Getting Festive in London

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

This is a collaborative post 

Have you seen them? Those little glimpses that it’s coming. You might have noticed the tins of Roses and Quality Street, suddenly popping up when you walk in the supermarket. You might have even seen the likes of Marks and Spencer and Lidl, showing pigs in blankets and sausage wreaths on your social media.

Getting Festive in London

While I don’t think Christmas season officially begins until you hear your first notes of Michael Bublé, Christmas is looming ever closer, and that can only mean one thing… lots of festive cheer.

The local high street may not be as … Continue reading

A chilled out Sunday at the Cookhouse and Pub (Review)

by ⋅ 2 Comments

Review – We were invited to the Cookhouse and Pub to enjoy a complimentary three course meal with drinks

At the weekend we were invited back to our local Cookhouse and Pub, to have a look at their new menu. We last visited the pub in Northwich, Cheshire just over a year ago, after it had gone through a refurbishment programme and changed from a Brewers Fayre to a Cookhouse and Pub. We were looking forward to returning, and seeing what new dishes were on the menu.

Cookhouse and Pub - Northwich

We arrived just as the pub was opening for lunchtime, and it was … Continue reading

Little Loves – Keeping Faith, UNI Visits and Hospitals

by ⋅ 4 Comments

You know the saying “better late than never” well this is how I feel about my Little Loves post. I nearly didn’t bother,  as September has been a really up and down month. I am still suffering with the after effects of pneumonia, and after seeing my consultant this week, more in-depth tests and scans are needed. It’s really hard being breathless every time you move, and life seems to be in limbo at the moment. But I am going to dig deep and try to see some positives.

Read

I knew I wanted to read something light hearted in … Continue reading

Travelling sustainably when visiting Amsterdam

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

This post is in collaboration with Opodo

With the subject of climate change and living sustainably being very much in the news at the moment, it got me thinking as to how sustainable we actually are when we travel. There is no getting away from the fact that we love to explore new places, and invariably those places will involve a plane journey. But what can we do when we visit new countries and cities ? How can we make our travel more sustainable ?

The Red Light District

I thought about our recent trip to Amsterdam, and the things we did to make … Continue reading

Visiting Europe – Where to find hidden gems

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

This post is in collaboration with Opodo  

I can’t believe that it’s taken me until my mid forties to discover the thrill of European city breaks. Our day trip to Amsterdam was when I fell in love with the city, and we returned in the summer and had three days to explore. And with Copenhagen booked for next year, I am now on a mission to find hidden gems in Europe that we can visit.

Amsterdam

Bled in Slovenia

I first came across Bled when a lady on my instagram visited there over the summer, and wow it looked beautiful. Bled … Continue reading

24 hours in Harrogate and Afternoon Tea at Bettys

by ⋅ 6 Comments

A few months ago we had the opportunity to go away for the night, and our destination of choice was Harrogate. We hadn’t had a night away just the two of us, since we stayed in the Conniston Hotel back in July 2018, and we were really looking forward to getting away. We chose Harrogate as it’s been on my ‘travel list’ for around 15 years, so I thought it was about time we actually went.

24 hours in Harrogate

As we were staying on a Saturday night, I knew most hotels would be over £100 for room only. But the Travelodge was coming … Continue reading

I Amsterdam Card and how to use it as a family

by ⋅ 4 Comments

We were kindly given two  x 72 hour I Amsterdam Cards for the purpose of this review.

If you have been following me over the summer, you will know that we travelled to Amsterdam for 3 days to celebrate our eldest turning 17. After our day trip to Amsterdam back in May, we couldn’t wait to return to the city for a longer period, giving us more time to explore. During our visit I worked with I Amsterdam, who kindly provided us with two cards which covered us for the duration of our trip.

I Amsterdam card

What is the I Amsterdam Card

… Continue reading

Little Loves – Amsterdam, Pneumonia and a Birthday

by ⋅ 14 Comments

I totally failed in writing my Little Loves post for the month of July, but one word sums up why I didn’t get around to it…. Pneumonia. I have been poorly for around two months now, and spent a full week in hospital during August. But I’m going to try really hard not to dwell on that, and instead focus on the positives that came out of the summer holidays.

Amsterdam Cafe

Read

I am still keeping up with my target of reading two books a month, though I actually thought I would double it in August with being in hospital. But … Continue reading

(Review) Escape Lounge at T1 Manchester Airport

by ⋅ 6 Comments

We were kindly invited to review the Escape Lounge at Terminal One Manchester Airport, when we flew to Amsterdam during the summer holidays. It was also a very special day as our eldest was turning 17, and we had kept our lounge booking a secret until we had got through security.

Escape Lounge T1 Manchester Airport

Where is the Escape Lounge at T1 Manchester

Once you get through security you need to follow the signs for the ‘lounges’ which can be found on the upper floor. We used the lift as I was using the airports wheelchair assistance, having just come out of hospital two … Continue reading

(Review) A night away at Carden Park Chester

by ⋅ 16 Comments

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of staying at Carden Park in Chester. This was our 4th visit to the hotel, and it’s our go to place when we want to unwind. Carden Park is set in a huge country estate, and it has all the facilities you need for a relaxing break away.

Carden Park - Courtyard Suite

We were booked into a courtyard suite which is my favourite accommodation at Carden Park, and our suite certainly had the wow factor when we entered. Our room looked as if it had been recently refurbished, and I loved that we had a … Continue reading