The Cat Lounge Coventry review

Hey readers, 

The other day, my eldest and I went to check out The Cat Café Lounge in Coventry, which is easy to get to as it is in the city centre. 

The address is 26 Market Way, Coventry, and CV1 1DL.

The opening times of the Cat Cafe are: 

Monday - 11am until 6pm. 

Tuesday - 11am until 6pm. 

Wednesday - 11am until 6pm. 

Thursday - 11am until 6pm. 

Friday 11 am until 6pm. 

Saturday10am until 6pm. 

Sunday  11am until 5pm. 

Remember that kids under 10 are not allowed in, and if children do not look their age, they must provide ID. 

We arrived on Saturday afternoon, which was fairly busy, so we had to wait a few minutes, which was fine. 

You must make sure when you enter to close the doors for obvious reasons.

You do not need to book tickets to come here; you can just  turn up. You can, though, mind, sometimes be busier than others. 

We were then greeted at the reception desk and given instructions on what we could and couldn't do, such:

* Couldn't pick up the cats.

* If a cat comes near you when you drink or eat cake, stand up as a couple of cats will try to steal your food and drink your drink.

* No flash photography. 

* No chasing cats. 

* Not allowed to feed the cats. 

After reading the instructions (most of them are common sense), you need to sign your name and time in, as it is a record that

 You are paying per minute. 

Once that is done, you can go further to the end of the café to order drinks and food or can still go down at your allocated number to your sitting area. 

The cost of visiting the café is  £1.10 for 5 minutes and £2.20 for 10 minutes. 

If you use a card, payments must be a minimum of £3.30.

 Just outside the opposite is a Tesco with a free cash point to get cash if needed. 

If you stay after 15 minutes, you get free drinks. They accept card and cardless payments.

See the below picture regarding the prices of the extra time. 

The cakes and drinks are £3.00. The cakes are really lovely. The hot chocolate is also nice and comes in a big mug with marshmallows and cream. 

The Cat Café Lounge, if you couldn't tell by its name, is a café where you can sit down for coffee and cake and get to pet cats. 

There are various cats, and they are all pedigree cats. They have short-haired British cats, lynx dolls, persons, and calico main, to name a few. 

Some cats are timid; well, other cars love a fuss and are happy to jump up and greet you. 

You can walk up to them and fuss with them, and they even have cat toys if you want to play with the cat. 

They have comfortable sofas and tables and lots of room for the cats to walk about explore, scratch posts and areas to climb up on.

 It has a chilled vibe with low music and soft lighting to create a calm ambience. 

Overall, I enjoyed the experience as it was something different to do with my son. 

We both have autism but found the atmosphere relaxing and calming.

 I highly recommend it if you're around Coventry City centre you won't regret it ☺ 

Cheers for reading X

100 everyday photograph ideas

 Hey readers,

This post is to help you feel inspired for ideas to take of things when you don't have to hit a blank wall of inspiration. I like playing with my phone camera and it is always fun to have ideas beforehand of what I want to take photos of so here is a brilliant list I did (for myself to go back to as well when I am stuck) of photography ideas. 

100 everyday photograph ideas.

1. Flowers. 

2. Trees.

3. Bark.

4. Vines. 

5. Leaves. 

6. Tallgrass. 

7. Driftwood. 

8. Fields. 

9. Pumpkin patch. 

10. Sunflower fields. 

11. Lego figures. 

12. Children's toys. 

13. Christmas lights. 

14. Shadows.

15. Street lights. 

16. The sky. 

17. Sunrise/sunset. 

18. Pets. 

19. Birds

20. Single fruit.

21. Light bulb. 

22. Plate of food. 

23. Forks. 

24. Eggs.

25. Glassware. 

26. Stairs or steps. 

27. Windows.

28. Books. 

29. Taps. 

30. Candles. 

31. Vintage signs. 

32. Rainbows.

33. Glass. 

34. Door. 

35. Clouds. 

36. Smoke. 

37. Pathways.

38. Trails. 

39. Dirt Roads. 

40. Bowl of fruit. 

41. Marbles. 

42. Hands.

43. Reflections. 

44. Sweets. 

45. Shoes. 

46. Kitchen at night. 

47. Lights from the fridge. 

48. Bubbles. 

49. Your oven. 

50. Snow. 

51. Ice. 

52. Rocks or stones. 

53. Farm animals. 

54. Panning. 

55. Indoor fire.

56. Sea.

57. Sand. 

58. Mountains. 

59. Aquarium. 

60. Glass buildings.

61. Bathtime. 

62. Archways. 

63. Hobbies.

 

64. Campfires. 

65. Self-portrait.

66. Use tablet light. 

67. Go intentionally out of focus. 

68. Drinks. 

69. Light Bokeh. 

70. Oil. 

71. Your home. 

72. Cityscape. 

73. Find the alphabet. 

74. Colours. 

75. Pencils. 

76. Cafe.

 

77. Your feet.

 

78. Signs.

79. Sliced fruit. 

80. Statues. 

81. Thunderstorms. 

82. Other people's

 feet. 

