Tag Archives: British Lifestyle Blogger Cheshire

How to plan a great weekend trip with kids

May 9, 2019 By in Kids Section, Travel Tags: , , , , , , , 19 Comments

We love travelling and creating memories as a family. Which is why we try to explore our surroundings as much as we can, and travel internationally at least twice a year. So vacations and a weekend trip is always on the radar. We are yet to go anywhere this year for many reasons. However, travel is still on the cards. We just need to get organised and get a holiday booked (we are usually so last minute on travel related plans for many other reasons but we are getting better).

 

 

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We have been on a few trips within the country this year. Our first trip was to Birmingham for 2 nights for new year. Then we visited Chelmsford Essex in February for a weekend away. And we spent the spring break in London and Essex. We were there for 2 weeks exploring the cities, and it was a lot of fun. I am kind of a mini guru when it comes to planning a weekend trip with kids. My twins are 5 years old, and we have been travelling around and outside the country since there were babies. So I kind of know what to do when it comes to comes travelling with children.

 

Here are some of my tried and tested tips –

 

Plan your trip well in advance

I am a very organised person, which is why I like planning our trips before we go. I always have a packing list so I don’t leave anything behind. There is also another list; I usually call this list the itinerary list. This itinerary list contains our plans for the actual trip. So places we plan to visit, prices for attractions, alternative attractions, travel routes, and so on. That way I know what to expect and I prepare myself and the kids for it. Planning in advance also allows me space out our activities so we are not too shattered. This preparation usually helps our trip go really smoothly.

 

Book child-friendly accommodation

When booking a hotel for our trips, we ensure we pick a child-friendly accommodation. So spacious rooms with beds for the kids is a must. A hotel with good internet connection, restaurant, room service and concierge to help with the luggage. I also like great customer service, which is why I make sure to check Trip Advisor’s website for reviews. That way we don’t get any nasty surprises.

 

Involve the kids

I make sure to get the kids involved in our trips. They know well in a advance where we are going and we plan to do there. I also get them involved in packing before the trip and activities while holidaying. I find that getting them involved gets them all excited and keeps them well behaved.

 

 

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Have snacks and entertainment ready

I never leave the house for hours with the kids without snacks. Having snacks and some form of entertainment while out and about with children definitely helps. My crossbody bag comes in really handy for popping little snacks in, especially when we are on the move. They definitely make our trips go

 

Stick to the routine

We try to stick to our routine as much as possible when holidaying. Sometimes it is not possible at all to do so, but we try our best. Routines are so important with young children, and they help them behave better. Which is why we try to stick to ours when on holiday. Children thrive on a routine, so it is important to implement this even when on vacation.

 

Do you have any tips for planning a great weekend trip with kids? Please share your tried and tested tips in the comments section below.

 

 

How to Have An Intimate Wedding

April 30, 2019 By in Lifestyle Tags: , , , , , 16 Comments

*Collaborative post.

Many couples agree that when it comes to weddings; intimate and low-key beats a huge overly fussy event. Couples crave a more personal, intimate celebration with fewer people. It means that there’s more time for you to spend with your guests and really enjoy the day and everyone’s special contributions. So how do you have an intimate wedding? Check out these wedding tips below. 

 

Set A Smaller Budget

You might want to maximise your budget by having a minimal number of guests. You might prefer a small and cosy lunch at your favourite restaurant with your nearest and dearest than a bland hall full of more than 200 guests that you don’t know very well. Potentially invite only immediate family to the ceremony and have a larger get-together for your friends and colleagues. It might be an idea to even serve smaller ‘finger-food’ plates instead of a lavish sit-down meal. A smaller wedding means not cutting corners, just to ensure that you have a larger turnout. It might be worthwhile considering cutting the guest list in half to ensure that you get all that you’ve envisioned on the day.

 

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Go All-Out For Your Guests

A small wedding gives you the opportunity to really impress your guests. You can really roll out the red carpet for your guests and give them the VIP treatment. You could put together elaborate gift bags or luxurious spa treatments for them in the lead up to the big day. The limits really are endless. Keeping things small means that all the extra details, that just aren’t possible when the guest list exceeds several pages, are suddenly possible.

 

Don’t Forget The Details

When planning a small wedding day, be sure to give care when it comes to the finer details. It’s not necessary to hire a wedding consultant or specialist but be aware that tiny little hiccups that may have gone unnoticed at a much larger event will be glaringly obvious at a more intimate do.

 

Get Some Awesome Entertainment

A fabulous part of having an intimate wedding- everyone can get involved. With fewer people to worry about, you can really go to the effort of making them feel like they are truly a part of your special day and make sure that everyone is having a blast. Don’t want the typical cheesy wedding singer repertoire? Take a look at some Alternative wedding singers, like the ones at this website.  

 

Have A Destination Wedding

Take advantage of having a small number of your nearest and dearest and plan a destination wedding. Grab a cheap flight over to a Balearic beach or hire out a small cottage in the countryside for the weekend. Stretching out the festivities a few chilled days of eating, drinking and being merry, allows you to relax, and really bond with your guests.

Do you any tips for having an intimate wedding? Please share in the comments section below.

Money Saving Tips for the Self Employed

April 15, 2019 By in Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , 25 Comments

*Collaborative post.

 

Working for your self can be very tricky. One month can be very busy with you making more money than you know what to do with it. Another month can have you literally surviving with the coins in your wallet. Which is why you have to be savvy with your money to survive as a self-employed person. You can not afford to spend every penny you make because you never know how busy or not busy the next month would be.  This is the reason why many people cannot afford to work for themselves.

When there is no steady pay check, many people will struggle to manage their money. They may easily find themselves struggling to pay their monthly bills, when work is quiet. Which is why I am grateful there are credit facilities like CashLady and Credit Cards to use on essentials when money is tight. You never know when you will need services like them, so it is good to know they are available.

 

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Here are some money saving tips for the self employed –

 

Buy everything you need online

This may not sound like a money-saving tip but trust me it is. I do 99% of my shopping online. The 1% is when I am out and about and need to grab something. Or the odd time we run out of groceries, and I need to head out to our local supermarket to grab some essentials. I do all my shopping online because he saves me money. Shopping in the stores is way too expensive for me. Apart from the fact that I have to get to the shops physically, which costs money obviously, I am usually tempted to buy more than I planned to buy. Shopping online keeps me focused. I buy exactly what I need without wasting money on what the shops want me to “need”.

 

Do it yourself

I try to do all I can myself. So childcare, cleaning, cooking and everything in between, I do myself. Managing my time and working from home helps me sort out my chores and daily activities. That way I save my money. Outsourcing jobs like these means you spend more money. So doing it myself helps my money go for longer. It also allows me spend more time with my growing kids. I am proud to say I have never paid for childcare, thanks to me being able to work from home.

 

Meal Plan

To avoid wasting food and eating out way more than you can afford to, you need to have a weekly meal plan. My health  and wallet has changed for the better since I started planning meals in advance. Meal planning gives me the opportunity to include all I need in the weekly online shop. It also allows me cook from scratch because I know what needs to be done and I plan my days towards getting them done. If you don’t meal plan, I suggest you try doing this now and see how much money you save. Also, food wastage would be a thing of the past as you would only buy want you need for your meals.

 

What do you think fo these money-saving tips?

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