It’s bright, a bit brash, but bohemian and with an easy going vibe, where you can let as much (literally) hang out as you want. Right down on the base of the country, on the South coast, sits Brighton. It’s only about an hour out of London, accessible by regular, fast trains and by, what is one of my favourite Motorways (come on, we’ve all got fave motorways haven’t we ;o) the M23, it’s a popular seaside location. Especially for those in the South East. For us coming down from up North, it’s a bit more of a trek, but we can do it in 4 and a half hours on a good day, or rather a good night which is when we usually travel back, to avoid the M25 rush hour. We spend a lot of time down there, as we have family there. My Brother and his partner live there, so we get to see them and also spend some time in what has become one of our favourite places…. Winner ! Mr Boo on the beach Brighton is well known as one of the countries most famous seaside towns, even though it is a city, but seaside city just doesn’t sound right. It merged with next door neighbour Hove in 1997, they became a city when the Queen declared so, as part of the millennium celebrations. With a vast, wide pebble beach, pier and all the usual seaside attractions it ticks all the boxes, but there’s more to Brighton than that. Famed for it’s LGBTQ community, this gives a real “open to all” feel. Dig a little deeper than the usual seaside attractions and it has a reel bohemian vibe to it. We really like it. You kind of feel a bit free-er down there. As someone who stands out a bit from the crowd, that is a nice feeling. You can be yourself a bit more down there. The full squad. All together We’ve visited in all seasons, obviously summer is the peak and on a hot Summers day the beach is busy, the city is busy all day and right into the night. The seafront here is probably as close to the feeling of a European beach resort as you’ll get in this country. We go down a lot, because my Brother lives just to the East of Brighton in the quiter area of Saltdean, which means we can have a Brighton weekend away, but we get to avoid the crowds, but still venture in to the main strip when we want. We’ve visited in winter a few times, it’s quieter and filled with mostly locals, but it’s more relaxed which allows you to really explore some different things and wander round the backstreets at your own pace. A winter storm can make things really exciting as the wind blasts in off the Channel. We’ve been there when the wind was literally blowing you off your feet and the waves were crashing into the shore. I am a massive weather geek so this was a highlight for me ;o) Rainbow kite vibes So here’s a bit of a snapshot of things to do in Brighton. We have to start with the beach. We love being close to the ocean. It just does something to us. We’ve said it before and if you read more on our blog… I’m sorry, but we’ll say it again, we do love to be beside the seaside. So this is always going to be something we do a lot. The beach is a pebble one, so a little tip is to invest in some aqua shoes. Otherwise you will be walking a bit ooch, ah, ouch as you go for a dip. The beach can get very busy, especially close to the centre, however a little walk either side of the pier area and it becomes much more spacious. As my brother lives in Saltdean, we spend a lot of time on that beach. It’s quieter, more family oriented, but still with a good fun feel. They go from friends to foes in seconds There’s lots to do on Brighton beach. Paddle boarding, sea canoeing and zip lining are just a couple of options. A walk along the front can feel very full on. There’s shops, stalls, bars, restaurants and more, so this means people and lots of them. There’s a host of beachfront restaurants, sitting outside one of them, with the hot sun shining, surrounded by holiday makers really feels like you are on holiday. My little recommendation is Lucky beach café, good coffee and amazing brunches. Check them here https://www.luckybeach.co.uk White cliffs, blue skies If you draw a smiley, it's not vandalism. Sundown fun If the beach gets a bit much, it’s well worth a wander round the city centre, obviously there’s all of the usual shops on the main streets and malls, but you can’t go to Brighton without visiting the famous Laines. The Laines really are something else, it’s a decent sized area a few blocks back from the seafront and a short walk from the train station the area is easy to find. Laid out along narrow lanes, it’s in a grid style and is mostly pedestrianised, so is easy to navigate and a joy to walk through the streets, filled with independent traders. There’s a whole host of unique stores, think vintage clothing stores, antique shops, art galleries and so much more, there’s something to see for all. We love to look in the clothes stores and also some seriously cool little stores selling amazing pieces of art. Finding somewhere to eat is no problem at all, with indie cafes, restaurants and a whole host of street food stalls. There’s plenty with outside seating, so you can take advantage of the warmer climate and take some time out to people watch under the bunting flags that criss cross the roofs. I love my shopping, so I could easily spend the whole day wandering around here. It really feels as fun as shopping used to, before all of the city centres started to look the same. Street art vibes down the Lines Brighton is really starting to become a hot foodie destination, with a wide variety from fine dining to street food. There’s a somewhere good to eat on almost every corner. On one of our recent trips we took advantage of this and booked a mini holiday, within a mini holiday… A bit of us time, we went on a date woohoo. A few weeks beforehand, Clare’s birthday meal was cancelled at the last minute as right before we were about to set off for a local restaurant, our daughter decided that she didn’t feel well and we had to cancel. So to make up for this, we asked my Brother