At its most basic level, carbon offsetting is the reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide (or other greenhouse gases) made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. It’s measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (so, any greenhouse gas, rather than simply CO2, see more on that in our climate change basics post). Rather than making reductions in emissions themselves, companies, families or individuals tend to buy-up parts of schemes which actively reduce CO2 emissions through low carbon alternatives (like renewable energy) or sequestering projects (like tree planting or peat ..read more

There has been a huge rush on UK staycations over the last two years with many of us travelling to unknown pockets of our own country to discover spectacular spots, incredible adventures, delightful views, invigorating walks and gorgeous places to stay. But on that latter point, the places to stay, we’re often left wanting. Trapped between boutique boltoles which break the bank and, well, camping. Unique hideaways is a really lovely way to plug that gap. If you’re a glamper who likes it posh, or a cottage fan who wants to get back to (tastefully designed) basics, then this is for you.  Un ..read more

I’ve been ogling Kip since they launched. The concept is super simple and completely lovely - you pay £14 per year to access their set of 150 beautiful, unique, affordable and small properties in the UK that you might otherwise never find without some serious trawling time.  Although they lead with ‘uniqueness’, the look and feel of a Kip stay is something that is quite consistent - every place has incredible attention to detail, gorgeous style and a deep consideration and knowledge of the local area - owners are in it for the love of it and it really shows in the look and feel of the pro ..read more

I spotted EcoHotels.com on Instagram recently not because of anything ‘green’ per se, but because they had some gorgeous content and imagery from their hotel groups which made me give in to some serious wanderlust! Intrigued by the name, I got in touch with founder Patricia Plesner Arnsted to find out a bit more about her eco-friendly booking site.  EcoHotels.com was set up in 2020 by Patricia after her MSc at Columbia was cancelled by Covid. Chatting to her hotelier cousin they started cooking up an idea that would support smaller independent hotels by offering low percentage booking fee ..read more

When I met my husband, he was a cyclist and I was very much not a cyclist. I once tried riding his bike and had clean forgotten how to ride - I fell off, slow motion, sideways in a sort of comedy/agony moment! Starting-out for the first time as an adult was not that simple, and I really feel for people who are dusting off old bikes to get themselves to work because they’re usual commute is disrupted. Here are some top tips that might help.   1. Make it roadworthy Thankfully, bike shops are allowed to stay open during lockdown. If you’ve got a rickety old thing and (like me) have no idea ..read more

It *might* just be me who left the summer planning until the very last minute and then struggled to find any accommodation at all in this country without having to spend £4k a night for a hovel in a bad bit of a town I don’t want to visit. But on the off chance that anyone else is in the same boat, here are some of the very few delightful camping and glamping sites with availability in August.    1. Wheems Organic Farm, Orkney To properly get away from it all, camping in the Orkneys takes some beating! Wheems faces south and east on a hillside above sea-cliffs and beaches on South ..read more

Arriving by train is unbelievably romantic. I lived for a long time between London and France, so it’s always been a relief to be able to hop on a train and avoid all the nightmares of airports and transfers - instead taking a relaxing trip almost from my front door and arriving in Paris for lunch - it’s bliss (I know, super smug too). Taking the train (or driving) instead of flying also makes a massive impact on carbon footprints. So much so that I’m trying to cut down on flying where I can and save the air-miles for the trips that really need it.  I’d previously considered train holiday ..read more

We recently had a week in Cornwall which blew our minds. It might be something about coming out of lockdown, and it might be because we’re starting to know the place well. It might be the weather and it’s probably something about being in water everyday. Whatever it is, I *think* we might have become a family which returns to a place a lot! Trains run regularly from London and take five hours (book at least four weeks ahead for a decent price). From almost anywhere else it’s a long drive so get those playlists ready! That drive is so worth it and forgotten as soon as you have a cold drink ..read more

My sisters and I have booked tickets to take ourselves and some of our many children to a very lovely little festival in Pippington Park, East Sussex called Into The Trees.  It’s in September, so we’ve got time to get buying our eco-glitter(!) But we’re not busy scouring the line-up or negotiating who gets to see headliners and who puts the kids to bed, cos it’s not really that kind of festival.  Into The Trees is about getting kids into some nature in really fun ways - taking a weekend out in one of the South East’s most unique landscapes and jumping on a rare chance to relax and a ..read more

As soon as lockdown lifted, we were straight on the A2, loaded-up with paddle boards, to visit our friends who were part of the recent mass exodus from London (in their defence, they did make the decision to leave before covid was around). We had such a brilliant time and have found such a great variety of things to do whenever we’ve popped dow so I thought I’d write about here. With or without kids, this beautiful bit of Kent isn’t just well-connected to the capital, it’s also got loads to offer on the food front, excellent antique shops, lots of water sports, blustery walks and even wine-tas ..read more