Feeling Inspired at The Muller Anniversary Games, London

On Sunday the 22nd July I travelled across London to Stratford and the famous Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to take in a day of inspiring and world-class Athletics at the Muller Anniversary Games. Having done sport my whole life this was a real highlight for me and something I had been looking forward to for the whole month.  I would of loved to have had the chance to sit in this Stadium at the 2012 Olympics in London but as we all know the tickets were like gold-dust but what makes the annual Muller Anniversary Games so fantastic is how accessible it is to everyone. With tickets starting at £10 you can be a spectator to some incredible sporting feats from the best in the world and it was only a 6-minute train from St Pancras or if you decide to drive in there is plenty of very reasonably priced parking. Being able to see first-hand world champions such as Luvo Manyonga win the long jump was really something special. Despite it being very warm as the event land......

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Keeping Kids safe online this summer

Even though my near 8yr old has very limited screen time and what he does have isn't connected to an internet browsers that doesn't mean I haven't taken a lot of time and thought when its come to keeping him safe as it can be so easy to overlook. I'm always aware as he gets older he is asking to play games and want more digital freedom so knowing how to keep your kids safe online is key. Kids today are digital natives. They might not know how to interact with relatives at a family gathering, but if they are pre-teens and upwards they do know how to comment on Facebook, like a picture on Instagram and make a Snapchat. Kids these days are experts at socialising online and you can't blame them, as they are growing up in an age where everything is shared online and some things are done solely with the purpose of posting it on social media. While it has made everything global, people stay connected all the time and staying in touch with your high school friends is......

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Create your own Chocolate with Cadbury Inventor

Over the summer holidays the normal daily routine for us all goes out of the window and we tend to embrace the moment as well as indulge in a few treats a long the way. We love to bake and get creative and naturally my boys love chocolate (as do I) and I still have memories of baking chocolate cakes and brownies with my mother and it's something I like to do now as a family as it's a chance for all of us to get a little creative as well as experiment with different flavours. I know at one point or another we all wished that we could own our own chocolate factory and have a go at making our own mad-capped inventions while now you can have the chance with Cadbury Inventor which is a fun interactive website that allows you to create your own Cadbury Dairy Milk with the chance of it being made into a real Limited Edition Cadbury Dairy Milk bar. There are over 90,000 possible combinations which means you can get as crazy and weird as you want with flavour combo such as poppi......

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Summer budgeting tips to ease family financial stress

The summer holidays are without a doubt a welcomed break but can also quickly become a very expensive time for most families. It often feels like we cannot leave the front door without spending money and even "free days" can add up when you factor in petrol, parking and any snacks you may need to pick up on the go. What should be a fun time making memories together can quickly become a stressful one especially if you work freelance and are having to take time off to look after your kids which can cause even more of a pinch on the finances. We all know that money itself cannot buy happiness or true fulfilment but on the flip side it does ease stress and financial worry which can way heavy on families. No matter how we get around money can affect relationships but by working together, planning for the future and having good communication means you can often avoid any major issues and create a real sense of stability. I always find the summer holidays come really quickl......

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An Unexpected guide to Bath

Bath a historical city of culture, art, beautiful architecture and food and a city that has been well trodden by many a traveller, especially the thousands that flock to see the Roman Baths first hand every year. I have visited Bath many times in the past either for the day or a short weekend break but every single time I've visited this place has surprised me with something new. When Visit Bath and Bath University invited to come explore the Unexpected side of Bath I couldn't wait to see what they had in store. It was an action packed trip and really enjoyed experiencing the city from new perspectives and sharing what I got up to with you and hopefully inspire you to visit this unique destination over the summer.  1. Brewery Tour and Tasting at Electric Bear   Located in the Bear Flat are of Bath is the Electric Bear Micro Brewery which creates both traditional and experimental small batch nanobrews. What is really cool about this place is that they have a T......

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Body Positivity in motherhood

Body Positivity - the hot word right now and for the right reasons although I often feel people get little confused about what it means and feel it only fits to one section of society or is an excuse for women to wear inappropriately short shorts which simply isn't the case and it's something that can really affect us all. Body positivity isn't about size it's about how you feel in your body wether you are petite, normal or plus size and what bothers one person about their body will not be the same for others but that shouldn't devalue their feelings. For a long time for us ladies (of course men are also included in this) the media have sold what an ideal women is and that just isn't reality in fact the typical 6ft size 6 model is very much the exception and not the rule and that has left us all feeling inadequate when it comes to how we think we should look and society perceives us. Before I had children I didn't have that many hang ups, okay I was......

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Medieval Glamping at Warwick Castle

Like many young children, my two boys are knight crazy and are fascinated with anything historical from that era and jump at the chance of being able to dress up like knights at every opportunity. We had heard fantastic things about Warwick castle so when we had the chance to stay a night in one of their Kings Luxury Tents we were incredibly excited and just hope it would meet expectations.  With all overnight stays in the Knights Village you get a two-day pass to the castle which means you don't need to rush and can take your time getting there. We arrived in the early afternoon and with the parking located only a minute away from the Knights Village and quick check-in meant we still had time to get to the castle after checking out our accommodation. We have done a lot of camping and glamping over the years and we always go in with an open mind as the amount of comfort can drastically different from one glamping experience to another but staying in the ......

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My personal experience of Carbon Monoxide poisoning

This month I am working with CO Be Alarmed on their campaign to raise awareness of the risks of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning as it's something I've had personal experience and was a scary experience both myself and my family. Each year around 30 people die and 4000 people are hospitalised from CO poisoning which is very preventable by simply fitting an alarm into your home. It's really important to remember that CO poisoning doesn't discriminate and can affect anyone of any age, including children. Being a parent the safety of my kids is paramount and while on average parents spend £222 per year on safety equipment a third don't invest in a lifesaving carbon monoxide alarm, which is really shocking statistics if you ask me. Going back to my own experience I want to share it with you so that you can see how easily this kind of thing can happen to you. While studying in Edinburgh in my early twenties, I lived in a great little top floor apartment within walking d......

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