Travel

The weekend is finally on the horizon and it’s been a pretty busy and very tough week. You might have been chasing after the kids, working hard at your 9-5 or maybe somehow juggling both! Well, now a well-deserved break is on the way, you’re going to need to fill your weekend with plenty of fun but will also leave you feeling rested, rejuvenated and ready for the week ahead.

Sure a mini break to watch the opera in Florence over the weekend sounds like the perfect way to get some much needed R&R but it might not be logistically or financially possible. So instead I’ve rounded up 5 lovely things to do this weekend when a mini-break it out of reach.

Head out for a family walk

There’s nothing better than feeling the fresh air in your lungs. And although the kids might kick and scream at the idea of it, a family walk is actually lots of fun. Choose a nice walk through woodland, along the beach, around an area of natural beauty or even a ramblers favourite.

It gives everyone an opportunity to move their bodies, reduce stress, lower blood pressure and spend some quality time together. It’s also a great opportunity for the kids to burn off some energy and you not have to worry about them getting into too much trouble!

Have a date night

Many couples worry that they don’t get to spend as much time together as they would like, So, put the kids to bed early and rustle up a romantic meal together. Or order it from your favourite place and enjoy each other’s company.

Catch up on a good book

If the weather isn’t great then don’t worry! If you’re on your own and find yourself at a loose end then pick up that novel you’ve been meaning to finish. Get cosy on the sofa, pull up a blanket and get plenty of snacks. If you have little ones to entertain then let them choose a short story and cuddle up together. Nothing beats family time.

Give yourself a little TLC

When was the last time you had a nice relaxing bath? Well, wait until the kids have gone to bed if you need to, and run yourself a nice hot bath. Drop in a bath bomb or some Epsom salts to help with those aching muscles and make it feel fancy with a candle or two. Pour yourself a glass of something cold and bring a book if you want or put on a relaxing playlist. Shave, exfoliate and buff your skin, then when you’re dry apply lots of moisturisers and a bit of fake tan if you want. Spoil yourself!

Pack a picnic

Wondering what to do for lunch? Why not pack up a bag of all your favourite treats and goodies and head out on a picnic? The kids will love doing something ordinary – a little differently! Don’t worry if it’s raining (it’s forecasted to be rainy in Cornwall), sometimes a picnic in the car is just as fun!

I’m back! After a couple of quiet days and generally slow start to the year, I’m writing again. The last couple of months have been pretty crazy for me, both personally and professionally. Just before Christmas I went away to Jordan with my best friend for a week (blog post being written, stay tune!), and then we had the chaos of the holidays… Returning to work meant I had a million emails to deal with. On top of all of that, we were rolling out a new strategy for the biz. Next thing I know, we’re a couple days away from going on my hen party in Marrakech, and the wedding is literally a matter of weeks away. How on earth did this all happen so quick?! I digress.

One of my favourite things about having the blog is being able to look back on all the awesome things we’ve done and reading about it. I always forget the little details so I try and find the time to write about it as much as I can. It’s something I kind of regret not doing when we went traveling in the van, because there’s already so many little things that I’ve forgotten about. The best time was to write them when we were out there, the second best time is to start writing them now, so here I am… This trip only goes back a couple of weeks ago though so I’ll start here.

On Christmas Day my lovely fiancé showered me with gifts. We lovingly bought me my favourite fake tan, some clothes I’d been swooning over at Sea Salt and lots of goodies that he knows I’ve wanted for ages. It was really sweet of him and just showed how well he knows me. Things are great and all (I love being golden bronze and knitwear is always a winner), but I’m all about experiences. Spending the day making memories with my love is far more important to me than anything else. S knows this, which is probably why he also booked us onto a llama walk in North Cornwall! When I opened the envelope on Christmas Day I burst out laughing and was so excited.

We were booked to go the weekend after New Years, so we didn’t have to wait too long before going to visit the llamas. We happened to have a voucher to use from Red Letter Days so we cashed it in to stay at a gorgeous little BnB in Devon to make a weekend of it. It couldn’t have been better timing to use our voucher as it felt like a real impromptu treat when we remembered we had the credit available to enjoy. It was so nice to have something booked after Christmas, too. As much as we adore our friends and family, we found this year to be a little bit exhausting visiting everybody, as we’re usually quite introverted people. It was nice to have some “us” time.

We woke up bright and early on Sunday and headed to the llama farm. When we arrived we were greeted by the group we’d be joining and the owners of the farm. We picked out our llamas before having a health and safety introduction, then we set on our way to wander around the farm. They were absolutely adorable and all their personalities were so funny. We learnt tons about the llamas, their wool and the farm which was really interesting. It was clear that the owners of the farm had a true passion for llamas, and they told us about their travels to Peru to see rare breeds of llamas. Who knew there was so much to learn!?

We learnt more about the llamas and fed them, which was pretty funny. We got some shots with the llamas (when they weren’t trying to run away from us1) and then made our way up to a small log cabin in the woods where we stopped for a cuppa tea and a scone. It was lovely to huddle around the fire in the cabin, and I’m so glad we had the opportunity to visit at that time of year – the atmosphere was beautiful. After we finished our drinks we made our way back to the barn where the llamas were kept and said our farewells. The entire session probably lasted about 2 hours, which in my opinion was the perfect amount of time to stay on the farm.

We browsed the shops and I swooned over some handmade socks made from the wool of the llamas we’d just walked (how cool is that!?). We then made our way up to the bed and breakfast in Devon.

We arrived at a good time, meaning we could unwind and just relax without feeling rushed to go for dinner as soon as we arrived. It’s the cosiest little cottage I’ve ever been to, we actually ended up snuggling up and having a nap when we first arrived. It was so peaceful, with sheep just grazing out the front (such a contrast from our hectic Christmas!). Feeling completely recharged, we woke up and went downstairs to indulge in a three-course dinner, which was included in our stay.

We found out that we were actually the only people staying at the cottage at that time, I guess because January is a quiet time for them. This meant we got the BEST service you can imagine, and we could feel relaxed knowing we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Absolute bliss.

I’m not sure if it’s because we live in a new-build house or what… but I’m a real lover of old cottages and country homes. There’s something about a Chesterfield sofa in front of a roaring log burner that makes me feel happy. We filled our bellies with tasty food and just spent the evening enjoying each others company.

The food was so good, and the chef even came out and told us about his family recipe for the curry – you don’t get this type of service anywhere else. It’s one of a kind and not your ‘run of the mill’ bed and breakfast.

After a good nights sleep we leisurely checked out of the room. On the way back to Cornwall we decided to stop in IKEA, it would be rude not to! We didn’t have much room in the car but I thought we could pick up a couple of bits.

I ended up buying much more than anticipated including a lampshade with is significantly too big for our house, and it’s now sitting in the corner of the room because we’re not entirely sure what to do with it – Oops! We got some other nice bits though including a full set of pink crockery 😍, then we headed back home.

It was such a lovely getaway. When was the last time you had a romantic weekend!?