they show some mainstream films, some subtitled films, live streams of opera, theatre and dance as well as other arty exhibitions. It used to be based near to De Montfort University and Gateway College (where I did my A Levels) and was the place that first introduced me to the joys of a hummus sandwich. You could say it’s the longest and most fulfilling love affair I’ve ever had. READ MORE
Holly Bell 