5 reasons why Iceland is at the top of our Bucket list

5 reasons why Iceland is at the top of our Bucket list

27/11/2017

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Iceland is one of those countries I have been very eager to visit for the past few years, it has everything you want in a destination with dramatic landscapes, a vibrant music scene, a fascinating history, local delicacies and who can forget the Aurora borealis aka Northern Lights? 

Did. you know Iceland has been voted the safest country in the world ten times over and I have been very inspired by family travel blogger My Travel Monkey who encourages people to visit this Nordic country with kids.

My kids and I love getting outdoors and being active and Iceland captures this lifestyle to the full with pursuits such as hiking, skiing and whale watching being very popular. With so much to see and do I thought I would share my top 5 things to do in Iceland that are on my bucket list

1. The Northern Lights

Not only is this at the top of my list of things to do in Iceland but it's also has a firm place on my list of 40 things to do before I'm forty as I can only imagine how magical and breathtaking it must be to see in real life. Unfortunately when John visited he did take a tour to see the Aurora twice but due to cloud cover it just didn't happen so this natural phenomenon is something we hope to experience together and Iceland is meant to be one of the best places to view this natural light show.

2. Explore an Ice Cave

Over the past year myself and my two young boys have started to do a little bit of gentle caving, exploring Dan Y Ogof and Wookey Hole caves, both great for those who want to dip their toe into the  under world so to speak. Of course you can take it to a new level in Iceland and explore inside the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajokull with it's stunning blue crystal colours. The ice cave is naturally made and really looks otherworldly.

3. Walk on a black sand lava beach

Yes a lava beach! The Black sand beach of Reynisfjara is somewhere that really fascinates me and is a place that is truly unique with it's famous black sand created by lava flowing into the ocean and being cooled down by the water. It's here that you can also find the huge natural pyramid like basalt columns named Gardar which rise out of the water like a giants staircase.

4. Take a Roadtrip to the Golden Circle

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will already know I love a good roadtrip and apparently Iceland is one of the best places to hit the road. You may have heard of the Golden Circle already but if not it's a popular 190 mile circular route in Southern Iceland looping from the capital Reykjavik taking in some key sights such as Gullfoss waterfall, the regularly erupting Strokkur geyser, the Kerio volcanic crater and the Skalholt cathedral to name a few. The thing is if you don't fancy hiring a car which can be expensive or you rather have a guide to show you around than the Golden Circle contains the most travel related tours (for good reasons of course) in Iceland and I have come across various Golden Circle activities and excursions on Guide to Iceland which is a fantastic resource with input from some fantastic travel bloggers

5. Take it easy at the Blue Lagoon

I know it's probably on every single list of things to do when visiting Iceland but it's there for a good reason and even though John has already had a dip in the Blue Lagoon I certainly want to have a go as well. I love the idea of being able to swim outside in the cold air but the natural hot water, it's a really unique experience that you can also share with your kids as children under 13 go free and it doesn't matter what time of the year you go at the water temperature stays 37-40°C all year round.

I know I could easily share tons more reasons on why Iceland is such a fantastic place to visit and I already have a general Itinerary planned for when we do finally get to go, hopefully next year. Also if you have visited please do comment with any tips, hints or must see spots.

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Christmas Traditions with The Snowman and the Snowdog

Christmas Traditions with The Snowman and the Snowdog

26/11/2017

63 comments

Love this cute Snowdog Christmas decoration from Wild In Art

I'm really excited to have been invited to be apart of The Snowman and Snowdog Advent Blog tour and like most families we have a few festive traditions we do together in the run up to Christmas, some have been carried on from my childhood while others are new and have developed over the past few years with my boys. I think the run up to the big day is as important as the actual day itself and we love nothing more than getting into the festive spirit. While we usually start on the first day of advent we have slowly been embracing Christmas we some low key things such as baking gingerbread and enjoying my sons school winter fair this past weekend.

One of the traditions that has followed on through from my childhood is watching and reading The Snowman, even growing up in South Africa my mother being Welsh made sure that there was always a bit of a British influence when it come to things like this. It's such a sweet and beautifully animated story and every year without fail we would watch it and now that he has a little snowdog friend there is even more to enjoy. Did you know that you can also get personalised books from Penwizard which makes for a fantastic and very special gift. Luckily this past month throughout Cardiff and the surrounding areas has been a Snowdog trail in aid of Ty Hafan. which my son's have really enjoyed doing it plus it's raised tons of money for a very important Welsh Children's Charity.

