Tag: lifestyle

Guide

BAB ABOUT TOWNS FATHERS DAY GIFT GUIDE

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 10th June 2022
No Comments on BAB ABOUT TOWNS FATHERS DAY GIFT GUIDE

Here it is! Bab about towns 2022 fathers’ day gift guide full of wonderful and fantastic Indepedent gifts to impress your Dads and become the favourite child. From meals out to hampers to festival tickets – There is something for every Dad in this gift guide. Remember to shop Independent and support all these incredible businesses and give the gift of an Independent gem this Fathers day!

Please note I am still adding to this gift guide and if you would like to be added please email bababouttown@gmail.com

FATHERS DAY MEALS AND DEALS

THREE COURSE MENU FOR £60pp

Executive Chef, Chris Emery, has created an exclusive three-course menu for Sunday 18th June. Choose from the likes of Porc, Slow cooked saddleback pork belly, caramelised apple or 28 day aged Cumbrian sirloin, both served with seasonal vegetables. Then, take your pick from our indulgent dessert trolley!

BOOK NOW

SUNDAY ROAST DINNER VOUCHER FOR THE OYSTER CLUB

Sunday Roast for 2 with a carafe of wine at The Oyster Club.Valid all day Sunday, reservations are available between 12noon and 8pm.

£70 – Purchase here

SUNDAY ROAST AT THE CLIFDEN

Enjoy a award-winning roast at The Clifden in Jewellery Quarter and join in their Soul Roasts Sundays with live DJS from 12 to 7pm

Book now

JU JU’S CAFE FATHERS DAY SUNDAY ROAST DINNER

Why not treat your Dad to a traditional Sunday Roast this Father’s Day? Ju Ju’s bespoke menu is sure to delight your Dad and the rest of the family with hearty cooking, locally sourced ingredients and the finest wines and local beers! Enjoy 2 courses for £22 or 3 courses for £25.

Book your meal here

**TIERRA TACOS “DADS LOVE DESSERTS” DEAL**

Tierra in Jewellery Quarter are celebrating Fathers day with this pretty sweet deal where Dads get a free dessert with their meal! If they are a massive fan of tacos then this place is for them!

Book your table here

THE BRACEBRIDGE FATHERS DAY MEAL

Spend Fathers day at The Bracebridge in Sutton Park, enjoy two courses for £30 or three courses for £38.

Book your table here

FATHERS DAY EXPERIENCES

GRAIN & GRASS WHISKY TASTING

Grain & grass offer a range of whisky tasting sessions from world of whisky to a taste of Scotland, the perfect gift for any Dads who enjoy whisky!

From £30 – Shop now

ATTIC BREWERY – BREWERY TOUR GIFT VOUCHER

The perfect present for Dads who love beer, A tour around Attics shiny new brewery.The crew behind Attic will take you around the bits you wouldn’t normally get to see, talk you through how they make the beer and give you two half-pints in the taproom to taste the final product.

£20 – Buy your Brewery tour gift voucher here

MOSELEY FOLK AND ARTS FESTIVAL

A 3 day celebration of Folk, World and Roots in one of the most beautiful festival sites in the UK
Moseley Park, Birmingham on 2nd-4th September
Tickets available here

MILAN ILLUSTRATOR SUMMER ART CLASSES

Talented Birmingham Illustrator Milan is offering drawing & painting classes at Selly Manor include a range of supported personal projects. Develop freehand drawing & use proportional and observational techniques, including a grid system to plan your portrait. You will be introduced to shading, layering and blending techniques (this includes colour theory and paint mixing) to produce a highly realistic portrait, including tips and tools required to produce a photo-real portrait!

From £18 – Sign up for classes now

THE GLEE CLUB – COMEDY NIGHTS

Is your Dad a bit of a joker or just enjoys a good laugh? The Glee Club is the perfect gift for those who enjoy a good laugh. There are various comedy nights on aswell as gift vouchers available to purchase, Give the gift of laughter this Fathers day.

Buy tickets here

FOOD AND DRINK GIFTS

DISHOOM COOKERY BOOK HAMPER

he Dishoom cookery book – and highly subjective guide to Bombay – paired with a selection of essential accompaniments to cook Bombay comfort food and café favourites in your own home. This cookbook hamper includes the Dishoom cookery book and matching tote bag, Dishoom Tea Towel, Dishoom Masala Dabba, Urad Dal (for the much-loved House Black Daal), and Dishoom Chilli Chutney.

£70 – Order here

RUB ME TENDER MEAT RUBS

If you know, you know! Rub me Tender are serving up these epic rubs for your meats to make them banging! Priced at £12.49, these are for the Dads who love to barbeque!

SHOP NOW

PIPS HOT SAUCE TASTER GIFT SET

Do you know a Dad who is a hot sauce lover and want to grab them the perfect gift? Well then, the Pip’s Hot Sauce Taster Set, containing 4 of our Great taste Award winners plus one extra, is just what your looking for. Each taster set comes with a 50ml bottle of our finest inc; Boca Grande (the tangy hot pineapple one), La Boca del Diablo (the classic smoky one), Feugo del Verde (the milder sweet one), La Barbacoa (the BBQ one with bite) and the Nagatropolis (the really really hot one).

£15 – Buy now

ARTISAN EPICUREAN FATHERS DAY PACKAGE

Limited edition collaboration packagage with baked treats, Birmingham brewery beers and a Blooming Heck Fathers day card. £60 for 2 people or £90 for 4 people, delivered within a four mile radius of Harborne. Please DM Artisan Epicurean to order.

SHOP NOW

SWEETMEAT INC CONFECTIONERY GIFTS

AWARD-WINNING confectionery made in England, from fudge bundles to Irish cream fudge sauces. If your Dad loves a bit of fudge then they will love Sweatmeat Inc.

Shop now

GRACE + JAMES HAMPERS AND MIXED CASES

Because everyone loves a hamper especially a Grace + James one! If your Dads a big cheese and wine fan then I would recommend having a shop online as they have a great variety of cheese and wine gifts that would make any Dad chuffed to bits!

Shop now

COPPICE FATHERS DAY GIFT HAMPERS

If you are searching for the perfect Fathers Day gift, then Coppice have something for everyone here! They have hampers to cater for all tastes, from Coffee & Tea to Fizz & Red Wine! You can shop for them online or in store (Middleton)

Order your Fathers day hamper here

BEER

BIRMINGHAM BREWING COMPANY

Grab our Fathers Day gift box with 4 Brummie beers, a wooden beer mat and a special postcard.You could even add a pair of socks or switch it up for a full case of Brummie beers.

Shop here

THE INDIAN STREATERY ALE GIFTSETS

THE INDIAN STREATERY HOUSE BEER BREWED BY BIRMINGHAM BREWING CO. A pale ale with a quintessentially Indian mango flavour. The beer delivers a strong tropical presence from the mango which dances elegantly on top of the citrus hops with soft bitter undertones!

Prices from £15 – Order here

INFINITY BREWING PACKS AND GIFT CUBES

Give the gift of bloody good beer this Fathers day, Infinity Brewing have got some awesome gift cubes of their beer plus packs of 12 where you can pick your own beer and mix it up a bit!

Shop here

FREEDOM BREWERY FATHERS DAY BEER GIFT SET

Freedom Brewery in Staffordshire have got some awesome beer bundles to really spoil your Dad this Fathers day, How about this cool bundle of one can of each core Freedom beer, a tasting glass, a pack of Olly’s Pretzels, and a Freedom postcard all for £14.99?!

Shop now

OTHER GIFTS

ROTUNDA INDUSTRIES

Birmingham garms for the proud Brummie Dads! My favourite is the Mr.Egg tshirt! Every Dad needs one of these!

SHOP NOW

PUNKS AND CHANCERS

Punks and Chancers sell a great range of gifts for those proud Brummie Dads from pintpots to coffee cups to beanies!

Prices start from £10 – Shop here

SHEPHARDS

Shephards Grooming have a great range of grooming products to treat your Dad this Fathers day from cologne to wash bags to gift vouchers

Shop here

ART PRINTS BY STACEY BARNFIELD

Because every Dad deserves a Mr Egg and Snobs print? Some awesome prints from the talented Stacey Barnfield would make fantastic Fathers day presents!

Shop here

THE JUNGLE CLUB GIFT VOUCHER AND PLANTS

A great gift for those Dads with green fingers, The Jungle Club is a fantastic plant shop in Moseley that offers a wide variety of house plants, cacti & Succulents, Pots and Planters. Too much to choose from? then why dont you purchase a gift voucher instead so they can pick themselves!

Shop now

IKON GALLERY

Ikon Gallery have a great variety of gifts from books to stationery to art prints to clothing – You will easily find a great fathers day present in here!

Shop here

200 DEGREES MERCH

200 Degrees sell a great variety of coffee gifts and merch for those Dads who cant live without coffee!

Shop now

BONEHEAD MERCH

Is your Dad a massive Bonehead fan? Who isn’t?! Bonehead are offering a tee and tote bundle for £18 plus sell gift vouchers!

Shop here

GIFT VOUCHERS

Hampton Manor

Adams – Birmingham

Opheem – Birmingham

The Wilderness – Birmingham

The Grand Hotel – Issac’s – Madeleine Bar

Leviathan Brewing in Sutton Coldfield

Silvertree Bakery in Sutton Coldfield

LAND – Birmingham

Fox and Chance – Birmingham

The Indian Streatery

Simpsons- Edgbaston

The Clean Kilo – Bournville

Eat Vietnam – Stirchley

Zindiya – Moseley

Chakana – Moseley

Carters of Moseley

Gorilla Coffee – Kings Heath

Tropea – Harborne

Harborne Kitchen – Harborne

The Plough – Harborne

HANBAO

Qavali

Waylands Yard

Fox Hampton Lane

Birmingham Roundhouse

Birmingham Botanical Gardens

SIXES – Cricket bar in Birmingham

OTHERWORLD – Birmingham

Ghetto Golf – Birmingham

NQ64 – Birmingham

PLACES DAD WILL LOVE

Leviathan Brewing – Brewery in Sutton Coldfield – Beers/Snacks/Good times

Trinity Brewing – Brewery in Lichfield – Beers, Live sports, Rub me Tender serving up amazing food

FATHERS DAY CARDS

BLOOMING HECK BY EMMA VICTORIA STOKES

Shop here

YETI CARDS

Shop here

BERYLUNE

Shop here

WANT MORE?

Cash & Cash – Your modern general store – Gifts

The Paper Duck – Beer Box

Liquor Store – Clothing and accessories

Epicuriosity – Dipping sauces and seasoning dusts

Loki – Mixed cases of wine

Miss Macaroon – Fathers day Macaroon gift set

Bostin Bakery – Damn fine cookies

Tags Birmingham, fathersday, Guide, lifestyle, shopping

lifestyle

REVIEW: N0.10 WATERHEAD APARTMENT – THE LAKE DISTRICT

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 26th May 2022
No Comments on REVIEW: N0.10 WATERHEAD APARTMENT – THE LAKE DISTRICT

There are some getaways that will stick with you for many years to come, this is one of them. This couldn’t have come at a better time as the week before I was feeling so down and out, to be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to go…Thank god, I did. Scenery that you could only imagine appearing in the movies, breath-taking views and a getaway that worked wonders for my mind, body and soul.

Please note that this experience was gifted, and this is my honest opinion.

THE APARTMENT

Located in Waterhead, across Lake Windermere and Ambleside Pier on your doorstep, you couldn’t get a more perfect location. It’s a 3-hour journey from Birmingham and we found the journey on a Friday morning quite easy-going. Built in the 1980s, Romney Grange is located in a prestigious development on the previous site of the Romney Hotel. There is parking available and also visitor parking on the next level, checking in is very easy and within five minutes we were in. The apartment offers two en-suite bedrooms, spacious living, and stunning views across Lake Windermere
As the door opens, our eyes lit up and we both dropped our bags in amazement. The first thing that comes to mind is how stunning this apartment is and how HUGE it is, you could fit a party of 30 and more in here. Beautiful throughout, each room is decorated to the highest standards and the apartment offers westerly views over the lake and onto the Langdale pikes, as well as far-reaching southerly views down Lake Windermere itself. Sliding doors lead from the lounge onto the balcony, creating a private outdoor space to relax and unwind, this was perfect for our morning coffee. The apartment was spotless from top to bottom, not even Kim Woodburn would pick up a speck of dirt in here!
The kitchen/dining area was my favourite room especially when the sun was going down which was beautiful. The living room was so spacious, I think on one sofa you could fit a family of six on – I looked like a right little hobbit on it, it even made my partner James who is 6 ft 6 look tiny! Everything you need is there from extra towels to milk to an interactive guide on the iPad – Which came in very handy as Natalie (The Owner) provided all the best recommendations from restaurants to bars to walks in the area – I hardly did any investigating at all! On a table, there were maps, guidebooks and everything you need to feel comfortable and prepared for your trip to the Lakes.
The bedrooms were also stunning, nice and spacious with en-suites. That bath was utter bliss and yes, I went to town with the bubble bath. Walk-in showers that provided plenty of space to wash and do the Gangnam style dance. James couldn’t believe he could fit under the shower as a tall lad he struggles with life 90% of the time so, it was nice to see him get excited about this. Plenty of wardrobe space is available and each room provided a lovely view of the Countryside.

LOCATION

Waterhead is an ideal location; it is utterly charming and the perfect starting point for your Lakes getaway! The Pier is stunning and your able to travel to different parts of Lake Windermere via boat which came in very handy – We did use the boat and we also found travelling from car was pretty easy to do too. There is bus stops right outside the apartment making it extremely easy to visit other places such as Grasmere, Bowness and Hawkshead. Travelling around from the apartment I can guarantee you will find it extremely easy. I will do a full Lake District guide on this providing bar, restaurant and things to do recommendations – keep a look out for this over the next month. There was a lovely little coffee shop just outside the apartment (literally opposite) where we popped down for a morning coffee and sandwich, it was lovely, and they do a banging cheese and onion cob! Also, opposite the apartment was a fish and chip shop, restaurant, pet shop, and post office.

AMBLESIDE

You can walk to Ambleside town centre from Waterhead – It will take you 10 minutes. A lovely little town perfect to have a pint, a little shop and enjoy a lovely cooked meal. For food, I would recommend Lucy’s on a plate where I believe I found the bargain of the century – two courses for £20 where the food was just WOW! Baby Bobotie – EH? I thought what the heck is this reading the menu but then I was politely told it’s curried mince topped with egg custard, GENIUS! For mains I had the Lamb Tagine – I was lambing mad and totally cured of my lamb obsession after eating it – truly wonderful stuff from Lucy’s. Plenty of pubs you can pop into for a pint or tea rooms for a good cream team so I would recommend popping down to Ambleside.