and his partner to babysit for the night, I booked us a hotel and we headed out for a night of cocktails and fine dining. Now, such a rare treat deserves it’s own post, so you can read more details about our night of cocktails and fine dining in full here. A great choice for families is the Shelter hall https://www.shelterhall.co.uk it’s a seafront food market and has a host of food stalls inside. It’s big, airy and bustling, which is great if you’ve got kids with you as their noise is drowned out. There’s a great choice including pizza by the awesome VIP pizza (who also have a couple of restaurants we love), Fried chicken, Blue Taco and a Zest by Hanoi kitchen. I went for a signature bowl with beef brisket, served with noodles which was good, spicy authentic Asian food. There’s cocktails too and all in all, it’s a great spot for food, especially if you’re in a group and can’t decide what to have. Shelter hall Berties review of VIP pizza. If you do have kids and are in Brighton, or pretty much any seaside resort, you know that you will never, ever get away without a trip to the pier. You will get nagged by them to go on the pier, don’t try and fight it, just give in. Buy a load of tickets, change all of your spare cash into 10ps for the slot machine and throw yourself in. it’s all good fun. There’s all of the usual suspects, arcades, trying to win a teddy bear by throwing wonky darts, overpriced candy floss etc. You know what you’re going to get and you might as well enjoy it. Looking moody in the winter Down near my Brothers house in Saltdean is the Lido. It’s an outdoor pool, that recently reopened. It has a cool art deco feel to it. I really want to say how much I love it, but well, I do, but it’s a bit, well weird. It could be, and it should be so good, but it just seems like it’s wasted. It has so much potential but it just doesn’t hit the spot. Since 2014, the lease has been owned by The Saltdean Lido Community Interest Company. The site was down to be used for a housing development, but it was saved and can now be continued to use as a Lido, which is a great achievement. The building is grade 2 listed and it’s a great looking one. I do love a bit of art deco styling and this has it in spades. Since it’s reopening in 2017 the main building has been boarded up and it just feels like nothing much has happened. I know that running projects like this by committee is always going to be more long winded than if a private company was in charge, but it just feels liked nothing much is going on with it, which is such a waste for an amazing space. I don’t profess to have any kind of insider knowledge about the plans for it. I have spoke to a few people in the local area and the plans sound very uninspiring. The events page on the site, at the time of writing shows something for the platinum jubilee and a dog swimming event. Which all sounds very underwhelming. I’d love to see some really exciting developments like a gym, a cool restaurant, a bar, some interesting events like a pool party, street food stalls, craft beer events etc. I don’t know, just something a bit more exciting. We have spent an afternoon there and it was good, but there really wasn’t much to do. The little hatch selling coffee and food wasn’t up to much and it feels such a shame to see the building boarded up with not much going on. We tried to boom again recently and it was just a really awkward experience, with strange timings so we just didn’t bother. I really hope that in the future they can really make something of the place. A warm welcome is guaranteed We really recommend a trip to Brighton, now matter whereabouts in the country you are from. It’s actually even pretty easy to get to from most places on the train. We’ve took the train down before and it was pretty stress free. You can easily make even more of an adventure out of it by spending a little more time in London as part of the tube journey across. We went Manchester Picadilly to Brighton 2 hours 1 mins, quick hop across London on the tube, 30 mins, then a 50 min journey from London Victoria and you arrive right in the centre of the city at the train station. Surprisingly painless.

I’ve got to start this post with a disclaimer. I love Berlin. It is well up there with my favourite places is the world… So here’s why. I’ve been to Berlin twice now and the main reason both times was for music. Berlin is known as one of the homes of Techno, so for me and for pretty much every other DJ in the world, it is something of a mecca. I’ve played there a couple of times now and each one has been one of the highlights of my “DJ career”. Graffiti. Everywhere. I didn't tay still too long, they might tag me. Berlin has a history like no other city. Divided by a wall for years, the one city essentially became two. With Germany divided up after the end of the second world war two, the Western side to be ruled by the US and Great Britain, the Eastern side by Russia, after the allied forces victory. Berlin, geographically was very much in the Eastern, Soviet controlled side of the country, by some 100 miles, but as the capital of the country it was still split in 2 by the Yalta and Potsdam agreements. So, the city was one, but politically and ideologically it was 2 very different cities that felt poles apart. Separating the capitalist West from the Communist East, meant that people were split and kept on their side, with the wall beiong constructed in 1961. Travel between the two became pretty much impossible and only allowed through three designated checkpoints, pretty much exclusively for diplomates etc and only in special circumstances. This didn’t stop many from desperately trying to head from East to West and the promise of a better life. At least 171 people were killed trying to get from East to west, by any means. Under, over or around the wall, it is thought that around 5,000 managed to successfully cross by some crazy means. Through sewers, by hot air balloon and even by