A few other traditions we always do as a family

1. Going to pick a real tree together, now I know there is nothing wrong with fake and reusable trees but we have never had one and to me the excitement of picking a fresh tree is so much fun and the smell of pine just embodies Christmas. Decorating is of course also a family affair and something we really enjoy. We also hang our wreaths up on a weekend we are altogether as a family, usually have more than one and my eldest usually has a go at making one too. 

2. Picking Advent calendars, we are pretty traditional in this department as I know there are plenty of extravagant calendars out there although we opt for one homemade advent with 24 exciting things to do together and simple chocolate ones and Thorntons are doing some customised Snowman Calendars this year.  

3. A trip to Winter wonderland and ice skating is also always on the cards, despite John having no balance and watching from the sidelines drinking mulled wine, its always a highlight on our calendar,

4. Baking and decorating a gingerbread house. What is better than a fun and delicious edible craft? It's one of those that is doesn't really matter how much mess they make or how it turns out we always enjoy it and it's become a yearly tradition.

5. A visit to Santa's Grotto, well of course this is a given for most and we love to savour this while the kids are still young and full of imagination. We careful pick out one that is realistic and captures that magic of Christmas and of course the boys come back beaming from meeting the big man.

 For al those fellow Snowman and Snowdog fans I have a fantastic pack of goodies to giveaway to one lucky reader worth just over £40 and includes a copy of The Snowman, A Snowdog shaped board book, A cuddly Snowman and a Snowman mug with hot chocolate. The giveaway ends on the 10th December 2017

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Please do check out Make Do and Push blog which is next on the tour

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Exploring Chepstow Castle

Exploring Chepstow Castle

24/11/2017

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We were recently invited by Cross Country Trains to take a day trip anywhere along their routes and with my youngest being obsessed with castles I thought why not Chepstow. Only just over half an hour from Cardiff this historical Welsh Town really feels much further away as you travel through some beautiful countryside to get there leaving the face paced city quickly behind. It's been a few years since we were last in Chepstow and I also invited my mother to come along which and it was lovely to spend the day with her and my very excited 2yr old. 

Chepstow has a wonderful feel to it, the colourful row of houses that lead down to the castle are so pretty as well as all the ivy covered pubs. We stopped in to a little bakery to pick up a few pastries before heading to the castle which is also near the small but perfectly formed Chepstow museum. We also past Th Castle View hotel which we actually stayed in when my eldest was the same age as my youngest is now, so nearly five years ago, it's a really rustic hotel with a fantastic restaurant and great views, I highly recommend it if you are looking somewhere to stay in the area and do check out my blog post. While we were there last time they were doing essential works on the castle and we couldn't go in so it was finally time to explore this cliff top fortress.

My youngest was all rearing to, he had been in his knight outfit since 9am and with sword and shield in hand he couldn't wait to explore each and every nook and cranny of this place. What I was really surprised by was just how vast this castle is and this is due to it's history as century after century it expanded across the cliff top and so much of it is still in tact. If you do visit you need to allocate a few hours to really take it all in and your not rushed, the castle also boasts the older doors in Europe with one beautiful wooden door dating back nearly 800 years. The walk up the tower is also recommended as the views across Chepstow from there are amazing and well worth the walk, there is also a few sculptures doted around the castle which my youngest loved.

As there is no cafe on site as of yet we decided to head back into town square with has a variety of cafes and bistros. As it was just past lunchtime and still fairly busy we went for the easy option of coffee one which was nice and relax and had a small kids area with some nice books and toys. There are some really interesting little boutiques and vintage stores dotted around the town and I really want to come back with a little bit more time and have a look at these although with it being only 30mins from Cardiff and the trains are fairly regular I may even do this when my eldest is in school and have a child-free wander around as well really enjoyed our time on our little day trip to the area.

