Review: Bodean's BBQ

A little while ago I popped in to Bodean's Soho Branch with the family for a late lunch. We were seated in the upstairs area for the first time, which has a totally different atmosphere to the downstairs "Rib Room" restaurant area. Personally, I prefer the atmosphere downstairs, where there are proper tables and booths versus bar stools and high counters. I find it really difficult to sit on high stools with my dodgy hips and knees but we didn't have 45 minutes to wait for a table so I made do! 

As an extra bonus, upon being presented with the kids menu we discovered that kids eat free from noon until five pm. I knew this deal ran during the week but I didn't realise it applied at the weekend also. The little man tucked in to a cheeseburger the size of his head, fries and honeycomb ice cream at the precise cost of zero pounds. Winning. 

All the food! Including munchkin's free burger back right.

My boyfriend and I decided to share the burnt ends and pulled pork combo with extra sides of chilli cheese fries (always, I'm obsessed), barbecue beans and he wanted to the try the cornbread muffins (which came served simply with butter). The portion size was hefty for one person and just a little small for two, though it's worth taking into consideration that I have a crap digestive system so eat like a mouse. 

Burnt Ends and Pulled Pork Combo

Bodean's pulled pork is some of the most succulent and flavoursome I've had. It's fast becoming a favourite of mine and Bodean's would likely be my first choice destination to head to scratch the itch if I was craving. They also do a delicious pulled pork quesadilla as a starter, which I've previously ordered as lighter lunch time option with no problems, I'd highly recommend it. Burnt ends are the boyfriend's favourite and we throughly enjoyed them, though a few of our chunks were a little fatty which made them fiddly to eat. The fries were pretty much just fries, same with beans, yummy but nothing outstanding. The chilli cheese fries similarly were kept simple and classic but oh so tasty! The chilli itself was pretty dry allowing them to keep their crispness on the outside while being fluffy on the inside, rather than turning obscenely soggy as usually happens. 

I decided to try dessert for the first time, having saved room on sharing a meal. I opted for one of the great value coffee and dessert combos offered at £5, for a half portion of brownie or apple cobbler or a whole portion of Key Lime Pie plus a coffee of your choice. My latte was a little too bitter for my tastes but the Key Lime Pie was sensational! The topping was so creamy, light and smooth interspersed with small slivers of lime peel. It was refreshing and not at all sickly, I'd definitely order again. 

They have a few branches dotted around London, if you're planning a visit ahead of time be sure you get online and register yourself for their Q card loyalty scheme, giving you access to perks such as free deserts (Thursday) or free shots (Friday and Saturday). 

Katy x

Please excuse the poor lighting in the photos, there was only a neon pink light near our table!

Review: Marco Pierre White's Rudloe Arms

This year I decided to buy my boyfriend an experience gift, rather than an object, as his main Christmas present. Coincidentally, it also happened to be a treat for myself too. How did that happen?! Wink wink nudge nudge! 

I purchased a Groupon voucher for a night away, including three course evening meal and full cooked breakfast for two, staying at the Marco Pierre White Rudloe Arms at a cost of £125. This seemed like a really good offer and after spending ages tossing up between a weekend away or a luxury mini break in the UK, seeing this sealed the deal. I was lucky to be able to get my first choice of date when booking the voucher and we set off on Saturday afternoon, very much ready for some time to ourselves without our small humans around! The hotel is located just outside Bath and was very easy to find travelling from London. In this part of my review I'm going to focus on the hotel itself. I'll review the food separately so as to avoid this becoming too lengthy! 

Upon arrival we drove up a narrow, tree lined driveway and were greeted with this beautiful old building. Check in was straightforward and we were told our room would be in the newer building a minute or two by foot back down the driveway. I have to say, I was a little disappointed by this but only due the fact I struggle with too much walking. 

Entering our room I was blown away by the size of it! There could definitely be no complaints about it being cramped! We walked into a living room with two large sofas and a chair, off which was a small kitchen complete with cooker (but no equipment, other than basic tea and coffee facilities). Through the living area was the bedroom, with a double bed and small tv. To the right was the bathroom, which was one of the only areas I felt slightly let down the overall feel of the room as it had marks on the walls where it seemed to be mid refurbishment. Overall, I was hugely impressed with the room and suspect we were actually allocated a suite. 

We made our way up for dinner and enjoyed a drink in the bar beforehand. They had a wide selection of wines and spirits. Personally, I loved the quirky decor, particularly the welcoming signs and jukebox!

As we made our way through to the restaurant I started to pay a little more attention to the surroundings around reception. I'd read more than a handful of reviews deriding the decor as "weird", "freaky" and "strange". Upon seeing it first hand, I have to totally disagree! It was perfect for our personalities and a cheeky weekend away. Many of the large black and white photos on the walls did heavily feature fetish themes, such as rope bondage and latex, but they were never vulgar. I found them both beautiful and tasteful. Perhaps not the place to book for your grandparents or parents though! ;-)

The restaurant itself was lovely, and very well presented for both dinner and breakfast. All staff we encountered were fabulous and extremely helpful. I'd definitely recommend this place to any of my friends for a weekend away! 

Katy x 

Lush: A Lesson in Amazing Customer Service!

A little while ago (Black Friday to be exact) I found myself around Oxford Street, five year old in tow, on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. After the usual musings that I must be a little daft to even attempt going near a busy shop with legs that don't work properly and a penchant for fainting in queues, I decided to head to Lush's Oxford Street store. 

