"My cleaner home"

So the last 3 weeks of December for me included organizing a hen party, finishing up at my old job, having an operation, being a bridesmaid, that little thing called Christmas, oh and I set up a new business in Stow-on-the-wold. So it was safe to say the house took a back seat and my goodness was it getting grim. I had never had my house cleaned before by somebody else ( I enjoy a Saturday clean up or a midweek stress buster clean!) but not being able to move properly (operation) I really needed some help.

So in comes "My Cleaner Home" a  green, domestic cleaning company, founded by Cheltenham mum-of-two and city worker turned domestic goddess, Rachel Brierley-Jones.in 2016. What caught my eye about this company was that Rachel doesn't used harmful toxic substances and instead works her magic creating her homemade and bespoke "green" products.

18 hours at Ellenborough Park

 

In the week of Millies' Birthday, a trip to Sussex for Goodwood Festival of Speed, manic normal working life and the unmentionable EU referendum we managed to squeeze in a pretty spectacular 18 hours at Ellenborough Park Hotel, Southam.

Supper with Petersham Nurseries

Gifford Circus - The Painted Wagon

We have said for sometime now that the spectacle creeps into your bones and makes a little home there. In fact we would go as far to say we would arrogantly consider ourselves part of the family. We have missed them all year and have eagerly awaited our reunion with them since attending Moon Songs in May 2015 and last night they finally arrived.

That's right folks, Gifford Circus is back, and things are about to get wild.

Margaret Dabbs Cheltenham

Last week we were lucky enough to get out of the rain to give our hands and feet some much needed TLC at the new Margaret Dabbs London clinic in Cheltenham. Just what was needed stepping into the warmer months (newly polished fingers and toes crossed!)

Soul Circus from Ella & Fleur

As you may know from previous posts we are hot yoga goers! We hit Ella & Fleur in Cheltenham with our yoga mat in toe 2 to 3 time a week and have been practising yoga now for over a year - in fact our little blog first got us into it when Ella and Fluer kindly invited us for a our first sweaty session. We've been hooked ever since and look forward to going every week... we've never been able to say that about exercise. Read about our first ever hot yoga experience here and our initial thoughts after our first 30 day trial here. If you're interested in coming along to a class or two, visit Ella & Fleur's website, they always have some fab newbie deals on! 

Supper with Valentine Warner

We were delighted to find an excuse to go back to The Wheatsheaf, our personal favourite of all The Lucky Onion properties. We have blogged about this little Northleach gem before (see here) and have visited for birthdays, engagements and Sunday lunches where you can request a whole chicken sent to your table to devour.  But this time it was for something really special, a supper cooked and hosted by Mr Valentine Warner himself.

Taste Talks with Cotswold Gold & Jeremy Houghton

Well 'delicious' were the words uttered out of our mouths as we tucked into potatoes that has been roasted on an open fire and scallops cooked to perfection on crispy pigs head.

In fact it was declared we were to make this our buzzword of 2016. Not hard with all the foodie hot spots on our doorstep.

Millie Got Hitched - Mickleton Hills Farm

 

Chipping Campden

October 24th 2015

Well, now all the madness is over, (wedding, moving, Christmas) I can finally sit down and share these lovely images with you. 

We were absolutely delighted when Stef said she was available to photograph our autumnal Cotswold wedding and I think you'll agree she has produced some really beautiful pictures. Stef, is AMAZING! If you have just got engaged book her now! 

WARNING - this is a picture overloaded blog post! If you do make it down to the bottom, firstly well done, you made it! You deserve a G&T! Secondly I have written a little (a lot) about the ideas and suppliers behind our big day so if you have any more patience then have a little browse, they deserve to be trumpeted.

Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon

It's very rare these days that we actually get some time to hang out together, usually we're frantically catching up in-between yoga moves at Ella & Fleur (see blog post here) but it's a real treat when we have girlie time to blog together. So, we took full advantage of two days off before the Christmas chaos really began. We started our Monday with hot yoga, then lunch at The Stable, the new pizza and cider restaurant in Cheltenham (blog post coming soon!)... we figured we earned it after yoga, plus it's Christmas! Then we were lucky enough to be invited to see the Audrey Hepburn exhibition at The Wilson Museum. 

Audrey Hepburn photographed by Norman Parkinson for Glamour Magazine, 1955. © Norman Parkinson Ltd/Courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive (taken from The Wilson website)

AquaVitae

Well cocktails are our water of life, especially when they are gin based. So we were really pleased to hear that AquaVitae, a new and very cool cocktail bar was flinging open its doors last week. 

The Old Dame

We were lucky enough to start off November with an invitation to the reopening of the stunning Queens Hotel in Cheltenham.

The Only Way is Chelts...

 With four weeks to go until the big 'I Do' it was time to head back to the 1920's, complete with my hens, nay, flappers for a jolly hen do darling.

Bottle Green

Recently we were very kindly asked to become Bottle Green Ambassadors - an opportunity which we jumped at because we LOVE Bottle Green elderflower cordial. Shameless to say, we never actually knew they were a Cotswold based company and that that they are so much more then just elderflower cordial. But they are, in fact they've been based in Stroud since they first started picking their own elderflower on hedge rows. Now, not much has changed but the company has certainly gone from strength to strength. However their values, their recipes and the way in which they make their drinks hasn't change much. Bottle Green bringing out new ranges and limited edition products every year and that's where us Ambassadors come in! We've been invited to test some of their new flavours, give our feedback and promote their delicious products. Not a bad gig, hey? 

Deliveroo

Deliveroo have finally cycled their way to Cheltenham! We were warmly invited to welcome them with open arms and hungry stomachs.

Kings Head Subterranean Spa

So just before Meg wet off on Holiday, we headed over to the capital of the Cotswolds for some end of the working week styled pampering. Yes, we were back at our favourite new find The Kings Head Hotel in the beautiful market town of Cirencester. We have been wanting to try out this new subterranean spa from the moment we were shown the build in progress back in November 2014. Walking down the steps from the plush hotel reception and bar, into the converted wine cellars, a Roman Spa awaits. Exposed Cotswold bricks, soft yellow lighting, a tropical warmth and the smell of those ever delightful Lubatti products, lure you in as soon as the doors open.

A magical night at Moon Songs - Giffords Circus

“I held the jewel of my childhood up to my eye, and through it I saw ponies and a dressing-up box and a tent, and that was Giffords Circus.” - Nell Gifford

(Nell Gifford)

Summer Feasting at The Kings Head

Food envy. A crippling condition that takes over the stomach, mind and sometimes hands, when your fellow diners' food looks too good to miss. This is, unfortunately, something we both seem to suffer from, on at least a weekly basis, much to the infuriation of our chaps who bare the brunt of this terrible take over! Alas, we have found the cure! The new foodie concept at The Kings Head Hotel. Two words... Oh wow.

Lazy Monday at The Ox House

 

 

Well Meg and Harry brought us to this place for a celebratory glass of wine when we got engaged last year. So on a Bank Holiday Monday, with all our spring cleaning jobs done and a long stroll in the fresh air conquered we decided to pop through to Northleach for another visit.

All You Can Eat Sushi at WholeFoods

When I was in Australia, Sushi became part of my staple diet. With a little sushi bar on every corner it was hard to resist. Not exactly the same vibes in The Cotswolds however, we are really lucky to have a few amazing sushi restaurants in Gloucestershire but our go to when we get a sushi craving is always WholeFoods Market in Chelteham - actually, WholeFoods in our go to for all food cravings! Seriously love it there. Don't even get us started on the coffee and peanut butter. As you know we love local produce and WholeFoods Cheltenham has an incredible range of Cotswold goodies! But when we spotted an 'All You Can Eat Sushi' Event on Twitter, our excitement hit a new level!