The Three Castles, Monmouthshire

Both my children love visiting historical sites especially castles and ancient ruins and luckily Wales is jam-packed with them. Even though Wales is still under stay local guidelines, which means we are limited to staying within 5 miles of our home unless, for essential reasons such as work, this will slowly start to change so I thought it would be a good time to share our experience of visiting the Three Castles.  The Three Castles comprise of Grosmont , Skenfrith and White Castle , all located in Monmouthshire, Wales and only a few miles from each other, all looked after by Cadw and are free to enter. You can spend the day walking between the three but with small children, I decided driving would be the easiest way to see all three castles although hope to do the walk at some point in the future.  If you have explored Monmouthshire before you will know it's a beautiful part of the UK it is, with some gorgeous countryside, fantastic pubs and quaint villages a......

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Road trip planned? Here are 5 stylish & practical cars for all adventures

*Contains affiliate links    As we all start to slowly adjust to this new normal and looking further afield and possibly a little bit of travelling this year, many of us are considering local road trips and exploring more of what the UK has to offer. Of course, this requires a decent pair of wheels and I would know, I've broken down in the Scottish highlands as well as en route to Cornwall and it's just no fun and certainly throws a spanner in the works with regards to planned trips and holidays. If you already have a decent car then do check out my post of essential checks you should take before heading off on a trip. Otherwise, if you're looking for something new or a car to hire check our these versatile cars. Mitsubishi Pajero The Mitsubishi Pajero is not only practical but also has a stylish appearance and plenty of space to pack everything you need for longer trips away including camping gear. Known for its outstanding all-terrain performance, it still has a......

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How to talk to your kids about Racism

Firstly I'd like to say I'm am no expert, being white I will never understand first-hand what a person of colour has to go through each day and the added obstacles they have to overcome. I was debating not writing this post but I do know that the onus has to be on us to educate ourselves and not for the BAME community to provide it for us. We are the ones that need to teach our children and to work towards a future free of prejudice and discrimination for all.  Having grown up in South Africa meant that discussions around race and culture were something that was heavily highlighted in my childhood, it's an unavoidable topic there as you are confronted with inequality on a daily basis as well as a sense of hope in a country that is working hard to unify its people and correct its wrongdoings of the past and having witness change first hand I know how empowering that can be for a community and country.  Saying that this needs to be a lifetime journey of learning for us all an......

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The umbilical cord: the lifeline for your baby now and in the future

In association with Cells4Life The umbilical cord: the lifeline for your baby now and in the future Did you know that your baby’s umbilical cord, that once acted as their lifeline, could save  their life in the future? That’s the power of cord blood banking Throughout pregnancy, the umbilical cord forms the essential connection between mother and baby. From as early as the seventh week of pregnancy, right up until your little one is welcomed into the world, the umbilical cord provides your baby with the oxygen and nutrients it needs to grow whilst also simultaneously removing any harmful waste products. It essentially serves as a filter for the good things to go in, and the bad things to go out. Once the baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut, parents have two choices: to throw it away or save it. For those who decide to save the umbilical cord, it could continue to protect their baby’s health for years to come. Your baby’s umbilical cor......

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Wales to South Africa, Fundraising for those affected by Covid-19

As some of you may already know, I was born and grew up in South Africa, it's where I went to school, had my first job, celebrated my 21st birthday. It's somewhere I will always call home but I am very privileged to be able to put down roots in Wales something which is not afforded to many and one I am very grateful for. South Africa, unlike the UK, doesn't have Universal credit, childcare benefit or any kind of furlough or self-employment scheme so when Covid-19 hit it's had a huge impact on a country already struggling with a large population in a critical state of poverty. There is limited free health care and with the heavy lockdown restrictions and reduced access to food has meant starvation has been as much of a fear as Covid-19. While the South African government is throwing everything is has to contain the virus it's come at a cost of those who are already struggling now funding it even harder to access safe food, clean water and basic hygiene kits. The gove......

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Win a Zero Waste Starter Kit

Despite the current lockdown and everything that is going on in the world, many of us still want to make lifestyle changes to try and be more sustainable and look after the Earth for future generations. So I am really excited to be able to offer one reader the change to win a Zero-Waste starter kit. It has everything you need to get on your way to plastic-free living. The kit includes A Pack of Reusable Beeswax Food Wraps Vegan Shampoo Bar 4 Metal Reusable Straws One Adult and one child Blue Rock Bamboo toothbrush A Reusaboo Coffee Cup  I made the switch to shampoo bars, wax wraps and reusable coffee cups over a year now and it's such an easy change and can really help towards reducing your household waste. It's super easy to enter via Rafflecopter below and the giveaway closes on the 12th Jun 2020 and is open to UK & European residents.   a Rafflecopter giveaway ...

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