First Family Getaway to Alveston Manor

Though most of you can’t wait to see the end of January, I have got to say it’s been great. Each day seems to go by so quickly now that Alice is in our lives, and I bet that 2018 will be no different. One fine January day, we set off on an excursion to Stratford-upon-Avon for something rather exciting. Keep reading to find out about our first family getaway to Alveston Manor.

It seems that Alice is giving us an excuse to do some travelling around the UK, and so far in her first three months of life has ventured far and wide. Alveston Manor, part of the Macdonald Hotel Group, was kind enough to welcome us through its beautiful doors to explore what it had to offer.

Our room was a treat to behold. The bedroom come living room had a wonderful seating area which we made full use of. You could see how the hotel had been transformed from the old wooden beams still a prominent feature throughout. The bathroom was sleek and modern, while the bedroom outside took me right back to my childhood- like staying the night in my nanny’s cottage.

There was plenty of pampering on our first family getaway to Alveston Manor. Paul and I took it in turns to have a hot stone massage each. When it was my turn, I took Alice down to the Elemis spa to switch over, and she got to have a look around the chill out room, though no massage for her just yet!

Fully rested and relaxed, we made our way down to the hotel’s restaurant at 7pm. We each had a three course meal which made the evening so tasty. Alice sat and enjoyed watching all the goings on, and loved the look of my beetroot carpaccio with goat’s cheese starter!

Steak with potato purée and rosti

Warm chocolate brownie with ice cream

We took our desserts back up to the room and the staff were more than happy to accommodate this. Alice was well and truly done after such an exciting day!

The morning started off just as fantastic as the night finished. We were brought breakfast in bed- need I say more?

I enjoyed a cup of earl grey while looking out onto the manor’s gardens.

This was such a perfect first getaway to Alveston Manor, we all were so impressed with the rustic yet fresh venue.

Find your perfect room and book a stay at Alveston Manor this year.

Saharasplash x

Up for another blog post? Here’s what I got in the Aldi Baby and Toddler Event this month.

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What I got in the Aldi Specialbuy event

If you’ve seen the preview post I did last week on what to expect from the Alidi baby and toddler event, you are ready for what’s below! Aldi always goes above and beyond to bring its customers baby gifts and essentials at a fabulous price. Alternatives to the Sleepyhead have seen items sold out across the board, and this month it’s no different. See what I got in the Aldi Specialbuy event below, and make sure you head to your local to find your favourites!

It’s all about dinos!

I was super excited when I saw these matching dino pieces- the sleeping baby bag is a fraction of the price of other popular branded bags at just £9.99, and the matching cloths are £2.99.

Alice’s first books

Of course I couldn’t resist getting Alice her very first set of books- all are 99p which is insane. She’s going to love reading them with us after bath time for sure.

Some essentials

I’m a big fan of the Aldi nappy range, and Alice has just reached the age and size to need the size threes. These are good for 9-20lb babies, and Alice is currently weighing in at 13lbs. 98 nappies for £4.99 works out at 5p per nappy, win!

Something pretty

Something pretty indeed, and something we are always needing more of- tights! This two-pack was a steal at £2.49, even beating similar items I have seen in Primark recently.

All in all, I got everything for under £30, that’s a mighty fine price don’t you agree? Try and match what I got in the Aldi Specialbuy event and give yourself a £30 spending limit- see what you can get and don’t forget to let me know in the comments below!

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading, head back to the home page now to find more blog posts to read!

 

Aldi Baby and Toddler Event Jan 2018

It’s back, the big Aldi Baby and Toddler Event for Jan 2018 and I’m super excited. As always, Aldi has an amazing selection of products for little ones ranging from bedroom furniture to buggies, feeding time to bath time and more. The upcoming Baby & Toddler Specialbuy event is happening online as of Sunday 14th January and in store from the 18th. Offers include beautifully crafted nursery furniture to everyday essentials, and I’m here with a few sneak peeks for you!

In the last event I grabbed the crazy popular Mamia snuggle nest and this gorgeous Moses basket. Great news, the Moses basket is making a reappearance in the January event for £19.99.

I adore these Ready to go baby books for just £3.99 each. They have some lovely little advice sheets inside for parents as well as being a great way to share a story with your little ones.

