Aura Prints Wedding Stationery Review (Ad)
Last weekend I was blessed to visit my future wedding venue in Tuscany, Italy. Its been such a long time since I posted about my wedding on here… And now the posts that I did write feel redundant! It has now been 16 months since the date of our original wedding, and we still have … More Aura Prints Wedding Stationery Review (Ad)
Simple Living Challenge Week 5: Stop the spam mail!
Whilst I’m out here trying to simplify my life one week at a time, life seems to feel more hectic than it has done in ages. Without even realising it, life is sneakily taking me back towards the pre-pandemic pace and if I’m honest – I don’t want it! Yet, here I find myself. I’m … More Simple Living Challenge Week 5: Stop the spam mail!
Eco Review 5: Ocean Saver Cleaning Sprays
Ocean Saver produce water soluble sachets with non toxic formula, to help clean your home. Their products range from floor cleaners to glass cleaners; for this trial I selected the Kitchen Degreaser and the Bathroom Cleaner. Each product comes uniquely in their own colour – so these might be better identified as the pink and yellow sprays.
… More Eco Review 5: Ocean Saver Cleaning Sprays
Simple Living Challenge Week 4: Finish that DIY project!
This is a much tougher task for me. Do you know how long I like to stare at my unfinished work – that truly nags at my core – until I decide to pick up a paintbrush and finish it off? For job interview purposes I have never considered myself bad at finishing off a … More Simple Living Challenge Week 4: Finish that DIY project!
Simple Living Challenge Week 3: Stop using your books as conversation starters (or coasters)!
Looking back on it, I’m not sure whether it was Joshua Fields Millburn or Joshua Becker that wrote it when I was first introduced to minimalist literature in 2020 – but one Josh discussed the hows and whys we keep books on display. Haha. Honestly it still makes me laugh to think about the reason … More Simple Living Challenge Week 3: Stop using your books as conversation starters (or coasters)!
A weekend in Belgium: Brussels, Bruges & more
With the introduction of the new Omicron variant, it somewhat felt like this weekend was never going to be. The night we had booked our Eurotunnel crossing coincidentally coincided with France closing their borders for tourists, and it was busy! Luckily after queuing for two hours in Folkestone we arrived in Calais with time to … More A weekend in Belgium: Brussels, Bruges & more
Simple Living Challenge Week 2: Out of date medicines and foodstuffs
Life in 2022 in starting to feel normal again. Last week was a whirlwind of jetlag and returning to work for me. We are all tired, yet frustrated at our tiredness because we have a burning motivation inside us to start this year right. When I was in New York over new years, I picked … More Simple Living Challenge Week 2: Out of date medicines and foodstuffs
48 hours in Thessaloniki, Greece
The first stop on our Big Fat Greek road trip (blog coming soon) was Thessaloniki. Macedonia has been on our travel list for a while – mostly due to Chris’ extensive knowledge of Ancient Greece and its neighbours. Turns out, Northern Greece is really quite spectacular! Read more to find out the cultural highlights, as well as our thoughts on the nightlife and the local football. … More 48 hours in Thessaloniki, Greece
Simple Living Challenge Week 1: Which festive decorations are staying?
Hey! How are you? Did you enjoy your festive celebrations? Now, I’m easing into 30 weeks of decluttering by starting with a relatively easy task… In case you didn’t catch my post before Christmas, my aim for 2022 is to continue to strive for a simple life. I have noted down 30 carefully targeted goals … More Simple Living Challenge Week 1: Which festive decorations are staying?
2022: Simple Living
I’m sitting here with my first mulled wine of the season. An alcohol free one actually; the cheap, sickly sweet stuff from IKEA. It’s 13th December and I can’t help but feel ridiculously reflective at this time of year. It must be a natural phenomenon, although I don’t know enough to discuss it any further. … More 2022: Simple Living
Eco Review 4: Wild Natural Deodorant
If you are into your eco replacements – and you haven’t heard of Wild Deodorant – have you been living under a rock?! I kid, but they are a pretty big contender in the world of green swaps, and have regular celeb endorsements too. If you are new to this brand, they are a natural, vegan friendly deodorant. The difference and attraction to their product however, is that it is refillable (and the refills are plastic free). Read more to find out more about my experience with this product! … More Eco Review 4: Wild Natural Deodorant
No longer applicable: What to consider when your green list holiday turns amber
We have just finished up a two week trip to Portugal, which we booked when the country was proudly the most desirable place on the green list. One week later – as the whole of the UK knows already – it was struck from the list, without any prior warning that this would be the case. Between this holiday, and last years travels, we have learned a few things along the way. Here are a few things to consider when travelling in the pandemic, even if your desired country is on the green list! … More No longer applicable: What to consider when your green list holiday turns amber
GAFFL Interview: Get to know me!
