Champagne Afternoon Tea

On Friday, Nick took me to the Park Plaza in Cardiff for a Champagne Afternoon Tea which was a very late birthday present (my birthday was in November in case you are wondering)!  As part of the deal, we were allowed a few hours in The Laguna Health & Spa before we ate.  Instead of using the gym, we opted to use the pool area with a steam room and Jacuzzi .  The pool was quite different – it has a metal floor, not tiles like I’m used to – and the Jacuzzi and steam room were the perfect temperatures so we were nice and relaxed for our tea!

We had the Afternoon Tea in The Laguna Kitchen and Bar.  First we were given a glass of Champagne while we chose our teas and waited for our food to arrive.  The food, when it arrived, both looked and tasted delicious!  There was the perfect amount of everything so that although we were full, we weren’t completely stuffed at the end.

I won’t describe every last detail but here are some photos so you can see how pretty the food looked!

We had a fantastic afternoon and would love to go back again!

A Couple of Valentine’s Day Ideas…..

This Elemis Skin Nourishing Milk Bath Anniversary Edition is expensive but makes your bath that extra bit special. It has an old fashioned glass bottle which you can reuse and it smells gorgeous.

Something a bit cheaper but still just a lovely smelling is a Bodhi gift set. The products don’t contain any harmful parabens, sulphates and petrochemicals and has a high ratio of essential oils. I love this cute I heart…. t shirt from La Redoute and it’s much cheaper than you would think at just £9.

Find-Me-A-Gift have some good ideas including this Rose Compact, the Valentine’s themed snuggie blanket and loads more. Not too sure about this Cupid’s Cushion though!  I mean it’s a fun idea but I personally wouldn’t pay £18 for it (certainly not the £30 when it’s not in the sale).  There are some much nicer gifts on the website which I would choose over this cushion.

For something different, why not try this Black Moth Truffle Vodka? I’ve got to admit that I wasn’t a massive fan when I first tasted it – it tastes quite salty. I’ve never actually had a proper truffle so can’t say whether they taste anything like the vodka but it is made using them so I would assume that it does! The website has lots of ideas for cocktails using the Truffle Vodka, some of them are very odd and not what you would think to put together but they somehow work!If you’re not sure about something quite as exotic as the Truffle Vodka, why not try BLOOM Gin.  It has “delicate floral notes and aromas, enriched by the natural botanicals of chamomile, pomelo and honeysuckle, capture the uplifting sense of spring” according to the website.  I’ve got to be honest, I’ve only tried it with tonic but there are some really nice looking cocktail recipes on their website if you want to jazz it up a little.

I don’t know about you but I can’t tell the difference between sparkling wine and proper Champagne (unless I drink one after the other!) so if, like me, you can’t afford to splash out on the real stuff then Hardys have a great alternative – Hardys Crest Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir. They’ve also got a rose version which tastes delicious as well.

Folio Champagne Flutes

How nice are these Champagne glasses?!

They are Waterford Crystal and are part of a new range of glasses called Folio 1, designed by John Rocha.  The glasses come in packs of two for £55 and are available from House of Fraser (also Selfridges and Harrods if you are in London).

I love the swirly pattern which is not too over the top but still makes them stand out.  The glasses are tall and slim and look really elegant.  The Folio 1 range also includes both red and white wine glasses as well as water glasses so there’s the opportunity to get the whole set – although if I had to pick just one pair, it would without doubt be the Champagne flutes which are stunning!

Aqua Sana

Just a few hours at the Aqua Sana in Center Parcs is enough to completely relax anyone.  As soon as you walk through the doors you feel your cares and worries begin to float away.  Your experience begins properly when you walk into the changing rooms to the sound of relaxing music and are given the fluffiest of white robes and a towel.  The changing rooms look much more luxurious than your average leisure centre with the nice extra touch of hand cream by the basins.

Next, you make your way through towards the spa area with a fantastic number of different saunas, steam rooms and relaxation areas.  Everyone is very peaceful and it all smells just like a spa should!  In between relaxing in the saunas and steam rooms, there are plenty of areas where you can relax with bean bags, water beds and just general comfy seating.  You can either bring a book or read one of the magazines dotted around.  There is also a Zen garden, foot baths, multisensory showers and an ice fountain which is brilliant for cooling you down after a few minutes in the sauna.  Each Aqua Sana has a bubbly spa pool with massage jets.  (There are 4 Centre Parcs resorts across England and each one has its own Aqua Sana.)

If you get peckish there is a cafe serving food as well as refreshing drinks, indulgent cakes, chocolates and even Champagne.

To really make a day of your spa experience, there are other treatments available such as massages or facials.  These cost extra but there are often deals on at different times of the year.  You could also book yourself in for a manicure or pedicure.  For my birthday my Mum treated me to a dual treatment massage finishing with a glass of Champagne and chocolate truffles.  It was very relaxing and I loved being pampered!

http://www.aquasana.co.uk/sana/index.jsp