I have to say having grown up in South Africa where public transport is pretty much non-existent the UK has a fantastic train network making nearly every major city and town accessible and it's something I really like to take advantage of. Train travel is probably one of my favourite ways to go as you can really sit back and take it all and I really believe in the journey being as fun and interesting as the destination. We are hoping to do a few more train trips in the coming months and possible even an overnight one which is very exciting. Make sure to check out my You Tube channel and little vlog of our time in Chepstow.

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Food and Flowers - Christmas Hamper ideas

Food and Flowers - Christmas Hamper ideas

20/11/2017

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Wow can you believe we are more than half way through November? The festive season really is approaching fast and I think it's safe to say it's officially acceptable to indulge in a cheeky mince pie and hot spiced apple tea (or mulled wine). To me food is very much connected to seasons, celebrations and brings back memories and helps create new ones as you celebrate with friends and family around a big feast of delicious treats as well as making it a time to try new things. That is why I love foodie gifts as they offer something for everyone especially for tricky people to get gifts for as they are both practical, useful and of course delicious.

So as you can imagine I was very excited at the chance to review a wonderfully festive hamper from Prestige Hampers which has an array of options to fit all budgets. Mine was the Traditional Gift Basket which is basically Christmas in a box and has pretty much has everything you need to get in the Christmas mood including two bottles of wine, Scottish Oatcakes, luxury red velvet biscuits, shortbread, jams (I can't wait to use the Christmas Marmalade), fruit cake, Yorkshire crisps, a large chocolate box and more all presented in a gorgeous wicker basket. The presentation is lovely and would make a fantastic gift under the tree or if you have been invited over for Christmas dinner and wanted to bring a thank-you gift, I also found that is was very reasonably priced considering the high quality contents, especially the Australian wine and if traditional is not your thing they also offer lots of unique and modern hampers.

What I love about food hampers is in comparison to other gifts that are a fairly sustainable choice as most of the contents will get consumed and not thrown out half way through the year which does happen on occasion with unwanted toiletries or plastic gifts, often ending up in a handful. With hampers the packaging if often reusable and mine came with shredded cardboard inside to keep the contents safe  which can of course be recycled so you can have that feel good feeling as well as reduce on plastic inside your home. We actually had a large hamper a few years back and still use the wicker basket to keep our bed lining in as it's so beautiful and looks lovely in our bedroom.

Of course if your trying to be a little less indulgent and want to by-pass the food, perhaps give a loved one some flowers and champagne instead because if your like me these would also go down a treat as I love nothing more than fresh flowers in the house and once again they are a sustainable gift idea as well as a meaningful one. For me personally I love the meaning behind a gift as they say its the thought that matters and it's so true. I recently came across a beautiful poem by Maya Angelo on Roses Only blog and adding tome beautiful words alongside a gift can make it that little bit more special, I also fell in love with their beautiful rose bouquets especially as they have blue and rainbow rose boxes (perfect for the Unicorn lover among us) which are so unique and original. The great thing about these bouquets is the arrive freshly cut and last much longer than normal supermarket bouquets.

As with most things these days I often turn to Instagram for creative ideas and recently came across the beautiful Beard and Daises feed, full of floral fun inspiration and if your short on time or know your not going to be in at the time of delivery they have fantastic letterbox bouquets which can be popped through any standard letter box, their concept is really cool as are their stunning bouquets so do check them out especially as I think Christmas is the perfect time to support local and home grown businesses.

You could also think about putting together your own hamper by picking up a pretty wooden or wicker basket on eBay and filling it up with all your favourite things such as coffee, tea, chocolate, little trinkets and this way you can really personalise it and make it special as well as get the kids involved and they can pick a few things to put in it. Who knows you could turn it into a family tradition and something you enjoy doing together as a family year on year. In my opinion food, flowers and a little bit of mulled wine always go down well as gifts and they don't have to be boring, instead go for something a little different, dress it up, get creative and perhaps a world food inspired box or goodies from their favourite country to remind them of a trip or holiday of even just a bright peonies bouquet. The main thing however is to have fun and remember that thoughtful gifts no matter how big or small are always the ones that people remember the most.

