Getting the best out of your next family trip

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Half term is on the horizon, and if you are going on a family trip, I am pretty sure you are going to want to make sure that you get the best out of it.

Getting the best out of your next family trip

If you are like me, you will probably have high hopes for your trip. They’re expensive, for a start, and with things like work and school, it can be tough to get the chance to spend quality time together, especially if you have older children in your family, like us. Here are some tips you can use to make sure you’re getting the most out of your next family trip.… Continue reading

Celebrating the start of GCSEs with cake

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Over the past few months there has been one thing that has dominated our lives, and if you also have a child in year 11, you will know exactly what I am talking about. Yes, GCSEs. The exams finally started for my son yesterday, and I am pretty sure that teens all over the country will be wishing the next few weeks away.

Celebrating the start of GCSEs with cake

Talk of GCSEs start the minute your child hits year 11, and thankfully my teen has been revising since the start of September. He has dragged himself into school at weekends for revision classes, stayed late after school, and forfeited a few games of Fortnite in favour of putting his head in a book.… Continue reading

17 years of being married

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The country might be all getting excited about the forthcoming wedding of Meghan and Harry, but rewind 17 years and I was getting ready to marry my very own ginger prince.

17 years of being married

I know it’s a huge cliché, but the past 17 years have gone in the blink of an eye. I still remember our wedding day like it was yesterday, getting married in the hotel where Hywel had proposed to me 14 months before. We were surrounded by friends and family (and John McCardle who used to be in Brookside) , on one of the hottest days of the year. And just like Meghan and Harry, we also got married on FA Cup final day.… Continue reading

A New Addition to the Ikos Family – Ikos Dassia

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Regular readers will know how much we love Ikos Olivia, having holidayed there in 2016 and 2017. But from the 3rd May the Ikos family is growing, with the addition of Ikos Dassia located on the beautiful island of Corfu.

Ikos Dassia

We visited Corfu back in 2014, when our friends got married in Corfu town. A stunning Greek island that offers beautiful beaches, amazing Greek hospitality, and of course an abundance of Greek gastronomy. And of course Ikos Dassia will be offering this, and much more for the discerning traveller.

Ikos Dassia is larger than its sister hotels of Oceania and Olivia, offering 411 rooms which are divided between 2 hotel buildings, villas and suites.… Continue reading

Little Loves – Prom Suits, Zip Wires and GCSE Exams

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It is always my intention to get my Little Loves post out on a Friday, but I have spectacularly failed this week as it’s now Sunday evening. Looking back it has been a pretty ‘normal’ few weeks, and I can tell from the lack of pictures I have taken that life has been filled with school, work, and just the usual life stuff.

Little Loves

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I read a lovely message from one of the teen’s teachers, who said that Morgan was extremely lucky to have such a supportive family, and that it shone through in him. Parenting teens is HARD WORK, and parenting teens going through GCSEs is even harder, so it was lovely to hear that we are getting parts of this parenting journey right.… Continue reading

Money Saving Tips for your Summer Holiday

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There is no denying that if you have school age children, summer holidays are going to be expensive. For the past few years we have chosen to have our main holiday during the Easter break, thus avoiding the high price of a family holiday during peak summer months. But this year due to GCSEs, we were unable to travel during  April and May, and our main holiday this year will be in August.

Money Saving Tips for your Summer Holidays

Determined as always to get the best possible price for our holiday, I share some tips which worked well for me.

Book as early as possible

I started looking for our summer holiday back in September 2017.… Continue reading

Celebrate National Tea Day with Buyagift

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It seems only fitting that I write this blog post accompanied with a large cup of tea, as tomorrow we celebrate National Tea Day here in the UK. Whether you like yours brewed in a teapot, made using a tea strainer, or served to you in your favourite restaurant, Saturday the 21st April is the day to celebrate the good old cuppa.

National Tea Day with Buyagift

I switched from drinking coffee to tea a few years ago, due to suffering with migraines. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy a cup of coffee, but you can’t beat the feeling of waking up to a refreshing brew (normally made by my husband, so thank you).… Continue reading

Got a friend who is a new mum ? Gifts they will love

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We all have friends or close family members in our lives that may become a mum at some point, and their journey into parenthood is of course an exciting one. As a mum myself I can just about remember those early days, and you know that your friend has exciting times to come. However, I also know how overwhelming those first few weeks and months can be, and sometimes you just want them to know that you are thinking of them. I thought I would share with you some of the best gifts you could consider giving them, to let them know you care.… Continue reading

A summer of National Citizen Service (NCS) for Morgan

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If you had asked me what the National Citizen Service (NCS) was 6 months ago, I would have shrugged my shoulders and apologised for not knowing. But fast forward to now, and NCS is talked about almost daily in our house. Morgan is counting down the days until his NCS adventure begins at the end of June, 3 days after he finishes school.

NCS

The NCS programme is open to 15-17 year olds (you need to be turning 16 by the 31st August), and aims to bring together young people from different backgrounds and cultures. Morgan heard all about NCS after they came to his school, and delivered an assembly to the year 11s.… Continue reading

Little Loves – New Bedroom, Easter Holidays and Gangsta Granny

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The Easter holidays are coming to an end, and this year it has been slightly different for us. We usually spend a week in Greece at our favourite hotel, but this year we stayed at home due to the impending GCSEs. The teen has been in school nearly every day over the holidays, and thankfully he doesn’t seem to mind. He has been balancing revision with hanging out with his mates, and time on his beloved PlayStation. We did manage a trip to Shrewsbury over the Easter weekend, and it was lovely to get away for a few days.

Little Loves

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After reading Lisa Jewell’s gripping book, I found You, I was ready for something a little more light hearted.… Continue reading