Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide!

Can you believe Christmas is just next week! If you're like me and haven't done all of your Christmas shopping yet then do not fret! There is still time to purchase all of your Christmas presents. And if you don't have time to shop in stores simply get shopping online. Here are the brands I recommend, which offer something for everyone!

5 ways to save money over Christmas

According to the Bank of England, each household spends £500 extra in December! This extra money is spent on going out, eating food, drinking alcohol and buying Christmas presents. The biggest increases in spending are on music & DVDs (116%), Books (85%), Computers (68%), Toiletries (56%), Clothing (43%), Alcohol (39%) and Food (16%). With rising utility costs and an uncertain economy, there are simple tips to help tackle rising living costs. Although we all get into the spending mood at this time of year, there are certain ways to limit your spending and save on money that you would usually spend.

5 ways to save money over Christmas

Make your own decorations
Buying new Christmas decorations can cost a small fortune and if you have the time, why not make your own! If you have kids this can be a fun session of crafting. I recently wrote a post on easy Christmas crafts to make with kids with inspiration from other crafty bloggers. There are several fun ideas for Christmas decorations to make with or without kids and most of the materials you’ll probably already have at home.

Shop for presents wisely
Christmas has become so commercial in the UK. When visiting other European countries I’ve been surprised at how Christmas is celebrated traditionally without the need of buying and exchanging big expensive gifts at Christmas. Save money by looking out for 3 for 2 offers and discounts but make sure it’s a good deal. You could also be creative and put together your own set of presents. For example, Poundland has so many great offers and deals that you can easily buy several small things, put them in a little ‘hamper’ or basket, decorate with straw and ribbon and you have a little hamper full of gifts at a fraction of the pice that you’d pay elsewhere. Instead of buying CDs why not make your own compilations and give them to friends and family? Be creative and imaginative with gift ideas.

Host social events at home rather than going out
Going out for dinner can cost a lot especially when there are a lot of you and kids with big appetites are involved! Although it can be fun to go out it can also make a big dent in your bank balance! Hosting a dinner, party or social gathering at your own house can be a much better option. If you don’t want to cook for a large amount of people you could have ‘bring a dish’ themed evening or a drinks party instead. If you do go out look at deals from discount/coupons websites such as Groupon or Klook and find some bargains.

Pick ‘cheap’ days out over the Christmas holidays
Spending the day out with children doesn’t have to have to be expensive. Take a packed lunch, snacks and drinks to save on food and pick free or cheap attractions. In London, for example, all of the big museums including the Science Museum. National History Museum and British Museum are free to visit! These make great days out for kids and Visit London lists over 101 free activity ideas to do in London . Likewise, look at train deals over the weekends. Many offer huge discounts on adult and family train fares compared to visiting in the week.

Only buy what you need
This is a big one and I know it’s so easy to be tempted by Christmas offers. Write a list of food items you really need for Christmas and stick to the list when you go shopping. Or stick to a certain budget. I’d also recommend buying food on Christmas Eve. To anyone who has done this will know that there is a surplus of food at supermarkets on Christmas Eve and everything is reduced. I hate to think about how much food is actually thrown away at the day of the day! Although you might want to buy essentials beforehand in case they are sold out, there are some real bargains at supermarkets on Christmas eve and if you don’t use these on Christmas day itself you can always save for after Christmas or into the new year.

This is a collaborative post. All words and opinions are my own.

I hope I’ve given you some money saving ideas. Do you have any more tips I could add?

Wordless Wednesday - Giant Christmas Bauble

How to afford a family holiday

Family holidays are indeed fun and exciting! After all, this is the time when you not only explore new destinations but also get to spend quality time with family. Every family would like to enjoy a great holiday every year. However, with the escalating costs of travel and other expenses, it is a lot easier said than done. Moreover, with the important things in life like the living costs, school costs, and mortgage to pay, there is very little money left to holiday on.

A Morning Coffee #MySundayPhoto

Linking up with #MySundayPhoto

The Christmas Tag

This year I've decided to take part in the Christmas Tag as part of Blogmas where I'm posting everyday thorough December.

What Christmas is really like in Bethlehem

*This post was originally published in December 2016. I am republishing as part of #Blogmas 2018 and because it's been ten years since I was working/living in Palestine. 