It was my third visit and each time I go in I'm always struck by how fantastic the staff are. Laid back yet approachable, they never make me feel rushed and they're utterly untroubled by my granny stick (I have a fabulous floral walking stick, it resembles your grandmother's carpet or such like). As alway they were super busy, despite not offering any Black Friday discounts and the mini me and I headed in. The entire shop is a treasure trove of magic to us, like the Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory of the body product world. No sooner had we stepped through the door and we were greeted with a bath bomb demo in the biggest sink you've ever seen! 

We made our way to the back, stocked up on our favourites, including everything Rose Jam and then jumped in the lift up to the next floor where all the fizz banging, glitter popping, bath bombs were to be found. 

Little Snow Fairy gift box, Dashing Santa Bath Bomb, Peeping Santa Bubble Bar, Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment, Butterbear, The Comforter Bubble Bar, Luxury Lush Pud. 

The customer service we received was truly above and beyond! Trying to make decisions and fill my basket with walking stick and child was difficult, I was soon rescued by a member of staff, who offered to take him to play with their fun. A magic squidgy soap-slash-play doh hybrid. While they were busying themselves making Santa, I took the opportunity to sneak the bath bombs I wanted for his Christmas Eve box into my basket, mission accomplished! After I wandered back over and thanked her profusely we continued browsing, until she tapped me on the shoulder and presented him with his own set of Santa Fun to carry on the fun at home. If you ever happen to see this, thank you so much Georgie! 

He then spent a full five minutes trying to decide whether to buy the Snowman Shower Jelly or Fairy Dust (pink, sparkle body dust) from his pocket money. We had another interaction with a fab staff member who let him test them both and he finally settled on the Fairy Dust. Happy with our lot, we wandered over to the till but a small tap on Edward's shoulder stopped him. He'd been presented with another gift, the shower jelly he'd been pining over! 

Overjoyed, we finally went to pay. The cashier asked if the Fairy Dust was his and he suddenly became flustered and embarrassed. He whispered that it was and I explained that my munchkin is often picked on by the other boys at school for liking pink, taking ballet lessons and being too "girly". We chatted and I paid but instead of handing over the bag, she strolled over and grabbed the Intergalactic bath bomb. Popping it in a bag, she turned to my gorgeous squish boy and said it was her gift to him, so long as he promised to carry on being himself because he was great and he should never let the nasty comments of the other boys at school get him down. 

By that point the generosity and kindness shown to us by staff was just too overwhelming and we both cried in the lift back down. I honestly want to thank those staff members from the bottom of my heart for making my boy feel accepted and worthwhile, what you gave him, a certainty that it's okay to be himself, was priceless. 

After leaving the store we saw a homeless man and his dog sat outside. Partially to teach my monkey that it's also important to give, we decided to pop in to a nearby Boots and buy him food and supplies. He was so grateful that I ended up shedding further tears. Now, every time we walk past someone who sadly has no place to go but the cold pavement, on little squish's request, we go into the nearest shop or cafe and buy them a meal.

After all, it's important to pay it forward. 

Katy x 

Welcome to a Shiny New Year!

At the end of my last post I mentioned wanting to set myself some aims, rather than resolutions, for 2016. A list of ambitions for the next 366 days (no, that's not a typo folks, this fine year is a leap year. Engagement rings at the ready ladies *wink wink*). 

My first aim for the forthcoming months is to continue to write regularly on my blog! Thank goodness, I hear you all cry. No, but seriously, I'm really enjoying having somewhere to write about things I've found fun or interesting and I'm hopeful that this time next year, I'll be able to look back on a catalogue of memories that I've written out here, sharing my life with both you and my future self. I'm also planning to eat at a new restaurant or visit a totally new place at least once a month to help keep things fresh!

Secondly, I'd like to achieve some bookings to look after other peoples' pride and joy(s). Of course I'm talking about their pussycats! I've recently decided that cat sitting could be a small income for me that would work well around my illnesses and the fact I often need to nap. Frankly, I can't think of a better way to spend my time than being a paid cuddle buddy to a super cute kitty! I'm also looking at doing a feline first aid course over at Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, an awesome cat cafe that I blogged about here last week. My own furbies (furry babies = furbies) seem prepared to vouch that I'm highly qualified, should anyone request a professional reference, I'm currently typing from under a Siamese scarf! Much skill!

Maintaining my mental and physical health (as far as I possibly can) are also top priorities! To do this I'll be focusing on continued self care, taking time out to ensure I'm looking after my body and mind. I've recently had a little mini splurge on a new set of beauty products and I'll be focusing on making sure I keep on top of a new facial skincare routine, aiming to help clear up recent breakouts and stave off signs of ageing, I'm closer to thirty than twenty now after all! My recent Lush sale haul means relaxing, candlelit baths will be a frequent feature and I can't wait to make my way through the veritable mountain of bubble bars and bath bombs I have stashed! I also ordered one of the beautiful 100-Day Happiness Planners on a whim in between Christmas and New Year. They're currently on pre-order and it's due to arrive any day. I'm curious as to it's contents, having not seen a lot but I've heard wonderful things. I'll be sure to keep you all updated on how I progress with it! 

Finally, I want to ensure that I continue to build and grow my current friendships and family relationships. To put as much time and love in to being there for people as I possibly can, building on friendships that currently only have basic foundations and keep polishing those that are already big, shiny skyscrapers. To work on my communication and be sure to call my grandparents to check in on them at least once a month is something I'm currently feeling very passionate about, having recently called my grandad and literally heard his smile over the airwaves (or whatever these things work on)! 

I'd love to hear your goals for 2016 if you've set any! 

Katy x