SouthernSundown Food Festival - Waving goodbye to Summer

Does anything scream summer more than street food and festival vibes? I find letting go of eating al-fresco and long evenings very hard so having the chance to enjoy it one last time before the Autumn weather really sets in was an opportunity to good to miss and when we heard about the SouthernSundown happening the last weekend of September we thought why not head down to the beautiful coastline and enjoy a cheeky G&T. Hosted at The Barn at West Farm in the small Welsh coastal village of Southerndown, a venue I have wanted to visit for a while and was the perfect location, with some of the most inspiring cliff side views across the ocean you couldn't get a better place to chill out, listen to live music and eat an array of good food. I have to be honest and say it wasn't the warmest of Sundays, in fact the Saturday had been so gloriously sunny we had been hoping for the same but the one upside of that was it was quieter meaning no queues for all the deliciou......

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How to Get involved with the Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning

Some of you many already be aware that Macmillan hold the Worlds Biggest Coffee morning each year to help raise invaluable fund for people facing cancer. This year it's taking place on the 28th September with Marks and Spencer their headline partner for 9yrs in a row. I myself have attended one of their coffee mornings for the past three years but this time around it's more meaningful to me than ever having lost my two best friends to Cancer in the past year. Unfortunately Cancer is something that at one point in time will affect most of us in one way or another and the services and support that Macmillan offer are a real lifeline for those going through and fighting this awful illness.  Last year the Worlds Biggest Coffee morning managed to raise an incredible £27 million and are hoping to have an equally successful year and there are still plenty of ways to be involved and let's be honest who doesn't love catching up with friends or making new ones over ......

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5 tips on staying safe online when travelling

We always stay on top of online safety especially with our kids when we are home and it does help that they have extremely limited to access to the internet and as a family we are also aware of keeping our own details safe and changing passwords regularly. Some may even make use of additional security solutions, such as a vpn for streaming , in order to further protect their devices. Many however forget to be as vigilant when travelling either solo, as a couple or as a family it's really important to be aware of the risks and take precautions when going online while on the road.     1. Be on top of your updates Before you leave you want to make sure your laptop is running the latest version operating system an security software and I would also recommend using the highest security settings while travelling. You can also consider setting your apps passwords with an access key which can add an extra layer of security. Also make sure all your devices have passwords to be ......

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A Day in London with Nickelodeon and Ninja Turtles

Over the weekend we were invited to the Rise of the Ninja Mutant Turtles Nickelodeon event in London at Bay Sixty Six skatepark, a skatepark I used to visit when I was much younger and was really looking forward to taking the boys along for an action packed day of skateboarding, pizza and checking out the new TV series, we even watched one of the Ninja Turtles films the night before to get into the mood.   As usual the kids were fantastic on the train journey from Cardiff to London, it's become somewhat of a regular journey for us and as we pack tablets away during term time we do allow them to play some apps when we are travelling so it's something they look forward too. My eldest who has recently got into skateboarding and scootering was especially excited to visit BaySixty6 as well as see the new series of the Ninja Turtles. As soon as we arrived at Baysixy6 the boys where handed some Ninja masks and my youngest wore it pretty much the whole ......

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How to do a REAL Budget Friendly Family Break to London

London - one of the most expensive cities in the world but that doesn't mean you can't visit this incredible city on a shoestring with kids! Before becoming a parent I spent a considerable time travelling and working around Europe and became very savvy with regards to budget travel from couchsurfing to backpacking, working as you travel and how to make your money go as far as possible. Of course when you are travelling solo it is easier as you only have to think about yourself and your own needs and as soon as you have children there are many other things that need to be taken into account but doesn't mean you cannot travel on a budget and still enjoy everything that city has to offer. 1. Getting to London & how to score cheap train tickets London is one of the most accessible cities in the UK which excellent transport connections across the country with a variety of ways to get there. I wouldn't advise driving to the city as parking is extremely exp......

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Gratitude List and Life Lately

Life has been really busy lately and I have to say I struggled to keep up over the summer holidays. Between my blog, YT channel and social media work I do it pretty much takes the same amount of hours as a full-time job which isn't surprising as between it all I make the same as if I was working in my old full time job, yet because I work from home and as a freelancer it means childcare goes out the window over summer holidays and I revert back to being full time mum. I am not complaining at all but it does mean having to slow everything down and adjusting to having minimal working hours. I'm still in a way getting back into routine and shifting through 6 weeks of emails and while stress is creeping in, especially as it's my eldest birthday this weekend and well thats a whole other thing to organise on top of everything else I feel it's really good to reflect back on all the positives and be grateful even when your trying to juggle everything. We had a really fa......

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How to save a little extra before Christmas

I cannot believe that I am already mentioning Christmas but when it comes to saving thinking ahead is key and it will be upon us in no time and it always ends up costing more than you think and can end up being a rather stressful time if your not prepared. Christmas is meant to be a happy and joyful time but if your facing money problems or just finding it very hard to juggle everything and it shouldn't be overshadow by that but rather enjoyed. It's still not too late to create a little money pot with these simple tips. 1. Start a weekly savings fund Do you grab a coffee on the go when your out? Can you go without those extra treats you may pick up in your weekly food shop? Instead why not rather put a few pounds into a saving fund each week, even something small like £10 a week would give you an extra £100+ which could make a real difference. 2. Go through your monthly out-goings It's really easy to let little payments slip, such as online subscriptions, gym......

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A Personal Stylist on the go with Lookiero

I've been super busy lately, with so many fun and exciting trips over the summer alongside work and balancing it with parenting to my two boys I haven't had much time for well anything especially finding time to update my wardrobe or just add a few new pieces. I've not had great luck with online shopping lately and had almost lost faith until Lookiero got in touch as asked me if I would like to review their Personal Stylist service that picks personalised outfits according to your profile likes and dislike and then sends them to your home giving you 5 days to try on the clothes and see what you like. You then only pay for what you decide to keep and send the rest back. For someone who is busy and struggling to hit the shops but still loves clothes this is perfect. When you create a profile you are asked a bunch of questions to give your assigned stylish the best overview of what your looking for, from your eye colour to body shape and what you feel most comfortabl......

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Starting the day the happy way with Nutella

Anyone else starting to feel that back to school anxiety creep in, oh how we have enjoyed being able to lie in a little and I will be the first one to admit that I am not one of the organised moms. In fact, school runs are usually somewhat of a manic mess in our house and how we manage to get out the door in one piece is really an accomplishment in itself so anything that makes the mornings easier and smoother is a massive win in my books.  Usually we can't find the shoes or I have forgot to make the packed lunch the night before or I've lost the car keys, there is always something… But the one thing I always try and make sure is that my eldest has something he likes to eat, so at least I know he has had something to eat before heading out to school. He isn't the biggest eater and not the fastest either, so having something special for those days when I know he just wants something quick and easy can make my life a little less stressful.  Despite having a somew......

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Parenting courses for Self Development

I have always been a believer in the power of learning whether that be formally or just improving your knowledge through reading, workshops or learning a new creative skills, at the end of the day we are never too old to learn something new and with kids heading back to school I find know is a good time to look at options for our own learning . Over the years I have often thought about doing a course that may give me more insight and knowledge into what my children need, no necessarily to change careers but just to give me added skills. I would love to do a Forest School course one day, purely because it's something I am interested in learning more about as we tend to spend a lot of time outdoors together. I think many parents feel the same so I thought I would share a few ideas if you are looking to improve your knowledge and self-development in a certain areas. Paediatric First Aid Over the years I have actually done a paediatric first aid course twice and felt they ha......

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