The Old Post Office, Wallingford

On Friday my husband, parents and I went to The Old Post Office in Wallingford for my Mum’s birthday.  http://www.opowallingford.co.uk/ , part of Oakman Inns & Restaurants

Having been before (a good few years ago) I was looking forward to the evening.  We arrived promptly at 7pm for our reservation and were shown to our table right at the back of the restaurant by the kitchen.  The service was great to start with (while it wasn’t busy) but it started to deteriorate as the evening went on.  Drinks were taken and delivered reasonably quickly, and our mains order taken quickly too.  But the main took a good 25 minutes to come out.

Food was nice, but certainly not astounding, I feel slightly over priced for what you received.  I ordered:

Pan Fried Monkfish Medallions ￡19.95

Wilted spinach, mussels, roasted vegetables with a white wine and saffron sauce

You got 3 small pieces of monk fish, with around 10 mussels (over cooked and crunchy) on top of your roasted vegetables.  The sauce was lovely, but what I think was roasted potatoe was hard and undercooked.  The Monkfish was nice, if a little chewy.

My husband had:

7oz Flat Iron Steak ￡14.95

Our steaks are 100% British, dry-aged on the bone for 21 days, seasoned with sea salt,

cracked black pepper and served with fries and a watercress, red onion

and cherry tomato garnish

My Dad had:

Saltimbocca di Pollo ￡13.95

Sage stuffed free-range chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto, scallion mashed potato,

roasted winter vegetables with beurre blanc

And my Mum had a special on swordfish, salad and fries around £15.

We ordered a Spanish wine priced at £20, and no other drinks.

When it came to dessert, we ordered around 8:30pm, we were advised they had no sticky toffee pudding or vanilla ice cream left, which I think at that time on a Friday night (it wasn’t even late) is extremely poor management.  How could you run out of vanilla icecream when 2 of your desserts contain vanilla icecream!!  My Dad really had his heart set on the sticky toffee pudding and I on the Banoffee Sundae (vanilla icecream contains!)

The boys managed to decide to order the White Chocolate Cheesecake ￡5.95, Served with dark chocolate sauce

However, this was not served with chocolate sauce as suggested but a rather bitter fruit sauce which neither of them enjoyed.  As we were sat next to the kitchen, we could see that the cheesecakes were sat on the bar waiting to be brought over to us for at least 10-15 minutes!

When it came to asking for the bill, we couldn’t get the waitresses attention for love nor money, eventually it was brought over to us, and we put down our card and continued to wait another 10 minutes for the waitress to come.  She did not.  We went up to the bar and paid as we got fed up of waiting.

The bill was around £113 which isn’t too bad for 4 people, but I would have expected better service, better quality of food and for the sauces to be as advertised!

I’m really disappointed with our experience, this is meant to be the nicest place in Wallingford to go out and I don't think I would go again.  If I did it would be mid week, not a weekend as I don't think they can cope with a busy restaurant. 

Shame.  We did however receive a £10 voucher for my Mum’s birthday.

If I do end up going again, I will blog!

Jx

O.P.I Nail treatments

I have been abusing my nails recently, having had really strong gel extensions for my wedding, and then removing them, and then having Bio Sculpture overlays, but then picking them off as i got bored of them.  My nails were a disgrace!  I had been told about this nail polish by OPI - OPI Sensitive and Peeling Nail Envy nail strengthener, and i have to say that it has helped my paper thin nails start to become a little stronger.  I'm not trying to grow them at the moment, just keeping them short and neat.  I just want to build up their condiation.

OPI says: OPI Sensitive and Peeling Nail Envy nail strengthener is a Formaldehyde-free formula that protects against peeling with antioxidant vitamin E and kukui nut oil, soothes sensitive nails with aloe vera.

I purchased from Boots, it was quite pricey at £18.65 but i suppose you get what you pay for! And cheaper than a manicure!

I also bought the OPI Avoplex Nail and Cuticle Replenishing.  As Winter approaches, you need to start looking after the skin around your nails.  In the above picture you can see i had a sore bit from picking on my middle finger, and 2 days after using the oil, it was gone.  Its quite a greasy oil, but i like that.  After massaging my nails and cuticles, I rubbed the excess into my hands, and it conditions really well.

