A Fun Filled Foodie Weekend for Mara's Bday!

When the Jones family get together you can guarantee there is always going to be lots of food involved, it's just how we roll! Mara's pre-birthday celebration was no different! Her actual birthday is this weekend but since she's getting off to Copenhagen (lucky her!) we celebrated last weekend in Shropshire instead.

We headed to Shropshire for the day because Mara had picked Tropeiro as her restaurant of choice for her birthday meal - we went a few years back for By's birthday and loved it then! and have been wanting to go back ever since! because what's not to love about an endless supply of delicious meat! 

It was green cards all round so that when the meat man came round he knew to pile it on our plate - por favor! 

Ella really got the hang of things and was joining in the scoffing! 

The resident veggie holding up her 'no thanks' red card and sticking with a plate of salads instead!

Ella was like 'all that meat for me?!'

She got stuck in with her tongs!

After a spot of shopping we headed to the Ice Cream Farm, another family fave! because despite a never ending feast of meat…there's always room for dessert! 

Ella rode a cow before we headed in - check her sticking up hair in the back! it just didn't want to go down that day! too cute! 

and she continued her tractor tour of Shropshire/Cheshire! I think this is her 7th one!

Swinging fun with Auntie Mara and Granny! but be prepared if you do it with her once she'll want it again and again! 

Checking out the chickens!

and finally settling on some tasty flavours inside!

Ella was perfectly situated between Daddy and Auntie Mara so she would point to Auntie Mara and get a little spoonful of her ice cream and then point to Daddy and get a big lick of his cone, and then repeat, repeat, repeat! After a while she decided she preferred Auntie Mara's flavour and just pestered her continually with 'more, more, more' she is quite the little ice cream fiend these days!

Once back at home, Mom crafted this bunting and we got all her presents ready...

By improvised without a blindfold and used his jumper to guide her up the stairs so she didn't know what was coming! 

and then I produced the cake I'd 'secretly' been making in the kitchen - nothing is ever too secret in our open plan house though! and we sung happy birthday and laughed as she attempted to blow out the candle - there was no blowing out that beast though! 

Smiles all round…but really we were desperately waiting for a piece of the cake! 

a banana special (Mara's a big banana fan) with chocolate cream cheese frosting and flakes and mini gummy bananas plus banana chocolate bark on top! because you can't have a birthday without an over the top cake - it's a must!

It was the best kind of weekend!

Portmeirion: the most colourful village in North Wales!

The last time we lived in Wales back in 2011 I made a pinterest board of places I wanted to visit while we were there.  There were only 3 things on it - Bodnant Gardens, Cwm Idwal and Portmeirion.  We ticked off the first two, and this time around we have frequented both places loads! but it was looking like we were going to leave Wales again with no visit to Portmeirion.  I had been told it was only worth doing on a really sunny day so about 2 weeks before we left, I had seen the forecast for a random Monday was meant to be sunny so we pencilled it in.  When we woke up in the morning it was beautiful sunshine! and off we went! On the way the clouds starting coming in…as always, thanks Wales! and it didn't end up being the super sunny day we had hoped for! but I was still pleased to tick it off the list…eventually!! 

The little Italian looking village was built by an eccentric architect who was neither Italian nor Welsh, but actually English! He bought the piece of land as an abandoned wilderness and had a vision to create a tight knit coastal village and off he went! He bought it in 1925 and finished his last building at age 93!  and died 2 years later.

I just fell in love with all the colourful buildings! it was a photographer's dream! 

and I was especially excited about Clough Williams-Ellis' love of turquoise! you and me both Clough!

Ella stopping to smell the flowers!

A little bit of blue sky peeking through behind the pink house!

I usually try and cut down on the number of pictures I post but I just couldn't cut any out! 

Every corner we turned there was more colour! 

more turquoise! 

and more beauty!

Check out those pink flowers! 

Ella did pretty well in the backpack, but these days she's all about the walking so we let her waddle round as well!

I think one day I need to have a turquoise staircase in my life!

Ella loves the water! here she is pointing to the sea! 

and going for a closer look! She has no fear…which is a little worrying, I think she would have walked right in if we'd let her!

I loved this cute little arch! I thought it would be cute to pose for a picture with Ella in it…but she had other ideas, that involved being down on the ground walking!

Looking cool in her new shades!

and a little grumpy because it was so windy down at the waterfront, and she's not a fan of wind - which is surprising considering it's been crazy windy about 95% of the time that we've lived in Wales!!

Bright painted colours make my heart happy!

We caught the little train through the forest to this viewpoint...

Ella loved waving to all the people in front of us on the train!

We stopped for some pizza and ice cream, and the sun came out again, which made it ideal circumstances to pretend we were in Italy for the day!

except the pizzas weren't really Italian standards! but the gelato was pretty good!

You can't beat some coconut gelato! 

More turquoise loving!

Ella was particularly taken with the pond, and looks like she is trying to hop in here!

Just thinking life through...

Loved all the pops of colour from the flowers that added to the charm of the place! 

This little view with the cobbled street under the arch might have been my favourite! 

So vibrant! 

Checking out the views over the water on our way out.

When the tide is out, you can play on those beaches below! but it wasn't really beach playing weather sadly.

Despite our slightly gloomy day, the brightness of the buildings couldn't be subdued! and it was a great little family day out! One of our last before we left!