Treehouse Hotels

As the school holidays are approaching we are looking for somewhere new for a break.  I have such a passion for travel and I want to show my children the wonders of this world.  We don't always have to go far - there is so much of the UK I still want to explore, but I want to see new things, have wonderful experiences together and explore.

I have always wanted to stay in a tree house hotel and I think it would be such a unique experience.  This map of the best tree house hotels has some absolutely stunning properties and every single one of them has made it onto my bucket list now.

It is easy to see how Chateaux Dans Les Abres in France makes it onto the list, these castles in the trees are beautifully set in natural meadows and woods and each one has a private hot tub.  The activities on site include a heated infinity pool and panoramic views from the treetop terrace.  There are 5 castles, one of which can sleep up to 6 people so it suitable for families such as mine.

We have always wanted to travel to Thailand as a family and I loved it when I went pre-children.  I hadn't heard of the Bangkok tree house until recently but the eco-friendly property which can only be located on foot or by boat is a haven away from the bustle of the city and the perfect getaway for an environmentally conscious couple or family.

I know that there are a few tree house hotels in the UK now and we are definitely going to be looking into whether we can visit one, as they look like such a fantastic and unique experience.

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10 outfits under £10 // Lidl's Spring Collection

Yesterday Lidl launched their spring babywear collection and there are some beautifully soft basics and cosy cardigans.   With amazing prices, you can put together a whole outfit for under £10!  Cardigans are under £5 and a two pack of long sleeved vest are £3.99.  We were sent some of the new collection for both the little two and I think these are going to be wardrobe staples!

To show off some of our favourite pieces, I have put together 10 outfit ideas, each of them costing less than £10 in total.  Which is your favourite?

The collection is only in store for a limited time so make sure you catch it quick!

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Mother's Day Gift Guide [For a Mum with Young Children]

Mother's Day this year falls on Sunday 26th March and I have put together some lovely gift ideas if you have a Mum to spoil (or to casually leave open on your laptop to give the kids (or Daddy) some help!).    

I have recently discovered there is such a thing as Chocolate Pizza, who knew? It combines two of my favourite things and the Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company are selling a special Mother's day edition with a beautiful white chocolate flower sitting in the centre.   To make sure I can wholeheartedly recommend this pizza, I did of course have to try some and it gets my seal of approval!

The Mother's Day pizza is available direct from the Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company's website for £11.50

Cath Kidston prints are so beautiful and feminine and the Watch Shop now sell a stunning selection of watches.  I chose this delicate bird print and I love the rose gold details and the slim strap.  As with everything Cath Kidston, these watches are beautifully made and a lovely gift for a Mum of any age.

Cath Kidston watches are available from the Watchshop.com and there are over 70 to choose from.  The one pictured is £60.

Nothing has aged me quite as much as having children, and after years of sleep deprivation I am starting to realise that I really should  look after my skin better.  Skin Doctor's luxury products are designed to do just that, looking after the Queen Bee in your life.  Bee lift is a luxurious facial hydrating treatment containing bee venom and natural Manuka Honey to combat fine lines, wrinkles and loss of elasticity in the skin. Younger hands claims to take 10 years off your hands in only 6 weeks and I am really enjoying testing both of these! 

Beelift has an RRP of £38.99 and Younger Hands retails at £30.60.  Both are available direct from Skin Doctors as well as selected retailers including Boots, Amazon and Ocado.

If you want Mother's Day laughs then the latest Mills & Boon book, 'Turning into your Mother' guarantees them.  With talk of Mummy's special Calpol and all the things we don't say but are definitely thinking this book is amusing and about the only kind of book I can actually find time to read with small children around too!

Available for £6.99

One of the highlights of Mum Life for me is getting to drink a hot cup of tea and have a biscuit all to myself.  It doesn't happen often but when it does it is blissful. I don't think you really appreciate getting to eat a whole biscuit in peace until you have toddlers trying to grab a bit!  This little Mother's Day tin from Walkers is the perfect size to hide from little fingers and is full of mini versions of the iconic shortbread shapes.

