If you are looking to freshen up your wardrobe this Summer, check out my holiday fashion wish list. I make no apologies for the number of dresses this includes and the floral items. If a girl can't wear a dress in the Summer, and a floral dress then when can she? I do love a good tankini too, most are extremely flattering for those of us with curves. The only thing I need to add is some accessories and flight tickets to some far off destination.

The pretty strappy dress



This Joe Browns floral dress is oh so pretty and girly. Made of light weight cotton I would wear this dress on a hazy Summer's day, packing a picnic in a hamper and driving down to the local country park. Add a glass or two of Pimms, some sun, fun, love and laughter. Alternatively wear it sightseeing on holiday, the cotton will make you feel fresh as a daisy in the Summer heat. The perfect Summer dress.


The large tropical tote
Fiorelli bags are a favourite of mine. This large Savannah tote by Fiorelli with an orchid print is roomy and spacious and suitable for taking to the beach or shopping.  The on trend shape has tie closures and metal lace edging. A totally tropical tote.

The beach to bar maxi 



In a super floral print with cut out detail this maxi dress can be worn at the beach or equally at a bar for cocktails later. The dress is easy to wear, and comfortable with some stretch, and suits all shapes and sizes. Swap your sandals for strappy heels, a tote for a clutch and studs for some chandelier earrings and you have the perfect beach to bar dress.


The easy to wear two piece


This flattering two piece outfit is made of lightweight viscose and has a great tropical print. Wear the top with shorts or a flippy skirt in the day and add the maxi skirt for drinks out with the girls at that cool tapas bar or a romantic meal with your partner.

The glamorous yet comfy sandal
These glamorous sandals by Clarks has T-Bar detailing with gorgeous diamantes, while a buckle strap finishes the look. The cushioned insole has 'cushion plus technology' making these sandals excellent for walking too. Pretty yet comfortable and practical I love these sandals.

Kennedy Space Centre is the base of America's space programme and is an interesting day out for all space lovers everywhere.

Kennedy Space Centre was NASA's launch headquarters from the 1960s until 2012 when the final shuttle launch. Now due to a space programme with major private investment, visitors to the complex can once again view live rocket launches. If you are wondering how far is Kennedy Space Centre from Orlando, it is only 45 minutes away by car. 


Admission to the space centre includes so much including the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, the Shuttle Launch Experience, various 3D films showing life in space, and the Apollo/Saturn V centre. If you are really lucky you can even catch a shuttle launch or visit the Astronaut Encounter where you can listen to a real astronaut talking about their experience in space.



There are various shows and talks throughout the day and I would recommend planning what you want to see as soon as you enter as some of these are timed experiences.



The first thing we did was the Astronaut Encounter. Our astronaut for the session was Wendy Lawrence, the first female graduate of the US Naval Academy to fly into space. Wendy spent a total of 51 days orbiting the Earth on four shuttle missions including STS-86 Atlantis. The audience had a chance to ask her questions too which was great. I learnt that when she was up in space she saw a sunrise every 45 mins. Did you know that an orange space suit is worn for a launch and that a white space suit is worn for a spacewalk as it can deal with higher temperatures? Astronauts also need to exercise 2 hours a day in space to prevent muscle loss due to the lack of gravity. 

If you get a chance to attend the Astronaut Experience, do it as it's free in the cost of your admission ticket.

The Shuttle Launch experience located inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit is also well worth doing. You get to feel what it is like in a shuttle launch. Strapped flat on your back, waiting with anticipation for the countdown and then launched into space at simulated speeds of up to 17,500 miles per hour, you feel the G force then the weightlessness as if you are floating in space, and see the breathtaking view, of Earth below.

The other day my husband surprised me with an overnight stay in Tenby, West Wales,  at the Premier Inn Tenby. I was excited to see how this cheap hotel in Tenby would compare to other hotels I have stayed in.

