And just like that, Christmas is here! Our tree is And just like that, Christmas is here! Our tree is up, the Santa hats are out and the first doors on our advent calendars are open.

I love this time of year. It is my favourite. And it’s one of the few times still full of magic even as an adult. I’m going to be soaking up every minute of joy the next few weeks bring and I hope December is full of moments of joy for you too.

Happy December! 🎄
AD | Christmas has arrived at @thelexiconbracknell AD | Christmas has arrived at @thelexiconbracknell and there’s so much to entertain the whole family whilst you do your Christmas shopping! 

Visit The Lexicon Glow Room for a magical light experience that will dazzle you with 20,000 LEDs. It feels like the room goes on forever! Then, take a dip in the Light Pool, a magical ball pool with golden balls to be found and prizes to be won!

If that wasn’t all, have a photo in the giant Christmas bauble ‘sparkling selfie station’ and follow the Twinkle Trail, spotting baubles in shop windows to collect the clues and enter to win fabulous prizes this Christmas. Plus, share your sparkling selfie station pictures, tagging #thelexiconbracknell or email them to marketing@thelexiconbracknell.com and you will automatically be entered in a competition for the chance to win a restaurant gift card too. 

There are also special performances from local choirs, bands and singers and even the chance to meet Bluey, Hey Duggee and Chase from Paw Patrol! You can be sure that a trip to The Lexicon will have something for everyone over the festive season this year. We loved our visit to The Lexicon last weekend and know we’ll be back again before Christmas!

Find out more on @thelexiconbracknell website.

#TheLexiconBracknell #Merry&Bright
AD - Press Trip | What a lovely evening that was! AD - Press Trip | What a lovely evening that was! We had our first Glow Marwell experience tonight - and we loved it. It may even be the best light trail we have been to.

We spent well over two hours at @marwellzoo, enjoying the light installations, indulging in the food stalls and cafe, toasting marshmallows and even meeting Father Christmas! 

Glow Marwell was such a nice way to kick off the festive season - and it’s on all the way through December! If you’re looking for a really nice festive activity the whole family can enjoy, this could definitely be it!
AD | Are you looking for gifts for the grandparent AD | Are you looking for gifts for the grandparents this year? @famileo_uk is a wonderful gift, giving the recipient a personalised gazette of family news regularly throughout the year - and it costs from just £5.99 a month. 

Multiple family members can use the same subscription, all posting messages to be added to one gazette - and sharing the cost of the subscription too! It’s great for parents, siblings and children to all share their news with grandparents each week, fortnight or month. 

We’ve been sending my dad Family gazettes for a while now and he absolutely loves them. It means we tell him all the little things that are happening and not just the big news you remember to mention in phone calls. The children get to upload their own messages to their grandad and it’s definitely made them feel closer, building a stronger relationship despite living far apart.

Find out more about Family over on the blog - link in bio - and buy a subscription for your nearest and dearest this Christmas. It’s a gift they will definitely love to receive.
Two weeks of Fred & George! I won’t be doing the Two weeks of Fred & George! I won’t be doing these updates every week but I like having somewhere to put all these photos!

They’re now three months old, super loving and happy, making biscuits and purring constantly.

They stay in ‘their’ room overnight but explore the house during the day, getting more confident as time passes. They even got to the point of relaxing on the sofa with us last night.

Fred & George are now very much part of our family and I can’t imagine them not being there now - even at 7am when they’re miaowing at the door for breakfast!
AD | Stuck for screen-free entertainment that your AD | Stuck for screen-free entertainment that your kids will love? Claim your FREE Banjo Robinson activity pack today!
 
Reading for pleasure is a key indicator of a child’s future success, but if your child doesn’t love to read, what can you do? We know it’s not always easy keeping kids entertained and away from screens, so we’ve partnered with the award-winning @banjorobinson to gift you a FREE activity pack, worth £9.99.

Here’s a little look at the Banjo Robinson subscription - Troy loves it! Travelling to world with Banjo is so much fun! You can read our full review over on the blog and claim your free activity pack too - link in profile.
A whole week of Fred & George. We weren’t meant A whole week of Fred & George.