Another foodie gift that is not only thoughtful but the perfect family activity is making some homemade gingerbread stars, mint fudge or these easy chocolate butter biscuits which are really pretty sprinkle with hundreds and thousands and if you pierce a hole in the top before baking you can thread fabric through and just them as Christmas tree decorations. The kids can have fun getting involved as well and will delight in making their own gifts for the special people in their life. You can batch cook these baked treats and pick up a few cheap and pretty class jars or containers from Ikea with some festive fabric ribbons and tags and give them out to all your family and friends. Frugal and fun but also very thoughtful, bound to go down well as a nice little gift and of course you can also add these to a larger homemade hamper if you want. 

Thanks to Prestige Hampers for sending us a Traditional Gift Box - views 100% our own

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6 tips for a Minimalist Inspired Christmas

6 tips for a Minimalist Inspired Christmas

16/11/2017

8 comments

Over the past year I have done a massive de-clutting when it comes to our Christmas decorations, like most I love Christmas but what I don't like is the all the excess which seems to follow through into every part of the festive season. My main goal this year is to create a homely, warm and festive feel but with small simple touches, loved and hand picked decorations I plan to keep for years not ones that are disposable and will land up in the land full at the end of the year. So I thought I would share a few minimalist inspired tips that embraces getting the home ready but focuses on less is more and quality over quantity

1. Decorating the Tree

I have minimised our tree decorations down by about 80 percent although each year I pick up one or two special glass babbles to add to the collection. Each decoration has been hand picked and I have to say I love each and every one which in comparison to the mountain of plastic ones we had years before is a welcomed change. It's a real event for us to decorate the tree and these simple decorations along with some fairy lights instantly makes the house feel more festive.

2. Make your own bio-degradable decorations

Each year we make orange pomanders for the mantle piece with their lovely spiced scent as well as orange sliced bauble decorations which is the perfect craft for young children. All you need to do is take a large orange, slice it thinly, place on a tea towel to dry, blot them every now and then with kitchen roll to soak up excess moisture and pop them into the oven on the lowest temperature for about four hours. Once dried thread with some fabric and there you go a simple eco friendly decoration. You can see this full instructions for this and two other natural crafts here

3. Opt for a simple tree alternative

In the right setting hanging trees can be very stylish and appealing as either a wall decoration or an alternative to a normal tree. The are both visually appealing, practical and easy to decorate and can be something kids can get involved in as well. I came across some really stylish one at Cox and Cox as seen below, they are one of my favourite interior brands and I love their stuff.

4. Incorporate elements of nature and the outdoors

Holly and Pinecones are free and work perfectly as sustainable Christmas decorations and are easy to work with. You could have a go at making your own simple wreath or string up some pinecones to make pinecone bunting which is very pretty and a nice alternative to tinsel. Small pinecones can also be placed with gift tags on presents for an extra special touch. I came across this great blog post for fun and colourful pinecone decorations do check it out for some inspiration.

5. Focus on family time

The Scandinavians are really good at doing this so why not try and embrace your own Hygge time by making sure you have some screen-free simple family evenings in the run up to Christmas, light some candles, have the fairy lights on the tree and just enjoy the moment without any focus on "stuff". You could also use this time to write Christmas cards, drink some hot chocolate and tell some Christmas stories, together. Why not also embrace some walks outside on the weekends while the shops are packed with feverish shoppers why not enjoy crunching in some leaves and slow down during what can become a very stressful time.

6. Give less, get less

Make your friends and family aware that you are trying to minimise the excess, when it comes to presents go for things that are simple and thoughtful, invest in one quality item that you know is going to be used and last a long time over lots of plastic tat. In a gentle way try and get this message across to your children as well, we do this throughout the year as it's important for kids to have some understanding of sustainable giving.

Christmas is really about slowing down, connecting with friends and family and embracing the moment, yes presents is one of the best part but wether its with decorating, entertaining and giving you really don't need to go over the top to create a lovely festival environment.

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Win a pair of Emma Bridgewater DAB Radios

Win a pair of Emma Bridgewater DAB Radios

12/11/2017

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I don't know about you but I love when form and functionality come together so well especially when it involves music. My VQ, a Independent British audio brand does this perfectly with sound and style being forefront to their brand ethos and they have created some very unique and stylish retro inspired digital radios, collaborating with designers such as Emma Bridgewater and Lulu Guinness to create something that is classic but modern in equal measures.