SLEEP/NOISE

I was spoilt for choice, as I had two bedrooms to choose from. I can confirm both beds offer a comfortable sleep, my back never felt that good after waking up! In regard to noise, I found the apartment to be very quiet, I rarely heard anyone. Mostly every morning I went onto the balcony with a cup of coffee taking in the views, I was able to write which is something I have been struggling for a while to really concentrate on, but I just couldn’t stop my pen continuously hitting off my page. Fully engrossed in my writing, I have to thank Natalie for that! A perfect place for struggling Artists that’s for sure!

HOSTS

Natalie was helpful throughout, always there if we needed any help or any recommendations. The perfect host! We were just left to ourselves which was lovely really and if I had any questions I could just message Natalie and she was very quick to respond. To be honest, everything we needed was on the IPAD which provided a list of rules, instructions on electronics and basic information about the apartment, so we rarely had to contact Natalie other than to say, how bloody happy we were!

We couldn’t have asked for something more perfect, No.10 was just what we needed to get away from the hectic city life we live and enjoy a bit of quiet time. Waking up to stunning views of the Lakes with a cup of coffee – A real pinch-me moment and trust me, you will have plenty of these when you stay here. Natalie is the perfect host, the apartment was wonderful, and we were so relaxed, It was just flawless. If you’re looking somewhere to stay in the Lakes then book No.10, I bet my beret on it you will love it…and I bloody love my beret! Truly wonderful, thank you to Natalie for inviting me.

Book your Lake District getaway here

Waterhead Holiday Apartment Instagram

Tags lakedistrict, lifestyle, review, travel

Guide

BAB ABOUT TOWNS 2023 MOTHERS DAY GIFT GUIDE

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 13th March 2022
No Comments on BAB ABOUT TOWNS 2023 MOTHERS DAY GIFT GUIDE

It feel’s more important than ever to show our Mom’s just how much we love and appreciate them for all they have done for us. From home-cooked meals to cleaning up and caring for us after our weekend benders, Mom’s are awesome! I have put together a great guide full of amazing Birmingham and Beyond businesses that are celebrating this Mother’s day. From cooked meals to gifts and activities on the day, Your Bab has got Mothers Day sorted this year.

If you would like to be added onto the guide please email bababouttown@gmaill.com

PLEASE NOTE ALL IMAGES ARE NOT MINE

MOTHERS DAY AFTERNOON TEA, THREE COURSE MEALS AND DINING OUT OFFERS.

KILO ZIRO – DIGBETH

Mothers day Afternoon tea from £26 – £51 pp

Enjoy one of the best Afternoon tea’s in Birmingham in a stylish Art deco Cafe/bar that is sure to impress your Mom! They offer a very unique afternoon tea, goodbye boring finger sarnies! They collaborate with a great of local bakers and suppliers to bring you this incredible Artisan afternoon tea that is full of choice and is so delicious! You can make it extra special and add a specially made bouquet from a local florist to be ready and waiting on the table upon your arrival. Please note the afternoon tea is vegetarian.

BOOK NOW

HENGATA HANGOUT

Hengata in Harborne are putting on a lovely Mother’s day meal on Sunday 19th March where you enjoy 2 for 1 cocktails all day (Their espresso martinis are a must!) and you will enjoy dishes such as King Scallops, pan-fried duck breast and Blood orange cheesecake.

BOOK HERE

LAGHIS DELI

Join Laghi’s Deli on Mothers day to celebrate the main woman in your life as they open up for a one-off Sunday brunch with a menu full of lazy weekend favourites and a ‘Momosa’ or two! Indulge in beautiful Italian food, this is one to book Babs!

BOOK NOW

CHAPTER – EDGBASTON

Enjoy Mothers day at Chapter in Edgbaston, indulge in a lovely breakfast just £20 pp and you will tuck into dishes such as their homemade brisket skillet or their full English breakfast – Brunch is an absolute must here! You will also recieved a glass of bucks fizz.

PLEASE CALL 0121 200 3020 TO BOOK

ORELLE – BIRMINGHAM

Mothers day in the clouds! Orelle has just launched their afternoon tea and it looks wonderful! For £40 you can enjoy Open sandwiches, petit gâteau and sparkling rosé, with a spectacular view of Birmingham.

To book a table please email events@orelle.co.uk

THE BELFRY MOTHERS DAY AFTERNOON TEA AND SUNDAY LUNCH

The Belfry have a great variety of Mother’s Day special offers from afternoon tea to spa days, It seems The Belfry is the place to be this Mothers day! £30pp for gin afternoon tea, £40pp for a three-course Sunday lunch and various beauty/spa treatments for your Mom to enjoy, the choice is yours!

BOOK HERE

VERBENA AFTERNOON TEA

Celebrate Mother’s Day with afternoon tea made by Verbena’s talented team of pastry chefs for just £20pp. Located in Stirchley, Verbena would make the perfect choice this Mothers day!

BOOK HERE

CARTERS OF MOSELEY

Looking to really spoil your Mom this Mothers day? then Carters of Moseley is for you! They will be celebrating with early peaks into our their new menu, offering the choice of 9 or 11 servings where you can all enjoy incredible seasonal dishes.

BUY NOW

THREE CHURCH ROAD AFTERNOON TEA AND SUNDAY ROAST

Treat mum to a little luxury this Mother’s Day and book a table at Three Church road. Fancy spoiling your Mom to a Traditional Afternoon Tea from £19.95 with the option to upgrade to sparkling or G&T for £24.95. Three Church Road will also be serving up their hearty Sunday lunches where you can grab two courses for £26.50 or three for £32.50. Whether it’s a hearty roast or a light yet indulgent afternoon tea, celebrate in style this Mother’s Day at Three Church Road in Edgbaston.

BOOK NOW

ZINDIYA HIGH CHAI AFTERNOON TEA

Zindiya’s High Chai (From £18.95pp) brings together Indian spices and flavours through not only the range of tea blends, such as masala chai, but with savoury and sweet dishes including homemade cardamom scones, seasonal macarons from Birmingham’s own Miss Macaroon and street food favourite – the Mumbai sandwich – soft white bread filled with a vibrant coriander and mint chutney, masala spices and layers of cucumber, onion and tomato. Try something a little bit different this Mothers day!

BOOK NOW

EDGBASTON PARK HOTEL AFTERNOON TEA

Celebrate Mother’s Day with Edgbaston Park Hotels delightful Afternoon Tea in their 1900 Restaurant. Treat your Mom to a sumptuous selection of delectable cakes, sandwiches, and scones in a charming setting with friendly service and a warm ambiance, this is the perfect way to show your appreciation. Book now to reserve your spot.

Call 0121 414 8888 or email enquiries@edgbastonparkhotel.com to book.

MORE OPTIONS

MOTHERS DAY AT CHERRY REDS IN BIRMINGHAM – SPECIAL MENU – ENJOY 20% OFF ANY BOTTLE OF WINE/PROSECCO WHEN YOU ORDER

MOTHERS DAY AT SECRET SICILIAN IN HARBORNE – ITALIAN AFTERNOON TEA FOR £35 FOR 2 PEOPLE – BOOK VIA WEBSITE

MOTHERS DAY AT THE GRAND/ISSACS – AFTERNOON TEA OR A LOVELY NEW-YORK INSPIRED FEAST – BOOK VIA WEBSITE

MOTHERS DAY EVENTS

HARVEY NICHOLS AND DIOR BEAUTY AT NOELS RESTAURANT

Join Harvey Nichols, Birmingham and Dior Beauty at Noel’s Bar & Restaurant for an exclusive Mother’s Day dinner.Discover the latest skincare and makeup during a beauty masterclass with the experts at Dior Beauty. Enjoy a two-course dinner, a complimentary glass of prosecco and a goody bag to take home.

Tickets are £55 per person, with £20 redeemable against Dior beauty purchases made on the night.

BUY TICKETS

WORKING CLASP JEWELLERY WORKSHOP AT KILO ZIRO

Unleash your creativity and bond with your loved one as you design a bespoke piece of jewellery with Working Clasp at Kilo Ziro in Digbeth. To make the experience even better, enjoy a complimentary glass of organic/artisan wine, craft beer the equivalent amount in soft or hot drinks! Create either a pair of blossom earrings and a dainty single flower necklace or a statement necklace from a selection of acrylic and wooden laser-cut charms – all materials are included and no experience required! This will take place on Sunday 19^th March at 4.30pm and tickets are £38

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW

MOTHERS DAY AT HOME

AFTERNOON TEA AT BG KITCHEN IN MERE GREEN

Bean Green Kitchen in Mere Green are delivering a delicious afternoon tea that is available for collection. From satisfying savouries to super sweet treats, Bean Green have put on a pretty fab afternoon tea from £16.95 pp, BARGAIN!

To order please call 0121 439 8388 or 07507 016864

FORAGE – GRAZING BOARDS AND DESSERTS AT HOME

Forage at Coppice Lane have a range of gorgeous treats to be enjoyed at home for Mothers day from grazing platters to desserts, you can get a proper feast in for Mothers day!

SHOP NOW

BA-HA VEGAN – BIRMINGHAM – COLLECTION ONLY

Celebrate your Mothers day with a delicious vegan afternoon tea for two at home this year. Vegan sausage rolls, cheese twists, brownies, scones and you can even upgrade to this lovely mini victoria sponge. Priced at £37.99 and serves two. Collection only from The Rainbow in Digbeth

BUY NOW

MOTHERS DAY FLOWERS & GIFTS

PAUSE FT HIYA PETAL

Pause and Hiya Petal have joined forces to bring you something pretty sweet this Mothers day. Moms will receive an adorable raspberry and lemon curd bento cake and a floral bunch which features gorgeous springtime blooms from curly crown tulips to pompom craspedia balls – an undeniably cute wrap of blooms that’s sure to get a big smile!

Available to pre-order now on the Pause website for you collect on Mother’s Day weekend. Numbers are strictly limited.

BUY NOW

HEDGE

Hedge have made a blooming lovely bouquet of premium British tulips and beautiful, bright yellow forsythia sprigs coming beautifully arranged in a glass vase. They offer local delivery on Sunday 19th (Mothers Day), you can also pick up in store on Saturday or Sunday morning or Hedge will post your flowers nationally for additional fee.

SHOP NOW

TUTTO APPOSTO FT THE RETREAT AND VICKY RUSH

Tutto Apposto have teamed up two fabulous businesses this year to give your Mom the ULTIMATE Mothers day pamper this year! Offering a lovely massage and the most perfect brows and lashes one could dream of having! All this together with cake, a relaxing candle and some fizz!

DM or email to place your order.

CONTACT TUTTOAPPOSTO

GREEN AND WILD FLOWERS

SHOP NOW

SOKO PATISSERIE

SHOP NOW

BLOSSOMS BY KAYLEIGH

SHOP NOW

PUNKS AND CHANCERS – MOTHERS DAY POSTCARD AND GIFTS

SHOP NOW

FROM BRUM WITH LOVE – AMAZING GIFT BOXES FULL OF LOVELY INDEPENDENT GIFTS TO TREAT YOUR LOVELY MUM!

SHOP NOW

BLOOMING HECK – BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE ECO-FRIENDLY MOTHERS DAY CARDS

SHOP NOW

THE EARLY BIRD BAKERY – GORGEOUS CAKES AND TARTS

SHOP NOW

MILAN TOPALOVIC – MOTHERS DAY GREETING CARDS AND PRINTS

SHOP NOW

THE CAKE SPA – SELLING A VARIETY OF DELICIOUS SWEET TREATS TO SPOIL YOUR MOMS! FROM CUPCAKES TO MOTHERS DAY COOKIES.

SHOP NOW

MISS MACAROON

Mothers day flowers and macaroons gifts

SHOP NOW

BOSTIN BAKERY

Because who doesn’t like delicious cookies?

SHOP NOW

MORE CARDS AND GIFTS

THE BORROW SHOP – CARDS & GIFTS

HARVEST SKIN CARE – MOTHERS DAY GIFT SETS

LITTLE PRICKS – BOTANICAL GIFTS

Tags Birmingham, giftguide, lifestyle, Mothersday, shopping

review

REVIEW: CHAPTER EDGBASTON

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 13th February 2022
No Comments on REVIEW: CHAPTER EDGBASTON

A new Chapter has begun in Edgbaston.

Introducing the latest addition to the home of foodie delights such as Laghi’s Deli and The Highfield, Chapter is an independent kitchen and bar brought to you by local restaurateurs Ann Tonks, Irene Allan and Ben Ternent (the team behind the brilliant OPUS which sadly closed during the pandemic). Their new venture prides itself on its seasonality and fresh, homegrown ingredients. Chapter serve breakfast and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday, as well as Sunday lunch.

Upon arriving we received a warm welcome from staff – so far so good. What surprised me was how big the venue is, plenty of seating on offer with a nice spacious bar area for drinks or a morning coffee. We arrived around 5pm on a Friday and it wasn’t busy, however, towards the end of our visit it started to fill up.

The drinks menu is impressive with two pages of cocktails from the classic to the quirky. I fancied a gin cocktail but a fruity gin cocktail (I was mad on strawberries that day), so the waitress suggested an adapted Tom Collins. It was refreshing and perfect – just what I needed. James had the Old Fashioned and said it was stunning. Staff are attentive throughout, they are happy to explain dishes and always make sure your drink is topped up.

I started with scallops – I was flapping around for a while about the price (£15) and whether it would be worth it. I’m used to paying around £10-£15 for scallops but am always miffed when two farty-sized morsels arrive in a bland sauce. However, Chapters scallops are worth every penny. Chunky and seasoned perfectly with apple, hazelnut and herbs, biting into one of these the flavour just oozes out.

For my main I ordered the lamb and wow, the showstopper of the evening and by far one of the best lamb dishes I have had in a long time. Herb crusted and seasoned with spicy squash, quinoa, cranberry and pecans – no one should leave Chapter without ordering this dish, it truly is exquisite. I nearly clawed James to death because he wouldn’t stop picking at it. The lamb was so tender, if sliced beautifully and I would really recommend pairing it with the honey roast carrots and beetroot. I feel the lamb was a pretty sizeable portion for £25. James had the fillet steak (rare) and again, cooked beautifully and so succulent. Two winning courses each but unfortunately we couldn’t make it three as we were stuffed.

We ended on coffees and Jesus, even the coffee is perfect here. Overall, it was a beautiful evening filled with beautiful food. Chapter is certainly creating a buzz in Edgbaston and I can see why. A flawless dining experience throughout and a prime example of why supporting Birmingham’s independents is so important. Tonks & Co’s last Chapter sadly ended but we should all be thankful this one has started.

