As far as Easters go the last two have been pretty special. Easter 2022 was spent settling in at home as a family of four after Darcie made her arrival on Good Friday. This year
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Shiva, My Dog of a Lifetime
I don’t know where to start with writing this post and I know it will end with me in tears. None the less I want to write it. I guess a good place to start
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The Perfect Pumpkin Patch
If you are looking for the perfect pumpkin patch in the West Sussex area (on the boarders of WS) this half term, I feel you’d be hard pushed to find any better patch than that
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The Rapids Cottage – A Hilltop Hideaway
All our trips away in the UK generally turn out to be somewhat similar to a carry-on film. Our recent mini break at The Rapids Cottage, a sweet little hilltop hideaway situated on the cliffs
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The Little Black and White Book Project
A new born baby has a small field of vision, approximately 6-8 inches, which is roughly the distance from their caregivers face as they are feeding them or giving them a cuddle. While much
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Hollycombe – Summer Days of a Bygone Era
Although too young to remember it, my parents have fond memories of a summers day spent with my sister Hannah and I as little girls at Hollycombe Steam in the Country. Hollycombe is a working
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Darcie’s Birth Story
Compared to my first pregnancy with Rupert which was relatively straight forward other than carrying Group B Strep (GBS), my second pregnancy felt a lot more stressful. Very early on it was detected once more
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A Transformational Day Out at Wakehurst with Frugi
Earlier this week Rupert was personally invited by Frugi and Kew Gardens to join The Very Hungry Caterpillar on an interactive and transformational trail, wandering through the wild botanical gardens at Wakehurst. This was such
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Our First Family Holiday – A Cornish Cottage Getaway
I have been wanting to write this post since taking our first family holiday back in October, however what with moving house, Christmas, pregnancy and most importantly having fun with my little Rupert, finding time
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Our Little Rupert’s Turned Two Years Old
Over the weekend our little man turned two years old……..TWO! Those two years have literally flown by in a happy blur of love, laughter and a lack of sleep. To celebrate Rupert turning two years
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Jaques of London and The Power of Childhood Play
The power of childhood play has become extremely apparent to me since becoming a parent, as is when it comes to a child’s development through play, we help to encourage our children to naturally build
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Special Moments Captured by Equine Photographer Sophie Callahan
Here we are in Autumn, and I am only now just sharing a post which I planned to share back in the spring after the talented Equine photographer Sophie Callahan visited us at my mothers
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An Afternoon in the Garden
Our garden is like Rupert, a little wild, hard to contain but makes me smile, and spending time in it together is a real treat. It’s not often we get the chance to simply enjoy
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An Evening at Castle Farm Lavender Fields
This week I booked tickets for an evening at Castle Farm Lavender Fields with my Mum, Dad, sister Hannah and Rupert, where we would spend a couple of fragrant hours picnicking in a field of
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Somewhere Down a Lane, Not so Far Away
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Bumbling Around Bosham Harbour
At the beginning of the week, we took a trip down to the sweet and idyllic village of Bosham for lunch and a bumble around for a couple of hours. Sending Chris in to one
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A Fish & Chip Supper at the Seaside and Rupert’s First Time in the Sea
Last night along with our good friends and Rupert’s godparents Jill and Paul, as well as our pack of dogs we visited the seaside. I had packed some gin for Jill and I and beers
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Our Second Wedding Anniversary
A good number of years ago, Chris and I vowed never to venture out again on a bank holiday after a very unsuccessful trip out. A few years down the line, we ended up picking
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Bluebells Season 2021 & Bluebell Etiquette
Every spring I love nothing more than disappearing into our local woods with my camera, and watching them over the course of a few weeks transform into the most enchanting fairy-tale scene. In late March
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An Eggcellent Easter Egg Hunt in the Garden
While Rupert was was taking an afternoon nap yesterday, I made my way out in to the garden to set up an eggcellent Easter egg hunt for when he woke up. It turned out to
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Rupert’s First Birthday
Celebrating Rupert’s first birthday has left me feeling extremely emotional. It was something that once felt so far away and then suddenly the day had arrived last Friday. Where did that year go? It seems
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My Breastfeeding Journey
Everyone has a different feeding journey, and I know that for some, breastfeeding simply does not work, and for so many different reasons. At the end of the day the most important thing is that
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Little Aurelia – A British Probiotic Skincare Range for Babies
For many years I’ve been concerned about the use of harsh chemical ingredients in the everyday products I use. These concerns have only deepened since becoming a mummy. I was therefore delighted to discover a
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Rupert’s Woodland Themed Nursery
Out of all the rooms we have decorated in the cottage, I have most enjoyed turning our spare room, which was once a nothing room and one which we spent little time in, into Rupert’s
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Sandy Paws, a Sea Breeze and Sand Dunes
Yesterday early evening we decided to take a chance with the temperamental weather we had throughout the day, skip the bedtime routine, pack up the car and make our way down to the Sussex Coast.