jumping out of windows close to the wall to land over the other side. The wall comes down. The wall finally came down in 1989, with the reunification of Germany made official one year later in October 1990. The coming back together of the 2 countries led to a party explosion, the city came together and celebrated, it became something of a cultural awakening and a desire to come back as one, gave birth to a club culture like no other. In the words of Dr Motte, DJ and founder of the Berlin Love Parade, the party people from both sides of the city wanted to come together and “dance for a better world”. That is an ethos I can get behind. The epicentre of this new found party place, was an area close to the wall, a no mans land between the former East and West, a political grey area with imposing, grey and dark post industrial venues like old power stations, factories and the like…. Perfect lawless venues for hosting a true underground scene. Clubs like Tresor, E-Werk and Bunker were born and destined to make Berlin the go to place to party. Industrial scenes, inside famous club E-Werk The history of the city is noticeable all around. The echoes of rebuilding after the war are everywhere. As so much of Berlin was left flattened, they had to to completely rebuild, using what were, at the time, modern building methods, there’s a lot of concrete, a lot of flats, couple this with a Communist Soviet union era style of building, meaning that in some areas, the vibe is distinctly eastern European. It has a certain brutalist charm to it. Kind of unashamedly grim. Even the canals are made from concrete walls, yet they are lined with lush green parks, rose gardens and weeping willows draping over the banks. It’s a strange contrast and pretty much all of the concrete is covered in graffiti, in fact not just the concrete, almost anything that isn’t moving. It’s raw and urban and I really feel it. Classic Berlin scene. One of my best friends lives in Berlin, my good mate Si runs the Berlin based record label Ewax. It’s a super cool underground brand, releasing deep house cuts and promoting some great parties. We go a long way back and have DJ’d together, promoted events and danced together for over 12 years now and so going over to spend time with him and DJ with him at one of his parties over there is always amazing. On the first night of my first visit we went to one of Berlins most famous nightclubs, Watergate on the Friday. I fell in love with the place, it’s on the banks of the River Spree, the water floor has floor to ceiling glass windows and overlooks the river, the upstairs is darker with a full LED roof. We both said how amazing it would be to DJ there…. More on that later. White labels and a pint. What a way to spend a day. The following day, Saturday was spent record shopping, wandering and taking in the vibe, drinking coffees, then stopping for a few beers and looking through our tunes. That night we were playing at a club called House of Weekend. This is a club like no other, in the middle of the business district and on the top 2 floors of an office block. Going clubbing here feels more like going to work. To get in you enter through the foyer of the building, head into the lift and up to the 15th floor. As soon as you step out of the lift, this is clearly no place for spreadsheets and a shirt and tie is not required. A banging soundsystem and people dancing. Good stuff. We played an early set and then went back on to finish the night…. I say the night, we played until 7 in the morning, dropping the last tune, a favourite classic by Laurent Garnier – The Man With The Red Face, this sounded amazing as the morning light came streaming through the windows. After this we carried the party on. We headed to Hoppetosse, near Treptower park. Club entrances. Morning dancefloors and DJ hands. Hoppetosse is basically an old pleasure boat that serves as a party venue. It was packed as we got there, even early on a Sunday morning. The music was great and we carried on dancing. I hit my limit by about midday and head to go and get some sleep. Dancing on a boat. The party boat. I was hoping to squeeze some touristy type things in, so was promised by Si, that he’d come back soon and show me some sights, I believed him. I headed back and set my alarm to get an hours kip. I woke up, just as Si got back in, he promised again to show me the sights… He just needed an hour. I snoozed for an hour and was ready to go….. Si was clearly not…. The afterparty had done him right over ;o) So, not one to be deterred, I packed my little bag. Sunglasses, phone and a book and off I went. Kreuzberg vibes. We were bang in the middle of Kreuzberg which is easily may favourite area of Berlin. During the Cold war times, it was one of the poorest areas of Berlin, which meant it became home to immigrants, young people, artists, musicians, squatters and punks….. Basically all of the interesting people, this gave rise to a counterculture type feel to the area. This has continued and in it’s modern guise, It’s home to the best clubs, loads of cool bars, coffee shops and stores. I was in my element. I did my usual thing of loading up with a double espresso and then just wandering around, following my nose and seeing what I found., with no plan, just to soak up the vibe. I chanced upon a flea market, with some record stalls and vintage clothes on offer. Well happy with that. I got a few bits then found a good bar and sat in the sun with a cold beer or 2, or maybe 3 and split my time between reading and people watching. Life juice. After a bit it was time to head back and see what state my friend was in. There were signs of life, so after a quick freshen up we headed back out for a few beers and a bite to eat at the amazing burger joint, The Bird. This was honestly the best burger I’ve ever had. Still suffering a little from the night before this burger really hit the spot. Then it was off to bed ready for an early morning flight back home.

