AD - Press Trip | I had such a great weekend at @p AD - Press Trip | I had such a great weekend at @pottersresortsfivelakes with @slwilson84. It was an action packed three nights with a full activity and entertainment programme, great food, lovely drinks and beautiful surroundings. 

The staff go above and beyond to make everyone feel at home and they ensure that everyone has the best time possible. I don’t think I stopped smiling all weekend.

The best thing about Potters holidays is that everything is included in the price you pay. Four meals a day, all your drinks - including wine, Prosecco, most spirits and soft drinks - great accommodation and so many activities. 

I’ll write a full review soon but for now here’s a little Reel of our weekend
I always have a lot of questions about accommodati I always have a lot of questions about accommodation when we stay anywhere as a family so I thought I’d share this little tour of our room at @windjammerlanding which was a pretty perfect place to stay.

It’s the ‘Ocean View Two Bedroom’ which was like a little house, with an upstairs and downstairs, built into the hillside. Both rooms had outdoor space and their own shower rooms. Such a great option for a family.
A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. We’ve been back a few days now but still miss the heat, the food, the pool, the constant sounds of wildlife and the lovely people. It was such a great holiday and I’m sure we’ll be back one day.
And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is watching her grow and what a wonderful young woman she is becoming. We could not be more proud. Love you Pickle, have a great birthday.
We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in S We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in St Lucia staying at @windjammerlanding and it was just the holiday we needed. Two weeks of sunshine and relaxation in what must be one of the most beautiful islands in the world. 

We can’t wait to go back again in the future. Here’s just a little snippet of our trip.
AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @na AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @national_motor_museum despite the rain! The children loved the Little Beaulieu play area and we loved exploring the National Motor Museum and Top Gear exhibit before having a ride on the monorail! We went on an old open topped bus, explored the Beaulieu Manor House and loved the gardens. 
Beaulieu is always a great day out - whatever the weather. This summer they have a whole ‘Summer of Fun’ planned, with activities most days - parades, bird shows and hundreds of sculptures within the grounds too. If you’re looking for a day out this summer definitely think about heading to Beaulieu.
AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to t AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to their first concert - but it was so much more than just a concert! @abbavoyage is incredible. With CGI ABBA and a live band, it’s like being at an ABBA concert 40 years ago but with modern lighting, effects and sound. ABBA look and sound real, it’s a mind blowing experience.
The set includes all the songs you know and love as well as a few less familiar ones.
You can’t take photos during the show which actually made a refreshing change. A whole arena focused purely on the show and soaking up the moment. It’s definitely something the four of us will always remember.
Now, I’m off to sing Dancing Queen all the way home.
AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdo AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdockyard today. They have a fantastic Ultimate Explorer ticket that lets you visit all the attractions as many times as you like for 12 months - and after a day at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard we can see that you need more than one day to really do everything!

We explored HMS Warrior, HMS Victory and the Mary Rose Exhibition - which is incredible! We also saw where ships are built and restored and spent time in Action Stations where the kids climbed and did an assault course.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is such a fun, educational day out with something for all ages - we can’t wait to go on their harbour tours next time we visit!
AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To cel AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To celebrate #100YearOfARoads National Highways have launched their #ARoadsToSummer competition! It's all about celebrating summer holiday moments, time together, fun in the sun, days out and more.

So why not be in it to win it? To enter, all you have to do is send @nationalhways a DM on here with a photo or video of your favourite holiday moments. You can also comment on their Facebook or Twitter #ARoadsToSummer posts with your holiday photos. I've shared a few of our favourite photos to give you some inspiration.

The best six entries will each win a £500 @nationaltrust holidays voucher! SO what are you waiting for? Dig out your favourite holiday photos or take some new ones to share!

The #ARoadsToSummer competition runs from 24 July to 10 September 2023. Winners will be announced in September 2023.

Good luck!
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Milestones · October 10, 2019

Things I’ve Learnt About Myself at 35

Today I turn 35. Halfway to 70. I know that whilst I was growing up that anything over thirty felt so old and so far away but now that I’m here, in my middle years, it feels like life has gone so quickly up until this point and I am willing it to slow down just a little. I want to stop and appreciate life before I find myself another ten years older.

But I do feel, at 35, like I know myself quite well, I understand life well enough and not much really surprises me anymore. So I thought I would write down some of the things I’ve learnt in life so far:

Silence makes me happy. Not when the children are around – I love the sound of them talking, laughing, playing. But, when I’m by myself I love silence. I love to work without any music or the TV on and focus so much better when everything is quiet around me.

That said, I am always most productive working in a coffee shop with the hum of people around. I think it’s the adult equivalent of white noise.

Politics is important – and I learnt that far too late. I always said I just don’t do politics. And I now know that really isn’t the right attitude. Everyone needs to do politics at some level – even if that level is purely voting. Voting is important, politics is important and our children’s future depends so much on everyone having their say – and their vote. Who or what you vote for really doesn’t matter – as long as it’s the right choice for you and the life you are living.

Managing Facebook groups has taught me that you cannot please everyone all of the time and you often have to please the majority of people. But sometimes you need to go with a wild card and have the back of the person that needs it most or doesn’t have anyone in their corner. Basically – you just need to do what you think is right in any given situation.