Book your table at Chapter here

Tags Birmingham, edgbaston, Food, lifestyle, westmidlands

Birmingham Guide lifestyle

TOP 50 HEN PARTY IDEAS IN BIRMINGHAM

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 30th August 2021
No Comments on TOP 50 HEN PARTY IDEAS IN BIRMINGHAM

Willies, Titties, strippies and Carole Baskin costumes? I have had my fair share of Hen dos in Birmingham. Some sophisticated and some that still give me nightmares to this day but planning a hen do was something that was completely new to me and even more of a nightmare! From people dropping out last minute to sending hundreds of desperate emails to venues. It’s a bloody nightmare and I wish there was a guide or something to help us poor Maid of Honours/Best men out. So I decided to put a guide together to make life a little bit easier for those who are organising a Hen/Stag do. Birmingham is great for these, perfect actually. We offer a variety of events/activities for groups to enjoy, from partying on boats to hanging from bars in the evening, having a Stag/Hen do in Birmingham is certainly the right choice and the place to be Babs! So let’s start with the top 50 hen party ideas in Birmingham and don’t worry stags, you are next!

PLEASE NOTE I DO NOT OWN ALL IMAGES – Please credit the businesses that I have tagged in this post

THE BIG BIRMINGHAM BAKE – DIGBETH

Ready, steady, BAKE! In Digbeth you will find the Big Birmingham Bake where you go against your friends/family and have 90 minutes to create your winning bake, it could be a complete masterpiece or an absolute mess! One thing is sure this is a great activity to do with all your friends and family! Prosecco provided and you can also buy a bridal apron and baking hat for the bride to be!

Purchase your tickets here

AFTERNOON TEA AT THE EDGBASTON HOTEL

One of my favourite afternoon teas in Birmingham, this one is sure to make jaws drop! Step back in time and enjoy a sophisticated afternoon tea with friends and family. Choose from traditional to Laurent Perrier Rose afternoon tea from £29.50.

Book here

THE JUNGLE ESCAPE AT BASSETTS POLE

Get kitted out in your helmet, knee pads, gloves and safety glasses and follow the ranger deep into the jungle trails as they guide you on your quest to escape. The perfect adventure activity for families or any group celebration experience.To book or reserve your Jungle Escape adventure, just call 0121 323 1000 or head on over to their website here to book

JEWELLERY WORKSHOP AT THE WORKING CLASP

Get to make jewellery from a range of laser cut charms that have been lovingly designed and finished by Rebecca Cowley at her studio in The Old Printworks, Birmingham. The workshops suit all levels and include all materials.

Book here

BE A PIN UP FOR THE DAY AT LE KEUX VINTAGE SALON

Le Keux in Digbeth have a range of hen do activities for you to choose, from having a complete make over to burlesque dancing. If you are a fan of the 1950s you will love this!

Book here

COCKTAIL MASTERCLASSES AT TONIGHT JOSEPHINE

If you love TJ cocktails or just cocktails in general, then come learn how to make some of your favourites with the Tonight Josephine team. They’ll give you a welcome cocktail, play games and teach you and your gang how to make two more cocktails. Various times are available and early bookings are highly recommended.

Book here

SMOKEY COCKTAILS AND BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH AT ALUNA

Smokey cocktails, cocktail wizards, fire and awesome food – Personally I feel this is one of the best bottomless brunches in Birmingham. Operating Friday, Saturday and Sunday – Book in now

Book Bottomless Brunch

BATTER UP BABS AT THE FLOODGATE

Batter up Bab with some awesome games for you and the whole group to enjoy! There is also a great bar serving up plenty of delicious cocktails, street food and batting cages!

Book now

STREET FOOD, GERMAN BEER AND DRAG QUEENS AT ZUMHOF BIERGARTEN

Live music and entertainment – Think touring bands, queer cabaret, DJ’s, and drag, every weekend at the Yard! Lets not forget about their extensive beer list, the best in Birmingham street food traders and epic vibes. Great venue for groups and a definite must-visit.

Book Zumhof here

TREASURE HUNT IN BIRMINGHAM

Treasure Hunt Birmingham will take you on a fab route around the city, spotting clues and following treasure maps, all at your own pace.

Book your treasure hunt here

RENT A CANAL BOAT WITH CENTRAL BOAT PARTIES

Celebrate your hen do on a party boat and see the city in a whole new light. Get in touch with Central Boat Parties in Birmingham to discuss your requirements with their professional crew to create the perfect hen do!

Book your canal boat party here

TOTALLY WIPED OUT BIRMINGHAM

This is a right laugh, you have seen the tv show right? Jump, slip and slide to the winner’s podium – or be Totally Wiped Out!

Enquire now

FLOWER CROWN WORKSHOP WITH THE CRAFTY HEN

Make your own beautiful handmade flower crown, perfect for any festival themed event, summer hen weekend, birthday party or baby shower. Everyone can select flowers to their preferred colour scheme and create crowns to their own taste. Or even matched with the season – use colourful bold silk flowers to create a statement Summer crown or more subtle foliage for a chic Spring flower crown.

Book your workshop now

ITALIAN FOOD AND COCKTAILS EXPERIENCE WITH ROSA COOKERY SCHOOL

Italian inspired cookery classes are designed to give you the skills and ideas to inspire and equip you to produce great food, with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of enjoyment – from everyday family meals to ideas for special meals to impress. Come along to one of the cookery days for an enjoyable hands on experience and leave with a host of recipes and tips. Start with coffee and homemade cake, relax and enjoy a demonstration that will include different skills and techniques, then get your pinny on and make a range of dishes yourself. Finally enjoy the fruits of your labours with a meal and a glass of wine together before heading home with some samples to remind you of your day.

Book your cookery class here

ESCAPE WITH YOUR HENS AT ESCAPE HUNT

Get locked in a room with your hen party and come together to try and escape!

Book your escape room here

CHOCOLATE MASTERCLASS WITH THE CHOCOLATE QUARTER

Because who doesn’t love chocolate? The gourmet chocolate tasting experience involves, single origin chocolate, ganache, caramel and cacoa tasting sessions with tasting notes and a brief talk. You will learn about best ways to taste chocolate and what to look out for.

Book your experience here

BONGOS BINGO

A crazy mix of traditional bingo, dance-offs, rave intervals, audience participation and countless magical moments, currently taking place in almost 50 locations around the world. Bongo’s Bingo is a wild shared social extravaganza and a night of pure nostalgic escapism, with the chance to win iconic prizes from giant pink unicorns and Henry Hoovers to mobility scooters and karaoke machines at each and every show.It’s immersive, inclusive and incredible. Everyone from 18 to 92 plays and parties together. There are no barriers and no limits.

Check out Bongo Bingos dates

PLAY DARTS AND EAT BOTTOMLESS PIZZA AT FIGHT CLUB

Join Fight Club in Birmingham for their Brunch Social every Thursday to Sunday with Prosecco and bottomless pizza! If you fancy adding a competitive twist to your daytime gatherings, add 1 hour of Social Darts to your Brunch Social!

Book your brunch here

BOTTOMLESS KEBABS AND PROSECCO AT THE OLD CROWN

Bopottomless returns at the Old Crown with unlimited beer, cocktails or fizz for the first 90 mins of your booking and any BopKebabs main meal of your choice for £25 pp. Please check with The Crown to see when Bopottomless is back on!

Book your brunch here

PLAY VIDEO GAMES AT NQ64

NQ64 is an arcade bar located in the heart of the Custard Factory inviting gamers to relive their childhoods with classic 80s/90s arcade games and is a great place for groups to come together and get competitive!

ENTER GAME

KARAOKE AND BEER PONG AT LANE7

It’s bowling like you’ve never seen it before for the very good people of Birmingham. Think walnut lanes, Beer Pong, retro arcades and shuffleboard, making it a great choice for hen parties!

Book Lane7

SPICE GIRLS DANCE CLASS

Learn a Spice Girls routine with your very own dance instructor with a bottle of bubbly held in a private venue for you all to find your inner Spice Girl.

Book your class

A SOPHISTICATED DRINK AT THE GRAND HOTEL

The Grand should be experienced by all, if you fancy a sophisticated evening why not book into the Madeline bar and have a couple of cocktails with friends.

Book your Grand experience

DANCING, BEERS AND SHOW AT THE BIERKELLER

One third of the Bierkeller Entertainment Complex, Bierkeller is a fantastic dining and entertainment venue in Birmingham. Long bench seating, Oompah bands, authentic Bavarian food, the finest selection of beer and much more!

Book your experience here

BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH AT THE PINEAPPLE CLUB

The sassiest bar in Birmingham. Offering a variety of cocktails and spirits, small tapas style plates to meat and cheese sharing boards. Botanical interior, lots of pink and luxurious suede – and yes it’s very “Instagrammable”

Book The Pineapple Club

COCKTAILS AND SELFIES AT 202 KITCHEN

A paradise for Instagrammers, 202 Kitchen provides plenty of photo opportunities, EXTRA cocktails, street food and more. Moving to Birmingham City centre, you can book your table now

Book 202 Kitchen

SHOOT A POP VIDEO WITH GO-EXPERIENCE

Ever fancied being in your very own pop video? well now you can with go-experience who deliver unforgettable pop video party packages for hen parties! Before the big day, you and your friends can choose your favourite song. On the day your filmmaker and choreographer will take you through the moves and direct you every step of the way, whilst your make-up artists will make you look and feel fantastic.There’ll be a welcome glass of bubbly to help with any nerves, lots of laughs and great photo opportunities.

Enquire now

SPA DAY AT THE CUBE

Spa day at The Cube is the ultimate in relaxation. You will be provided with a locker for the day. You are then free to enjoy all the facilities of the club and spa.Your day will also include a delicious lunch, or light dinner. There is a great variety of packages on offer for you to choose from So relax, You deserve it!

Spa day packages

THE BEAR GRYLLS ADVENTURE

Escape the ordinary and experience the awesome at The Bear Grylls Adventure. Indoor and outdoor activity centre at The NEC Birmingham

Book your experience here

THE GLEE CLUB

The Glee Clubs are a group of live comedy, music and special events venues. They are the home of stand-up comedy, with regular mixed-bill weekend shows and big names on tour with their solo shows. They also host inspiring music gigs, spoken word & talks events and cabaret & burlesque shows.

See whats on at the Birmingham venue here

RECREATE COYOTE UGLY AT COYOTE BAR ON BROAD STREET

Relive your ultimate Coyote Ugly Fantasy and book a table at The Coyote bar on Broad street!

Book your table here

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY AT THE JAM HOUSE

Located in the heart of The Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham, the Jam House occupies a traditional and Historic Georgian Building looking out on to the picturesque St Paul’s Square. The Jam House is a landmark, long standing, award-winning venue offering a unique combination of live music, good food and great times!

Book your experience here

HIT THE SLOTS AT RESORTS WORLD CASINO

All the fun of a Genting casino, plus a little bit of everything you love and more from the rest of Resorts World, all under one roof. Hit the slots with your hen party and you never know, you might get lucky!

Find more information here

CREATE YOUR OWN PLAYLIST AND ENJOY LIVE MUSIC AT LATEST BAR OPENING JUKEBOXERS

Latest bar opening “Jukeboxers” is a new piano duelling bar where you can choose the music and listen to some fantastic live music – From Whitney to Nicki, the band can pretty much perform anything! They also have a great menu where you can order sassy cocktails and dead frog shots. This place is all about good vibes and enjoying live music again, a great place to book your hen party!

For more information click here

STREET FOOD AT DIGBETH DINING CLUB

Digbeth Dining Club is one of the UK’s leading operators of street food venues and events. It’s a great place for groups to tuck into some delicious street food and have a couple of drinks. Perfect place to start pre-drinking!

For more information about Digbeth Dining Club events check here

GO ON HOLIDAY TO BIRDIES BAB

Birminghams very own tropical paradise in the heart of Digbeth. Birdies is an outdoor cocktail bar with a beach/island theme selling refreshing cocktails and bloody good BBQ food. They offer a great bottomless brunch with tacos that is definitely worth looking into!

Book Birdies

GHETTO GOLF

Welcome to the upside down of Birmingham. Ghetto golf is the venue that offers a combination of a seriously twisted 18 hole crazy golf in the heart of the Custard Factory, with an exceptional cocktail bar in Birmingham. Graffiti and incredible artwork everywhere makes them a must do experience in the Birmingham scene.

Book Ghetto Golf

WINE TASTING WITH LOKI

Loki wine tasting events are like no other. They are trying to get away from the formal sit down wine tasting and make wine tasting more interactive and an experience rather than the more traditional style corporate wine tasting event. The format that they use gives you the advantage of having a wine tasting that focuses mainly on networking. They have five versions of cheese and wine tastings so you can explore a number of different cheese & wine combinations. These cheese and wine tastings are very popular so make sure you book in quickly!

Book your Loki Wine experience now

GO KAYAKING WITH THE ROUNDHOUSE TRUST

A chance to see Birmingham from a different perspective, no previous experience required for this guided kayak tour on the canal. Their guides will lead you on a journey through the City’s heart on their kayaks that are stable and ideal for beginners and experience kayakers alike. A great experience for you to enjoy with your friends!

Book your kayak experience now

SPA DAY AT MALMAISON HOTEL

Pamper yourself at the Malmaison Spa at The Mailbox, enjoy relaxing with ESPA and Nimue face and body treatments and explore the great variety of Spa Packages at Malmaison.

Spa packages at Malmaison

COCKTAILS AND MASTERCLASSES WITH DIRTY MARTINI

Create fabulous cocktails or just drink the night away with fabulous cocktails! Dirty Martini is a great night out with your hen party!

Book your Dirty Martini experience

COCKTAILS, LIVE MUSIC, AND THE FINEST FIESTA VIBES WITH REVOLUTION DE CUBA

Revolution De Cuba is a great place for hens dos. Fabulous cocktails, fantastic party packages and amazing fiesta vibes!

Book your party with Revolution De Cuba

BOWLING, BEER PONG AND ARCADE GAMES AT ROXY BALLROOM

Booze and ball games Babs? book your hen do now with Roxy Ballroom and get your balls wet!

Book your group party here

DREAMBOYS

A very popular event with Hen dos. Oil, six packs and need I say more?

Book your tickets here

BABY ITS COLD OUTSIDE CELEBRATE WITH THE SNOWDOME

Toboggan on real snow down the 170 metre main slope with your hen party or have a ski lesson – If the cold is not for you then you can head down to the spa and have a dip in the pool!

For more information click here

HIRE A BIKE FROM BROMPTON BIKE HERE AND HAVE A PICNIC IN CANNON HILL PARK

If you just fancy a chilled out afternoon with your hen party then why not rent a bike and head to Cannon Hill Park to have a picnic?

For more information about renting Brompton bikes click here

DINE IN A POD AT CRAFT AND TUCK INTO SOME BRITISH FINE DINING

Fancy something a little bit different? You can book one of these dining pods at Craft and enjoy British fine dining with your friends

Book Craft

GO UNDERGROUND IN BE AT ONE

Cocktails, music and good vibes – Be at one have a happy hour all week (check the website for these times) and you can also book your hen party here!

