The little things in life...

I recently went to London as part of a girls weekend away. We were a mixed group and thought we did some great things that your mum may enjoy to do whilst in London.

There is so much to do and look at but it really would depend on the season, weather and how active you want to be.

I will pop a few mum friendly London things that we did down below, that you may also like to try next time you go.

The Sky Garden

This wasn't the first time I have visited here but I knew the group I went with would absolutely love it. And it is Free, which is a bonus! You don't mind paying the slightly high prices for a G&T when you get to the top then. The Sky Garden is basically a free public space at the top of the Walkie Talkie Tower with the most spectacular views of London, depending on the weather.

The garden is filled with various species of plants and fauna which makes it unique compared to many other spots you will get to see the views of london. There is a restaurant (which has to be booked separately), a bar and plenty of seating. There is also an outdoor terrace, but this was closed this weekend due to the bad weather.

It was absolutely peeing it down when we went up at the weekend and we were expecting the views to be pretty poor. However we were pleasantly surprised to find it absolutely fine.

You do need to book tickets before you go though.



Gin-themed visit to Mr Fogg's.

I had heard of Mr Foggs several times before heading to London last week, it has been a must visit for a while. It is an instagrammers heaven, so beautiful. There a couple of location and we headed to the Covent Garden Tavern spot. A really fun spot especially if you’re not from London and on a weekend trip. It’s a different and unique experience to the usual British pub you may stumble across. You won't miss the doorway of My Foggs with its gorgeous floral garland, first up you will notice tourists having their photo taken outside of it !

Not only is the venue quirky and visually pleasing but the staff were also so welcoming and did all they could to give their customers a real experience! The bar itself is really cool & based on a Victorian theme. We didn’t have food but it looked and smelt good too!

The drinks were absolutely beautiful too, to look at and drink!




Breakfast at the Ivy, Covent Garden

Everyone has heard about the Ivy, and who wouldn't want to be treated for breakfast (or lunch or dinner of course!) there. I know i would! It had again been on my watch list for a while and finally last weekend we went.

I made the reservation for the Saturday morning and we got there at around 10.15am and it was fairly well occupied. By the time we left at around 11.45 it was really busy! I would definitely recommend booking and getting there early if going for breakfast.

The venue itself is absolutely beautiful, it is what you would imagine. Classically decorated, shiny brass and interesting artwork. The bathrooms are also beautiful.

The breakfast menu was good, something for everything although rather heavily egg based.  Was expecting the quality of service and food along with the gorgeous venue to come at a fancy price but I was surprised by how modest the bill actually was.



Visit the west end and see a show

We often go to see a show, weather that be in London or when touring at more local venues. The reason we actually visited London this weekend was due to us getting tickets to see Pretty Woman at the Piccadily Theatre. There is nothing better though that a trip to the actual west end to see a show.

The show itself was fantastic. I have always loved the film so was excited to see how it would transfer to the stage. From the opening scene I was loved it, the music was really catchy & the story followed the original fairly well.

The theatres in London are beautiful and really are an important part of London and in particular the west end. Whats On Stage has a fantastic article all around the ideal show to take your mum to: https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/mothers-day-top-shows-presents-theatre-mum_48718.html

We went to Lanzarote with children in 2018 and are heading back there again in a few weeks time.

The canary islands are a favourite destination of ours for a winter escape to the sun. With it being just a 4 hour flight and almost guaranteed sunshine, it is hard to resist! We do get the odd cloudy day and you will definitely need a cardigan or jacket in an evening but to have a high chance of feeling the sun on your face and a bit of warmth after the freezing, wet weather here in the UK it is most definitely worth it!





On both occasions we will have visited Playa Blanca with Kids. The first time we stopped at the THB Tropical Island resort in a self catering apartment. At the time we had hoped to stay in a villa or an apartment as we usually would, but we had left it too late and when we came to book on somewhere like Owners Direct they were 90% booked for our dates and we couldn't really afford what was left. So we ended up here.

We  ended up booked in to the Tropical Island Aparthotel (Has all the facilities of a big hotel but is made up of smaller self catering apartments) through Hotels.com and we are really pleased it worked out that way as we had a fantastic stay. If we are honest, the hotel was far bigger than we would usually go for, with lots of facilities we knew we just wouldn't use. However, being out of season meant that it was quiet. Which for us was just what we were after. We like enough to keep the children entertained, so the big pools dotted around the grounds, the splash park and the mini playgrounds were just what we needed. There was enough to keep them busy at the times were around our accommodation.

The hotel was a short 5 minute drive from Playa Blanca's centre, we had read that a car was easiest but there was a fairly safe walk with a pavement if you fancied it. We did it once or twice and although it only took 20 minutes or so, it was quite hard work with the 2 kiddies.

