Journeys Are My Diary

Life, Adventures, Entertainment and more - A little bit of everything blog!

Jersey Diary – Day 6

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Though the morning started off looking grey, the weather was predicting a pretty nice day so we sat down as a family and tried to decide what we would do. Visiting a castle was top of my list and Chris wanted to see a museum and in the end it was planned that we would try to do both. We headed into St Helier and parked the car, walking to the place where we assumed ferries took us over to Elizabeth Castle. We had just missed the 12 o’clock ferry and so sat down to wait till the 12.30 one. The ferry was one of those amphibious ones, that went from land to sea. We travelled over to the castle and spent majority of the day looking around the castle and eating lunch. There was a great cannon display too.

Making our way back to the entrance/exit, there was a huge queue for the next ferry and so we decided to walk. At low tide you can walk the causeway back and forth to the castle and since it was now 3 o’clock and walkable, we decided it would be fun. Sadly half way through the walk, the path was still covered with water so I had to take my shoes off to pass and the others had to jump through the deeper patches. It was fun though and the weather was beautiful so we all laughed about it. As we got to land again, we decided there wasn’t much point heading to the museum as it was only open for another hour. Instead we bought Jersey Cream ice creams and sat outside to eat them. We popped to a nearby supermarket and then headed back to the apartment where we had sandwiches for dinner, cookie dough pudding and watched a movie. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Jersey Diary – Day 5

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Since I’ve only just made yesterday’s post, today – I’m making myself do today’s as well so I’m all caught up. Today was a similar day to yesterday, with more continuous travel around the coast. The first thing we did was head out to where we left off yesterday, though not the exact place but the next bit along. Instead of heading up the A10 though, we wiggled through some inland on the way there. So starting really at Bonne Nuit Bay, we first stopped there and took pictures, actually at two different points on the bay. Next we went around Egypt and over to Bouley Bay where again we stopped for pictures.

We continued on around the coast until stopping again at Rozel Bay, then on again until Fliquet Bay. Just a little further on was St Catherine’s Breakwater and here we stopped for quite some time, walking the length of the breakwater and back again. Next came a few stops along St Catherine’s Bay, before stopping again at Gorey and Mont Orgueil Castle. We parked the car here for an hour, took pictures, visited a souvenier shop and even grabbed a coffee. However since we’d had bacon butties for breakfast before leaving the house, everyone wasn’t hungry still – despite the fact it was now 2.30. We decided to carry on around and view the Royal Bay of Gouville as we drove along it. We stopped next at La Rocque Point, then Le Hocq Pt and finally Green Island (where we also took a bit of a walk). Finally we drove back towards St Helier, still along the coast – seeing a few more parts as we drove threw – then finally back to the apartments. Finally we had begun to feel hungry and so we decided to have take-away and get it delivered there. I’m guessing the rest of the evening will be spent eating and relaxing. Here are today’s pics!

Jersey Diary – Day 4

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Yesterday we were out for so long and I took so many pictures, that when we arrived home I simply couldn’t be bothered to log on to my computer and write up a post. So instead I’m going to write what we did and throw a few pictures in underneath.

We started off in the morning, heading back to La Pulente, which is where we left off on the first full day. We followed the “Five Mile Road” along St Ouen’s Bay, stopping at random points for photos. After reaching the fort at the military museum, we followed the road around, staying as much as we could, close to the coast. We stopped at Grosnez Point, where there was Grosnez Castle ruins. Then we stopped again at Plemont Bay. We then headed to Greve De Lecq where we ended up stopping for lunch at a really nice cafe. After lunch we headed onwards to the Devil’s Hole where we took a pretty long walk and loads of photos. Finally we went to Sorel Point, before going back down the A10, popping into St Matthew’s Glass Church and then home again. Here are some of my favourite pictures from the day.

