Okay, the title may be a little luring but that is nothing compared to the temptation of the new Marcos restaurant close to Birmingham Airport. Marco's New York Italian is situated at the Holiday Inn, just 10 minutes from the NEC / Genting Arena, Birmingham International rail station and Birmingham International Airport .As a Midlands lass, I couldn't wait to try it out and Fathers Day seemed like the perfect opportunity.

I have to admit that I was a little unsure of what to expect with the "New York Italian" description but with Marcos name above the door, there was a certain expectation of the food and ambience and it didn't disappoint.

From Italian dishes including mouth-watering Italian sharing platters, fresh seafood, home-made pizza and pasta to American favourites such as succulent steaks, burgers and Marco's special BBQ ribs (which were my starter of choice and were absolutely divine). We enjoyed the set Fathers Day menu, for the exceptionally good price of £19.95 for 3 courses (or £16.95 for 2) and for every table of 4, Dad ate for FREE (but shhhhh don't tell my Dad that I didn't pay for his meal!!).

With the exception of my Mum, we all chose the beef main course and it didn't disappoint. I was initially worried that the meat was a little on the rare side for me (personal preference and all that) but it tasted exquisite. So much so that my Mum started pinching it off our plate after we had groaned in delight.

The restaurant wasn't overly crowded, which was surprising given the affordable menu choices on the day we visited and the staff were extremely attentive. It will be interesting to see how they will cope as the bookings increase and the restaurant becomes more popular.

I have to give particular mention to Karen, the restaurant manager, she was extremely welcoming, very professional and coaxed conversation out of a very shy toddler. It is always a worry when we take the children to nice restaurants, not because I am worried about how they will behave, but as to whether or not the restaurant "really" caters for children and welcomes families. We certainly felt welcomed by the whole team and the childrens menu gave a good selection - rather than the tiresome chicken nuggets and chips most restaurants insist on giving younger diners.

We were seated on a circular table in the centre of the restuarant so were central to the "buzz" which was perfect for us but there are more secluded booths if you are choosing the venue for a romantic meal or business meeting. Every time I looked up from our table, I could see Marco looking down at me from his picture but we didn't get to see the man himself, although I can imagine it may be a little intimidating complaining about a meal if he was in the kitchen!

The venue is well placed for motorway links and close enough to Solihull for those who may like to go out dancing afterwards and the only downside was the parking charge from the hotel, despite being discounted having dined in the restaurant.

For me, it was the perfect way to spend Fathers Day with my husband, children and parents. Unfortunately for my husband, he was not feeling so well so couldn't finish his food (which is unheard of and no reflection on the restaurant) so we have made a resolution to go back to Marcos, so he can see what he was missing!

For the avoidance of doubt, we paid for our meals and the thoughts, comments and compliments are our honest opinions. No recompense has been received for this review.

Tweet

Our baby blogger talks about getting ready for Baby Number 2.

I am not sure where the last 30 weeks have gone? I am now in my third trimester, I'm huge, and if I am honest I am freaking out!

If you read my last blog post over on The Rose Diaries, you will know that I am a worrier. Mainly in regards to health. But, this period of worrying involves me freaking out about all sorts. My biggest problem at the moment is space, or lack of it. We are in the midst of building an extension. Which means that our little boy is sharing our room. We haven't even begun building his or his new sisters bedrooms, and with 10 weeks to go, I'm panicking.

With our son, everything was ready for the time I was 34 weeks. I felt organised and completely in control. I knew that when he arrived, everything was where it should be. But now, my amazing husband informs me that the building work and it's contents may not be finished for my due date - is he kidding me? He tells me we may all have to be in one bedroom for a few weeks. Four people, one bedroom, have I suddenly been transported back to Victorian times? A nearly 4 year old, a crying baby, a snoring husband and a tired mummy will not be the recipe for a harmonious household!

I worry about how big I am. On frequent visits to the supermarket, I have had comments such as "you can't have long left" or "are you sure there is only one in there." Or my all time favourite is "there is no way that baby is staying in there till September 4th". Whilst I am very proud of my bump and the miracle inside it, peoples comments of basically saying "I'm fat" is driving me mad. I have even resorted to telling people that she is due the end of August(which she may be as her brother was 5days early) so that people don't look at me in complete horror. 

