Dinosnores & Airbnb Base Camp at The Natural History Museum

Like many kids his age my 7yr old is obsessed with Dinosaurs and natural his also a fan of the Night At The Museum films so the idea of sleeping over at The Natural History Museum as part of Dinosnores was a dream come true on more than one level. Dinosnores runs throughout the year and makes this magical experience a reality for children aged 7-11yrs old and I whole heartedly recommend this, we had a blast. What makes this next year extra special is Airbnb and have collaborated with Dinosnores to offer raffle places to ticket holders to be in the chance of getting one of the coveted Base Camp spots, located at the top balcony of the Hintze Hall besides the 1300 year old giant sequoia overlooking the huge blue whale skeleton, I mean talk about a view! Base Camp  As soon as we arrived at the Natural History Museum the atmosphere was buzzing with so many excited children. Despite there being a fair few school classes, cubs scouts and larger groups it was so we......

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How to Have More Fun with Your Kids in Winter

Recently it feels like all it's done is rain and while Christmas distracted us from the cold of winter it now seems to be really lingering with many of us looking for those early signs of spring. It can be easy to get a little cabin fever around this time of the year, even when your passionate about getting outdoors as much as possible it's just so cold that most head back inside after an hour which means we need to get creative when it comes to having fun as a family. Spending time with your children is one of life’s greatest pleasures, but between keeping on top of the house, work, the weather, things can gets in the way of making fun memories that will last a lifetime and even when we are all stuck inside it's easy to reach for the remote rather than connect over some fun activities so here are a few low budget ideas on having fun this winter. Have an indoor Picnic My boys absolutely love having picnics and get really excited when the weather becomes warmer a......

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Dressing your family home to sell

As we are actually planning to put our house on the market soon - yes I know I have been saying that for a while but really we are gearing up for it now, I thought I'd share a little interior inspiration with you. When it comes to making your house look more expensive there are a few tips and tricks that will help you get there. Increasing the value of your home is a lot down to its appearance, so attention to interior design is crucial. Today, we are going to talk about a specific home furnishing that will help you in making your house more luxurious - rugs. This post brings you the styles, sizes and even layouts that are best when choosing rugs for design purposes. Patterned Designs Patterns are hugely trendy right now, and living room rugs with patterns are a great way to give dimension to the room and make it look bigger. Even if bold and bright patterns aren’t for you, there are plenty of patterned rugs that focus instead on softer colours and subtle designs. If c......

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Winter Sun - Where to go & What to Pack

If your like me you're probably feeling like January is dragging on that little bit too long and the realisation that spring on really starts to get going late March and the need for warm sunshine and a sipping a cocktail on the beach is on your mind then your not alone. I am really longing for temperatures that mean I can wear a t-shirt and not layers, to kick my shoes off and walk through the sand and there are some really good bargains for off-peak European destinations right now of if your feeling like really getting away then why not opt for a last minute long haul adventures. Here are 3 fantastic destinations to get that winter sunshine fix 1. Tenerife This is probably the most popular choice mainly because it's one of the closest and most reliable destinations for winter sun and because so many low-cost airlines fly there even from the smaller airports all across the UK it's easily accessible as well as being a hot spot for picking up cheap flights a......

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T-shirt Style Trends to Follow in 2018

As we move out of January and head towards February I can almost start to feel a slight air of excitement as spring and then summer is on its way. I am very much a summer girl, when we can let go of all the layers and embrace t-shirts and shirts as they are meant to be worn instead hidden under winter jackets. Already we are starting to see a few trends filter through as stores are slowly gearing up to changing their winter stock to summer styles. I thought I would share a few trends I predict are going to be very popular this year. Let’s read on further, in order to learn more about new designs. Ethical Tees Isn't great supporting a label that gives a little back whether it be through a fair-trade initiative or supports a certain charity there are loads around at the moment. I am a big fan of People Tree , a sustainable clothing company that believes in cutting the middle man out and supporting directly the people who manufacture their clothing by nurturing them and inv......

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6 Meaningful Ways to Fit More Exercise Into Your Life

Sometimes it seems there isn't enough time in the day to do everything. Most of the time, people tend to prioritize other tasks and forget to take care of their health. However, there are many ways to fit small exercises into a busy schedule throughout the day. If you wake up slightly earlier, you can easily gain some precious minutes to work out or go jogging. But in case you need some extra motivation, finding a willing companion might be the best course of action. Another option would be to enjoy the outdoors and engage your kids in some outside games, in fact I've written a post before about some ideas on keeping fit with your kids . Exercise Early in the Morning The easiest way to find more time to exercise is to create it. By waking up 30 minutes earlier, you have now created enough time to go for a walk or jog around the block. Some people plan their workout in advance by setting out their workout clothes, running shoes, and water bottle the night before s......

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My Health and Wellbeing Goals for 2018

So when the New Year rolled in I decided to not make a huge list of definitive resolutions because often these resolutions can become a focus for failure when we don't achieve them. I do feel however that I need to address the fatigue and stress that became too much in the latter of last year. I know that improvements do need to be made although being a mother of two those changes need to be realistic with the long term in mind not just a quick fix, I did a post about 3 changes everyone should make and really just wanted to expand on that. So I wanted to focus on simple changes that will have a big impact and I know I can find time to fit into my busy life. 1. Staying Hydrated Making sure you drink enough water seems simple enough but I know I let this slip-on occasions but this year I am aiming to really be on top of it. I now have a reusable water bottle I carry with me at all times meaning I have no excuse to not stay hydrated throughout the day. It's just such ......

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Why Free Play Is So Important

I've paired up with Petits Filous who have just launched a Free Play campaign which encourages parents to unplug those screens and let your children lead the way and is something which I am very passionate about.  I'm a believer that you should allow your children to be bored every now and then, often I find when I give little instruction and allow them to take the lead whether indoors or out they become more creative and imaginative than ever. In a world that is dominated with instant entertainment through screens it's really important to simplify things, giving children a chance to learn about cause and effect, develop cognitive and communication skills as well as discover new passions such as painting and crafting. Anita Cleare the co-founder of The Positive Parenting Project and parenting speaker, writer and co-founder has done a great post on why boredom is good for kids and it's really worth checking out  If you regularly read my blog yo......

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5 Ethical Products that reduce plastic & give back

As they say Rome wasn't built in a day and unless you have been living under a rock this past year you will have seen and heard the urgency there is for us to make changes, especially when it comes to our over-use of plastic through disposable items as well as other high-impact goods. The thing is we all have to get up and go to work, do school runs, feed our families and we are simply not all in the position to get rid of everything we own and live in a solar-powered yurt (which I would love to do by the way!). We do all have to make changes but as we know in general most people are hard to change so the best way forward is to find more sustainable and ethical replacements for items we use daily. Keep Cup The Keep Cup is one of the best Barista standard reusable cups on the market and whether you opt for the robust glass model or their non-toxic lightweight plastic model by using one of these instead of plastic coated disposable cups you are saving on average around 3kg i......

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