Savouring Autumn at Insole Court & The Potting Shed, Llandaff

Insole Court is really one of those hidden gems that has such an exciting future ahead of itself as over the past year or so the National Lottery has funded this once dilapidated Manor house and outbuildings and have brought it back to life and provide a welcoming community hub in the heart of Llandaff City. Surrounding the Manor house is what I can only describe as a small secret garden, partly walled with lots of nooks and grannies to explore, perfect for families, dog walkers and those looking for a peaceful spot away from the maddening crowds of the city. There are also allotments on the site which while are private it's really nice to see keen green fingers folk going back and forth. While parts of the main Manor house is still under construction and with it being a listed building these things do take time, many of the out-buildings are already up and running with daily Yoga, language and creative classes taking place throughout the week. One part of the stab......

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Autumn Style - The Mini's edit

With so many wonderful jumpers, jacket and warm and cosy hats around at the moment I thought I would share a few of the kid's favourite autumn threads and many of them I wish they would make in adult sizes. One of our favourite British brands Tootsa MacGinty who make such wonderful and colourful ethical unisex clothing and these two Scandi inspired raglan t-shirts have become somewhat of a feature in their wardrobe. I love clothes that connect with nature as well as travel and culture and this Polar bear Northern light print does that perfectly as does my younger ones fjord print. We also recently came back from a wonderful break to Bluestone in West Wales (full review to follow soon) and we spent the majority of the time exploring the trails and spending many an evening around the open fire at Smokey Joes which mean the boys cute knitted jumpers kept them warm and cosy. The one thing I love about this time of the year is being able to wear layers and lots of d......

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Classic Reads - The Snowman and the Snowdog

Even though growing up in a warm southern hemisphere country meant that Christmas time was at the high of  summer and the concept of a white Christmas was something that never really featured. Although having a Welsh mother meant there was always a distant British influence in all our holiday celebrations . We always read the Snowman in the run up to the big day, we filled our home with the smell of a huge real Fir Tree and hung wreaths and ate Hazelnuts. We indulged in show from Wallace and Grommet and the BFG and had traditional carols playing continuously on the HiFi and despite the often 30+ degree weather we would craft paper snowflakes to hang up along with some mistletoe. The snowman has been as much apart of my childhood Christmas experience than any others despite the thousands of miles distance from the UK and this story will always have a place in my heart. So when I was asked to take part in The Snowman and Snowdog Christmas Blog tour we couldn't wait to get......

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5 small changes to rejuvenate your home

As most homeowners know big renovations cost a lot of money as well as planning and when your feeling like a change big is not always the way to go, in fact there are many budget friendly options to inject some life into your home and rejuvenate a space that may be looking a little tired or outdated. Most of these suggestions are also doable in terms of DIY even if you have never picked up a paintbrush before with some simple instructions you could discover you have a new talent as well as save money hiring professionals. Of course if your nervous or short of time getting a carpenter in or a painter may be the best foot forward but make sure you get a range of quotes to find the best price. 1. Declutter - It's so easy overtime to collect, accumulate and hold onto things that we don't actually need or hold that much of a purpose. When our spaces become cluttered so do our minds and often our own productivity can go down because of it. It's also hard to see ......

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Baking, Flowers and Simple Pleasures

As with each passing day and the closer we get to Christmas everything starts to get more and more manic, the shops are busier, more traffic on the road, people rushing around I think now more than ever it's important to just take a moment for yourself. Even if it's just five minutes a day will help you put things into perspective and you will feel more able to face the stresses that come with the festive period. It can be the smallest things such as a good cup of coffee or tea while paging through your favourite magazine or an extra long shower, making time to see friends or brisk walk in the fresh air.  At the moment working from home around two young children, one who is not sleeping very well means I am very short for time so I am trying to surround myself with things that make me feel calm and happy. One of those is fresh flowers, there is something about the scent and smell that seems to balance me when I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I had a beaut......

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Packing Lunch on the Go

Packing a lunch is not just a trend for school-aged children anymore. More adults are now packing a lunch for work as well and for a number of reasons, from making healthier choices to saving money on lunches out. Many are making this switch and the trend has caught on throughout the country. However, this does not mean that you have to carry your lunch in a plain paper sack. There are many fashionable lunch totes available today, in all sizes and colors, and carrying one comes with a few surprising benefits.     Artic Zone make some amazing and stylish lunch bag totes which are all designed with built-in thermal insulation meaning you can pack a wider variety of foods that you would not be able to take with you all day in a plain brown bag. The thermal qualities of a line tote bag means colder and fresher food for longer. Their handbag-type lunch totes for women are designed to be leak-proof and have liners that wipe clean which means if you do happen to spill ......