Tenby is a beautiful beachside town known for its picturesque harbour. Every summer as a child I used to visit Tenby with my family. We were very working class and had little money, so we always stayed in a tent. They were great times, waking up to the smell of my dad cooking bacon on a little camping stove and sitting on a deck chair drinking tea and eating a fried breakfast.


Since those days I visit Tenby every year, usually taking a day trip from where i live only a short drive away and occasionally staying in a bed and breakfast. The hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation in Tenby vary a lot, with many places being, dare I say it, old-fashioned, and the prices in the Summer season very high.  I always thought Tenby needed a modern and fresh hotel that doesn't cost the earth. 

So last Friday while chatting to my husband, he let something slip, he had booked us a night away in a hotel in Tenby on Sunday, in the Premier Inn. 

The Premier Inn opened in Tenby in January 2015 but we had not had a chance to stay there yet, so I was excited to try out the hotel and stay overnight.

After the hour and a half drive, we arrived In Tenby. here is a top tip - there is no parking at the hotel so do as we did and park at the local multi-storey car park next to Sainsbury's which is only £3 for 24 hours.  After a short five minute walk, we arrived at the hotel.



The Premier Inn Tenby is well situated in Tenby, close to Tenby North Beach and only a 30-second walk from the seafront.  Check in was quick and straightforward and the reception manager was pleasant and helpful.



The room itself was in good condition and decorated in muted tones of beige and purple. Compared to other budget hotels I thought the room was quite spacious and of a good standard. There were a couple of marks on the carpet and walls but not enough to bother us at all.

The bathroom had a bath with an over shower but not a power shower, and modern fixtures and fittings on the bath, sink and toilet. Hand wash and shower gel come from a dispenser on a wall. This probably keeps costs down but gives it the air of a budget hotel, using individual toiletries would make it feel more luxurious.


The prints on the wall were stylish and modern and in keeping with the colours used in decorating the room.



The bed looked comfy and had a soft headboard in a modern style. There was only one pillow each on the double bed, but there were extra pillows in the room. The chain makes a point of having both soft and hard pillows in each bedroom to personalise the experience for the customer.


The room was equipped with tea and coffee making facilities, the cups and glasses were clean, and the kettle new although I think there could have been more tea bags, as there were only two in the room and two coffee sachets.

There was a chaise lounge in the corner, which you could have used to sleep a child as well as using it as a sofa and there were a table and a chair. The room was equipped with an iron and a small open area to hang clothes as well as some drawers.



The media hub on the wall was an excellent idea and this was extremely useful for charging our phones. I've only seen this is hotels of a higher price point before so well done Premier Inn! Also, the TV was excellent, being a flat-screen TV and also bonus points for giving free Wi-Fi in the rooms too. The Wi-Fi was a little spotty, however, and if you needed to stream films or download a lot I would recommend getting the premium Wi-Fi at £5 a day.

We didn't eat in the restaurant but thought the all you can eat breakfast at £8.99 appeared good value for a hotel, whilst a continental breakfast was £6.99. When you consider you can easily spend £4 on a coffee and a croissant in a cafe then the prices were fine. Also as two under 16's can eat free with every adult that orders the full Premier Inn breakfast then you can see why this chain appeals to families. The hotel also serves food in the evening and the menu looked good, serving a selection of pizza, burgers and steaks as well as appetizers and desserts. 




That night we both slept well. The window did not open and I thought that maybe an issue but the air conditioning was efficient and the room wasn't too warm. The Hypnos bed was extremely comfortable and the duvet was cosy without being too warm.

The Premier Inn offers a 'Good Night Guarantee' on their website. If you don't have a good night's sleep they will refund your money (terms and conditions do apply).



When we checked out the next day, by leaving our key cards at reception, we both said we would stay again. Whilst it isn't the most luxurious hotel in the world, the room was a decent size, the flat screen TV and media hub most welcome, the decor pleasant and the bed very comfortable. For £87 a night you can't really go wrong with a Premier Inn. 

