Why France is the perfect Family Destination

The boys in Nice, France France has always been very special to me, especially after living and working in Nice for a couple of months before having children. As a family we love visiting France whether it be a chic city break in Paris or getting a sun tan on the French Riviera or a quick road trip to the Opal Coast - we have always had a fantastic time as a family and it's why I picked France as the country I wanted to celebrate my 30th birthday in a few years ago. I was pregnant at the time with my second and eldest who was four at the time was just coming into his own in terms of his passion for travel. We took the Eurostar from London to Pairs where we spent a few days exploring the array of family friendly museums and gardens before taking the fast TGV down to the South for a week of good food, relaxation, exploring small towns as well as taking in the culture of Nice and Cannes. You can read more about our stay in Valbonne and my 30th birthday celebrations ‘French style......

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Water is the key to health

Chai seeds, cacao, kale; all of these are very much “In foods” for those who are health conscious, in fact many of us are spending a small fortune at the supermarket each week in search of the next healthy fix or new superfood discovery. The crazy thing is being fit and healthy does not need to cost a fortune and actually the one thing we need to consume more of than anything else is water! Plain and simple – water really is the key to life, health and longevity yet we often overlook this and it honestly is the biggest “super liquid” known to man. Being a busy mum it's really important to us as a family to educate our outdoor loving kids about the value of good food and eating healthy as this effects their future and how they will live their lives and every parent wants their children to grow up big, strong and healthy, which is why we encourage drinking water throughout the day, even if that means adding a little bit of fresh cut of fruit to make it look more appealing. ......

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5 Doable New Years Resolutions

Like most I had my fair amount of treats, chocolates and glasses of wine over the Christmas period and I think again like most I could do with a break from all of that but as I get older I realise that drastic changes to my lifestyle is simply not doable as it not only affects myself but my family so as a rule of thumb we keep to an active lifestyle all year round as well as aim for a well balanced diet as I cook all our meals everyday anyway. I do however feel there is always room for improvement in every home, always space to make positive changes, although smaller more doable changes that we can achieve as a family. Here are what I plan to work on this year 1. Get more sleep - this is a huge must for me especially as the baby wakes at least twice during the night and personally I find if I am tired that I don't always deal with difficult situations as well as I would normal or my stress levels are affected so my main goal this year is to go to bed atleast 30mins earlie......

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Love Water naturally + Giveaway

Water - we really should be drinking more of it and I certainly try and make an effort daily although even for myself who is health conscious, water at times can be a little boring, especially on a lovely summers day when you just want little something extra but without all the sugar and nasties that normal squash crams in. When Stur asked me to have a go at their new sugar and calorie free liquid enhancer that uses all natural fruit and tea flavours combined with 100% of your vitamin C in one serving I thought I would give it a go. It's very lightly sweetened with Stevia, which for those who don't know comes from the Stevia leaf and does not affect blood sugar and with some ice and sliced lemon makes for a really refreshing drink that also tops of your vitamin C which can help reduce tiredness and fatigue. Of course with any of these things you need to aim to have a well balance lifestyle and should still aim to drink as much water as possible but as flavoured wate......

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A crafty Afternoon with Brecon Carreg

Last month we were invited to a wonderful afternoon full of fun, crafts and good food at one of our favourite spots in the city centre - Wyndham Tea. This family friendly event was put together by Brecon Carreg who did an amazing job of putting together a simple but creative craft using recycled Brecon bottles that was perfect for little fingers. First of all however was lunch, which was fresh, healthy and gave us a chance to sit down and chat to other bloggers before the craft session started. After so delicious food and of course a cup of herbal tea all the kids settled around a big table and got stuck in. Cutting, sticking, painting and everything in-between their creations slowly came together. Mr A decided to make his favourite animal - a Giraffe and he was very proud with his end result. Being heavily pregnant at the time it was lovely to be able to do something with him together and it was lovely that John could join us as well for the perfect family afternoon. ......

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A little moment

Had one of those lovely little moments last weekend when we visited Bristol. There were fountains that children could climb on and walk through, which of course both I and Mr A did. So much fun and such a simple pleasure....

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Beach Vacation With Kids: Fun Time In Cancun

We could do with a beach holiday in warmer climates Lately I have been dreaming a lot of far flung places, or simply countries we have not yet visited with Mexico being one of them. We normally spend our time exploring, running around from one place to another but actually we are really in need of a relaxing beach break and I want to explore Central America a little bit more and see if it was really child friendly. So it is time to change that preconceived idea that the beach resorts of Mexico are purely for adults. Holidays in Cancun are perfect for families who are travelling with children and want to experience crystal clear waters , superb beaches, lush ecosystems, and so much more! I could seriously imagine myself here right now ( image ) Crystal Clear Waters and Super Beaches The fun never stops along the shores of Cancun. The stunning blue waters of the Caribbean Sea are enough to tempt anyone in, or onto, and you can find countless numbers of differen......

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Beach Adventures Part 1

Wow what amazing weather we have had in the run up to Easter and we made sure that we soaked up each and everyday to the full, hence why it's Beach Adventure part one as we visited two different beaches last week as well as Cardiff Bay and I thought it would be better to break down each post as each adventure was different from the other. Our first stop was Barry island, luckily we managed to get there the day before schools break up so it was lovely and quite and the water was warm. It was so lovely to have the sand beneath our feet, it's been so long overdue, to run and in and out of the water and spend hours doing so. Collecting seaweed and sand in backers, running away from waves and collecting sea shells and pebbles. We found a tennis ball on the beach which provided a lot of entertainment, throwing it too each other and then trying to throw it into the bucket. We also lay down in the sand and just felt the sun on us before heading off to get a......

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Keeping the inside happy

I know personally that if something is off balance I feel uneasy and it can effect my self confidence, even if I'm having an amazing hair day or out in the sun, if your not looking after yourself from the inside out you will feel it. I always try and eat healthy although with my workload recently this has taken a bit of a hit and I know I really need to get back on track. John also suffers some what may possibly be IBS or Gluten intolerance and I know if he could get the balance right how much better he would feel, it's something that has been going on for all the years we have been together and for most part he has chosen to ignore it, although enough is enough and only recently through some supplements and change of diet is he starting to see an increase in energy, mood and better digestive help. I personally take a Vegetarian Omega 3 and a Garlic supplement every day, I feel that they simply add a little boost to my overall wellbeing and immunity. My mother has......

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