I am lucky to have a good group of friends, that I really cherish, for many reasons, not least, ones like this. I was invited out for dinner, what was a good bit of time before my impending 40th , by my Bestie Matt. After the meal I was presented with a carrier bag, from the super market home of all things frozen, Iceland. The reason for this soon became clear. Inside was a travel itinerary for a trip to Iceland, the island, not the supermarket…. As the latter would not have been the most amazing Birthday present ;o) So I was being took to Iceland for a Birthday trip. See, told you I was lucky. Now Matt, has worked for the RAF and is now a pretty big cheese running the nations railways. So organisation and scheduling is what he does and he does this to a proper level. So the itinerary was pretty packed with not much time to spare, I was worried I wouldn’t have enough time for my regular toilet breaks. No point in messing about hey, so I knew that every minute would be accounted for. We set off on Friday, we were flying from Manchester airport, so rather than face the pretty limited choice of airport fodder, we went for lunch in Manchester. More choice, better choice and better prices too. Now I’m not stingy, but I do like a bargain, so we took advantage of some amazing offers on a super cool site called Manchester confidential. You can see the main site at confidentials.com. They have sites for Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. Lots of reviews etc, but also on their app, they have a selection of vouchers for local venues. I picked up some half price vouchers that could be redeemed against the bill, basically it’s half price food and occasionally (which I always try and get and this time did) drink. So pretty good really. If you buy any of these, just check the voucher specific terms as some are only redeemable against food and at certain, usually off peak times. We went to the Pen and pencil. A venue inspired by the bar in Mad Men, so it’s a little piece of New York, right in the middle of Manchester for a late lunch. This filled a hole so we headed off to Manchester airport, a quick hop on the train from Manchester Piccadilly. We flew easy jet and as we only had hand luggage, we took advantage of the online check in and mobile tickets. Zap the contactless boarding pass, literally a few minutes through security and were ready to relax before the plane. Luckily this allowed us time for one of my favourite “pints”. The Airport pint. Classic. It was whilst we were enjoying our pint, a cheeky bit of Ale in the actually, not bad for an airport bar that we got a bit of bad news. Our first night was planned to be spent under the stars, on an excursion watching the Northern Lights. The trip only goes ahead when there’s a chance of actually seeing them, but due to cloud cover this was cancelled. It was disappointing, but they do refund the payment, so I guess it’s better than freezing your bits of, in the middle of a land that is named after ice… looking at the clouds. But still we wouldn’t let this dampen our spirits as you can’t fight nature can you. There's not many better sights, than the blue sky above the clouds. We landed in Iceland, after a short flight time of 3 hours 20, transfer of around an hour. Checked in, literally dumped bags. Wrapped up and headed out into the cold Nordic air. We had a little wander around, then decided it was time for some food. The main strip for bars, restaurants and shops is Laugavegur. As you descend the main road, Laugavegur becomes Bankastraeti, then Austurstraeti. The centre is pretty small, but it’s got all you need. Cashpoints and mini markets, lots of choices for food and drink. Pretty much everywhere is on the cozy side. Lots of cool, independent unique little places, which is just what I like. We found a cute little restaurant called oldiceland.is it’s a small place, but just what we were looking for. Seeing as though I was in Iceland I opted for a traditional dish, Rjómalöguð skelfisksúpa, this is a variation of the traditional Fiskisupia or a Shellfish soup and a Fish soup. It’s a Seafood broth type of deal, with fish, shellfood, in a tomato based, slightly spicy, sauce with what tasted like Paprika, saffron and a cheeky drizzle of whipped cream. Washed down with a cold glass of white wine, this was the perfect way to warm up. It’s something I’m going to try making when I’m back home, so I’ll update you on that in the future. After this, we hit a couple of bars, nothing to hectic as we had an early start the next morning. Day 2 was all about the outdoors and the Golden Circle tour, taking in Iceland’s most well known tourist hot (or cold) spots. It was an early start, so a couple of strong coffees, some eggs, bacon and sausages down and we were out, into the crisp morning air. We had a minibus pickup to take us on the short trip to the main bus terminal for our day on the Golden circle tour, there’s a few different companies that run these and it’s a great way to see the most famous landmarks in a day, really good if you are only there for a short amount of time. The first stage of our day was one that I was particularly excited about. The amazing Blue Lagoon. It’s about a half hour hop there. The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa, it’s located on the Reykjanes peninsula and is the most popular tourist destination in Iceland, although it really doesn’t feel like it’s that busy, due to the strict limit on visitors per session, which is something I really rate. The entrance to The Blue Lagoon. The scene there is pretty other worldly, with the white snow capping the dark rocky landscape, this contrasts against the super bright blue of the water. It’s the high silica content of the water which reflects the light and gives it the super blue appearance. The steam rising from the bathwater hot water