The Best kind of Nature inspired Escapes

A week or two spent in nature can be a great antidote for the stress that comes with life in a big city. Being surrounded by awesome scenery, plants, and animals can make a holiday truly memorable. But there are many different kinds of holidays that offer exactly this – and it might not be obvious which of them makes the best match for your needs. Coastal Retreats: Luxury Villas by the Sea Of course, it’s difficult to beat the allure of the sea especially as many of us feel a sense of calm and relaxation when spending time along the coastline. Pick the right coastal location, and you’ll be able to enjoy opportunities for watersports, the freshest possible seafood, and the constant sound of waves lapping at the shore. There are plenty of European destinations that offer all of these things, from the Amalfi Coast in Italy to the Balearic Islands in Spain. For best results, you’ll want to pick the right accommodation. This is where beachfront villas in Spain tend to be so appealing. Pick......

Read more »

#DiscoverWales with Sykes Cottages

Exploring some Welsh woodlands Wales is one of those destinations that is full of surprises from the bustling city of Cardiff to the majestic coastline of West Wales, awe inspiring heights of Snowdonia and one could easily mistake mid-wales for middle earth, I mean there is a dragon on the flag after all. Being a family who love the outdoors Wales is a fantastic playground for our children and a great place to grow up, something I am very grateful for. We often spend weekends exploring the Brecon National park or take short trips to Pembrokeshire or simply making dens near Castle Coch, a magical fairytale castle situated in the forest up on a hill and the perfect place for weekend adventures. Castle beach, Tenby, West Wales There are so many amazing gems to discover in this often overlooked part of the UK and Sykes Cottages would love you to share your favourite captures in their #DiscoverWales competition. They are looking for a photograph that captures the true ......

Read more »

Bosinver Farm Cottages, Cornwall Part 1

Earlier this month we were invited to a short stay at the beautiful Bosinver Farm cottages near St Austell in Cornwall and from what I had heard about this place through other reviews I had read it was going to be a great little getaway. I actually studied half of my degree in Falmouth and have a real soft spot for the South of England and couldn't wait to head back down with the kids. Bosinver is made up of 20 luxurious self catering cottages, spread across beautiful and peaceful Cornish farm ready for big and little ones to explore. With so much on offer at Bosinver there was no way I could fit it all into one post so in this post I am going to focus on the accommodation and outdoor activities. We managed to drive the whole way down without stopping as the baby fell asleep an hour into the trip meaning we made up some time as we left a little later than expected. Once we arrived we found the keys in the door of Wells Close cottage, the heating had been put on so it was ......

Read more »

An Italian dream

Everyone has a wish list or dreams they want to see be fulfilled, I have always liked the idea of having a place to call my own overseas, maybe because I am an expat living in the UK but my mind and soul always wonders to thoughts of warmer Mediterranean climates such as the stunning countryside and coast of Italy. I am not one who needs to put down roots, in fact I like the feeling of freedom which is why a property overseas suits my longterm ideals as it could be a bolt hole or a building project, just somewhere different or inspiring. So why Italy? Well I have been lucky enough to do some travelling around this truly beautiful country with main highlights being Venice, Milan and Bologna but I hope to go back soon and explore Tuscany and the South more. There is something so right about the Italian lifestyle, the food, wine, long lazy warm summer days spent eating outside with friends and the strong family community feel. I think it would be the perfect place to invest......

Read more »

A little gathering

One of the many things I love about blogging is how it is no longer confined to the online world and how many amazing friends I have made through the community. Every now and then we meet-up either at events, birthdays, a simple coffee date or with the kids exploring the countryside, which is what we did a few weeks ago, just before the end of the school holidays. Myself and a few local bloggers headed up to Mountain Ranch in Caerphilly with kids in hand for a relaxed day spent in the sunshine while the little ones climbed trees, looked for fairies and got covered in mud. Mountain Ranch was the perfect location for our gathering, in the heart of South Wales it's a place that offers so much family friendly fun and lots of space for exploring and adventures. I find for some reason I end up not taking many photos at things like this, even though we are all bloggers and share parts of our life online it's nice to enjoy the moment as well as good conversation with o......

Read more »

Picking Blackberries & Celebrating Grandparents

It's that time of the year when it's coming to the end of summer but as the days get little shorter the berries that have been growing all season have become riper and ready to pick. We headed down to a place in Llandaff, near the Taff trail where we picked some last year but unfortunately the harvest was not as fruitful as last time although we still had a lot of fun in the process, especially as my mother and Mr A's grandmother joined us for this little outdoor adventure. I feel very lucky that Mr A gets to have active grandparents in his life, who can do things like this, share their knowledge, make crafts, garden, bake and provide a loving environment as well the occasional break for myself. I can't recall either of my grandfathers as the one passed away when I was 3 months old and the other who lived in the UK (I grew up in South Africa) passed when I was 5yrs old, I had met him when I was 3 but cannot remember him. I did have a great relationship......

Read more »

Dorset Cereals B&B awards

Is there anything more blissful than waking up to the early morning sun shining through the window  of a beautiful house in the countryside, walking downstairs to a breakfast of locally produced produce and all without having to lift a finger? I don't think so and I type this I am sitting in the most stunning farm house in Somerset enjoying one of many amazing B&B's dotted around the UK. I am so happy to announce that I am working with Dorset Cereals who have paired up with Sawdays to bring you the first Dorset Cereals B&B awards which aims to showcase the top B&Bs the UK has to offer and each month 12 shortlisted B&B's will be posted on the Dorset website where fans can nominate their favourite one. I have to admit it's been a fair while since I have stayed at a B&B but we cannot wait to share what we have got up to this week, it's been such a wonderful and stress free break on an organic farm with lots of space to explore as well as a ......

Read more »

Bath City Break Part 2

On our second day in Bath, during our # BeAGreatWesterner weekend adventure we decided to head out on the water and take a 25 minute boat ride along the river Avon to Bathhampton where we came across a stunning countryside pub, nestled right by the waterside and enjoyed some tapas and a cheeky cocktail in the sun. It was such a relaxing way to spend an afternoon, with Mr A running around, climbing trees and coming across a damselfly, we felt like a million miles away when in fact we were just outside the city. Bath is undoubtedly a beautiful place and offers so much for all the family, if I had my way we would live in this part of the world as it's such a visually interesting city with so much heritage and with the river Avon running through it you also feel really connect with nature. Mr A loved the boat ride and meandering down the river on a sunny afternoon really cannot be beat. Once we returned to the city centre we had a stroll around th......

Read more »

A Brecon Day trip

We feel really lucky to live in easy reach of some wonderful places and depending on how we feel we can drive over the boarder to Bristol for some city fun or explore West and Mid Wales when we fancy some fresh air and countryside views. Mr A has been asking for a while to visit the The Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh in Brecon, as some of you may know he is fascinated with anything related to the Military, Scouts, Bear Grylls and basically anything outdoors. I have to be honest and say  I'm not such a fan of the Army but I want to allow my child freedom to explore his interests and as the museum is located in the quaint historical market town of Brecon in Mid-Wales and I thought it would make a nice day-trip. We arrived late morning and enjoyed a walk by the canals, watching the narrowboats and enjoying the fresh air. We then stopped off for a bite to eat at the waterside cafe Tipple n' Tiffin where I opted for a delicious organic green salad ......

Read more »