5 amazing places you can visit in the British Isles without a passport

As travel has started to open up, many people are suddenly realising that their passports have expired (I've experienced this first hand with my children's passports) and with the virus having a big impact on the Passport Office, passports are now taking up to 10 weeks, almost three months, to get back and at times even longer and with 1-week appointments being like gold dust, many families are realising they may not be able to get away this summer.  However, there are some pretty incredible places within the British Isles that you can travel to without a passport as part of the Common Travel Area which includes England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, as well as a few other smaller islands. As an adult however you will need a photographic ID such as a driver's licence or an expired passport can be used up to a maximum of 5yrs after expiry, there are also one or two "approved" ID cards such as Citizen Card although I've not ......

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5 places you should consider for your next UK staycation

Relaxing in Durham *This post contains affiliate links Staycations have seen a massive rise since the start of the Pandemic, with more people realising there are some fantastic places to explore right on our doorstep. This little island offers so much variety from city breaks to adventure-seeking outdoor activities, relaxing hikes in the countryside or taking in the art and culture of many museums and historical sites across the UK. While everyone has been heading off to Cornwall and West Wales, I thought I would offer a few alternatives for UK Travel so that you can still soak up the atmosphere without the manic crowds. Despite some of the more popular areas having sold out their accommodation, there is still plenty of deals to be had and a great site to find a hotel is ebooking.com 1. Cardiff The Welsh Capital is often overlooked for places like the Brecon Beacons or the beaches of West Wales and while it's not the biggest Capital city it is a vibrant one with plenty to see and......

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The Gratitude List

If your a regular reader to my blog you are probably already familiar with my gratitude posts and I usually post them every 2 months or so. I really like to reflect back on some of the small and positive moments in my life that brought happiness and be grateful for the little things and how important they are as it's just so easy to get wrapped up in trivial issues and events these days. This past month however has not been easy with so many ups and downs as I lost someone very close to cancer, in fact this is the second time in 10 months I have lost someone special to this dreadful disease and I've really struggled with the reality of that. Because of this it has been a very up and down month, emotions have been high but I slowed down, took a break from social for a few days and have been practicing some mindfulness and gratitude for my life, health and being present in the moment. So I just wanted to share a few of the moments that have been special this month. 1. A fun......

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48 hrs in Edinburgh - A Family Guide

Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities, it's visually so beautiful and unique and makes for a fantastic weekend city break, although it's easy to spend much longer in the Scottish Capital as there is so much to see and do but if you are heading up north here is my 48 hour family friendly guide to get the most out of your trip. We arrived into the city very early via the Caledonian Sleeper Train from London, check out my post about what we thought of the experience. We wanted somewhere that was close to Waverley Train Station due to the early arrival and late departure on our return. We decided to stay at The Premier Inn as it's less than 5 minute's walk from the train station, in the older part of town and only a few hundred feet from The Royal Mile. After dropping our bags off we decided to head out as we wanted to make the most of our time in the city. Here is what we got up to in our 48hrs in the city. Hit up the Royal Mile   Yes it is very t......

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London to Edinburgh on the Caledonian Sleeper Train

A couple of weeks ago we got to tick one of the bucket list by taking the overnight Caledonian Sleeper train from London to Edinburgh and back and it was certainly an experience we won't forget for a long time and is a great way to embrace slow travel and arrive in a different city in a unique way. We had an amazing break in the Scottish Capital which I will share in a larger post but for this one I just want to focus on our family sleeper train experience. Now I have done a few sleeper trains before across Europe a few years back but the UK has a pretty limited service when it come to overnight train travel. Firstly I would like to point out that all of the Caledonian Sleeper trains are being upgraded and rolled out later this year, around October time and I think this is going to have a massively positive impact on the service this line will provide and the timing is perfect. During our trip we couldn't fault the attentiveness and professionalism of the staff althoug......

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6 stylish hotels for Interior lovers

Rooms At The Chapel When we travel we are pretty happy go lucky although it's always a treat to stay somewhere a little bit special, that sends those senses tingling with inspiration and creates a space that is unique, stylish and comfortable. I thought I would share some hotels I have come across while researching family trips and put a little wish list together of places that combine travel and my love of interiors together. 1. At the Chapel , Bruton Somerset - as soon as you step into this multi-use Grade 2 listed former chapel with it's in-house bakery, wine store, restaurant and luxury rooms you will be bowled over by the stunning church windows and natural light flowing in. The rooms are modern and contemporary yet still make full use of the original features. The marble-wrapped bathrooms are a visual treat as well as having breakfast brought to your room each morning. This would be a fantastic spot for treating the lady in your life this Valentines or Mothers D......

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Expat Life - The banking reality

Me, enjoying life in Rimini, Italy When I first left South Africa more than 12 years ago to venture out into the world on my own at the tender age of 16 - yes I know what was I thinking! I first landed my feet in Edinburgh, a city I truly fell in love with and will always have a special place in my heart. Luckily I had pre-arranged my accommodation before leaving home and soon found a job in the city, but little did I know how tricky it was going to be to open a bank account, especially at 16 and believe it or not it was harder a few years ago than it is now, I needed a reference, they wanted me to have lived in the UK for at least 2 years and  various other loops I needed to jump through to just get a debit account and there wasn't really internet banking yet but after a few failed attempts I did manage to sort one out, which was a huge relief as my work would only pay into a bank. Luckily while I was sorting this out, my brother who was living in Wales allowed for m......

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