Real life self-care

We all like bubble baths and scented candles, right? A cheeky spa day here, a lie in there... These are the things we've come to know as the go-to breaks from our lives, designed to take our energy banks back into the black. Yes, they are nice things that make us feel good, no question. But are they really the ultimate in self-care?

Inspired by... / 09 Sas Petherick and the My Courageous Selfie project

Sas Petherick is a coach, mentor, writer and podcaster whose work is all about helping people to transcend self-doubt. Sas and I first met earlier this year after she moved to Bristol. Although we haven't known each other long, we instantly clicked and I'm thrilled to share her work here on my blog, including her new charity venture.

Over to Sas... Introduce yourself!

Travel | Food and drink in Dubrovnik, Croatia

My recent trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia, has converted me to this wonderful country – read about Croatia as a luxury travel destination here as well as what you can expect from a Dubrovnik city break.

But one of the most important aspects of any holiday is the quality of the food and drink. I had two questions: 1. What is it like to travel in Croatia as a vegan? And 2. What do Croatians drink? Here’s what I discovered.

Travel | A city break in Dubrovnik, Croatia

I’ve never been to Croatia before. A good friend of mine is half Croatian and her enthusiasm for the country always had me intrigued… In October, I got to experience wonderful Dubrovnik for the first time and here’s what I discovered on my city break.

Eurocamp France review | What we did on our holidays (and lived to tell the tale)

Holidays are amazing.
Holidays abroad are completely amazing.
Holidays abroad with kids…

French family holidays 2017 | All aboard the ferry to Brittany (and back)

(Our destination! But first, read how we got there...)

Anyone fancy flying with five kids? Us neither! Time to take to the waves…

Last summer, we took our massive brood to France via Brittany Ferries Plymouth-Roscoff sailing. Want to hear about our crazy adventures? Course you do. And I cannot let the opportunity sail by without publishing this extraordinary photograph of Mike aboard a ferry a million years ago, so read on for his review of our French family holiday.

On the medicinal benefits of BBC Radio 4

For the past month, I’ve been on a course of medication that requires me to inject a syringe into my stomach each morning. Yes, it’s as horrible as it sounds. I’m not hugely needle-phobic but even so, I’ve developed a little ritual that helps me to manage it all. And it revolves around BBC Radio 4.