Be A part of the Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning

If you read my blog regularly you will know I am passionate about supporting and raising fund for charities that really deserve it, especially as many of these charities offer help to so many in different ways and often rely on donations to keep going. They do say charity starts at home and during this post recession time it can be hard to feel like your able to give much towards a fundraising campaign but this doesn't have to be the case. M&S have partnered with Macmillan for the 8th year in a row to support the Worlds Biggest Coffee morning and who doesn't enjoy a cup of coffee (or tea) and a slice of cake, the great thing is this time all the profits go to Macmillan. This way everyone can get involved, have fun and contribute towards Macmillan Cancer support, a charity that offers such an important service to those going through a difficult time. There are plenty of coffee mornings happening this week all over the UK as part of the campaign including o......

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Your Childs Vision & Ways to keep their Eyes Healthy

My eldest having fun with my glasses. When we think back to school we think new shoes, lunch boxes, books and getting those basics sorted and covered but there is one other thing we should be prioritising as well and that is a regular eye test especially for children over the ages of 5. It's so easy to forget or just not list it highly on our to do list but one really should especially as having good vision has a huge positive impact on a Childs learning and development. It's also interesting that up to 90% of parents do take their children for regular immunisations yet we seem to not feel the same when it comes to eye health according to research done by laser eye surgery specialists Optegra. I have to hold my hand up to this too, despite the fact I wear classes I was slow on the uptake when it came to getting my son's eyes checked and thinking about it now there really wasn't a good reason for this as it hardly takes anytime and the test is simple, quick an......

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How to Keep your home safe while travelling

The days of simply locking your front door and heading to the airport or on a road trip or even just a weekend away are long gone. With more and more people on social media, showcasing holiday snaps, it's easy for the general public to know when your away and that can of course cause some issues when it comes to home security. Most burglaries occur when people aren’t home and is many cases are away for a few days, but that doesn’t make you feel any less victimized. It doesn’t make recovery any less emotional or frustrating. It doesn’t make you feel any more secure at night when you lay down to sleep. 1. Being careful on social media and websites You have to be mindful about  information sharing on social media . If your accounts are public they are open to anyone readying them including thieves who are now scouring social media trying to find personal information that can be used for their own benefit. You also have to be very careful about sharing your whereabouts. If......

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Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire Review

On our recent trip to London's West End as part of Kids Week we stayed at the beautiful Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire Hotel in Leicester Square, even though I briefly mentioned it in my post about our weekend I wanted to do a separate review as this place really warrants that.  We love visiting London as a family but the one thing I have learned is if you have planned an action-packed day then staying somewhere which is well located is key in reducing the stress that comes with carting kids from one side of a city to another. Also having somewhere comfortable, welcoming and family-friendly to rest your head at the end of a busy day makes for a happy family in the morning and luckily The Radisson Blu Hampshire is all these things. Located on Leicester Square and only a stones throw away from all the theatres of the West End, the National Portrait Gallery and Trafalgar Square plus plenty of places to eat you really have everything you need. We arrived ea......

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Give up Clothes for Good

This year for me has been a lot about personal development, learning that great things can happen from small ideas and one person really can make a difference and if we work together that impact can be even greater. With so much going on in the world its felt in many ways a bit of a negative time but I have been very focused on bringing positivity into my life through positive actions that can help others. Having grown up in South Africa I am fully aware of how lucky I am to be healthy and able to provide for my children, for many this is a huge struggle, not only in South Africa but worldwide. I still work on my minimalist challenge and even though I am not as far as I was hoping I would be at this point it's something that is changing the way I think about things and putting gratitude at the forefront of my daily life through simple pleasures, family and wellbeing. Minimalizing my life has also been a slower process than expected because I didn't simply just want to ge......

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Exploring The Old Station, Tintern, Wye Valley

We love the Wye Valley and feel very lucky to live close enough to enjoy day trips to this beautiful part of Wales with quaint towns and plenty of countryside to explore. During the summer we wanted to keep our family days out as simple as possible and get outdoors at every opportunity. As my youngest is obsessed with trains we came across The Old Station in Tintern and after a little research we thought it fit the bill for fun train inspired day out. The drive there through the winding roads from Chepstow is really spectacular especially as you pass the impressive Tintern Abbey (highly recommend you visit this Cadw site) along the river Wye which eventually leads you to the Old Victorian Station. We didn't really know what to expect and if there would be enough to do to full up a whole day, we had checked in advance that the narrow gauge train was running which we knew would be a hit with both of the boys. This train is run by volunteers and you can find out ......

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How to Stay Connected While travelling

We travel a fairly regularly, usually on city breaks or to self catering staycations or further afield with at least one or two glamping trips thrown in each summer. What I have learnt is no matter wether it's a luxury hotel or a yurt in the middle of nowhere you really cannot reply on wifi, reception or being able to efficiently charge your phone and laptop. There have been countless amount of times when I have not been able to access both free and paid for wifi at hotels (queue major frustration) or we have been on long train trips and the plug at the bottom of the seat doesn't work. The thing is especially when it comes to phones they are no longer just a phone it's a Map, GPS, our main source of communication as well as the ability to search, change or book accommodation while on the road so having a full battery and preferably some wifi is always key. We recently went to a festival, we had been to this same one two years ago and despite there being a char......

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Encouraging your kids to love swimming

My eldest fell over in a shallow pool when he was about 2yrs old, I was right next to him at the time, he was splashing and laughing and then slipped, he was only under the water for a matter of seconds but that little incident scared him, after that he wasn't so keen to get back in the water. Since then our journey of getting him to love swimming has been a bit up and down but now with his 7th birthday fast approaching it's all changed, he much more confident and has mastered swimming under the water, jumping in and swimming unaided its made for a fun and splash filled summer. Learning from the things that have and have not worked with our eldest we have approached the topic of swimming in a different way with our youngest who at 2.5 and absolutely loves it and together we now have two boys who are equally enthused about the water as I am and it's becoming a family activity we can all do together. My mother and my eldest on holiday in the South of France  S......

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Getting school ready with Debenhams

 I seriously cannot believe how quick the summer holidays have flown by and school is starting next week! My son has shot up and of course nothing from last year fits him this year, plus on top of that he is changing schools, which we are all really excited about. His new school doesn't have a strict uniform as it's fairly small but they still ask all clothes be practical, durable and long wearing which Debenhams does really well. We stopped into our local store to check out their back to school range which has a fantastic price point as well as quality When it comes to clothes my eldest simply won't wear anything that is not comfortable but he has been wearing this navy jumper for two days straight so I know that is a hit plus its tumble and machine washable and easy to iron making mornings less stressful. Their Uniform collection has been designed to make things as quick as possible, all the shirts are easy care and iron, plus the jackets are shower-proof ......

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