Easter skiing in Val D’Isère with Mark Warner: the perfect choice for families

If you've never been skiing with the family, here's why you need to be brave and give it a go!

By Actually Daddy. Given the importance of skiing for Actually Daddy I’ve decided to hand over the blog to him for the day. Here’s what he thinks of Easter skiing in Val d’Isère. I’ve used my bible, Where to Ski and Snowboard as the basis for my report; there is a short précis online, and much more detail in the book. It gives a great summary of the pros and cons of a ski trip to Val D’Isère, so rather than repeat what is a very accurate guide I will attempt to add some value around it. Why go to Val D’Isère with …

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We are Mark Warner ski ambassadors!

Last week GG told you why she needs to take us all on a family skiing holiday. There was much mirth over poor old Actually Daddy and his lack of ability to say something that didn’t sound like it was destined for the board room. Well I am absolutely bowled over and blown away by the news that Mark Warner have today asked us to be ski ambassadors for them. This is how I revealed the news to the rest of my family: Apparently I was too cryptic, although GG confessed that she got it by the second watching, but …

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Why I MUST take my family skiing! #MarkWarnerMum

TWO SKI HOLIDAYS A YEAR! It’s non-negotiable! You knew that  when we got married! It was inevitable that I would become a skier. It was in-utero that I heard these words, flung down the stairs in frustration and anguish. Daddy was having to come to terms with the fact that I would turn 9 weeks old as the ski season began, and Mummy was not as keen to hurtle down the black runs as she used to be. He couldn’t fathom it. I think the words “baby-backpack” were used… Apparently this was acceptable attire in the 90’s. Don’t worry, I’ll …

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Life Cancelled: Planning a Ski Holiday to Cope with the Disappointments of Lockdown

Family skiing is easier than you'd think

How to make up for a cancelled ski holiday I wasn’t supposed to be writing this blog post today. Right now, in a different world, I should be cruising down a perfectly groomed alpine piste, revelling in glorious April ski weather, and looking forward to fondue with a couple of beers this evening. This Easter holiday was the one where we would finally do a ski holiday with no holds barred. We’d saved up, and looked forward to it for a few years. We had the apartment with the hot tub, the plush one where no-one was sleeping on a …

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Work with me

  Hi, I’m Helen, and I’m the writer here at Actually Mummy, as well as co-editor of award-winning family travel site Space In Your Case. I live just outside of London, in St Albans with my teenaged daughter Maddie, 10-year-old son Evan, and my marketing director husband Jason. My background is in corporate management, with annual turnovers of over £60m, but when I had my children I quickly realised that I needed a more flexible way of working. I took an extended maternity leave, and studied for a degree in psychology I started Actually Mummy in 2011, when I figured …

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The perfect family holiday

What's your perfect family holiday?

What’s your idea of the perfect family holiday? Have you done it yet, or does it still sit tantalisingly on the horizon, waiting for the perfect time, the right age, the correct bank balance?! I wrote about my dream holiday on Space In Your Case recently – a trip to that little piece of heaven that are the Maldives. And it was indeed a dream come true. Adventurers at heart, we had worried that we might be bored on a luxury island, but our water villa, surrounded by baby sharks, and a glorious array of food and hospitality could never …

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Expressions #12: Let it go for #BritMumsLive

"Britmums brilliance in blogging awards"

My mother has done it again. Embarrassed me. I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s an almost daily occurrence, with her gaffs, and her love of oversharing. I have perfected my warning glare for use on the playground when faced with an imminent faux pas in front of my friends, and actually, much of the time it works. But she has out done herself today. Unbeknownst to me, she and Annie have been putting together a short video detailing their nerves over the forthcoming Brilliance in Blogging awards. Now I love Annie, but she has led my mother too far over the cliff …

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A new family adventure has begun…

Earlier this year we went skiing for the first time as a family. Each of us had different expectations of our trip, but none of us knew how it would pan out. You see, although all of us had experienced skiing before, this time was going to be different; this time we were a family of four. From my ‘headlong into the thrills’ approach, to Mummy’s nervous ‘will I have to carry 3 pairs of skis and a wailing child’ trepidation, we ran the gauntlet of ‘what-if’s’ for weeks before our arrival on the slopes. Would Daddy be frustrated with …

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The 7 secrets to the best family ski holiday in Europe.

