It's always tea time...

Hello lovely people.

One of my Christmas presents from my dads wife Marlane was a voucher for a themed tea for two at a lovely restaurant called The Essex. I could take anyone I wanted so I chose my mum as I felt she deserved a break from everything she does plus she helps me in so many ways so it felt right to give back to her! 

I, of course, opted for the Alice in Wonderland themed tea party and have been so excited for it. I'm not the girliest person but I do love a good afternoon tea. Now I will mention now that it was the first time I've been away from my little Jack for longer then an hour since I've had him and it felt weird leaving him but I'm a sense I'm glad I decided to let Scott have some father son time without me. He would have been bored and would have wanted to smash it all to smithereens'. It was still weird though.

I had considered dressing up but my wardrobe consists of tshirts and jeans. Plus it was suppose to be relaxing so obviously I wore my Hogwarts jumper. The only things I own that have Alice in Wonderland on it is a tshirt but its a twisted version of it (Alice is holding a knife as a demonic looking white rabbit approaches her.. Awesome) and a Cheshire cat onsey. So of course I didn't think either were appropriate for comfort or a bit of sophistication (hahaha me... Sophisticated.. Good one). So Hogwarts jumper and jeans it was! I don't know why I didn't think of it to begin with.

I have to say it was lovely! Very simply designed table with themed items on it (including a small top hat with rabbit ears attached to it) and it was fine china tea cups! Loved it! My mum loves cups that feel like they're going to break or that are made from thin air... so we had to swap cups as mine was apparently a bit too thick.. almost paper thin!! Disgraceful. The sandwiches were half brown and half white which gave it a nice little effect, the scones, jam and clotted cream were ammmaaaazing! and the little cakes, all themed I might add, were so yummy. Though we didn't eat the cakes there and then as we were stuffed after sandwiches and scones but they gave us a bag to take them home in (Scott ate them).

It was such a lovely relaxed atmosphere, the staff were attentive but not too over bearing (I hate it when they hover, waiting for you to shove a mouthful of food in your mouth before asking if everything is ok... they did not do this, I was very happy). We actually got talking to them after we had finished and found out that a lot of the teacups and saucers had been donated by people all over the place, plus some of the props they use for the different themes! I thought this was such a lovely idea and it just added to the experience really. They were open and friendly. We even found out that some of the props had been stolen by some people which I thought was disgraceful, not only is it wrong but it takes away from the next people to enjoy it! Any way.

All in all I definitely recommend this to anyone, she said they do hen parties and are always going the themed tea for two! The themes include Alice In Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and The Wizard of Oz! I'd love to experience them all. Plus you can either have the classic traditional tea or you can have a cocktail option, the cocktails and named with each theme in mind as well. As we were finishing ours they had started setting up a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and a Snow White one on other tables (So of course we took a few shots so I could show you!). I definitely recommend for a Christmas/ Birthday/ Hen Party or even just a small treat for yourself. It is £35 for the traditional tea or £45 for the cocktail option (obviously if you opt for the cocktail make sure you have some one come pick you up after so you can enjoy it, otherwise be good and have tea!).

'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'

'Snow White'

 They have people come from all over to enjoy their restaurant and particularly their themed tea for twos! Just click "The Essex" and check out what they have to offer. Hope you give them a go, it is completely worth it :)

Take it easy. Have a tea on me (Not literally on me... not even figuratively.. just drink some tea.)

Ellie x



Party like a one year old!

Now this post is mainly aimed at parents but I'm sure every one could learn something from it. I might as well.


My little ray of evil sunshine will be a year old in a few weeks time. That has shaken me to my core. Just so weird that nearly 11 months ago my baby was born a tiny 5lb13oz. He was a wiggly skinny little man.


Alot of mums say they forget the pain of childbirth and whilst to the most part that's true for me, I still remember some of it. I remember trying to gain back the control I was quickly loosing through the pain (oh god the pain!). I had been doing relatively well and was even patting myself on the back thinking 'this is fine, I don't know what all the fuss is about'.
I was induced you see. I went in on a Monday for a sizing scan to see if he had gotten any bigger as it was showing he was quite small. They always check your pee and such and My pee was plus 2 protein, my blood pressure was ridiculous and they did some blood tests and my midwife came in, sat down and very calmly said "your blood results have come back an absolute mess so you need to have you baby... We're going to induce you dear"
I remember saying "Yeah why not" had to come some time right? and if my blood was a mess then best to get him out safely. So up went the gel (they are not gentle!) and the waiting began.