only adds to the unique feels of this place. When you arrive you get to change in a super clean changing area. There’s an outdoor dash. It’s not strictly a dash, but when you’re outdoors in minus 5 in your short shorts…. It’s a dash mate. Down the steps into the pool. Once you’re in it feels really good to be warm. You get a good couple of hours here to just float around, try a face treatment with some of the silica mud, it is also high in sulphur and has regenerative qualities. This is available for free on the sides of the pool, so is well worth a try. I do love a face mask, but I also have skin that can be a bit sensitive. I also am prone to a bit of eczema and a found this mud left my skin feeling clean and amazing, after a shower I felt like a new man and I swear it took years off me. There’s a drink included in your entrance price, at the swim up bar, so we took advantage of a hot pool and a cold pint. We relaxed and chatted, with our face masks on, both amongst ourselves and to a few other groups of tourists from around the globe, picking up some good travel tips from world wise travellers and listening to their stories…. I’ve spent worse mornings. Absolute scenes down at the lagoon. After this we were back on the bus, driven through amazing scenery to the Thingvellir national park. It’s essentially a massive crack in the earths crust. Created by the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates slowly splitting apart. Which is, like a slow motion earthquake. It’s dramatic and awe inspiring in equal measures to be in a scene like that. Interestingly it was also one of the locations from Game of Thrones, which we were bang into at the time so we could geek out and pretend we were having a sword fight. Spot the difference. From here it’s onto the Geysir, it’s about 37 miles for this leg, the scenery becomes more dramatic as you drive on, so just looking out of the window and watching it all pass by is both relaxing and enjoyable. The geysir that you’re here to see is called Strokkur. On first glance it’s a pool, that starts to bubble, getting more and more heated, until finally it can’t take any more and explodes up (a bit like me having a conversation with someone stupid). It does this about every ten minutes, so don’t feel the need to push all of the children out of the way in case you miss it. Yes, someone did this, silly man…. You know who you are. It’s worth having a wander around here too as the landscape is dramatic and is coloured in crazy ways, due to the minerals, just be careful that the rising steam that appears out of the ground doesn’t burn your bits. Wait for it ! The next and final stop is the Gulfoss waterfall. It’s a big one and drops around 135 feet, summer is it’s most waterfall(y) time, when around 4,944 cubic feet of water go down every second. You get to have a walk around and there’s a few set paths to follow. It was starting to close in at this time, with horizontal sleet and a biting wind, so we took a bit of refuge in the nearby visitors centre and restaurant. It was time for a coffee and a cheeky pick me up from the hip flask. The journey back to Reyjavik can feel a little long, although it didn’t for me as I took the opportunity to have an afternoon snooze. There’s not much more amazing than an afternoon snooze, especially when it kills some quiet time and sets you up for the night ahead. A massive waterfall. In Iceland they describe the weather as "Itshcold"... Probably. A quick shower, change of clothes, spray of aftershave and we headed out. We grabbed a quick tea of Arctic Char and fresh vegetable, which is another traditional dish and is highly recommended, then we hit some bars. The drinks can be expensive in Reykjavik, you can be looking at around £10 for a pint. However… There is a way to spend less. Happy hour is a big thing there. The bars all have different times for their particular offers and they all last longer than an hour, so it’s almost possible to visit bars at these times and with a bit of careful planning you can play chase the happy hour around town. I downloaded an app called, Appy hour. This cool little app, lists all of the happy hours, with times and also maps to help you hunt them down, so it’s really handy and also saves you some coin. We had a really great time just chatting about our day and wandering around. Some recommendations are Kafibarrin, which is part owned by Damon Albarn of Blur fame. The sign outside is a London underground style, it’s looks a bit out of place in Iceland, but I guess it’s down to Mr Albarns Cockney roots. It’s a kooky, cosy little place, with dark corners, candlelight and some décor that looks like an old ladies house. I like that shit. We also dropped in at Kaffi Vinyl, it has a whole load of vintage vinyl that you can look through, playing an eclectic mix of music, we had the chance to compete on guess the year for the tunes being played. Obviously I won, with my rain man like knowledge. It also serves vegan fayre, which is great, if that’s your bag. We finished up with a few more drinks then it was time for bed. The next day was home time, so we spent the morning picking up some souvenirs for the kids as if I’d gone home without them, I’d have got strung up. Then it was off to the airport for the journey home. Reykjavic and Iceland as a whole is a trip I thoroughly recommend. We had a fantastic time and the people were welcoming and friendly. It’s a great alternative to a city break and there’s loads to do and see. What I like, is that a lot of what you see is unique to the island and there really is no place like it. Be prepared for the cold, I would love a little more time to really explore the more remote parts of the Island. I’d love to go back and take the family as I think it’s somewhere everyone should experience in their lifetime. Bleak, rugged and pretty stunning.

