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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