Month: April 2016

Family…

I wasn’t going to write a post today. I’m in the midst of packing for diabetes camp. I was up 5 times last night alternately adding insulin, then sugar to my daughter’s sleeping form. Bloody hormones are screwing with her big time. I lay awake last night thinking about teenage growth spurts, puberty, and what might lie in store for the next couple of years. Then I realised that the timing of said girl hormone patterns are going to clash perfectly with another hormonal phenomenon in this house. Menopause. Oh God. I can almost see the boys packing up a …

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Where to see Bluebells in Hertfordshire

Photographing in the bluebells at Ringshall

Ringshall, 2008. It’s been years since I updated our photo albums. Since the Bug was born, in fact, and I somehow lost a whole section of time in my day. It was something I always pushed to the bottom of my list, from where it nagged me weekly. For seven years. Last week I finally began the process of sifting through old images on old laptops and even older hard drives; and I found this picture of my daughter, aged 4, in the woods at Ringshall, on the Ashridge estate. It’s not the perfect photo – I don’t do Photoshop, …

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Ski: Tips for doing The Luge Toboggan Run in Val Thorens

Tips for surviving the Luge toboggan run in Val Thorens

  If you’ve always fancied taking a family ski or snowboarding holiday, then Val Thorens is the perfect place to start. Our kids get very excited about our ski trips, and it’s a complete joy to share the antics of the day with them after a long session on the slopes. But even though they love the skiing, children sometimes need a break, or a change of scenery during a week’s holiday. For ours it can be a lazy afternoon in the apartment, or a swim in the hotel pool. But one of the highlights of their holiday in Val …

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Ski: Where to Eat in Val Thorens

Where to eat in Val Thorens - we pick our favourites for eating on the piste and apres-ski

Waffles in the snow – what more could you want? There’s nothing better than sitting out in the cold air, sunshine blazing down on pristine snow, and cold beer in your hand after a long day of skiing. That moment when you loosen your boots, and your tongue, as you relive the stories of the day, from that time the Bug did a 360° spin without meaning to, to the moment when Dad wiped out in the powder and lost a ski, via the epic sneeze on the chair lift that made people on the slopes look up in confusion. …

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Wringer and Mangle: a VERY cool bar in London Fields

Some VERY cool areas to hang out at Wringer and Mangle

Grain sacks and a pommel horse make for lounging seats at Wringer and Mangle. If you frequent London Fields in East London for its social scene, chances are you’re more Superdry than Boden, drink Fever Tree not Schweppes, and prefer Snapchat over Facebook. But make the effort to venture a bit further east than your mainstream safety zone London staples, and you’ll find two great levellers: Time Run – an against the clock maze of team challenges reminiscent of the Crystal Maze (find out more on Space In Your Case); and Wringer and Mangle. Wringer and Mangle (review) We had …

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Travel: Les Carroz – A Relaxed Family Ski Resort in the French Alps

Les Carroz d'Araches may be small, but it's a lovely family ski resort in the French Alps

  Travelling to the French Alps for a half term ski holiday I was nervous. We’d never skied during the notorious French winter holidays, and the hordes of British number plates squeezing into the Eurotunnel did nothing to ease my apprehension. I’d heard about the mammoth lift queues, the production line canteen food, and the crowded slopes sure to tempt injury. It was all a far cry from the idyllic mountain charm I was used to as a term-time skier. But we have kids now, and not the kind we can pull out of school for a holiday. Half term …

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Days Out: What to expect when you visit Tower Bridge London

Great places to visit in England: The view from Tower Bridge is spectacular - if you dare to take it in!

A heart-stopping view from Tower Bridge When you step on the walkway of Tower Bridge, you might wonder what’s in store. It’s a bridge, admittedly a pretty cool, rather iconic bridge, but still, it’s just a bridge, right? We had travelled into London for a rare family day out (rare because it’s unusual to find all four of us without plans on a weekend day), with the goal of exploring the Tower of London. We hadn’t bargained on the queues though, had set off a little late, and required stops for toilets and coffee along the way. We decided the cost …

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Travel: 36 Great places to visit in England

Great places to visit in England with the family

Tomorrow sees the start of English Tourism Week. Visit England are champions of English tourism, and this year is the fifth anniversary of the week long event. To celebrate everything that makes England such a special place for a break, a holiday, or just a day out, we’re highlighting some of the great places to visit in England with your family starting with some lovely experiences in London. Great places to visit in England with the family Tower Bridge   What could be more English than Tower Bridge? So iconic the Americans tried to buy it and take it home with …

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Free to Dream (Freestyle Libre review)

A blood glucose reading whenever you want, without finger pricks - here's our Freestyle Libre review #freetodream

Hey, stop what you’re doing for a minute, will you? I just need you to do something for me. It will take about 2 minutes – if you’re lucky – then you can carry on with your work/play/nap/dancing (delete as appropriate). Hey, can you stop again please? Sorry, I just need you to do that thing again, won’t take too long. I know, I know, you’re dancing/singing/talking to your friends/marking coursework. Sorry, but it’s got to be done. Hey, sorry to interrupt AGAIN, but can you just… yes, again, yep I know you’re busy, I know it’s important, you’re having …

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Could you give up something you love to save money?

Being cold in bed is no fun. What could you not live without? And you can’t cheat and say your kids. Pick the one thing that you use every single day and could never give up. Then give it up for a week. Anxiety setting in yet? Could I save money on the One Week Energy Challenge? This is what MoneySuperMarket asked me to do last week, to see if I could save money, and how tough it felt to do so. I asked if I could give up Facebook – I could definitely use some motivation to take that time-sucker …

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