Our pre-conceptions about TIME are stopping us from following our dreams and living the life we truly desire, deserve and want right now. “The trouble is you think you have time”. Buddha. This a quote that I absolutely adore. And one that I say to Si to scare him into action 😂 to let us do any crazy idea / dream / plan. Mostly he’s on board with these ideas as soon as I present them, but sometimes I have to pull out this quote. And It works. We all think that we have time. But in reality none of us know how much time we have. Ever. On any given day, the thing we’re doing at that very moment could be the last time that we ever do that thing, see that person, hold a loved one, wave goodbye. I’ll see you soon… And we won’t even know that was the last time either. We’ll just carry on in the hum of the day and not give it a second thought. But what if you did everything as though it was the last time. Your life would be very different? Starting from today? Would you push your dreams aside or would you follow them? I’ve lived a life where I’m always working toward a goal. And when I reach it. I move my goal posts. Because you know, I’ve got #time & I’ll #followthatdream next year, when the kids are older, when I’ve got more money, when I’m slimmer, when I’m… this... when I'm that... when I'm the other... We constantly put our happiness / our dreams to one side. Because there’s always still time. The trouble is you think you have it. Year after year we may stay in a toxic relationship or put off losing those extra few pounds. We may stick in an unfulfilling job because it’s comfy & we’ll look in a few months anyway. And another year can go by so fast, where we haven’t lived a fulfilled life that’s making us truly happy because... ? We think we have time. We don’t radically change things. We don’t act. Or maybe we do but it's a sticking plaster and not the true source. Our energy is zapped. We are not living our best life. And we are not fulfilled. We cannot vibrate at a high frequency. We are stuck in a rut. Instead of doing anything about it, we put it off. We stay in our unfulfilled comfort zone because it’s comfy, safe, maybe we don’t know how or what to do. But the fact remains, we stay this way because we think we have time. We wait for the right moment. (You know: I’ll start healthy eating on Monday, I’ll re-write that cv next week, I’ll learn a new skill next month, I’ll chase my dreams when I feel ready. It's too big a change to make I'm not brave enough, good enough, equipped enough to make it). For me personally , I found myself quite a few pounds overweight after lockdown, stuck in my own business, whilst it was my own business I wasn’t feeling very happy in it. I wasn’t looking after myself, not really caring that much about myself, with depression that crept up on me. I’d started to believe that life was quite hard & this was just the way it was. Like it or lump it. I've always been pulled to the ocean but I live so far away from one. I adore the sunshine and the outdoor lifestyle, Yet I live in one of the rainiest regions in the UK. And I still live in the UK! But please believe me, I’m a goal setter & a goal getter. And a do-er also. I reach my goals. I'm not lazy and I don't expect anything to be handed to me. I get close to my goals. But then you know what I do. I put them off. Because…? You guessed it - I have time. And that’s exactly the problem - you need to know that your time is very valuable. In fact, time is one of those resources in life that is the most precious commodity in the world. Time is finite. Time is rare. You can’t buy time, sell it, save it, or invest it. And it could run out tomorrow. Today even. In the next 5 minutes. And what a tragedy that would be if you're not living your dreams. This quote jolted me into action. If you live everyday with this quote that I’ve shared, I hope it inspires you as much as it does me. It just does something to me. Know this quote & it will prompt you into taking action. Making that change, taking that step. Starting today. Getting you closer to that dream. Knowing this quote is the beginning of everything. This is my wish for myself & for YOU. Fletch xx

When Si told me he was taking me to a Michelin Star restaurant in Paris I was super excited. We don't get chance to 'date' much with 2 kids, so when we do we always try to make it as special as possible, because you know, we only get the one shot. We make it count. In my mind I thought that Le Violon d'Ingres Restaurant was going to be way more flashy than it was. I think because it had the Michelin Star and we'd had many meals in Paris before that were all really high standard. Even Steak + Chips at a Bistro is top class in Paris and an all time favourite for us. I wrongly assumed that this was going to be stuffy + awkward. I'd been busy in work & hadn't had chance to research it at all. I turned up not really knowing too much about the place. I was pleasantly surprised & happy. This is French gastronomy at its best. It's sophisticated, refined, quality. It was classic, it was effortless, it was simple. Crisp white linens, white porcelain and earth wear. It was just so beautiful. The service was sleek and smooth. The place has a really nice relaxed vibe about it. I find this amazing when you know behind the scenes how mad the kitchen must be. Review: Le Violon d'Ingres Paris. French gastronomy at its best. It's sophisticated, refined, quality. Restaurant Review: Si enjoying a date night meal at Le Violon d'Ingres Paris Review: A beautiful meal at Le Violon d'Ingres Paris I was really impressed by this restaurant. I liked that it wasn't fussy. It was all about the quality. It was all about the service and both were done very well. Le Violon d'Ingres knows what it is. It knows that it's good. It doesn't show off or shout about it. It just is. I really love that about the place. Described by the Michelin Guide here as a luxurious neo-brasserie style - tasty traditional dishes with a modern twist that show a good technical mastery. All discerning foodies will love this place. It comes highly recommended by us. And we look forward to returning to try another season for a date night soon. Booking is essential. Pics from Paris Date | Parisian windows at the hotel | Fletch + Si all dressed up and ready to go on way out to Le Violon d'Ingres | the Eiffel Tower in February looking moody | Black & white photo of The Eiffel Tower twinkling at night with bokeh | View over Paris from the plane at night | Night time view over City of Paris from the plane... can you see her? The Eiffel tower lit up from the sky at night.

