An Ode to the Cheesecake Factory

Snickers Cheesecake

Cajun Chicken Littles

BBQ Kalua Pork

The Cheesecake Factory is one of my favourite American food destinations. A chain it may be but I love it and who wouldn't with rich creamy cheesecakes and a menu and servings of epic proportions.

I first visited the Cheesecake Factory in Florida many years ago and the whole ten hour flight had been spent listening to my friend telling me how amazing the Snickers cheesecake was. So imagine my horror when I ordered said cheesecake and was told it was sold out! I went for my second best choice and stomped outside for a cigerette before the plates arrived. As I passed the cheesecake counter - one of the favourite activites is salivating over the glass trying to decide which cheesecake you want to try first - and saw a fresh Snickers cheesecake in all it's glory.

Not to be outdone I hunted out the waitress, informed her that it was back on the menu and all was right in the world! Since that first visit whereever a Cheesecake Factory presents itself I make it my mission to enjoy at least a slice of cheesecake if not something from the main menu.

Ben and I enjoyed a lovely meal on the outside terrace of the San Franscisco branch, overlooking Union Square and he actually mentioned recently that despite having returned from Italy it's the pasta dish he had there that he always thinks about and would love to have again.

Now that Ben was a converted fan we also tried the Hawaiian branch and I was able to divert from my usual Cajun Chicken Littles order (how wrong can they get a name, there's nothing little about the dish) and try the BBQ Kalua Pork.

Las Vegas also houses a branch of the Cheesecake Factory, handily enough inside the Forum Shops of Caesars Palace were we were staying. Mum had never been and always hears me speaking fondly of it so it was the perfect first night relaxed option following our long haul flight.

We were sitted at an outside/inside table which gave us a perfect spot for people watching and the Atlantis show. Cocktails were swiftly ordered and we dived into the delicious warm bread trying not to gorge too much before our meals arrived.

As is always the case finishing a plateful of food was impossible but this did mean we could have it handily wrapped up to be enjoyed the following lunchtime after a day spent round the pool.

Have you had the pleasure of visiting The Cheesecake Factory?

Did Caesar Live Here?

I think its safe to say that most people are well aware that I have recently been on a trip to Las Vegas, I may have mentioned it once or twice, and it would be wrong to talk about my trip without dedicating my first post to our chosen accommodation, Caesars Palace.

When anyone hears you are off to Las Vegas one of the first questions, after dealing with the appropriate levels of jealously or disinterest because said person is 'not a gambler', is 'where are you staying'? For my mum's first trip last year I chose Caesars Palace for us. I hadn't stayed there myself but I've visited a few years previously (staying at the Planet Hollywood resort) and Caesars felt quite opulent but with enough of the kitsch theme mum would enjoy. Obviously she enjoyed it so much that despite a fondness for the Bellagio and an offer to pick anywhere on the strip on this visit, she wanted to return to Caesars.

Of course there is an associated trepidation with returning to a hotel that holds fond memories because what if it isn't as good as you remember? Thankfully there was nothing to worry about and one might say this year exceeded last due to the rather fabulous pool view we had and the feeling of familiarity.

Casino's in Las Vegas are huge with room numbers going into the thousands (ours was 2020) often situated in towers which differ on price and quality. Last year I'd researched heavily and saw that the basic room option when booking through Virgin Holidays would be in the more dilapidated Roman Tower so I paid an upgrade of approx £50-60 to secure one of the better Towers. Of course you can leave things to chance, ask for a cheeky upgrade at check in or try the $20 sandwich but I wasn't that brave. We once again found ourselves in the Palace Tower although this year rooms had the aforementioned pool view (and as expected the Palace Tower is closest to the pool area) and was only four doors down from the elevators therefore reducing the commute from room to casino floor - which I know every moans about but I actually don't find it the onerous walk everyone says it is but maybe I've been lucky. I could nip down to Starbucks to grab my morning bagel and be back in the room within 15 minutes which I don't think is too bad.

The two negatives or niggles shall we say are the associated costs with staying at Caesars Palace. Firstly wifi is not free. It's a rather costly $24 per day, per device which is rather frustrating when you can walk into another casino property and log on to theirs for free. The second is drinks - and I don't mean cocktails. The mini bar will charge you $4 for a bottle of fizzy drink you can buy from the vending machine a few doors down for $3 - in a larger size. Your initial joy at seeing a coffee machine in your room will dampen when you note it'll cost you $12 for two coffee pods to use in it. Mum and I cheated and brought a box of 18 coffee pods for about $10 from Target which lasted us the whole week and saved us some money to be better spent on cocktails.

