The best destinations to get married this leap year

*Associated Post  As 2020 rolls on, it’s worth remembering that February will have an extra day, as we are in the midst of a leap year. Coming around every four years, leap years give us an extra day on the calendar – February 29th. A mythical date – just what do you do if it’s your birthday?! – Feb 29 has been long associated with the Irish custom of Bachelor’s Day, which states women can ask men to marry them, although in modern times it's, of course, no matter what your sexual orientation, whether in a traditional relationship or a same-sex one, you can propose to your partner. If you are thinking about proposing having a bit of a whirlwind ceremony, I thought I would share 5 beautiful destinations for the leap year that are also LGBTQ friendly 1. Cape Town I may be a little biased as I grew up in South Africa's mother city but honestly, it's a fantastic place to get married with reliable sunny weather, white sand beaches and an array of private wine f......

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Ideas for enjoying an Active Easter weekend

Easter doesn’t have to be all chocolate, bunny rabbits and egg hunts. It’s a spot in our diaries that lends itself to free time to explore the outdoors, both near or far and getting away from it all, but so often sees people falling into the same routines. If you don’t fancy a bank holiday that’s over before you’ve so much as shifted off the sofa, here’s how you can make the most of Easter this year. Make use of the time Most of us will have two bank holidays to enjoy, with a four-day weekend opening up many options. Sure, you’ll want to chill out at some point across the weekend, but with so much time on your hands, get the diary out and start making plans and they don't have to cost much at all. We have already put together a small bucket list of things we want to do and experience over this year such as hiking different mountains and hills in the Brecon Beacons, cycle paths we want to explore, villages we walk to wander through and long weekends are the perf......

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7 Family Travel Safety Tips for hassle-free travel

*Contains affiliate links   Most people love to travel, explore somewhere new, whether that means lying in the beach and soaking up the sun rays or getting off the beaten track or being more action-packed by hitting the slopes or hiking up mountains, either way, there is something we all have in common and that is wanted to stay safe while on the road. Before having kids I backpacked around Europe for around 2yrs and I had a blast but there was the odd occasion I felt unwell or caught a virus and needed to see a doctor and it can be tricky when you're in a foreign country. Another time my Airbnb or Couchsurfing host cancelled on me last minute and I needed to find somewhere to stay or simply getting lost on local transport systems - all of these experiences where learning curves and I feel have provided good groundwork for safe travels with kids. So I thought I would share with you 5 things you need to do before setting off as they can save you time, money and hassle and ......

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5 Reasons to visit Florida

*This post contains affiliate links  One of my favourite family memories, when I was growing up, was a trip to Florida and the first time I headed to the States and I love looking back on photos from that trip. Florida is a popular destination and for good reason with its warm weather, crystal clear beaches and easy way of life, it is, of course, the sunshine state. There is a variety of reasons why you should put this destination on your bucket list as when it comes to tourism, Central Florida takes the cake and not just because of its favourite family amusement park, Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, but there are plenty of other activities to enjoy so if considering a trip to the States this year, here is all the more reasons to come to Florida. Fun for All Ages One of Floridas biggest draws is, of course, the fact it's home to one of the most famous amusement parks  Disney World , which I have fond memories of visiting when I was a child, along with Or......

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Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh Exhibition

* Disclosure - I was invited to attend the family press day and was therefore provided with exhibition tickets in exchange for an honest unpaid review. All other costs were covered by myself. The kids and I love history, in fact, most weekends are spent exploring one of the many amazing castle ruins we have in Wales or on rainy days we head to museums, so when we were invited to visit the Tutankhamun exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery which on until the 3rd May 2020 and we were really excited to see it. Having done a little research pre-trip I decided to leave my youngest (who is 4), at home, while I know he would of loved it, the exhibition takes around an hour to get through and there is quite a lot of literature alongside all the priceless artefacts and I knew that both my eldest (who is 9) and I would want to take the time to read about everything and not rush through and it also meant some much-needed one on one time with my eldest. As we had to be their pretty early,......

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The Garth Mountain - Family Friendly Hikes in Wales

Have you ever heard of the book (later turned into a film)  The Englishman who went up a hill but came down a mountain ? Well the author Christopher Monger was a Taff's Well native and many have said that the The Garth which rises above Taffs Well was the inspiration for the book. Most geologists classify a mountain as a landform that rises at least 1000 feet and The Garth does just that, coming in at 1,007 ft thanks to the tumuli (Bronze Age burial sites) at the summit which pushes The Garth just over the 1000ft criteria, which makes The Garth one of, it not, the smallest mountain in Wales and perfect for a family hike. I've taken my boys up a few times now and I thought it would be a nice idea to share some of the family-friendly hikes we get up to in and around South Wales and a walk-up The Garth offers some amazing views across Cardiff, The Valleys and all the way to the Severn Bridge. There are a few different ways to walk up The Garth, although our favourite is ......

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Four Reasons to choose Vintage Jewellery

Collaboration post  I have to say I don't wear or own that much jewellery but every single piece I do own is very special to me and has been carefully selected for one reason or another and each has their own story. I always believe in less is more so I rather invest in a piece I love than have lots of low-quality pieces. I have a beautiful silver anchor necklace from anchor & crew I haven't taken off in a few years and it's my way of sharing my love of the ocean and travel and it's one of the newer pieces I own, but I often buy second hand and for a variety of reasons. When it comes to style I tend to go with classic designs that are timeless with a minimalist Scandi inspired look as I feel these last the test of time and when it comes to any purchases I always look towards the future and if it's something I will be able to pass down to my children, which is what my mother has done and I know eventually I will inherit a beautiful Ruby and Diamond rin......

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Creative ways to reinvent your garden Shed

Contains affiliate links  Most homeowners who have a garden usually have a shed and one would probably assume that it was for storing tools or garden equipment and you would more than likely be right. Storage sheds in a person's backyard are notoriously used for these things and quickly become cluttered with stuff that rarely sees the light of day. However, these little structures can be so cute that it is a shame that they are not used for more creative things, you could even  You can add a cute sliding barn door that can make it useful for just about anything . The backyard sheds have so much potential instead of just being an extension of the home for storage clutter. It is all about waving goodbye to unused and unwanted clutter and instead of making spaces useful and practical so here are just a few different ways in which you can use storage sheds.  A shed not only provides more useful and practical space to gardens but can be a design feature in itself, espe......

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My top 10 travel posts of 2019

Well, 2019 was pretty action-packed with lots of adventures near and far. We always try and make the most of what is on our doorstep and hope to inspire other families to do the same, no matter what your budget (we are always on a tight budget). So I thought I would share 10 of my most popular travel posts of 2019 and hope that you one grabs your eye and inspires you to get out and explore. 1. A Winter weekend guide to Tenby Every year we do an annual overnight trip to Tenby in West Wales which is one of our favourite spots, especially during off-peak as it's lovely and quiet. The pastel-coloured houses that face the coastline, victorian houses and quaint coffee shops make this is a popular destination so if your ever thinking of heading down that way do check out my guide. 2.  Hotel Indigo Manchester, Review Last year I had a brilliant partnership with the fantastic Hotel Indigo and spent two days at their fantastic Manchester hotel taking in all that North......

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