Christmas at Bute Park 2022 Review

*I was kindly provided tickets to Christmas at Bute Park in exchange for an honest review As with many major cities across the UK, Cardiff now hosts an impressive immersive light show in the city centre's main green space, Bute Park. 2021 was its first year & was a sell-out success so needless to say expectations were pretty high. While this was our first time to Christmas at Bute Park , we had previously gone to Westonbirt Enchanted Christmas, one of the first and longest-standing immersive festival light experiences so I was intrigued to see what the Welsh Capitals' take on this would entail.  Firstly we love Bute Park, it's a stunning green lung in the heart of Cardiff city centre and a place we spend a lot of time, walking along the River Taff, cycling and enjoying the large open spaces, however, we have rarely seen it after dark so the boys and I were very excited to see Bute Park in a different light, excuse the pun.  Before deciding on a time to visit I spoke to ......

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Home Improvement plans for 2023 - First the Skirting boards

*This post contains affiliate links My house is in serious need of some TLC, especially as the early years of parenting are now out of the way & putting travel before interiors but it's come to the point that I need to give my home a little attention and while I have practically not budget, after Christmas, I am planning to do what I can myself, starting with repainting every room so we can start the New Year feeling fresh.  My skirting boards are looking particularly unloved at the moment I'm not actually sure when they were last painted (it's got to be at least a decade I'm guessing). It can however be tricky to know what colour to paint your skirting boards  and some thought does need to go into it as it helps tie the room together. Do you leave them a natural wood colour? Or, perhaps you want them a nice simple white to match your doors and architrave. Then, of course, there is always the idea that you might want your skirting boards to stand out, be a feature o......

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The Royal Mint Christmas Experience, Llantrisant, Wales

*We were provided tickets in exchange for an honest review. Words 100% my own  The Royal Mint Experience in Llantrisant, where all the UK's coins are made, have pulled out all the stops this year and has turned into a magical winter wonderland.  Walking up the path you are transported to a land of snow and festivities and are met with a huge Christmas tree, a polar bear chair and giant candy canes. Inside the Mint is no different with decorations hanging, more beautifully decorated trees and Santa's sleigh which children can sit in.  You can either head to the Cafe for a mince pie before your tour or head straight to the ticket desk to check in for a special festive tour of the Mint, which is part of the Christmas Experience. Each tour sets off at a specific time so make sure to arrive around 15mins beforehand, you will need to go through a brief security check before heading into a cosy room with soft throw-covered seating, where you meet your very knowledgeable tour gui......

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Snippets from our Interrail Adventure

Chillin in The Vatican We have recently got back from the most amazing adventure, by train, across Europe, on a budget. I have so much to write up about our trip but I thought I would share a few snippets while I put more in-depth posts together.  Firstly it was amazing to be able to travel again in what felt like pre-pandemic times, yes we had to wear masks on all the German trains but that didn't bother us at all and we are more than happy to comply with any travel requirements, as long as we can travel.  I was so excited to take the kid's Interrailing as it's something I've done myself a few times before having children and it's certainly not just for 20's something backpackers but suitable for all ages! Looking out across Salzburg After lots of planning, with a variety of routes we could have taken, we settle on whizzing down from London to Turin in Italy and then spending time exploring Levanto, The Cinque Terra, Pisa, Florence and Rome before taking a nig......

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