How to Ensure You Get Your Bag Intact in the Airport Arrivals Hall

I was chatting to Cath from Passports and Adventures, (on social media of course) about how hard air travel can be with little ones. 

Even without children, one of my biggest worries is arriving at my destination without my luggage. Imagine having to spend your holiday money on essentials and a new wardrobe! Cath had lots of great tips and ideas and I asked her to share them with us.

Cath, Alex and their gorgeous German Shepherd 

Cath is an Irish expat who now lives in Portugal with her husband and son. A former scientist, she gave up working when they emigrated south from the UK. She is a family travel blogger and hopes that, through her blog, they will inspire more families to travel, especially with the toddlers in tow. As a family they love travelling and have started working their way through their family travel bucket list. Cath writes about their family travels and experiences on her blog, Passports and Adventures.

Here are her tips.

Christmas Gift Guide 2018 - Something For Everyone

Christmas Gift Guide 2018  - Something For Everyone

*Contains PR samples

Christmas shopping, love it or hate it, we all have to do it. We all want to buy the perfect gift, something that they will love and use.

It can be overwhelming and so it often gets left until the last minute and then we fall back on the traditional, socks for him, perfume for her.

We have a selection of gifts that you may not have thought of, something for everyone. From children and the young at heart to the crafter and the home.

Not only are there gifts for everyone but for all pockets too, from a little luxury to a stocking filler for children that is free.

Christmas is about spending time with friends and family, not stressing about what to buy.

We have lots of ideas so grab a drink, get comfortable and enjoy browsing our 2018 Christmas Gift Guide.

Plantabox Personalised Wooden Apple Crates - Review

Plantabox Personalised Wooden Apple Crates - Review

Whenever I am asked to review personalised gifts I struggle. I do not use Bear and Bee's real names so can't have those, but when Plantabox asked me if I would like to review* their personalised wooden apple crates, I said yes.

As soon as I saw them I knew exactly what I wanted and what I would put on them. They make gorgeous toy boxes too which I would have loved but decided I would have something for Grandad and me.

If you are looking for a gift, Plantabox have something for everyone.

Brio Police Station - Review

Brio Police Station - Review

Sometimes we get sent toys to review*, many are just lovely and we enjoy playing with them. Some are fabulous and become Bear's favourite. The Brio Police Station is awesome (Bears words) and quickly became his favourite toy. 

We have had Brio in our toy box since Bear's daddy was small, that's going back to the early 1990s. We still have that Brio, although it's now a little battered. We love that little hands can fit it together and each time it is played with the layout is different. Bear is fascinated by police and bad guys, this is just perfect for him and any child 3+.

Cleaning Without Chemicals - Reducing My Plastic Footprint

Cleaning Without Chemicals - Reducing My Plastic Footprint 

Back in August I started my journey into reducing my plastic footprint. I'm commited to making a difference, who isn't after seeing those images on the TV?

I'm not a crusader, more a plodder. I think if I start with the easy stuff, then the trickier bits will just fall into place. So I ditched the plastic wrap (cling film) and it was so much easier than I thought, in fact I prefer the way I store food in my fridge now.

Then I was introduced to Mrs Hinch via her instagram account. For ages I didn't watch her stories, as I hate cleaning. Peer pressure and FOMO, (fear of missing out) made me watch.

A Walk on Brean Down

A Walk on Brean Down

Difficulty - Moderate ascent, easy once up
Parking - £3.50 all day, free for NT members

On a clear day we can see Brean Down from Cardiff. The headland sticks out into the sea which as the crow flies is only 13 miles away. Unfortunately we have to use the roads so it's 63 miles and a toll bridge (return journey only. Tolls are being scrapped from Dec 2018), so is it worth the bother? Absolutely!