Category: Reviews

1. Guess who just flew into Birmingham Airport?

   Posted on 10:01pm Monday 22nd Jun 2015

   Okay, the title may be a little luring but that is nothing compared to the temptation of the new Marcos restaurant close to Birmingham Airport. Marco's New York Italian is situated at the Holiday Inn, just 10 minutes from the NEC / Genting Arena, Birmingham International rail station and Birmingham International Airport .As a Midlands lass, I couldn't wait to try it out and Fathers Day seemed like the perfect opportunity.

   I have to admit that I was a little unsure of what to expect with the "New York Italian" description but with Marcos name above the door, there was a certain expectation of the food and ambience and it didn't disappoint.

   

   From Italian dishes including mouth-watering Italian sharing platters, fresh seafood, home-made pizza and pasta to American favourites such as succulent steaks, burgers and Marco's special BBQ ribs (which were my starter of choice and were absolutely divine). We enjoyed the set Fathers Day menu, for the exceptionally good price of £19.95 for 3 courses (or £16.95 for 2) and for every table of 4, Dad ate for FREE (but shhhhh don't tell my Dad that I didn't pay for his meal!!).

   With the exception of my Mum, we all chose the beef main course and it didn't disappoint. I was initially worried that the meat was a little on the rare side for me (personal preference and all that) but it tasted exquisite. So much so that my Mum started pinching it off our plate after we had groaned in delight.

   

   The restaurant wasn't overly crowded, which was surprising given the affordable menu choices on the day we visited and the staff were extremely attentive. It will be interesting to see how they will cope as the bookings increase and the restaurant becomes more popular.

   I have to give particular mention to Karen, the restaurant manager, she was extremely welcoming, very professional and coaxed conversation out of a very shy toddler. It is always a worry when we take the children to nice restaurants, not because I am worried about how they will behave, but as to whether or not the restaurant "really" caters for children and welcomes families. We certainly felt welcomed by the whole team and the childrens menu gave a good selection - rather than the tiresome chicken nuggets and chips most restaurants insist on giving younger diners.

   We were seated on a circular table in the centre of the restuarant so were central to the "buzz" which was perfect for us but there are more secluded booths if you are choosing the venue for a romantic meal or business meeting. Every time I looked up from our table, I could see Marco looking down at me from his picture but we didn't get to see the man himself, although I can imagine it may be a little intimidating complaining about a meal if he was in the kitchen!
   

   

   The venue is well placed for motorway links and close enough to Solihull for those who may like to go out dancing afterwards and the only downside was the parking charge from the hotel, despite being discounted having dined in the restaurant.

   For me, it was the perfect way to spend Fathers Day with my husband, children and parents. Unfortunately for my husband, he was not feeling so well so couldn't finish his food (which is unheard of and no reflection on the restaurant) so we have made a resolution to go back to Marcos, so he can see what he was missing!

   For the avoidance of doubt, we paid for our meals and the thoughts, comments and compliments are our honest opinions. No recompense has been received for this review.

   

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2. Tween Fashion : Vertbaudet

   Posted on 9:25pm Monday 20th Apr 2015

   Anyone who has had the pleasure of "owning" a pre-teen girl will understand the difficulty of trying to juggle their changing shape, their frequent change in taste, attitude and fashion and certainly their change of mind. So with the warmer weather on the horizon, we were delighted to get the chance to look at some of the new summer range from Vertbaudet.

   In my mind, a denim jacket is a wardrobe staple whatever your age (unless you wear denim on denim and then I may have to question our friendship). The tween is suddenly a fan of a scarf or a snood with an outfit and with the addition of the shorts, this makes a winning combination in her eyes.

   I have always shopped with Vertbaudet, ever since she was a little girl is it great to see how the brand is evolving with current fashions but retaining the original quality and unique-ness that the brand has always had. 

   

   
   

   Tween Summer Fashion from Vertbaudet by littlelilypadco on Polyvore

   
   

   

   The jacket (£20), Scarf (£9) and Shorts (currently on offer at £8.10), make a whole outfit for just under £40, (I wish I could put an outfit together for myself for this amount) which means that it is not only on trend but affordable too, until she announces she can't decide between Havianna flip flops or Vans trainers!! Nevertheless, I have always found that Vertbaudet clothing comes up a little small so it maybe worth plumping for the next size up if you want it to last all summer.

