We love eating out as a family but sometimes it can get expensive. My son is no longer a little one and feeding his 5ft 10, 19-year-old never ending stomach, is well ...expensive. You can imagine how much he eats. Then the husband likes a nice glass of wine and before you know it, you've spent £60 plus on an evening meal

We always look for special offers and discounts when we eat out especially at a good quality chain as there are usually great offers around.


One offer we will be taking up when we visit Cardiff next is the YO! Sushi 'Half Term Katsu Happiness' offer.

Every Tuesday to Friday until the 4th of November, YO! Sushi, the Japanese street food, and sushi chain are offering families a free delicious chicken or tofu Katsu dish with their family meal. Perfect to treat the kids or even your husband, hell why not keep the meal for yourself!

Eating out at YO! Sushi is even better value when you get a free meal

There is a craze sweeping the nation and that is the craze for escape rooms. The premise is simple, you and a group of your family and friends, are locked in a room for 60 minutes, and you have to escape, by completing a series of fun and logical puzzles before the time runs out.

Myself, Mr. W the hubby and my son who shall go by the name of Dave K. (don't ask) have visited different escape rooms over the last year, my son having the most success when he managed to escape one venue with a group of his student friends at university.

So when Adventure Rooms Cardiff invited us along for an hour of brain teasing, decoding, and deciphering we all jumped at the chance. 

The first puzzle was how to get in, as the door was locked, could this be part of the game? But no Kieran the enthusiastic franchise owner opened the door and welcomed us into the comfy waiting area. 




Kieran, explained that the theme of the Adventure Rooms was devised by a Swiss psychics master, and the puzzles involved are educational, fun but definitely made to get your brain working. He was very enthusiastic about this new Cardiff venture and as he talked to us about the game he invited us to do some puzzles in the waiting room. 





At the moment there is one game called The Mad Scientist, but there is another in the pipeline opening soon called The Black Queen. The idea behind The Mad Scientist it that you wake up in a room and you don't know how you got there, the only thing you know is that you have 60 minutes to escape.

So after a briefing, we were ready to do the game. Now this is the tricky part, how do I review an escape room without giving too much away? 

When we got in the room we were immediately surprised, let's just say the start was not what we were expecting, I may have let out a little shriek of excitement! Anyway, we worked together and managed to get out of the first sticky situation and then onto the next...



The key aspect of this game is teamwork. Yes, some puzzles can be completed on your own but it can often take you longer than when you work together. Some puzzles were simple and easy to complete, some much harder. If you have a logical brain you are half way there.

If you are totally stuck, keep an eye on the countdown screen in the room. The room is on CCTV surveillance and as you are monitored Kieran and his staff can see when you need help and give you hints via the TV screen.

So did we get out? We were so very close and as the time ran out, and the countdown went to zero, we were still stuck in the room. We thought that was it but then the timer started again. If you are very close to escaping, and there is no one in next, they can extend the time for you by a few minutes, just so you have the satisfaction of completing it. We managed to get out two minutes over the time.



Adventure Rooms Cardiff was so much fun. They had a few different style of puzzles that we hadn't seen before which made it even better. They even personalised it to me which was a great idea. Seeing my name next to Ebola and Zika on a little vial, did freak me out a little though, ha ha. 




We highly recommend it for groups of families or friends, and age doesn't seem a barrier although I do think it's best suited to children 8 and over.  It would also make an awesome team building game. In fact, they do have a 'dual adventure' game where you compete against another group of people.

Prices depend on how many of you are in the team. If there are two of you, it will cost £25 each, if there are six of you, it will cost £15 each. The fun is immeasurable though and I think it's money well spent. It's a totally immersive experience and makes a change to get everyone together away from their screens, not easy these days.  A booking is required before you turn up so be sure you book in advance. Those that get out get a certificate and mini trophy too! Highly recommended.

Details

Adventure Rooms Cardiff, 
5a Longcross Court, 
47 Newport Road, 
Cardiff, 
CF24 0AD
https://www.adventureroomscardiff.co.uk/

Our world is such a magical place and the more I explore it the more I want to see. One country I can't wait to visit is Iceland. A mystical country of beautiful scenery, magical folklore, and amazing food and drink. 
For as long as I can remember I've wanted to visit Iceland as the stunning landscapes of the countryside are just breathtaking and to see the northern lights would be a dream come true.  The northern lights have been on my bucket list for a very long time. I mean why would anyone NOT want to see the northern lights?