Have you ever wondered what the little town of Bethlehem looks like today? Have you ever thought about celebrating Christmas in the Holy Land? In 2008 I did exactly that and spent my Christmas in Bethlehem. It sounds almost mythical when I retell the story and certainly was a wonderfully unique experience. In a society where the 25th December has turned into our most commercialised holiday and everything is geared towards decorating the tree, buying presents and eating a lot of food, it was rather nice to be where it all began and celebrate Christmas in a purely traditional setting. I'm not really religious but even so, being in a town with an abundance of history and biblical significance was surreal. It will be a day I remember forever. I was also lucky enough to be at the Midnight Mass celebration at the Church of the Nativity, near to the exact spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. I stood there with hundreds of other visitors listening to the speech of Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the State of Palestine, in a church so beautiful and atmospheric it makes me smile just thinking about it. As the clocks struck at midnight it all felt like a dream.

Wordless Wednesday - Brighton Pier

My Funniest Spam Comments

As part of Blogmas this year I thought I'd write something a bit different. When I started blogging back in 2014 I didn't receive many spam comments. However, a couple of years ago I started to get several each day and most were written on my blog post: A Day Out in Lewes. That post is also my highest viewing post ever with over 28,000 views! I have no idea where people are directed from but it's funny that so many people comment. I guess a few could actually be genuine but it's difficult to know sometimes! I've received about 3000 spam comments in total and some are so funny I had to share them. Here are 40 of my funniest spam comments and my individual response to each of them!

Five things I want to do in December

I've read a couple of blog posts recently including Autumn by Captured by Jade and A relaxed December Bucket List from Northumberland Mam and they got me thinking about what I'd like to do this month. Here are five things I want to do in December.

A Brighton Sunset #MySundayPhoto

Yesterday, I wrote about taking part in Blogmas this month and I will be posting every day in December. One of my reasons for taking part is being more creative and joining in with linkies I used to regularly. So here is #MySundayPhoto. I do love this time of year for watching some stunning sunsets out to sea, as opposed to summer when the sun sets inland. Plus, one consolation of our early sunset times at 4pm is that Pip can come and watch them too. He was with me when I took the photo above.

Linking up with #MySundayPhoto. Have you seen any beautiful sunsets recently?

Blogmas Day One: Why I'm blogging every day this month

Disclaimer: I will try to blog every day this month. If for any reason I lose inspiration or the thought of writing another blog post kills me I will stop ☺ Disclaimer 2: Most of my posts will probably not be related to Christmas! With these things in mind, I'm still excited about joining in with Blogmas! I saw a few tweets about it some days ago and suddenly thought about joining in. I posted a Twitter poll and asked fellow bloggers what they thought:

Five European Christmas Markets to Visit

Visiting Christmas markets is one of the best things about this time of year and a perfect way to get into the festive spirit. Here are my five recommendations for the best European Christmas markets to visit this year.

Berlin, Germany

I visited my first real European Christmas market in Berlin, Germany back in the early 2000s and remember eating the most delicious chips and crepes. German Christmas markets are famous and dotted all over the country including Dresden, Cologne, Nuremberg, Munich, Dusseldorf amongst many others. In Berlin, there are 60 different markets in the city alone! With beautiful hand-made Christmas decorations to scrumptious food and drink and sparkly lights everywhere it’s a magical fairy-tale setting.

Review: Three amazing LEGO sets for kids

One of the main toys that Pip has developed a strong interest in this year is LEGO! He’s always liked building massive structures out of LEGO and this year has developed a love for following instructions and assembling the smaller LEGO kits. I was sent some wonderful LEGO sets from the shopping website Very and knowing Pip, I couldn’t wait to give him these and review the products. I gave a couple of sets to Pip on his fifth birthday and another more recently. He has absolutely loved them and I’ll discuss each set in detail.

LEGO Jurassic World 75929 Carnotaurus Gyrosphere Escape

Other than LEGO, Pip absolutely adores dinosaurs! Since starting primary school last year and becoming best friends with another little boy who also loves dinosaurs, there hasn’t been a day since without some kind of mention of a dinosaur! He has also become a dinosaur expert and has taught me a lot about dinosaurs! I’m amazed he knows the complex names of so many! So naturally, with his love for LEGO and dinosaurs this Jurassic World set was a perfect choice for Pip’s 5th birthday. Aged 8+, I thought we could built this set together. There are various parts to build in this Jurassic World. The set includes a truck and trailer with a mobile control centre, a Gyrosphere station with a launch function, a giant Carnoatarus dinosaur with a baby dinosaur, three mini figures named Owen, Claire & Franklin and other small accessories including a shovel, three dinosaur eggs and a tranquilliser gun.