Today’s Route

 

Jersey Diary – Day 3

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Today was a pretty quiet day as it was pouring with rain for the majority of it. After having breakfast and backing up our swimming gear, we headed out to St Helier and to the Aquasplash. We got soaked from the car to the building which sucked a bit but it was okay once we got in and the kids enjoyed the swim while Chris and I managed some time in the sauna too.

After swimming we went to Tamba Arcade, which was much smaller than we expected but the girls enjoyed playing on Mario Kart, Whack-a-Minion and the Piano Keys game. Next we headed to KFC for some lunch before taking a wander into the town centre of St Helier itself. Sadly, due to the rain, we were really just running in and out of the occasional shop and didn’t see much of the place itself.

Finally we grabbed some more food shopping at the Co-op before heading back to the apartment. We were all pretty soaked and tired so spent the rest of the day watching TV, playing games and just relaxing. Hopefully we’ll get time to head back to St Helier on a finer day and actually see some of the statues and landmarks there.

Jersey Diary – Day 1

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I don’t often have time to blog daily but this week we’re away in Jersey and it’s definitely a “down-time” holiday. Because of that we’ll be in most evenings and I’ll have plenty of time to update. Today is Saturday and the day we officially went away, though technically we left the house yesterday and stayed in a Travelodge near Liverpool.

We got up this morning and grabbed a Subway lunch before packing the car up and heading to John Lennon’s Airport in Liverpool. We parked the car, walked to the airport and headed on through check-in and security. Once through we had plenty of time to waste so we looked around and then chilled out.

Eventually we were called to Gate 9 where we pretty much headed straight out and onto the plane. The journey was fairly uneventful (except for a bit of turbulence) and we arrived after only an hour. Once off the plane, we picked up the rental car from Hertz and then headed the very short distance to Boscobel Farm where we would be staying for the week.

We are staying in Apartment 1. It has a twin room (with extra pull-out bed), a double room and a sofa bed in the lounge. The kitchen and lounge are together in one room and then there’s a bathroom too. We’re on the ground floor.

We all unpacked and then headed out to a local shop for food. We found an Iceland as the first place and stocked up on food for breakfast and also sandwiches (plus several bottles of wine). We bought pizzas for dinner and then came home to cook them. We spent the evening watching TV and relaxing, before heading off to bed.

Preparing to go on Holiday

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Planning a holiday is one of my absolute favourite things to do and right now I’m planning what I hope will be the holiday of a lifetime. I’m very lucky to be able to say, we do go away quite often. It’s not always for very long or even very far, but a few times a year we get away as a family. This year we have been away to Blackpool, Chichester, London and Paris. Later this month we’re going to Jersey for a week as well. Last year we managed France twice, Scarborough, Chichester and London – while the year before we had an amazing trip to Florida.

Packing is pretty much my least favourite part of the holiday. I love the planning; where, when, how aspects and even writing a list of what we need to take, what we need to buy before going etc. but the actual packing I just find a bane. That said, the unpacking when you get home is even worse so I suppose packing is at least better than that. As a mum of two girls, it’s important to always be prepared. We try to pack light but at the same time, I like to know we have everything we might need. Throwing in clothes is the basics, but remembering a hat and suntan lotion, or raincoats and umbrellas, those are the things I try to remember.

Before heading off on holiday, we of course take out holiday insurance. Touch wood, I have never had anything bad happen on a holiday before but I always like to make sure I’m covered. After that I think it’s important to remember you can get a free EHIC card for when travelling in Europe but you need to remember to apply at least a week or so in advance to allow time for it to arrive. After that, there is a lot of common sense involved – what things can you take from home that you might appreciate when on holiday – Capol for kids, paracetamol or ibuprofen for adults, plasters, tweezers, antiseptic wipes and cream etc. Other holiday essentials include sun hats, suncream and glasses for hot weather and warm clothes for cold (and of course the anticipation of it being the opposite to what you expect).

If you travel abroad on an airplane, its important to stay hydrated as high altitudes can make the air very dry. Unfortunately can’t help being trapped in the small space, with everyones bugs and germs, but keeping yourself hydrated can help fend off colds and flu. Walking around will also keep your blood circulated and hopefully avoid deep vein thrombosis.