Tenby, at last, has a modern and convenient hotel, that doesn't cost the earth. Well done Premier Inn, you've done well!

One of the most stressful challenges you encounter in life, along with divorce and bereavement is moving home.

One of the key considerations for moving home is the actual move day. There are a lot of things to remember and plan in advance to ensure that day goes as smoothly as possible and this post covers some of these considerations.


Firstly label the boxes with the room and contents, you will thank me later! It is also important that the cars arrive before the vans so that someone is there to open the house and unload the smaller items. The removal men can then pack up the last of the boxes. Start loading smaller and essential items into the cars and when you arrive at the new home you can start unloading these essentials straight away, a kettle and tea bags are some such essentials. All boxes should be labelled, so drop them into their allocated rooms accordingly. Once the vans arrive, unload the large furniture and place them in the house roughly where you want them to stay, then move everything else into the room later on.

When selecting a removal company ensure you pick a local business that covers your area, for example in London if you’re looking for Chelsea removals then spend a good amount of time looking around and finding out which companies cover that specific area, and what charges may be incurred if you cross the distance threshold.

If on the move day the weather is wet/muddy, put down sheets (or flattened cardboard boxes) to prevent mess and muddy boots as a lot of people will be coming in and out of your property. The last thing you want is muddy boots on your new carpet. Some people use plastic slip-ons to make this process a little easier, but still, this involves a lot of taking off and on every time you enter the house.

Now is the time to begin unpacking the rooms in order of use, but remember from the previous step the kettle is always the most important item; be sure in your essential kit you have tea bags, milk, coffee and biscuits! Try to remember to take photos of the current meter readings, and introduce yourselves to the neighbours when you get a moment's rest.

One of the most important rooms to setup is the bedroom, make sure your bed has been assembled and that you have your curtains up. There is nothing worse than going to bed after a busy move day without any curtains up. Streetlights and early morning sunlight is not a welcome guest after a busy day.

Lastly, once you’re in your new home source a fine local takeaway to celebrate! You will be fairly tired and maybe still a little stressed after a long day moving so you won't want to cook.

The rest of the house can be unpacked at your own pace in the coming days and weeks. Pat yourself on the back for successfully moving house and navigating one of life’s major stresses relatively pain-free.

Websites that can help with your move

http://moving.tips/moving-day-tips/how-to-unload-a-moving-truck/

https://www.freecycle.org/

http://www.just-eat.co.uk/

For more information on moving home in and around the London area, visit the Ward Thomas website one of the most established removal firms in the city, with celebrity clients and public figures on their books as past clients.

Do you have any house moving tips?

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Our population is changing. With advanced health care, better standards of living and increased knowledge of how we can live longer, those 65 and up will be making up 15.6% of the global population by 2050.

I firmly believe however we should be celebrating our the elderly neighbours. Older people are an asset to our community not a drain. Think of all the life experience they have, the world events they have lived through, the skills they have learnt. Society often likes to see the elderly as  'incapable' or 'unable' to learn new skills, but is that really the case? 
Lifelong learning is important to keep your mind and body active and research backs this up. Denise Park, lead researcher from The Association of Psychology Science states, “It seems it is not enough just to get out and do something—it is important to get out and do something that is unfamiliar and mentally challenging, and that provides broad stimulation mentally and socially,”




My mother-in-law is one of the elderly population that is breaking barriers. Nearly 80 she attends a variety of courses such as art appreciation and computing. When we were in Amsterdam at the Rijksmuseum, she was the one sitting down and making notes about the art so she could share with her art group, not me.  She is always learning something new, enjoying the challenges that this brings and and meeting up with her friends whilst making new ones through the courses she does. She is firmly of the opinion that you are never too old to learn.

Times are changing and it's time for us to change too, abolishing the stigma of old age and valuing the elderly, and encouraging others to learn something new. You never know we may learn something great from those that are older that us! 

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