   I loved that the shorts have an adjustable waistband inside with elastic and buttons (I can never understand why clothes designers don't do this in adults clothing, as my husband would love an adjustable waistband after a large meal!). This means that you "could" buy a slightly bigger size and the adjustable waist would make them last longer! White shorts are great key piece for a pre-teen ..... unless of course your little sister happens to have post-Easter chocolate covered hands. So as a mum, I adore that it is all machine washable at 40 degrees and as a long term customer, I know that they retain the colour, shape and design after countless washes. 

   I would love to show you images of her in the outfit but unless she is pulling a pouting selfie for her instagram feed, she simply isn't interested in posing for photos for her mums blog post (again the perils of having a tween). I will try and catch her when she isn't looking ..... and in the meantime, I am linking up with this weeks Wednesday's Wardrobe to share the great choices available on Vertbaudet this summer. 

    

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3. What is happening at Hatton World this Easter?

   Posted on 7:35pm Friday 3rd Apr 2015

   I have to admit something. I am not a natural outdoorsy kind of person. There I said it!

   BUT .... I do love going to Hatton Adventure World with the children and that is a whole heap of outdoors for me, so when we were invited to see what was new for their Easter Eggstravaganza, I knew that is what we would be doing this half term.

   Easter 2015 sees the launch of a new feature at Hatton Adventure World, their Outdoor Laser Combat.  It is suitable for over 8's only (and the grown ups too) and it is great to see that there is something for older children now as I do worry about the tween getting bored. There is all the usual Easter fun for the whole family, from Easter Bunny Hunts to the Easter Garden where children can search for eggs to exchange for chocolate treats.

   My girls insist on going to see the animals before we do anything else and we had to feed the greedy goats first.

   

   Then check out how much the pigs had grown since our last visit.

   

   Not forgetting checking the baby chicks.

   

   Then with the weather turning a bit chilly, the girls decided it was time to warm up on the bouncy castle.

   

   There is a full programme on over Easter including the new Tractor Safari, the Code Crackers Challenge (which was great fun) and the usual favourite of panning for gold and pony rides.

   

   The tween wanted to go on the Laser Combat (so did my husband) but the temperature had dropped significantly by this point and the rain started to fall, so we all wanted a bit of shelter, unfortunately Laser Combat wasn't it. The tween just about managed to get on the tube slide at the entrance but that was as far as we got. The layout of the Laser Combat looks brilliant and really well organised and the tween was gutted to miss out, although in her eyes it is just another reason to go back!

   

    All the Easter activities are on until the 12th April, so there is still time to go and enjoy. The weather forecast is better for next week too!

   

    

   

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4. It's a bit parky outside : Vertbaudet Girls Parka Review

   Posted on 10:00pm Sunday 8th Feb 2015

   If you hadn't noticed, it has gone a little chilly outside recently. More than a little chilly and for some reason, 9 year old girls insist that they don't feel the cold. If you are the proud owner of one of those 9 year old girls, you will surely know what I am talking about.

   They know best.

   They don't "need" to wear a coat.

   They certainly don't need a new one with a hood!

   We have spent the whole of January trying on new coats, they have been too big, too fluffy, too long, too green (!!) and I had a reality check about who was actually the decision maker in our parent / child relationship, so when Vertbaudet asked us to review one of this seasons Parka's from their children's range, I said yes.

   You can see her reaction to this removal of her choice....

   

   The coat is well made, it is shower proof and despite it's rain proofing qualities, it is warm and cozy with its fur lining. We love the selection of winter warmers that Vertbaudet has and we *may* have lost an hour of life browsing round the site. 

   

   
   

   Winter warmers for children by littlelilypadco on Polyvore

   Girl’s Showerproof Parka, £31, Girl’s Beret, Snood & Mittens Set, £17, Girl’s Hat, Snood & Gloves or Mittens Set, £17, Baby Boy’s Hat & Scarf Set, £12, Baby Girl’s Hat Scarf & Mittens Set, £16, Boy’s Trapper Hat, £11, Faux Fur Neck Warmer, £6

   There is a great selection online and colours for every picky 9 year old to choose from.

   My word of advice when buying, is to pick a colour you know they like (or get ready for a battle every single morning) and in the case of this particular design, buy a bigger size. It does come up a little snug, so when the cold chill really does hit, it may be more than a little cozy if she is wearing a jumper underneath.

   So if you are the proud owner of one of those choosy, particular and down right adorable 9 year olds, have a little look at Vertbaudet, it might just make one of those parenting battles a little easier today!

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