Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar
Skip to footer

Instagram post 2174616944123300730_184009684

Instagram post 2171709587806260933_184009684

💗 I just wanted to say a heartfelt THANK YOU. 💗 On Tuesday I felt tired and emotional and got very teary on my stories about this (not so!) tiny person’s school anxiety. If you don’t know our journey, it’s all on the blog under the mental health tab but basically we both have anxiety and I’m always (quietly) worrying about whether I’m doing the right thing and she is worrying about everything else. 😢

After a short period of homeschooling we found a small school that she agreed to trial. She loved it and is so well cared for and looked after there and she chose to go and yet every day it’s the same battle. 🤯

Most of the time I can cope with it. Sometimes I can’t. And that was Tuesday. And you all rushed forward to message me, offering sympathy, advice, empathising, telling me you can relate. And that genuinely made me feel so much better. It took me the whole of the next day to get through all those wonderful messages and I hope I managed to reply to everyone! Luckily I had a day at the hairdresser so had time to spare. (Swipe for a better pic of my lovely hair, it was definitely needed to sit and chat to Elliot for a day.)* This community is what makes it all worthwhile. I’m thinking of setting up a Facebook group for parents of anxious children for a place to find a bit of support and tips and ideas. Let me know if you’d be interested.
Sometimes I worry that she’ll only remember the times I get frustrated with her, I hope she remembers the love too, and realises all I’ve ever done has been for her, sometimes I feel like I get it so wrong but other days I’m not so hard on myself, it’s a fine balance! 💗 *(I paid for my hair myself in full but last time I went for a complimentary appointment for a review, the reason I chose to go back is because Elliot has created a welcoming space for everyone, especially if you don’t feel you fit the usual salon world. Plus it’s beautiful in there and he is a hair magician!) @hileyhairclub
#mentalhealth #anxiety #motherdaughter #cheltenham

Instagram post 2169204851974693981_184009684

THREE WEEKS TO GO!!! I’m SO excited. Our next @mavenconnex event is 3 weeks today and it’s going to be fabulous with a festive feel. I don’t have enough space in this caption to add everything we have going on but in a nutshell: 🎄Wreath Making
🎙 Podcasting From a top travel journalist.
👗 Styling Session Tips and Tricks
📸 Flatlay Photography
💷 Monetising your Blog
📱 Business Coaching
🎥 Social Media masterclasses
🧁 LOADS of food. Including lunch and TWO cake breaks!
👜 Goody Bag AND your wreath!
🏰 Stunning venue

All for £55 (I know right? Bargain!) We still have some tickets left but we have to give the final numbers to the florist so tickets bought after a certain date won’t include a wreath so be quick!
Link for full deets in the bio.

Instagram post 2168120284492833508_184009684

Ad -Paid
Before I became a Mum I did so much baking, my cakes were legendary! I remember making my bestie an intricate butterfly cake for her birthday when we were both at school and my cupcakes were detailed works of art. 🧁
Then the kids came along and my time was spent on them and my baking hobby went by the wayside, along with sewing and jewellery making.
Now they are older, they love watching baking programs and are really keen to learn, but we are still time poor with school and homework and clubs. Luckily, thanks to @princes and their fruit fillings, we can take a step out of these apple crumble cupcakes (recipe on the blog!) by using their delicious apple filling making them super quick and easy. It's nice to be baking again, and watching the kids inherit my passion for cake! I used some of the left overs to make some super simple crumble pots too. Yum! 🍏

#princes #bakingmadeeasy #cake #gbbo #pudding #cupcake #fairycake #applecrumble

Instagram post 2164470452314131276_184009684

AD - Paid
Fun fact! 🍒 Did you know I was almost called Cherry? 🍒 My mum lived in Holland when she was pregnant with me and there were loads of big fat black cherries around and she loved them so much she wanted to name me Cherry. My Dad vetoed it though and I became Louise! I think I’d have made a good Cherry!
I love them too, and clearly so does this little lady! I’ve been getting my bake on with @princes and making the delicious black cherry cheesecake from their website using the yummy cherry fruit filling. So delicious that I had two offers of help to finish the left overs in the tin. 😂 #princes #bakingmadeeasy

Instagram post 2163010236422570697_184009684

🧳Press Trip🧳
Although we were getting on a plane to go home at this point, (Dave is a whole foot taller than me which makes fitting in a photo nigh on impossible!😆) look how happy we look!

We had such a lovely lovely time. Friendly staff, gorgeous surroundings (swipe to see how we left it), sunshine, warmth and incredible food. ☀️ Although a bout of tonsillitis for my smallest human meant that he and I were confined to the room for the last day, we still got a last swim in the sea before we went. Thank goodness for antibiotics! Couldn’t fault the hotel for helping us when he was poorly, a doctor came straight away to the room, did a swab test on the spot and wrote a prescription and we picked everything we needed up from the pharmacy opposite. 👨🏻‍⚕️ Dave got to take advantage of my massage which he said was excellent and our boat trip had to be cancelled due to weather anyway (see my last post about the waves!) so it all worked out. 🌊
We’ve not had the easiest year and so some family time in the sunshine was bliss. 💗 Thank you so much for inviting us out! 💗

@kalyvesbeachhotel @seacretehotels #kalyvesbeachhotel #pinklinker #familytravel #greece #crete

Instagram post 2160844481245560019_184009684

🧳 press trip 🧳
Heeeeeey!!! I want to call this look ‘sports luxe’ but it’s actually me running out of clean clothes so having to resort to wearing the running top I packed in the vain hope I might have actually stopped eating long enough to do some exercise on this holiday! 😆 Seriously, you will never go hungry here, I’m being so spoilt never having to think of meals!