This tin is available exclusively from Walkers Shortbread and costs £5

Nelson's Arnicare Bath and Massage Balm is a great multi purpose product for pampering.  Whether you want a long soak in the bath or to soothe aching muscles this balm is enriched with evening primrose and rich sweet almond oil to really hydrate the skin.  I can't decideI which is more appealing at the moment, a warm bath to unwind or a back rub!  I love how you can use this liquid balm for either and I think it would make a great Mother's Day gift.

Available from Boots for £8.55, find out more at Arnicare.co.uk

Chocolate is ALWAYS a great gift in my eyes and I have been admiring these Ferrero Rocher trees for ages.  They are an incredibly unique and deliciously divine gift and you can buy them with a Mother's Day glass too.  I love that they come with a tealight so that you can reuse the glass afterwards too.  This gift is perfect for Mums of all ages and looks really impressive (if it lasts long enough to actually admire it).

Available from Find Me a Gift for £26.99

Ergobaby have recently released their Sophie La Girafe carrier and this is a wonderful gift from baby to Mummy - something they can both enjoy.  We still have our first Ergo from when Dylan was little over 5 years ago and it is a much loved carrier and brand we trust. This new design with the bunting and iconic giraffe is so lovely and I can't wait to try it out with the little two.

And if you can't find the perfect gift here then you can't go wrong with the classic breakfast in bed!  I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day whatever you choose

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The End of Winter

Somehow Winter always seems like the longest season.  I know that just like Spring, Summer and Autumn it lasts for three months, but when those months are cold, wet and usually full of snot, it can seem to drag.  Spring is on the horizon and the temperature seems to be picking up already so we have been busy enjoying it.

The beach is my favourite place to go, I love the space, the smell, the freedom, how it soothes my soul.  At this time of year it is pretty much deserted, but it still holds so much beauty, it still captures my children's attention for hours and we still come home with that sand in our socks, glow on our cheeks feeling that makes me think of the summer.  

There are things I love about each season and as Spring begins, I am looking forward to being outdoors more, rediscovering our favourite places, not coming home until dinner time because it is still light, shedding our coats and some of those layers and moving more freely, the beautiful yellows and greens that are suddenly appearing in the parks, bringing my Saltwater sandals back out and painting my toenails pretty colours.  

Winter is ending and I will miss the warmth of walking into a heated house after an outdoor stroll, the excuse to drink hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows every night, snuggling under blankets on the sofa and watching the frost settling on the windows. 

This was the Winter that Cora learned to sit, that she tried her first taste of food.  It was the winter Finn started sleeping better and putting more words together.  It was the Winter that Archie turned 4 and grew tall enough to press the buzzer at preschool.  It was the Winter that Dylan got his confidence in the water and wrote all his own Christmas cards.  I am excited to see what Spring will bring.

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Made By Mum

I am the woman I am today because of my Mother.  She is the one who taught me about the world and about myself, the one who gave me the skills I needed to be independent, who gave me the strength to follow my dreams, who gave me the courage to stand up for what I believe in, who believed in me when I needed her most.
    

In many ways we are so similar, in others we couldn't be more different but I am #MadebyMum and with Mother's Day approaching I have been looking for the perfect gift for her.  Getting Personal have helped me find something that celebrates everything that my Mum has taught me, because her present should be as unique and special as she is.

My Mum taught me to be strong, and that our inner strength is powerful.  She had three children very close together and my memories of my childhood are fun and happy.  She reminds me that there are tough days (and tough weeks) but I can get through them and tomorrow will be better.  

My Mum taught me to be prepared, to think about the future, to save for a rainy day.  In many ways this is where we are different, I am more spur of the moment than a planner but the contents of my handbag include many strange and occassionally useful things much like hers.  