Book your party with Be At One here

ONE LAST TIME? HEAD TO SNOBS AND RELIVE YOUR TEENS

Because why not? It may not be the same but I hear they still play Mr Brightside so you might aswell try?

Enquire with Snobs

HAVE A COCKTAIL WITH THE GIRLS AND TAKE IN THE VIEW OF BIRMINGHAM AT THE CUBE

Cocktails and looking out on the best view of Birmingham at The Cube at the Mailbox. Its quite spectacular and you can also stay at The Cube with Hotel Indigo and I would definitely recommend the club rooms with balcony!

For more information click here

BAB.

Tags bar, Birmingham, Food, hendo, lifestyle

review

REVIEW: ALOFT EASTSIDE BIRMINGHAM

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 26th July 2021
1 Comment on REVIEW: ALOFT EASTSIDE BIRMINGHAM

A new vibrant boutique hotel has opened up in Birmingham and it’s rather fabulous babs. Introducing Aloft Birmingham Eastside hotel brought to by the Marriott brand, located on the Eastside just by Millennium Point in the business district of Birmingham and offering the best of what Birmingham has to offer from just a short walk away. A modern and urban-inspired hotel where music is key and technology is seamless, keeping you connected and inspired throughout your stay. Aloft moves to its own beat and creates bold, open and vibrant spaces for guests to come together and relax. My partner and I was invited down to review my experience with Aloft and to say I was pleasantly surprised is rather an understatement on what’s to come in this review…

Please note that this experience was gifted, and this is my honest opinion.

Located on Woodcock Street just next to Millennium Point, the hotel is not exactly City Central however soon as we arrived we realised how quiet and peaceful the area is, it was nice to be away from car horns, mouthy party-goers and Sweet Caroline that’s been on constant repeat throughout the City for the last two months. The hotel is only a short walk away from the iconic Bullring, the vibrant underground world we like to call Digbeth and let’s not forget the world’s largest Primark! Unfortunately, the hotel does not have a car park, however we were told to park in the Millennium Point car park (just over the road) it costs us £9.95 for 24 hours which was rather cheap as other times we have stayed over in Birmingham we have had to park at The Mailbox and that costs us over £20.

Walking through the front entrance of Aloft you are hit with an almost futuristic design throughout with loud colours, sleek designed furniture and mouth-watering textures, many Instagram addicts will be lunging into their pockets for their phones, I was one of them. Your eyes are constantly diverted from one area to another, The hotel is visually yummy and by the look at how many guests were there, very popular. One section that will stand out to you is the 24/7 Re-Fuel Snack bar which is great after a night out in Birmingham and you are feeling a bit peckish! The reception is open-planned and very spacious, plenty of seating if you just want to get out your room and relax. Upon checking in at reception we were greeted with smiles instantly, staff are lovely here and very down to earth. Once we checked in, we was then greeted by Catherine who agreed to take us on a tour of the hotel and the Eastside room’s.

The Eastside Rooms is located just next door to Aloft, its Birmingham’s newest conference venue that brings you amazing substantial blank canvases that are perfect for any kind of event. Eastside Rooms caters to big events such as weddings and award ceremonies to small events such as Business meetings or offer rooms that offer a quiet space for you to work, Eastside has you covered with a room fit for all kinds of occasions. There is also a light, airy gym which can be used by guests with great views of Birmingham. After our tour we finished in The WXYZ bar with a bespoke Bab about town cocktail made just for me! What do you like? Strawberries! POOF! It was done just like that…These guys are good. WXYZ offers a chilled space for you to relax in with a cocktail and you can also dine in the bar and play pool.

When we first entered the room, we only admired it for about a minute as we decided to do the tour first and didn’t want to keep Catherine waiting. Upon our second visit to the room we realised how lovely it really was and it deserved our immediate attention. Clean, spacious and cosy, a decent sized bathroom with a more then decent walk in shower that could fit the Kardashians family in there and a huge tv that kind of transported our room at night to our very own home cinema. We were booked into The Urban king Room, it has everything you need from ironing boards to hairdryers to your very own coffee machine plus a great view of Birmingham, we weren’t short of anything. What I really loved about the room is that it featured local artists art work in there which was a lovely touch to the City and something I would like to see more hospitality businesses doing. What really lit our eyes up was the gorgeous “Naughty and Nice” platter made just for me and my partner by the Chefs at Aloft. A stand full of luxurious sweets and desserts from cupcakes to trifles, it was very impressive and a lovely touch to our room, we instantly felt very special. Aloft’s tech-forward approach to hospitality comes to life at the bedroom door as you can’t enter your room via your smartphone! – there’s no key card. There’s also fast, free WiFi throughout the hotel.

In the evening we were booked into Alofts restaurant Tempo! for a three-course meal. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, music-related art work hanging on the walls and a few splashes of neon that was very Bab about town! Looking at the menu, they have a great selection of burgers, pizzas and more, the only thing lacking is the vegan options however. Luckily my partner and I are meat-eaters and we really enjoyed our three-course meal. Ham hock and pea timbale to start followed by pan fried rump steak and classic lemon tart to finish, it was very tasty, and we left feeling very impressed with our Teletubbie bellies.

After our meal we decided to go up to our room and watch a couple of films in our very own movie theatre which features cable tv, three movies later and we were fast asleep with popcorn crawling out of our mouths. We both slept through the night, I woke up with no back pain and feeling very refreshed. The bed was very comfy, I didn’t wake up ONCE which was something, I thought I might struggle with as the hotel seemed to have guests more from the 20-30 age group, so I was quite surprised that we heard no party goers shenanigans throughout the night.

Aloft serve breakfast in the Tempo! Restaurant from 6am to 10am, They usually offer a buffet breakfast however due to CO-VID they put on a set menu for guests to choose from. They offered a variety from meat/vegan fry ups to lighter options such as cereal and yogurt. I went for the English breakfast tea then the vegan fry up which I was very impressed with. I have to say it’s not the most appealing breakfast (I have a thing with skin on sausages pealing) but I was pleasantly pleased with the taste and proves the point of don’t judge a book by its cover, it was delicious. My partner went for the buttermilk pancakes and said they were the tastiest pancakes he has ever had, another successful meal at Aloft and a great finish to our stay.

Aloft Eastside is a fantastic contender to Birmingham’s booming hospitality sector, a great night’s sleep that doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket and a more than satisfactory service is something that really stands out here, the room was priced at £85 for the Urban King Room and breakfast which I feel is fantastic value for money as I have paid £100 for other Birmingham hotels for just the room. Let’s not forget about the quirky perks now when you stay at this hotel such as having the luxury of renting polaroid cameras and making your stay as fun as possible especially with your furry friends as the hotel is proud of its pet friendly policy. Aloft Eastside has quickly become one of my top 5 hotels to stay in Birmingham, the staff here are fantastic and really went to great lengths to make sure our stay was positive and memorable. Aloft is bold, eccentric and dares to be different. We need more hotels like that in Birmingham.

To book your stay please click here and to see more of the hotel please check out my reel of the Hotel here

BAB x

Tags Alofthotel, Birmingham, boutiquehotel, hotel, lifestyle, travel, westmidlands

Birmingham Hotel stay

REVIEW: AC HOTEL BIRMINGHAM

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 5th April 2021
3 Comments on REVIEW: AC HOTEL BIRMINGHAM

Located in the heart of Birmingham in The Mailbox where you have restaurants, bars, shops and the picturesque canals of Birmingham on your doorstep, you will find The AC Hotel which is part of the Marriott hotel group. Well designed throughout, with plenty to offer and drawing in guests that are looking for something a bit more than just staying in a “chained hotel”

I have stayed in many Marriott hotels, all have been very disappointing except for AC Hotel which doesn’t strike me as a typical “chained” old-fashioned Marriott hotel, it’s quite literally the opposite. As I step through the doors of the hotel I am greeted with Modernisation, sleek design throughout and CLASS. No victorian patterned chairs, no worn-out carpets and certainly no mahogany, It was almost like stepping into an upmarket business class lounge at the airport which, I really liked!

Checking into the hotel is very quick and easy, I found the staff very pleasant, informative and welcoming, I spoke to a young girl at the reception who was ever so lovely and accommodating. I was checking in for two nights (Thursday to Saturday) in a Canal view superior guest room with a queen bed for £126.48.

The hotel oozed sleek modern decor throughout the hotel and it didn’t stop when I got to the room. I noticed straight away that the room was big and had plenty of space, you could fit a party of twenty in there easily. Simple, modern and classy, straight away I felt relaxed and comfortable.
The room as well as the hotel was completely spotless, it was so clean I could see my reflection in the sink and there was not a coffee smear in sight!

The queen bed was huge and was big enough to fit my 6 ft 6 partner which was a huge success as sometimes he does struggle to fit in beds [Insert troll face] The room provided all the useful facilities that you would expect and more including a very fancy Nespresso machine, Sky TV, bathrobes and slippers. The room also provided a lovely view of the Canal that was stunning to see at night, lovely to watch Birmingham glistering at night. The room was right on the front just above the restaurants and bars in which I did wonder, would I be able to sleep at all as Birmingham nightlife is quite animated…however I didn’t hear one single Birmingham accent nor clinking of glasses/bottles BUT it might be a different story on a Saturday night…

The only thing that was missing from the room was wine glasses and of course, this is not essential but after a busy day at work It was time for wine so I contacted reception and within five minutes two wine glasses were delivered to the door.

In regard’s to CO-VID restriction’s, there is a list of rule’s and information guides from the hotel which inform’s guest’s of all the health and safety procedure’s the hotel has taken to provide a safe stay to all guest’s. There are sign’s to tell guest’s to wear mask’s, hand sanitiser station’s and social distancing rule’s carried out throughout the hotel. There was not one time I felt uncomfortable or unsafe in this hotel.

At the Hotel, they have a hotel bar and the AC lounge area where they serve breakfast, an array of tapas, afternoon teas and signature cocktail’s. I didn’t get to explore the lounge due to CO-VID restriction’s however I have tried out the tapas and cocktail’s in the lounge on a previous Blogger’s event which was superb! If you like to read my review please check it out here. They do have an on-site Starbucks if you’re a busy bee in the morning’s and need a caffeine pick me up, however, if you’re not a fan of Starbucks there is plenty of Independent coffees shops within a five-minute walking distance from the AC Hotel such as Medicine Bakery and Cocoa by Ali. In regards to travelling to the Hotel, They do not have a hotel car park however The Mailbox doe’s have one and AC Hotel guests receive a 15% discount. Grand Central Station is about a 5-10 minute walk and there are also bus stops nearby.

Overall I had a really lovely stay at The AC Hotel, I couldn’t fault it and although certain service’s were not available due to CO-VID I still managed to have an enjoyable stay as well as importantly, a safe stay. The staff are hard-working and strive to take care of their guest’s, I have to say this is some of the best customer service I have ever experienced at a hotel. A two-night stay for £126.48 in the heart of Birmingham surrounded by great hospitality and shopping facilities with excellent customer service and a spacious and functional room is certainly nothing to frown about, I was more than satisfied. I left feeling refreshed, full of energy and pretty darn happy with my stay with AC and I continue to look forward to my next visit with AC.

BAB

Tags achotel, Birmingham, hotel, lifestyle, marriotthotel, westmidlands

Birmingham Hotel stay

REVIEW: HOTEL INDIGO AT THE CUBE IN BIRMINGHAM

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 25th October 2020
3 Comments on REVIEW: HOTEL INDIGO AT THE CUBE IN BIRMINGHAM

Located in the iconic Cube building in the Mailbox you will find Hotel Indigo, offering sleek and stylish modern boutique rooms with stunning panoramic views of Birmingham. If there is one place to stay and see what Brum has to offer, it is definitely Hotel Indigo, get ready for a fabulous experience that won’t burn a hole in your wallet and will make you fall in love with Brum more!

Hotel Indigo boasts an impressive selection of rooms on the 24th floor of The Cube, from standard comfortable doubles to eye-dropping feature rooms with skyline views of Birmingham. I have been lucky enough to stay in both room’s in the past month, I have been living the suite life baby and here is how I found it! For my Birthday I decided to stay in one of Hotel Indigo’s Superior King Rooms with a balcony which was purchased via Booking.com for £122.

Arriving at Hotel Indigo, straight away you know you are in a prime location. Surrounded by bars, restaurants and retail, convenience at its best. If you’re arriving by train it’s only a 10-minute walk through the gorgeous Mailbox. For guests who are travelling by car, Hotel Indigo does not have a car park however when staying with the Hotel you do receive a 15% discount at The Mailbox car park which is a short 5-minute walk away. Checking in is very simple here, a few little scribbles and show off a card and you’re on your way to your room. The lady at the reception desk was very lovely, she noticed it was my birthday and wished me a Happy Birthday as well as giving me two complimentary drinks token’s in the Marco Pierre Restaurant on 25th Floor to celebrate, what a treat!

CO-VID measures have been put in place here, hand sanitising stations are provided around the hotel, face coverings are required, deep cleaning off rooms and social distancing measures are all put in place, and I have to say I felt very safe and comfortable at all times in the hotel. The hotel rooms are on the 24th floor, and there are lifts or if you really want a workout…the dreaded stairs, in which I wouldn’t recommend!

Please note that The Club Spa is not open due to CO-VID

SUPERIOR KING FEATURE ROOM WITH BALCONY

As I opened the door, my jaw dropped…Wow, now this is unique. The room oozes coolness throughout, it’s quirky, different and oh wait…EVEN PROVIDES BALLOONS AND COOKIES?!

That’s right people, I got birthday balloons, cookies and even a lovely birthday card from the staff, what a lovely gesture and had me beaming with joy when I read it.

The room was spotless, couldn’t fault it at all. The bathroom is big with a rainfall shower in which you could fit the rule of six in there and offers luxurious spa toiletries. The room also included a fancy coffee machine with coffee pods…my own coffee machine for the night? this could be dangerous…but so worth it! The room also provides tea facilities, robes and slippers, complimentary bottled water, massive plasma screen with a media hub (YouTube on tap Bab) and lots of wardrobe space. Plenty of towels and they also mentioned that if we needed any more there is a phone in the room to use and the staff can bring some more up. Plastic cups for drinks are supplied as well as take away cups if we fancied taking our coffee away with us or drink it outside on the balcony.

Let’s get to the best bit, the Balcony and wow, this is just sensational. Our private balcony showcases panoramic views of Birmingham (Get those EXTRA Instagram photos) chairs are provided so it was perfect at night in our robes, drinking our espressos watching Birmingham at night. Living the life of luxury for one night for just £122 for two people with a balcony offering beautiful skyline views of Birmingham is quite hard to find in Birmingham, However, Hotel Indigo provides this.