Cinderella was right. The most important things in life, and the most important things to teach your children, are to have courage and be kind. I didn’t realise until recently how much better I feel when I speak up, when I call out things that aren’t right and when I have the courage to stand up for what I believe in. A lot of that goes hand in hand with being kind, showing compassion and having empathy. There’s a lot to be said for just being nice.

School runs are tedious. The school term routine gets boring very quickly. But, they are some of my favourite moments in life too. I love sitting in the car with the children before school, parked up for ten minutes before the gates open, reading books or doing spellings. So many people don’t get to take their children to school or pick them up – I’m thankful that I do and I will never take that for granted.

I’m never going to love Star Wars or scary movies. As much as my husband would roll his eyes at my lack of interest in anything Star Wars related I realise now, at 35, that it’s just not going to happen. We all like what we like, we can’t force ourselves to like things if we just don’t like them. And that is fine. It would be a boring place if we all liked the same things.

I love weekends with no plans. As much as I love my job and appreciate it, my job makes life so busy. I have to pencil in days and weekends of doing nothing – or just doing jobs around the house – for everyone’s wellbeing. You cannot go full steam ahead for months without any time out.

Saying yes all the time doesn’t work for me. I tried saying yes to more and it was great but there are times when you just have to say no. Balance is important.

Diets don’t make me happy. But, being healthy does. I’m happiest when I am active, when I’m running around with the kids or going for a run around the lake. When I’m living a healthier lifestyle I sleep better, I have more energy and I feel like I have more time. When I’m slimmer I’m happier because I’m healthier – not because my clothes fit better.

No-one can keep all the plates spinning all the time – something has to give. Getting a cleaner was one of the best things we ever did.

As much as I love a bit of pampering I will never be able to get my nails done regularly, have my eyelashes tinted continuously or do anything else physically that needs maintenance and money. I know now that there is always something else to spend money on and my priorities will always be days out and experiences over my hair and nails. So I save those things for a treat at times when I really appreciate them.

I love a spa day – but not by myself. I love going to a spa, relaxing, having a treatment and feeling refreshed afterwards but I really hate being in that environment by myself.

That being said, I love my own company. Having a week by myself in Wales last year taught me that it’s good to be alone sometimes, to do your own thing and just exist without other people around. It’s nice to go where you want to go and spend time at your own pace once in a while.

Everyone has some level of mental health issue which is something I didn’t appreciate for a long time. Everyone has something that has affected them in some way, weighed them down or niggled at them. Talking often helps but, you have to find the right person to talk to and the right time to do it. I am sure there are some things I’ll just never talk about.

I find it hard to commit to things regularly. With my job I can agree to a day somewhere, a weekend somewhere or an evening doing something. But, I can’t commit to doing something every week at the same time. It will never happen and so I would rather not agree and let someone down. This is a big reason why I will never join the PTA – although I look like I have so much time I really don’t – and am constantly juggling the pockets of time I do have.

Life is short. You have to be happy in life and you have to be happy with what you have. I spent so long always looking for the next thing, planning the next thing and looking forward. Now I’ve realised I need to spend time just being in the here and now and appreciating what we have.

When I think about my childhood I have no idea where I thought I’d be at 35. I had never really thought about anything past my teenage years. Back then I was dead set against marriage and having kids and now, so many years on, life has changed immeasurably.

I am really happy at this point right now. I have a beautiful home, a husband and two gorgeous kids who are nice, polite and just the best company. I have a cat who annoys the hell out of me but gives so much love for nothing in return. I have a job I never even dreamed of that I can’t imagine loving more. I have a reliable car and at least one holiday a year.

I am 35 and I feel like this is where I’m meant to be. There is nothing more I could want, nothing else that I feel I should have achieved by this point and nothing I regret – doing or not doing. It’s a really nice place to be and I feel pretty content. It’s taken a long time to get here but life is pretty good.

Now, where’s the cake?

In: Milestones

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Comments

  1. Emma T says

    October 10, 2019 at 7:12 am

    Happy birthday Donna. My birthday is only 2 days before yours and it’s really interesting to see how similar our thoughts are. I’m totally with you on Star Wars and scary movies, plus the being on your own. Coffee shops are totally the best place to work

    Reply
  2. Joana Santos says

    October 10, 2019 at 8:45 am

    Happy birthday Donna!

    Reply
  3. Alex Gladwin says

    October 10, 2019 at 10:07 am

    Can relate to a lot in this post! Happy birthday Donna. xx

    Reply
  4. Plutonium Sox says

    October 10, 2019 at 1:57 pm

    Aww this is lovely Donna. None of us can ask for more in life than being happy with our lot. Happy birthday.
    Nat.x

    Reply
  5. Kim Carberry says

    October 11, 2019 at 9:41 am

    Happy belated birthday to you! I hope you had a fab day!
    I love all of the things that you have learned. I am so glad you are happy with your life x

    Reply
  6. Susan Mann says

    October 13, 2019 at 10:23 am

    Fab post. I’ve never been for a spa day, I really should. I don’t love Star Wars either, but do like scary movies. And I should try coffee shops for working one day x

    Reply

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Hi everyone! I'm Donna. Mummy. Blogger. Social Media Manager. Traveller. Lover of stars, rainbows and gin. Firm believer that tea and cake can fix most things.

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