lifestyle Archives - Page 37 of 38 - Journeys Are My Diary

How travelling can bring you and your family closer together

September 28, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

A great holiday can create memories that last a lifetime, and what better way to create these memories than by spending time with your family? Upon your return, you might be surprised at just how much the dynamics of your family have changed. But if your family is religious, you may want to consider a pilgrimage or tour churches or old libraries where they can learn about the porneia definition. Here are our top reasons looking at how travelling can bring your family closer together.

You can discuss plans beforehand

Before you jet off, you might like to get the whole family together and construct a list of all things you’d like to do on holiday. This is a great way of including everyone in the preparations and ensuring that all interests are catered for. This technique promotes dialogue – something that is often hard to achieve in a busy family home where everyone has their own likes and dislikes. You may choose activities that the whole family can enjoy such as sailing or whitewater rafting when you book rafting packages such as American Whitewater Expedition.

Bali is a destination that has something for all tastes. You can book your flights to this Indonesian paradise through an operator like Imagine Holidays. I would also like to recommend my favorite Bali restaurant that I believe is worth visiting once you’re in Bali.

You may have to learn as you go

If you’re planning on taking your family abroad, then it’s vital that you all work together to ensure the trip goes smoothly. For example, you may have to work together to navigate your way around a strange city or work out how to order food off a local menu. This is a great opportunity to encourage communication and teamwork, and you may even discover that family members have hidden skills that would not have been required back home.

You’re exposed to a new atmosphere

Arguments can be pretty common at home, and that can lead to ill-feelings developing among family members. A great holiday takes you away from that toxic environment and gives everyone a chance to clear their heads and focus on what’s really important. You could find that the anger that had built up at home suddenly disappears from the moment you get on the plane – allowing you to wipe the slate clean and just concentrate on making magical memories with one another, if you are interested visit this great site and plan a tour now.

The memories will last a lifetime

When you return from your trip, you may find that the experiences you shared as a family are still being discussed for months later. This keeps your home filled with goodwill and preserves that foundation of communication that had built up during your trip. Even the most mundane of events could remain a talking point for years to come. Travelling is a great tool; the more you travel as a family, the more memories you make.

You learn to compromise

When travelling, you and your kids may be forced to share the same hotel or B & B room. This can present many challenges for you all to overcome. Space can come at a premium and issues may start to appear when everyone wants to get their own way. However, these conflicts will need to be sorted quickly because they could ruin the rest of the holiday. This situation, although unpleasant for a small period of time, teaches everyone about conflict resolution and compromise, and these techniques can be utilised back home to create a more harmonious environment.

Technology will not be as intrusive

Technology is a huge part of family life, and this can mean that family members become disconnected from each other because they’re too distracted by what’s happening in a virtual world. When you go travelling, the role that technology plays will surely decrease.

First of all, you will all be too busy taking in the surroundings and embarking on new challenges to worry about what’s happening online. Secondly, you could be in a remote location that does not boast an internet connection or phone signal, so your so devices will become redundant. This factor means that your family members will be able to spend genuine, quality time together – and this can only be a good thing.

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The Best Places To Go On An Adult Holiday

September 21, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Everyone loves a good holiday, especially when you’ve managed to take a week off work and relieve yourself from the stresses of general day-to-day life. There are plenty of fun filled holidays available that are catered specifically for adults in this day and age; here are three of our favourite destinations that should be considered for an 18+ adventure.

Ibiza

The beautiful island of Ibiza is located in the Mediterranean Sea and is one of the most popular tourist hotspots to date. With plenty of entertainment available, travellers have the opportunity to hit some of the biggest and best night clubs in Europe.

There are many popular nightclubs on the island but Privilege is by far and away the biggest and most famous venue. According to the Guinness World Book of Records, Privilege is supposedly the biggest nightclub in the world with a capacity of 10,000 people – and dance music lovers have the chance to mingle and enjoy their night with tourists from all four corners of the globe.

Las Vegas

If you’re visiting North America, you MUST visit Las Vegas, Nevada; the city that never sleeps. The Las Vegas strip is a once in a lifetime experience with its themed hotels, countless casinos, and the general hustle and bustle of thousands of tourists.

