Christmas at Beaulieu - Illuminated Light Trail Review


I can't believe it's almost December which of course means it time to do Festive things! 

Lat weekend I was invited to the launch of the illuminated Christmas Trail at Beaulieu and it was truly magnificent. This Christmas is Maci's first meaning we are trying to do as many Christmas themed things as possible so this was a perfect opportunity to show her lots of lights.


The Illuminated light trail at Beaulieu consists of 11 individual installations and over 437 theatrical lighting units. 

As you enter the Light trail you are met with a small 'vintage' style carousel and ferris wheel. There are also a few small stalls selling; alcohol, hot chocolate, marshmallows and more! 

To enter the first part of the Light trail you enter through the 200 ft long Cathedral of Light which is a tunnel that consists of 30,000 bud lights and the Canopy of Lights with over 20,000 twinkling pea-lights. Whilst being in awe of this specticle the beautiful tune 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas' will play enhancing the festivities.



As you continue through the trail you come to the Abbey which is lit up by a spectacular Fire display. By Christmas day this display would of used 5,132 individually crafted candles.


The next section of the Light Trail is the 'Icicle Walk' which is composed of enormous shards which guide you towards the next section which is the Meadow of Light. The Mill Pond is lit up with thousands of Fibre Optic lights creating a 'mythical' feel. Throughout this section there are hidden surprises, see if you can spot the frosty snowflakes and the beautiful fairy perched on the tree.



The finale was definitely one of my favourite parts because it was truly breathtaking. As you walk round the corner there is a beautiful, enormous Christmas tree which reminds you why you are here - To celebrate Christmas.

I highly recommend this experience, it is a lovely family evening out and it is truly memorable. Another special feature of this Light Trail is that Beaulieu have even considered 'Photo Opportunities' throughout the walk you will spot 'Photo frames' which are perfectly lit to take stunning photographs to save forever.


Until next time,

Storm
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Twitter @stormydoos

Christmas at Beaulieu is on from the 23rd November - 24th December
Admission - Advanced from: Adult £14.50, Child £8.00, Family £40.00, Under 5's and carers free.
You can book tickets here - www.beaulieu.co.uk/christmas

Thank you to Southampton Bloggers & New Forest Bloggers for allowing me to have this #gifted experience.

Christmas Gift Guide!

 I can't believe I am sat here writing my Christmas gift guide already... and it isn't just a normal Christmas either because it is Maci's first ever one. 

For those of you who may of been following me for a while you will know that I love nothing more than an independent business so I try my hardest to feature some in this annual post. I am aware some of these 'gifts' may not be to everyone's taste due to the fact many of them are 'baby related' so for that I am sorry but for those of you who have children or are expecting this may be perfect for you!

The first gift comes from a lovely independent brand called 'Nanny Pinks' - You can choose the colour material that you would like and of course the name. These garlands are perfect to hang on a wall or on the side of a cot. They are made of very good quality material and feel very sturdy.




The second gift comes from another independent brand known as 'Bloomsbury Mill' who make beautiful baby items. Bloomsbury Mill kindly sent me a range of their items in the pattern 'Patchwork' - they also have many other patterns! They create beautiful bedding, muslin cloths, swaddles cloths and lots more (would make a perfect baby shower gift also!)



My next gift is from the 'Star Name Registry' - I collaborated with this company a few months ago on a giveaway in which they kindly gifted me a star for Maci... yes you read that right! You can name a star after someone (or yourself if you like!) It comes beautifully packaged and the authenticity certificate is also framed meaning its ready to be hung on display, what a lovely unique gift!





Another incredibly unique gift would be some Letterbox Flowers from 'Bloombox Flowers' - This is also a small independently ran business. Letterbox Flowers are basically what it says on the box (huh, get it!) It's a bouquet of flowers which is able to be posted through your letterbox! Bloombox also do big bouquets of flowers if you're in the local area to them (Southampton, UK) 



Now who doesn't love a snuggly blanket?! The Tartan Blanket Company are based in Edinburgh and create 100% wool items. This company also have recently started selling smaller blankets (74cm x 90cm) perfect for babies! 

he blanket shown in the image is the 'New Wool Baby Blanket In Pink Diamond Herringbone' 



And finally, this gift comes from The Baby Hamper Co.  they kindly sent me a beautiful bauble which you can have personalised with any name! It's Maci's first christmas decoration and I am so very excited to hang it up soon!

(Image from Personalised Bauble )

I would like to say a massive thank you to all of these companies who have kindly gifted me these items to be featured in this post. 

I hope you feel somewhat inspired by my Christmas Gift Guide 2018! 

Until next time,
Storm










Las Iguanas Bournemouth - Review

Hello!

I was recently invited to Las Iguanas in Bournemouth to sample their menu. The images I took throughout the evening aren't the best quality due to the dark lighting in the Restaurant so despite this I will be using some images of the website.
For starters I had the Pato Taquito - Which is a Roast duck & caramelised onion rolled in a char-grilled flour tortilla, with spicy cranberry salsa. This was definitely my favourite dish of the evening, I never usually order duck but I am so glad I did. It was cook to perfection and I could not fault this starter.

(not my image)

For mains I had the 'Blazing Bird' which is a 24 hour marinated jerk-chicken, served with slaw and a choice of fries or salad. I chose to have sweet potato fries, which i'm sorry to say were a little bit burnt. The chicken itself was very moist and delicious, I would definitely recommend this meal apart from the sweet potato fries. Also when you order this you can choose the 'hotness' of the chicken. 
For desert myself and Emma shared the churros which were perfect after eating the large starter and main. The churros were cooked perfectly and were complimented by the Chocolate ganache and/or Dulce de leche which came with them. 

Three Churros £4.95
Six Churros £7.95 
(When you order six you get both 'sauces')

Now you can't go out without enjoying a Cocktail, right? We both had the Malibu Swizzle which was incredible...


I had a very lovely evening with Emma (make sure to check our her blog!) thank you for inviting me along - also a massive thank you to the staff at Las Iguanas Bournemouth.

Until next time,
Storm