Well, it seems I haven’t been around much this year, so here is a little life update. It is not for the want of thinking about it, I can tell you. This year has been a whirlwind of things. Busyness and fun, adventures and experiences. All of which have been far from the computer and my poor, neglected, blog. Looking confused as to where the time has gone Back with the travel With the pandemic and moving house, travel wasn’t a main part in my life for the past few years. This year has been made up of a few trips already, which has been great! Copenhagen was fabulous (other than bringing Covid h ..read more

It is so easy in the autumn and winter to slip into the rut of feeling miserable about the weather. I have read so many posts on Instagram and Twitter expressing extreme distaste for the current forecast that it prompted me to write this post to share another view.  First off, if you live in the UK like me, we are guaranteed to get wet and windy weather. We can get it on any day, in any season. And it is more than just reserved for the latter part of the year. I have written a few times about how to get out in the wet weather, which you can read here – there are tips for the reasons share ..read more

If I watched adverts I am sure that I would see everything around ‘New Year, New Me’. It is something that comes with the turn of every calendar and will never go away. Resolutions are not my bag (as you might know from older posts) but ‘New Year, Same Me’ I can really rock! Why no resolutions? While I have nothing against anyone setting themselves some intentions or goals for the year, I personally don’t feel like I have to do it on the first of January. It is so easy to see the new year as a clean slate. As an opportunity to recreate yourself, or make up for all the (so-called) flaws you spo ..read more

AD – It is no secret that I love Christmas and the lights that fill our streets during the festive period. I have always admired Christmas at Dunham Massey with their light trail, so was delighted to be invited along this year on the opening night! Dunham Massey Lights Trail While Christmas at Dunham Massey has always been a lovely time, the addition of the mile-long lights trail has added that extra sprinkle of magic! With the opening evening on a Thursday evening, I was excited for it as a nice mid-week treat. There’s nothing like shaking things up with something different to fill the dark ..read more

I have vaguely heard about Walktober in the past. It doesn’t seem to be much of a thing in the UK (yet!). It seems to have originated in 2016 from The University of Texas as part of their Living Well programme, or from Hamshire as part of a school programme. They even had prizes to keep participants motivated through the autumnal days and potentially inclement weather. While it can be quite easy to stay active outdoors during the summer when it is drier and warmer, we sometimes need an extra boost of motivation to get out when it is cold and wet. And typical autumn comes with a lot of that if ..read more

Get Outside Day is an idea coined by Ordnance Survey to encourage more people to get outside. A simple concept, which is promoted by the Get Outside Champions. Usually, I will spend time with Zoe (Splodz) and Katy (Katyish) doing as many outdoor activities as we can. We have done it for the first year in 2018 and again in 2019, but last year and this didn’t come off – for obvious reasons! So this year, fortuitously, I had friends staying so got to get outside with them instead. Time outdoors with friends is always time well spent. Macclesfield Forest Since moving to the south of Manchester, we ..read more

Living in the UK it is inevitable that, eventually, we will have to tackle walking in the rain. While it might seem simple, there are some considerations that you might need to take. I know a lot of people avoid walking in the rain, so I took to Twitter to find out what stops you from getting out there when the heavens open. In this post, I’ll address the problems you shared and some solutions to hopefully make walking on the wetter days more enjoyable. Wet Glasses & Rain in your Eyes A repeat answer to my question was around the wet glasses/rain in your eyes and not being able to see. I k ..read more

There’s nothing quite like exploring the grand gardens of a country house on a sunny day. During the last heatwave, I decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to head to Cheshire to wander around Arley Hall and its gardens. While the hall might have been shut on our visit, there was plenty in the gardens to keep us entertained. Arley Hall Arley Hall was built between 1832 and 1845 by Rowland Edgerton-Warburton and designed by local Nantwich architect George Latham. It is central to the grounds so has a wonderful view over the fields and gardens. If you are around my age, you might reco ..read more

I’m not usually one for writing opinion pieces on this blog, but the misuse of the term staycation has been bugging me. As a huge fan of the humble (but brilliant!) staycation, I feel that it needs addressing. And, as it turns out, there are more people like me sharing their opinion about it on Twitter. What is a “staycation” then? This year has seen increased use of the term “staycation” referring to UK holidays. Taking a week off to pack the family up to go and stay for a week in Cornwall for example, a weekend in Lincolnshire, or an overnight stay in North Wales. Traditionally the term mean ..read more

So many people are jetting off for trips overseas or taking a couple of weeks off to enjoy some time in another part of the UK. While I would love to do these things, it’s not always feasible. With things to do at home, my recent house move, and of course my cats, it doesn’t always work out. And this is then the joy of day holidays comes into its own. Overlooking the River Dee in ChesterWhat is a “day holiday”? A day holiday is essentially a day trip, but with more excitement wrapped up in the planning and the journey. You might even expect to plan a few activities to do on the day to make the ..read more