It is customary to attend a casino or two when visiting this marvellous state and it might be wise to play some online roulette at Betway’s website prior to your visit. You’ll need to practice before you hit the big tables in Vegas! You may also use this fun88 login to gain access to various online casino games that will keep you relaxed and entertained.

If you aren’t a big gambler, you can kick back with a simple online casino malaysia with the nightlife is just as good. With hundreds of nightclubs to choose from, you are sure to find one to your taste. A popular one amongst tourists is Hakkasan, located in the MGM Grand complex. It attracts thousands of visitors per month due to its popular location and the residency of the world famous DJ Tiesto.

The Maldives

If you prefer a relaxing getaway with your partner, the Maldives is a must. Popular for its beautiful blue lagoons and reefs filled with wildlife it has grown to be one of the most popular tourist destinations for adults in the world.

There is an extensive list of activities available on these magnificent islands, including snorkelling and paddle-boarding. If you fancied a more of a relaxing activity, there are yoga classes available on the gorgeous sandy beaches.

With a fabulous variety of food available in the evenings, including the freshly caught sea food, you can’t beat this location for an enjoyable, relaxing and classy trip.

Dare I mention the C word yet?

September 16, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.

Okay so it’s mid- September now… is that too early to mention the C word? By that I of course mean Christmas. While on the one hand, it seems crazily early to be thinking about it (we only just moved past Summer right?) but on the other, its nice to start saving and planning – making sure you have everything you need and of course the cashflow to get it!

As a single mum (or at least the person singularly responsible for buying the girls gifts), its important that I at least start to think about it early, even if no purchasing goes on yet. Here are my top tips for planning out the perfect Christmas present purchasing!

Get organised

Grab a pen and paper, start making notes on a pad. Or open up that notepad app on your phone and start a page there. It doesn’t really matter where you do it, but start a list and add to it every time you think of something. When the kids say “I really wish I had….” or when they’re watching tv and the adverts come on with “oooh I’d love one of those…”. Jot it down and that way you’ll remember it when the time comes to purchasing. You can of course think about the things you want them to have – that will save you money in the long run if you get them for Christmas. A new school bag, clothes, pajamas etc.

Make a Wishlist

There are loads of great sites for making a wishlist. Amazon has a very simple one to use, as does My Greedy Book. There are other sites like Polyvore, Giftster etc. that all do the same thing. Do some searching of the internet in your free time and add the items you like to the wishlists – you can even set up a list per person. It doesn’t really matter if you plan to shop online or in person, its still a good way to keep track of the actual brand you’ve found and the prices you’ve found it at. The lists are also really easy to edit if you find something different – swap, edit, delete etc.

Keep an eye out for vouchers and sales

As soon as you’re ready to think about actually buying (and preferably once you have some spare money), start to keep an eye out for bargain opportunities. There are many sites like Vouchercode or Groupon Coupons that will offer you good discount options for your shopping. Keeping an eye on these sites will help you to get your items at a lower price than you would have regularly and may even offer you options like free shopping – which then makes shopping online both easier and cheaper. You can also look at https://www.raise.com/coupons/target and get more coupons.

Sites often have sales in the run up to Christmas – think Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday, both of which are great times to grab bargains both in store and online. If you’re brave enough to leave your shopping right up till Christmas Eve (which I’m definitely not) I believe you can grab several bargains then too.

Shop Secondhand

Finally, if you have any flexibility and can get away with secondhand or refurbished, places like Ebay or CEX are a great idea to check out as well. Most kids won’t even notice that it’s not in a box or proper packaging, as they’ll be too pleased to have the gift. This is a great idea for electricals especially as you can really drop the prices for yourself.

I’ve already started my lists and will be soon starting to buy the odd thing here and there. Despite the fact it’s only September I hate not being organised and I would hate even more for the kids not to get something they’d like, all because I didn’t plan well. Good luck with your Christmas planning and even more good luck if you attempt to tackle sales like Black Friday!!

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Driving Me Crazy

September 7, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

This morning on the way to school, some idiot overtook me and two other cars, just before a bend and narrowly missed an oncoming car. Sadly this is not the first time that something like this has happened and I hate that heart stopping moment when you worry not only for your own life, but that of your kids in the back too. The worst part is, our Lincolnshire roads aren’t even that bad – they’re not always narrow or bendy – so why do so many accidents seem to happen?