Hand sanitiser and wipes are also great for holidays. You can wipe down places that you think may be more likely to carry germs and of course also for your own hands.

Eating well and also sensibly is important. For a start, drinking bottled water is always advisable while abroad. Also be careful of any food you wouldn’t normally eat and any food known to be highly likely to cause food poisoning when cooked or prepared wrong.

It goes without saying to make sure you wear a hat, sunscreen, glasses etc. when out in the heat. This will avoid sunstroke, sunburn and so on. When we were in Florida, my youngest daughter had her whole face swell up for the first few days and after that we were much more careful in the sun than we had been to begin with. Getting too hot can also lead to headaches and overheating so always be sensible with the sun. Being careful with alcohol consumption, especially in the sun, is also something to be advised. This can lead to dehydration.

Of course there are many more things you can do, but these are some of the main points. That said, you can’t always prepare for everything that might happen and sometimes you do end up ill or having an accident on holiday. At this point you should look into holiday claims by Your Legal Friend as they can help you claim for all sorts of aspects that may have ruined your holiday.

Planning well is always the best idea for a good holiday and I’m still hoping that my holidays continue to go smoothly. I can’t wait to start booking my next holiday and then of course, everything else that goes with it to make it the perfect holiday.

 

How To Have A Really Successful Family Holiday

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Going on vacation with your family can be extremely stressful.  It can be hard to not only get everyone on the same page, but the communication can lack in some places.  Planning out the perfect holiday isn’t easy, and it takes patience and a plan.  Preparation is key, and you’ve got to invest some of your time to plan a vacation that is successful.

Communication is essential

When you are planning a family vacation, communication is going to be crucial.  You want to avoid a lot of drama caused by miscommunication and instead, make sure that everyone is on the same page right from the beginning.  This means that you should sync up your flights, how you are getting to the hotel and even what you are doing throughout the stay.  There are a lot of different apps out there that can help keep you organized and keep your family in the loop.

Be realistic with your money

This is another thing that can cause a lot of drama.  Money can be tight for some family members, and that is why being practical with money up front is huge.  While you are planning out what you are going to be doing throughout your holiday vacation, make sure that you incorporate some free things, as that will help offset some of the costs for those that have thinner wallets.

Pad your time

What this means it that if you are set off across the country with your family to check out different amusement parks or malls, leave a chance to explore.  You might have a list of things that you want to see and a list of stuff that you want to do but pad your time.  Leave time in the agenda for family-time too, that’s important, and it will help everyone bond and be a little closer.

Keep it active for the group

If you are not a keen conversationalist with your family, why not up the ante and plan something active?  A sporting event is one of the best things to go to with a group.  It also provides a lot of memories for your family, and it doesn’t require a lot of personal interaction.

Safety first

Whenever you are traveling with a bigger group, preparation is essential to keep the stress at bay and to ensure that everyone is safe.  If you are going with small kids, you should keep a photo of them as well as the entire family on you at all times.  The younger kids should also carry an identification card with their parents’ names, address and phone number of where you are staying.  Safety first, especially when it comes to family holidays.

Have a packing party

Packing is probably one of the most stressful things when you are preparing for a trip.  You have to make sure that you have everything and that is why coming prepared with a checklist and having a packing party is huge.  Make a game out of it, see who can pack up everything the fastest.  There are also packing hacks that you can use to understand how to pack for a longer trip without the stress.

WiFi is paramount

Finally, don’t try to fight it, WiFi is going to be vital when you are traveling.  If it is a cost?  Spring for it.  It will stop a lot of fighting, a lot of drama and it will make the trip that much better.  There are also a lot of ways that you can get WiFi for free and save a few bucks.

Now that you know some of the best ways to cut down on the stress and to have a fabulous family holiday, what are some of the tips that you have?  Share them!

When was the last time you stayed at a Bed and Breakfast?