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High Street Fashion Today

Nearly everyone has some kind of interest in fashion or clothes as from a pretty young age we decided how we want to present ourselves to the world and this is often expressed through what clothes we wear. I always find it interesting to hear other peoples thoughts on this topic so when a fellow writer, Robert asked if he could share his views on the current state of our High Street fashion in the UK I was happy to accommodate. What about the high street fashion? It is easy to guess that the high street fashion is the clothes that can be bought in the mass-retail chain stores, like H&M, Topshop and others. These stores sell casual clothes for the consumers of all age groups. You will find clothes for children, teenagers, young, mature and elderly people. The high street fashion is characterized with the clothes that are appropriate for different situations. One can find a good suit for business, conferences and other special occasions such as weddings and anniversaries. If......

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Styling the perfect White Shirt

When it comes to classic style that never fades you really can't beat a well tailored white shirt, it literally goes with everything and can be styled up or down. They really are a staple for any wardrobe and investing in a few quality shirts is an investment well spent. So when I was recently invited by McArthur Glen in Bridgend to come and check out the American Heritage brand Brooks Brothers pop-up vintage truck store I couldn't wait. For those who have been hiding under a rock and have not heard of the Brooks Brothers, it happens to be one of the oldest clothiers in the US and was the first to introduce the concept of the button down shirt. I was set the White Shirt Challenge to put an outfit together around the white shirt from some of the amazing shops in McArthur Glen. With so much choice it wasn't a quick decision, in fact I walked around the centre first, weighing up all the option and then decided to go back with fresh eyes after a delicious m......

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Autumn Style Inspiration

Even though it's been pretty mild we are very much in the heart of Autumn with Winter fast approaching. I don't know about you but I have packed away all my summer clothes and out have come the boots, jeans and an array of jackets from the waterproof ones suitable for our many weekly adventures or the more stylish ones for jaunts around the city. I really picked up a beautiful Camel jacket from Jaeger which I absolutely love and I am currently on the lookout for a new snood that will see me through the colder months. The one great thing about this time of the year is being able to layer your clothing as well as indulge in cosy knitted jumpers and soft knitted gloves giving you the chance to get creative with a whole range of warm fabrics and textures. Like most busy mothers I don't have much time to hit the shops these days so I order most of my clothes online, although it can be harder to see an outfit altogether before purchasing it so I like to put little mood b......

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Creating an Instagram Feed you Love

With just under 5000 followers on my Instagram I don't have the biggest following and thats okay because I am sure it will come with time as my main focus has certainly shifted away from numbers and statistics and more towards creating a space and a feed that truly reflects my life as well as something I am happy with, that makes me smile and is a visually interesting daily diary that I can look back on in years to come. I think when it comes to IG there are certainly two camps which have formed, those who try and play the algorithm game regardless (at times) of creating beautiful original content and those who are more interested in organic engagement, neither is "right" and it's okay to be in the middle, at the end of the day it is a marketing tool to some so taking a little time to create balance between both especially if it is connected to your work or livelihood is important but don't forget its not just a place for numbers but also for inspiration. ......

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Journeying to the Isles of Scilly

If you read my blog you will probably remember we spent an amazing week in the Isles of Scilly near the end of summer, I shared some snippets with you as well as ticking it off my 40 things to do before 40 post. So why so long to share what we got up to in more depth? Well to cut a long story short I had some major issues with my laptop this year, the hard drive failed twice and a virus pretty much made my external hard drive as useful as a brick so after many panic attacks I have finally managed to retrieve nearly all the images and videos *cue dancing in the kitchen*. What a better time to share this amazing trip when it's starting to feel cold and your dreaming of your future adventures, making plans for next year and looking for some inspiration, well I can tell you that the Isles of Scilly is by far the most exotic destination we have ever been to in the British Isles and I hope you enjoy me series of posts about this unique place. I'm going to start at the beginn......

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Letting the Kids takeover our Sofa

As some of you may already know we are gearing up to sell the house in the spring time so we are trying to make the most of every space we have in our home. We have done the renovations we felt where necessary to improve the property and have left some of the work done by the previous owners such as this glass brick feature in our lounge which allows light to come in from the hallway which is much needed as this is a low ceiling welsh cottage. It's not to our taste to say the least but it serves a really good purpose and offers a feature wall in our main social space. As it's quite "busy" we wanted to keep the overall interior of the room fairly minimal with well designed pieces that are timeless but stylish so when DFS got in touch over the summer asking us to take on a fun little challenge I couldn't wait, especially as our current sofa was being held up with my sewing box (seriously! Lets just say it had come to the end of it's life) S......

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