Born and bred in Gloucestershire, I have lots of ideas for quirky date nights and days out as a couple in and around Gloucestershire if you’re looking for something a little more than a standard… More
Top places to visit in San Diego as a couple
Whilst we’re not travelling at all right now due to the pandemic, it doesn’t mean we can’t plan for our future travel plans.
We are always discussing places we’d like to visit, both as a family and as a couple.
One of my favourite places I’ve visited so far has to be San Diego. I found it incredibly exciting when I visited the USA for the first time, even if it was with an ex-boyfriend in 2010!
We spent five weeks in San Diego visiting some of his skater friends, seeing the sites and for him to take part in an inline skating competition he had qualified for.
Even though I have now been with my husband for a decade, I still do have fond memories of being in the US and I’d love to return one day.
There is so much more of California I’d like to explore too, but San Diego is a great starting point if you’re looking for a base whilst there with so much to explore as a family and a couple.
If you’re looking for things to do as a couple in San Diego, whether you’re tourists like I was or perhaps you’re nearby and looking for dating ideas to impress a date you’ve met on San Diego Personals, then read on!
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European city inspiration for a Christmas break
Christmas this year is going to be very different for us in England. There are talks of Christmas bubbles and travel permitted on certain dates, but with stricter tiers being enforced across pretty much the entire country, who knows what will actually happen over the festive period.
For the past two years we went away near to Christmas on short breaks. It was the first two years we ever went away over Christmas and we really enjoyed it. Last year we went to London on a budget and also Bluestone for a few days. The year before we went to Bluestone Holiday Resort too.
It gave us something extra to look forward to at Christmas and meant we could spend some real quality time together as a family. Not that we don’t enjoy seeing family and friends, but the years before this, Ben was always working full time and only had a few days off work – a week max some years. We’d spend his time off going here and there, travelling to different friends and family houses every day he was off and never feeling like he got to relax or we spent much time just to ourselves enjoying family time.
That’s why I really wanted to go away at Christmas, and although we haven’t been away for the day itself yet, it’s something I am tempted to do! I’d love a beach holiday and real break away at Christmas! Bah-humbug perhaps, but I’m not one for the cold and get SAD each year, so a week or two in the sun would really be amazing!
We’re not religious so we could celebrate Christmas a weekend before, or after!
Anyway, not going away at Christmas at all this year is such a shame. Whilst we weren’t planning on going abroad for a beach holiday, I was planning on a UK staycation to Cornwall or Devon. A little cottage or holiday home for a few days and some coastal walks.
I haven’t bothered to book anything as everything is so up in the air. The only weekend away we did have to Wales has already been rebooked three times and now delayed until next year, so I couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of booking something just to keep cancelling it or rearranging it again, especially for a Christmas break.
Nonetheless, it hasn’t stopped me thinking about travel plans for next year and the amazing Christmas destinations we could visit.
Surely things will be back to normal next Christmas, yes? Lockdowns done and dusted and a sense of normality once again? Travel back to normal?
I really hope so!
Whilst a sunny break is a dream for me at Christmas, I’m not sure if the kids and Ben would agree! Instead they may want something a little more festive full of Christmas cheer!
With that in mind, here are some of the cities in Europe that look great to visit for a Christmas adventure:
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3 great waterparks to visit in Australia
Australia is one of the top places I want to visit on my bucket list. I hope when the kids are a little older we can go for a fun packed adventure for a few weeks to Australia, New Zealand and Great Barrier Island.
Whilst I’m keen to explore the sights and sounds the cities and natural landscapes have to offer, I know the kids will be excited to visit the local theme parks in Australia and waterparks.
Waterparks definitely bring out the kid in all of us and are the perfect family day out for all ages.
Whether we make it to Australia anytime soon (we are in lockdown and the global pandemic of COVID-19 as I write this) or even if we go elsewhere on our next family adventure, we will definitely have waterparks top of our list so the kids can have an absolute blast!
Even though we can’t travel yet, we can still dream and plan our future adventures!
With that in mind, and the joys of being able to research all these wonderful places on the internet, here are some of the best recommended water parks to visit in Australia:
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Tips for keeping warm and cosy in a campervan
In autumn and winter, and perhaps even the early weeks of spring, it can be really cold for camping. This is why many campsites are seasonal as the demand simply isn’t there for the colder month.
However, some campsites do remain open all year round and many campers also like to ‘wild’ camp or park up in carparks and other spots that allow campervans for a night without charge.
So, whilst you may still find the perfect spot to camp, you must remember it’s going to be a lot colder than camping in the summer!
Even if the daytimes are warm, the evenings can quickly change and you’ll feel freezing in no time at all.
Not all is lost though, as there are plenty of ways to keep cosy and warm in your campervan in winter.
Here are some of the best ideas to stay warm when camping.
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Airplane ear: how to avoid ear pain during flight
Taking a flight is usually an exciting time as most people flying are going on holiday!
However, for some people the flight can cause some discomfort in the ears, sometimes referred to as ‘airplane ear’.
This discomfort can include the ears feeling blocked with sound muffled and even pain.
Let’s take a look at what exactly airplane ear is and how it can be prevented.
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Our family staycation to Fishcombe Cove and Brixham in Torbay, Devon
After what feels like forever, we finally went away on a mini holiday to Devon!
It’s the first summer that we hadn’t been away on holiday and were desperate to go away.
We had booked a weekend in Swansea earlier this month, but that was cancelled last minute as they went into a local lockdown!
Other travel plans we had set in mind for the year, and luckily not already booked, were cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown.
We kept our fingers tightly crossed that our Devon trio would still go ahead, but we really thought it would get cancelled so never got our hopes up.
Luckily the south west of the U.K. has remained out of the local lockdowns so far and we were able to take our short staycation in Devon – phew!
Read on to see what we got up to and all our travel photos!
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How to secure your home when you are away on holiday
There’s plenty to keep you busy when going on holiday, from checking your passports are in date to booking accommodation, travel insurance and travel. But one thing that should not be overlooked is making sure your home is safe when you are away.
You don’t want to signal to passing burglars that your home is vacant and easy to access, and you don’t want to worry about this happening whilst you are enjoying your holiday!
So how can you secure your home whilst you are away?
Follow these tips to secure your home whilst you are away, so you can relax and enjoy your holiday!
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Painswick church 99 trees
I’ve always lived in Gloucestershire, living in Cheltenham until I was 26 years old and then moving to Gloucester. Now I live in Brockworth right on the edge of Gloucester, bordering both Cheltenham and Stroud.
No matter whether I lived in Cheltenham, or now Brockworth, we always take the same route to Stroud passing through the picturesque Cotswold village of Painswick.
As a child I’d occasionally go to Stratford Park in Stroud. That was pretty much my Stroud experience as a child and every time we went, I’d remember my mum pointing out the 99 trees in Painswick as we drove past them.
We were always slightly fascinated by them and the story of how there came to be only 99…
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