5 things to do in Cheltenham with Kids

We recently jumped in the car for a little road trip to the regency town of Cheltenham. I have done a few day trips here many years ago, all sans kids so I was keen to see what this beautiful town had on offer for families. En route we stopped off at Chepstow Castle before heading up the Wye Valley (a more scenic route) before arriving into Cheltenham and checking into the Cotswolds Grange Hotel which has family rooms and were extremely accommodating so do check out my review. While Cheltenham isn't the biggest town it's fairly easy to navigate and explore on foot for both adults and kids, there is also plenty to do in the surrounding areas but I wanted to focus on what there is to do within walking distance of the town centre for those who are visiting by train or are short on time.  1. Find Neptune's Fountain It is said that Neptune's fountain was modelled on the Trevi Fountain in Rome and while this isn't Rome this fountain is still very impressiv......

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Gratitude and the Balancing Act

So I've been a little quieter over on my blog for the past fortnight or so, there have been a few reasons for that, mainly I've been working on some great posts and projects coupled with the kids catching that awful stomach virus going around and also changing my youngest childcare, which in hindsight was not the best idea just before Christmas, my busiest time, as he is really struggling to settle, so much so that it's massively reduced my childcare at present. Working from home as a freelancer as well as being the main carer to my two active boys it's an easy task and occasionally the routine does go a little haywire and with the additional stress and chaos of Christmas it's been a balancing act to keep all the balls in the air thats for sure (I've dropped a fair few too lately). So I think it times like these when it's been less than smooth sailing, it's really important to practice some gratitude especially when I am aware how lucky I am to be ......

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Our Stylish Family Stay at Cotswold Grange Hotel, Cheltenham

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you may have seen we headed off to the beautiful spa town of Cheltenham for a weekend break away. The last time I had been in Cheltenham was around 7yrs ago when I was shooting a wedding and it was as wonderful as I remembered. We took a slow drive from our home in Cardiff, first stopping off in Chepstow and visiting Chepstow Castle (which I highly recommend) and then driving up through the Wye Valley, along the Severn River to the historical town of Cheltenham on the edges of the Cotswolds. While I know Cheltenham makes for a fantastic adult break away, with its boutique stores and stylish eateries, we were a little concerned there wouldn't be a lot for the kids to do but we needn't had worried as we had a great time from start to finish and I will be writing a separate post about family-friendly things to do there. For this post however I want to focus on our stay at The Cotswolds Grange Hotel as it was such positive experie......

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Top tips for going to Cheltenham Festival in Style

Although I’ve definitely had a fun festive period, I really love springtime because it’s the time when we can finally shake off the winter blues and enjoy the great outdoors. And I’ve been investigating a few options for getting out and about, and the upcoming Cheltenham Festival seems to offer a good combination of cocktails, horse racing excitement, sports fun, and of course, lots of fashion opportunities. But as ever, my main question is - what to wear? Races conundrum The hardest thing about putting together a look for the races seems to be how to look stylish without necessarily breaking the strict dress codes that are often enforced. Thankfully the Cheltenham Festival looks like it doesn’t suffer the restrictive dress code found at Royal Ascot, but it still requires a little bit of forward planning. Thankfully, the racecourse’s website gave a good idea of what was acceptable depending upon what kind of ticket you’d purchased. And similarly, I found that Betway’s site ......

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Cheltenham Race Day looks

Ladies day vintage race style ( image ) It's that time of year again – the Cheltenham Festival 2015 is just two months away, with the festivities kicking off from 10th March. To me it's always the signal that spring is on it's way and my mind drifts to summer days drinking Pimm's with friends or picnics or days spent looking stylish at the races.  Three days of fun, fizz and fluttering on our favourites will ensue, but for certain racegoers, there's only one day that will truly be the highlight of the festival – Ladies' Day. Taking place on Wednesday 11th March, the day will be a chance for ladies from all walks of life to show off their fashion flair. If you're lucky enough to be in attendance this year, make sure you're equipped with some of these key trends for spring/summer 2015. Yellow plunge style dress from ASOS £38 Yellow It was a hit in summer 2014, and it's made its way right back into our spring wardrobes, s......

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Lets go to the Races

So I was asked if I'd like to put together and outfit for the Cheltenham Ladies day blogger challenge and since it's been a very long time since I have treated myself to anything I thought I would pick up this little shift dress from boohoo (only £18!) and thought it's classic sixties cut would make a perfect choice for a day at the races as I try to combine practicality with style. I have paired my outfit up with some printed monochrome tights to add some fun and pattern to the outfit and my shoes of choice at the moment - patent clark brogues. As I am not much of a fascinator type of girl I went for my hair styled up with a simple bun at the back. Any blogger can enter the challenge and it closes on the 7th March, the winner receives a pair of tickets to the Cheltenham Gold Cup Ladies day so you can take a friend along with you, if you don't have time to enter please could you vote for my entry . ...

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Wychwood Family Festival Review

So two weeks ago we came home from 4 days of blissful camping, music, food and fun, all with a toddler under 3. Now some people would be daunted by the idea of taking a toddler to a music festival but you needn't be, as long as you choose the right festival, with facilities and entertainment for little ones you will be in for a treat. We started our summer off at Wychwood festival in Cheltenham, the weather was not amazing by any standards, it was cold at times and very windy but at it was dry the whole weekend and you cannot ask for more. First impressions of Wychwood - well this is by far the most civilised festival we have ever been to and is perfect for the festival beginner. Over the whole weekend, not once did we ever go to a toilet that didn't have any toilet roll and they were all spotless, plus warm showers and an easy access camping site that was only a few minutes walk from the festival site is all a bonus. We managed to drive the car to the entrance ......

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Wedding Fashion

So I shot a friend of a friends wedding on the weekend in Cheltenham, and wow did they have luck with the weather, as soon as the bride arrived it cleared up and was sunny enough to get some great shots after the ceremony. The groom hired an amazing blue corvette which I MUST have at some point! Ohh how I love old retro cars. Despite weddings being a special occasion for the couple ofcourse it is also in someways a sort of fashion show, as everyone (well usually) don's what they consider their best dress, makes an effort with their hair and make-up, as well as being individual and often colourful. It's a time where men can wear fitted suits and women in "that" dress that is waiting for such an event. I love to watch people, see new styles and document moments. Here is a small collection of some "fashion" moments from this weekend, also don't forget to enter my giveaway (ends 16th Sept) ...

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