5 Positive ways to be happy in 2019

Well what a year, full of ups and downs and everything thrown in-between. 2018 saw a real movement to normalising things like Mental Health issues and getting more people sharing and talking about their own experiences, also the huge shift to Body positivity , owning your body and feeling less guilting about being a bit more selfish and making time for self care. Woman in general have also taken somewhat of a centre stage in standing up for our rights and using more platforms to have a voice and be heard. Diversity has also been key, what makes one person happy doesn't apply to others and that needs to be respected, health and fitness means different things to different people but doing what feels good is key and that is something that should follow through into 2019. With the world seeming more manic it's important to not get overwhelmed and to be easier on ourselves and not be too many things at once, which in turn can cause stress and a sense of failure. Here are a few ......

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5 Travel Friendly Ethical Beauty Must-haves + Giveaway

Can you believe how fast this year has flown by and here we are in the festive season looking forward to a New Year. Many things have happened over 2018 but one of the biggest and most positive movements has been towards a more ethical and sustainable lifestyle wether that has meant moving towards a more minimalist home with lower waste and less plastic to including more vegan dishes and products into your life it's all positive in my books. I thought I would share a 4 things I have tried and tested and give the thumbs up too with the aim of reducing waste as well as using more natural based products in your home and health and beauty routine. 1. Intimina Lily Cup - More woman than ever are moving towards reusable menstrual cups as they are an eco friendly alternative to tampons and sanitary pads. Intimina's Lily Cup is really easy and comfortable to use and is spill-free and designed to fit your body's natural shape. These are also great when your on the ......

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Why Car maintenance is so important over the festive season

Around this time last year my car broke down which is no fun when you have two small kids with you, in fact it's not the first time we had broken down during Winter and it was snowing so as you can image it was freezing. We were lucky that we didn't have to wait too long for the breakdown driver to reach us although saying that half an hour in a freezing car still isn't pleasant and could of easily been avoided (well in the one case, the other was due to a faulty alternator that couldn't of been foreseen) as it was my car battery that had been long overdue a replacement.  It's often the simple things that catch us out and with so much going on around this time of the year it's easy to forget basic maintenance BUT with more people around the festive holidays to visit family and friends the more vigilant we need to be with car maintenance as no one wants to miss out on a Christmas dinner because they are waiting in a lay-by for a rescue truck.  Her......

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Tips for moving on from the baby to toddler stage with Little Freddie

As you may already know I am working with the awesome organic food company that is Little Freddie this year and recently told you all about the steps they are taking to be more sustainable by launching the UK first pouch recycling scheme, do read more about this positive initiative. Being a busy mum on the go I can say first hand how important it is for me to make sure I have some healthy snacks on me at all times to avoid those hangry moments but also so I know they are getting all their nutritional needs met. Having successful weaned two children know I feel like I have something to offer in ways of practical advice for those parents out there who are juggling it all, working, parenting, school runs, play dates, weekend adventures, family trips and everything else life throws at you and at those times if often when we let things slip such as well balanced family eating. Little Freddie have recently launched their new range of healthy smoothies and finger food to help mak......

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5 things to do in Cheltenham with Kids

We recently jumped in the car for a little road trip to the regency town of Cheltenham. I have done a few day trips here many years ago, all sans kids so I was keen to see what this beautiful town had on offer for families. En route we stopped off at Chepstow Castle before heading up the Wye Valley (a more scenic route) before arriving into Cheltenham and checking into the Cotswolds Grange Hotel which has family rooms and were extremely accommodating so do check out my review. While Cheltenham isn't the biggest town it's fairly easy to navigate and explore on foot for both adults and kids, there is also plenty to do in the surrounding areas but I wanted to focus on what there is to do within walking distance of the town centre for those who are visiting by train or are short on time.  1. Find Neptune's Fountain It is said that Neptune's fountain was modelled on the Trevi Fountain in Rome and while this isn't Rome this fountain is still very impressiv......

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Losing friends to Cancer, New Alternatives & Immunotherapy

Cancer. The word no one wants to hear but will at some point impact our lives in one way or another. My first realisation of the devastation that cancer can cause was when I was a teenager and a family friend, whose daughter was in school with me, fought hard against a brain tumour. She lost her fight. My mother and I visited her while she was ill, it was the first time I had seen what cancer does to a person and to a mother, and the effect cancer has on a family. When I was in my early twenties, my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. Again she fought hard, had endless bouts of chemo which made her incredibly ill from which she had very little rest. She unfortunately passed away. With both of these there was a level of acceptance, they were adults in their 50's and 60's which, of course, is still very young but was slightly easier to understand. What really stopped me in my tracks was what happened last year, I lost my two longest friends to cancer within 10 mont......

