A Hen Do to Remember

I never though that blogging about a hen do would be something that I would share but considering how successful this weekend was, I felt that I couldn't not share this with you.

My friend Katie is getting married in August and to celebrate, 14 of us girls travelled down to Southampton for the weekend.
Having not told Katie where or what she would be doing, we teased her for most of the coach journey.

Arriving in Southampton, we managed to have a quick bite to eat before we embarked on a day's worth of activities.
Kelly, the maid of honour, organised the whole weekend with a company called Chilli Sauce, who specialise in such events....hen do's, stag do's, birthday parties, so we knew we were in good hands.

Our first activity of the day was the high ropes course.
I should probably mention that Katie is a really adventurous girl but even she got a bit worried when she saw how high the course really was.

It wasn't long before we were all harnessed up and ready to go.

We had a safety course first, teaching us how to use the ropes and props that we would need to get across.

Laura looking a bit more confident after the first rope was completed.

A quick selfie of Laura and I looking about 12 but we look happy none the less. 

Next up.....Clay Pigeon Shooting. 

I have never done this before and if I'm honest it's not something I was absolutely desperate to try but I loved it!! I couldn't believe how much fun it was and what a rush you got from it. 

Here's a few pictures to show you how it went.

Safety goggles and ear phones of course. 

We got to shoot 3 rounds of 10, giving us plenty of time to get the hang of it.

The important part was making sure you placed the gun in the right place, tight against your shoulder and cheek. I’d heard many people say before that you can bruise from clay pigeon shooting. Luckily I didn’t but some of the girls definitely had slight pinch marks on their shoulders.

(Well we had to have some evidence of what we’d been doing, right?)

Your stance: remembering to lean forward as the recoil is going to knock you back a bit.

The one thing that you had to get used to was the recoil. At first it was a bit of a shock but you soon got used to it. I had to remember not to close my eyes which I had a habit of doing, anticipating the recoil.

On our last round we had a competition.

And of course we couldn't forget the house keeping....picking up the empties.

It turns out I wasn't as bad as I thought I was going to be. In fact, I really got quite a thrill from it and have decided to try and look at venues closer to home where I can practise. 

After a full days worth of activities, we made our way back to the hotel to prepare for the evening. 

Kelly did an wonderful job of organising it and we found these little treats on our bed when we returned.

A goody bag with everything a hen would need for a night out on the town. The bag consisted of sashes, glow in the dark wrist bands, all kinds of inflatables (guitar, microphone, parrot) and of course what hen wouldn't be complete without...penis straws.

(No picture of that one...I think you all know what I'm referring to). 

I didn't take a lot of pictures of the night out but here a few. It got quite messy in the end so enjoy the few pictures of sobriety. 

Laura and I with the inflatables. 

A quick picture of what I wore. Dress is from Topshop in the last chance to buy section. 

Similar one here or here.

The whole weekend was brilliant. I wouldn't thoroughly recommended Chilli Sauce to anyone wanting to book a big event or hen do. 

Our offer included the activities, a night in a 4* Hotel and entry into the club. There are loads of other places to stay, you don't have to pick Southampton. 

Have you been on any hen do's recently. Let me know in the comments what you got up to. 

Share the Love

I’ve seen this done a few times on other people’s blogs so I thought it was a good idea to share with you what bloggers I have been loving this month. There are so many bloggers out there who deserve recognition for what they do, so here I go……

Em Talks: I’ve been reading Em Sheldon’s blog for a while now and I have become totally addicted. Everything about her blog from her style, clothes, fitness regime and hair tips, inspires me.
I have been particularly enjoying her lifestyle posts recently. She goes to some amazing locations, Jamaica, Paris, Thailand.....giving you handy travelling tips along the way too. 

