Journey to Cornwall

We started our journey around 9am, the kiddywinks bursting with excitement. Had a quick stop at Hopwood Services, a nappy change for George and a Starbucks for Tim. Then continued along the M42/M5 until we almost reached Bristol. 

We pulled off at Junction 14 and just over a mile later arrived at Tortworth Estate Shop and The Farmers Table. http://www.tortworthestateshop.co.uk/

This is a lovely farm shop and restaurant that sell home reared produce. Perfect for if you want a light lunch, slice of homemade cake or a full English breakfast!

Tim plumped for the full monty, the kiddywinks had sausages, beans, egg and toast and I enjoyed a lovely baked potato.

Whilst enjoying your meal you are able to take in the amazing views over Gloucestershire through the huge panoramic windows or outside on their beautiful sun terrace. 

There's even a cute little play area to keep the kiddywinks entertained.

After the meal we stretched our legs around the duck pond and then headed back to the car to continue our journey.

Both children then fell asleep whilst watching Frozen and when they awoke we were just about to enter into Cornwall over the Tamar Bridge. 

We arrived in Looe about 3.30pm to glorious sunshine, where we met up with the rest of the family and had a well earned cup of tea.

Car unpacked, rooms sorted, ready for the week!

Let's hope the sunshine sticks around!

Until next time.

Sarah xx

Holiday Time!

Everybody is very excited in the Thompson/Robinson household, as tomorrow we are off on holiday.

We are heading down to Looe in Cornwall for a week with family and can't wait.

Not only are we looking forward to the holiday itself,  but we really enjoy the drive down. Who doesn't love a road trip?

We are going to get the car packed and ready tonight so we can head off first thing, after the kiddywinks have had breakfast. They love the fact we leave them in their pyjamas and they get dressed when we have a stop later in the journey.

The journey itself takes around 5 hours, but we then add a couple of rest/toilet stops in.

We are planning on stopping at a lovely farm shop, just off the M5 near Bristol, for brunch and a chance to stretch our legs.

We try to find alternative places to take a break, rather than expensive services, sometimes nature reserves, country parks or farm shops. Somewhere exciting that adds to the fun of the holiday and is enjoyable for the kids.

Right, enough of this procrastinating, I need to get on with some packing.

Until next time.

Sarah xx

Long time, no see!!

Hello there.

Yes I am still alive!!  Apologies for the lack of posts since January.

To be honest there has been so much going on that I've really struggled with putting pen to paper, so to speak.

But thankfully things are starting to settle down and there are lots of exciting things coming up in the next year or so that I'm really looking forward to writing about. 

The main thing is that I am getting married! Yay!!

Anyway, thanks for stopping by.

Until next time.

Sarah xx

Take time to appreciate!

Recently, while my son George was attending Playgroup, I decided, rather than go home and clean or tidy toys away, I'd go for a walk.

Now I walk a lot, but never alone!

I walk to school and back twice a day, to Playgroup several times a week and regularly take a stroll around the village with the family.  But very rarely do I get the chance to go alone.

So off I went, iPod at the ready with appropriate music for brisk walking.  

I'd only been on my way for a few minutes when I realised how much I take my surroundings for granted.

I live in a beautiful village on the banks of the River Soar, but rarely do I notice it's beauty as I'm always slightly distracted, whether it be by rushing to school drop off or pick up or watching Scarlett and George to make sure they don't run off or jump into a puddle up to their middle!

However on this occasion I was able to soak up the joys of the riverbank!

The weather had been quite wet, so the ground underfoot was particularly boggy in places. Thankfully I'd donned my wellies!  

With only my camera phone to hand, I managed a few snaps of the wonderful scenery I was privy to.

The light was amazing and just gleamed off the water.  I lifted my whole mood and made me smile.

I only encountered a couple of people on my walk, a jogger and a fisherman, and I wondered if they'd stopped, taken a breath and soaked up their surroundings.

We all need to take time to appreciate what's around us. I'm definitely going to do that from now on!