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Gratitude and the Balancing Act

So I've been a little quieter over on my blog for the past fortnight or so, there have been a few reasons for that, mainly I've been working on some great posts and projects coupled with the kids catching that awful stomach virus going around and also changing my youngest childcare, which in hindsight was not the best idea just before Christmas, my busiest time, as he is really struggling to settle, so much so that it's massively reduced my childcare at present. Working from home as a freelancer as well as being the main carer to my two active boys it's an easy task and occasionally the routine does go a little haywire and with the additional stress and chaos of Christmas it's been a balancing act to keep all the balls in the air thats for sure (I've dropped a fair few too lately). So I think it times like these when it's been less than smooth sailing, it's really important to practice some gratitude especially when I am aware how lucky I am to be ......

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Be ready for the outdoors with Simply Hike

I love getting outdoors, having always been active and one for an adventure I also know how important it is to make sure you have the right clothes for the occasion. Making sure your dress appropriately will mean enjoying what your doing that much more, no one likes being cold and wet on a hike or too hot for that matter so when it comes to outdoor pursuits investing in some decent clothing is key, also they tend to last much longer making it a much more economical choice long-term. I do think that outdoor clothing gets a bit of a bad wrap for not being cool, on trend or stylish and that simply isn't true! The people over at Simply Hike have asked me to put together an outdoor wish list of what looks great but will keep you outdoor ready this winter season so if you have some adventures planned to take a look. One of the most important things if your planning on heading outdoors for a few hours during the colder months is a good jacket and fleece and opting for a dec......

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Getting Party ready with JD Williams

Who else is starting to get really excited about the festive season and to many that means parties, events, seeing family and friends and socialising. Even for those who work from home like I do it's a time for meeting up with friends, enjoying good food and a time to step out of those day to day clothes and into something a little bit more special, I mean who doesn't love an excuse to dress up. Long gone are my twenties however and I do sometimes struggle around this time of the year to find something that is fun, stylish and festive while still being a little bit more sophisticated and me. As I have aged my personal style and changes and developed with me so finding somewhere that captures my needs now is really important. JD Williams recently got in touch to see if I would like to work with them in the run-up to the Party Season and I have been extremely excited about this collaboration as their collections are so well curated and certainly tailor to the more refin......

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Our Stylish Family Stay at Cotswold Grange Hotel, Cheltenham

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you may have seen we headed off to the beautiful spa town of Cheltenham for a weekend break away. The last time I had been in Cheltenham was around 7yrs ago when I was shooting a wedding and it was as wonderful as I remembered. We took a slow drive from our home in Cardiff, first stopping off in Chepstow and visiting Chepstow Castle (which I highly recommend) and then driving up through the Wye Valley, along the Severn River to the historical town of Cheltenham on the edges of the Cotswolds. While I know Cheltenham makes for a fantastic adult break away, with its boutique stores and stylish eateries, we were a little concerned there wouldn't be a lot for the kids to do but we needn't had worried as we had a great time from start to finish and I will be writing a separate post about family-friendly things to do there. For this post however I want to focus on our stay at The Cotswolds Grange Hotel as it was such positive experie......

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Little Freddie paving the way with Recyclable Food Pouches

As you already may know I am working with a fantastic small family driven organic food company called Little Freddie. It's a dream partnership for me as I am passionate about providing my kids with healthy and nutritious food and being really busy and on the go Little Freddies Food pouches are just a great option for me as they are packed with the best ingredient with no preservatives, additives or any hidden nasties at all. I also feel reassured by their passion as a small company who have researched every flavour combination, have visited the growers of the fruit and vegetable included and have poured their hearts and souls into making the best pouches on the market. I have also been lucky enough to have attended a focus group earlier this year, try out some of their products right at the early stages and meet the founders and be able to put a face to a name and I am over the moon that they have been taking on board feedback from their customers, especially with regards to ......

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5 Meaningful Gifts for Mothers this Christmas

Gender roles aside, Mother's or those who assume a mothering role,  are often the glue that is holding things together plays while we are often balancing work life, home life, family admin, school runs and everything in between. Personally, I know there are many times when we prioritise everything else before ourselves as long as our family is happy and healthy and it's true what they say I know appreciate my own mother a hundred times over seeing how many balls she had juggling in the air at all times. I think that it's really important for every role in the household to be celebrated although acknowledging everything a mother does really goes a long way, especially when parenting comes with so many highs and lows, even if it's just treating her to a cup of coffee & baked treat. Here are a few meaningful ways to show the woman in your life that you car. 1. Never underestimate the power of a homemade Card It may be a little cliche and perhaps I'm j......

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7 essential Family Travel hacks to reduce stress

Before I had kids I did a lot of solo travel, working in a variety of hotels, bars and backpackers across Europe, I could come and go as I pleased and when I felt like a change of scenery or simply wanted to move onto another city I could. I did learn a lot about making budgets stretch, staying safe while travelling, packing minimally as well as picking up a few hacks on saving money and making travel less stressful, these hacks I apply to our family adventures, even though they are vastly different experiences. While we all have the dream of picking a destination on a whim it is a little tricker (although not impossible) with kids bit if you don't do some preparation and research beforehand it could end up being costly. 1. Research your destination Yes this is an obvious one but you would be surprised how many people don't do the basic research of what there is to see and do as a family. Now we don't particularly go to "family" focused destinations as ev......

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