(Review) A night away at Carden Park Chester

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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

How to spend your day in London

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London is a brilliant city to visit, and it’s full of things to do for the whole family. There’s an endless list of museums, parks and other tourist attractions to entertain the family, and you’ll never be lost for something to do. Amazingly, viewing numbers at London attractions are climbing, despite their being fewer overseas visitors. Everyone is welcome, and there’s so much to experience.

A day in London

With so much potential on offer, what should your family do with a day in London? Here are a few tips to point you in the right direction.

Covent Garden

The Covent Garden area is … Continue reading

An unexpected week in hospital

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A week in hospital wasn’t quite the mini break that I had planned during the summer holidays, but I guess sometimes that you just have to expect the unexpected. Looking back over the past two months, it was hard to pinpoint a time when I had felt well. I had started off suffering with sciatica, which left me in pain for around 10 days. This eased off thankfully, and was nothing to do with my stay in hospital.

An unexpected week in hospital

With the sciatica gone, I started with a cough. It was nothing major (or so I thought), and was just a slight … Continue reading

6 top tips for your first time in Amsterdam

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Amsterdam is a gorgeous city – with a huge canal system, amazing architecture, and more museums and galleries than you can shake a stick at. Despite common misconceptions, it’s not only a place to visit with a group of friends when in your 20s. It’s a fantastic city to take the family to, and if it’s your first time there, here are a few tips to help make the most of it.

Amsterdam for the day

  1. See the museums

Anne Frank, Van Gogh, the list is endless. Amsterdam prides itself on its culture and has some of the best museums in Europe.

These museums … Continue reading

The educational benefits of a day trip to Brighton

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Looking for things you can do with the kids during the summer holidays? With six whole weeks to try and keep them entertained, it can be difficult coming up with new and exciting ideas. One great idea you might want to consider, is heading off on a day trip.

Educational trip to Brighton

There are lots of great places you can go for the day with the kids. If you’re looking to enjoy a family-friendly, beach style getaway, Brighton is a great option. Not only does it offer a great seaside experience, but it can also be educational too. Here, we’ll look at just … Continue reading

Little Loves – Center Parcs, What If and Eton Mess

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One day my monthly Little Loves post will actually be posted on the last day of the month, not 10 days after. I’ve not been on my laptop much over the past 2 weeks, as I have been suffering terribly with Sciatica. I could barely move some days, and meant I had to cancel things which I hate doing. Thankfully it seems to have disappeared, and normal service of housework, ironing and blogging can resume.

Little Loves - Center Parcs, What If and Eton Mess

Read

Another two books read this month, and I must admit it took me over 3 weeks to finish the Sophie Kinsella one. I’ve not … Continue reading

How to help your teenager manage their money

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If you have teenage children, you will be well aware that they are maturing and slowly getting closer to entering the real world, where money management is so important. It is essential that your teenager understands the value of money and how to manage it, to ensure their transition into adulthood is smooth and as debt-free as possible.

How to help your teenager manage their money

To help you enhance your child’s financial knowledge, you should take a look at the following tips, which will make sure that your teenager understands how to achieve financial independence, and manage their money successfully. 

Set a good example 

In order to … Continue reading

Embracing the rain at Center Parcs

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In complete contrast to our trip to Center Parcs last year where we had 4 days of basking in a heatwave, this year our visit to Woburn was rain, rain and more rain. This was our second year of visiting Center Parcs Woburn, and taking advantage of the shorter mid-week breaks they seem to offer in June.

Center Parcs in the rain

We paid £199 for a 3 bedroom lodge for 2 nights, from Monday to Wednesday. At that price I was just happy to be returning to Center Parcs for our 16th visit, and over those visits we have seen every kind of weather … Continue reading

A day out in Amsterdam – Twenty years together

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The 15th May is when we celebrated being together for 20 years, and the day we went on our crazy adventure. Rewind to a month before, and I was racking my brains as to how we could celebrate. The husband had booked the day off work, and it was my job to think of something that would encapsulate our 20 years together. And of course travel has always been at the forefront of our relationship, so how about going to Amsterdam FOR THE DAY.

Amsterdam Canals

Flying to Amsterdam with easyJet

If you are going to do a European city in a … Continue reading

Little Loves – Amsterdam and Anniversaries

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Oh May, one of my favourite months of the year, and you did not disappoint. It has been a fantastic month, which started off with Blog On. A chance to spend the day with old and new friends at this popular blogging conference, at Hotel Football in Manchester. We also celebrated 18 years of marriage, and 3 days later another anniversary, 20 years since we met. And where do you go to celebrate such an occasion…. Amsterdam FOR THE DAY.

Amsterdam for the day

Read

I have kept to my aim of reading 2 books a month. A Stranger in the House is by … Continue reading