We weren’t meant to get more cats just yet but sometimes the universe sends you things when you don’t expect them.

These little guys needed a home and a family to love them. And we had a home and a lot of love to give. We still miss Leia but this pair are definitely helping make me feel whole again.

They are both used to us now, and love us. They’re less nervous, give us cuddles and let us pick them up. They’re still living in our spare room but starting to explore the rest of the house under supervision. 

They play fight constant. Love toys, especially a crinkly feather thing on a string attached to a stick, and love being up high. They are an awesome pair and we are so glad to have them.

Thank you @millbrook_rspca @rspca_official for trusting us with ‘Lonestar and Starfish’. We could not love them more. 

#catsofinstagram #catstagram #catsofig #catsofinsta #catlovers #adoptdontshop #rspcarescuecat #kittensofinstagram #kittens_of_instagram
[AD - Press Trip] I’ve just finished writing abo [AD - Press Trip] I’ve just finished writing about our half term break at @pottersresort and it’s over on the blog if you want to go have a read.

I wanted to put some of my favourite photos on the grid too as the kids did so many fun activities - they had THE best time. 

Giant swing, segways, climbing, archery, laser clays… there was so much to do that we couldn’t fit it all in - we need another trip!
And there ends our October half term - well, apart And there ends our October half term - well, apart from Troy who has a bonus week off!

This half term has been pretty lovely. Troy had his school residential the first weekend and then we had a really lovely few days in Norfolk before heading home and picking up two new members of our family - Fred and George. 11 week old rescue kittens who have pretty much stolen our hearts.

It’s been so nice to have a chunk of quality time with this pair and now I’m looking forward to the Christmas holidays. These two are the best company and I really do live for the school holidays. 

How has your half term been?
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Holidays & Accomodation, Reviews · October 12, 2022

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

Disclosure: We were invited on this break for the purpose of this review however all opinions are my own.

Last weekend we were invited to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke hotel which looked like a fantastic place for a family break. Situated in Hanley, one of Stoke’s six pottery towns, we couldn’t wait to visit and explore the local area.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

Arriving at Hilton Garden Inn Stoke

The Hilton Garden Inn in Stoke is easy to find, and visible from much of the local area. It has a really brightly coloured building right next to it, making it stand out. The hotel offers free parking for guests although the car park isn’t next door as you’d usually expect – it’s  across the road and you just need to drive around the block to find it. Then you simply cross the road to access the hotel.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

We were checked in by a really friendly member of staff and that was consistent throughout our stay – all the staff were lovely. We had a family room on the fourth floor that we accessed by a lift. The lifts were never very busy throughout our stay and one thing we really loved was that on each floor there were huge windows next to the lifts, giving great views of the local area.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

Our family room consisted of two, almost identical interconnecting rooms – one for the grown ups and one for the children. This made a fantastic space for a family trip and is a great alternative to other hotels where you’d have one room with a bed and sofa bed – especially as the children get older.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

Each room had a bathroom – one with a bath and one with a huge walk in shower. There were plenty of fluffy towels and complimentary toiletries along with other in room amenities like mini fridges, complimentary wifi, climate control and really big TVs compared to most hotels we have stayed in.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

One of the most important things for us when staying away from home is the quality of sleep we’ll have – and we slept really well at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke. There blackout curtains were fantastic, the beds were really comfortable and the hotel was really quiet overnight. We’ve all said it was one of the most quiet hotels we have ever stayed in – which was surprising for such a vibrant, busy area.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

The local area

The Hilton Garden Inn Stoke is in Hanley which we didn’t know much about before our stay but we have been to Stoke on Trent previously and visited local attractions like the Gladstone Pottery, the Emma Bridgewater Factory and Trentham Monkey Forest but this time we wanted to appreciate Hanley and so started off with a trip to Hanley Park and lunch at the Pavilion Cafe. 

