Cotton Traders tops and t-shirt edit

GIFTED

As we eagerly await and hope for summer days with drier and warmer weather our wardrobes deserve a refresh with some lovely tops and t-shirts from Cotton Traders.

Floral

Blossom like the beautiful flowers of spring and summers with floral tops and t-shirts. This lovely textured stretch jersey top is full of flower power with the ivory floral colourway. With a hint of stretch and designed with short sleeves, this top boasts a beautiful floral design.

The light jade embroidered shoulder t-shirt is also a floral delight thanks to the fine embroidery on the front shoulder. The light jade offers a splash of seasonal colour or the t-shirt is also available in classic ivory.

Spring and summer style from Cotton Traders - trouser edit

GIFTED

With the arrival of spring, and summer on the horizon, it is time to pack away the winter wardrobe and embrace a spring/summer wardrobe. 

As British spring and summer weather can be a tad temperamental with rain showers one day and bright sunshine the next, my spring/summer style often consists of trousers as they are great in all weathers. Trousers can offer protection from all weathers, warmth from the chilly rain and cover from the burning sun, as well as comfort and style. The beauty of a good pair of trousers is that they can be styled so many different ways and can be dressed up for a smart style or down for a casual, effortless look. 

Home heating during the summer

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As the sun shines and the warmth of summer warms our homes our home heating needs change. Central heating and all round the clock heating of winter months are no longer needed. Instead we look at ways to cool down the home and only reach for the thermostat to take the chill off of breezy summer nights when the weather has lived up to stereotypical rainy, cold UK summer days. 

With home heating needs during summer being different to winter, here we look at ways to cool down the home, how to give your home heating from summer maintenance and when heaters are useful even in the summer.

Coral Island Blackpool - review

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Blackpool holds a special place in our hearts. It was the place where Lee and I had our first holiday together when we first started dating back when we were in a long distance relationship. Fast forward nearly 10 years, 2 kids and a 3rd on the way and we recently returned to Blackpool for a family holiday.

We enjoyed a few days at Blackpool, exploring the sights and attractions it has to offer to families. Walks along the famous promenade, eating ice cream on the pier, riding the trams which the kids thought was really cool and visiting the iconic Blackpool tower.

We also had a wonderful family day out at Coral Island Blackpool.

Coral Island

Coral Island is a pirate-themed family friendly indoor fun park filled with arcade games, slots, rides and so much more. With views of Blackpool’s beautiful beach it sits in the heart of Blackpool famous golden mile at the center of the promenade. 

Located near the central pier, close to the iconic Blackpool tower and a short walk to the SeaLife centre and Madame Tussauds, Coral Island is Blackpool's largest indoor free admission family friendly attraction. 

Lightwater Valley - review

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Last week when we were on our summer staycation visiting Lee's side of the family in Leeds we took our thrill-seeking boys to Lightwater Valley Theme Park in Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Having never been to Lightwater Valley before we checked out their website beforehand to see what attractions the park had to offer. Much to their delight they saw a number of rides and attractions they couldn't wait to try including the Wild River Rapids and Jumpin' Jack's Pillows.

Summer of Fun at Lightwater Valley

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For our UK summer staycation we are visiting a number of family friendly attractions to have fun and make memories with the kids. As we will be visiting Lee's family in Leeds during our city hopping staycation up North we will be visiting some of Lee's favourite places and attractions from his childhood so he can recreate and share some of his cherished memories of when he was a young boy with his own children. Top of the list is Lightwater Valley Theme Park in North Yorkshire.

School's out summer shopping spree - saving money on the kids’ holiday wardrobe

As the school year comes to an end, our thoughts have turned to the summer holidays. The boys are super excited about many weeks at home over the school summer holidays. They are full of ideas of how to spend the summer and are especially excited about our UK staycation holiday where we will be visiting family in Leeds before a few fun days at Blackpool. We've got plans to visit family friendly attractions, dine at restaurant with rooms Yorkshire dales, visit museums and explore the heritage and natural wonders of Yorkshire.

As both boys have had a recent growth spurt and have grown out of most of their clothes, especially their summer clothes from last year they are in desperate need of a new wardrobe. In fact T is growing so quickly that the new swim shorts I bought him in May are already too small and tight! In the hope that we are going to have a sun-filled summer we need to buy them new clothes that are perfect for sunny days. Shorts, t-shirts, lightweight short sleeve shirts and even swimwear are needed. 

Five Things To Do This Summer

As warmer weather approaches, you’ll find everyone’s getting out and about, making the most of the sunshine while it’s around. Summer is a great time of year for trying out new things, for exploring and getting outdoors. So if you’re looking for a few things to add to your to-do list, here are five things to do this summer.

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Chester Zoo 2019

Chester Zoo is one of my favourite family attractions in the UK and holds a special place in my heart. As a child we often visited Chester Zoo whilst on family holidays and it was always a fun and exciting time, as such our visits there are some of the fondest memories I have from my childhood.  It was also one of the family attractions we visited when on our first family holiday with our eldest child when he was a toddler. He was so excited to see the amazing animals as we explored the expansive zoo. 

