You can never really rely on the weather in the UK, which is how we found ourselves visiting Leeds Castle on a snowy day at the end of February. The white carpet had dissolved by the time we arrived after lunch last Sunday but the drama was still plentiful. Leeds Castle, nestled in the heart of Kent, rather than Yorkshire, is imposing but not in a scary way. It's a castle of fairy tales, surrounded by water and looking out across green … [Read more...]
What I wore to recreate our first date #ootd
There's been a hint of Spring in the air: the sight of snowdrops and crocuses flowering, a couple of gloriously sunny days over half-term, half-term itself in fact. And this half-term we made the most of the spring weather, heading into London with The Girls to recreate our first date. DH and I met for the first time at Benihanas in Piccadilly, on a chilly December day. We had lunch then wandered down the road to the Royal Academy to enjoy … [Read more...]
A Retro Approach to Saving #MySaverStory
I was paid in cash for my very first job, being based overseas pre-Euro and not having a local bank account. Every month I would get Deutschmarks in cash and tuck them into an envelope in my underwear drawer. I took out bits and pieces as I needed it but in theory, I was saving the bulk of the money I earned towards the expenses I would have in my first year at University. In actual fact I blew the whole of my University Savings on a trip to … [Read more...]
Tips for flying with infants and babies
In a former life I was a nanny, and then a maternity nurse. I spent a lot of time giving help and advice to new parents, despite having no children of my own. Which seems like a bonkers thing to do but goodness, I had boundless energy and the ability to not be embarrassed by anything. Those are good skills to have when you are on a 12 hour flight with a small child that won't settle. In fact, making long plane journeys with small babies became … [Read more...]
EdinburghAtoZ: an Instagram tour of our family visit to the Scottish Capital
We were in Edinburgh over Christmas. We shared the fun of our latest Home Exchange trip over on Instagram in the form of an #EdinburghAtoZ. If you missed it, then I have compiled the images here so that you can see what a fun place Edinburgh is to visit at any time of year. A is for Arthur's Seat. B is for Bagpipes. They sound less unpleasant North of the Border. C is for Cobbles. D is for Drambuie. Or a dram of something else. E is for … [Read more...]
What to put in your Frozen birthday party bags
Wondering what to put in your Frozen party bags? Read on. In a matter of days in a village hall in Kent, there will be between 30 and 35 children running around being coralled by a woman bearing a remarkable resemblance to Elsa. For my part I am grateful that it is a joint party since this also means sharing both the costs and the responsibilities of hosting the entire Reception Year of Dimples' school. I got invitations, decor and party … [Read more...]
The Memory Project #52Changes
I have decided to embark on a project ahead of my 39th birthday which I have called #52Changes. One of the items on my list of 52 is to read #52books, and one of those has been The Memory Book by Rowan Coleman. Essentially a story about families and the loss of memories, the eponymous book forms the central part of the story and it is the idea of a Memory Book which has stayed with me long after I passed the book onto my mother to read. The … [Read more...]
