*Advertisement feature* Spring has been a long time coming but I think we’re finally getting to the stage where we can leave the house without full-on wet weather gear. Having the right footwear for our outdoor adventures is essential and waterproof boots are a must in the winter. But with the warmer weather approaching something…
The girls and I had a few great foreign trips in 2018 including a European cruise and week in the Italian Lakes. I’ve been keen that, at the age of five and three, the kids start packing and carrying some of their own belongings, especially as Mr Tin Box couldn’t join us for these two…
Are your kids mud magnets? Mine sure are. If there’s a puddle they have to splash in it. If they spot a dirty ditch they are drawn towards it like it has its own gravitational field. Our active toddler and pre-tween love getting messy. It inevitably results in piles of washing and – even though…
Outdoor adventures are brilliant fun but they inevitably involve mud. When you’re on the road, like we were this summer, it’s difficult to keep on top of washing off all the boots and bikes that become caked in the brown stuff. So what’s the solution? We were sent a Kärcher OC3 Portable Washer to see…
A couple of months ago the girls and I went on a fabulous camping trip to France. We had seven lovely days exploring the coast and countryside of the Vendée region. I mentioned before we left that my French skills were a bit ropy and someone was listening – the language experts at Rosetta Stone….
The key to successful adventures and travel with kids is finding the right gear. There’s plenty of kit on the market that claims to be a ‘must-have’ for family holidays and, being a sucker for good marketing, I’ve bought quite a few of these gadgets and gizmos. Many of them get tried once or twice…
I’m ashamed to say I’m one of 33% of parents in Europe to put their child in a car without a suitable booster seat – and it terrified me. The reason I’m sharing this story is that there’s now no excuse thanks to the mifold – the Grab-and-Go Booster® seat. We’ve been sent one so I can…
Since becoming a mum one of my must-have family travel essentials has been a stroller. At the airport, during sightseeing and days out, we wouldn’t have been without one for those times when Tin Box Baby or Tot couldn’t walk or needed to rest. However, we’ve never actually bought one that really fits the bill…
When I was three I learnt to swim in Hong Kong. My family was posted out there with the Royal Navy and one of the best ways to keep cool was in the water. My confidence in the pool and sea was born more out of necessity than a desire to swim for leisure. Thirty-odd…
Six years ago, our house was broken into. I was at work when it happened and Mr Tin Box was half way through a six month deployment with the Royal Navy. Thankfully the burglars were tidy and only took our television. But it left me feeling very vulnerable. As soon as he got home Mr…