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

This was such a fantastic park and a really credit to the local area. We don’t have many parks that as well maintained and as perfect for families as Hanley Park is. It was a lovely place to spend time. But, we then walked back to the hotel to do a Treasure Trail, something we always love when visiting somewhere new.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

The Treasure Trail took us all around town, teaching us the history of the area and about Sir Reginald Mitchell who designed the Spitfire. We walked our socks off but felt like we’d really explored Hanley by the end of it – promising the kids that we’d go to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery before we went home to see a real life Spitfire.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

After exploring we spent a couple of hours relaxing at the Hilton Garden Inn – and it was lovely. The kids read and played computer games, Dave and I watched TV and we just enjoyed proper down time – something that doesn’t happen often. The hotel gave us plenty of space to relax together and it was a great way to unwind before dinner.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

Six Restaurant at Hilton Garden Inn Stoke

We had dinner at the Six Restaurant in the Hilton Garden Inn and it couldn’t have been better. After a few disastrous meals out recently, we were hoping for a nice, quiet family meal and honestly, we were so impressed with Six.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

The restaurant was beautiful. With hanging lights, faux plants and greenery everywhere and such an opulent but relaxed vibe, it was a great setting for a meal out as a family. The service was speedy and the staff were great.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

We started our meal sharing nachos which were delicious – and cooked on a tortilla bowl that was really clever! The kids don’t usually have starters when we’re out but we thought we’d all share them and it was such a nice way to start our meal. The kind of food that you can chat over and enjoy together.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

For our mains Dave chose the 8oz fillet steak which was served with fries, a tomato and mushroom and blue cheese sauce. I went for the cod and chips which was served with mushy peas and tartare sauce. Both were absolutely delicious. Dave’s steak was cooked to perfection and my cod and chips was some of the best fish and chips I have ever had.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

The children had a burger and chicken nuggets which were served with chips and a choice of beans or peas. They were great portion sizes although the restaurant does have some lighter options available for smaller appetites or younger children. Little Man’s chicken nuggets actually turned out to be a sliced breaded chicken fillet which he really enjoyed and LP loved her burger – she gave it a big thumbs up.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

We were all pretty stuffed but had to have pudding so the children went for fruit salad that was served with squirt cream on top and a dish of melted chocolate, and a brownies served warm with ice cream. They loved the puddings and pretty much licked the bowls clean!

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

I chose the waffles, served with cream and fruit which was beautifully presented and tasted fantastic while Dave went for the overloaded sundae. We were told we could have a standard sundae of vanilla ice cream, sauce and chocolate pieces or a special sundae left up to the kitchen to create and Dave went for that – loving the mix of ice cream flavours sauces and toppings that arrived in front of him. A fantastic end to a great family meal out.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

We were only in the Six Restaurant for an hour and a half which is great for three courses as a family. The service was quick, the staff were attentive and our food was fantastic. We really couldn’t fault the experience and it was a highlight of our stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

The next day we also had breakfast in the Six Restaurant although this was a breakfast buffet. Breakfast at the hotel runs from 7am to 11am and there’s a great spread of breads, cakes and pastries, cold meats and cheese, yogurts, fruit and cereals as well as all the usual hot breakfast options – bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, hash browns, beans, tomatoes and mushrooms. 

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

Little Man was in his element as there was a waffle machine. We made waffles for him, topped with golden syrup, that was the perfect start to his day. As you can expect, the machine did get busy, but it felt like such a treat for him on a weekend away.

Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

Overall we had a really lovely stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke and would definitely stay in Hilton Garden Inn hotels in the future. We had a fantastic night’s sleep, got to explore a really lovely area and had a really nice meal too.  It was such a nice break away and one we’d love to repeat in the future.

You can find out more about Hilton Garden Inn Stoke over on their website – and check out other Hilton Garden Inn locations too. For reference, the hotel address is: Potteries Way, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST1 4QA

You can see a Reel of our trip to the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke over on Instagram here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Donna – What the Redhead Said (@genuineplacebo84)

You can find local day out inspiration here:

  • Family Days Out in Stoke on Trent
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke Review

In: Holidays & Accomodation, Reviews

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Hi everyone! I'm Donna. Mummy. Blogger. Social Media Manager. Traveller. Lover of stars, rainbows and gin. Firm believer that tea and cake can fix most things.

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