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Dear Daisy, It is your first day at school...

Venice with Children


Venice is pretty spectacular. That's not the kind of word I tend to use very often but it just seems to fit in this instance. 




Venice with kids is perhaps not the same kind of romantic trip as it might be as a couple, but it can still be enjoyed with little ones and it's still just as amazing.  

If we are honest it is fairly unlikely Daisy will ever remember her trip to Venice, she was just under 2 years old after all. But she had a great time while we were there and we captured some memories for her to look back on. 






We found ourselves just walking about taking it all in but did end up on the main square a few times. We aren't made of money and so the idea of a coffee in Piazza San Marco wasn't too appealing, as much as I would have loved to have sat and watched everyone scurrying past while having an Aperol. It just wouldn't have been worth it with a toddler to have to chase about. But we did spend quite a lot of time say in the square and wandering about. Daisy had a little boogy to the orchestra outside one of the cafes, chased the pigeons around the square and sat on the step to enjoy a gelato in the square. She may not remember those moments but as parents we will. 





We didn't visit the museums and do much of the "adult" type visits because Daisy just wouldn't have been interested. But if I'm honest I was happy to just roam about and explore the city. We hopped on water taxis from one side to the other and just enjoyed the time rambling about stopping for a coffee, gelato or pizza en route! 

We had Daisy in her carrier most of the time as I really would not recommend a pushchair in Venice. The grounds uneven, it's busy and there are lots of obstacles to tackle and I can't imagine it would be pleasant trying to do that with a buggy! I did a review here all about how we used it on our travels. 

Venice is a bit of a maze, albeit a very pretty one that makes you feel like you're in a story rather than real life. It’s fairly small, and even if you do get lost, you will soon find signs on the walls pointing to the Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco, or Ferrovia (train station) which helps you to guide yourself.  

We did just two days in Venice before heading to the lakes and we stayed outside of the main city in a hotel, mainly because hotels within the canals are crazy money and secondly we wanted to be by the train station for our transport links.






One day I would love to return for the weekend and just take it much slower, eat more food, drink more coffee and Aperol (I was pregnant with Alex when we were there last!)  and ideally stay in the city to see how different it is when you experience it that way.

Hayley X

The Perfect Day Out in Birmingham

Last weekend we headed to Birmingham for a "adults" day out, minus the children obviously!

We were meeting friends that we haven't seen in a while and Birmingham is our central spot and we always have a good day out when we head there.

I wanted to share with you where we headed and what we got up to so you too can have some inspiration if you manage to visit soon.

First up we headed to Zizzi at the Mailbox for some rustica pizzas and cocktails. The Mailbox isn't far from the train station at New Street so it was a good place to start where we were guaranteed some nice food and where we could have a look around the shops afterwards. This is where Harvey Nichols is so if you fancy shopping a little on the higher end this is where to head. We had a quick look around the cosmetics stands and headed for a pick me up in the form of an espresso martini at the bar before wondering back towards the centre of the city.

Our next stop was Dirty Martini on Bennett's Hill where we all chose various cocktails on the menu. We were lucky to get there for happy hour (which is actually between 12-8pm on a Saturday!) so enjoyed half price Martinis. I couldn't actually believe how busy it was in the cocktail bars around town, considering we were there at around 4pm. It did quieten down towards later afternoon into the evening before it got busier again at around 8pm.

Dirty Martini Birmingham

We actually stayed here for a good few hours making the most of happy hour, people watching and catching up.


We then headed to a few other bars before finishing off at Lost and Found. The decor in here is so insta worthy, it is whimsical and floral and just really grand. It was absolutely beautiful! The flowers on the ceiling were gorgeous and made me want to do it in our home!

Lost and Found Birmingham

We had a fantastic day. There is so much choice in the city of all kinds of bars, restaurants and cafes. Not to mention the shopping. One day soon we will be back to have a girls day shopping and to try out a few more of the cocktail bars I think!

Hayley x

Hotels.com have kindly gifted me some spending money but all opinions are my own.

The Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter Low Down

If you follow my YouTube channel then you will have seen I have recently been raving about this product. The Body Shop Camomile cleansing butter is absolutely beautiful. Which I always find an odd phrase to say about a cleanser but that is honestly how it feels when you use it on your face.

The Cleansing Butter is a make-up remover for the whole face. It gently and efficiently melts away make-up and impurities, leaving skin feeling clean and pampered whilst smelling absolutely divine.

vegan skincare options

body shop cleansing butter

It is a thick, oily texture that you scoop a little out of and gently rub all over your face and then wipe off with a warm, soft cloth. It amazes me how it just melts away your eye make up. Sure, you look absolutely horrifying whilst rubbing it on to your eyes and resembling a very frightening Panda but then it just vanishes. Like pure magic!

My skin is left feeling beautifully soft and clean. I quite often then just wipe over my face with a Liz Earle toner (Just what I am currently using) to remove any last bits of cleanser left on my face or tiny bits of make up and to leave me leaving really fresh.

This isn't a brand new to market product as I think it has been out a little while now but it really is worth picking up. It’s marketed for sensitive skin and being a smooth, oily butter means it would be suitable for both oily and dryer skins so it a great all round product! The ingredients include Olive fruit oil, Shea butter, Sunflower oil and Chamomile.

This product retails at around the £10 mark and is worth every penny. If you try one product from The Body Shop this year make it this!