3 Theatre shows in Cardiff to see this Christmas

*We were kindly provided with tickets to watch Nutcracker on Ice in return for an honest review  Who doesn't love a trip to the Theatre? I know I do, whether it be on a date night or with the kids there is something really special about seeing a live performance. We are lucky in Cardiff and the South Wales area that we have some fantastic Theater and production companies as well as being a destination for touring shows. While we cannot compare to the West End in London there is an ever-growing scene that offers something for everyone. The festive season is the perfect time to catch a show, with so many going on it can be the perfect treat for you or the family so I thought I would share 3 of my favourite ones that are on at the moment. 1. The Snow Queen , Sherman Theatre until 31st Dec The Sherman Theatre is one of my favourite Theatres right in the heart of Cardiff and while it's not the biggest it puts on some steller shows. The Show Queen is a fantastic Chris......

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5 Health checks to have in the New Year

Associated post  I no longer make resolutions, I've realised it's now always a positive thing to set myself up for possible failure but I do see New Year as a time of change, to take a pause and revaluate what is and isn't working in my life. I think like most people it's the perfect time to focus on health and wellbeing but without any crazy diet restrictions or unrealistic lifestyle changes. What we can do is get ourselves checked out with things like an Eye test or dental check-up - both essential yet something we often overlook when life gets busy and they also offer professional advice and as they say So here is a list of Health and wellbeing checks that we should all make time for in the new decade. 1. Eye Test Regular eye tests are really important yet many of us go years without having one and you would be surprised how many of us do need glasses, especially as we age, whether just part-time for reading or ones that help correct our vision and there......

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Hamper Gift Ideas for Vegan Loved Ones

Stuck for a perfect Christmas gift for your vegan friend or family member? With more and more people being conscious of the provenance of their food and their buying choices in general, being vegan or ethical no longer means that you have to miss out. We think that an ethical hamper is a perfect present. Just upcycle a basket, box or bag and fill it with goodies like the ones below: Key Ring Ok, it’s not exactly edible but we don’t think that any self-respecting vegan should leave the house without their vegan keyring . And this one is pretty spectacular. You’re welcome.  Vegan Chocolate You don’t have to break the bank with specialised vegan chocolate to make sure that your gift is cruelty-free. Although you are, of course, welcome to if you so desire. Lots of mainstream dark chocolates are free of animal fats; just double-check the ingredients. After Eights, for example, are vegan, but other After Eight products contain milk.  Vegan-Friendly Wi......

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Last Minute Gift Guide for kids + Giveaway

*I have not been paid for this Gift Guide - I have received some gift samples from brands but my recommendations, thoughts and reviews are 100% my own Can you believe it, we are heading into the final stretch before the big day when Santa makes his way down the chimney (or however the story goes in your family) to leave presents under the tree. Even though I like many say I am going to be really on top of things there are always last-minute purchases needing to be made, whether for my own children or for nephews, nieces and the younger relatives in my family. So I thought I would share a little last-minute Gift Guide for kids if you're struggling for some inspiration. Traditional Stocking Fillers My personal preference is always to encourage as much screen-free time as possible and I love traditional well made games and toys, which is why I love all these traditionally inspired stocking fillers from MandM Direct , all of which are at budget-friendly prices with MandM Dir......

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Discover Delicious Welsh Produce this festive season

*I was kindly asked by Discover Delicious to try out some of their produce for an honest review  I'm am a big supporter of shopping local, supporting small independent businesses and enjoying the local delicacies found on our doorstep and luckily there is plenty of fantastic produce right here in Wales from Welsh cheese to wine, gin, chutneys, chocolate and everything in between.   Like most people, however, I don't always have as much time as I would like to roam local fairs and farmers markets so having an online store such as Discover Delicious which brings the best of Welsh produce and foodie experience in one place is just fantastic and makes shopping independent a breeze. As we moved into December and festive season I thought having a little Cheese and Gin lunch to welcome the festivities in was in order but while keeping those food miles down and enjoying the bounty of local welsh food so I ordered the Cheese Lovers Gift Box alongside some Cr......

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How to Deal With Unexpected Family Expenses

*Contains affiliate links  Raising a family is expensive and it's hard not to feel that even more around the festive season which is why you need a good budget in place. If you don’t track your spending and manage your money well, you could soon find yourself in financial trouble. But even the most frugal families can’t always be prepared for everything that life throws at you and I was recently in that situation where in the same month my car broke down, I badly chipped a tooth and then our boiler broke and needed replacing - I simply didn't have savings to cover all of these unforeseen costs. Family life is chaotic and there are always going to be times when unexpected things will happen so as what happened to me last month and whatever they are, you need to make sure that you can handle these situations so they do not land you in long term financial trouble. These are the best ways to deal with unexpected family expenses. Build An Emergency Fund The best way to protec......

