Mid July we headed ‘up North’ to visit friends and family for the weekend. As we have a 3-month-old baby, we decided to break up the journey by stopping off at The Baraset Barn, Alveston. We picked The Baraset Barn because it was quick and easy to access from the M40 and meant we could be on the M6 nice and early ahead of the morning rush. There are just 16 rooms This was our first hotel stay with a baby so we were feeling a little nervous. From the website, the rooms looked large enough to accommodate a travel cot or a pram. The room did not disappoint, we had ample space for setting up little man. Sometimes hotels can make rooms look large on their website then you turn up to something tiny; this was not the case. If anything, it was actually the opposite as the room was much larger than I had anticipated. There is a small mini-fridge in the room that had bottled water and fresh milk for the coffee machine. The room also comes with two dressing gowns, an iron and ironing board....
When we had friends come to visit mid-September, we knew exactly where we wanted to go for dinner. The Goat in Timsbury (just outside Romsey) has been open since June/July 2019 after a full renovation. The result? A beautiful gourmet pub which offers a lovely garden area to watch the sun go down with a cold drink. Because we decided to take a group a friends to The Goat, I was lucky enough to try a whole host of dishes all in one go! It's just as well my friends love me and have the patience to let me snap photos of their food and have a little taste of their dish. The new decor is country chic which gives a relaxed vibe. There is a lovely fireplace with sofas where you can enjoy a drink in front of the fire with your loved ones. Starters and small bites We had a combination of dishes from the starters and small bites menu to kick off our meal. Charcoal grilled halloumi with salsa Verdi Listed as one of the 'small bites' it was a lovely way to st...
The beautiful @gemmaclairechisholm recommended The Garden Society when I saw her before Christmas and I am so glad that she did. I hadn't been before and I always love a local recommendation. The Garden Society is located on Allington Lane, Eastleigh and is technically a garden centre, however it's not like any other garden centre I've been to. As well as offering your typical garden centre bits and bobs, such as pots and plants, they also have a home & living section, Katie Louxton boutique and much more. We headed over to The Garden Society the week before Christmas so it was looking extremely festive. They had the most beautiful decorations to suit a whole range of styles. I really loved their home section, especially the diamond shaped mirror in the pictures below. From here, we went through to The Orangery Tea House for coffee and cake. They also offer breakfast, brunch and lunch. The decor is colonial inspired and really is stunning. They also have ...