But like I said I didn't know what all the fuss was about, had another thing of gel as the first hadn't done anything (ouuuuuuuuch!). Felt little twinges that they said were contractions but it was more like a mild period pain or to men .. Like you'd eaten a bit too much and wanted to undo your button but had guests so you weren't allowed!
More waiting and midwife checked to see if I had dilated at all (OUUUCH) and I was about 2cm ... But she didn't want to wait anymore so she said "Right.. I'm going to break your waters for you. We need to get this going." Okie dokie boss! I just nodded and looked at Scott as the realisation started to crawl in my brain that our baby would be here soon. My mum was on her way as at 6pm on the Tuesday I had my waters broken (slight ouch this time).


It was done, Scott was speaking his mum when I felt the first proper contraction. OOOOUCH. What was that? I grabbed Scott panicking and he looked at me and realised that I was in pain. I went back to my original room where my dad and his fiance were sitting waiting for us.
I was then told to WALK AROUND... to help things get going a bit more. OOOOOUCH... they then brought me some dinner as they felt I hadn't eaten enough and I would needed all the energy I could get for the next 7 hours and 3 minutes exactly. I was bouncing gently on an exercise ball whilst eating a few steamed carrots (I thought it would be carrot sticks but it was literally a plate of steamed carrots). Every time the pain came I would focus on one spot and hum something (the more painful the louder the hum... I hummed the pirates of the Caribbean tune if you're wondering), my dads fiance flannelled my head with cool water during this time (I suggest you have some one do the same, its amazing). We were moved to the labour ward and After about an hour I went onto gas and air... That was good, though the timing was always off, then at 9 I had the diamorphine... It didn't work. At all. Then at 11 I had the epidural. It also didn't work. Gas and air were my only friends but they made it all very hazy.


I remember a burning sensation. I remember talking to my sister on the phone briefly telling her how much I loved her, I think she was crying, Then I remember being told to stop pushing and thinking 'Nope! You wanted me to push and now I'm not stopping' (I should have stopped pushing, 2nd degree tear!) and at 1:03am the 5th March, my baby boy being put on my chest and the haze lifted.
He was here... In my arms. My Jack. The wave of love that swept over me was too much, it felt like I was going to burst.


And now, that tiny, gloopy, wet perfect potato is under 8 weeks away from being 1 and no longer potato like. I remember saying to myself I wouldn't do anything big. I would just have some people round and family and a bit of cake. Because he won't remember, he won't even realise its for him. He'll probably cry a lot. But then I thought...


Sod it. I will give him a party. He'll have cake and we will celebrate. Because its not just for him. Its for me, for his dad, for this amazing year, for the moment he was placed in my arms and that wave of love flooded over me. I will celebrate that with all the people who have loved and helped and been there all through out. I will celebrate the day I was given the most perfect gift and I will spoil him on that day. Because he deserves it as much as we do. He has helped me grow, as much as I've helped him. Hes evil, hes an angel, hes funny, hes naughty and he's mine.
So as much as it may seem silly to some to do too much for him, that he won't remember. He doesn't have to remember. The pictures will show him, I will tell him. I'm so excited 😊


Take it easy. and party like your 1!


Ellie x

Hello!

I don't think I can count how many times I've restarted this blog. I either don't ever remember or get bored or worst case I just don't know what to write about... Or I'm just really busy with the tiny bundle of destruction in my household. We called him Jack for short.


But yet again here I am proclaiming the start of my blog yet again! I'm not going to make any promises at this point because the likelihood is I may forget to post again for months and start again... Again. Again.


So here it goes! Another start! Wish me luck!


I'm Ellie! Hello!


This is my soon to be failing blog, say hello! I am a mummy, wife, gamer, reader, collector and baker! I would say cook but I'm still working on that! I will probably write about all of those things though I'm not an expert of any of them.. Well reading maybe! I can read so I guess that would make me .. Sort of an expert in that field!


I live on the Isle of Wight in the south of England. Yes we're part of the UK and No you do not need a passport to get here. I've lived here my entire life apart for one year where I ventured to London to do a course in specialist make up. I liked it but I'm definitely an Island girl at heart... Plus money ran out.


At this point in time I'm a full time mummy. Not yummy mummy (hate that term more then ..enter something you hate here..). I have a Jack, a demonic overlord who seeks to destroy everything and smiles when I say ouch or no. He's cute though so we kept him.


I'm sure if I keep this up, I'll give it my best shot!, then you'll learn more about me as we go along! But for now that's me 😊


Now I just need to think what my first proper post will be about. Yaaaay!


Be happy!


Ellie.