I am ready to grab this cellular blanket for £2.99 in the online sale. Purple is Alice’s favourite colour so I’m going to be quick to add this to my basket for her!

One of my favourite sneak peeks from the January Baby and Toddler event is this smart Buggy Organiser. It’s got great net compartments for those all important items you need for baby when taking a trip out.

Lastly, and I cannot wait to put it up this year, is a dinosaur wall height chart! Alice has several dino-themed outfits so it will be a joy to mark her growth on this rawr-some feature!

Here are some more of my top picks I am hoping to snap up from the Aldi Baby and Toddler event online starting this Sunday 14th January (sorry for all the dinosaur puns!)

BABY BIBS & CLOTHS – £2.99
BABY CASTING KIT – £9.99
BABY CROSS STICH KIT – £2.99
BABY SLEEPING BAG 2.5 TOG – £9.99
CALPOL VAPOUR PLUG IN & NIGHT LIGHT – £5.49
GAMMA WOODEN HIGHCHAIR – £39.99
HAUCK SPORT BUGGY – £29.99
INFANTS TIGHTS – £2.49
NURSERY COT BED WITH DRAWER – £129.99
NURSERY RUG – £19.99
NURSERY WARDROBE – £119.99
SOFT TEETHERS – £2.99
TIGGY SOOTHERS – £1.99
V SHAPED PILLOW – £5.99

Let me know if you are planning to get anything from the Aldi Baby and Toddler Event Jan 2018 on Twitter!

Saharasplash x

PR samples included, all views and opinions my own. 

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My visit to Crystal Rose Skin Clinic

Every Christmas, Paul and I make the trip to Ipswich to spend time with friends and family. Mostly all my family members still live there, so no matter where we are living, Ipswich always feels like home. Just a few days before Christmas I had an exciting trip planned to a newly opened skincare clinic in the Witnesham area. I was invited along by owner and founder Rosy Boulton to the Crystal Rose Skin Clinic to learn about and trial some  innovative treatments. Keep reading to find out more on my visit to Crystal Rose Skin Clinic.

Paul and I made it there just before it started to get dark. The clinic is a lovely space and decorated with Alumier products- more on these later!

Another blogger had a Glow facelift trial which looked wonderful. Rosy gave us a talk through demo where we could ask questions about what products were being applied and the benefits and effects they would have on the skin.

I had an Ultrasonic Peel which uses a unique comb with a microcurrent. This treatment helps to destroys bacteria, stimulates circulation and reduces wrinkle depth- result!


Next up, a bit of Microdermabrasion. I have had this before and it’s just the thing to help give your skin a deep cleanse. It also leaves you feeling super clear and smooth so this comes highly recommended by me!


Moving on, I then experienced the CACI Synergie Non-Surgical face lift treatment- an alternative to collagen injections. This was important for me to trial as I have been feeling the need to help reduce the appearance of my forehead lines, but am apprehensive about getting anything serious done.

What you see glowing in the photo is LED light therapy- the red light stimulates tissue healing and then a blue light works as an anti-bacterial aid with a calming effect on inflamed skin. Rosy used the prongs to give my muscles a workout, which was really weird but not painful at all. The microcurrent gave me a metal taste in my mouth when applied, but other than that it was absolutely fabulous.

Finally, a liquid face mask was the finishing touch and Rosy did some more lifting and toning with the CACI technology.


The Crystal Rose Skin Clinic is partnered with AlumierMD and the range was trialled before and during the treatments. The great thing about the AlumierMD products is that you can layer them up without weighing down your skin. We tried a range of the collection at the Crystal Rose Skin Clinic and I loved the HydraLight Moisturiser. It leaves your skin so soft and nourished. The entire range is fragrance, paraben and cruelty free too so a huge thumbs up from me!

Here are my before and after treatment shots- the redness was gone within a few hours and all that was left was a glowing face that looked more toned and definitely firmer.

It is recommend to have 10 treatments over a 5 week period, and from there you can have monthly top ups where required. All in all, my visit to Crystal Rose Skin Clinic was highly enjoyable. Rosy was an incredible host with heaps of knowledge in her sector. Do give her website and full treatment list a look here: https://www.crystalroseskinclinic.co.uk/

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading my visit to Crystal Rose Skin Clinic, find out what Paul got up to at the Star Wars: The Last Jedi European Premiere here