What if we only had today... what if today was the last chance you got to tell a loved one how much you love them? This is Si. My wing man. We’ve been together for 15 years this month. Our 15 yr anni. We have 2 children together. Live & work together. He has propped me up so many times in my life and I’ve no doubt there’ll be many more times. We are each other’s right arm. But more than that. We are each other’s strength. Maybe it’s an actual piece from each other’s physical hearts. I'm a photographer & my favourite thing to do is take sneaky pictures of him on my iPhone because I love photography the most when people are natural, just doing them, being themselves. They often see a side of themselves that they’re not familiar in seeing. Not the classic ‘cheese’ but a natural side. The everyday side. Of course I think Si is the fittest thing since sliced bread. He is rather a dashing gent though. But Si was badly burned as a baby and seriously scarred down the left side of his face, neck, chest and arm. He was in & out of hospital for a long time. He had skin grafts taken from his thighs and put over onto his burns, in the 80’s when they weren’t like they are today. They saved his life. Si grew up being picked on about his scars. It could have crushed a person psychologically for life. He couldn't bath for a long time although dressings had to be rigorously cleaned/changed. I mean can you imagine being a Mum & having to do this to your baby. For a long time he couldn't get his skin grafts wet, which meant no swimming as a baby and then little boy, no joining in with the other kids. Being different. Being the odd one out. Looking unsightly. Kids can be so cruel. But Si is the strongest person I know. He has a strength that just is. It’s so deep in him and embedded within that it ‘just is’. But it wasn't always like this. Everyone who meets Si for the first time notices his scars. And looks. And tries not to get noticed looking. They see his scars. And then see his strength. Everyone who already knows Si would most probably not remember he even has them. Si has managed to turn what could have been seen as a huge weakness, a vulnerability, a chink in his armour, into a strength, an internal power, a positive. He has worked on this inner strength. His confidence. And learning to love himself with scars. In a perfect world. He’s quite a wow character. Lives fast. And does a million things before most people get out of bed. But the most impressive thing about Si is his complete & utter inner strength that comes through when he or anyone he loves doesn’t feel so strong. He is a lion. He is my lion. And I’m going to carry on taking sneaky pics & writing sweet notes like this for him to know how good he is. A Message to anyone who doesn't feel good enough or perfect right now You are good enough. You can do anything you set your mind to. Even if you're scarred right now. Just keep going. Keep trying. And keep working on yourself. Go checkout Si's bit on the blog for more on his dad life.

Heads Up: If you click through + book tickets to concerts, events, days out through our partner links here, we receive a small commission which allows us to maintain the web costs here. Thank you + happy planning!

Heads Up: If you click through + book through any of our partner links, we receive a small commission which allows us to maintain the web costs here. Thank you + happy planning. COMING SOON our travel insurance partners

In the meantime keep up with our daily updates on social media below. And let me know if there is anything specific you would like me to cover on the blog about our Bali life. Follow us on Instagram: On YouTube: And always leave a comment below if this page has helped you.  I only write and share stuff on the blog to help you. So let me know. Does it help? Did you get something from it? And what do you want to know going forward? I am at your service, Fletchy McFletchface xx

Heads up: There may be links in this post that are affiliate or referral links that if you click through I may get commission or earn a small amount from. I tell you this in the specific area. Like referring a friend. It's not sponsored or paid for me to recommend crap that doesn't work. This is in no way linked to any business I have, it's literally a personal recommendation of things or services i'm using / we're using as a family to make extra cash that might work for you too. I show how we receive enough money in one month to cover our expenses and let us live a free life. I've always been interested in making money. Finding ingenious ways to make a little bit more money than I started with. As a kid, we didn't have anything. My Mum was a single mum at 17 years old and she's quite proud so wouldn't want me airing our laundry in public, but she'd say it herself we didn't have a pot to piss in. As a kid I was very aware of money or the lack of money. I was also very aware that you need money to do the things that you want to do. I saw money as freedom, rather than a means to buy 'things'. I was never really materialistic and never really want for 'things'. I wanted freedom, travel and to not be a slave. I was hell bent from a young age on making whatever little money I had work for me, grow, and for me to be something more than I started as. Or was destined to be from my birth position. I started selling sweets at school for a profit. Started my first business at Uni and have grafted ever since. I'm not some kind of business guru, I work hard. And I find ways to make little or no money grow into something bigger. I have found little hacks along the way that I wish i'd started earlier that have made me money for nothing. Free money! Or money from investing a little bit of money. The 2 best things I ever learned was compounding (compound interest) and time. The best time to start saving & investing was when you were young. The second best time is NOW. I've put together this blog post to show the many ways that we set our money to work for us as a family. This is not financial advice, as I have none to give. I'm just a mum, we're just a couple, that have come from nothing and are now looking at living a dream life from getting every single penny work for us. So as said NO FINANCIAL ADVICE - It's just a place to put all the things that we do that might work for you too. I hate the thought of people just not knowing these things are out there to