5 things I’d include in my dream home

I’ve lived in quite a few different houses and flats since my university days and over time I have developed a sense of my dream home. Here are some of the things I’d include in my ideal house.

A big room
I’ve lived in houses with small poky rooms as well as ones with massive high ceilings and plenty of space and think I am leaning towards the latter. Having at least one big room, preferably the living room, gives a sense of space and when kids and toys are involved I think the bigger the better. At the moment, the house I live in has fairly small rooms and I do crave more space.

Reflexology with Liz Linington at Anahata, Brighton

I recently attended the Anahata Health Clinic in Brighton as part of a blogger event to try some of their treatments. The morning started with an introduction to the clinic followed by tea, snacks and a relaxing yoga session with Bev. Each blogger had been assigned a treatment and I signed up to a Zone Face Lift treatment with Liz Linington. It was something I hadn't experienced previously and I was keen to try something new. It was lovely to speak with Liz a little before the treatment and find out more about her. Liz has been a trained reflexologist for nearly 10 years and offers different types of reflexology as a therapy and healing experience. Liz has extensive experience of working with people who have digestive disorders, insomnia, back pain, neck and shoulder tension, headaches, foot pain, sinus problems, neurological conditions, impaired immunity, menstrual disorders, ME/chronic fatigue syndrome, and mental and emotional health issues who may be feeling stressed.

What to wear this Bonfire Night

With Halloween and Bonfire Night coming up fast, it is time to make sure that you have some nice warm clothes to wear. Both nights give you the opportunity to get out at night and enjoy yourselves as a family. But, you do need to be prepared, if you want to get the most out of these special occasions. Something I had in mind when I decided to write this article.

The best cities to visit in England!

Although small, the UK has a numerous cities, each one with a unique character offering something different. Did you know there are 69 cities in the UK, 51 in England, 7 in Scotland, 6 in Wales and 5 in Northern Ireland. These figures surprised me as I wasn't aware that there were so many in England. I've been to many of the bigger cities in the UK but there are so many in the Midlands and Northern England that I have yet to visit. I've spent most of my life in the South-East but think I need to make a  few more trips north. But along with London, Brighton and Cambridge, I loved visiting Newcastle & Liverpool. The full list of UK cities is on the wikipedia page if you're interested. Thinking about the best cities to visit in England, I asked other bloggers to recommend their favourite city. Here's the full list.

25 fantastic tips on buying your first home

Buying your first home is an exciting experience. It can also be incredibly time-consuming with all the viewings and paperwork involved, disheartening when offers fall through and confusing in finding the perfect mortgage rate for you. There are several online guides, mortgage calculators, financial advisors and government schemes that can make the process a little more straight-forward. But it can still be a confusing time! I asked more than 20 bloggers their advice on buying a new home and received so much wonderful advice! Read their tips below!

Eight unique festivals around the world

I have a serious case of wanderlust at the moment. Well, I always do but maybe with the warmer weather I have a desire to travel abroad. Along with beaches, mountains, city tours, visiting famous landmarks and beautiful walks amongst the some of the most beautiful natural landscapes there is still more to do and see! I've been thinking about different cultures and diverse religions around the world recently and how there is so much to appreciate. I asked several other travel bloggers about their experiences and have picked these five unique festivals around the world.

Pizza Express Review in Brighton

I was recently invited to attend the Brighton branch (Jubilee Street) of Pizza Express in collaboration with Mumsnet to review their new limited edition Piccolo Story Explorer activity pack and experience their local caricaturist in partnership with Puffin Books. Our task was to sample the full Pizza Express experience including caricaturist activity, activity pack and the Piccolo menu choices.

Holiday fun with Super Camps

During May half-term Pip went along to his first ever holiday camp! Super Camps is one of the biggest holiday childcare providers in the UK for children aged 4-11 years old. They have 83 locations around the country spreading from Cornwall to North Yorkshire. There are a range of camps to suit different ages and specialist clubs to cover various interests such as cooking, LEGO® and outdoor adventure. Super Camps can be booked on a daily or weekly basis, depending on availability, to suit the needs of the child and parent. They also offer an extensive range of activities – so many in fact that I would love to attend myself! Although I was there in collaboration with Britmums as part of a blogger campaign and review, I registered on the Super Camps website as anyone else would do. It was straightforward to navigate. I simply typed my postcode/town and a list appeared with all the Super Camps within my region. Luckily for us, there is one based at Brighton and Hove Prep school, somewhere previously unfamiliar to me but easy to travel to and near the centre of town. Within minutes I had made the booking and received a confirmation email with details about the day and what to bring (a healthy packed lunch and snacks).