We headed out for Dinner and came back to the Marco Pierre Restaurant on level 25 to spend our drinks vouchers, it was quite quiet on Sunday, they offered outdoor seating that was of course, spaced out from other diners and heaters were provided. The view from the restaurant is also spectacular, and personally I think this is one of the best views of Birmingham. A variety of drinks are offer here from sassy cocktails to spicy spirits, a drink with a view at Marco Pierre’s is a must.

We did have an option of booking into the restaurant however we already had plans on the night to go elsewhere and already booked in for breakfast at another restaurant, The option is there for you when you check-in if you want to book breakfast which will cost £12.95 to add on to your stay.

Heading back to the room we decided to get in our robes and enjoy more of the view with our espressos then headed in for a film in our King size bed that was just glorious to sleep in. No noise disturbance, we both had a very fantastic and peaceful night’s sleep. I will metion that I do struggle a lot sleeping and getting comfortable due to back problems however I had no problems and I felt so comfortable, I wanted to live in it forever!

VERDICT

Living the luxury suite life on a budget at Hotel Indigo is something that will stay with me for a long time, for what you get for the money it is astounding, we all deserve treats especially with this crazy pandemic and so, I would recommend treating yourselves to a stay at Hotel Indigo especially in the feature/balcony rooms. Value for money is astounding, I have stayed in a couple of hotel’s in Birmingham for around about the £130 mark, and they do not come close to what Hotel Indigo offers to their guests. Smaller rooms, no luxuries and certainly no views that come close to this hotel so staying at Hotel Indigo you’re guaranteed amazing value for your money.

A massive thank you to the staff at the hotel for making my birthday so magical this year especially with the current circumstances, they still managed to deliver above and beyond. Hats off to you all for delivering exceptional service, sticking to Co-vid guidelines and ensuring the safety of their guests. A stay at Hotel Indigo is essential when visiting Birmingham, guaranteed to give all guests a stunning and memorable experience without burning a hole in their pocket!

Thank you to Hotel Indigo in Birmingham, I’ll be back again very soon!

If you would like to book a stay at Hotel Indigo please head to their website here

If you would like to see more of the room I stayed in then you can head to my Instagram where I made a IG Reel of my stay

BAB X

Tags Birmingham, birminghamhotel, hotelindigo, hotelreview, lifestyle, thecube, themailbox

lifestyle

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY BAB ABOUT TOWN

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 26th September 2020
17 Comments on HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY BAB ABOUT TOWN

So it’s been a year today since I hit that publish button on my blog, I was a complete nervous wreck, I had to change my top twice as I was sweating like a sweating like a nun in a field of cucumbers and I consumed a whole tub of Marks and Spencer’s spicy chicken wings (no regrets) It’s funny because now I look back and think why the hell did I not do this earlier? Its been a hell of a journey and with this post, I want to be a little bit more open with you all, as to why I started this blog and what I have achieved from blogging.

BEFORE BAB ABOUT TOWN

Since the age of ten, I have also had an interest in writing, the number of stories I have written all crammed into my closet is crazy, many girls collect shoes, I collect scripts. My love for writing suddenly was put to the back of the mind when I was nineteen and was in a serious relationship. One thing I have learned from relationships is that love does distract us from our passions in life, sometimes we don’t notice because we are so wrapped up in love or the idea that we are in love. Suddenly my life was almost planned out for me, work in courts, marriage, kids and growing old together with my Ex. I do remember wanting to do the blog when I was in a relationship but as the years passed I seemed to lose a lot of confidence in myself and just cancelled out that dream.

I would call myself a bit of loner because I liked going out a lot on my own with my camera, taking pictures of Birmingham, it was sort of therapy for me really, creating a world that was in my mind that really, I wanted to live in, so weird because even in a relationship, I still felt very alone.

Due to the breakdown of my relationship, it sent me in a deep depression for months, the worse thing I did was hide it and that is the worse thing you can do when you are feeling down. I would say, I was punishing myself for the breakup, I stopped believing in myself, I was a complete NOB to myself and it was like my mind was bullying my body 24/7. It’s hard to look back because I look at that depressed Girl and God, I feel so sorry for her. I remember sitting in my room one night thinking “You either stop moaning and kill yourself or you get some balls and live your life to the fullest” Just like that, I did the sulking, I did all the crying in the world and I got some balls and wrote a list of things I wanted to achieve before thirty. Of course, getting over/dealing with depression is not as easy as that, it took a lot of time to finally forget the negative and focus on the positive, I really owe it to my friends and family who provided me with a blanket of love and support through such a horrible time.

WHY I STARTED BAB ABOUT TOWN

“Start a blog” was on my list to do before turning 30 so, I did some research and I went on Twitter and got some advice on how I could put together a blog. What was it going to be about? well, I thought I love photographing and talking about Birmingham, so why not combine them together and create a blog based on my City with reviews, beautiful photography and Brummie banter, I love my City and so, I wanted my readers to fall in love with Birmingham like me. People who know me well, know I am a bit of a Gobshite, so if I was going to put together a blog it had to be honest, true and pure Amy, The Amy who doesn’t think before she speaks, shouts Balls all the time and talks about how fucked up vaginas are. I remember drafting up my first post and thinking why would anyone read this? but then I thought well at least I’m going to give it a go and say at least I tried.

To be totally honest with you I think well, I know! I definitely underestimated the blog and myself. I thought maybe I will do this for a couple of weeks, maybe months and then get bored of it or just think no one is reading it so what’s the point? However as I kept up my writing and documenting my way through Birmingham and posting it on the blog/social media, I started to get followers, subscribed readers, business contacts regarding promotional/PR collaborations for the blog and invites to new business openings in and out of Birmingham, that is bloody crazy. The weirdest thing is going out in Birmingham and to have someone come up to you asking if your Bab about Town and then proceed to talk about your blog like your some big shot, That is bizarre to me, but its a nice bizarre! It just makes me think wow, people like you, they like your blog, your writing is actually interesting…Now, how the fuck do I become a millionaire from this?! 😛

WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?

The main lesson I have learnt from Bab about Town is don’t be afraid and it’s never too late to achieve what you want in life. Why do we think of the negative before the positive? Sometimes you just got to tell that negativity in you to shut the fuck up and take a backseat because I remember all the negative thoughts on this day last year and all I can say is MAHA MOTHERFUCKER! Honestly is important in the blogging game, I panic if I have attended a venue or if I’m tasting out a new menu and it’s not up to scratch but you have to be honest, and there’s the disrespectful way or the professional way, A lot of people rely on me, to tell the truth, and I have always said that my blog will always be open and honest to my readers. Another lesson is that blogging is not easy, you can write a post about pretty much anything but it needs to grab readers, lucky for me I am a photographer and I do use a lot of photography to lure the reader into my blog posts but obviously, your words need to match. I am always researching, educating myself and not many people know that I am dyslexic. I’ll put a sentence together in my head and when it comes to writing it down, it makes no sense. I can sometimes sit on a sentence for 30 minutes, trying to work out if it makes sense or not, so this is something I am still learning to deal with but it never stopped me from blogging.

ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO GET INTO BLOGGING?

The best advice I can give is to be consistent, be true and remember to give yourself the credit you deserve once in a while because you bloody deserve it. It’s a tough world out there and starting this blog up when I was in two minds of ending life completely proved how strong I am, we all go through a rough patch in life and you either go forward or shutdown, I chose to go forward and use that negatively in my life to push forward and strive for positively in life. I know your probably thinking who the hell does this girl think she is, Jesus Christ or something but honestly, what I am telling you, it works, I am the proof in the pudding baby.

WHATS NEXT?

More content, more reviews, more laughs and more bad bitch vibes of course. My life is about to get REAL, maybe I am a bit behind in getting a house etc but I needed to do this before jumping into the serious stuff. How can anyone fall in love with you when you haven’t got love for yourself? 2020 has been a bloody bizarre year but I have made sure I have given myself the love I need, that lead to more people falling in love with me and the blog. The blog has helped me to grow up, and the girl last year to the woman now I don’t know at all, no confidence, always putting herself down. This blog post is quite emotional for me because it’s kind of saying goodbye to that person, it sounds morbid but it’s almost like putting her to sleep…
Who knows what will happen next? but I can only see Bab about Town growing and getting bigger, I have worked really hard on this blog and I will continue to work hard and remember to give myself a bit of loving and credit that I deserve now and again. You never know, I might have a sodding book by next year?! I might even be a Victoria Secret Model…Well, anything is possible if you got enough nerve right? the only thing is stopping you is you, and like I said before, sometimes you just got to tell the fear in you to shut the fuck up.

Thank you to everyone who’s believed in me, friends, family, and people who don’t even know me but saw the potential, really thank you. Its been a crazy and exciting journey, and I can’t wait to celebrate with you all next year!

Much love
BAB x

Tags Birmingham, blogging, cake, celebration, events, fashion, lifestyle, Personal

lifestyle travel

DAY TRIP TO STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 17th August 2020
8 Comments on DAY TRIP TO STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

It’s been a while since I last visited this medieval market Town, my last visit I can recall being smacked in the face by butterflies, smelling what only can be described as “shite” through holes in the wall (in some bizarre Museum) and having to be dragged out of charity shops because I couldn’t stop buying ugly jackets. I haven’t exactly created a perfect picture for Stratford-upon-Avon however this visit is definitely a bit more appealing, I promise! My best friend and I decided to go for a bit of a girly day out, featuring a hell of a lot of banging bites, booze, and bitching…What do you expect? We are Girls…

Oozing history, beautiful architecture, and fabulous independents, and let’s not forget about the generous offering of attractions for families, great boozers for the tired parents, and picturesque parks for those who just want a bit of peace of quiet. Yes, Stratford-upon-Avon is the perfect day out.The Town Centre is just under a 10-minute walk from the station, and a lovely walk it is with medieval architecture, flowers in bloom, and fantastic shops to do a bit of window shopping.

When we arrived we were feeling a little bit peckish so we headed to The Cornish Bakery on Henley Street, a lovely little Bakery that is well presented offering a selection of pastries and hot drinks that you can take away or dine outside in their outdoor seating area (currently no seating inside due to Co-Vid) I went for a Cornish Pastie with sweet potato and feta, god it was beautiful. The coffee tasted great and the staff there are generally very friendly there A great start!

We next went for a little walk around the Town, down some quiet streets full of pretty doors that you would see plastered all over Instagram and Pinterest. The weather was so hot, literally was gasping for a drink every five minutes so we thought…BEER. We headed to The Rose & Crown pub (Part of Greene King pubs) which is a lovely traditional pub with quite the quirky outdoor seating area with a cool-ass barn in the back. very spacious, great drink selection (especially Ales) and a relaxing atmosphere, no old rowdy men here. The pub also serves food which we didn’t order but looked great, its dog-friendly, Table service, and all CO-VID measures are in place, so I felt very safe in there. I went for quite the large Abbott Ale that went down a treat.

Next, we went on another walk around the town popping into some independents, brought a gorgeous vintage bag from Razzle Dazzle in The Courtyard which is a beautiful quirky little vintage shop with very appealing prices! full of vintage attire, jewellery, and I also spotted a few hideous jackets that I just bloody adore. Stratford-upon-Avon is home to a lot of amazing Bakery independents such as York’s, Daisy blue, and MOR Bakery. I hear the Cruffin’s at MOR Bakery are out of this world so of course, I had to pop in and order one. I wouldn’t say they are out of this world but my god, they are out of this bloody UNIVERSE! Say hello to peanut butter and jelly cruffin. Inside MOR Bakery was pretty busy however they now have a take-out hatch where you can order take out coffee and bakes such as cruffin’s!

For lunch, we decided to go to The Fourteas on Sheep Street which is a beautiful 1940s tea room, if you are a lover of all things vintage you will love it here! Tuck into an afternoon tea surrounded by 1940’s decor accompanied by 40’s music. We sat outside on a beautiful little terrace outside that definitely came in handy in this heat! Feeling quite full from the ale, I decided to go for a light lunch opting for the frittata Zenios with chorizo and feta cheese. A very tasty dish that just did the trick of filling me up and giving me the energy to venture on yet another walk around the Town! I clocked the afternoon tea on the table behind us that looked pretty good so when I next come to Stratford it would be lovely to try it out!

We went for a walk around the River and I have to say as it was such a lovely day it was pretty packed. Full of families, couples, and so on, but all were keeping to social distancing rules. We did want to hire a boat however the queue was just way too big and waiting in this heat was not something I wanted to do. We sat on the bank of the river and admired the beautiful scenery.Most of the museums were shut but it didn’t really matter because there was still plenty to do and plenty of things to try…like more alcoholic beverages?

Onto the next pub, which is the very popular Actors pub called Dirty Duck, known to be popular with some of the theatre’s Actors/Actresses (They have a wall in the pub with all the actor’s pictures who have visited The Dirty Duck) The front was pretty packed out but they had a quiet little beer garden at the back in which we soaked up the sun in sipping on some Pimms! The service was great, the staff were very friendly and kudos to them for creating a safe environment to eat/drink in. Very popular pub so you may want to book a table before you visit!.

On the way back to the train station we popped into a few more independents and quite frankly some bizarre shops such as the all-season Christmas shop. The Harry Potter shop is a must-visit for true Harry Potters fans full packed full of HP merchandise for you to get your hands on even your very own wand! We walked past Shakespeare’s birthplace which was pretty impressive to see but, of course, we couldn’t go in due to Co-vid.

All that was left was a 40-minute train ride back to Birmingham! A day well spent trying out new independents, cooling down with booze, and soaking up the sun looking out on beautiful surroundings. Please see the list of independents/pubs we tried out below and if you would like to know any more information please just comment below!

The Cornish Bakery

Rose & Crown Pub

MOR Bakery

The Fourteas

Dirty Duck

Amy Eliza

Tags dayout, lifestyle, photography, shakespeare, stratford, stratforduponavon, travel, westmidlands

lifestyle

THE STAY AT HOME DIARIES

So, I am on week 6 or maybe it’s week 7? I don’t even know anymore; it feels like week 86 especially with my new fine-line features on my forehead. The days are long, the biscuit tin is empty again and I am slowly but surely losing my mind that I am not able to talk to friends face to face or strangers’ dogs. I think the reason I am losing my mind (I suspect everyone is losing it to) is because we don’t have any idea of when this virus will pass, and we can go back to normality. A good thing is that the alcohol cabinet has not been completed raided…just yet. It’s not all doom and gloom at home, I have been quite busy discovering new independents, developing new skills aka eating quietly and saving & planning for the future.

When the lockdown was first announced and I was told to stay at home, I was pretty pissed about it. I didn’t want to isolate but then I sat down and thought about all the things I could do and didn’t have the time before to do them, for example, a “Sex and the City all-nighter” (INSERT TROLL FACE) thats when I started to get excited and celebrate the isolation…

DAY ONE: LOCKDOWN AKA FREEDOM

DAY FIFTEEN: WELL THATS ALL MY CHORES DONE FOR THE YEAR, THIS SHOULD BE OVER SOON…

DAY TWENTY FIVE: CALLED NAN 50 TIMES TODAY AND THE WALL IS IGNORING ME!!