We’re having the best time staying at @kalyvesbeachhotel which is part of the @seacretehotels chain.
Yesterday there were some serious waves going on, swipe to see the kids jumping the waves at the beach at @kianibeachresort yesterday. It looks tropical doesn’t it? So beautiful.
We spent the day at the other resort yesterday enjoying their facilities. There is definitely a lot more on site to do up there and we had fun but I do love our smaller, quieter site here at Kalyves.
The weather isn’t amazing today so we’re going to go and explore Chania old town. Any recommendations of where to see/eat in the town?
Top: @adidaswomen
Trousers: From Thailand
Cardi: @marksandspencerfashionpr (@gloucesterquays outlet)

#chania #crete #greece #kalyvesbeachhotel #kianibeachresort

Instagram post 2159345491689755554_184009684

Press Trip*
Kalimera from Greece! How sweet is this beautiful artwork we found just a short walk from our hotel, love the cat. 🥰
Swipe for the rarely spotted Dave! He’s worked so so hard since starting his business, I feel we’ve barely seen him and he’s not had any time off over the summer so this is such an important holiday for us. It’s also the furthest we’ve taken the kids so were a bit nervous. It’s brilliant though! @kalyvesbeachhotel is part of the @seacretehotels family and we’ve had such a lovely welcome, the staff are all so kind and friendly, nothing is too much trouble.
The hotel is right on the beautiful beach with plenty of loungers for everyone and families leave their buckets/spades etc for the next children to play with when they go home so they have lots to do.

There are loads of families here and the kids have made lots of friends. It feels really safe and everyone is happy to keep an eye on each other’s children which gives it a nice community feel but not in a way that feels you can’t have your own space if you want it.

There is a pretty river running through the hotel full of geese (swipe to see) and we are loving sitting by it for meals. Talking of meals, the food is incredible. I’m a vegetarian & I’ve been overwhelmed with the choice of delicious salads and they have a vegetarian corner too and plenty for meat and fish eaters. Don’t even get me started on the puddings! 😍 We’ve all got a taste for the incredible Baklava.
Everything is buffet style, which is brilliant for the kids as they can choose what they like and they are both eating plenty of fish, their favourite. Breakfast time they have someone making pancakes which they are over the moon about!

We have mostly been relaxing and making friends so far but today we are off to Elafonisi which has pink sand, I can’t wait!! We weren’t sure what to expect as this is our first hotel holiday with the kids but so far, so fantastic! 😃

Have you been to Greece before? *We paid for our flights ourselves but everything once here has been complimentary in exchange for review.
#kalyvesbeachhotel #seacretehotels #pinklinker #whatmamaworemonday

Instagram post 2155718524113316677_184009684

Going to miss these two today but I’m SO excited to be heading to London for our @mavenconnex event with @arena_flowers @inkinddirect @pamlyddon at Soho House! Even the 4.10 wake up hasn’t dampened my spirits...I do hope @emmaand3 manages to get the coffees though! 😆

What are you up to today?

#pinklinker #thismamaloves

Instagram post 2154303347312739620_184009684

Ad/Press Trip: 👗 I’m not putting away my summer wardrobe just yet, especially this lovely @kemitelford dress! (My birthday present to myself! I added the ribbon because it looked a bit like a maternity dress without it with my ‘mum tum’) I get so many comments about it! Loving a bit of leopard print at the moment and the colour makes me so happy! This will be first into the suitcase, when I get round to packing! 😱😂 🇮🇹 You may remember that I took the kids to Italy to see my parents on my own this summer as Dave’s new business is so busy (yay!) that it meant he didn’t have time for a holiday (boo!), but now I’m managing to prise him away. We are off to @kalyvesbeachhotel this week and I am SO excited, I can’t tell you! ✈️ This is our first family holiday that’s not to my parents’ house (thanks mum and dad!) and I can’t wait. I have no idea what to expect but the idea of some family time after what has been a pretty tough year all round is making me so happy.
Disclaimer bit: We have paid for our flights ourselves but our stay and the activities there will be provided in exchange for coverage like this and on the blog. They have some amazing half term offers on at the moment. Well worth a look if you want a last minute break!
#pinklinker

Pink Pear Bear

Loves The Great Outdoors.....and Cake!

Home
About Me
Parenting
Food
Travel
Festivals
Views and Reviews
Around Cheltenham
Humour
Pets
Mental Health
Work With Me!
Big Pink Link

Humour

When you’re just ok at Christmas! No Mum guilt here!

10 reasons I suck at being classy!

Why having a puppy is like having a toddler.

The perils of parenting older children.

Are they supposed to fight this much? Siblings!

Psssssst! Everyone is faking it!

Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
…
Page 7
Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Hello, I'm Louise, welcome to my blog!

Mother of two, (a son and daughter both in school), married over 10 years and nearing 20 together and owner of a very bouncy labrador called Hendrix and an elderly cat called Pablo.

We love to travel as a family and enjoy nothing more then a weekend exploring or at a festival in our camper Wilma.

Big fan of cheesy detective programs, tea, cake and early nights!

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Never miss a post!

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address

Looking for something?

Search...

Footer

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. By continuing to use this site you are telling us that you are happy with it.Ok