This time we have booked into a smaller part of Playa Blanca towards Flamingo beach in a little family villa that we have booked through owners direct. I will of course share our thoughts on this, photos etc when we return.



Flamingo beach is a really small beach area that we stumbled across one day when we were out for a drive and absolutely fell in love with it. We ended up spending a lot of our week there in the end so to find a villa that is on it's doorstep was the perfect choice for us.

There is actually a TUI resort next to Flamingo beach too that has good reviews if you wanted more of a hotel based break.

Flamingo beach is a location we highly recommend with small children. It is the perfect Lanzarote beach! It is the perfect beach for the kids because it has really tranquil waters and really fine white sand, which they will play in all day long.  Flamingo beach has showers and sunbeds with umbrellas which is something we always look out for at a beach now that we have children to cater for. Along the perimeter of the beach there are shops and restaurants too, perfect to grab some lunch and snacks from.  Oh, and ice cream of course!

It is worth noting that this is a man made beach and so here you will find clean but imported sand and reliable breakwaters, which means the water is shallow and gentle.

Shall update this as soon as I have more details on our next stay!

We recently went to Copenhagen for a long weekend to soak in some festive atmosphere before the chaos of Christmas actually struck.

Not only did we find some of the most gorgeous Christmas markets and shops but we also found some lovely, hidden gems of bars. We were lucky that we (I say WE lightly, it was Ben!) did some research before we went and had a little list of places we wanted to go to when we were there and there were a couple of bars and restaurants on that little list.

Top of the list has to be Ruby, an understated Cocktail Bar which from the outside you may never know is there except for a little neon sign that hangs above the door. Ruby is placed in an old terraced townhouse in the oldest part of town, directly opposite the parliament buildings and Thorvaldsens museum. You go through a door which feels as if you may be wandering directly into someones house and amble your way through to what feels like a lounge. It is dark in there and slightly mysterious, but the atmosphere is indulgent and special. The cocktails were not cheap but they were really good! If you are looking for a cocktail bar in Copenhagen then I would highly recommend here.

Image: Telegraph. (It was too dark to take my own!)

Next up is Lidkoeb. Now this place really is hidden. You walk down some random alleys and end up at the back of what looks like an old disused building. Located down a windy old street in Vesterbro, Lidkoeb is a bit hard to find but definitely worth it. Lidkoeb is a cocktail bar with two floors of cocktails and the top floor is a whisky bar. When we arrived at a weekend around 9pm it was very busy. There was not anywhere to sit but we were able to stand to the side of the bar until some seats at the bar become free. It was a beautiful location and the atmosphere was nice, it appeared to attract a nice clientele that enjoyed good drinks, all be it for quite a big price tag again. But again watching the mixologists at work I would say they were worth every penny.

Overall we found it friendly, good service, great products and a cosy atmosphere.



Next up, is Noho. This is in the meatpacking district where you can find several really cool bar and restaurants. If you are into instagram worthy venues then this is your place. NOHO is one of those places that when you step in for the first time you just can’t stop looking at the interior design, the flowers all over the ceiling and the beautiful neon lights. Again on a Saturday night this place was very busy. The restaurant side of the venue was full and the bar appeared full too. However, after we had been there a while we noticed there was also a downstairs and that lead to lots of areas of seating.

Image: Noho

Have I missed any top bars?

We were lucky enough to be invited to stay at Club Farret at the end of the summer season this year with Eurocamp for our family holiday. We have visited France with Eurocamp previously but a different site, Le Brasilia. Club Farret is in the same region but a slightly different part.



It's been a couple of weeks since we returned home from our week away at Club Farret campsite with Eurocamp and autumn has well and truly hit here in the UK, heading to France at that time in the season was a lovely way to end our summer adventures.

As a family we absolutely love France and it really suits our holiday lifestyle. The slow pace, good weather, beautiful beaches and amazing food is all we ask for on our week away and France ticks all of our boxes, as did the campsite we chose this year. When we were given the chance to choose a stay with Eurocamp, I knew straight away that France was our best option  - I mean the flight time has a big part to play in that but also we are never disappointed. The last time we visited we paid for the whole visit ourselves and knew we would return one day.



Club Farret looked great because it looked like it had something for everyone, I was particularly drawn in by the pool which has a roof that closes when the weather isn't so great. With us going at the end of the season there was a fair risk that it would rain so knowing we have something to do if it did was good. And actually it did rain on our last day - so it was a good job!

