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Planning A Family Holiday To Devon

Wednesday, July 18, 2018 Permalink
Croyde Bay, North Devon

This post is written in collaboration with Original Cottages Devon ticks so many boxes for us as a family holiday destination, and it’s right up there on my list. We’re huge fans of Cornwall, with it’s beautiful coast, but for some reason we always sail through Devon without stopping, and I think it’s time we explored more of what this beautiful county has to offer. I’ve been planning a family trip to Devon for next year and the more I research, the more it appeals to me - there’s so much to do for families!   The Beach You don’t go to Devon and not plan to enjoy the beautiful beaches it has to offer! We love the beach, so would plan to base ...

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A Family Visit to Chicheley Hall

Wednesday, June 20, 2018 Permalink
A family break at Chicheley Hall hotel. A Grade I listed red brick mansion with roses growing up the walls

A hotel stay with a young family is often a bit of an intimidating prospect. An unfamiliar room and surroundings can be difficult for children to adapt to, and there's always the worry of whether a hotel will be accommodating to families. We've only attempted it once as a family of four, and it's fair to say that it was a total disaster with no sleep had by anyone. But we've definitely been feeling the need lately for quality time together as a family, so when Chicheley Hall got in touch to invite us to stay we couldn't say yes quickly enough! Just one look at their website and the beautiful 18th century house and beautiful grounds had me looking ...

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What To Do In The Lake District With Kids

Monday, June 11, 2018 Permalink

This post is written in collaboration with Original Cottages A few years ago, pre-children, my husband and I had the most wonderful break in the Lake District. We stayed in a super luxurious hotel, went walking every day, before coming back to the hotel to relax in the bath and then head to the swanky hotel restaurant for dinner. We absolutely loved the beautiful scenery and as part of our plan to explore more of the UK, it's been really high up on our list. But there's no denying that our plans for a trip to the Lake District have changed now that we have children to consider. No more long rambles for us! But there's still plenty for us to ...

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A Tale of Two Holidays: Our Trip to Bluestone Wales {Part Two}

Thursday, May 10, 2018 Permalink
Lodges at Bluestone Wales, with blue skies above and fluffy white clouds, and green grass

If you read Part One of our trip to Bluestone Wales, you'll know that we had non-stop rain for our first couple of days. It didn't dampen our spirits at all, but you can imagine how pleased we were to wake up to sunshine on our third day! Max and I donned our coats and headed up to The Village to explore the playground and the pretty coloured houses.   Exploring The Village     Max loved the playground and we were up so early we had it pretty much to ourselves. It was small but with some great things to play on. A boat is always a big hit with Max and he loved steering this one and peering through the binoculars.     Later that morning ...

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A Tale of Two Holidays: Our Trip to Bluestone Wales {Part One}

Wednesday, May 9, 2018 Permalink
Ramsey lodge at Bluestone Wales. Little boy dressed in yellow raincoat walking up the path towards the front door. The sun is peeking over the roof leaving a sun flare

Bluestone in Pembrokeshire has been a place that I've wanted to visit for a long time now. It ticks all of our boxes as a family - lots of outdoor activities on site, with things to suit every age, as well as being surrounded by beautiful countryside and beaches. So when we were invited to stay by Bluestone I leapt at the chance! But I had some reservations and I wasn't completely sure if it would be 'us'. We usually opt for a self catering holiday cottage for our holidays, as we like the flexibility and privacy it offers, and we're not really that 'organised activity' loving family. My kids don't do kids clubs, and often struggle with big groups, ...

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Planning our Family Holiday to North Norfolk

Friday, May 4, 2018 Permalink
Planning our family holiday to North Norfolk. Wooden boardwalk leading through sand dunes to the sea

This post is written in collaboration with Original Cottages If you read our UK Travel Bucket List earlier this year, you'll know that North Norfolk is one of the places on my list for our family travels. I'm a big planner, and I love the process of putting together a trip, so although we're not planning to go until next year, I'm busy preparing our itinerary for our family holiday to North Norfolk already. Norfolk ticks so many of our boxes as a family - lots of opportunities to get outdoors and explore, with beautiful beaches and nature reserves, as well as a shed load of National Trust properties and gardens, and lots of family friendly days out too. As well as ...

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My UK Travel Bucket List

Monday, February 26, 2018 Permalink

The UK is such a beautiful country, and the more I see of it, the more I want to explore all of the stunning landscape it has to offer. From quaint villages, to stunning misty mountains, to the wonderful beaches that are dotted around the coastland, it has so much to offer right on our doorstep. We didn't go abroad on holiday last year and due to young children and limited finances, we're repeating that plan this year too. But there is so much that I want to see in this country, there's no way we'll tick it all off this year, so I'm creating a bucket list that we can work through over the coming years.   The Cotswolds We're actually quite ...

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Postcards from St Ives

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 Permalink
Katy holding Ben, John with Max on shoulders, on cliffs with Godrevy lighthouse in the distance

  When it came to planning where we wanted to go on holiday this year, there was no question. We took Max to St Ives in Cornwall for his first little holiday when he was just 7 weeks old and we had an amazing time. So much so that we've returned many times - we love making memories down there, and so it was an easy choice for this year's holiday. We wanted to introduce Ben to one of our favourite places and make new memories as a family of four.     There's something so special about St Ives; the light, the beaches, the laid back vibe. It's easy to see why so many people return year on year. And I love it ...

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What makes our Perfect Family Holiday?

Tuesday, August 15, 2017 Permalink
What Makes Our Perfect Family Holiday

Holidays can seem a daunting thing when you have children. All of a sudden, that longed for break is more about 'life as normal but in a prettier location', but without all of the things that you have to hand at home to make life easier - toys, gadgets, TV - all of those parenting crutches are gone! We've had a few holidays as a family since our children came along, and there are certain things that we definitely look for to make our perfect family holiday.   A Home from Home Pre-children we were all about a luxury hotel, but all of our holidays since Max came along have been villa holidays or cottages in the UK. I find the flexibility of ...

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Where to find Lavender Fields in the UK

Tuesday, August 8, 2017 Permalink
Sunrise over lavender fields

The sight of purple lavender stretching out into the distance is a huge part of the Instagrammer's seasonal floral calendar, and I'm definitely guilty of jumping on the lavender fields bandwagon. I'm not a great photographer, but there's something about the hazy purple background of a lavender field that elevates any photo. There are so many lavender fields in the UK that I'm always surprised when people say that they'd love to go but there isn't one near them. I've put together a little list of all the lavender fields I'm aware of - is there a lavender field near you? South England Mayfield Lavender Located close to the M25 and just a short drive from London, Mayfield Lavender is a stunning setting and, ...

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