83. Clothing. 

84. Waterfalls.  

85. vehicles. 

86. Frozen flowers. 

87. Coffee. 

88. Water splash. 

89. Water drops. 

90. Light trails.

 

91. Rugs. 

92. Flatlay.

93. Motion blur. 

94. Physical photos. 

95. Sculptures. 

96. Rain. 

97. People walking. 

98. Black and white photos. 

99. Landscape. 

100. Ballons. 

What do you think of my list of photos of items to take photos of? Have I missed anything on the list? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X 

My Sunday Photo 30/10/2022

How to calm an autistic person down when they are anxious.

 Hey readers

With autism comes a lot of sensory information whether that be good or bad but sometimes it can be the latter. It can be too much and we autistic people need help because we can get so overwhelmed that it can consume us that we forget the steps to get back to a normal level of calmness within our mind. 

That is why it is good if we have some supportive people in our lives that can understand some techniques and that is why I have thought of five things that for as well being autistic has benefited me and think that may help other fellow autistic people out there.

1. The shame of a meltdown. 

The shame that follows a meltdown can be devastating. At times I think that getting over the meltdown is worse than actually having it. I feel so ashamed that I’ve ended up crying or yelling in public. I hate that I’m this way.

Having meltdowns is, for many, part of having autism. Although someone can make an effort to avoid triggers and manage emotional regulation, they should also recognize that it’s not their fault that a relatively slight upset, or simply being in a place where their senses are overloaded, can lead to a meltdown.

2. Words. 

Use few words because too much information can be unbearable as the autistic person has enough to deal with and process. Adding more information into the process can be another trigger and at times can make the situation worse. Sometimes just staying calm can be enough help for an autistic individual. 

3. A plan. 

A plan is always beneficial especially if the autistic person is going to someone new before. Just knowing that they can escape a situation at any time can help calm their anxiety down. Also, knowing what to expect and having a routine doesn't have to be strict but some sort of outline can be of benefit and can reduce the anxiety of the individual. 

4. Comforts. 

Of course like anyone autistic people are different so find what comforts them whether it be a good book they enjoy, a game, or an evening hiding in a dark place with their headphones on to help calm them down. Maybe fidget toys help them when they are anxious or having a meltdown, little comforts go a long way for someone with autism. 

5. Stimming. 

Let autistic people stim safely as much as they need to. Stimming is a series of repetitive movements that are calming mechanisms for autistic people. Examples of stimming include hand flapping, finger flicking, and rocking. Stimming is a crucial self-calming mechanism during emotional distress. 

Cheers for reading X 

7 ways to reduce food waste at home

 Hey readers, 

Did you know that Brits throw out a whopping £19 billion of food every year. This equates to 9.5 tones and 22% of the food we purchase ends up in the bin. We need to do something to reduce this and we can all do our bit so check out my 8 tips below on how to reduce food waste at home.

 

1. Avoid buying too much.

One of the simplest ways to avoid food waste as a consumer is to buy less.

A packed fridge may look appealing, but it may lead to food waste if the household cannot eat all of the food.

Taking a couple of shorter trips to the grocery store each week rather than one longer trip may prevent people from buying too much food and help cut back on waste.

2. Pick ugly fruit and vegetables.

Don’t judge food by its appearance! Oddly-shaped or bruised fruits and vegetables are often thrown away because they don’t meet arbitrary cosmetic standards. Don’t worry - they taste the same! Use mature fruit for smoothies, juices and desserts.

3. Love your list.

Make a shopping list (the easiest way is to keep it in the kitchen and add to it as you think of things) and stick to it when you go shopping. Plan ahead and shop with specific meals in mind.

4. Make a weekly menu.

Making a meal menu for the week may help some people organize their food usage and cut back on waste.

Using online tools or cookbooks to help plan out meals for the week can a person compile an accurate shopping list.

It may take a few weeks for each household to get the menu right, but having a set weekly menu might help some people reduce the guesswork around meals and avoid wasting food.