Of course, I wasn’t speaking to the walls, but I definitely have been speaking to the birds. It does get a little depressing when you can’t see your friends and family but I am grateful that I live with my parents still, In December I was thinking to rent in Birmingham however took the wise decision not to go forward with renting as it’s just dead money and I want to continue to see my savings rise so I can buy not rent, so best deicison I have made because god knows what I would be like on my own. So I have been keeping busy and here are a few thing that I have been doing whilst in lockdown AND a few updates on me!

INDEPENDENT SHOPPING

So, I have been focusing more on shopping independently whilst in lockdown so buying my essentials independently rather than queue at Asda for half an hour for out of date bread. I have tried out some new fantastic independents in which I have blogged about in My North of Birmingham self-isolating guide and hoping to review in my next blog post. I finally got to visit some well-known favourites such as OnTheBreadLine well known for their tasty bakes and breads, also discovering new businesses such as Silvertree Catering which have become an instant favourite of mine for delivering my essentials.

SUPPORTING BUSINESSES

Most of you will know that I have been constantly supporting local independent businesses throughout lockdown. I’d put together a self-help guide to help those who are isolating and can’t make it to the lengthy ques of Tesco, why go queue for basic Bitch Warburtons when you can get freshly home-baked bread delivered to your front door? I have been so busy every week researching and updating the blog post, I have been posting quite a lot on my social media to get the word out for businesses and the response has been incredible! Many people use the guide every day and have passed it to those who are vulnerable, what is so heart-warming is receiving messages from people who have said the guide has helped their vulnerable loved ones so much (I cried the other day because a girl messaged me saying she uses the guide every day to help her ill Dad and that it’s literally saved them) I have put a lot of hard work into the guide so it’s really lovely to hear such positive feedback from people. I have mentioned above that I will be putting together a review blog post of all the independents I have used whilst in lockdown so look out for that next!

HELLO BABY! SAY HELLO TO MY NEPHEW HENRY KIT

There’s a new member of the family, introducing Henry Kit who is absolutely lovely! Well and truly over the moon, I have a nephew! It’s a shame at the moment that we can’t hold him, so frustrating as well when you see him and he just looks like he needs a cuddle! A bit of positivity that the family needed after losing Nasher (our dog) I think as a family it all hit us really hard and it seems that we were all really down so it’s nice to have something new coming in and perking us all up.

IMPROVING AND DEVELOPING NEW SKILLS

Okay, so I have really got into my cooking lately, I love experimenting with all kinds of things (wink wink) but especially with food. Last weekend I made this pretty dirty burger and I was pretty impressed with myself using Stripclubs Streetfood DIY kit. I have also been experimenting with healthy meals as well, trying to cut out the yeast and cut down on the salt/sugar intake (that burger is definitely not an example of it) but I’ve made meat-free burritos and spicy prawn one pans, that was absolutely delicious! So, I am excited to look forward to having my own kitchen and experimenting more. I have also been topping up my photography skills, street photography/food photography/ and floral photography. It’s always great to keep creative, I have even taken up drawing again which was absolutely bizarre holding a pencil to paper as the last time I did that was in detention at secondary school, God I hate pencils.

I have also been keeping creative in the garden and dabbling with a bit of self-portrait photography, mainly focusing on my editing skills and creating something that people wouldn’t expect has just been taken in someones back garden. My Dad has also shown an interest in photography so I have been teaching him portrait photography where of course MOI as the subject, I think he’s done a pretty good job!

HAD A MELTDOWN AND CHOPPED MY HAIR

So not many people know I wear hair extensions, so It came to many as a bit of a shock when I posted this on my social media. I chopped it myself, I just watched a YouTube video, washed my hair had a swig of beer and chopped it. I defiantly look older because I didn’t get ID’d for a Gin & tonic in Marks and Spencer’s the other day and the old little Lady who lives down the road from me stropped saying “Hello chicken” to me on my daily walks now. I feel pretty free without them although they did give me confidence but I feel like I have changed so much from when I first got them I had no confidence at all and now, I just feel 100% good about myself! It’s always nice to have a change so we shall see how it goes!

DATING ONLINE? NAAAH

The one thing that kind of sucks about being single is when you are constantly surrounded by people who are not single, it’s almost like you pressured into jumping onto a dating app and speaking to the first guy that you think is a worthy 5/10. Don’t get me wrong I have been on the dating apps, but it has become quite clear that I am just not interested. They say Hi, I say Hi back, they say I have a cute face and I just ghost them, I don’t like talking online, I rather do it face to face but its look like that’s not going to happen for quite some time. So, I’ll just jump on Bumble at like 10 pm at night and talk to someone for 30 minutes, I fall asleep and thenI forget about them the next day. I sound like an absolute fuckwit and I know girls would kill me for doing it because we give guys a hard time doing it to us girls but I can’t help feeling bored and obviously a bit frisky …oh Come on, We have all been there!

When the time is right it will happen and if doesn’t happen, oh well! there is always cute dogs to keep you company!

THAT COFFEE TREND IS BALLZ

I tried that Dalgona whipped coffee trend that everyone is going mad about and well honestly, it was just a bag of balls trying to attempt to whisk the bloody thing. I tried to do it old school using my hands and well, this was the finished product, my “whipped” coffee. Just embarrassing, it’s a coffee alright without the sodding whip! never again.

Daily walks and seeing new places, It’s always good to experience something new once a week. So I like taking my bike (robbing my Dads bike) riding down the country lanes and seeing new spots. I would go through the park but it’s just so packed! full of kids running into you and complete nobs in gangs on bikes, rather go somewhere quiet and on my own and feel like I’m not in Sutton for one day! It’s like a mini-holiday without the fruity cocktails, shit karaoke and GUCCI “lucky lucky” geared up blokes.

So there you have it, a little bit of an update on me in self-isolation! Hope you are all keeping safe and looking after yourselves, also remember to check in on your loved ones now and again!

AMY ELIZA

Tags Birmingham, family, Food, health, isolation, lifestyle, selfcare, suttoncoldfield

lifestyle Thailand travel

THE THAILAND DIARIES: PART TWO

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 22nd April 2020
19 Comments on THE THAILAND DIARIES: PART TWO

So, this is the part of the holiday where it gets a little bit out of control…I mean like almost dying on speedboats in the middle of nowhere and seeing certain objects that should never be taken out or even associated with a vagina, out of control.

If your reading this then I am guessing you enjoyed part 1 of the madness Jessica and I experienced in Thailand, but it doesn’t stop there at Chiang Mai, I mean, have you not heard what happens in Phuket? Trust me it’s not all madness, but I don’t think we actually prepared ourselves for the madness that Phuket had to offer. So here goes part two, again I have put together a blog post with lots of photos, hilarious stories and recommendations. We travelled from Chiang Mai to Phuket and some of the Islands. If there is anything that has caught your eye and wants to know more about just send me a comment and I’ll be happy to give you more information! Other than that, I hope I don’t disgust you too much.

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE PHUKET…HOLD ON TO YA KNICKERS!

After a very tight and sweaty flight from Chiang Mai, we finally arrived in Phuket and jumped into the nearest taxi we could find. The taxi guy proceeded to get more and more people into the taxi with us, it was like a bloody school trip, but we met a couple of them and decided to go out in Phuket. After an hour in a sweaty taxi, we finally arrived at the hotel which was a 4-star spa resort called Deevana Patong where we had a cute little bungalow to ourselves and was completely surrounded by lots of BUSH. It was around 8 pm and we headed to the famous strip in Phuket-Patong Beach. Now if you haven’t heard of Patong Beach, just imagine the strip in Malia but on a larger scale, more wild with half-naked women dancing to The Weekend, lights flashing so much they could give anyone an epilepsy fit, theatrical grand entrances to clubs and signs smacking of your face offering half-price sex shows and of course, a good time. The weirdest thing about this strip was that families were walking up and down carrying pushchairs and holding on to their clueless little kids who would just point at the bright lights. So innocent, what they don’t know is that the bright light that they are pointing at actually belongs to a strip club. As Jess and I were walking up the strip we noticed the two lads we met in the taxi, they took everyone’s numbers and mentioned that they couldn’t get in touch with the other two girls…hmmm. Anyway, we thought let’s give this Patong Beach a bloody go! So, we ordered in the shots, we ordered in the buckets and we pretty much ordered whatever the hell we wanted because it’s so dirt cheap out here, it was like getting pissed royally. The drinks started to kick in and we were all, how can I say it…. completely twatted. So, what do you do when you are so drunk and have lost respect for yourself?

You go see a ping pong show of course!

PING PONG SHOWS: “I HAVE NEVER PLAYED PING PONG WITH A VAGINA BEFORE”

So, the strip in Patong beach is just packed full of men and women holding up signs for ping pong shows, you simply can’t miss them because you will most likely walk into about four of them in one minute. We approached one of the guys who was holding up a sign for the show, we told him we were interested, and he said “follow me” then proceeded to take us down one of the side alleys of the strip. I was pretty drunk, but I remember at the time thinking “Oh balls, this would be scary if I was sober right now” From the outside, it was honestly like a scene from Grand Theft Auto Vice City where your about to rob a hooker house. It was a house, a very big American-like house like X-men but of course, on a small scale. We walked in and entered this massive room with a stage with two naked women performing and Drake on blast.

You have to buy a drink, and they cost about £20 for one bottle of Corona but that’s your entrance, show, and drink fee, BUT YOU HAVE TO BUY ONE if not, your gone and especially if you get your phone out. Looking around you have a right mixture from old men to couples of all ages just watching the show with smiles and all. To be honest with you, strip clubs are not my thing, I went to Legs11 once and it just wasn’t my cup of tea, but the free chicken wings were, so that is the only positive I have to say about strip clubs. I don’t know if it’s because they all look miserable but I mean, come on, there is nothing to feel all hot and excited about when you are performing in front of a bunch of 60-year-old men dribbling over you and can’t even “make it rain” on your ass.

But Thai girls, they love it. They genuinely look like they love their job even if it does involve shoving a goldfish up their fanny. When we entered the club, the show seemed to get a little bit more exciting probably because the young lads we were with and me and Jessica were cheering them on. We also, “got involved” with the girls and what I mean by “getting involved” is quite literally getting involved in playing tennis with their vaginas… At one point watching Jessica go head to head with a vagina, You could have told me I was at Wimbledon watching a Tennis match, I would most likely believe you as I was that drunk…Next thing I know I was on all fours on the floor trying to figure out how they shove a Budgie bird up there and a string of razor blades?!! I think the girls were loving our side of the room as they kept trying to get us all to interact with them, how it didn’t end up in a full-blown orgy I will never know.

MEETING THE PING PONG GIRLS

So, with all the drink, I consumed…a girl gotta pee. So, I headed to the bathroom whilst everyone was waiting outside for me and I noticed two of the “Ping Pong” girls in there. They asked me if I enjoyed the show and of course, I asked them the million-dollar question ‘Where the hell do these objects go in your vagina?” of course they said something in Thai and I didn’t have a clue what it means but she made a hand gesture of almost like a vacuum cleaner up the Vag. God knows what that means, but they shook hands with me and walked out of the bathroom. I was on my way out of the club with the others and then I realised “Fuck, I just shook hands with them, and they had their hands up to their vaginas all night”

ISLAND HOPPING: TAKE A PILL, HOLD AND PRAY

So, Jessica and I grabbed a boat to get to some of the Islands in Phuket. We hopped on board a small speedboat with an open deck with seats, when we were about to set off the driver said, “Whoa no one is leaving without taking an anti-sickness tablet” Yes, the Andaman Sea is not full of treasure, it’s full of puke.

We went on the top deck of the boat…what a mistake because we took off and everyone on the top deck was thrown like rag dolls, Jess and I were holding on for dear life and some people, well were just completely out of it…

This was a complete stranger falling asleep on Jess’s shoulder….

DID I DIE AND WAKE UP FAMOUS?!

After an hour on the bumpiest ride of my life, we finally managed to check out a couple of the Islands. We saw Maya Bay and waved to Leonardo DiCaprio, jumped into paddle boats and went through the sea caves of Koh Talu, sunbathed in Koh Bon and went scuba diving! We also went to Khao Phing Kan known as “James Bond Island” now, I have been doing some research on this and still don’t know the reason why we had multiple people coming up to me and Jessica asking for selfies. I was just minding my own business taking a photo of that weirdly shaped rock and I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned around and it was a group of guys asking if they could have a picture of me. I was so confused but agreed to do it as they seemed really innocent, but then after that, another guy came up to me with his WIFE?! Asking for a photo. I was thinking has something happened back home that I don’t know about. Am I millionaire walking round like I don’t have a bloody clue or are they getting mixed up with someone else? Weirdly enough Jess came over to me and was experiencing the same thing. We were only on the island for an hour, but it was the most bizarre hour of my life. I don’t have a clue what they have done with those photos, I might be on some Thai wife for sale website for all I know, that would explain the weird “Guywithhugedick wants to send you a message” emails I keep getting ever since.

THE ISLAND FULL OF CATS AND BIRDS

Another bizarre Island was Ko Panyi which is amazingly built on stilts! You might recognise this Village if you have watched “Jack Whitehall’s travels with my father” with the floating football pitch which was pretty cool to see. As we were walking around it had like these dingy little areas which we had to question ourselves if we were actually allowed to go down as it was part of people’s houses. Cats were roaming everywhere, never seen so many cats in my life and there were hundreds of these little birds in cages hanging up. They have a school, police station, health center and mosque on that tiny island which is bizarre because people are going about their day and then you just see tourists taking pictures of them, a very bizarre experience, not too sure I would like experience again.

The one thing I will say is Thailand’s strippers are so friendly, they want to include you in the fun and to be honest this one stripper that was dancing, I don’t think she even cared about the money because she just demanded girls to get up and dance with her. I was drunk but I wasn’t “lets dance with my tits out” drunk yet so I was just her little cheerleader on the side but fair play to Jess she got up there, although it kind of reminded me of a constipated hamster on a pole…Sorry, Jess haha but no one cared, it was fun! We got to play snooker with even more randoms, share these buckets that took me back to the sharing jugs in Weatherspoons and we all just let our hair down whatever problems we had back at home they were gone for this night. Even bashing a nail on the head with a hammer was fun? Yes, it’s a drinking game over in Thailand that could but luckily didn’t end up nasty, even the bartenders were getting involved and throwing drinks at us, and some for free.

That night Jess and I got separated from each other. I found myself jumping into a rooftop pool at 2 am in the morning and sharing a kiss with one of the guys who we met on the way to Phuket. Although it maybe wasn’t the best time to get close to someone as I split up with my boyfriend of 7 years and was completely clueless if I was okay to do this sort of thing (me being a stupid girl) I’m glad I did, it could have gone further but it didn’t because I’m just not that girl who has one night stands and moves on so quickly plus I was still thinking about him. I was so lucky that night because I could have found myself in a situation where the lad could have turned around and said “no, you are not leaving and we are going to have sex” but he fully understood I was so confused and hurt by the situation back home. We chilled out, talked and then he helped me get home.