The Londoner: Was the first blog I ever read. This is probably my favourite blog to read and I am always inspired and intrigued to see what Rosie has been up to. Her lifestyle is envious but not in a bad way. You crave the lifestyle she lives and writes about but really what she blogs about is so easy and simple. Locations in London to have brunch, long summer picnics in the park, punting in Cambridge and her amazing Slutty Brownies recipe is an absolute must!

Milk Bubble Tea: I've picked this one because not only are her posts enjoyable to read but her blog layout is one of the most beautiful. It's so clean and fresh looking and perfectly symmetrical. Her regular 'life lately' posts are my favourites and if you like dogs, you better watch out for Oscar. He will win you heart in a moment.

Nouvelle Daily:  Is a Beauty and style blog but I find it can be so much more than that too. Some of my favourite posts of hers are: The Holiday Essentials, Coconut and Caramel Iced Lattes and her Gym Bag Essential post. She reviews products and introduces new little items into your life such as the Benefit Erase paste which is now a firm favourite in my make up.
I like the fact that she posts regularly and there is variety in her posts….you never know what you might fall in love with when you read Kate’s blog.

Bakerella: Food, Food and more incredibly delicious food. Bakerella probably has some of the cutest and yummiest looking recipes. I'm yet to attempt one but they honestly look amazing, I could ogle the pictures for hours. These whale cookies look simply delicious and I can't help but think these Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls would be perfect for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast.

There are so many blogs out there that I enjoy reading and this is only a small handful. If you've enjoyed this post, please let me know and I can update my list with more blogs that I think you will enjoy. 

Happy Blogging. 

Pop Up Lunch

There is nothing better than a ‘working lunch’ where the working part is the last thing on everyone's mind. 

So with that in mind, we headed down to Jamie’s Oliver Pop up Diner on Shaftesbury Avenue.
I've never been to any kind of ‘Pop Up’ Restaurant so I was intrigued to see what it was all about.

There is an emphasis on British produce and Jamie has tried to include a few healthy dishes too. But don't worry there are also some rather naughty ones too…..Don’t even get me started on the Piccadilly Mud Pie.

But before I talk to you about the food, let me show you round.

You couldn't have picked a better spot for people watching than over looking Shaftesbury Avenue on a busy Friday lunchtime.

And now back to the food.
There were a lot of cocktails to choose from but as this was a 'working lunch' we decided we should stick to the soft drinks.
I must be the only person who has never had a cream soda so naturally that's what I chose.

It is the sweetest drink I have ever tried. I liked it but I don't think I'll be having it again in a hurry.
Did you ever had coke or vanilla floats at school? It kind of tasted a bit like that but with sugary syrup instead of the ice cream.

Quite a few things caught my eye on the menu but I decided to go for, Barbecue Pork Rib Fingers, which were delicious. And of course I ordered some chips too.

I can highly recommend this restaurant, although you better hurry as I'm not sure how long it will be here for.

Find them online here

Have you been Jamie Oliver's Diner?
Let me know in the comments if there are any other Pop Up Restaurants I need to try. 

My Week on Instagram

A lot has been going on recently. I have moved into my new flat and so have spent quite a lot of time decorating, painting, putting together new furniture and  experimenting with food. This is my little post on life lately through my Instagram page. 

You can follow my actual Instagram account by clicking here

Ahhh I love this cereal

Trying to be healthy...Avocado and bacon on Brown bread

At my Cousins Wedding with Megan and Jack. It was the most gorgeous day and we got to run round the grounds during the Champagne reception and enjoy the glorious sunshine.

Cookie Monster cookies. I didn't have one but the children at the Wedding did. 

Our first picnic in the Meadow by the new Flat.

Look what we found....yes found!! I love Vintage things. You would not believe how intricate the detail is on this, it is beautiful. 

Sitting with my new furniture delivery. 

Me at Go Ape, up in the tress. And yes that is war paint on my cheek, not dirt.

First dinner in the Flat...Pasta Bolognese and of course, a glass of wine. 

What have you been up to this week?

Leave your instagram details in the comments and I'll give you a follow.