5. Know the foods that go off first. 

Keep an eye on the perishable items (such as meats, fish and salads), because that's the stuff that will go off more quickly. Your non-perishable items don't need as much attention.

This will take away the stress of using all of your ingredients and draw attention to the fresh items which will end up in the bin faster than, say, a bag of rice.

Remember:

'Best before' refers to quality, so after that date, it'll be safe but might not be at its best.

'Use by' refers to safety so after this date you mustn't eat it, even if it looks and smells OK.

4. Don't shop on an empty stomach. 

If you are hungry you're more likely to impulse-buy treats that you don't need (and that could end up in the bin). 

5. Buy foods that are in season.

Foods that are in season are more likely to taste better, which means you’re more likely to eat them! As well, food that is in the season hasn’t spent as much time in transport from the farm to your plate, so it has had less time to potentially spoil and become waste.

6. Need vs Deal.

Buy 1 get 1 free deals can be so tempting. It’s easy to get lost in the feeling of victory when you spot a good bargain. Remember - a smart shopper takes advantage of deals, don’t let the deals take advantage of you! 

7. Try not to cook too many food items that can’t be reused. 

I would always try and create ‘table abundance’ by cooking foods that can be easily reused, so keep away from things like dressed salads and stick to cooking root vegetables, which easily turned into a soup or broth the next day.

8. Bring lunch from home.

Packing a lunch from home can reduce food waste majorly. Whether it’s last night’s leftovers, a fresh, or even some fruit, packing food for the day means you don’t need to buy any unnecessary, single-use plastic and you have a set portion size. Plus, it decreases home leftovers and waste!

Have I missed any tips on how to reduce food waste at home? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

 

Cheers for reading X  

 

My Sunday Photo 23/10/2022

My eldest getting invested into Scouts ☺ 

The autumn tag: this or that!

Hey readers, 

If you didn't know already it is autumn and when I saw the autumn tag on Life as Kim blog I thought I am going to have to give it a whirl on my blog. 

1. The smell of pumpkin guts OR rotting leaves?

If I had to chose between the two I would have to go for rotting leaves just because the smell of pumpkin guts just makes me want to vomit.

2. Sweet OR salty pumpkin seeds?

    Salty pumpkin seeds, thought I haven't tried either because they don't have a sweet or salty flavour do they?

3. Store bought OR pumpkin patch pumpkins?

If money wass no objection then patch pumpkins for the experience but because  I am skint supermarket will do the job just fine :D

4. Wool OR knit sweaters?

I prefer knit because wool irritates my skin and as an autistic i am quite sensitive to clothing material. I find wool to itchy where as knit is warm and cosy for me anyways. 

5. Halloween party OR explore haunted places?

Haunted places I love idea of doing urban exploring. 

6. Apple pie or pumpkin pie?

I like both but apple pie comes out more favourable. 

 

7. Still, silent nights OR rainy, windblown nights?

I like rainy windy nights when it is dark outside and i can be cosy and feel safe inside my home. 

8. Witches OR ghosts?

Either bring them on lol.

9. Raking leaves or climbing trees?

oooo you know what I don't mind either up anything me.

10. Ouija boards OR ghost stories around a campfire?

I have never tried Ouija boards love to have a go on that. Ghost stories bore me to tears, they interested me when I was 10 not now I am an adult. 

11. October OR November?

100% October, love halloween, the darkness and spooky season.

12. Black cats OR owls?

Black cats as they are beautiful!

13. Fireplace OR candle light?

Can I be greedy and have both as this is a tough one as they are both delightful. 

14. Monster movies OR their classic novels?

Monster movies, I prefer to read psychological thrillers ;)

15. Carve OR paint pumpkins?

Carve with a tough of sort hand. 

Below are the questions if you want to join in ith the tag yourself.

1. The smell of pumpkin guts OR rotting leaves?

2. Sweet OR salty pumpkin seeds?

3. Store bought OR pumpkin patch pumpkins?

4. Wool OR knit sweaters?

5. Halloween party OR explore haunted places?

6. Apple pie or pumpkin pie?

 

7. Still, silent nights OR rainy, windblown nights?

8. Witches OR ghosts?

9. Raking leaves or climbing trees?

10. Ouija boards OR ghost stories around a campfire?

11. October OR November?

12. Black cats OR owls?

13. Fireplace OR candle light?

14. Monster movies OR their classic novels?

 

15. Carve OR paint pumpkins?

Cheers for reading X