I love Bournemouth. It's one of my favourite places to kick back a few hours and go shopping or to the beach. When christmas hits the town is in full swing with the German market and the constant buzz that fills the square. This christmas Make It Bournemouth have spread the christmas cheer into the gardens, somewhere that previously felt a bit neglected, and it is AMAZING!

A handful of Bournemouth bloggers were invited to experience this christmas cheer with the help of Cheryl who organised the whole day. It started with a lunch at Flirt and a bit of a catch up and gossip (what bloggers don't love to chat!). 

We then headed over to the outdoor ice rink to get our skates on. I've not been ice skating for a couple of years (and that ended in a bruised bum) and had mixed feelings about what to expect. I loved it. Once I got on the ice and got over the fact you're basically on a thin blade on slippery ice it was pretty fun! Having said that I did make sure I had about 6 layers on incase of any falls! 

The rink was really busy which probably made my nerves 100x worse but having some great girls there to help made it a lot easier! The chart hits and pretty lights made it set the scene and really got us all in the christmassy mood (am I allowed to say that? It's only November!)

We then headed down to the gardens again to check out the amazing new Gardens Of Light. Nestled amongst the garden are 10 quirky light pods. Each with different features to capture the magic of Christmas. Designed by Michael Grubb who's work includes the Olympic Park lighting, you know it's going to be something spectacular. 

Each pod has a different theme. From projective lights to make you look like fun characters (see above) to deconstructed beach huts and hidden rooms in kitchen cupboards. It's a kid and adults dream come true. It's such a magical place that everyone will fall in love and return to again and again. 

To make it even better, the place is open until the 6th January, so there is plenty of time to take photos and enjoy the wonders of Bournemouth at Christmas!

I loved the experience so much that I took my cousin to see the lights a couple of days later and she was won over and decided to invite all of her friends down in a week!

There was many a photo opportunity to be had and we all had a great time snapping away at the light sequences and bursting with laughter at the fun we were having. We even got a sneak peek into one of the huts that you aren't supposed to go in! We're a pretty persuasive bunch of bloggers when we want to be!

My personal favourite was the disco booth. An array of rotating disco balls covered the walls whilst multi coloured lights bounced the light around the hut. It reminded me of nights out and parties.

I had an amazing time at the gardens and have told all my friends, family and anyone that I seem to talk to that it's 100% worth going down before it ends! We're even taking Max on his birthday to view everything. 

Thank you Cheryl and the Make it Bournemouth team for inviting me down! I loved it and can't wait to see how they will top it next christmas.

The other bloggers that came were: Becky, Brogan, Katy, Charlie Moos, Hannah, Chelsea Mama, Becca, Scarlett, Georgie, Rhiannon. Plus anyone that I may have missed!