Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree...

One week to go until Christmas Day! I thought I'd celebrate this by featuring some of the best Christmas trees I've seen while I've been out and about this year.

I love a good Christmas tree! I like real trees, synthetic trees, trees with plain lights, trees with coloured lights, trees with loads of decorations and minimally decorated trees. I can't wait until next year when Neil and I have our own house to decorate, but this year I'm just admiring other people's lovely trees from afar.

I couldn't pick a favourite out of the trees below, so these photos are in no particular order. Enjoy!

I absolutely love this elegant Christmas tree at Cardiff International Pool

Silvery white tree in Cardiff's Queen's Arcade

Lovely tree in the Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells

Beautifully simple tree outside Neil's house

Tacky but fantastic effort from Asda!

Colourful tree in Shot in the Dark

McArthur Glen's massive Christmas tree!

Have you found your favourite Christmas tree yet? 7 days to go!

Bar/cafe review: Shot in the Dark

One of my favourite places to meet for a catch up is Shot in the Dark on City Road. It's a quirky little bar/cafe which serves food, hot drinks, smoothies and alcohol. I must have literally been there hundreds of times during my time in Cardiff. It really is that good. It has comfy seats, a relaxed atmosphere, and unusual photographs on the walls which always catch your attention. It also has a rustic quality to it, which adds to the cosy factor. I always feel as if I want to put on my slippers when I'm in there because I'm so relaxed... I haven't tried this yet though. It's the perfect place to meet your friend for a chat, go on a date or go out with a group of friends.

Old fashioned table and chairs, with a nice candle!

I've eaten a meal in Shot in the Dark on a few occasions and have always been amazed by the sheer volume of food! At first glance the menu is quite expensive, but when you see the portion sizes you don't begrudge paying for it. I would recommend their nachos and their chilli con carne, as well as the bread selection. They also do a lovely selection of cakes which are positioned right next to the till. I usually manage to resist, but I have given  in and bought a brownie a few times. They're usually the smallest cakes on offer, and at least they're easy to cut up and share with other people!

Look at the size on those muffins!

Although they make lovely cold drinks like smoothies, juices and milkshakes, my favourite thing about Shot in the Dark is their hot chocolate. You won't be surprised by that if you're a regular reader of my blog! Even with skimmed milk, their hot chocolate still tastes super creamy and chocolatey. You can also ask for various shots of syrup in your hot chocolate, such as hazelnut or gingerbread. Last time I went to Shot in the Dark, I was very good and didn't have any cream or marshmallows with my hot chocolate, and had it with skimmed milk. It was still amazing, so it didn't feel like too much of a sacrifice.

The healthy version of hot chocolate, if there's any such thing...

I'm sure I'll be visiting Shot in the Dark again soon, and maybe next time I'll actually have some spare funds to splash out and buy food. I'm already excited. 

What do other people think of Shot in the Dark? Let me know if you love it as much as I do!