Back to the more positive aspects of staying at Caesars Palace and namely the location. Caesars is smack bang in the middle of the strip and whilst it will take you longer to walk somewhere than you think it's still in comfortable distance of most of the neighbouring casinos. It is also opposite the newly opened LINQ which is buzzing with nightlife and home to Sprinkles cupcakes.

It is quite feasible that you would if you chose never have to leave Caesars Palace with it's numerous dining options and gorgeous Forum Shops which houses some swoon worthy labels but of most interest to me The Cheesecake Factory, Sephora and Bath and Bodyworks! 

I would urge anyone to visit Las Vegas if they have an opportunity, it doesn't matter whether you're a gambler, shopper, foodie, hen or stage I can guarantee you'll have a great time and there really is something for everyone. The atmosphere is always electric and there's nothing like walking onto the casino floor at any time of day or night and hearing music, the ringing of slot machines and general buzz of activity. Whilst I of course wouldn't advocate smoking, as a smoker I can't deny there's nothing better than being able to sit at a bar, inside no less with a cigarette in one hand and vodka in the other and enjoying people watching. It's my favourite Vegas activity and there's such a positive feeling of anything goes but everyone just wants to enjoy their trip.

Have you been to Vegas where do you stay, are you a gambler? Share your stories as I share mine over the coming weeks.

Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy - Is it worth it?

My mum and I hadn't been on a holiday together for over 3 years, our last trip being to New York which you can read about here if you're interested. Over those 3 years when mum had discussed returning to NY I always suggested Las Vegas instead as despite her protests I knew she would love it just as much as our Manhattan shopping trips. My prayers were answered when a friend of mum's announced her plans to marry in Vegas so we were able to time our trip so we could attend.

As a sweetener I decided to upgrade our flights to Premium Economy to add a bit of luxury to our trip and thought I'd share my experience with you. Before I departed beyond the standard information on Virgin Atlantic's website stating how many inches extra leg room etc there was very little to be found about what you experienced for your upgrade and I was nervous that it would meet expectations and prove a worthy expense.

I checked in online in the normal way although had left it rather late to have any choice of seats. This actually worked out rather well as we had 3 seats at the back of Premium Economy and no one behind us to kick our chairs (row 19 for info).

Our arrival at Gatwick was where the real 'premium' experience began starting with our own designated bag drop. Whereas we would usually be joining the lengthy queue in economy this time we walked straight to a counter and dropped our bags. It was amazing to have the whole formal check in process completed in minutes.

We were then directed to our own security area which might never be a completely rapid experience but was still far quicker than usual and suddenly there we were in the land of duty free in the time it would have usually taken us to check in our luggage.

Premium flyers do not get access to any lounges with their tickets which I think is a little cheeky so we decide to follow our extravagant theme and book into Virgin's V Lounge. For £20 this was a great extra I'd recommend. The simplicity of walking up to a counter and helping yourself to a coffee, having your breakfast (full english fyi) popped on a plate and handed to you was such a timesaver and made for a far less stressful experience than dashing round duty free, queuing at Starbucks or waiting on table service. Away from the hustle and bustle of the terminal it was a perfect sanctuary to sit and read the papers or magazines available.

As we were in the V Lounge whilst waiting for our flight we missed the opportunity to board the flight early - not a bad thing when you're due to sit on a plane for 9 hours. On arriving at our seats we were handed a glass of champagne to enjoy whilst settling into the comfort of the significantly larger seats. We all took a moment to swing our legs back and forth marvelling at the room in front of us. As an indication of the leg space I was able to walk past my aunts seat when I needed to get out into the aisle without her moving - something that could only be achieved in economy with some clambering.

Obviously the main cost of your upgraded ticket is your leg space during the flight and one or two small extras like the champagne on arrival etc. Another is you will eat your meal off of china plates with 'real' cutlery - think Wimpy compared to McDonalds!

Again for our return flight I left it late checking in online so were limited with seat choices and as I was accessing everything on my iPhone I was unable to look at the seating map and locate where on the plane we would be sitting. As it happened my mum and I were lucky (poor auntie) and seated in the first row of the upper desk of the plane (row 20 for info).

If you have flown on the upper deck of Virgin planes before you will know that even in economy the window seats have a storage compartment which you can put your feet up on. Because of the extra leg space in premium I was able to pop my feet on this storage space and lay out full for the whole duration of the flight.

Also to note that when we headed to security at Las Vegas airport there was only economy and 1st class entrances. I asked a member of staff where premium flyers should go and he directed us to the 1st class queue so remember to ask at your departing airport.