Accommodation

We stayed in one of Eurocamp's newest mobile homes which is called the Azure. It has 3 bedrooms, separate shower room to toilet and I have to say we were really impressed.

The mobile home had a large airy living area that was really spacious and certainly big enough for our family of 4. We had a small double bedroom and 2 twin bedrooms, each of the kiddies had one each which suited us perfectly as they have their own room sat home and it saved them waking each other up.

The bathroom was great too, although because we aren't used to it, it did take some time to get used to the toilet being in a separate room. You know what children are like as soon as they hear running water!! But it was fine, no issue at all.

The mobile homes are equipped with everything you need for your holiday and that includes the kitchen area which has an oven (Gas by the way, it took me a while to realize I needed to ignite it!!),  fridge with a mini freezer, microwave and all the utensils you would need.

Outside there is a large decking area outside which the kids really made themselves at home with. It had a BBQ, dining table and chairs and also the clothes airer for all those soggy swimsuits and towels you will have! This also had a gate you could shut which was great for roaming toddlers!

The Location

This site is only around 12 miles from Beziers airport so even though we personally did you wouldn't need to hire a car to get there from the airport. We actually flew into Perpignan as the flights were half the price and even that was only an hour away in the car.

This site is located on the coast with direct access to a large beach. The beach was beautifully clean and really wide and open, plenty of space for the kids to run and roam about. There are plenty of shops nearby and there is actually a shop on site too that was pretty good too, obviously a little more expensive as you would expect.



The pools were amazing on this site and were the absolute highlight for Daisy and Alex.

 We moved around the different pools each day to mix things up a little but one thing we did love was that each day at the Pirates Beach pool there is an aqua fitness class which Daisy absolutely loved!

Tao Beach and the Aquadome were our closest pools only a few metres away. The Aquadome is the pool wit the sliding roof and all of the water slides by the way!



As well as the great pool areas there are a few play parks around the site too. There is one attached to the kids club (which I can't comment on as we didn't use t this time!) and there was also a big play park behind it with loads of sand too.  There were swings, climbing areas, slides and a massive pirate boat climbing frame. Also by the other pool closer to our home there was a small play park area which was more suitable for pre-schoolers with a slide and climbing frame. It was a bit little for Daisy but they didn't complain.  Everything on the site was really well maintained and looked in good condition.

You can also catch up on a short video I put together of our trip here. Please do let me know of any other sites that you have loved and watch our for more photos shared over here in the coming weeks.





*Accommodation was gifted in return for honest coverage but all travel etc was paid for by ourselves. 

We will soon be heading off to France with Eurocamp and thought it would be a good time now to share our last experience with you.

Last time we headed to a site called Le Brasilia after flying in to Perpignan. It was a short transfer to the site, which was a massive bonus for us. I should also mention that our last visit was not sponsored in any way, we paid for the whole trip ourselves.

So on to the review:

First up if we were to look for a self - catering holiday location we always go for the option where you have space. Space for a young family to run about, explore and well, be free. We sometimes opt for Villa holidays and other times we love this kind of mobile home camping holiday.


This time we stayed with Eurocamp in one of their Aspect units. We opted for a two bedroom holiday home which was plenty big enough but for sleep arrangements (with a baby who was dead set on waking up their older sister) we do wish that we had booked the 3 bedroom. Next time we will, for the small price difference it would have been worth it for us. We ended up with the travel cot plonked in the living area, which wasn't a massive problem, but it would have been better tucked away in their own bedroom.

The holiday home is kitted out for everything you may need. We also were provided with not only the travel cot but also a bed guard for Daisy, a potty (not that we needed it), a high chair, a step for the toilet and also a baby bath. The bath actually was brilliant, it was big enough to sit in the shower tray and not only bath Alex but also Daisy (3 year old!). She was able to sit in it and wash away the sand from rummaging around on the beach all day.

You can see on the photo above that the decking area is also really spacious and what we loved most was that it was all enclosed. So they could roam about with us worrying they were going to fall down the steps or escape! It meant we could keep the sliding doors open any time we were back there.


Not only was our home spotless and well equipped but the park itself was beautiful. I actually think La Brasilia was the nicest campsite that I have ever stayed on. It somehow didn't look like a campsite, it seemed a bit too "fancy". You can see by the pool areas how nice it was, the spa looked beautiful (from the outside, I wasn't lucky enough to give it a go!) and the restaurants and shopped were great.

It was only when you went to the mini supermarket and the entertainment disco area that you were reminded it was a campsite. The supermarket and take away etc was not cheap but I think you expect that in this kind of establishment, like anywhere when you are holidaying really. We used to go to the hypermarket up the road and do some shopping for our lunches and a few evening meals and it actually worked out quite reasonable, we brought home a fair few euros for our next trip!