I thought I would share this infograph by Chill (specialists in cheap car insurance) about Ireland’s most dangerous drives. When we were kids, my Uncle John used to live in Ireland and so holidays there were quite common. Dad always used to drive as mum refused, due to the roads being so awful. While I wasn’t a driver myself back then, I do remember how often the roads would be narrow or bumpy, plus several times when passing seemed quite dangerous. I have to admit that since becoming a driver myself (almost 20 years now), I’ve never once had the desire to holiday in Ireland – largely because of the driving. All of that was on regular roads, however some of these places mentioned in the infograph look absolutely terrifying.

Mind you, its not always Ireland that has the dangerous roads as I’ve come across many on holiday too. The main one which stands out was definitely Sa Calobra, a road in Majorca. Again, luckily I wasn’t the one driving but this is the most scared I’ve ever been on a road. Passing was almost impossible anyway but coming across a coach and choosing between going off the edge or scraping along the coach itself, were not great options!

When driving has the potential to be so dangerous anyway, it amazes me that roads like this exist at all. I’m glad that for the most part, you have to be quite a bit older and have several years experience, before you can drive abroad. That said, you can never be sure of all the idiots on the road and really all you can do is take extra care yourself and always be alert. I love being able to drive and I would never change that, but it does scare my somewhat that you take your life (and that of your kids) in your hands, every time you get behind the wheel!

Now is the Time to Plan Your Family’s October Half Term Holiday

September 3, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

You may only be just starting to think about sending the kids back to school in September, but whether you’ve had the chance to take a family holiday or not this summer, now’s the best time to start planning your break for the upcoming October half-term. By putting together your plans now, you can look forward to a relaxing, less stressful, and potentially more affordable getaway. Consider a charming bed and breakfast for your October retreat — it’s a cozy, personal way to explore new areas while enjoying warm hospitality. Acorn Hill Lodge is a bed and breakfast Lynchburg. Being savvy and booking your October getaway as soon as possible ensures you get the best spots, and a bed and breakfast stay can make your trip all the more memorable.

Get the Best Deals

The longer you wait to book your October half term getaway, the less deals you’ll have to choose from as you’re in with a bigger chance of losing out to parents who’ve all had the same idea. Booking your half-term stay from awaywiththekids.co.uk means that you’ll be one of the earliest to book, giving you a better selection of choices and perhaps even reduced prices due to a lower level of demand. The longer you wait, the more in-demand your holiday destinations will be – meaning you’ll have less of a selection.

Save Money

Planning and booking your October half-term family break in good time rather than at the last minute also means that you could save money in the long run. Even though it’s widely believed that you can often get the best deals by booking at the last minute, this isn’t always true and you have to run the risk of paying increased prices instead. Along with that, if you’re not going down the package route and are booking your flights and hotels separately, you may find that you get a good last-minute price on one, but not on the other.

Less Stress

The longer time you give yourself to plan your holiday, the less stressful the whole process will be. This is especially important for busy mums and dads who have a lot to think about anyway especially with the upcoming new school year. By planning your October half term family break now, you’ll be able to get it out of the way and focus on getting everything done for a successful holiday, such as exchanging money, booking transfers, and buying luggage.

Get Better Deals

Booking your half-term family break sooner rather than later means that you will be in with a better chance of getting more for your money. Booking early not only means that you’ll have access to more choices and deals available, you may also be able to take advantage of special offers and deals that travel agents and booking companies may not hold later on in the year.

Although the summer holidays are barely even over, it’s definitely a great time to start thinking about booking your next family break during the upcoming October half term. Booking now gives you more time to make sure that you have an enjoyable break and can also save you money on a better deal.

Harry Potter Ball – take two

August 30, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

As you may remember, I posted a little while ago about a Harry Potter convention and Ball that I went to with my best friend and two daughters. It was a little disappointing to be honest and left me feeling like I could have done better myself. Having talked it over with Nat (or maybe ranted in the car on the way home) we decided that maybe we should plan our own – perhaps for her 30th next year.