Fast forward a few years and we again visited Chester Zoo again during our first holiday as a family of four. Again we created many fun memories that I treasure during our visit to Chester Zoo. Back in the summer of 2017 during our first family holiday as a family of four the boys loved seeing the magnificent animals, adored the boat ride on The Islands and had lots of fun playing in the PLAY! Space.

As we are planning a UK staycation family holiday for this summer where we will be travelling from Pembrokeshire up to North Wales and then across the North of England, we have decided to stop in Chester for a few days. As we love Chester Zoo and have had many wonderful visits there it is no surprise that we plan on visiting yet again this summer. With that in mind as part of planning for our summer 2019 family holiday I have been looking at what plans Chester Zoo has for this year.

Sublime Cedar Planked Salmon cooked on a barbecue

With the summer school holidays coming to an end and momentous times ahead for both of our children with our eldest moving to a junior school and our youngest starting infant school, we are going to end the holidays on a high with a big celebratory BBQ.

We love a BBQ with friends and family. Tasty food, great company and garden games for the kids (big kids too) to enjoy in lovely summer weather makes for a fantastic time for all. As we have been so busy over the summer holidays it is also a great excuse to catch up with our nearest and dearest before the back to school routine kicks in.

What Swimwear Style Suits You?

Winter is slowly saying goodbye and soon we will be in the race to get out bodies ready for bikini season once again. Now that many of our favourite online shops are stocking swimwear once again, it might be tempting to stock up on swimwear before the summer kicks in.

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However, how do we know which type of swimwear is the best for our body shape and style? There are so many different types of swimwear out there: bikinis, tankinis, swimsuits, monokinis, cut outs and more… the choices are endless and this can make things pretty difficult for us when it comes to choosing. Luckily we have some suggestions on what you might want to look for in a swimsuit this year...

Staying safe in the sun

As a family who loves having fun and adventures in the great outdoors we spend the majority of our summer outside. Whilst we embrace outdoor adventures all year round whatever the weather there is something refreshing about enjoying the wonders that the great outdoors has to offer in lovely sunny weather.

Smart shopping for sunglasses with SmartBuyGlasses

Summer and the hope of lots of sun filled days with rays of glorious golden sunshine shining down upon us is a time when protecting ourselves and our little ones from the sun is at an all time high.

As well as making sure that myself and my little ones' skin and health is protected from the harsh sun by religiously using protective sun lotion, covering up with clothes, using UV clothing when suitable, avoiding midday sun and making sure they keep hydrated, I am also meticulous about keeping our eyes protected with sunglasses.

Sunglasses are more than just a fashion accessory. They are vital for helping protect your eyes from the sun.

#TheSwimOfThings with George at Asda

Summer - the time when we all hope with baited breath for good weather and summer holidays filled with sunny days galore.

For many of us summers rich with sunny days evoke thoughts of the beach. Many of us long for lots of days spent at the seaside sunning ourselves on the sand and having a splash in the sea.

Days at the beach often mean donning swimwear - a thought that evokes dread in many (I can sympathise with them as I am one of these women), others relish the thought of slipping in their swimming costume or bikini and looking good on the beach, and then there are the ones who simply do not care how they look and see it as an item of clothing used to embrace the fun of the sand, sea and surf at the beach.

As this time of year is associated with swimwear George at Asda have been getting in with #TheSwimOfThings and researching the latest swimwear trends and finding out what women across the globe thinking about swimwear. To see the full results of their research take a look here.

#summermoments with HiPP Organic

With Bug broken up from school for the holidays it feels as if summer has finally arrived…..think someone needs to tell Mr Sun though as it looks like he has gone on his holidays too as we've not seen much of him so far since the holidays have started.

Along with beach trips, family days out and sunny adventures in the great outdoors; summer means lots of picnics and BBQs as we enjoy alfresco dining.

Even though Mr Sun has been a little shy we have squeezed in a few picnics with friends and family.

Summer bedding for a good night's sleep

Getting a good night's sleep can be affected by the environment we sleep in. Noise, clutter, temperature, lighting, comfort level of bed and mattress, and bedding can all affect how peacefully we fall asleep and whether we have a good, undisturbed full night's sleep.

As we are in the summer months and hoping for sunny weather that has the downside of leaving the nights hot and humid which make make sleeping well challenging we have switched out our winter bedding for bedding better suited for the summer. Heavy duvet covers, high tog duvets, blankets, and extra pillows have been stored away in the airing cupboard and the summer bedding has been refreshed before adorning the beds.

10 hacks to improve your Summer BBQ

There’s no greater British tradition than getting your friends and family round for a BBQ the second the sun appears. Summertime can be short and sweet in the UK so who can blame us for making the most of it with beers and burgers in the back garden while we can?

This year, step it up a notch and ensure any BBQ’s you host are ones to remember. Don’t worry if you’re cooking skills are more microwave than gourmet – these simple hacks don’t require you to learn to cook, instead you can just pour a drink and whack on the factor 30 and enjoy the heatwave.