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I have to admit, that for the longest time, I haven’t stayed in a B&B. There was definitely a time in my life, when I wouldn’t hesitate to stay in Bed and Breakfast over a Hotel, but in truth – several bad experiences has made me very wary.

One of the first strange experiences was at least ten years ago. My then husband and I, stayed in a Bed and Breakfast for one night, while having a very rare night away. The place itself was lovely, but the shower was in the same room as the bed! Now obviously I was with my husband so it wasn’t the end of the world, but imagine if you’d gone with a friend and had to shower (not much frosted glass!) in the same room as they were watching TV!

The very last time I stayed in a Bed and Breakfast was with my best friend Amy. I won a competition to stay in a beautiful hotel and have a trip to the theatre to see Grease. We decided to extend our stay and extra night, but couldn’t afford the same hotel and instead booked a B&B near Camden. It was, no lie, the most awful place I have ever stepped foot in. I won’t freak you out with the details but needless to say we slept fully clothed and we even tried getting drunk to help us sleep!

These days I tend to stay in a Travelodge or Premier Inn, as at least you always know what you’re getting, however I have been looking at a B&B for an upcoming holiday we might be having. Is it time I braved it again? Or will one more time be the sealing of the deal! Here is an interesting infograph by Toprooms I wanted to share with you, about all the reasons we should stay in Bed and Breakfast. What do you think?

Our Flying Visit to Disneyland Paris

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Last weekend (20th-22nd Jan) we took a flying visit to Disneyland Paris. I have to admit that it didn’t turn out to be our best trip there, but considering it was raining the last two times and freezing cold the times before that, I suppose I shouldn’t have expected much. In all honesty, the trip itself was enjoyable for many reasons – one, that I got to spend time with the girls – two, that I finally got to stay in a Disney hotel and – three, my best friend Amy and her daughter were there at the same time as us. Aside from that though, there was a bit of an epiphany moment where I realised I had been trying to fill a hole that Florida had left, ever since we visited two years ago. I also realised that DLP is unfortunately not that replacement for us. Anyway I’ll save all that for another time and just fill you in briefly on our trip.

For the two nights we were away, we stayed in Hotel Santa Fe. It’s the cheapest of the Disney Hotels, having paid only £100 for 2 nights (no park passes included, but using discount from my annual pass) but actually it was pretty great. The whole hotel complex is themed around the movie Cars and we actually had our room in the row belonging to Lightning McQueen.

On our first day, the girls had decided to Disney Bound as Rapunzel and Flynn. Lily was Rapunzel and Megan was Flynn. This was actually my favourite of their two outfits for the weekend, but I definitely loved both. Lily’s “Best Day Ever” t-shirt was one she had already, so she only needed a pair of purple jeans and a new cardigan. Megan on the other hand needed all new bits, but I didn’t mind as I knew she’d get wear out of some of it. We did have a dilemma with the trousers though and ended up purchasing a boys pair from Tesco, the day before we left home.

On our first day in DLP, we spent the whole time in the main Disneyland park. We sorted out annual passes, went on loads of rides, bought Mickey shaped food (believe it or not, we’d never done that before), had our pictures taken in front of the castle (a firm tradition) and watched the parade. Of course we ate dinner, browsed shops and all the other things you’re supposed to do. Sadly, though we had intended to watch Dreams, it was definitely far too cold and we ended up heading back to the hotel early.

The next morning we got up and had breakfast in the hotel (this was included in the price). We also stashed a few croissants and pain au chocolat for a cheeky light lunch later. We got up early and headed into the park for EMH (Early Magic Hours) as this is something we have never been able to do before. It was amazing to be in the park while it was so quiet but I have to admit it may have been partly to blame for me not enjoying much of this day as I started out so cold and never really thawed!

During EMH we managed to meet both Stitch and Chip ‘n’ Dale. The girls were dressed as Mickey and Minnie for their Disney Bounding this day (which seemed to go down well with the character, plus Olivia was Daisy Duck which was so sweet) but sadly it was so cold that you never really got to see much of their outfits.