Here is my recent interview for GAFFL – the app that helps your find a travel buddy! I talk about my love for travelling, how I met my soon-to-be husband, my top travel tips & advice for people wanting to travel more. … More GAFFL Interview: Get to know me!
Highlights from Eastern Sardinia
Situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea is the Italian island of Sardinia. Sardinia is remarkably different to the majority of Italy however, as it has gained cultural influence from across the Mediterranean. Their native language, Sardo, is even said to vary from one village to the next depending on the roots of its influence. In September 2020, we drove to Sardini; taking the overnight ferry from Livorno, Italy – and back to Nice, France. In the interest of taking time to relax, we explored the local area of Eastern Sardinia, rather than rushing around to explore the whole island in the 6 nights we were there. Here is a list of the best places we visited… … More Highlights from Eastern Sardinia
Useful items for travelling with dogs
Lockdown puppies plus a boom in staycations means there can only be one thing coming… Lots of puppies getting their first holiday! I’ve put together this little list together to cover some of the items I have found really useful when travelling around with dogs. This can either mean travelling for a holiday, or even just a big day out. … More Useful items for travelling with dogs
Eco Review 3: Smol Fabric Conditioner
Did you know that fabric conditioner contains animal fat? No, neither did I until I stayed in an Airbnb in Paris last year where the friendly host told me that I was welcome to use her homemade fabric conditioner. When having this discussion with others, it doesn’t seem a well-known fact. As voted by you, I have given smol’s fabric conditioner a try over the past month. Read more to see what I thought… … More Eco Review 3: Smol Fabric Conditioner
The 6 best viewpoints in Rome
Rome is one of my favourite cities, and I will visit time and time again without being bored. There’s something about Italy that I find slower paced than life in the UK, in all aspects apart from the crazy Roman road traffic! Rome can be so busy yet so relaxed in a crazily contradictory manner. This post is all about the best viewpoints that I have found in Rome so far. Some of them you may know already, but hopefully some of them you are yet to explore! … More The 6 best viewpoints in Rome
My 30 before 30
I’ve never really been one for goal setting. There has always been a lot that I want to do in life, but I never wanted to put too much pressure on myself. I am however, turning 25 this year – which means I have 5 years until I’m 30! Give yourself a gold star if … More My 30 before 30
Eco Review 2: Eco Bumble Hair Ties
I quickly came across Eco Bumble after a quick search on Etsy for some plastic free/ environmentally friendly alternative products. Based in Manchester, Eco Bumble produce hair ties from natural rubber in lieu of synthetic rubber. According to their marketing, synthetic hair ties can take up to 500 years to degrade and hence, are non recyclable and will end their life in landfill. Find out how I got on with this eco alternative here… … More Eco Review 2: Eco Bumble Hair Ties
Instagram vs. Reality: sharing your experiences of destinations across the world
Like many, the beautiful photos I see on Instagram often influence the places I visit on my trips – but do you ever reach a destination and feel frustrated that the pretty picture didn’t tell you the whole story of the experience? In this post I am sharing the stories of some of my Instagram followers who have felt this way on their travels across the world. … More Instagram vs. Reality: sharing your experiences of destinations across the world
Eco Review 1: Parla Toothpaste
Back at the end of October, I shared on my Instagram that I would love to start reviewing eco-alternative products, to provide my open and honest user experiences for you. Parla toothpaste tablets were the most popular on the end of October poll, so here is my review after using the product for one month. … More Eco Review 1: Parla Toothpaste
Guest Blog: 7 places to visit for a winter getaway
Usually around this time of year I’ve just been (or I’m looking to go) on a cheeky winter getaway. A long weekend somewhere in Europe, to stroll around beautiful cobbled streets, sip hot chocolates and mulled wine, browse the Christmas markets, and enjoy seeing a city from a totally different perspective. Although this year I’ve … More Guest Blog: 7 places to visit for a winter getaway
