Family

Finding the Perfect Toy

Last month we had the joy of celebrating Thomas’ second birthday. It’s tricky to know whether he remotely understood that it was ‘his’ day but it would’ve felt wrong not to mark it. We spent a wonderful day with close friends at at Steam Train museum and Thomas’ was really in his element.

But when it came to getting him a gift it was really quite tricky. What do you get for a child who really just likes keys? Is it mean to just give them a set of old keys?!

I absolutely loath buying things for the sake of it and really don’t like to choose gifts that are inevitable landfill. I think it’s really important that toys are not just throw away commodities. They need to be played with in a variety of ways, appeal to different ages, and be sturdy enough to be passed on.Read More »Finding the Perfect Toy

A Trip to the Kelpies

After the first week of the ‘summer’ holidays here, it became apparent that the sun was not shining. I had an epic list of things we really wanted to do but the grey skies were just off putting. Giving in to this really just meant a lot of staying home and this really was not working. So rain or shine – we’ve been off on adventures. Edinburgh has some great family days out – so thankfully, we have some brilliant options on our doorstep.

I’ve driven past the Kelpies so many times over the years to various work events in Stirling, and we had always said we’d visit but somehow we had never made it there. Even though the skies were decidedly filled with rain clouds and drops were falling here and there – I’m very glad we managed to tick it off our list.Read More »A Trip to the Kelpies

Does Your Girl Play Football?

We’ve recently been watching Scotland’s progress in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 tournament. As with all sporting events, the Scottish team has not exactly provided us with delight. Losing 6-0 in their opening game wasn’t great and it was gutting to watch them go out last night – but we’ve still enjoyed cheering them on as a family!

Usually when the football is on, Katie will don her football kit and cheer for whatever colour she likes best. But it’s been brilliant watching her get excited about Women’s football. As positive role models go –  these women are it!

When asked to describe herself, Katie would use the word ‘fierce’. Even when losing, the Scottish team have seemed exactly like this. It’s great to see strong women representing the country in sport in this way.

Not wanting to teach Katie any partisan attitudes, we’ve equally been cheering the England team on as a fellow home nation. Although they were in the same group as Scotland we’ll be rooting for them in the quarter-finals. I don’t think they really needed to score all six goals against us in the opening game; but at least it was fun for the kids who love to bounce around when there’s a goal. They’re at the delightful age where they don’t really care who wins!Read More »Does Your Girl Play Football?

8 Edinburgh Summer Days Out

It’s hard to believe that it’s already the third week of the summer holidays. The time just seems to be flying by. We’re trying to make the most of the time we have together as a family before school starts again. Thankfully, Edinburgh has some amazing top family attractions: I thought I’d share a few of our favourite days out…Read More »8 Edinburgh Summer Days Out

Edinburgh Days Out with ScotRail

Filling the days in the Summer Holidays is always a challenge. I want to make the most of everyday but sometimes it can be hard to think of what to do. Ultimately I know the kids would be happy to hang out at the park but that’s not exactly how I like to spend MY day!

So when ScotRail approached us to review their Edinburgh Days Out Travel Pass I leapt at the opportunity. The pass is £34 for a family pass (two adults and two kids) and offers two days of consecutive, unlimited, off peak travel to destinations around an hour outside of Edinburgh. There’s a Glasgow version for west-coasters as well – so there’s all kinds of adventures to be had…Read More »Edinburgh Days Out with ScotRail