You may have heard the term 'northern lights' before, so what exactly are they? The northern lights are a wonderful light display brought on by collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun, that enter the earth's atmosphere. It has been described as a beautiful shifting dance of lights, once seen never forgotten.

Many believe that wearing jewellery with your everyday outfit or to add that extra bit of glamour to your party frock, can not only make you feel stylish and confident, but it can offer health and healing properties too. Chakra jewelry is said to balance body mind and spirit for example.

Without knowing it, your jewellery could actually be benefiting you in more ways than simply adding sparkle and style to your outfits! In this article, you can discover the unusual ways in which you could be helped and healed.

Gemstones

Opals are said to build confidence There is a multitude of different gemstones available, each with its own appeal based on their colours, the cut and how they are set in different jewellery designs.

Different gemstones are said to have certain properties and health benefits both physically and mentally, so it’s worthwhile looking into them to see which best meet your needs before you buy.

For example, if you’re looking for something to build confidence, opals are said to be your best bet, whereas if you’re looking for calm, serenity and relaxation, rose quartz can help. Amber is supposed to help your body physically and is particularly beneficial to the nervous system, citrine is well-known to help success and prosperity and is perfect for helping students with their revision.

Sterling Silver

It isn’t just gems that supposedly help us in many ways, but sterling silver too. 

Not only that, but sterling silver is said to have helpful characteristics of its own as well. The physical benefits of sterling silver are said to include the support of healing skin, preventing arthritis and reducing any muscle aches. In terms of emotional wellbeing, sterling silver is said to help improve perseverance and patience, as well as creating a soothing and cleansing effect.

Gold Jewellery 

I do love a nice roast, but now that my son has gone to university there is only myself and my husband in the house. This is where a mini roast comes in. Mini roasts are small but perfectly formed joints of lamb and beef, the perfect size for 2 to share.

These joints are very versatile too. As well as a traditional roast dinner you can create all manner of inventive mid-week dishes, think beef mini roast with a sweet sticky glaze,  teriyaki beef with stir-fry noodles and lamb mini roast with a red pesto crust. Quick and easy to prepare – they are perfect for mid-week dining.



An important thing to consider when choosing your mini roast is to look for a quality mark such as the Red Tractor label.  The Red Tractor label is the mark of great meat and is the UK's largest farming and food standards scheme. It's a quality mark that shows that animals are well looked after and that food is produced responsibly. It particularly looks at the way the animals are reared and looked after and how the environment is protected. I am all for the Red Tractor label, as I think happy animals, in a less stressful environment, make tasty meat.

I also look out for local beef and lamb.  Local meat cuts down on the air miles and is fantastic for the environment as well as supporting farmers that are on your doorstep. Beef and lamb are both brilliant sources of iron and protein as well as being high in a range of vitamins and minerals such as B12. 

This is my recipe for Teriyaki Beef made with a beef mini roast.

1. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 5, 190°C, 375°F.



2. In a small bowl mix together the teriyaki sauce with the sweet chilli sauce.



3. Place the joint on a chopping board, season all over and brush with the oil and transfer to a roasting tin cooking for 30-35 minutes. Lightly cover with foil if browning too quickly.



4. During the last 10-15 minutes of the cooking time brush with the teriyaki mixture. Return to the oven and cook uncovered for the remainder of the cooking time.

5. Transfer the beef to a warm plate, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes. This helps the beef rest and will make it tender and juicy.



6. Add a dash of sunflower oil to a non-stick, add some finely chopped garlic and cook until soft. Add half a red pepper sliced into strips and a pack of stir fry vegetables. I used a pack containing edamame beans, bean sprouts, and tender stem broccoli but any pack of stir-fry vegetables will do. Stir-fry until softened slightly. Remove from the pan when nearly done.