Christmas markets I have visited – ranked worst to best
Given that this year we are all sadly missing our dose of Christmas festivities, I wanted to take a little time to reflect on all of European Christmas markets I have visited – so next year you can visit the best ones! I am yet to visit any German Christmas markets, so I have potentially … More Christmas markets I have visited – ranked worst to best
Guest Blog: Christmas gift guide for travel lovers 2020
I know that may seem a little early for some of you. However, after the recent lockdown 2.0 that has been imposed in England, November is cancelled, and Christmas has started in my household. Whether you think that it’s too soon to be decorating or not, it’s certainly time to start thinking of gifts to … More Guest Blog: Christmas gift guide for travel lovers 2020
Project 333 Review
The Project 333 challenge was initiated by Courtney Carver a few years back, and challenges people to make-do with 33 items in their wardrobe for 3 months. These 33 items are to also include bags, shoes & jewellery. Sounds daunting right? … More Project 333 Review
Must see spots in Normandy
In September we spent some time exploring Normandy instead of heading straight to Paris – and boy, was it worth it! Here I share the three unmissable spots that we visited and can’t wait to get back to: Rouen, Bayeux & Mont St Michel. … More Must see spots in Normandy
Top tips for hiring a car abroad
74% of you on my Instagram recently voted that renting a car abroad is “scary af”. Therefore, Chris & I have written our top 10 tips for renting a car abroad – to help you feel more informed and think about things that maybe you wouldn’t have considered before! Hopefully this breaks down some of the scariness, and opens the doors to some fantastic road trips ahead… … More Top tips for hiring a car abroad
2 days in Athens
We weren’t really looking to go away for the weekend when Chris had a spontaneous browse on the British Airways website. We booked on the Thursday morning to enjoy a weekend in Athens – all at the cost of 5,000 Avois, £125 of Wizzair credit we had forgotten about and £64.50 cash each. We stayed … More 2 days in Athens
The true cost of “van life” – Part 2: The operational essentials
Okay okay, I own a caravan and not a hip converted van so I don’t know if I’m allowed to use the phrase “van life”. But the principle is the same and there is a lot of content within this post series which will apply to true van-lifers, caravaners and campers alike. Since picking up … More The true cost of “van life” – Part 2: The operational essentials
The true cost of “van life” – Part 1: Driving home
Okay okay, I own a caravan and not a hip converted van so I don’t know if I’m allowed to use the phrase “van life”. But the principle is the same and there is a lot of content within this post series which will apply to true van-lifers, caravaners and campers alike. Since picking up … More The true cost of “van life” – Part 1: Driving home
5-day Icelandic Road-trip
Iceland holds a dear place in my heart. I first visited in February 2013 on a school trip when I was 16 and I would argue it’s been a main contributor to my “travel bug”. I visited again in December 2017 with Chris and this time we had the freedom of hiring a car and … More 5-day Icelandic Road-trip
Dear UK Construction Industry – if you’re not directly addressing race/ethnicity in your mission to recruit more women – you’re failing.
I recently listened to “Invisible Women: Exposing data bias in a world designed for men” by Caroline Criado Perez, where at the very beginning of the book she discusses how the word “men” is universally used regardless of gender. Working in construction, I’m used to this. The industry’s jargon is littered with “man hours” or … More Dear UK Construction Industry – if you’re not directly addressing race/ethnicity in your mission to recruit more women – you’re failing.
My top 5 favourite places in Italy – outside of the cities!
I’m always boasting about Italy being my favourite country to visit, so I often get asked where I would recommend visiting the most. The major cities of Italy – Venice, Florence, Milan, Rome etc. – can all speak for themselves so I wanted to focus this blog on the slightly less recognised places, that you … More My top 5 favourite places in Italy – outside of the cities!
2 nights in Budapest
Back in February, we took a very last-minute trip to Budapest for the weekend… little did we know it was going to be our last one for a while! … More 2 nights in Budapest
2020 – back to square one!