This got me to thinking about what I would wear – the changes to what I wore this time and what I could improve. The largest change of all, would be to lose some weight. We’re hoping in fact that this may motivate us! She got so many lovely compliments in the dress she was wearing, that I really want people to look at me and say the same. For that reason I would definitely pick the same dress. I have worn it twice now and I love it. However I definitely think I could do with some accessories so I’ve been doing some research.

Gryffindor Ball

I love the idea of a heavy piece for a necklace – something like this beautiful Victorian necklace from Berganza. I also love this cuff bracelet from House of Fraser and these ruby earrings from India Times to really give the Gryffindor vibe (I’m sorry, but I love red far too much to not be a Gryffindor). The ring probably isn’t that necessary to the outfit but I love to pull a bit more of the ruby in and this would be a nice subtle touch.

Since the girls are Ravenclaw and Slytherin (Lily is like me, torn between Gryffindor and Slytherin), I decided to look for some ideas for them too. They won’t be going to Nat’s 30th but just in case we find another decent Harry Potter ball to get invited too, I thought it would be nice for them to have accessories.

Ravenclaw accessories

Megan is quite delicate so all the pieces I picked are delicate too. They all feature sapphires as I figured this suited Ravenclaw colours. Of course no ball outfit would be complete without Rowena Ravenclaw’s Diadem too.

Slytherin accessories

Lily likes to be fierce in everything she does so I know she’d rock the brightness of the emerald pieces. The snake earrings (despite the fact her ears aren’t pierced yet) and the snake bracelet are by far my favourite choices. She also has a huge amount of hair so this beautiful comb would look great. Finally the necklace is nice and solid so it would hang nicely around her neck.

Sorry Hufflepuff but you lucked out. No one in our house is interested in being from Hufflepuff so I decided not to do one for you! Besides, really not a fan of Amber or yellow coloured stones either.

What would you pick if you were supporting your favourite Hogwarts House to a Yule Ball?

Lets Go Paperless

August 23, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

With how much more focused we are on the environment these days, being green and going paperless is not a new concept. My HSBC bank account is green by name, something I opted into almost ten years ago, meaning it would be paperless completely. I don’t get bank statements or letters (unless important), everything is done with secure online messages. In fact, the other day I was contacted to say that the account would no longer be called green, since all their accounts these days are green.

While I love getting post, I hate getting bills and I have to admit that these are largely limited these days. Most online accounts and bills I have, message me via email and then I pay online – meaning no need for statements and bills in the post. In fact, even some of the people I buy things from on Ebay, opt to send receipts and invoices via email, rather than print and enclose with the actual item.

Sadly I don’t believe I could go completely paperless in my office, but I do know that I limit it a lot more than I used to. My printer is even set to a 50 page limit each month (I use HP instant ink). Also with things like laptops, tablets and smart phones, being paperless is so much easier these days. In collaboration with IDBS and their electronic laboratory notebook, I wanted to share my top 5 tips for going paperless in the workplace.

Track the amount of pages you print. For me, having my HP instant ink set to 50 pages, is a great way to know how much I’m printing each month. I get a warning when I get close to my usage and any unused pages get carried over to the following month. I always try to stay under 50 pages as this also keeps my monthly cost down.
Request paperless statements from banks, online store, catalogue accounts etc. Every month you are sent something on paper that you can easily see by logging in online and viewing your account. Save both paper and space in your recycle bin, by ticking the button for paperless in as many places as you can find.
Connected to the one above, pay bills online wherever possible – reducing the need for cheque books, paying-in slips and envelopes, etc. Pay friends and family via direct bank payments and use cards in stores. You can even say you don’t need a receipt (if you don’t!) and save a little more there.
Recycle any non-confidential paperwork and envelopes. Need to write a note for the kids, or perhaps a shopping list? Use the back of a used envelope or bill. Kids looking for paper to draw on? Nearly all letters and bills are only printed on one side so be sure to use the other.
Many of us find ourselves having ideas or thoughts outside of the house, outside of work etc. This means that often we carry notepads and pens to jot them down. Consider opening up a note on your phone or tablet and jotting it there. It’s quick and easy to do, often saves searching in the bottom of your bag for a pen and if you sync it up well, often transfers to your computer or email program automatically.