Hayley x

We would certainly travel to Italy again with our children and travel about to see as much as possible. We found October to be a great time to go as it was warm and dry most days but not uncomfortable to walk around in, it was just right for Daisy.

To see the site you can find the link here.

If you have any further questions please feel free to ask,

Hayley xx

Please do not copy photographs without our permission

source: https://unsplash.com/photos/TVllFyGaLEA

I recently did a blog post all around New York and the Best free things to do in New York and I thought I would continue my little series with my top tips that I would suggest when hitting NYC!

They are a real mixed bags but I stand by my tips, even if some of you may disagree. Of course we all go to New York for different reasons with differing expectations so your tips may vary slightly to mine. I would love to know what your top tips would be too though...



(1) Look at the different area of Manhattan when deciding where you stay. Getting around the city is fairly easy so you don't need to worry about being too close to one particular landmark, unless you want to of course. People appear to be sucked into the Times Square area because it is what they know, but you can get far superior accommodation by moving outwards from that zone for far less $! Definitely visit the area and soak in the sights, but it is busy and noisy and well there are far nicer areas to go to bed in!

(2) Don't be afraid of the subway. We put it off until our last day and honestly, it was super easy and we wondered why we hadn't used it previously.



(3) Get out and explore Manhattan. Our favourite thing to do was to just walk. Walk, walk, walk the streets and see where you end up! Most of the time we had a vague idea of where were heading but were not worried if we strayed off the path a little. There is much to see and if you are relying on tubes etc to get you from one end to another you may miss that special something. Of course the tbe is great at times and very, very handy but when you can, try to amble a bout a bit.

(4) Avoid the big fast food chains if you can. You may just find the best meal you have ever had at an authentic New York restaurant. There are some great Facebook groups where people are giving their reviews on attractions, cafes etc so head over there and wee what they have to say. I won't lie I had a cheeky McDonalds breakfast but it was out of desperate measures one morning at around 6am! (Jet lag.... )



(5) This may sound a little odd but get out of Manhattan and wee what else is around. We walked over the Brooklyn Bridge one afternoon and spent quite a few hours milling about Brooklyn. We just wish we had longer to explore more. The atmosphere and pace was different and it was a really cool place.

(6) be aware of the tipping culture. All I would say on this is having a read up on the etiquette before you go!

When we recently visited NYC we pre-booked a helicopter trip with FLYNYON for our last day before we headed home.

We contemplated for a while on whether we do it, if we do it with doors on or off, is it worth the money? And so on. It took us a few weeks to decide but finally we came across a discount code for 50% off and just jumped into booking a doors off experience. I have come to realise that these discount codes are forever flying about and if you sign up to their emails that you are bound to get one every few weeks, just hang on in there if you're wanting to book too as the discount will come in good time.

Now, I know not everyone has this kind of money "spare" and that maybe it could be seen as a bit extravagant but hands down it was worth every single penny for us. We would do it again in a flash without a moment of hesitation.



I will put some photos up and also a video I created which shares some of the footage I got on the flight and I think that will speak for itself. For a while before we went on our trip I had followed FLYNYON’s Instagram feed and they always share the most beautiful shots, I think it is pretty difficult to get a bad picture of Manhattan from that angle!

I do think the company itself could work on a few things such as organisation but to be honest the flight itself erased all of the negative little thoughts that I may have about them. When you get to their hanger (it is over in NJ so a bit of a drive away from central NYC) it is a little bit unorganized, no one knows where they are going, you're rushed into various briefings and then someone tried to sell us an upgrade, I am pretty sure it is normal procedure for them. I can't blame them for trying!



We actually snapped their hand off with the upgrade and got a much longer flight for an additional cost and again it was really worth it.

We had been very unlucky with the weather for a day or so and it had meant we hadn't done everything that we really wanted to do such as the Empire state of the Top of the Rock as the fog was just too bad. So when we had glorious day with no clouds in the sky we couldn't really say no!





So what was it like hanging your legs out of a helicopter? Exactly as you would imagine it to be. Incredible and unreal all in one go. The speed it goes is unbelievable and for the whole time we were up there it just didn't feel real somehow! Obviously while flying a helicopter over New York without doors it does mean you need to be strapped into a harness for safety, you really do feel very secure. Your camera gear is also attached to yourself so it doesn’t fall or get tangled anywhere. We managed to fly past some of New York’s most amazing landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge, Battery Park, One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, and Central Park.






Would I recommend it? Absolutely.  If you have the money or you can justify the expense, do it.

This post is in no way sponsored (sadly!!), the flights were paid for with our own money!