So the big question is; was it worth it? The cost of our upgrade was approx £300 each and this is no small amount but I felt it was worth every penny and if I were flying long haul for this length of time again I would certainly hope I could book into Premium again as it made for a quicker and less stressful process. Of course I am speaking as a single person and appreciate if you are a couple you will be talking of an extra £600 and if a family of far much much more and it is something to consider on the cost of your holiday but you are quite literally buying time and space.

To further given you an indication of costs and how you could maybe make it work for you I have recently priced up a return trip next year for myself. The cost of staying at MGM Grand and flying premium works out the same price as the economy flight and accommodation at Caesars Palace. When you think you only sleep in your rooms and most of the known hotels in Vegas are of a high standard which is more important to spend your money on.

I hope you found that useful if you've ever thought about upgrading your flights but never quite sure whether it'd be worth the extra expense or could justify the costs. If you have any questions I haven't answered pop them in the comments below or feel free to tweet me @florenceandmary

I'd love to hear about your experiences flying premium economy with other airlines or shorter distances and whether they are comparable to Virgin.

Las Vegas Empties

In the past I have always loved that trip to Boots pre holiday when you stock up on all the essentials you'll need for holidays but it does often mean I leave behind half full products to avoid excess baggage charges as the space in my case has been taken over with duty free and other shopping purchases.

This time with only 4 nights and a flat filled to the brim with fabulous products mum and I had a chat and I was left to take along products that we could share to ensure maximum usage. I also decided to take along one or two products that were at the end of bottles so I could use up whilst away and those are what are photographed above.

Batiste Dark & Deep Brown has become somewhat of a staple for me lately. This was the can lived in my draw at work and used to give my hair a little life before a night out but was nearing the end so thought it'd be perfect for the trip. I can never tell how my hair will react on holiday due to using a different hairdryer, water etc and thought this would come in handy in case I was left with lacklustre hair. Mum also became a fan whilst we were away so it was very easy to use this up and leave behind.

To be honest I wouldn't have thought to take along sun protection to somewhere like Vegas in the past as it wasn't for me a 'sunbathing holiday'. These days reading so much about the importance of protecting your skin there was little way I cold avoid taking an SPF along with me - and let me tell you Vegas was HOT! I was lucky enough to receive Reimann P20 Once a Day Sun Protection* before I left for my trip and with the knowledge I only had to apply once a day made it's use even easier. P20 previously was only available in factor 20 but they have since expanded the range and I took along factor 15 for myself, mum and aunt to use. Containing both protection from UVA and UVB and popping on after my shower in the morning I was able to forget about any need to reapply. My time in Vegas was only spent outside sporadically so I can't comment in detail about it's protection qualities but I do know that the weather I experienced would have easily lead to burnt shoulders etc in the past as you don't realise how hot it can be and there was no danger of that with P20 protecting me.

I had been using Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Body Moisturiser prior to departure and as it was such a small tube it was perfect for travelling with particularly as for dry skin which would be likely in such an air conditioned environment. I have some dry patches on my legs from where I cross them, was shaving legs daily and needed to protect some psoriasis patches on my elbows which need attention and this cream was a pleasure to use. It soaked into the skin without leaving a greasy residue and moisturised the dry areas sufficiently.

You all know I'm a big fan of L'Occitane's hand and foot creams and after all that walking around casino's up and down the strip I knew feet were going to need some attention (I even treated myself to a foot massage at the airport before my flight home). Nothing but good things to say about this cream. Wearing flat shoes for the majority of the trip and covering more square foot than I care to remember my feet didn't suffer badly from hard skin on my return which can make returning to heels at work painful.

And finally my toothbrush. I know a lot of people take a new toothbrush on holiday with them but I prefer to buy a new one for my return home and take the one I'm currently using and leave behind - what about you? New toothbrush or take the old one?

So there you have a bonus empties post for you this month.

*PR Sample

Leaving Las Vegas

I have arrived home to a cold and wet England after a fabulous trip to Las Vegas and feel like there is so much to catch up on.

My blog has been sadly neglected this month but the break has been good for me and once again I am enthusiastic to get back into my little space on the internet. I did a lot of shopping whilst I was away so plenty to show you and I'll share some posts on my travel experience which should hopefully help anyone else planning their own holidays.

For now it's back to work having hopefully fought off the jetlag which I never seem able to beat when hitting the West Coast and getting back into the swing of things although I have plenty to look forward to this week, namely a trip to see Mickey Flannigan and a MAC make up lesson.