Hallmark Hotel Gloucester - Spa Day & Afternoon Tea

Back in April for Mother's Day, I treated my mum with a voucher from Virgin Experience Days for a Spa Day & Afternoon Tea at one of 5 locations.

It was a super easy experience to buy and then we rang the hotel and they just told us to turn up when we liked!

 So on Thursday 16th October, we ventured out and set off for an adventure and headed to the  Hallmark Hotel in Gloucester..

From the outside the hotel looked picturesque and spacious, it was in the middle of the countryside too so placed in a lovely setting - in the Summer I imagine the scenery is beautiful!

When inside we headed straight for the spa and pool area, the staff were really friendly and professional, all dressed up too..

The spa area was spacious and very sophisticated, it has a very lovely feel to it. The changing rooms very also very large and the decor was lovely! I loved the giant clock and the lockers looked fresh and new.

The pool area itself was gorgeous but unfortunately I obviously couldn't take any pictures in there!

They has a steam room and sauna available to use and supplied free cups of water from a machine in the corner. The pool area was a large oval with wooden bridges where you were able to cross over, in the centre was a bubble pool which was filled with hot water, which the main pool surrounded in an orbit. There were also tables, chairs and sun loungers around the edges of the room and two smaller massage pools branching off to the sides.

The hairdryers in the changing rooms were Remington branded and free to use! That was definitely a bonus and the shower room had separate cubicles with doors to respect your privacy, I could definitely say that I could get used to going there on a regular basis!

After we'd spent a good few hours in the pool area, bubble pool and in both the sauna and steam room we were starting to feel a bit peckish! It felt wonderfully relaxing and we were totally at our lesisure!

So we changed clothes and headed to the lovely cafe area for our Afternoon Tea..

It was only a 5 minute wait for our Pot of Tea and large cup of Coffee to arrive at the table followed swiftly by a lovely array of finger sandwiches and mini desserts! The service was friendly, professional and lovely, we thoroughly felt as if we were being treated!

We were surround by delicious finger sandwiches of Smoked Salmon, Cucumber, Egg and Fresh Ham - the Salmon was divine! The cakes included were; Shortbread biscuit rounds, Mini Black Forest Gateaus, Chocolate Brownies and or course Scones with Cream & Jam!

This was all that remained..

Mum: Necklace,  Dress.

Me: Bag, local market. Dress, River Island. Boots, H&M

After eating we felt full in a good way and proceeded to relax and chat on the softer sofas in the corner of the cafe. We has a nosy around the hotel inside and out to explore a little before calling our taxi to whisk us back through the beautiful countryside to the train station. I think we would definitely come again, the main restaurant looks like it would be lovely to have a meal in and we would love to go back next year for an overnight stay! I'd definitely also invite along my sister and sister-in-law as I think they'd love it as much as we did, it was a welcome treat for this time of year.

Thankyou Hallmark Hotels and Virgin Experience Days for a perfect Mother / Daughter day!

Autumn Faux

Autumn Faux by angiereviews featuring a zip tote bag

20cm Green Earth Frying Pan by Ozeri with Textured Ceramic review

I was over the moon when I was asked to work with Moderna to review this gorgeous frying pan! Not only does the green colouring brighten up my kitchen, it is the best frying pan I think I have ever owned!

The packaging is one of the most attractive I have ever seen and anything that states the word 'Earth' on make me think it's a greener product which is always a winner for me!

The non-stick coating actually works! Which is saying a lot since I have bought a lot of products stating this; when cooking fried onions, mince and especially eggs they haven't stuck at all and have cooked to perfection!

The design of the pan is absolutely stunning, it is something i'm proud to display in my kitchen and I would have no hesitation in buying more products from the Ozeri range! The frying pan is really light, which surprised me as it is so robust and well made.

I opted for the 20cm diameter pan as I have never owned a pan that small and thought it would be great for a bit of a change - the possibilities of using it are endless!

Fried eggs have never been so delicious! No sticking, breaks of the yolk or trouble when turning!

The 'honeycomb' patterned base allow the heat to fully surround the item(s) being cooked and distributes the heat evenly. This allows things to cook perfectly every time with a minimum amount of oil used which also makes for super easy cleaning!

The instructions state to pour in a tiny amount of oil and distribute evenly - to do this I tip around half a teaspoon of oil into the pan and then use a piece of kitchen towel to coat the base and get rid of any excess. There looks like there is hardly any but that's the point of the pan, so the oil doesn't overheat and burn. It also boasts a heat-resistant handle so there will be no nasty accidents from accident prone people like me!

Everything I have cooked so far has come out perfectly and washing the pan requires simply some hot washing up water and a soft cloth wiped around the pan, it is done in around 15 seconds!

I would definitely recommend this pan to anyone looking for a smaller frying pan, i'm looking forward to making pancakes in mine soon! For the price of £19.99 it sounds slightly expensive but I have no doubt that it will last me many years as the quality seems so amazing! The RRP is actually £39.99 so youc an save £20 on Amazon right now! Buy it here.

Find my other Ozeri pan review here if you're interested!

Angie.x

Faux Fur Wants & Wishlist

One of my favourite things about Autumn is wrapping up warm when you're heading out! Faux Fur is something i'm loving this Autumn so here are some of my favourite pieces!

I'm trying to control my purse-strings but I'm lusting after everything! Bags, Scarves, Coats.. you name it!

Happy Monday!

Angie.x

BLACK FAUX FUR MIDI COAT - Wallis

RED CHECK FAUX FUR COLLAR CARDIGAN

BROWN FAUX FUR SLOUCH BAG

ASOS FUR PANEL TANK TOP

ASOS FAUX FUR SNOOD WITH TWIST FRONT

BLACK FAUX FUR TOTE BAG

BUCKLED FAUX FUR JACKET

My mini Forever 21 Haul

A mini haul from one of my favourite Birmingham stores.. Forever21

Only £10.95! ^

Gorgeous blogging pyjamas! I spotted these and just needed them!

" Be nice.. Or you'll end up on my blog."

The shorts are light and super comfy too - they come up big though so be sure to size down!

I'm a sucker for polka dots and this was a quick near-the-till purchase! It was only £1.25 and perfect to shove in my bag for on the go!

This cute bra was only £5.99 and is a great comfy basic for my yoga as well as everyday so a little bargain for me!

This crop top is my current favourite top and I have worn it atleast 5 times already! It's perfect for layering, it goes with everything and I will Need to invest in other colours! A bargain at only £5.99!

Angie.x