My Mum taught me how to love through her unconditional love for me.  I grew up feeling loved everyday and I hope my children feel the same way.  She is kind and compassionate, she helps others personally and in the community, she is passionate about recycling, she volunteers, she always has time for her grandchildren.

Getting Personal helped me to create a gift that celebrates what my mum taught me, how she shaped me, that I am #MadebyMum.  Their unique range of Mother's Day gifts is easy to personalise to create something perfect for the woman who made you who you are today.

Getting Personal have launched an exclusive #MadebyMum collection with gifts specially made for mum.  Their gifts are easy to personalise and the perfect gift from children big or small.

 What has your mum taught you?

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Travelling with the Pacapod

We recently went skiing and during our hunt for the perfect travelling baby bag, we discovered Pacapod.  I needed a bag big enough to cope with two under two and our hand luggage as well as being comfortable to carry with a baby in a sling.  The Hastings bag fitted every criteria, being spacious, easy to access and able to be worn as a shoulder bag or back pack as well as attached to a buggy.

Pacapod kindly sent us one to take away with us and we have been using it a lot over the last couple of months.  Pacapod's most unique feature is the pods that each of their bags contains.  Inside the main zipped pocket, there are two waterproof zipped pods, labelled 'change pod' and 'feeder pod'.  Each one has a handle so it can be attached to a pram or carried easily if you don't want to take out your whole changing bags and they are easy to grab on the go.

As Cora is breastfed and we tend to have a seperate snack bag for all the children together, we have ended up with a pod for each child.  When  we went away, we managed to fit in 5 disposable nappies, a pack of wipes, a few nappy sacks and a spare change of clothes in each pod, meaning I could grab Cora's pod when I needed to change her.  We have kept up this system as it means if I pop out with just Cora, I can leave Finn's pod at home for whoever has him.

The bag come with three easy ways to carry it, there is a long strap to make it a shoulder bag, which can feed through without any playing around to make it into a backpack.  There are also two pieces that mean it can hang off of any buggy making it really flexible.  This is my go-to back for babywearing as I find it easy to use with a sling on my front.

I love the style of this bag - it was perfect for our ski trip but the nautical colours will be ideal for summer holidays too, and of course it is a great changing bag to have for everyday use with all the inner pockets, easy access and a zip and clip fastening.

The Hastings bag comes in two colours and is available on the Pacapod website for £72.

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5 Things to Consider when Moving Area.

I am sure most of us have thought about moving area for some reason or other .  Some want to be closer to a city, or more rural, others dream of the beach or the lakes, we have been looking at how much cheaper house prices are in the North of the country and wondering whether it it is worth it.  Here are 5 things to consider before you decide to set down roots somewhere new.

1) House prices.  When you look at what you can afford for your budget there is such a huge variation.  The same amount may get you a one bedroom flat in central London or a six bed detached house in County Durham.  If you have a job that is flexible then knowing what you can get for your money is a big factor.

2) Burglary Rates.  Burglaries make up roughly 7% of all crimes in the UK and are much more prevalent in some areas than others. This map shows how living in a big city can put you more at risk of having your possessions taken and you can find more figures on this Burglary map of England Wales if choosing somewhere with lower crime rates is a priority.


3) What will your support network be like?  If you are leaving friends and family then choosing somewhere where you already know someone may make the move easier.  Having to make a whole new set of friends can be challenging so finding somewhere with a little familiarity could help you decide on where to move.

4) What local ammenities does the area you have chosen have? If you don't drive is there good public transport? What are the local schools and neighbourhoods like? Is there a nice park for children to play in? Visiting the area in advance can help you get a better feel for how your family will fit in and how it will fit with your lifestyle.

5) What kind of jobs are available in the area?  Are you close enough to a big city if you have a corporate job?  If you work in a specialist job then it may be worth researching where the best companies are based to increase your chances of finding the ideal position.

What plays the biggest factor in your decisions of where to live?

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