Both John and I collect vinyl and music is something that is very important to us, especially as my eldest is starting to develop his own likes and dislikes when it comes to musical choice (my youngest just dances to everything right now) and we want to continue to encourage his interest in it. I still remember the first time I got my own radio, I was very excited and it was my pride possession for years. We feel our 7yr is at the age he can have his own radio and this Men at Work print is so much fun and perfect a cool kids room.

What I love about these radios is they may be fun but they don't comprise on quality with premium functionality with not only DAB Digital and FM radio but also Bluetooth so you can stream your favourite playlists from Spotify or bedtime stories from Audible which is a far better way to create some calm downtime before bedtime than watching TV. These radios also come with built in alarm clock and sleep timer and is just a great way to introduce children to a love of music in a way that is stylish and child friendly.

Among a variety of Emma Bridgewater designs the Men at Work and Dancing Mice are both beautiful choices for children and these radios retail at £89.99 but if take advantage of the Black Friday Deals on the 24th November it will be £69.99.

Best of all is I have a fantastic giveaway for a reader to win not one but two radios so you can have one to keep and one to give to a friend because music should be shared. It's really easy to enter via rafflecopter below and the competition ends on the 20th November 2017

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6 ways to master beach photography

6 ways to master beach photography

10/11/2017

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It's been a while since I graduated from Uni, having studied photography it's something that has certainly helped with the work I do now. I was fortunate enough to still learn traditional methods such as processing my own film, black and white hand printing and shooting on medium and large format, something not so relevant to todays digital world but still really fun to do. I hard ever write about my experience but thought I would put together a little easy to use guide to great beach photography.

Mediterranean, far flung and exotic beach holidays are always popular but if your photos from this year’s vacation haven’t turned out quite as impressive as you had hoped, perhaps it’s time to review your skills to make sure you get the best out of your trip next time.

Luckily, the beach can be the most stunning backdrop to get creative with a camera, so getting great images shouldn’t be all that hard. After having spent my 30th on the French Riviera I have been craving going back there, as you know we are passionate about travel and I've being eyeing out all the beautiful collection of handpicked villas in the South of France with SFHV, if you know of any other self catering villa companies do let me know, I'm on the lookout. The light in the South of France is beautiful and makes the perfect location to put some of my photography skills to the test. So if your planning a beach break try these 6 tips to hone your beach photography techniques ready for your next seaside break. 

 
Get familiar with the local surroundings

As with any holiday if your going to be staying at the same place for a few days first get familiar with your surroundings, work what time of the day has the best light and look for unique and unusual sights that would make for an eye catching image. If your apartment or villa’s has a view looking out to sea, take a good look around to get to know the physical surroundings on and around the beach and beyond. Sweep the panorama to see if anything catches your eye. Are there any traditional fishing boats near the water’s edge nearby? What about fishing nets and other paraphernalia, or a lighthouse in the distance? Interesting cloud formations? Quirky objects on the beach such as driftwood, seashells, seaweed or anything unusual that might make a compelling picture?

Choose the best time of day

The best time of day to take photos on the beach are mornings and evenings. Not only will there be fewer people around to get in the way of a potentially great shot, the sun won’t be high in the sky causing strong contrasts in your image. In terms of the light, if the sun comes in at an angle this creates more interesting effects with shadows and colours that you can play with. Evenings are the perfect time if you want that golden glow.

By contrast, you may as well put your camera down during the middle part of the day. The sun will be at its highest point roughly between the hours of 10am and 4pm. Not only does this mean wearing high factor sun protection or covering up, it will also give a light that’s far too harsh to produce good photographic images unless you are in a shaded area.  

Keep moving around

If something doesn't work the first time try something new, vary your position and move around as you keep snapping away to increase your chances of getting the perfect image. Don't just shoot from straight on but try from above, below, off to the side, you may just surprise yourself and don't be afford to break the rules a bit.

There’s no such thing as taking too many pictures these days as memory cards nowadays have so much space. When it comes to editing, it’s always better to have too many to choose from and delete the duff ones, than wishing you’d taken a few more after the event. 

Watch your composition

Wide open spaces, or long unbroken horizons can be tricky to get right on camera if you don't know much about F stops and depth of field as well as in terms of composition if you move even slightly off centre and suddenly your horizon starts to slope! The rule of thirds is probably the best known rule of photographic composition to achieve well balanced and interesting looking shots.