utilise. It's all about who you know in this life. And since I started at the very bottom of the pecking order, I had to get my affairs in order from a young age and try all the things to make / grow my money. I'm still learning but I am earning - and I will share everything of use here. I'll be adding to this page as much as I can, when I get chance, I'm quite busy, but will try to get this page up and running and busy by detailing all the ways we earn passive income. Money trickling in when we sleep, through not having to work for it - to allow us to travel the world and do all the lovely things that you read in this blog. We did not start from a good position in life, we had no inheritance or hand out or leg up. We worked hard, started businesses, cut back on unnecessary 'things' and worked out what was our priority in life and what we saw value in. This is where we spent our money. The rest we saved and put to work. This in addition to the passive income we receive allows us to follow our dreams and take a year out of life, travelling, with a view to do it forever. How we earn 3% cashback on all of our spending. And I mean all of our spending - so the monthly budget including our weekly grocery shop spend, our petrol costs, the kids new shoes / clothes, my make up, Si's records, our coffee shop visits, meals out, hotel spending, gift buying for friends and family, literally EVERYTHING we use our bank card for, we get 3% back - which let me tell you really mounts up. And whilst it's technically not passive, because we have to actually spend the money to get the 3% back. IT's money we were spending anyway on life costs. So let's get that 3%! So I'm going to tell you HOW we get 3% back on our spending. And not only how we get the 3% back, but how we leave that cash back compounding to make 6% pa back on top of that free money. So FREE MONEY on top of free money! Read how we earn $500 in 4 months blog post all about it here. OR Just Sign up to Crypto.com using my referral link here. When you sign up to Crypto.com and select their Ruby card then using my link We both get $25 free CRO, then you'll be on your way to making all that cash back on your household spending. Don't forget to check out the free money blog post

Here are three delicious collagen smoothie bowl recipes to boost your nutrition and satisfy your taste buds! 1. Berry Bliss Collagen Smoothie Bowl Ingredients: 1 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) 1 banana 1 cup almond milk (or any milk of choice) 1 scoop collagen peptides Toppings: granola, fresh berries, coconut flakes, chia seeds Instructions: In a blender, combine frozen berries, banana, almond milk, and collagen peptides. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the smoothie into a bowl. Top with granola, fresh berries, coconut flakes, and chia seeds. Enjoy immediately! 2. Tropical Green Collagen Smoothie Bowl Ingredients: 1 cup spinach (fresh or frozen) 1/2 cup frozen pineapple 1/2 cup frozen mango 1 banana 1 cup coconut water 1 scoop collagen peptides Toppings: sliced kiwi, shredded coconut, hemp seeds, mint leaves Instructions: Blend spinach, frozen pineapple, frozen mango, banana, coconut water, and collagen peptides until smooth. Pour into a bowl and smooth the top. Add kiwi slices, shredded coconut, hemp seeds, and mint leaves as toppings. Dig in! 3. Chocolate Peanut Butter Collagen Smoothie Bowl Ingredients: 1 banana (frozen for a creamier texture) 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tablespoon peanut butter (or almond butter) 1 cup almond milk (or any milk of choice) 1 scoop collagen peptides Toppings: sliced banana, cacao nibs, chopped nuts, drizzled peanut butter Instructions: In a blender, combine the frozen banana, cocoa powder, peanut butter, almond milk, and collagen peptides. Blend until creamy. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Top with sliced banana, cacao nibs, chopped nuts, and a drizzle of peanut butter. Enjoy your rich and indulgent bowl! Feel free to customize these recipes with your favorite ingredients and toppings. Enjoy your smoothie bowls! In the meantime keep up with our daily updates on social media below. And let me know if there is anything specific you would like me to cover on the blog about our Bali life. Follow us on Instagram: On YouTube: And always leave a comment below if this page has helped you.  I only write and share stuff on the blog to help you. So let me know. Does it help? Did you get something from it? And what do you want to know going forward? I am at your service, Fletchy McFletchface xx

Heads Up: If you click through + buy a travel guide through any our links, we receive a small commission from Amazon. This is at no cost to you and helps us to maintain this website's running costs. Thank you + happy reading! We have everything at our fingertips with smartphones + we do most of our travel planning and travel booking on our phones. BUT there's something about sitting with a good book and a coffee. Preferably with no kids fighting in the background, but one can wish. These are my pick of the best guide books for your Bangkok city break. You can't really go wrong with the Lonely Planet Guide and we like that it has a pull out map. That will come in handy when you're hot & humid trying to work out where you are with 2 kids in tow (probably moaning that they're hungry!) Buy your Bangkok Travel Guides below: Wallpaper City Guide Bangkok: The most stylish of guide books. OK I'm going to admit that we don't use these to plan our trip. The places in here are too fancy for our travels with kids, but nice to look at. These guides just look so nice on the coffee table. And I collect them. Call me fickle! Plus we're partial to a rainbow bookshelf! (I've made it worse haven't I?!) Click on the guide to buy your copy at Amazon Lonely Planet Guides: Bangkok. With pull out city map! We've been using these guides for 20 years. See this as your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and miss in Bangkok. Shop for anything and everything at Chatuchak Weekend Market; learn to make zesty Thai dishes at a cookery school; and give thanks at the giant golden Buddha at Wat Pho; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Bangkok and begin your journey now! Click on the guide to buy your copy at Amazon Rough Guides Travel Guides: We love these too! Click on the guide to buy your copy at Amazon