Lockdown Life Skills - what new skills many of us learnt during lockdown

We tried our hand at making bath bombs * Contains Affiliate links With much of the past year spent in lockdown, life as we know it has been flipped upside down, even when restrictions are lifted, life at the moment isn't the same. Gone are the days of rushing here and there and travelling for hours to work with many opting to work from home for the long haul, has meant for some extra time saved on the commute and more time to try new things  These are some of the most popular hobbies people have taken up over the past year Running It’s no surprise that a lot of us decided to take up running as our “one form of exercise”. With many calling it a “lockdown lifesaver”, research from Macmillan Cancer Support has found that almost one in 10 Brits have started running or jogging to look after their mental health during the pandemic. Running app Couch to 5K has become hugely popular and the London Marathon in October is set to be the biggest ever. Photography Lockdown has certainly taugh......

Read more »

10 activities to inspire creativity in 2021

  The past 12 months have not been easy for anyone with the pandemic affecting everyone's lives in one way or another. The majority of us have spent more time at home, reduced our travel and contact with others and at times it's felt like we have been stuck in groundhog day with multiple lockdowns in the UK. As we move towards a more positive future and hopefully a bit more normality we need to remember even this transition will take time and is likely to be a fairly slow process. So staying creative and trying new things (safely) can be a real boost for our mental and physical wellbeing in 2021 as we still fund ways to adjust to what is happening in our lives at the moment.  I thought I would share 10 creative activities to help as we move out of lockdown slowly  1. Visit an Art Gallery from the comfort of your own home There is nothing more inspiring than a visit to an art gallery or museum although many of these have been closed to the public for the majority of the pa......

Read more »

Cooking up a storm with Simply Cook

*Written in collaboration with Simply Cook    Cooking is something that I really enjoy and I cook the majority of my meals from scratch but there are times when I just fall flat with new ideas and inspiration for family-friendly meals to try out and our weekly meals can end up getting a little repetitive. Now that we are back in local lockdown where I live and I want to do more than just bake loads of banana bread , I feel it's the best time to shake things up and be more creative in the kitchen in a stress-free way and hopefully bring more joy into our lives with good food. This is where Simply Cook comes in, and unlike other meal boxes, this recipe box is very budget-friendly (your first box starting at £3) and contains four easy-to-follow recipes with nonperishable herbs, spices, pastes, oils, garnishes and rubs that you won't find in a supermarket. I have to say I didn't know what to expect or if the recipes would be realistic and doable for a busy family as......

Read more »

5 Ways to Save Money for a Family Holiday

Are you long overdue a family holiday? Even if it's just a weekend camping trip, staycation or you have dreams of long haul destinations it can be hard if you don't have some kind of budgeting plan in place especially if you have children. Life in general can be so busy, hectic and draining finically but it's also really important to step away from it all every now and then so having a travel kitty you can contribute towards to during the year is key and really will add up over a period of time and take the stress off planning a trip away. I thought I would share 5 easy ways to help save for that family holiday so do check it out even if you have already paid for most of it in advance it's always good to have some extra spending money. If you already know where your going check out my other post about how preparation and booking at the right time can save you loads. 1. Declutter and Ebay what you don't need I often do this before we are going away somew......

Read more »

Homemade Cypriot Potato and Leek pasties

As I've said before I find cooking and making wholesome family meals very therapeutic and I love to try new things. In general our meals have a healthy focus and I have never been a big fan of shop bought pasties and pies but I did like the idea of making my own and cramming them filled with lovely veggies and creating a portable snack when we are outdoors on our adventures. So when I was set a challenge to create something tasty and would hopefully be a hit with the family, using in season Cypriot New Potatoes from Tesco's, I thought it was the perfect time to try out some cheesy leek and potato pasties - the perfect vegetarian family friendly snack. Of course you can use any potatoes in this recipe but I have to say the Cypriot ones are very tasty and versatile as you can bake, roast, boil or steam them and they are only available in stores until March. I also used Tesco's lighter shortcrust pastry, I have in the past made my own pastry for a variety of differe......

Read more »

How I Got My Kids To Love Food From Around The World

As I have said many times before “when it comes to food both John and I love trying something new, fresh, colourful and full of flavour and we are lovers of world dishes ”. That’s nothing out of the ordinary, it’s something that the majority of adult couples enjoy, however, kids quickly change that. When they’re really young, you can carry on enjoying your favourite foods with no problems, it’s when they get to their toddler years that things get interesting, or so they say. Proudly, we managed to combat the fussy stage by introducing a variety of foods and worldly cuisines early on in our children’s lives. We wanted our kids to be open minded about all new experiences, especially food, because experiencing new food is one of life’s great pleasures and it’s healthy too. I recently read an article suggesting that children who are fussy eaters have often become so because they’ve picked up the idea from adults. This is something that, scientifically, I can’t comment on......

Read more »

5 Healthy Food Options to Pack for a Road Trip

Traveling to a vacation destination by car can add an extra element of fun to any family trip. However, traveling by car is not without its challenges, and eating healthy while on the road is one of the biggest you might face, from avoiding the possible health risks of eating fast food to ensuring the nutritional needs of the family are met. However, there are several healthy food options you can pack up and bring along that may help keep the entire family happy and healthy until you arrive at your final destination. 1. Breakfast Foods Since you will be likely hitting the road early in the morning, packing healthy breakfast foods is important for allowing everyone to fill up and feel satisfied for the first leg of the trip. This can also help you log some miles as early as possible by skipping those long drive-thru lines at the local fast food place while you avoid greasy or fattening breakfast burritos at the same time. While a thermos of coffee, tea, or juice is a must......

Read more »

Coffee, Cream and Breakfast in Bed

When it comes to special occasions I am all about the small details and the little things you can do to show your loved ones how much you care. It doesn't have to be a big grand gesture or something expensive but rather a home-made card or breakfast in bed, which is always my preference over anything else, so for this Fathers Day I have planned something a little extra special. Both John and I are big coffee fans, I mean who isn't when you have kids, hello caffeine! We have been trying to refine the art of coffee making at home and I recently upgraded our ageing coffee machine to a Krups Nespresso Prodigy & Milk coffee machine and will hopefully master latte art soon but for now I thought I would put something quick and easy together for Fathers Day as I know I will be short of time with the two kids running around wanting to help. Pancakes in our house is a regular thing on Sunday mornings so I thought I would get creative with my go-to American style pancake......

Read more »

A taste of Aruba

What could be more blissful or dreamy than lying on white sands next to crystal blue water enjoying all the colours and flavours of the Caribbean? Drinking fresh coconut water from a coconut on the island of Aruba is firmly on my "40 things before 40" list and will hopefully be something we can make happen sooner rather than later.  In the meantime I love to try new things and get creative in the kitchen so when Aruba Tourism sent over a little package to help me capture that happy island feeling at home I couldn't wait to get stuck in. If you visit my home you will quickly realise I have somewhat an obsession with cook books, especially for world food, so this beautiful book by Shivi Ramoutar with its delicious modern takes on Caribbean classics that capture all he flavours of the rum islands is going to be well used in my house.  We have been pretty lucky with the weather lately and decided eating Al fresco would be perfect for Aruba inspired e......

Read more »