The truth is, I love reading proper paper books, way more than I enjoy reading ebooks on my kindle. I like to write down my orders and cross them out, to keep track on them. I scan and print the cover of each pattern I use, filing it in a poly pocket and then a binder. Although I try my best to be paperless, I don’t think I can go all the way. However with the use of my iPad, iPhone and Laptop, I definitely give it a good go.

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How to Get the Latest Design Trends on the Cheap

August 18, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Guest Post – By Tom Brialey, owner of Action Storage.

You’ve got Pinterest boards filled with décor dreams but a bank balance that brings you back to reality. Almost everyone wants a stylish home, but unfortunately a stylish home comes with a hefty price tag meaning that most settle for magnolia walls and generic flat-packed furniture. This doesn’t have to be the case. Getting the home you dream of can be achieved with a little bit of budgeting and minor DIY skills. If you plan to remodel your kitchen space, working with a Kitchen renovation specialist helps ensure that the project is done according to your design preferences.

This article will show you how to get four of 2016’s hottest interior design trends without breaking the bank:

Industrial

Source/s: littlehouseoffour.com & madaboutthehouse.com

The industrial look has gained in popularity over the last few years. A mixture of raw wood and brass metallics have been brought together to create the ultimate ‘hipster’ industrial feel, which resonates with cool bars and independent coffee shops, giving a relaxed vibe.

As soon as you type ‘industrial furniture’ into any search engine or shop you will be faced with a price tag of £150+ and after two pieces you are priced out. Don’t let this shatter your industrial hipster dreams. The look (above left) can be achieved by buying modern school lockers, and a metal paint to give it a gunmetal grey look, this will cost approximately half the price of a vintage locker. If you are not the painting type, a mesh locker (above, right) may be a better option. Use the mesh locker to display cool trinkets, maybe your record collection, or just use as general storage.

Team your new locker with an inspirational quote hand painted on a canvas and the Pinterest board ‘hipster/industrial’ becomes a reality right in your own living room. Continue with additional reading here

City Skyline

Source/s: instagram.com/alexkatehare/ & nicestthings.com

If you are someone with itchy feet but life and various responsibilities, such as your job and bills, are stopping you from travelling, you can wake up to a view of the city (almost) in your own bedroom.

City skylines are becoming prevalent due to the minimalist trend which is popular in 2016. Simple black outlines on blank walls have hit it big and it is really easy to achieve the look for just a couple of pounds at home.

All you will need is:

Pencil
Spirit level
Washi Tape
Picture of your chosen skyline
Ruler
Eraser

Start by carefully drawing the outline of the skyline you have chosen in pencil, use the ruler and avoid skylines with too many curves, the tape will only be able to make straight lines.

When, using your spirit level, you think you have all your lines straight, and are happy with your pencil drawing, start covering the pencil with the tape. Remember to stand back and look from a distance as you go along. Hey presto! A chic city skyline for less than £10.

Upcycling

Source: diy-enthusiasts.com

A few years ago the idea of upcycling popped into a few peoples heads. Instead of buying something new, why not repurpose or refurbish something old and unloved, and so the trend was born. Often referred to as a waste product, pallets became the star of the show when a few clever busy bodies decided to create all kinds of furniture out of them.

Those without the imagination, or necessary DIY skills, lusted after these items and suddenly there was a demand, and with demand comes the supply, at a hefty price. A pallet coffee table can go for as much as £200 online. This price for something that, once upon a time, was essentially rubbish.

Luckily, if you would like to add a piece of pallet furniture to your décor there are hundreds of FREE online DIY tutorials, either found through Pinterest or on YouTube. Ask local businesses like Spartanburg pallet suppliers if they have any pallets that they can spare or you can pay a small price for. Failing that you can spend time scouring eBay, Gumtree or Freecycle to see if people want to get rid of them but don’t fancy a trip to the tip.

Your only issue will be not having enough space in your house for all the amazing pallet furniture you will end up making.

Geometric

Source: susanyeleyinteriors.com/blog/ & entermyattic.com/

The geometric trend allows those who like minimalism to enjoy bursts of colour in their home. Although geometric décor is big for 2016 it is in no way a new trend, bold geometric patterns could be seen on walls, art and clothing in the 1960s.