DON’T EAT SALADS

After all the junk food we consumed, I just wanted something nice and refreshing like a salad. We found this lovely little restaurant in the town and although I got my salad, I also got a little something extra as well…The shits. Oh my goodness, I have never run so fast for the toilet in my life, luckily we got back and I was outside, Jess was inside sleeping and I just remember thinking “I do not feel good” and running for the toilet, good lord I think the whole of Thailand came out of me that night. Whatever you do in Thailand, just make sure you don’t eat a salad over there.

It was finally time to say goodbye to Thailand and I remember staring at the sunset in Phuket airport waiting to catch our flight home. I remember thinking I don’t want to go home; I knew what was facing me and I just didn’t want to be an adult and deal with it yet. The grieving process of a relationship ending, a job that I am not fussed about, and really, reality. So many hilarious and amazing memories with my cousin on that holiday, memories that make great stories to tell those who are feeling down and will guarantee to get some giggles. I miss the Thai coffee that gave us the shits, the beautiful and the not so beautiful scenery we would wake up to, the unwelcomed visitors (Lizards) that at the time was terrifying but looking back comedy gold and just living the best life with my best friend Jess. I think Thailand was the start of learning to love myself and I was starting to figure out what I wanted in life, and it will always be a holiday that opened my eyes and finally realising what I want in life. A big thank you to Jess for coming with me, she knew I was down, and she knew I needed it so much and it did help, Thailand I’ll never forget you and your bloody mad ways!

Hope you enjoyed it!

Amy Eliza

Tags Islands, lifestyle, photography, phuket, Thailand, travel

lifestyle

BAB’s CINEMA PRESENTS: TOP 10 WEIRDEST FILMS EVER THAT YOU NEED TO WATCH

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 1st April 2020
16 Comments on BAB’s CINEMA PRESENTS: TOP 10 WEIRDEST FILMS EVER THAT YOU NEED TO WATCH

I believe there are films made out there to just freak the hell out of us and completely leave the cinema baffled as to what the hell they spent their money on but…we kind of love it. We are all guilty, we love a film that makes us question, debate and turn to social media to get more answers. So, I thought why not put together a post of the films that made me do just that. Some of these films have completely lost me, question society and have even inspired me weirdly enough. Now you can look forward to putting your feet up every night, ordering in that popcorn and watching a film from the selection below, that’s right I got your self-isolating night’s covered for the next week. From biting vagina’s to killer cats, these are my weirdest films that you need to watch.

DOGTOOTH

“A controlling, manipulative father locks his three adult offspring in a state of perpetual childhood by keeping them prisoner within the family compound. The children are bored to tears in spite of distractions like Christina, an employee of their fathers who makes regular visits to sexually service the son. Increasingly curious about the outside world, the older daughter hatches a plan to escape.”

This is one of those films where we can’t help but become in awe of its strangeness and horror. It’s a tough watch but I couldn’t help but watch with a mixture of confusion, horror and shock, its humanity at its most INSANIST. You have bloody weird incestuous relationships, people on all fours barking like dogs to scare of cats who they are told are complete monsters and knocking teeth out with dumbbells. Oh yeah, this film has bite alright.

MIDSOMMAR

A couple travel to Sweden to visit their friend’s rural hometown for its fabled midsummer festival, but what begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

This is the one movie that I had to question myself on numerous times if I was high or not. Life lesson kids make sure you read about the movie before you go to see it because I got a glimpse of floral and automatically thought it was going to be this lovely romantic movie, my god was I wrong. People stuffed in bears, getting bludgeoned to death and some freakish women screaming like it’s the last orgasm of their lives. I still don’t know what I watched, I still couldn’t tell you what it’s about, but I bloody loved it.

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL

Extremely shy Lars finds it impossible to make friends or socialize. His brother and sister-in-law worry about him, so when he announces that he has a girlfriend he met on the Internet, they are overjoyed. But Lars’ new lady is a life-size plastic woman. On the advice of a doctor, his family and the rest of the community go along with his delusion.

Possibly the sweetest film I have ever seen and Ryan Gosling is in it?! I couldn’t stop giggling all the way through and often there would be times where I would feel terrible about it and oddly enough, it is a very touching movie even if it is about falling in love with a plastic doll. I still can’t get over that Ryan Gosling agreed to do this movie but just shows, that sexy guys can take the piss out of themselves too! It’s weird and wonderful at its finest!

MELANCHOLIA

The lives of sisters Justine and Claire get entangled when they discover that Earth is about to collide with an enormous planet called Melancholia.

Within 5 minutes of watching this film, you will be captivated, mark my words. The cinematography in this film is insane, and the plot is pretty smart capturing the portrait of depression. It’s one of those films that is quite tough to stick with but try to because it’s worth it! Kirsten Dunst is amazing as ever definitely her best performance and there is an appearance from one of those hunky Skarsgard brothers in it as well. It’s haunting, terrifying almost like a nightmare you can’t escape but it is mesmerizing.

THE BAD BATCH

Arlen is abandoned in a Texas wasteland that is fenced off from civilization. While trying to navigate the unforgiving landscape, Arlen is captured by a savage band of cannibals led by the mysterious Miami Man. With her life on the line, she makes her way to The Dream. As she adjusts to life in the bad batch, Arlen discovers that being good or bad mostly depends on who’s standing next to you.

Another film which is pretty fucked! Involving cannibalism, short shorts, and that hunky Aqua man guy, so it’s worth a watch in my eyes. It’s a cross between Mad Max and the hills have eyes with some pretty good actors such as Jason Mamoa, Giovanni Ribisi and a hilarious guest appearance from Jim Carrey as a mute hobo?! It’s one of those films with an ending where you generally question why you spent two hours watching it but remember you are a sucker for biceps and Jim Carrey so then you carry on with your day. It had potential to go down a Kill Bill route maybe as TV series, but I am no Director, so what do I know, right?… Call me Quentin!

HEREDITARY

When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter and grandchildren begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry, trying to outrun the sinister fate they have inherited.

This film was good for the first 20 minutes, someone got their head decapitated and then it turned into a complete bore fest until the last 20 minutes where I think the movie producer’s thought “Oh fuck it, let’s just make this as weird as possible” in which they achieved. I watched this at the cinema and when it finished, the whole of the cinema was silent watching the credits roll. No one said a peep until 5 minutes after someone shouted “What the fuck was that about” in which the whole room engaged in a slagging session of this film. You might want to just read about it on Wikipedia and then skip to the end.

TEETH

Dawn is an active member of her high-school chastity club but, when she meets Tobey, nature takes its course, and the pair answer the call. They suddenly learn she is a living example of the vagina dentata myth, when the encounter takes a grisly turn.

Lads will be squealing in their seat and girls will be inspecting their muffins after watching this film. Yes, this movie is really about a vagina with teeth, the ultimate monster and orgasm killer. Is it any good? well, it’s a vagina with teeth what do you expect? it’s hilarious, disgusting and entertaining so worth a watch plus did I mention there is a vagina with teeth in it?

THE ROOM

The film centers on a melodramatic love triangle between amiable banker Johnny, his deceptive fiancée Lisa, and his conflicted best friend Mark.

“I did not hit her! I did not…Oh Hi, Mark”

That’s it, that’s the synopsis. This movie is labelled the worst movie of all time and that’s why you need to watch it NOW. Famous for its notorious lines such as “Oh, Hi Mark” “YOU’RE TEARING ME APART LISA” “You’re just a chicken chip chip” you will find yourself laughing for the wrong reasons because this film intended to be serious. A classic example of “so bad, it’s so good” prepare to laugh your balls off and not have a clue what’s going on.

PANS LABYRINTH

Ofelia moves with her mother to her stepfather’s house. At night, a fairy leads her to a faun who informs her that she is a princess and she needs to participate in three tasks to prove her royalty.

A fucked up Spanish rated 18 “Fairy tale” If you are struggling with your kids whilst self-isolating this is the film to get your kids in order.

This film is a lot, one moment you are trying to fight back the tears, the next you are on the edge of your seat screaming at the TV at what can only be described as a shrivelled up funky looking penis with arms and legs running after a little girl trying to eat her… It’s creepy, it’s brutal and it’s also a frightening masterpiece.

TUSK

A podcaster ventures into the Canadian wilderness to interview an old man who has an extraordinary past, and the American learns the man has a dark secret involving a walrus.

This has to be the weirdest movie I have ever seen in my life. This is on some human centipede level, another film that has convinced me that I must have been stoned whilst watching. In a nutshell, this old man is obsessed with walruses and decides to turn Justin Long’s character into a walrus. Justin Long in a walrus suit? you have to see it to believe it, what’s so odd is why Mr Long agreed to be part of this film AND Johnny Depp?! I laughed, I screamed, and I was totally confused AF! I have no words honestly for this film, go try it out maybe?

AMY ELIZA

Tags cinema, films, lifestyle, movies, netflix, selfisolating, weird, weirdest

lifestyle Thailand travel

THE THAILAND DIARIES: PART ONE…SORRY MOM & DAD

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 29th March 2020
15 Comments on THE THAILAND DIARIES: PART ONE…SORRY MOM & DAD

“Have you ever played ping pong with a vagina before?”

Well, it’s not the best start to 2020, is it? for many holiday seekers relying on that booked holiday to finally relax, top up their tans and maybe even find love, are sadly having to cancel their 2020 treat due to the outbreak of CO-VID 19. Yes, corona, you have well and truly buggered 2020 “The year that was going to be my year,” said the so many millions of people that say the same quote every year. However, let’s not take this as a negative because this year could be the year to reflect, plan and save for 2021.

I find that as you get older the time just flies by and sometimes you just don’t have the time to sit down with yourself and think “Okay, what do I want to do?” I am finding whilst I am self-isolating, that I have all the time in the world to think, thoughts that have never crossed my mind are now quite common in the past week and of course, memories. I was flicking through my phone and came across my Thailand photographs in which I started laughing straight away because I remember before I went to Thailand I felt very down about life, and I just wanted to escape Birmingham for two weeks with my cousin Jess. The memories we made, the experiences we experienced, and my god, the laughs we had. I looked back at the photos in which I am gleaming, I look so happy and you wouldn’t think I just came out of a seven-year relationship with someone who I thought I was going to marry. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, and Thailand was just that because I never fancied Thailand! a couple of my friends went before me and I would think “Why the hell would you want to go to a place like that?!” but soon as I got off that 12-hour flight, Thailand threw everything at me from condom restaurants (Yes for real), sex shows, to walking amongst beautiful temples and elephants. I learnt a lot from Thailand, and it’s a destination I would recommend to anyone in a heartbeat and so, if you’re gutted about your holiday being cancelled in Spain why not step out of your comfort zone and explore Thailand?

So I have put together a blog post with lots of photos, hilarious stories and recommendations. We travelled to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket so there is a lot to get through so there is going to be a part 2. If there is anything that has caught your eye and want to know more about just send me a comment and I’ll be happy to give you more information! Other than that I hope I don’t disgust you too much.

BANGKOK- WHERE WE ALMOST GOT ARRESTED

When we first arrived in Bangkok, we arrived with a bang…quite literally. It was like a scene you would see in a cartoon, we got off our 12-hour flight, grabbed our suitcases and headed to the escalators to get out of Bangkok Airport. We stepped onto the escalators (no steps) and missed the sign to hold onto our luggage- well my cousin Jess did, because the next thing I heard was the loudest screeching ever, so loud that the whole of the airport looked our way with panic expressions. I looked forward and I just see this suitcase running away from Jess and her running after it down the escalator. I couldn’t stop laughing and what was worse is that I needed the toilet so bad, I was having to control my bowels whilst laughing. The suitcase was heading towards these two doors made out of glass and I remember thinking “Oh shit, we are going to get arrested” the suitcase slammed of the glass doors, the sound was honestly like a bomb had gone off but luckily the doors never smashed. Jess grabbed the suitcase where security was standing looking very unimpressed. A close call to getting arrested and sharting but a moment I’ll never forget.

CABBAGES & CONDOMS- THE CONDOM RESTAURANT

I remember coming across this restaurant online thinking “This is not real! It’s got to be a joke?” so when we jumped out of our Tuk-Tuk and saw the sign and light shades made out of condoms, We knew instantly that this is going to be the weirdest dining experience we will ever experience in our lives. Just imagine condoms everywhere, floating in the sky, on the tables, mannequins and flowers made out of them, it got to the point I was starting to imagine dicks as well. The restaurant has a mission to help prevent sexually transmitted diseases and Hey, I thought I was just here for food but found myself in a sex-ed class reading of all the information boards on what you should and should not swallow. The food is pretty basic, but the springs rolls are pretty amazing, but I just kept catching the 100 condom light shades staring at me whilst eating and I couldn’t finish my rolls as I was thinking about dicks again. A very surreal experience and to our amusement when we paid for the bill, I was expecting some complimentary mints that you usually get at a Thai restaurant but nope, they gave us complimentary condoms instead.

MASSAGE- WITH AN ADDED CHEEKY FINGER

Okay, so we all know about the happy ending massage parlours in Thailand so can you imagine my face when I ask for a traditional massage and got more than what I asked for?! We went to some random parlour on the street in Bangkok, didn’t look into it but we were so desperate for a massage. They first scrubbed our feet then took us to this pitch-black room upstairs with two mattresses on the floor and told us to remove our clothes. We didn’t think much of it at first as it was just two middle-aged women plus, we have never had a Thai massage, so we did as what we were told and removed our clothes. This woman I had was pretty good she poured oil down my back and was rubbing all the knots out, from my neck to my feet however as she was gliding back up with the oil she got to my bum and well she, did me over didn’t she?! The crafty fucker slipped a finger in where no fingers shall ever go again, it was like 5 seconds, but I kept fighting with myself thinking if it happened or not. Soon as the women left I turned to Jess literally gobsmacked “I just lost my finger in bum virginity” We couldn’t stop laughing, Jess said her lady straddled her and kept thrusting her vagina in her bum, we couldn’t get out of there quick enough but my back felt great after so I’ll give her that.

CHIANG MAI- WHERE WE ALMOST GOT EATEN ALIVE.

