Tag Archives: Countryside

Sunshine and Hikes

Posted in Lifestyle by

Happy Friday everyone!

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I hope you have all had a wonderful week & you’re all ready for the weekend! (I’m sure you are!)

What have you got planned for the weekend?

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I’m hoping for some more sunshine so we can get out & about on a little hike.  There’s nothing more lovely than getting up at the crack of dawn, having breakfast & going for a long stroll in the sunshine!

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After a long week in an office, you can sometimes forget that there’s a whole beautiful world out there to explore!

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Having a little sing song in the car on the way to our local countryside is one of my favourite things to do! I never know the correct words, but that’s what makes it fun right?!

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Going for long walks we always find ourselves talking for hours about anything and everything.

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It’s so lovely to have these surroundings on your doorstep.  Just to take a second out of ‘real life’ & get lost in the scenery is a wonderful thing to be able to do!

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I hope you all have a well earned peaceful weekend full of relaxation and adventures! Happy Friday!

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Mini Break: Barnsdale Hall Hotel

Posted in Lifestyle, Travel by

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With the stresses of work, & the awful British weather, we were in need of some R&R!

The British countryside truly is beautiful so where better to go? In the sunshine it’s stunning. And even on the coldest, wettest winter British days, it is one of the nicest places to sit in front of a log fire & sip on tea all afternoon (plus a slice of cake!).

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Based in Rutland Leicestershire, Barnsdale Hall Hotel is situated on a picturesque lake , with log cabins, lake views & bigger apartments/holiday villas to rent with big groups.

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We arrived at lunch time & grabbed a coffee in the brasserie before our pre-booked spa treatments at 2pm. All leisure & spa facilities were included in the stay (& you received 25% off spa treatments).

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Daniel settled on a full body massage & I chose an Indian Head massage. After an hour of pure bliss, we sauntered back down to the brasserie, where we embarked on the biggest scones we had ever seen!

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With our dinner reservations in the restaurant at 7:30pm, we took the scenic route back to the room to get ready, where shampoo & toiletries were provided. Whilst getting ready, we cracked open a bottle of prosecco & then made our way to dinner.

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The choice of home cooked, country food was lovely.  I settled on the salmon & crab fishcake which I didn’t want to end! We paired our meal with a bottle of white wine & then made the short walk back to our room.

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We got up early on Sunday morning, where we had our Sunday paper delivered to our door. We took this to breakfast at 8am & as I’m not a huge fan of a ‘fry up’, I was so happy to see the amazing choice of pastries, yoghurts, jams, cereals & fruit!

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We managed to see the lake & surrounding views of the hotel in its full glory before the heavens opened & we made a run for it!

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The hotel boasts a handful of activities with mini golf, floodlit tennis courts, lakeside walks, swimming & a gymnasium being just a few! I imagine in summer time, the hotel will be one of the nicest spots to visit!

To see room rates & availability, check out their official website here!

The Stroke Association

Posted in Lifestyle by

Having a Stroke is the third largest cause of death in the UK, after heart disease & cancer.

Shocking, right?

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Before signing up to the Stroke Association’s Resolution Run series, I did not know that 150,000 people have a stroke every year in the UK. 50,000 will make a full recovery, 50,000 will be left with a severe disability and 50,000 will die.

I have never raised money for the Stroke Association before, & with these figures, I was determined to do something.

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Taking place at the beautiful Hagley Hall in Hagley, Worcestershire, I chose to do the 5k run around the stunning grounds.

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The course itself was very daunting & extremely challenging for me (being used to flat surfaces & the treadmill!), but once I had gotten over that, the views really took my breath away!

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Castle ruins, untouched countryside & lively deer were just a few things that we were lucky enough to see.

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It really is a wonderful place to come for a Sunday morning walk & with it being Mother’s Day, my Mom & Dad surprised me half way through my race, shouting my name on their morning walk!

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This was the first Resolution Run at Hagley Hall & I felt really lucky to have taken part. It also turned out that I was the first woman to finish the 5K race, which really topped off the morning!

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It really is important that we all raise awareness, & with it being Action on Stroke month in May, it really isn’t too late to do something! To find out how you can help in your local area, go check out the website here!