Seven secrets to the best family ski holiday in Europe

If you’re looking for a very sensible set of tips on how to have a successful family ski trip then you’re reading the wrong post. We wrote that one last week, and you can find it here. No, in this post I’m going to tell you how to really have fun. Read on… Secret 1: Eat whatever you want. As I sat in Hotel Le Val d’Isère on my first night, experimenting with my first ever Beouf Bourgignon, I got to thinking about food. “I’m going to have an enormous croissant for breakfast tomorrow,” I declared, already savouring the thought of my favourite …

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I’m a convert! Tips for a successful family ski trip.

According to The Bug… You may recall that I was a reluctant skier. I was totally happy to sip a hot chocolate while my sister did the energetic bit. But my Dad insisted, and so my Mum set about getting me ready for our first family ski holiday. We spent last week in Val d’Isère with Mark Warner, and the person least inclined to come home when it was all over was me. So how exactly do you prepare a child to enjoy his first ski trip? Tips for a successful family ski trip: Book Lessons: I had several lessons at …

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What to pack for a ski trip

… before and after kids. By Helen… Whilst making a packing list for our forthcoming ski trip it struck me that what I’m taking now is considerably different from what I would have packed 10 years ago, before we had the children. So for anyone planning a holiday in the snow, with or without kids, here’s my advice. What to pack for a ski trip Before kids: Fleece headband that matches  your ski jacket – prevents earache,  but avoids the shame of hat-hair. Duty-free Absolut vodka – distracts the mind from occasional sprains and bruises. Multivitamins – with all that …

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How to prepare for a ski trip with children

By the Bug… This winter I’m going skiing. I’ve been pretty nervous, but I’m ready for my first ski trip. In fact I’d go so far as to say that I’m exceeding expectations, and my plan is to ski faster than Mrs Kamikaze my sister before the holiday is over. How have I made this transition from cautious to courageous? It’s simple really – it’s all in the preparation. How to prepare for a family ski trip Get ski fit: some in our family have been training for long runs recently. This is good as you’ll need cardiovascular fitness on the …

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Our 5 family travel tips.

By GG… With the news this week that baby George, the future king, is off on his first holiday I decided it was high time I shared the benefit of nigh on 10 years of travel experience with children. As we pack for our forthcoming Mark Warner trip, I am reminded of the stressbucket that used to be my mother, and I savour a proud smile at how far she has come since our first holiday as a family. As an aside, I’m also going to tell you how bloggers can win a Mark Warner holiday themselves, as well as …

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Bug can ski!

Two years ago my brother took his first ski lesson. We’re lucky enough to live a short drive from The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead, and I had been skiing a few times already. I’d done ok with the slippery sticks and will happily fling myself face down in the snow whenever I get the chance, so The Bug, quite naturally, was willing to give it a go. To cut a long story short, he managed his first lesson, with some coaxing from my mother, and consented to a second. To which Daddy was the responsible adult. He’s not as …

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Project 365 #01: Love Bombing

By The Bug (mostly) We started joining in with Project 365 – taking and publishing a photo a day – at The Boy and Me in 2011. We tried, but failed to keep going, consistency not always a guarantee with us. Sensibly, we didn’t even sign up in 2012, but as this blog has become more successful, we have increased our brand-related posts, at the expense of some of the anecdotal stories of our family life. That is a shame. And so 2014 sees us joining in again. Just one photo each week. Sometimes with a story behind it, sometimes …

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Madeleine McCann: how fear has changed us

* Updated: There is a new aged photo of Madeleine McCann as she might look aged 9. Please take a look and keep Madeleine in your mind. This post was originally published on 12 May 2012, and was updated with this image on 26 April 2012. Yesterday was Madeleine’s 8th birthday. Mummy has pored over the McCann news articles for several days now, reliving the horror that another mother has experienced on a loop for the last 4 years. I am aware that something is upsetting her, though she would never let me in on the facts. I am also conscious of the …

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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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