Then, when I finally calm myself down about the building work, and how big my bump is, listening to the reassuring words of my best friend that "all will work out in the end". I start to panic about labour -will I be able to cope? Will it be quicker? (Oh I do hope so) will I have the same placenta issues as last time? All of which I am thinking at 2:30am when I get up for my 5th wee of the night. I also keep watching re-runs of "One Born Every Minute". I love this programme, but am I doing myself any favours of reminding myself of labour? But, then I watch the wonderful outcome of labour and realise it is a position that so many would love to be in. 

My friend is still trying to get me to try Hypnobirthing, to relax me. I know the benefits of it. However, you could have the gorgeous Gary Barlow singing live in the room and it still wouldn't relax me. 

So what do I do? Keep convincing myself that it will be less painful and quicker than last time, or think of the worst and anything else is a bonus? 

What would you do?

Tweet

Maxstoke Castle in Warwickshire, is simply 10 minutes from where we live and unless you know where it is nestled behind a barracade of tall trees, you could pass it unnoticed (which I did do for years). It is "technically" not a castle, more of a fortified manor house but I have always had a love of castles and I wouldn't say no to living here. It is amazing to think that Maxstoke Castle is still the family home of the Fetherston - Dilke family and it is only opened to the public annually (usually in mid-June), in aid of local charities. Last weekend was that weekend and I couldn't wait to go and explore but the three year old throught she was going to be a princess for a day, so what can draw the attention of a toddler for a day in the castle, other than thinking she can wear a pretty dress?

The long walk up to the castle gave us a trail to see whether the Gruffalo was hiding in the deep dark woods .... he wasn't obviously but we had fun looking.

We pretended to be horses, cantering up to the front of the castle and then halting to appreciate the fluted ceiling under the gatehouse. 

Then there were adventures to be had, sneaking through tunnels to see where they would lead.

To finding secret doorways 

And being told that this is where the naughty children sat many years ago. (I may have stretched the history lesson a little bit here)

Maxstoke Castle is truly beautiful, it doesn't dominate the surrounding countryside but just sits in all its glory with its mixture of designs from its development through history.

The gardens form a large part of the courtyard and make a fabulous forum for a 3 year old to run off some excess energy. 

The moat surrounds the whole castle, which we can only assume was a good defence to withstand attacks many years ago and whilst fascinating to a 3 year old, we didn't get too close. 

The gardens are beautiful and filled with a variety of flowers but it was the pleasure garden that captured the attention of the toddler. This *may* have had something to do with the sloping walls that proved irresistable to a 3 year old that thinks rolling down hills is the best thing ever.

It is really interesting to know that the estate was leased to a country club in the 1930's and they put in swimming pools and tennis courts but due to the threat of war, the country club went into liquidation and the swimming pool filled to continue the gardens.

Photography is not allowed inside the castle and I would have loved to capture some of its internal beauty but ultimately it is the Fetherston - Dilke family home and despite my curiosities, I have to respect that. The toddler was unfortunately not overly enthused at the impressive banqueting hall so we couldn't spend as much time as we wanted leaning about the history of the castle (thank goodness for the guide book!).

Maxstoke Castle is a truly magnificent building, a fantastic day out and ultimately an amazing family home. It is a credit to the Fetherston - Dilke family that they extend a warm welcome to the community and beyond ..... even if it is for just one day a year.

Do you know of any hidden gems that we can go exploring next?

Tweet

I regularly talk about sleep.

I love sleep.

I always feel like I don't get enough.

I never understand why children insist on denying they are tired when they very clearly are!

It also makes me laugh when people use the phrase "sleeping like a baby" ..... I am quite sure those people have never had a baby that wakes repeatedly in the night (or a toddler for that matter).

So I have been looking at the top Sleep Myths  .....

So how do we get the holy grail of uninterrupted deep sleep? Well aside from asking the grandparents to have small children overnight, sleep experts Sealy believe that our bodies are not uniform so why should our mattresses be any different? Given that we have a small asthma sufferer in our house, it is really interesting to know that the natural “Purotex” addition to Sealy mattress ticks has been endorsed by Allergy UK for the elimination of house dust mites (a common cause of asthma for some 5 million people in the UK and Ireland).

So aside from making sure that you have the best mattress for you, here are some other sleep related facts (some are quite surprising).

 I am now just working on trying to get the toddler to self soothe ....... wish me luck! 

Facts & Myths from National Sleep Foundation

Tweet