Wimbledon Afternoon Tea with Ladbrokes


Yesterday, Ladbrokes Bingo generously invited me along to the Landmark Hotel to enjoy their Wimbledon themed afternoon tea! Although I'm not huge on tennis (I played when I was about 8 and continuously lost in tournaments, despite my yearning to one day get to wear a tennis skirt), this event was a wonderful way to celebrate the event.

It was hosted at the 5 star Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, one of my favorite parts of the city. The interior courtyard of the hotel is just gorgeous and is like a little oasis in the middle of London, complete with palm trees!



Once we settled down, we were treated to Wimbledon themed party favors. And with these heatwave coming up, this hat is going to get its use, trust me!



First came the tea. I opted for traditional green:


Then, we were treated to some yummy sandwiches--chicken, egg and cress, cucumber and salmon. They were, in a word, delightful.


This was followed by apple scones (though raisins are also on offer) and jam. I haven't quite gotten the hang of the clotted cream thing, so I passed, but I was still pretty excited about my jam and scones.

And lastly, we got a tray of tiny desserts: strawberry cheesecake, Pim's and mint, a pistachio sponge with rose champagne gel and chocolate mousse with Earl Gray ganache. Just look at those adorable tennis balls!


It was a fabulous afternoon that we were treated to, and I loved being able to meet other bloggers as a bonus. Now, on to the goal of one day staying at The Landmark as a guest....

(This post was sponsored by Ladbrokes Bingo)


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Are We, As Women, Only as Good as Our Relationships? or The Quandary of Mommy Bloggers



As women, we are often not defined by our accomplishments or career, but instead in our relationships to others. Recently, I read the biography of Eva Schloss (a fascinating read, total aside) and she talked about how during the 1950s it was expected for a woman to quit her job once she was married and focus solely on her newfound role as a wife and later a mother. In those days, it was expected for women to see themselves through their relationships, but has much really changed in that respect?

For most people, two incomes are necessary to bring up children, so despite the feelings of many young mothers, there is no choice but to continue working after the birth of a baby. While quitting a job when a baby comes to spend more time at home seems like a viable option for many women, it is almost an entirely foreign concept for men. Though there are some men who pride themselves as stay-at-home dads, they are few and far between. As the man is defined by his role in society, a woman is defined by her role in the domicile and rarely is that ever interchanged.

Though the idea of quitting your job upon marriage seems totally antiquated, it is quite clear that women have come to view themselves and their worth contingent upon their relationships to others. Recently, in the UK, it was reported that if a woman didn’t have a baby before age 30, she would become a burden on the National Health Service (NHS)*—thus reinforcing that even in her 20s a woman should be partnered and a mother. Even though there are a few studies that claim that men’s age can hamper the health of a baby, there is rarely the same pressure on them to step into the role of a husband and father as quickly as humanly possible.

Nowhere better does the idea of women’s definition of themselves by their relationships to others play out than in the blogosphere. Even if you’re not a blogger, chances are you’ve read one once or twice (you're here, right?) or caught the by-line of someone on HuffPo. Women commonly name their entire blogs (aka their entire brand or even career) based on their relationships to others. They cease to become themselves and instead often assume the role of “Johnny’s Mom” or “Wife to Kyle.” Not only are their blogs named things like “Mom of 3,” but often their Twitter handles are devoid of their own names and are replaced by the names of their children or husband. Taking an interest in this topic recently, I perused a few men’s Twitters and blogs. Occasionally, a man will describe himself as a dad or husband, but it is very rare for his entire online existence to be based on those two facets of his life. Instead, men focus on their hobbies and other special interests, leaving their family life off the ‘net.

But it isn’t just the blogosphere. You can see it in real time on your Facebook newsfeed as people start to have babies. Women will often replace a picture of themselves with a picture of their child or children whilst this is markedly less common (though not unheard of) in men. Although I can’t find the specific article, I remember once that someone called the phenomenon of women’s vanishing identities on social media “erasure.” Erasure of the original woman in favor of her progeny.

As women, why are we defined and choose to define ourselves by our relationships to others? What is it about our society that encourages us to think of the achievements of those around us as our own whilst not seeking our own glory? The answer, of course, is very complicated, but worth contemplating none the less.

How do you define yourself? How does your partner define himself? How do other women around you define themselves? 

**PLEASE NOTE: This is not saying it is wrong to identify in a particular fashion, it is just worth thinking why, as women, we rush to this and put our worth on how important we are to others. 

*https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11641694/Senior-NHS-doctor-tells-women-have-baby-before-30.html

* https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/getting-pregnant/expert-answers/paternal-age/faq-20057873



Salmontini Bottomless Champagne Brunch




Last week, Luke and I were invited to a bottomless blogger brunch at the Belgravia eatery, Salmontini. Originally founded in the Middle East, Salmontini is a fusion of Asian and European cuisine, bringing the best of both worlds to the people of one of the poshest neighborhoods in London.

 We started off with some champagne. In case you were wondering, I sat next to Angela from The Awkward Blog and Heather from The South West London Food Blog.



First, came a salmon and tempura salad, which was actually my favorite dish of the entire meal (aside from the desserts). I've had salmon and I've had tempura, but I've never had the two as a mixture...and it is quite delicious.


Next came a beautiful avocado salad with an edible flower on top (not sure what type, but I ate the flower and I'm still here!).


We then had a smattering of sushi. My favorite, being the California girl I am, was the avocado and salmon maki roll. A little cliche, but still amazing!

And then came the dessert all at once. My favorite, of course, was the tiramisu. But we also indulged in other delights like this Danish with caramel and ice cream:

Just look at that amazing chocolate dome!

Luke and I left very happy and satisfied. Here we are, a bit tipsy off of our bottomless champagne and full from our taster menu:


In case you're interested in your own afternoon or evening at Salmontini, you can find them here:

Salmontini
1 Pont Street
Belgravia
London
SW1X 9EJ

Or you can check out their website to have a look at the menu before you make your reservation.


Wolf and Whistle Playsuit



Wolf & Whistle kindly gifted me this gorgeous playsuit, which I am really excited to show off to you guys. I wore it for an afternoon around London, which landed us in Knightsbridge/Belgravia (the poshest area of the city if you're reading from afar). We had a lovely time browsing all of the shops we can't afford and doing a bit of real estate dreaming (i.e. "We should buy this house that costs more than my yearly salary per month in rent!").

We took some time out to do a little posing in my playsuit.



The widget contains the pieces I'm wearing and similars for older pieces.




 Exact pieces:

Playsuit- Wolf & Whistle
Blazer- Zara (from 2010)
Necklace- Michael Kors
Bracelets- MantraBand
Shoes- JustFab (from 2014)

We chose to take a few snaps on this quiet London mews since it was out of the way of the tourists and locals making their way to dinner. However, we soon realized that we were standing next to the very house that Judy Garland lived in during her last days. Sadly, Judy's life was also cut short in this little house on the mews.


There is a little impromptu shrine to Judy, along with lyrics to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" scrawled out. People also paid their respects on the window of the building, which is uninhabited (some research tells me it was due to be decimated at one point, but it may be in the process of being remodeled).









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