OPI says: OPI Avoplex Nail and Cuticle Replenishing Oil hydrates and replenishes, restoring moisture and lipids to nails and cuticles.

Priced at £16.50 from Boots.

I do need to start the treatment again though.  I moved house at the weekend, and they are in bad condition again, but i'm sure that of a week of using the above treatments, but nails and hands will be i shipshape condition again.

Dont be afraid of the price, the oils will probably last for years!

Jx

schwarzkopf got2b

schwarzkopf got2b rockin it dry shampoo

I bought this product at the weekend and I used it for the first time this morning and i have to say it is the best dry shampoo i’ve ever used.

I usually use the Batiste dry shampoo, but the Schwarzkopf beats it by miles.  The scent isn’t as strong, or the spray isn’t so powdery and you dont need as much.  You apply in the same way as any other dry shampoo, about 20cms away from the head in short bursts, use your fingers to massage in and style.  My hair felt immediately fresher, cleaner and had some bounce.  Applied at 8am and 4 hours later still feels great.  I dont feel the need to re-apply at all.

The scent is overpowering and doesn’t linger in the room like Batiste.  It smells fruity, but of what type of fruit i dont know, but not unpleasant.  The packaging is pretty inoffensive, quite simple, in the style of its name.

Price wise, was just over £4, slightly cheaper than Batiste.

I have to say, while we are on the subject of Schwarzkopf, I use their got2b glued blasting freeze spray, and i used this today as well, i clipped back my fringe and used the spray to keep and fly-a-ways at bay.  But ingeneral, it is also a great hairspray, does what it says on the tin, and holds a style all day.  I used it on my wedding day, and my wavy hair held in place all day.  Obviously dropping slightly, but still looked great at midnight (took my sleeprollers out about 10am).  Great to use in humid conditions too, used it on our honeymoon to Mexico (as did my husband) and it really helped my hair from turning bouffant!  Again a really good price at just over £4 per can.

I’m now keen to try out more of the range!  Will keep you posted if i do.

Jx

Nivea Lip Butter Raspberry Rose

Just a very quick review on a lovely little lip butter i picked up at the weekend.  Nivea have exeeced themselves with this scrummy lip butter.  Having only used it for 2 days so far, i have already noticed a difference in the condition of my lips, smoothing out a treat! 

It comes in 3 "flavours" original, caramel and raspberry.  I got the raspberry, and it smells just like a yoghurt, its yummy!

Nivea says: 

The new NIVEA Lip Butter range has a buttery balm formula which melts instantly into your lips leaving them feeling soft and smooth. The rich formula containing Shea Butter and Almond Oil works to intensively nourish, providing long-lasting moisture to leave your lips beautifully soft and healthy looking all day long.

Couldnt agree more, and a bargain at around £1.99 each!

Jx

My 30th Birthday

I was lucky enough to spend my milestone birthday in tropical paradise with my new husband on our honeymoon.

Jamie got up early and went and got me coffee and pastries from the restaurant, and i opened my cards whilst sitting on our balcony.  When we got back at the end of the day, housekeeping had decorated our room, it was such a lovely surprise!

Today i experienced what i have wanted to do ever since i was a little girl, i got to swim with dolphins.  It was magical.  The whole experience was out of this world, they are stunning and intelligent creatures, they make you feel so calm when you are in the water with them, like nothing else in the whole world matters.  I didnt want the day to end.

We purchased some amazing photos to record our day with them, i would recommend this experience to everyone, simply amazing.

 

In the evening we went to the world famous Coco Bongo - what a night!  We had VIP Gold tickets, where we were seated and had waiter service all night so we didnt have to queue at the bar, it was the best night out i think ive ever had!  The show was incredible, they had acrobats, midget The Mask and Beetlejuice, we spent the evening listening to MJ, Beyonce, The Rolling Stones, Queen, The Beatles and much much more, the acts taking on the artists were just phenominal, it could have been the famous artists in the room!  The night went so quickly, the show started at 11pm and finished at 3am, with a disco from 3am til 5am.  We left after the show and went and got a Mexican kebab!

 

The Birthday Girl!