Class Of Their Own Giveaway – Win a week of holiday childcare in Brighton!

Pip started reception class in September and has had a wonderful introduction into school life. There is whole new life that comes with starting school and although it took a few months to adjust we are now in the full swing of things. Pip has made so many new friends and I have too. There are school classes, a diverse range of after school activities and holidays clubs. Plus, Pip’s social life is busier than mine! When Pip started school I discovered Class Of Their Own. Established in 2001, Class Of Their Own provides high quality, affordable and secure out of school play provision for primary schoolchildren aged 4 - 11 years. They run breakfast, after school and holiday clubs across Brighton and Hove. I recently met some of the members of the team, including Tanya, the Director, and Andrew, the Marketing Manager. It was a pleasure to meet them in person and hear more about their organisation. With values guided by quality, integrity and respect their focus in on play! The quote of their website states’ “Play is not merely a way of passing time, a leisure activity, as many people see it - it is the way in which children learn about life.” There are numerous benefits to play including confidence building, developing unique personalities and growing socially, emotionally & physically. And of course, Play is fun!

Pip turns five!

Pip turned five last week! I can't believe five years have whizzed by because to me Pip is still my baby boy. Actually, it feels like he's been here a lot longer than five years. It's difficult to think back to a time before he came along and we have filled the last five years with so much including many wonderful adventures together. Here's a little list of some of Pip's highlights in the last year.

Starting school
The biggest change in the past year has been Pip attending school! He started reception class in September and I'm so pleased to say that he loves it. I had a couple of doubts at the beginning because he seemed so young but school life has been wonderful. His school and teachers are absolutely amazing. It’s such a little friendly community hub and the best thing is that Pip thoroughly enjoys school and everything that comes with it. He loves to learn and socialise and has developed so many beautiful friendships. He looks forward to school every single day. Not sure how long it will last but we are appreciating everything that comes with school life. I've also met so many new parents and have volunteered on some of the school trips which have been a lovely insight into school life.

Five famous landmarks to visit

I don't know if it's the warmer weather but I have the travel bug and can't wait to travel abroad again! I mentioned my top five destinations in my travel bucket list. They included India, the Netherlands, Italy, USA and Japan and my reasons for wanting to visit each country. Since writing that post we travelled to Venice last summer. Now I just need to visit the other four, ha! I used to travel a lot but these days it's not as easy due to travel costs with a little one in tow and having to plan around school holidays when flight prices are at their highest. However, there are ways to travel for less as well as making any trip as relaxing as possible. As Pip grows he becomes more interested in the world and can already identify many of the world’s famous landmarks, despite only being four! Here are some of the destinations I’d love to take him to.

Privacy Policy: GDPR and Data Protection Policy

An update on my privacy policy:

Privacy Policy: GDPR and Data Protection Policy
In order to provide a user friendly experience on this blog, including but not limited to comments, social media interaction and giveaways, Our Seaside Baby may process and retain information about an individual, either following the individual opting-in or on the basis of legitimate interest. Information that may be gathered will include name and contact details. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it. The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to inform you what personally identifiable information we may collect and how it may be used. This statement only applies to this website. I respect the privacy of all who visit this website, and will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described here, and in a way that is consistent with my obligations and your rights under the law.

The Caidr Healthcare App

I’ve recently been reviewing the new Caidr App. Designed by Clinova, it’s a healthcare app that helps you assess your medical complaints. I worked in academic research and public health for over 10 years and am passionate about anything connected to health so I was keen to give to review the Caidr app. Although I’ve used many apps including those focusing on kids’ education and family communication this was the first health app I have used. The Caidr app has been developed by a team of healthcare professionals with the aim of helping those at home distinguish minor ailments from more serious illnesses that would require seeing a doctor or seeking hospital treatment.

Restaurant Review: Food for Friends, Brighton

Food for Friends in Brighton

Food for Friends in Brighton is one of the most famous vegetarian restaurants in the city. Despite living in Brighton for five years, I had yet to visit this award-winning restaurant until recently. I don’t eat meat (although do eat fish) and it’s very easy to find meat-free options in Brighton, with so many vegan and vegetarian eateries. Food for Friends serves high quality global vegetarian cuisine with vegan and gluten free options. I had heard great things about the restaurant and I was keen to experience it myself. Located on Prince Albert Street in the popular South Lanes area in the city centre, Food for Friends is easy to find. It’s a stone’s throw from the seafront and about a ten-minute walk from the station. The ethos of the Food for Friends restaurant is to serve fresh homemade and affordable food and to use local suppliers where possible. The menu oozes creatively with influences from around the world and changes frequently in relation to seasonal produce.