7. Warm-up a pack of ready-cooked noodles in a frying pan for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Often referred to as the world’s cultural capital, there’s no end of things to do and see on a trip to New York City. We all have our preconceived notions of the Big Apple due to its ubiquitous place in popular culture. And while we may have seen the city countless times on TV or at the movies, in reality, New York needs to be seen in person to be understood.

With such a wealth of cultural hotspots and landmarks, it can be hard to know where to start. But as a city on the cusp of the zeitgeist New York is constantly changing, so what are the best things to do and see know? Well, read on… 

Today I am running a lovely competition with my readers in collaboration with nine lovely blogging friends. We have joined forces to offer a delicious Thorntons hamper, full of goodies to one lucky winner. Due to availability the image used for the prize may not be the exact item but we can promise that the prize will have an RRP of around £45. So just who are the bloggers offering up this prize? 





Futures | Petit Moi Big World | The Diary of a Jewellery Lover | My Life as Mummy | Being Tilly's Mummy | EmmaDrew.Info | Testing Time Blog | Life in a Break Down | UK Bloggers 

So how do you enter? Well all you need to do is answer the question: "What is your favourite chocolate?"  in the Rafflecopter form below. We would also love it if you could follow us on social media channels, but that is entirely optional, (although you will get extra entries). Good luck!

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I'm also a fan of bourbon and specifically Jack Daniel's whiskey. Last March on a tour of the American 'Deep South' we ventured to the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, Tennesse. It was interesting to learn the history of the drink and to see how the whiskey was made. The Jack Daniel's distillery has made a range of whiskey from Tennessee spring water for the last 150 years. The classic Jack Daniel's No 7 has an earthy wood flavour, purified by going through a charcoal distillation process and has an edgy warmth as it goes down. It's a great base for whiskey cocktails or is delicious on it's on in a chilled glass with ice.




So when I was thinking of what spirits to buy for Christmas my thought went immediately to whiskey, tequila, and a spirit like a vodka that will take on the flavour of most mixers. A 'Party Starter' pack from 31Dover.com has exactly that in the package and is great for recreating delicious cocktails.

31Dover.com is an award-winning online drinks merchant selling a wide range of alcohol including champagne, wine, spirits, craft beers, cider, and liqueurs. Based at 31 Dover Street in London in 2015 it was named the Best Online Drinks Retailer by the industry's Drinks Business Awards.





The Party Starter pack features Russian standard vodka, Jose Cuervo tequila and Jack Daniel’s whiskey to kick start your house party celebrations. All you need is some orange juice, cola, any other mixers you may like and lashings of ice, and of course, you can always drink neat!

Now a drink I tried recently is a bourbon based cocktail called an Old Fashioned. The name was first coined at the Pendennis Club, a gentlemen's club founded in 1881 in Louisville, Kentucky. It's a simple straight forward cocktail, made with bourbon, sugar, bitters, lots of ice and a twist of orange rind. In my recipe below I am adding a little variation to this with Angostura orange bitters, not normal bitters. These orange bitters available from 31Dover.com adds a lovely flavour to the cocktail.

An Old Fashioned with a Twist



Ingredients

1 sugar cube or 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
2-3 dashes of Angostura orange bitters
2 measures of whiskey or bourbon
plenty of ice
1 orange
cocktail cherry (optional)

Method

1. Put the sugar in a tumbler with a teaspoon of hot water.
2. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the bitters.
3. Add the whiskey.
4. Stir well.
5. Add ice, and give it another stir
6. Get an orange and take a strip of orange peel off carefully with a sharp knife
7. It's important not to have any of the white pith on the orange as this can be bitter.
8. Rub the edge of the glass with the peel then twist the peel and pop it into the glass.
9. Add a cocktail cherry on a stick if you have one.
10. Sit back and enjoy like Jon Hamm in Mad Men.



I live in a small seaside town and I can't get many of the most unusual items to make cocktails, such as Angostura orange bitters, so a site like 31Dover.com is really useful to me. I couldn't find this anywhere so I actually bought them from 31Dover.com, yes bloggers do buy things too! Flavoured from the fresh, sun-ripened peels of Trinidad's oranges, these orange bitters really add an orange zesty taste to any drink.