 

I love my husband so much!! x

The amazing acrobats on the ribbon

Outside the famous Coco Bongo at 3am!

 

 

What a 30th Birthday to remember!  All thanks to my lovely husband x

 

Jx

Our Mexican Honeymoon

What a holiday!  Well honeymoon!  The best first 2 weeks of married life ever!  We had such a fantastic time!  The weather was so hot the whole time we were there - 37 degrees every single day.  It rained twice, but only for a few minutes at a time.

Our hotel was amazing, lovely spacious clean rooms, super food, delish cocktails, swim up bar, although we spent most days at the beach as the view was just to die for.

The hotel had loads of wild animals, monkeys (i didnt see any of these however) cats, iguanas and these things called Coatis - they were so cute, but very timid, and the biggest scroungers ive ever come across!  The hounded you for food, but the baby ones were just the sweetest things!  We fed them on the sly all the time, even though the hotel didnt like you doing it! Oops!

 

I celebrated my 30th birthday while we were in Mexico too, but i will blog separately on this, too much to write about in one blog! :)

We visited one of the 7 wonders of the world, Chichen Itza.  I have to say that it didnt blow me away, but i'm glad we can say that weve been, Jamie however loved it!  It took 3 hours by coach to get there, and it was so hot, there was no breeze, i thouht i was going to die.  On the way back we did stop off at a natural Cenote, it was incredible, so cold so refreshing just what you needed after an afternoon of sight seeing!

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

At the Cenote

 

 

We literally spent 2 weeks chilling, sleeping, reading and spending some quailty time together as for 4 days at a time at home we dont see each other as Jamie works nights, so it was amazing to spend some real time together, everything was just perfect, i loved every second of Mexico, and we would love to go back in the future.

 

Jx

 

Our Beautiful Wedding Day...x

On Saturday 01st September 2012 at 12 noon, I married, my gorgeous man, my best friend, my prince charming and the love of my life.

Jamie and I had such an amazing day, everything was absolutely perfect, we could not have wished for anything more, the whole day just blew me away and was everything i could have wanted and more.  Everything was just how i imagined it would be.  The colours were beautiful together, the flowers were stunning, the weather was spot on, all my sisters hard work with our wedding stationary was everywhere and all those tiny details that i had spent ages putting together made our special day perfect.  Everyone was happy and had a good time (i hope!). 

The day just went to too quickly, we were having so much fun!  I didnt want to take my dress off!  I adore my dress, and i've only just moved it out of our bedroom.  When i got to Jamie when he was waiting for me at the "alter" he said to me "You look amazing" and it made me melt.  Later on he said i know that i moaned about the price of your dress, but it was worth it.

I got some amazing presents from my husband on the morning of our wedding.  A trip to Paris, a pandora bracelet with an ingraved heart charm, a journal and a photo album so i can document our first year as Mr & Mrs.

I literally didnt want the day to end, Mr Reynolds, you have made me the happiest girl in the world.  You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your Prince, and i have found mine, and its totally worth it once you do.

I love you.

Jx

The back of my beautiful dress

The new My & Mrs Reynolds x

Our gorgeous wedding party x How wonderful did the colours look together?

Me and my stunning bridesmaids.  L-R: Chloe, Amy, Me, Laura, Alexandra

Me and the husband

My beautiful sister and me

Jamie made me laugh when i put on his ring. We've been watching Lord of the Rings, and as i was putting the ring on his finger, he whispered to me "My Precious" and i just got the giggles!

Love this one x

Me, Jamie and my parents x

Had to hitch up my skirt when going up and down stairs!

 

Love this one of us cutting our amazing wedding cake

My Family Hen Do

Because i'm such a lucky girl, i got to have not one but two Hen Do's!  The second one was with my lovely family.

We all met round my Mum's house for some bubbly before we headed off into Wallingford town for a meal.  We went to Pizza Express, all wearing, wait for it.... Bunny Ears!  However, i had additional get up of a veil and a sash and a helium balloon.