A lunch date with Arla

I was recently invited to attend an Arla Bloggers Lunch in Shoreditch, London. You may be familiar with the Arla brand especially when it comes to yogurt. This lunch was to celebrate the launch of Arla Fibre yogurts, now available in two sizes and four flavours, all of which contain 4.7g fibre in each 150g serving. I always enjoy travelling up to London from Brighton especially for blogger events like these and although I had details about the lunch I wasn’t sure what the schedule would entail. I was in for a treat!

5 things I’d do if I had a million pounds

Have you ever wondered what you’d do if you came into a large chunk of money? Have you imagined travelling around the world or buying your dream house? I’ve had discussions with family and friends on winning the lottery and what we’d do with a big amount of money. I don’t actually take part in the lottery and I’m not sure I’d like to be rich either. It often seems more trouble than it’s worth! And I’ve had some amazing experiences around the world with little money. However, occasionally it’s nice to dream. So, just for fun, here are 5 things I’d do if I had a million pounds!

Beach days: A week in the Brighton sun

Last week we had a beautiful burst of hot weather and sunshine. After a long winter with freezing temperatures and snow (the first time we’ve in Brighton!) it was a welcome relief and we made the most of it. Thankfully, we’re within walking distance to the beach so we took advantage of play dates after school and meeting up with friends at the weekend. I also met my friend for our weekly costal walk. In total, I was at the beach five times last week, wow! It was the first time we paddled in the sea this year and although cold it was so refreshing and relaxing under the sun! Coincidentally, it was also low-tide in the afternoons so we had the added benefit of proper sand beneath our feet with a calm sea. What a lovely feeling. I’m sharing some photos of our warm week in the sunshine!

Brighton Foodies Festival Giveaway

Last year, we visited the Foodies Festival in Brighton for the first time and had so much fun! We are planning on returning this year and I’m delighted to be giving away 5 pairs of tickets to this vibrant event held at Brighton Hove Lawns, on 5th, 6th and 7th May, during the bank holiday weekend. Last year, we took part in kids cooking classes, experienced kids yoga, listened to live music and sat in the sun while sampling delicious food. We also sat on top of the special double-decker bus with views over the festival and out to sea.

Peppa Pig World with Save the Children #MuddyPuddleWalk

We were recently invited to Peppa Pig World with Save the Children to take part in their Muddy Puddle Walk. 16,000 children were involved in the event in the UK last year and £243,000 was raised for Save the Children, towards their vital work helping children around the world transform their lives. This year, there is expected to be an even bigger involvement in the UK’s muddiest fundraising event, which will run between 23rd and 29th April 2018. Families, nurseries and early year groups are all encouraged to join in with the fun. You can be entirely creative which the event and choose something that suits you! We live by the sea so splashing in the waves would be perfect for us. Likewise, splashing in muddy puddles, paddling pools or rivers could suit you. To raise money simply get sponsors, ask for donations or sell something on the day, such as Peppa Pig inspired cupcakes! For a free Muddy Puddle Walk Fundraising Pack sign up at www.MuddyPuddleWalk.org The pack includes activity ideas, tips for finding puddles and ways to fundraise! The website also includes details on how your vital fundraising will help children around the world with Save the Children.

My Homeware Wish List

It’s the time of the year for a spring clean and a homeware makeover. Recently I’ve watched a few YouTube videos on rearranging furniture and accessories within the home for a new look. These makeovers use items that already exist in the home, including ones that have been forgotten about and usually end up in the garage, shed or loft! The items are collected, rearranged within a space and a room makeover is complete! I love the creativity in these makeovers and the fact that you save money in the process without the need to splash out on new products. It’s amazing how arranging a few pieces of furniture and swapping wall hangings and objects in the room can make such a big difference. I did this a few months ago in my living room and it worked really well. Occasionally, though a new piece of furniture can make the world of difference. Here's my homeware wish list.

