My most Popular Lifestyle & Travel posts of 2017

Well I cannot quite believe that a whole year has flown by and have now waved goodbye to 2017 and have said hello to 2018! I think we can all agree that 2017 was a little bit of an odd one, with so many beautiful moments, amazing stories being shared, random acts of kindness, charities doing fantastic jobs, a real movement towards more sustainable living but then on the flips side Politics went mad and it didn't always bring the best out in people, innocent victims affected by terrorism, displaced families both in the UK and abroad, rather dark moments but as with anything people and communities pull together, inspired and help each other and rise above it.

This up and down mixed bag was somewhat mirrored in my own life as we had some fantastic adventures near and far, hit milestones with both boys and shared truly amazing experiences but on the other side I lost a dear childhood friend to cancer (she was only 32!), I had a few bouts of anxiety creep in, I'm still trying to manage my heart condition naturally but there have been times it's felt overwhelming. There have been so many moments of bliss but also of chaos so moving forward with the near year all I am going to be working on is continuing my minimalist challenge as I'm not as far as I would like to be and also focus a lot more on the work life balance. I also want to work even more towards living as sustainably as possible.

As always I believe that reflecting on a year gone by is a good thing and something I do throughout the year with my gratitude posts where I look back on the simple pleasures and small things that are really important. The great thing about having a blog is being able to go back and read and review my most popular posts and I am always overwhelmed with the support I get from my readers and thought I would share my 5 top posts from 2017


1, Why You needs to Visit the Isles of Scilly

We ticked one of the bucket list with our trip to St Martins on the Isles of Scilly. It truly is a magical place and like nowhere else in the UK. If your looking for somewhere special, quiet, family friendly and safe than do that a read of this post.


2.  My Minimalist Challenge

My Minimalist Challenge was my New Years resolution from last year. I have learnt a lot a long the way and I am nowhere near where I want to be but it's something I am striving to on a daily basis. You can see a little bit of what I've got up to in my recent Minimalist Inspired Bathroom tour over on my YouTube Channel.


3. 10 Inspiring things to do when life's not going right 

This post obviously touched a cord with a lot of people because I don't think I was alone in feeling overwhelmed at times last year. It just seemed to be a bit manic in parts so I shared my top tips on recalibrating and finding a balance when you feel it's all going a little wrong.


4. A Mini Break At The Vale Hotel 

We had the pleasure of having a little family relaxation time at the wonderful Vale Hotel just outside of Cardiff, we spent the day exploring the grounds and then had to most delicious three course meal in their iconic restaurant. If your looking for a luxury family friendly hotel just outside of Cardiff do check this out.


5. Glamping at Mad Dogs and Vintage Vans

This glamping trip was certainly one of the highlights of the year for us, it just had everything we loved. Open meadows and country lanes to explore, tree swings, cosy cabins, hazy days near Ross On Wye. Best of all is there is a Lotus tent that does Glamp and Pamp so one morning I got up and had a massage, absolute bliss. Do check it out if your looking for somewhere special to get away from it all.


Here are 10 more popular posts that are always worth reading if you have time

6. A Family Guide to the South of France 
7. Exploring the Old Station in Tintern
8. Food and So Much More at the Big Welsh Bite
9. How to Create a Minimalist Inspired Kids Room  
10. Building your Childs Self Esteem
11. Boosting Green Juice & Why I support Local 
12. The Gratitude List 
13. Embracing Autumn Adventures with Ecco Shoes
14. A Hertfordshire Mini Break with F&F
15. Womanhood, Thirties and Why Ageing is a Positive thing


Once again thanks to all my readers and all the wonderful brands I have had the opportunity to work with. Looking forward to another fun and exciting year as well as focusing on being more mindful and sustainable. What are you hoping to achieve in 2018?