When it comes to buying clothes, I must admit there are certain times of the year when I get a bit naughty and splash the cash. Each new season, I browse the magazines for the 'What's Hot' section, devour the best fashion blogs, search online for the newest styles, and drive to Cardiff to go a bit mad with the debit card. I never spend what I can't afford but there is something intrinsically exciting about buying new clothes when the weather and seasons change. 

Recently I have been looking for new brands to follow and one of these is Simply Be. Simply Be clothes are made for ladies size 12 and above that love their curves and the woman they are  Clothes are always flattering, but also designed for the  latest trends. What I love about Simply Be is that the clothes appeal to ladies in the 20's as well as ladies into their 40's and 50's and even older. Delivery is free and next day if you order by 10pm so that is excellent to know. Brand lovers will also be happy as Simply B stock a variety from Ax Paris to Michael Kors, Skechers to Joe Browns.

These are some of my favourite fashion looks from Simply Be this Autumn/Winter 2016.



The On Trend Jacket £29





Bomber jackets are everywhere this season and this pretty floral print jacket are fab for layering. I'd pair this with skinny jeans and a simple t-shirt to go shopping in town or out for a drink with friends. Check out the coats and jackets here.

Make money whilst travelling the world. Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn't it but people do this every day, combining their love of travel, whilst funding it through working abroad.

Make sure that your money goes on travelling and enjoyment and not medical bills. It is now easy to secure a good level of travel insurance before hitting the road, with a choice between a signal trip and a multi-trip.

NuCasa is one of those fabulous online home websites that is a secret gem. 

From industrial style lighting to retro Kilner storage jars, hand painted dinner sets to quirky felt wall clocks, NuCasa has it all and brings it all to you in the comfort of your home via a computer screen. It really is that place to get your funky homeware fix. 

I've been browsing the site recently to get some inspiration for the new kitchen I am having and have bookmarked my favourite pieces, especially from the baking section. I can't wait to make some delicious cakes in my new oven, it's so exciting. 




Do you watch the Great British Bake Off, or as fans call it GBBO, like me? 

The appeal of the GBBO, I think is the combination of great baking, talented home bakers, Mary Berry the Goddess of baking, Paul Hollywood's sex appeal (well to some!) and of course Mel and Sue's banter. They always make me laugh. If you watch the show, you will be aware of the news that it is moving from BBC to Channel 4. A total shock for many fans, especially now that Mel, Sue and Mary Berry will not be moving. Bake Off won't be the same but it will survive though and I will still be tuning in. If you love GBBO, check out the bakeware section on NuCasa featuring Mason Cash mixing bowls and jugs and Typhoon vintage kitchen scales, as shown above.

NuCasa also has some great Kilner accessories. Now if you are wondering what a Kilner jar is, it is a rubber sealed screw top jar, originally used for bottling jams and chutneys, and named after the Kilner family who invented it. They are a fabulous brand well know for the usefulness of their products and the retro design. Kilner have been manufacturing their range of glassware since the 1840s so when you see the embossed Kilner logo you know this is an item of premium quality.

NuCasa has kindly sent me a Kilner glass drinks dispenser and a set of drinking jars to keep for hosting the competition below (yes my lucky readers you will have a chance to win something nice soon... just read on).



This Kilner glass dispenser is that perfect must have for parties. In the Summer fill it with delicious homemade lemonade or ginger beer and in the Winter fill it with your favourite cocktails which people can dispense themselves from the easy to use tap. The air tight seal keeps drinks fresh and the stylish retro design looks good on your kitchen table. When you want to dispense a drink, unseal the top to let the air in and turn the tap to pour out your scrumptious concoction. A useful addition to your kitchen for entertaining.  



The Kilner handled drinking jars go perfectly with the drinks dispenser, and can be bought individually or in a set of six. Perfect for summer entertaining, barbeques, Christmas parties and the like, your soft drinks, beer and cocktails can look even more stylish in these funky drinking jars. You can also buy the lids with straws too from NuCasa so that is useful to know.

Today NuCasa are giving my readers a chance to win a £25 voucher to spend on their website. £25 will buy you any of the items featured above and there is lots more choice on their website as well. If you like this competition, enter now on the Rafflecopter widget below and whilst you are here check out my other competitions too. 

Let me know what you would spend the voucher on below. 


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