My sister gave me the most wonderful book which she had crafted herself detailing my life from when i was a baby up untilnow, she is so clever - take a look at her blog: http://carolescraftycorner.blogspot.co.uk/ she really is so talented.  She made all our mine and Jamie's wedding station, its fabulous, she could go into business and make a fortune, but she will not :(

We had such a giggle, everyone had a lovely time.  The poor waiter, "are you touching my ears?!" !!

We also discovered that in most of the pictures there were glow in the dark willy straws in most of them eh em!

Although i'm a bit delayed on my blog as i've so busy, this event took place a week before my wedding, it all went so quickly...

Jx

Bride to Be! x

 

The Girls x

 

Me and My niece Alexandra x

 

Me opening my book x

I bloody loved it! x

Me and my Sis x

The willy straws, me my sister in law Ellie and my Mum x

My Hen Do in TOWIE Land

Bit of a delayed blog on this, but I feel compelled to write about my Hen Do!  It was literally the best night EVER!

My best friend Laura May Wheable organized a sensational job!  My sister-in-law Ellie and my friend Kim all travelled down to Brentwood in Essex for the celebrations. We arrived at our hotel and when I went up to my room it had already been decorated and I had loads of pressies on my bed waiting for me!  It was so exciting, I felt so special that all this effort had been made just for me.

After a quick removal of my wonderful sleeprollers http://www.velcrosleeprollers.com/ I had big beautiful bouncy hair ready to start celebrating!

We made our way to the Slug & Lettuce and all my lovely friends were there waiting for me!  I felt so giddy with excitement!  There was pink Lanson waiting for me (my favourite) and I have to say I think I was a bit tiddly after about half an hour as they were making me drink through a straw!  We played some brilliant games, I got even more pressies and had a yummy lunch.

After consuming even more bubbly we made our way back to the hotel and got ready for our night out in Sugarhut!!  How I managed to take my makeup off, have a shower and put my makeup back on I will never know!  We went to one pub first then made out way on to the Hut.  It is fantastic!  The only bad thing I would say about it is that it is really really busy and I think that they let too many people in, would be better with a few less.  Also the drinks are really expensive, £40 for 8 shots and £55 for the cheapest bottle of bubbly. And plastic glasses, not ideal!  And not enough loos, we queued for about 15 mins for the loo.  But, the music is brilliant, the atmosphere is great and we did not stop dancing.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to meet Mick or Kirk so a little disappointed but I did manage to get a photo with Little Chris from TOWIE, what an absolute gent!

Evening complete with pizza on the way home and I woke up with a sub woofer hanger over that lasted 2 days.  All in all a FANTASIC night and what a brilliant send off from my girls, amazing, thank you and I Love you all.

Jx

Me with my rollers!

Me & my Chiefy B Laura and the youngest Hen in our party, Ava x

I'm getting married!

Winners of a game! L-R Tara, Jenn, Ellie

Me & Laura x

Kim, Me, Morgs

Kim, Tara, Me

All about the Donkeys

In Brightwell-cum-Sotwell near to where my parents live there is a Donkey Sanctuary with the most amount of donkey's I have ever seen!  The sanctuary is lovely, vast open fields, lovely stables, they even have some other farm animals that they have acquired over the years including goats, sheep, ducks, geese, chickens and a rather mischievous Shetland Pony!

Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary is run mostly by volunteers and they all work so hard to keep the donkeys happy.  It is a registered charity which cares for and protects abused and ill-treated donkeys and other animals. I read in one of their news letters that one of the donkeys was recused before she could be used for meat in salami - I will never eat salami again now for as long as I live.

They are always looking for help and ways to raise money to help keep the donkeys and rescue as many as possible.  They put on table top sales and jumble sales and craft fairs, and you can even adopt a donkey which both me and my Mum did last weekend.  I adopted Brewster and Mum adopted Jack.  I pay my contribution on a mnonthly basis and Mum gave them a lump sum cheque.  All proceeds go to keeping the sanctuary going.

If you are ever in the South Oxfordshire area it is definately worth a look, a great place to take the kddies for an hour and all donations are appreciated.

Jx


http://www.donkeyrescue.co.uk/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary Old Didcot Road, Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell, Wallingford, Oxfordshire. OX10 0SW Telephone: 01491 833938 Fax: 01491 833938 mail@donkeyrescue.org.uk