Chiang Mai was one of my favourite places in Thailand although we had a lot of run-ins with the wildlife there, some good and some bad. One of the nights, we decided to take a look at The Night Bazaar which has everything from furniture to crocodile on a stick. On the way back we decided to get a Tuk-Tuk halfway then walk home. As we were walking past an alley, we could hear some growling, we looked down and there was a group of wild dogs. Now, these are not the dogs you get back home, they are almost mutated, dribbling and covered in wounds, not a pretty sight. They clocked us, then they started barking and charged at us. I have never run so fast in my life; I did not want to get eaten alive by dogs even if they are one of my favourite animals. The night didn’t stop there, as we were running a couple of rats decided it was a marathon and ran in front of us, so we screamed some more and increased our speed. When we got back to the hotel which was in the middle of the jungle, we felt so relieved until what I can only describe as a massive lizard orgy on our door to our room, the audacity of these big fuckers out here.

ELEPHANT NATURE PARK- A TRULY REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE

So, there is a lot of negativity when it comes to animal welfare with Thailand and especially with elephants. A lot of these horror stories you hear from elephants forced to dance to the public, carrying logs up mountains and working as beggars on the streets are sadly true. The biggest con of all is these “sanctuary’s” that make you believe that they are taking care of the elephants but when they close the doors after you leave it’s a different story. So, Jess and I did some research into legit sanctuary’s for elephants and the elephant nature park came up founded by Lek Chailert who has dedicated her life to rescuing abused elephants and is one of Asia’s heroes for animal welfare. Before you arrive you are educated in these amazing animals and how they are abused all over the world, you get to know some of the nature parks elephants stories but when you see the elephants now you wouldn’t have thought they had such a tragic past. They are chasing each other, flapping their ears and are free. No bull hooks are allowed in the nature park, each elephant has a keeper to look after them and you can see the incredible bond, they all have.

One elephant that I just fell in love with and had a tragic story was Jokia, Her story is very upsetting-Warning senstive content -Jokia is a female elephant who worked in the log trade. She suffered a miscarriage while pulling a log uphill and was not allowed to stop working to see if her calf was dead or alive. This event cause Jokia extreme physical and emotional trauma and she refused to go back to work. As a result, she was deliberately blinded in both eyes on two separate occasions by different owners.

Jokia has two best friends Navann and Sri Prae who help guide her throughout the park with their trunks. We got to meet Jokia and Navann, Navann was holding on to Jokia and they couldn’t stop flapping their ears when we greeted them. She looked so happy, for a human to hurt her like that and not attack us as we approached just shows how strong spirited and beautiful these animals are.

I shall call him Bagheera and he shall be mine!

The elephant nature park is something that will stick with me for a long time, they have strict rules of no riding, no ball hooks, no bathing, no performing and no abusing them in any sort of way. To see free elephants, behave naturally rolling around in the mud with their friends, chasing one and other and just smiling was enough for me. We did get to feed the elephants watermelon, watch them bathe in the lake and give them a stroke. The Nature park also recuse dogs, cats, and buffaloes, they all roam freely in the park and there are hundreds of volunteers who work to support the park

If you are going to a “sanctuary” where the workers carry bull hooks, promote elephant rides and elephant shows, they are chained, or not informing you about the welfare of elephants then it’s not a sanctuary, you’re paying these people to carry on abusing them. It might look great for a photo you riding on an elephant but many of the elephants at the Nature Park sanctuary have had their backbones dislocated because of this, the workers who they had worked for won’t see this (well, refuse to acknowledge) and sadly will abuse them, even more, to carry on with broken bones to make money or they die.

If you are interested in finding more about the Park, please head over to the website here

Just the best Frappe Latte at Dek-Doi Cafe just down the street from The Eco Resort where we stayed,

The sort of things you will find at the Chiang Mai markets, Me and Jess were trying to work out for a good 10 minutes if the Croc was a real or not.

That’s it for part one of The Thailand Diaries, Part two will be next week and this part gets a little bit freaky with Ping Pong shows, dancing with strippers, and bumpy rides Baby– Oh god I’m so sorry Mom!

AMY ELIZA

Tags bangkok, blogger, chiangmai, coffee, fashion, holiday, lifestyle, temples, Thailand, travel, travelthailand

lifestyle

SELF-ISOLATING: THINGS YOU CAN DO TO KEEP YOURSELF BUSY

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 22nd March 2020
27 Comments on SELF-ISOLATING: THINGS YOU CAN DO TO KEEP YOURSELF BUSY

2020 has well and truly shat all over our lives with the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s turning out that many of us will have to switch off the light and close the door to society outside our four walls. Whether its two weeks, a month or three months of isolation, how the hell are we going to survive without Saturday’s nights in Be at One [insert troll face]

From concerns of isolation resulting in feeling lonely and depressed, this is the time we must come together to help one and other, two words that have summed up 2020 so far, Be Kind. So far, the community of Birmingham coming together to support hospitality business’s in the City has been a beautiful sight to see, from donations to media coverage it really does prove that the community will come together to pick up those who are suffering to help them back up onto their feet again. Even to those who are isolating, restaurants are now offerings deliveries, neighbours offering to go food shopping and strangers just checking in. It’s going to be tough, but it’s important to keep busy, isolating doesn’t mean you can’t speak to anyone and it doesn’t mean you have to completely shut out the whole world. There are many things you can do, things that will get you excited and motivated for the future. There maybe things that you haven’t had the time for and now you can finally do, so here are 10 things that I came up with that you can do whilst isolating.

SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE FEELING THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19

For now, many businesses have closed their doors but still offering the option of online shopping, takeaways and deliveries. You can always support these businesses behind your computer screen by sharing content via social media, purchasing gift vouchers and personal donations. If you don’t want to see our independent’s disappearing from our streets then do visit them, buy something or purchase a gift card and use social media to promote them. It’s not just the independents who are suffering, it’s the elderly as well who many live alone, have no ways of transport and are vulnerable. I have seen on social media that many neighbours and even strangers are contacting their elderly neighbours to check in with them and see if they need any supplies then delivering them to their doors. A beautiful gesture that goes a long way to some as your face may be the first face, they have seen in a couple of days even sadly weeks.

YOU NOW HAVE TIME TO WATCH THE EIGHT SEASONS OF GAME OF THRONES

“It’s too long, I don’t have time for it”
YOU KNOW NOTHING, BAB. now it’s your chance to crack out those bloody long boxsets and watch them with your loved ones. It’s like Christmas but without the presents, 100 buffets and Mariah Carey…it’s like going back to the Jesus days oh wait, he did put on a fantastic buffet spread before he…Let’s just go the next paragraph, shall we!?

START AGAIN

All those new year resolutions that you swore to yourself you would do in the year 2020 (lose some weight and become a Victoria Secret model) but still haven’t done as your still warming up for the year well we could just scrap that as we have already failed and start again, right?
Who knows what this year will have install for us…well at the moment no toilet rolls.

THE BIG CLEAR OUT

Clear and breath Honey! let’s dive into that wardrobe and finally get rid of that booty call outfit that you had plans for about 10 years ago. The thing is you don’t have to just get rid, you can make a bit of profit from your clear out. Of course, Car boots are a great way of making a bit of money but due to the virus, these are to be avoided. What you can do, is sell online on websites such as Vinted, Depop and eBay. I use vinted a lot to get rid of clothes and accessories I don’t need anymore and I make a nice little profit. If the money doesn’t matter, you could always advertise on social media and give to those who could make use of it.

I MAKE MONEY MOVES

As mentioned above, you can make a nice little bit of income at home. Something I have actually thought about is dog sitting I mean, I do love them more than people so me and dogs watching Housewives of Atlanta would be the perfect isolation plan.

EXERCISE, CLEANSE…NO EXCUSES

You don’t have to go to the gym to feel good. Last year I did a yeast detox, I didn’t go to the gym, I went for a jog every day and cut down on rubbish. My skin was clear, I lost a stone within two weeks and I felt pretty sexy. I was starting to show a bit of skin but not too much Jesus, this isn’t a meat market! Just an arm or a leg. It gave me confidence however, I sadly fell back into my bad ways so at the moment I feel like an orangutan. Now, I have no excuse’s so I’ll be squatting and doing laps in the garden for The Victoria Secret show…[Insert Troll face]

TRY SOMETHING NEW: GET CRAFTY, GET BAKEY, AND GET SNAPPY?…

No, none of that makes sense I was just trying to be all arty-farty with my words but now is the time to try something new! Hobbies are never-ending from baking to adding to your cotton wool collection…okay, I made it up but if extreme ironing is a hobby then I’m sure as hell collecting cotton wool can be too. It keeps you busy, it gets you excited and who knows, you might be able to make a career out of it.

COMMUNICATE EVERYDAY

Isolating yourself doesn’t mean closing the door to your room and cutting off all communication. You should be talking to your friends and your family every day! Get on skype with your friends you could play a quiz, watch a film together or you could just catch up. It’s important to talk and check in with one and other as isolation can harm us all. We may feel lonely, sad and not communicating can cause boredom leading to focusing on the negativity in our lives. Check-in with everyone, If you live alone you might want to jump on social media, Bumble for friends and various chatroom apps. Remember it is important to talk if you are feeling the effects of isolation, don’t feel embarrassed as we are all going through this togeather and we are here to support one and other.

MISS LIFE? DOWNLOAD AND PLAY THE SIMS

Missing the drama in your life? well, you can always just recreate it on the Sims and get carried away for about a year. You could create an episode of Coronation Street which is actually thrilling in the game of Sims, you could build your whole life on there if you wanted to however It’s a bit weird when you’re talking to friends or family that you know that you have killed them a thousand times on the Sims and they don’t even know.

So there you have it, but I would love to know what you have done so far in Isolation? Leave me a comment below and remember, to stay safe Babs!

AMY ELIZA

Tags Birmingham, coronavirus, fashion, health, isolation, life, lifestyle, social

Birmingham Food review

AFTERNOON TEA AT HOTEL DU VIN BIRMINGHAM

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 15th March 2020
15 Comments on AFTERNOON TEA AT HOTEL DU VIN BIRMINGHAM

For a while now I have wanted to visit Hotel du Vin & Bistro in Birmingham and see what all the fuss was about as it’s a hotel and bistro that is often praised by many in and out of Birmingham. As a lover of food and of course, afternoon tea, I thought now was the time to book myself in to experience and trial Hotel du Vin’s exceptional reputation in Birmingham.

The Hotel & Bistro is located on Church Street, a great location for travellers who are staying over at the hotel as you have Grand Central station that is just under a 10-minute walk away, you are surrounded by restaurants and bars, and if you had forgottten any essentials ( I always forget pants which is ridiculous but my brain chooses 2 x biscuits in case I feel sick in the night instead of pants, absolute LOLS) you are also surrounded by retail shops, so the location is perfect. Upon entering the Hotel, it does have a fabulous entry that leads to the courtyard where you can dine in, but our afternoon tea took place in the Bistro restaurant which is just darling! It’s elegant and it just oozes Le Paris!

We were shown to our table and then handed menus to choose which tea we would like to have, I opted for the English breakfast and my friend opted for Earl Grey. They had a pretty impressive variety of drinks on offer that you can have with your afternoon tea, from hot drinks to fancy champagne and Hendricks cocktails. I did nearly choose the “Dozy Girl” tea with lavender and rose petals but we were on a tight schedule as we chose to go in our lunch hour, so we wanted to avoid falling asleep on the keyboard and getting the sack! The tea was served first and it came within 5 minutes, sharp service, I like it!

One of the staff members asked us if we had any allergies and then confirmed we was having vegan (for my friend) and non vegan (for me) afternoon tea. Shortly after, the afternoon tea followed glistering with a range of savouries and sweets and wait, do I spy POPCORN? (I shall not quote Stephen Kings IT…POP POP POP…damn it) Vegan afternoon tea on the top and the non-vegan on the bottom. My eyes lit up and I couldn’t help but sigh with relief when I spotted the sweets because bread is Jesus and the number of afternoon teas I have had and they just plonk a load of cakes on it and have 3 tiny sandwiches?! This certainly wasn’t the case with Hotel du Vin, let’s start with mine first.

With the non-vegan afternoon tea you get a pretty good selection of finger sandwiches with a variety of fillings.

Cheese and pickle

Coronation chicken

Cucumber and mint

Smoked salmon and cream cheese

Egg and cress

A selection that I was pretty satisfied with. The bread was fresh, the fillings were full of flavour and I enjoyed the variety. Next up was the deserts which to me, are perfectly sized and again, great variety.

Carrot Cake

Paris-Brest

Tutti Frutti macaroon

Black Forest gateau

Rum Baba

Now, the rum baba I never tried because my mother is the Queen of rum baba’s. She is completely obsessed with them, so obsessed that she would try and blackmail my dad in going down to Waitrose and buying her 10 packets of the stuff, “well, I am not making you dinner” whipped by a rum baba, the shame. She did comment on it saying it was delicious but of course, she would have liked a larger portion. Now, the other desserts were absolutely delicious, the Paris-Brest was my favourite and it just complimented my cup of tea so nicely. The black forest was just pleasurable that’s all I am going to say, and the carrot cake took me by surprise but they all did, because there not the sort of desserts I would go for but it sure did tickle my sweet tooth and left me pretty satisfied.

Vegan afternoon tea was quite impressive, again, a very generous and good variety of vegan treats for my friend to tuck into…

Cheese & onion tart

Tempura cauliflower

Vegan scone with peppers

Salted popcorn

and more vegan savoury tarts

The deserts

Pistachio cake

Chocolate truffle cake

Victoria sponge

Danish pastry

As a vegan, my friend noted that it is often quite difficult to find a vegan afternoon tea and she was pretty impressed with the selection and variety on offer at Hotel du Vin. Thumb ups on the vegan front. I am a non-vegan and I have to say it did look very appetising and I liked the quirky touch of popcorn…Nope, I am not quoting “IT” again. We also received scones which had me pondering for 5 minutes if they even were scones, they had a glaze on top almost like a donut would have and the texture was also different to a regular scone “I’m not like a regular scone, I am a cool scone” Yes I just quoted Meal Girls but anyway, I’m a fan of the scones! Different but delicious.

The Bistro is absolutely stunning, decorated with wall art and empty wine bottles empowering that rustic feel with a touch of quirk. I would like to mention that the staff at Hotel du Vin are professional and very informative, they check in with you now and again to make sure you are enjoying your experience to the fullest.

When it comes to Afternoon Tea, Hotel du Vin have got it spot on. The décor, the ambience and the food is stunning here and its priced at £22.50?! in which, I believe is an absolute steal for sensational service and food. In a way, it doesn’t feel like you are dining out in Birmingham more like a French Bistro in an upper-class town in France back in the 1940s. The Afternoon Tea has fought its way into my top 5 Afternoon Teas in Birmingham, for sure! Hotel du Vin is a delightful treat for anyone, If you are a lover of Afternoon Tea then you must, I repeat MUST take a trip to Hotel du Vin & Bistro in Birmingham where you will receive luscious food served to the highest standard surrounded by French charm, it’s a stunning experience for all to enjoy.

Fancy it? you can book your Afternoon tea here

AMY ELIZA

Tags afternoontea, Birmingham, Food, hotel, hotelduvin, lifestyle, westmidlands