At 10am we headed over to the Studios as there were a few things we wanted to do there and this was our last day. We queued for Crusher Coaster for over an hour, only to end up feeling sick – and then got FPs for Ratatouille (our favourite ride by far) but not till 4pm that afternoon. We tried to meet Moana at 11.30am but her queue was already closed so we made an effort to waste time elsewhere. We went to the Armageddon special effects show, browsed the shops, ate lunch and saw the Art of Animation theatre show. After that it was time for a second wave of Moana queues so I joined the line while the girls played on the machines in the Animation building.

The queue for Moana seemed to take forever and even took a break right before it was our turn. However the girls seemed pleased to meet her as it was a character we hadn’t been able to meet before (being that she’s new and all). It was also the only time the girls actually got to show off their Mickey and Minnie Disney Bound so I was pleased to get a picture of that.

Finally it was time to ride Ratatouille so we headed over to that. The queue still took a while even on fastpass but it was worth it as always. After that we decided it was time to eat and ended up heading back to the other park and to Hakuna Matata as the girls had enjoyed it when we’d eaten there previously. We then did a little last minute shopping and headed back to the hotel.

As well as eating something Mickey shaped, drinking a Glowtini was also on my list of things I’d like to do, so with the girls in tow, Amy and I headed to the hotel bar and treated ourselves to a drink. It was actually really nice (I had red and Amy had blue) but it was expensive for what you get. The ice cube is funky though and at least you get to take it with you. After about an hour in the bar, we all headed back to our rooms and got an early night. I packed first as we were heading off early.

In the morning, we went for breakfast and then met up with Amy and Olivia to head to the park. We did a little more last minute shopping (for pins) and then said our goodbyes as they had one more day and we were heading home. Everything went perfectly to plan – catching the train, checking in for the plane, the flight etc. We were making great time for getting home — until I hit a barrier in the airport car park and completely broke my car. After a very long wait, a slow journey home and arriving back about 5 hours later than planned, we finally made it home. Sadly the last part put very much a dampener on the weekend for me and definitely made me think hard about whether or not our trips to DLP were worth it or not!

Overall though, it was a good weekend away, if not a little rushed. I truly wish it hadn’t been so cold as I know we all would have enjoyed it so much more.

Hello 2017

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On New Year’s Eve I wrote a post reflecting on 2016 and so today I want to look forward to 2017. As it’s already 3rd January I’m sure it’s probably clear that a whole “new me” is not on the horizon. I think I’ve learned from previous years, that that’s not the best route for me. Instead little changes, positive attitude and a hope for better things, is the direction I would like to go.

This Year I will:

  • Get a better grip on my finances. As I’ve mentioned on my blog before, I have a lot of debt – largely from my time as a single mum (I mean, I’m technically still a single mum but I have a very supportive partner now). For a few years, I just buried my head and the debt got worse but then two years ago it all hit me and I had to stop avoiding it. 2016 was the year I finally started to get that debt down and while I definitely managed to stop adding to it and clear one particular lump of debt, I still have a fair way to go. I have a specific target in mind by the end of the year and that will hopefully lessen my debt by about a third.
  • Work hard on my business, Closet Geek. It would be a lie to say I don’t work hard on it already as to be honest its my main focus, after the kids. I have thoroughly enjoyed working from home this last year and despite how crazy busy it has gotten at times, I wouldn’t change a thing. This year I am aiming to add at least 6 more product ranges (don’t ask me what, I have no idea yet) and hopefully more variations of the products I already sell. That said, I must remember to take time out and relax (which is hard because I often get into a flow).