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Ideas For Keeping The Children Busy On The Weekends

Children naturally have a lot of energy, they always want to be exploring, climbing, and finding out all about the world, is what they are designed to do. This is how the small minds grow into open and creative brains, and what better way to feed the imagination and taking them out of the house, and onto short day trips that they will find fascinating. There are only so many playgrounds that you can visit over time, but sometimes there are more exciting and educational places to take the children on the weekend. It’s so easy for us to end up stuck indoors on electronics over the weekend, but if you feel that this is A waste of valuable time, here are some activities you can try with your family. Art I feel it's really important to show children a creative world, and allow them the opportunity to explore fantastic sculptures, paintings or drawings outside or at an art fair , that artists have taken a lot of time to create. Inspiring small minds to become artists, poets, or ......

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Enchanted Christmas at Westonbirt Arboretum

We love exploring new places especially when it means getting outdoors and into the fresh air so when Westonbirt Arboretum invited us to walk along their Enchanted Christmas 1mile light trail, we couldn't wait. Westonbirt Arboretum is located in beautiful Tetbury and was around a 1hr drive from Cardiff and was really easy to find, plus there is plenty of free parking on site. The light trail was Westonbirt was voted number 1 last year as being Britains favourite Christmas light display so booking for this event is absolutely essential and for good reason. There is also a fairly small but perfectly formed Christmas market which we wandered around before heading to the trail. There are a couple of traditional rides including a Ferris wheel and a Carousel my boys really enjoyed as well as a hook a duck, roasted chestnut stand, marshmallows, crepes as well as plenty of savoury food stands from german sausages, falafel. As it's pretty chilly outdoors there is a war......

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Talented Jewellery makers + giveaway

*Hersey and Son kindly provided the necklace for a giveaway. The other jewellery designers mentioned are my own recommendations The one thing about Jewellery is the longevity it can offer, it can be not only beautiful but a very sentimental gift at the same time and one that can last for years. I still have some necklaces my mother gave me when I was 12, so that's 23yrs ago and they are still going strong. I also have pieces my friends gave me from school, which are very sentimental to me considering I no longer live in South Africa. Jewellery is also very creative and with so many independent makers, local to the UK as well as small family-run businesses, I thought I would share a few that I really love at the moment. Baked by Lou Lou is a Cardiff local and the owner and creator of Baked by Lou, a really unique collection of jewellery and homewares with bold shapes and prints which are made by hand and fired in a kiln or oven. Her pieces are really fun and colourful......

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How to declutter your home and life

*Contains affiliate links  We all go through stages where you can feel a bit bogged down in the baggage of life. The best place to start with a declutter is in your very own home and in turn that will affect your overall lifestyle. Here’s how to declutter your house (and your mind) in an easy and satisfying way. Be Systematic The first place to start is to plan what you want to get rid of, in what room, and in what order. Treat it like a house move , which often helps as you’re often against a final deadline to make decisions. Make a list of rooms from the kitchen to the bathroom and decide in what order you’ll tackle the house. Some suggestions for ordering include top to bottom, bottom to top, or tackling the most used rooms first. Tackle each room in 20-minute bursts with a break in between, so you don’t get declutter fatigue. This is also a good time to donate unwanted goods to charity shops, friends or sell on ebay and make a little bit of extra money. Spring Clean......

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6 things to do with kids in Bristol Harbour

*We were provided tickets to SS Great Britan & Bristol Aquarium in exchange for an honest review, everything else including travel, food & additional activities were covered by ourselves.  We are really lucky to be based just outside of Cardiff, it means we are in the Brecon Beacons in around 35mins and on the other hand can be in the vibrant city of Bristol in around 50mins, both worlds apart but with plenty to offer all ages. What is even better is now that the toll bridge has gone, visiting Bristol is costing even less. I recently headed over to Bristol with my two boys and while it's a rather large city offering so much I wanted to focus on what there is to do in Bristol Harbour as you can easily spend a whole day (and more) just in this area soaking up the creative atmosphere. If you only have a very short time to explore Bristol than I certainly recommend Bristol Harbour especially if you have children as it's the perfect place for an action-packed day......

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10 ideas for a fun girls night out

*Contains affiliate links  As you get older, peoples lives get busier, some get married or have kids (or both), then naturally girls' nights get less and less. It’s good to try and keep up with your friends, though, and if you’ve not seen them for a while, then perhaps it’s time to get something in the diary. If you want to get the ones who usually cancel actually to commit and turn up, though, then maybe it’s time to turn it up a notch on usual plans for a night out. Here are a few fun ideas that may help with that 1. Bowling Not your usual night out but you can’t go wrong with this classic game as it’s always sure to be a good time, and there are loads of places now, which are a bit more grown-up than your average bowling alley and many have restaurants and bars on site. 2. See a Show Depending on where you live, there are loads of different options for the type of show you could see. See what’s touring near you, and even if you’ve never heard of it or you d......

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