Until next time.

Sarah xx

                                      

                                   

Goodbye 2013. Hello 2014!

As we dive headlong into a new year, it's always a good time to reflect on the one just gone.

2013 was a year with some amazing highs, but also some real lows!

Finding out my dad had been diagnosed with cancer was the biggest low of the year. My parents had struggled through a few really tough few years and were finally in a place where they felt more happy and content and then BOOM!!! 

His first course of treatment began in November and comes to an end in late January. Hopefully with a successful result. It has been stressful and emotional for everyone, especially my dad and mum. But we have pulled together and had strength for each other when we've felt low. I would have been lost without my fiancé Tim, so I thank him with all my heart.

During the same period my Uncle became ill and was admitted to hospital for several days. Thankfully an operation in the next month or so should rectify his problem, fingers crossed.

As you can imagine these two events were real shocks and it was in a way nice to have some really exciting things going on at the same time to give us all a welcome distraction.

Our children are the best tonic for us and our family. They can make even very sad times seem better!

Scarlett has continued to do well at school and has again exceeded our expectations, making us immensely proud of her every day.  Seeing her love for learning and achieving is a wonderful thing. Long may it continue.

George is coming on leaps and bounds.  Having turned two in September, his speech is really improving. He loves interacting with all age groups of people and gets really excited when he learns something new. As with his sister, he makes us proud every day.

They are growing in to wonderful little people and I'm excited to see what 2014 brings.

The really big event of 2013 was the purchase of a house in Wales.

For the past 5 years we have been looking to buy a property to set up as a holiday rental. We knew where we wanted it, it was just waiting for the right one to come along and in August it did. 

Six weeks later it was ours and after a lot of hard work sourcing furniture, painting, and fitting a new kitchen, at the end of December it was ready to take bookings. And we've actually got our first booking, yay!!!

So 2013 has been testing at times, but I feel all things are sent to make us stronger and I feel strong!!

So bring on 2014, I'm ready!!

Happy new year to you all and may you have health and happiness.

Sarah

xx

Christmas Crafting - Christmas Cake Revisited

As promised in my previous Christmas Cake post, I said I would share with you my finished decorated cake.

Well you are in for a treat, as I actually have 2 cakes to share with you.

The first is the cake I made for the local Toddler Group, for their 'Guess the weight of the cake' competition.

I decided to keep it simple with a Christmas tree theme and everyone seemed to love it.

The second is the cake I made for my good friend Paula.  For the past few years she has asked if I could make her a Christmas cake, so it can't be that bad!!

Hope you like them. 

Enjoy what's left of the Christmas break. x

Christmas Crafting - Stocking

I don't know why, but Christmas always makes me want to get my craft on. Whether it's sewing, baking or any other kind of craft I decide to try my hand at, I always get a huge satisfaction from being able to say "I made that!"

Thankfully my family are very accepting of my craftiness and look forward to what goodies they may find in their stocking.

One of the first things I decided to make was a Christmas stocking for my son George.  This was to be hung in his room for him to find Christmas morning full of lovely little surprises.

George turned two at the beginning of September and I decided his room needed a bit of change, so we opted for a Farm theme.  I made some bunting and a cushion cover from some beautiful Michael Miller fabric, so when I saw the Christmas farm theme fabric I knew I had to make a stocking.

Firstly I cut out a stocking template of the size I wanted from paper (I only had baking parchment, but it worked fine).  I then attached it to the fabric and cut out two stocking shapes.

I then decided the stocking needed a decorative edge around the top.  I had several pieces of felt, but none looked right, so I decided to cut pieces out of a spare Ikea blanket I had lying around.  The scalloped edging was perfect.

After cutting out the size edging I wanted, I sewed it onto the outside of each stocking shape.

Placing the right sides of the stocking together and beginning at the top, I then sewed the stocking together. Leaving the top open.

I then turned it inside out and attached a piece of ribbon to the back of the top part, ready to hang.

And voila, you have a Christmas stocking.  And my George loved it!