Luckily you don’t have to be Piet Mondrian, or pay those kinds of prices, to achieve the look. All you will need is:

Thin masking tape or Washi tape
A Canvas
Acrylic paints
A paint brush
Pencil
Ruler

Section the canvas into a geometric pattern, it is best to have an image in mind to ensure you know what the finished piece will look like. You can lightly use a pencil and a ruler if you are not confident putting tape on freehand.

Paint the different parts of the canvas in different but complementing colours, if you don’t want to have white lines between the shapes you will have to wait for sections to dry before moving the tape.

When it has all dried, carefully peel the tape off and you should have a beautiful geometric work of art, perfect for the minimalist and those who rent will be pleased to know that canvases are generally quite light, this means no nasty holes in the walls as well as ensuring you get your deposit back.

There you have it, four ideas to help you make sure your house stays on trend without costing you a lot of money.

If I could dress my other half…

July 25, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Men’s clothes

In association with House of Fraser, I was asked to consider what I would dress my OH in, if given the chance to dress him for the day. I have to admit I’m not great at guy clothes (I have two daughters and myself to dress) but since my OH has very little fashion sense himself, I decided just to pick out a few items I liked the look of and also in his favourite colours.

The men’s shorts were actually the first thing I picked out and they were one of many great choices that House of Fraser had to offer. I like the idea that they are like cargo pants, with several pockets, but shorter than the usual three quarters he would normally wear. In fact he usually wears greens (especially camouflage print) so these blue are quite different from anything he has in the wardrobe. Next I picked out a shirt and this was from Topman. In theory I would have him just wear the shirt, but I know he likes to wear them more of an “over t-shirt” style so I picked out the t-shirt from ASOS too. I love the colour combinations and I’m pretty sure they would all suit him.

Finally I picked out a few accessories. These trainer style shoes pull in the colours of the clothes, while also being pretty awesome. They’re by Ted Baker, though technically I found them on a site called Zalando. The watch is both cool and practical – and since Chris never wears a watch, I figured it would be a nice change. This particular one comes from GShock.

If you could dress your man for the day, what would you pick?

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Summer Bucket (and Spade) List

July 15, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

With summer holidays fast approaching I have to admit I’ve started to wonder what I can do to occupy the kids. For the most part they’re fairly happy kicking around the house or even going out to the local park, but its always nice to get out and about – especially as we live so close to the beach and other beautiful countryside. I’ve flicked through Molly’s Guide and the Primary Times to see if there are any good vouchers for local attractions, or even free activities days. I’ve even been scouring the net for things to do that won’t cost the earth. I came across an article on Haven’s blog about alternative beach activities and since Mablethorpe and Skegness are so close to us, I figured I could put some of the ideas to use. However we will most likely spend our time in our pool if the weather gets too hot to go out, if you plan on doing the same with your family then you may want to get some swimming pool refurbishment done before summer comes around.

Anyway, with the help of the kids, I put together some bucket list items that we’d like to tick off this summer. Here’s what we came up with.

Visit the beach (preferably on a day sunny enough to paddle/swim and build sandcastles – easier said than done in the UK)
Travel on a double-decker (preferably open top) bus.
Go to London on the train and catch a theatre show. We’d love to see Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Aladdin. Maybe even Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Swim at the local pool, preferably once a week.
Catch a movie at the cinema, especially on the cheap kids show either Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Walk to the local park, play and have a picnic lunch.
Get out the tent and go camping. Megan spent a few nights in her sleeping bag last week and now they’re both obsessed with the idea of going camping. When going camping in remote areas without access to electrical hookups, having small generators for camping can be a lifesaver.
Go to a theme park. I recently saw that Drayton Manor had a discount on their tickets, or places like Alton Towers and Legoland often have 2 for 1.
Attend a Yule Ball and Harry Potter convention. We actually have tickets and dresses for this already. We’re pretty excited to be attending a ball.
See the poppies at Lincoln Castle. These are here till September and I would love to see them before they leave.

As I was finishing off the list of things we’d like to do, Lily added “buy a new house”. While it’s not really part of my Summer Bucket List, I do wish that it was! I think selling the house that fast at this stage would be a bit of a dream, but I guess we can hope!

What do you have planned for the summer?

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