A Beautiful Brighton Sunset

Following Pip's hospital stay this week we have to return to the hospital regularly for further tests. One our way back on Friday we saw the most amazing sunset. I usually come from the opposite direction so don't often see the sun setting behind the pier plus I'm usually making dinner at the time the sun sets. It was truly amazing! The atmosphere was calm, people were sitting on the beach staring at the sky & so many were taking photos to capture the moment. We also passed many snowdogs on our coastal route. I took a few too many photos on my phone but wanted to include a selection to show the beauty of that evening. None of these photos have been edited in any way, some just appear lighter/darker depending on the focal point. It was so difficult narrowing these down so I've included the whole lot as I think they are all stunning! The sequence starts east of Palace Pier and ends up near West Pier. This is the best sunset I've ever seen in Brighton. Let me know what photo you like most.

My Favourite Trip #24

© Learning Escapes

Welcome to another round of #MyFavouriteTrip. How has your week been? I've had a bit of an eventful & worrying one as my little boy ended up in the Children's Hospital for three nights! He is on the mend and fingers crossed he will be completely better soon. Thanks to everyone who linked up last week. There were quite a few varied posts, from Airbnb & lodges to viewing one of the world's tallest buildings in Taipei! The post that stood out was a trip to Kilkenny in Ireland with Marta from Learning Escapes. I've been to Ireland quite a few times but Kilkenny has never been on my list. It sounds like a great place to explore and as well as the historic town and castles my son would love the tourist road train and reptile zoo. Have a read of her post if you haven't already! This week I'm linking up another India post, the festival celebrating the Hindu god Ganesh. Remember, the definition of a trip is "a journey or excursion, especially for pleasure" so #MyFavouriteTrip is designed for any trip, big or small! 

My Favourite Trip #23

© Mummy Travels

Another week of #MyFavouriteTrip and today it's my birthday! Having returned to the linky after a summer break, it was lovely to get back into reading so many great travel posts. It's so difficult choosing which post to feature as they all inspire me but this time it was Mummy Travels writing about the #take12trips challenge. After nine months in, it's a lovely reminder of all the trips she has taken this year including Portugal (photo above), Burma, California and many UK trips. Have a read of her post if you haven't already! This year is also the first year I've done the 12 trip challenge and it has been lovely recording a trip a month, although I still need to publish some! Thanks to everyone who commented on my post Our First Week in India. In true chronological fashion I'm now linking up....wait for it, Our Second Week in India! Remember, the definition of a trip is "a journey or excursion, especially for pleasure" so #MyFavouriteTrip is designed for any trip, big or small! 

Name Change: From Toddler to Pip

Snowdogs by the Sea

This is one of the Brighton Snowdogs, part of the collection 'Snowdogs by the Sea'. I had a proper stroll through town last week and after seeing so many photos on social media, I finally saw these snowdogs up close. There are 45 giant snowdogs and 20 puppies dotted all over Brighton and Hove at the moment. The Martlets Hospice has teamed up with Wild in Art and Penguin to provide this unique outdoor exhibition across the city! Each snowdog has been beautifully designed and decorated by artists and sponsored by local businesses. Isn't it such an amazing collaborative fundraising event! At the end of the exhibition the sculptures will be auctioned and sold to raise funds for the Martlet Hospice. I was sad to read in the news this week that some of these have been vandalised which is such a shame. But if you're visiting before the exhibition ends on 27th November, I recommend going on a little snowdog tour. Of all the snowdogs I have seen this is my favourite in the Pavilion Gardens. His name is 'Merry-Go-Round' and the design captures the essence of Brighton. He is a pop-art inspired carousel horse type decoration. Bright, bold and all the fun of the seaside!

My Favourite Trip #22

Hello! After an extended summer break #MyFavouriteTrip is back! I hope you all had a lovely summer and I'm looking forward to reading all about your recent trips and holidays. I was in India for three weeks over the summer and it was the most amazing trip! I have a lot of posts to link up but am starting at the beginning with Our First Week in India. Remember, the definition of a trip is "a journey or excursion, especially for pleasure" so #MyFavouriteTrip is designed for any trip, big or small! 

10 Travel Themed Toys & Books For Young Kids

If you read my blog regularly you’ll know I love to go to new places and explore. We go on a lot of day trips, about one a week in and around Brighton or London. We’ve also been on many exciting adventures abroad including to India! Now my son is three, he’s at the age where he is absorbing everything. He knows the names of different countries, is learning about the concept of time and distance, his language is improving every day and he is constantly asking questions about everything! I want to encourage him as much as possible to learn about the world around him including the name of countries & how people in different cultures live. He has lot of travel themed toys already because he is a BIG Thomas the Tank Engine fan and since he was a baby has loved anything with wheels on! I wanted to make a list of the best travel themed toys for little kids, some of which we already have and some I'd like to purchase. Here they are:

Beach Huts & Scooter #MySundayPhoto