In the first week of January my work had approved my request for 37 days leave between November 2020 and January 2021, and I was over the moon! We had planned our honeymoon, to visit China and Japan for 2-3 weeks before skimming through south east Asia – something that’s been on our agenda for … More 2020 – back to square one!
Lessons from a last-minute trip
You heard it here first, I’m a huge control freak who gets rather bad travel anxiety at times. I’ve always admired the thought of just turning up to and airport and seeing which flights are bookable – not knowing where I’ll spend my weekend. Chris has been asking me for the last 5.5 years to … More Lessons from a last-minute trip
Oslo & Copenhagen in 1 night
Once landing at Oslo Gardermoen Airport, you can catch the “flytoget” train to the city centre which takes 19 minutes and costs £16.50. Conveniently there’s also a bunch of luggage lockers at Oslo Central Station which cost €5 for the day – so we dropped our bags off headed for some breakfast. … More Oslo & Copenhagen in 1 night
1 night in Romania
As you’ve probably gathered by now, we always try to squeeze our trips into weekends – and our Romanian break in November was a perfect example! For the sum of £58pp, we landed in Bucharest Airport at 1400h on a Saturday and had a flight back to the UK at 2230h the next day. When … More 1 night in Romania
Vienna – Bratislava – Brno in 4 nights
We always like to make the most of the time we have out of work over Christmas, so this year we decided to tick another two countries from the list, Austria and the Czech Republic. We ended up also popping over to Slovakia for an afternoon, as it was so close that we couldn’t resist! … More Vienna – Bratislava – Brno in 4 nights
Getting married abroad: 1 year to go!
On the 5th September next year, I will be feeling like the luckiest lady in the world as I celebrate my marriage to my gorgeous fiancé! As we’ve got 1 year to go, I’ve had some time to reflect on what I’ve completed so far, and some of the lessons that I’ve learnt along the … More Getting married abroad: 1 year to go!
How we saw (almost) everything there is to see in Italy in 13 days: Days 7-13 (Rome, Campania & Sicily)
Back in September 2015 I went on a coach trip travelling from the top to the tail of my favourite country – Italy! The architecture, the weather and the food are at the forefront of the reasons why I adore visiting Italy, and make an effort to travel there every year. And – if you … More How we saw (almost) everything there is to see in Italy in 13 days: Days 7-13 (Rome, Campania & Sicily)
Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina in 7 days
In September 2018 we went wedding venue searching in Italy, and Croatia had been on my wishlist for a while. I managed to find amazing flight prices meaning that all in all, the flights from London to Pisa, Rome to Dubrovnik, and Split to London, cost £280 for two people – it was a price … More Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina in 7 days
7-day French & Italian road trip – with a dog!
On 21st June, my lovely partner (Chris), leaked the surprise that he had been saving for my birthday. He had organised with my boss to take me on a surprise holiday 28th June – 5th July. Not only was the trip for my birthday, but the occasion also marked our 5 years of being together, … More 7-day French & Italian road trip – with a dog!
Madrid in 4 days
To celebrate my sister’s 21st birthday we headed over to Madrid during early August 2019 and were pleasantly surprised by what Madrid has to offer – a perfect combination of culture, food, fiestas & fun! Day 1 We had landed in Madrid by 10.30am, and needed to kill some time before we got the keys … More Madrid in 4 days
How we saw (almost) everything there is to see in Italy in 13 days: Days 1-6 (Veneto, Tuscany & Umbria)
Back in September 2015 I went on a coach trip travelling from the top to the tail of my favourite country – Italy! The architecture, the weather and the food are at the forefront of the reasons why I adore visiting Italy, and make an effort to travel there every year. And – if you … More How we saw (almost) everything there is to see in Italy in 13 days: Days 1-6 (Veneto, Tuscany & Umbria)
5 days in Corfu as a couple!
Though we got to know each other whilst on holiday in Tenerife, my first trip abroad with my partner followed a year later in Corfu. I often hear couples disregarding Corfu as a holiday destination because the reputation it has gained with Kavos… And as predicted, we were the only people on the coach heading … More 5 days in Corfu as a couple!
Stacey Explores 