5 Books that inspire kids to get outdoors

*Contains affiliate links  We all know how important it is for both mental and physical wellbeing to spend time outdoors especially as the world seems to be filled with more screens than ever. My boys love our daily walks and outdoor adventures but even they need some inspiration to get them going especially as we head into the colder months, so I thought I would share my 5 favourite books they help inspire us to get outside and having fun. 1. The Lost Book of Adventure   This is our current favourite and is packed full of beautiful illustrations and outdoor inspiration and makes us want to get our sleeping bags and tent and head out the door each time we read it. From tips on putting together your own survival tin, campfire cooking, wild garden camping, navigation, how to plan a bike ride, it's stunning adventure manual that is easy and accessible for both children and adults to use. 2.  Let's Go Outside - Jennifer Ward This book contains over 50 outdoor activities and p......

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Great Weekend Reads for Home or On Your Travels

I found last year I just didn't make enough time to read and I think there is something very relaxing, calming and positive about picking up a book and being immersed into a story and with this ever increasing manic world we live in taking a moment to just step back and detach yourself from the now and get lost in a book is very important. I have put together a small reading list which I feel is doable even around working from home, travel and running after two small children. I have included a mix of fiction and non-fiction as well as one or two books to help keep me inspired and help with different areas of my life. So I thought I would share my reading list for 2018 with you and perhaps encourage you to take some time out and enjoy reading. 1. The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway This is such a fantastic pocket sized book perfect for when your travelling, it's lightweight and less than 100 pages long and great if your taking a train across country or just goi......

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Classic Reads - The Snowman and the Snowdog

Even though growing up in a warm southern hemisphere country meant that Christmas time was at the high of  summer and the concept of a white Christmas was something that never really featured. Although having a Welsh mother meant there was always a distant British influence in all our holiday celebrations . We always read the Snowman in the run up to the big day, we filled our home with the smell of a huge real Fir Tree and hung wreaths and ate Hazelnuts. We indulged in show from Wallace and Grommet and the BFG and had traditional carols playing continuously on the HiFi and despite the often 30+ degree weather we would craft paper snowflakes to hang up along with some mistletoe. The snowman has been as much apart of my childhood Christmas experience than any others despite the thousands of miles distance from the UK and this story will always have a place in my heart. So when I was asked to take part in The Snowman and Snowdog Christmas Blog tour we couldn't wait to get......

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Beatrix Potter Easter Blog Tour & Giveaway

This year marks 150 years since the birth of the beloved children's Author, businesswoman and conservationist Beatrix Potter and I have been asked to share my favourite memories and what her stories mean to us in this lovely Easter Blog Tour alongside some amazing bloggers and if you enjoy my post do make sure to stop over at  The Gingerbread House  tomorrow for more chances to win some Peter Rabbit Goodies. Even though my childhood was spent in South Africa, Peter Rabbit was a well know and well loved story in our household, along with Jemima Puddle-Duck, Squirrel Nutkin and Mrs Tittlemouse. My mother being an Expat made sure we had a good dose of British culture in our lives and I am so glad that Beatrix Potter was one of them. Her stories always captivated me from a young age, I have naturally been a lover of the outdoors, nature and the magic of woodland setting with all it's animals and wild adventures to be had. My favourite Beatrix Potter memory to date has t......

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5 simple ways to bring calm into your home

If you have kids then you have probably been navigating the madness that is half term this past week, having the kids at home all day every day can be pretty hard going and since we have opted to HomeSchool Mr A for the foreseeable future it has meant neither John or I really get a break but honestly we wouldn't change that. I have learnt though that you occasionally need a little bit more than just deep breaths to get through a trying situation such as if the baby has been up all night or you feel rundown or the house is a mess and the lego boxes have been tipped out for the 10th time that day. So I thought I would share what has been helping me de-stress on a daily basis as I feel these can apply to anyone, even if you don't have children and just find your having juggle numerous things in this crazy fast paced world. 1. Start the day with a decent breakfast and be kind to your body, drink lots of water and try to get your 5 a day going from your first meal. Fo......

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Summer Wanderlust Reading List

Every summer I put a little reading list together of books I want to read preferably outdoors in the sunshine and enjoy the simple pleasure of long summer days with a good piece of literature. This year my reading list is made up of 5 very unique books that are set in different parts of the world and I know will make a great travel companion for our summer adventures. 1. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - another brilliant book published by Penguin and a real page turner. It's the first on my list and I am half way through and cannot put it down. A story of a mum Jane who had just moved to a new town and the mothers she meets at her son's new school. There is a rather large cast but the main focus is on three ladies who are from very different backgrounds but are connected by their children all starting school at the same time. Everyone has secrets to hide while rumours start to fly, with a murder mystery thrown into the mix this makes for exciting reading. ......

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Three things - Interior loves

So they say it's the little things in life that count and it's the small touches that really make a home so I thought I would share three things that have caught my eye this week and I would love to have in the home, all simple but beautiful. First of all I am trying to find more time to read and love this Literary Art from In Spaces , it would be perfect for my reading nook. If you read the blog you probably already know I love Scandi and Nordic interiors, the simplicity combined with well made furniture and beautiful objects if done well can create a lovely, creative space and I would love to put this Nordic slip glazed stoneware jug from Rigby & Mac, where is you will also find this hand screen-printed chevron cushion. I have a thing for yellow this season, it's one of my new favourite colours for the home....

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Kids reading list - 10 books to read before you’re 12

Reading is great fun for all ages and the perfect holiday activity. So, if you’re jetting away in the near future,  click here  to check out the latest luxury holiday deals before deciding which of these top ten books to take along with you. Of course, suitcases are only so big, but with a reading list this good you might have to squeeze some stories into your hand luggage. The Very Hungry Caterpillar No childhood is complete without reading Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. You won’t believe how much he eats in one week, but it’s all worth it when he transforms into a very beautiful… oh, don’t worry we won’t spoil the surprise! Green Eggs and Ham Have you ever tried green eggs and ham? No? Well, you might like it! Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss is a best-selling and critically acclaimed children’s book that’s had youngsters giggling across the globe. It’s one of the most-loved tales of all time, so wherever you are in the world don’t forget ......

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Bedroom snippets and dreamy inspiration

A little interior inspiration reading is always on hand in our bedroom  I have to admit that our bedroom is the most uninspiring room in our house at the moment, mainly because we have been working on our living room, kitchen and Mr A's room and only now are finally looking at making our personal space well more personal basically. I really want to add more colour, invest in some beautiful bedding, wall art and well designed pieces such as a free standing mirror. For now however we have been dealing with the essential changes first such as getting the awful artex on the ceiling removed and re-plastered, re-carpeting as well as repainting the whole room and recently upcycyling our bedside tables, but now those things are finally done we can look at personalising the space more. Slowly books, makeup and little bits and bobs are finding a home in our room. We have recently got a new king sized bed which is a really welcome sight after squeezing into a double as Mr A......

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