Look through the lens and imagine breaking the view down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so you end up with 9 parts. Now try to position the horizon along one of the horizontal lines – problem solved. 

Look after your equipment

Camera and photography equipment can be expensive and taking it on holiday, especially to the beach can be risky unless you take precautions from damage caused by sand or water, and from theft. It’s worth investing in a waterproof zip bag to keep your camera safe from the elements if you plan to  get on the water and do a harbour tour or speed boating ride, you could also opt for a GoPro in a waterproof casing for this kind of thing. It also goes without saying to not leave any equipment unattended while away and whatever you do don't put your camera down on the sand, sand can get into the lens and can be a real pain to get out. 

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A Family Day Trip to Swansea

A Family Day Trip to Swansea

07/11/2017

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We love to use our weekends for little getaways or day trips especially as the UK has such a fantastic railway network. So when The Family and Friends Railcard got in touch asking if we would like to try out the card and see how much it saved on a day trip we couldn't wait. We debated going to Bristol as it's one of our favourite cities and with it only being 45mins from Cardiff it's a great place to explore but we wanted to take the kids somewhere we haven't been to in a while, Swansea. I have to say I cannot remember the last time I was in Swansea city centre as when we do head in that direction it's usually to the beaches on the Gower.

The train from Cardiff to Swansea is direct and just under 55mins, both our journey there and back was smooth with the added bonus of an on-board cafe on both trains due to it being an intercity. You only have to pay for children over 5 but instead of being £28 for two adults and 1 paying child, with our family rail card it came to £16 which is a pretty impressive saving. With the card costing only £30 I know it's going to pay for itself really quickly, especially as we are heading to London this month with 60% of kids fares and 1/3 of adults fares that trip alone will save a substantial amount.

We decided it was probably best to have a rough plan for the day as we wanted to keep it simple but also get as much family fun out of our few hours in the second largest city in Wales. As my youngest loves nothing more than pretending to be a knight we decided our first stop would be at the Swansea Castle ruins which stand next to Castle square, this was also a great spot for the kids to run off some steam after their train ride. If your looking for places to eat Castle Square had loads of choice with tons of new eateries popping up and we had a reservation for the recently opened Turtle Bay later in the afternoon and I was already looking forward to that.

We then decided to walk over to Plantasia which is a small tropical rainforest paradise housed within a glass house bursting with different plants and animals to discover and find. This place was perfect for both of the kids (and us adults) as even though it's not very big it has loads of nooks and crannies to explore and is really educational as well. I loved the Mediterranean area as you walk in, the dry heat and array of cacti reminded me of summer days in South Africa and was a nice change from the fresh autumn weather outside. The kids loved the waterfall in the centre and exploring the Rainforest hut as well as looking at all he strange beasties such as the golden dart frog and corn snakes in the learning and creative room.

After we stepped out of the rainforest and humidity and back to normality we took a slow stroll back over the Castle square and headed over to Turtle Bay, a place I have been wanting to try for such a long time, especially as I love Caribbean food. The restaurant is very well styled inside with a  fun and vibrant atmosphere and of course the major plus of being family friendly and welcoming to those with young children. Our waitress was excellent, attentive but not intrusive and we didn't have to wait long to be served or for our food to arrive. As we were taking the train I decided to have a cheeky Bay Bramble cocktail which was divine and went well alongside our garlic and herb flat bread starter. 

When it came to the main meal I was torn between the festival salad and Halloumi & Mushroom vegetarian burger, the burger won in the end and it was so good! The dressing of sweet onion chutney and jerk coconut sauce worked so well together and I really loved the fresh Caribbean slaw that came with it. Both boys also really enjoyed their meals off the little turtles menu, even my eldest who is a fussy eater couldn't get enough which is always wonderful to see and it was topped off with a few scoops of some divine Coconut ice-cream.

We were completely shattered by the end of the day but had loads of fun and really want to go back and re-visit the Waterfront Museum as well as the Dylan Thomas Centre and the LC Swansea which is Wales biggest indoor waterpark. The great thing is with the Family Rail Card is we can do more of these day trips as it really helps to bring the overall cost down, which is always a bonus in my books.

Thanks to Family Rail Card and Turtle Bay for inviting us, our views are 100% our own. 

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