  • Weight Loss is something I want to focus on this year. I haven’t jumped into any kind of diet yet as there is still a lot of bad food kicking around the house. However I am trying to regulate myself and not eat too my rubbish and when routine starts over again and I start cooking evening meals from scratch, I aim to make healthy dishes and avoid any junk. Last year I felt uncomfortable in my skin and it stopped me from dressing up, cosplaying and even feeling like I wanted to make any sort of effort. Its amazing what a knock on effect feeling overweight can have to all areas of life. I also want to try walking more often, especially as life isn’t so hectic that I need to save every minute of time by hopping in the car.
  • Last year was a wonderful change to family life, working from home instead of feeling stressed in the job I had previously (I actually can’t believe I walked out on that job 2 years ago – I’ve honestly never regretted it). I managed to attend so many of the kids events at school and I’m sure I will be doing so again this year. That said I want to make time outside of those events, to do things as a family. The kids love to play board games (we had a day doing that during holiday), go swimming and play computer games (Lily and I have played Lego Harry Potter for most days of the holidays) so I want to make more time for fun, not just scheduled events. I also want to make more time for Chris as he often gets neglected, just because he “understands more”. On evenings when he’s not at work, I need to step away from my sewing or even my computer and just be with him – doing whatever it is we feel like doing.

This year I would like to:

  • Moving house is definitely top of the list for things I’d like to do in 2017. Sadly not a huge amount of that decision is in our hands, but we need to try wherever possible. From the house going on the market last April, till now, we’ve only had two viewings. I think there has been many reasons to that but largely the price recommended by the agents is too high. We do have another viewing tomorrow so we will see how that goes but at some point this year we will have to make some firmer decisions – perhaps to change agents, sell at a loss, or whatever other options there might be.
  • During January I have a weekend away booked with the girls, to Disneyland Paris. However as much as I’m looking forward to it, I’d really like a nice week away somewhere abroad. Top choice for this year would definitely be Italy and ideally during the warm weather. Chris booking holidays at work can be a pain though as he can often only get out of school holiday time. With Megan now at secondary school I am loathed to take them out of school for a holiday, so it’s definitely going to be a juggling act – and of course available money. If we can’t get away this year, I would definitely love to book something bigger for next year – maybe a two week holiday somewhere further afield like the US.

This Year I will try:

  • Yesterday I was in a position (as I often am) where one of the girls asked if we could do something (something they had been asking for a while and have been saying “soon” to) and my immediate answer was “yes, tomorrow”. Now although that might seen immediate to you, it’s really only because it was that day or tomorrow that we needed to do it, before it was too late. But my reaction was still the latter, not the actual immediate. However after I walked away, I thought “actually, why can’t we just do it now?” and so that’s what we did. Basically I really want to stop putting things off till tomorrow and just get on with them. Because tomorrow never really comes and before you realise it, you’ve been putting everything off and never getting anything done.

  • When we went swimming, the girls and I, I was reminded of how much I enjoy it and, that despite not going very often, I’m still pretty good at it. While I don’t always want to go when they suggest it, I did realise I could take them and just watch (they’re both old enough now), but also I could go when they’re at school and just swim lengths. It would be a great way to make time for me, get fitter and even find time to shower! I don’t want to set myself a frequency but I would like to swim more.
  • As I mentioned last year, our friendship group is a little bit fractured now and so in the past 12 months I haven’t thrown any large group events. I think its probably easiest to just see each group of working friendships, by themselves, whenever there is time, rather than force everyone to get together. Last year we did enjoy a meal out as a group of friends, a cinema trip as a double date and a few times having friends around for dinner. I would like to continue that this year, making more of an effort but hopefully making time for everyone.
  • Finally I should probably give my blog a mention. At this time of year it’s always easy to say “I’ll post more”, or “I’ll post frequently” but the truth is when life gets busy, my blog takes a backseat. I also often find that I lose inspiration for what to write at times and it can become just one big life update that people probably aren’t that interested in. I’m ditching Project 52 (as I did towards the end of last year) as I always forget to take pictures weekly). Instead I might do something monthly, as I did with my round-ups (which definitely suits me better so I will be sticking to those). I’d like to keep updating about books I read (which maybe should have been another bulletpoint as I really should read more) and movies we see at the cinema but past that I’m uncertain of the direction my blog will take. I am considering various options though so watch this space!