New Comfi Lenses with Feel Good Contacts

For the last month, I’ve been reviewing the new Comfi lenses with Feel Good Contacts. I’ve been wearing contact lenses from Specsavers for the past few years and although they are fine to wear, my eyes do get quite dry by the end of the day especially after travelling or parenting all day. I have been keen to try another brand for a while so the option to try another type of contact lenses came at the perfect time. Comfi are a new type of daily disposable contact lenses which are advertised as giving ‘exceptional comfort and performance from a highly afforadable lens.’ With a 58% water content the lenses keep eyes moist and refreshed for the whole day. There are several other advantages for using Comfi lenses:

Mini Bakers Club Box Review

We’re already half way through our Easter school holiday and have fitted a lot in. We’ve had family visiting, visited Peppa Pig World in collaboration with Save the Children, had a mini Spring clean and watched Pip learn to ride a bike without stabilisers! We also reviewed the Mini Bakers Club Spring Box for the month of March. BKD run the Mini Bakers Club and they send out their creative boxes each month. Every box includes quality baking ingredients to make a themed project, a craft activity, instructions for a detailed recipe and a lovely little booklet with fun facts. Plus, each box is personalised and has your chosen name on the delivery box.

Link-Ages Family Communication App Review

This month I have been reviewing the family communication app, Link-ages. It is an app that allows easy communication with family members, especially those who do not live close by. Its simple design is focused on older generations and it is advertised as bringing ‘instant, private and safe communication to the older or less experienced user’. The Link-ages app allows an unlimited number of family members to link to each profile and communication can be facilitated in several different ways. The app offers a great alternative to apps such as Facebook and Whatsapp in that it offers a secure connection, privacy and comes without adverts. There are three apps in total. The Link-ages Hub is downloaded by the older member of the family, Link-ages Go is used by all the other members of the family that wish to communicate with the hub user and Link-ages Shadow app is used to remotely manage the Hub.

The Paris Guy Launch - fun guided tours in Paris

New Paris guided tours in the 'City of Light' 

Last summer we were fortunate to review the Venice Food Tour with the tour company, The Roman Guy! I had never been on a food tour previously and it was marvellous! Enough food and drink to last us all day and a great way to discover hidden gems with the guidance of a Venetian tour guide. Pip and his little friend came along on the 3-hour tour, and although I was worried if the tour would be suitable for four year olds, they both had a lot of fun! Always having a big appetite, Pip was in his element as we travelled through Venice on foot, from venue to venue, sampling the best food and snacks the city offers. For Pip, the highlight of the tour was eating a double scooped ice-cream from one of the best Gelato parlours in the city! For the adults, the highlights were sampling delicious local delicacies and drink, being shown hidden corners of Venice, learning new and wonderful facts throughout the tour and it was a fun way to be shown undiscovered parts of the city!

Chinese New Year in London

A couple of weeks ago we travelled up to London to watch the Chinese New Year celebrations! This was the first time I had seen them in London and I wasn't expecting such huge crowds! But it was worth the trip. The celebrations included a vibrant and colourful parade in central London; starting in Trafalgar Square, travelling along Charing Cross Road up past Leicester Square station, turning into Shaftesbury Avenue and eventually reaching China Town. There were also traditional ceremonies in China Town itself including the 'Lion dance' where dancers dressed as lions visit local businesses that have left lettuce and red envelopes hanging in their doorways. The lions perform a dance to the beat of a drum outside each shop and finally eat the lettuce and red envelope, before spitting the lettuce out over the crowd symbolising the spread of good luck and fortune! It was an amazing tradition to watch. Meanwhile in Trafalgar Square, dancers, musicians and performers entertained the crowds from the main stage. Although cold, it was a lovely day out! I'm sharing some photos of the event and have included some handy tips for travelling in the future.   

5 Easy Ways To Save Money

One of my goals for the year is to be more mindful when it comes to saving money! There are huge benefits for putting a little aside each month and saving for a particular event, such as a holiday can be incredibly motivating. However, in our current economic climate with high living costs, saving can be difficult!

18 goals for 2018

I can’t believe we're half way through January already! I’ve been tagged by Lisa from Mummascribbles in her 18 goals for 2018 post. I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions but at the same time I think the start of the year is a great time to reflect and think about what I really want out of life! I do like spontaneity but at the same time I'm more motivated if I have certain future goals to work towards. I wrote about looking back on 2017 and my general plans for 2018 and I've already made some small changes in my life. Here are my 18 goals for this year.

A New Year

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a lovely holiday. I barely logged into social media during Christmas and it was such a welcome break! I sometimes feel in the blogging world there is the tendency to be online all the time but it’s not necessary. It was lovely to barely open my laptop during the holidays and instead make the most of each day. I spent a lot of quality time with Pip, now having to get used to the school holiday system. I also spent a lot of time with friends and for the first time in many years I went out for New Year's Eve, yay!