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Married Life & Our First Wedding Anniversary
On Sunday we celebrated a whole year of being Mr and Mrs Chessell! Well married, as I’ve yet to officially change my name (other than for the purpose of Rupert’s birth certificate). I asked Chris
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Four Months of Rupert & Motherhood
Four months have passed by since our beautiful baby boy Rupert came and forever changed our lives, where on earth did that time go? I am enjoying every second with him, watching him grow and
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The Items That Helped Get Me Through The Fourth Trimester
When Rupert arrived six weeks early (birth story HERE), I was unprepared for what the fourth trimester had in store. Not one to sugar coat things, it was tough. I am still displaying some of
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Why I Love Babywearing
Before Rupert’s arrival (Birth Story HERE), I had never considered babywearing as a “thing”. I somewhat naively just assumed it would be practical to have a carrier for walking the dogs. It had therefore not
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Lockdown Life with Rupert
In an ideal world, Rupert and I would be out visiting our loved ones, doing lots of cake tasting, National Trusting and spending more time outside. Yet we are in a time where the world
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My Shortlist of Pregnancy & Parenting Reading
As an avid reader I picked up more than a few baby related reads during my pregnancy. Being aware that some of our readers are expecting (congratulations), I wanted to share with you a shortlist
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Rupert’s Birth Story
Throughout my pregnancy I never really focused too much on an exact due date, preferring to refer to a due month instead. However, Rupert’s original due date was today the 9th March 2020, the day
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Group B Strep in Pregnancy
Upon reaching 21 weeks of pregnancy I noticed I had a little bleeding and discussed this with my midwife. I was called in that same afternoon to have some investigatory tests carried out. One of
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Luxury Lavender Bath Blend
Since the start of my second trimester of pregnancy I’ve been using essential lavender oil to act as an anchor to trigger relaxation and confidence. If you have followed the blog for a while you
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Slow Cooker Non Alcoholic Mulled Wine
Just a short post today for those who are looking for an alternative to the booze this Christmas. On cold December nights there is nothing that I enjoy more than snuggling down on the sofa
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Something Special to Share
How I’ve managed to keep quiet until now is beyond me, as I’ve been bursting with excitement and happiness for months. The time now feels right to share with you that in March we will
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Our Wedding in Pictures
Chris and I had often spoken of having our wedding reception at my Mothers, even before we got engaged. It’s a place we both love and a place that already held many fond memories for
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Finding my Dream Wedding Dress
Your wedding dress will be the most important dress you ever wear, and you have probably imagined exactly what this looks like before even trying one on. I know I had. I had envisaged my
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Planning a Wedding – Sharing My Wedding Wisdom
Upon getting engaged last August, my head was buzzing full of ideas and the blissful months ahead that we would spend planning the most special day of our lives. Four months have passed since we
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Our Wedding Film by Ash Videography
Having both a photographer and videographer to capture our wedding day was in my mind never up for discussion, despite Chris’s efforts try and control the wedding budget! I was determined that we would have
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Our Canadian Honeymoon, Alberta
Upon disembarking the Rocky Mountaineer, we spent the final part of our Canadian honeymoon in Alberta, with the dramatic backdrop of the Canadian Rockies. The first night we stayed in the charming town of Banff,
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The Rocky Mountaineer, First Passage to the West
After a full on four days at Knight Inlet Lodge, we hopped on an internal flight to Vancouver for a couple of nights in the city before boarding the romantic Rocky Mountaineer train. With many
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Memoirs of Knight Inlet Lodge, British Columbia
We started our Canadian honeymoon with a four-night all-inclusive stay at the very special floating lodge that is Knight Inlet in Glendale Cove, British Columbia. It was here at Knight Inlet Lodge that our most
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Lordington Lavender Farm, Sussex
After visiting Mayfield and Cotswold Lavender fields last year, one of my favourite summer past times has since become visiting lavender fields. And this year I discovered we had one right here is Sussex! However
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Wilderness Hotel Nellim – Arctic Adventures
My heart is literally bursting with joy after our Arctic adventure and all the memories made during our trip to Finnish Lapland. We based ourselves at The Wilderness Hotel Nellim, in Northern Finland. The hotel
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Barbour – Jackets to Stand the Test of Time
A Barbour jacket will stand the test of time, not only for it’s timeless, classic and effortless style, (be it in the countryside or in the city) but also as a jacket which is made to last, and last they do with a longevity like no other I’ve ever known.
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Our Wedding Stationery
I always liked the idea of making our wedding stationery. That was until I realised just how little time we actually had to get everything done over the course of nine months, without throwing homemade stationery in to the mix.
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Worth the Wait – Vienna & The Spanish Riding School
For years now my Mother and I have talked about taking a trip to Austria together. We specifically wanted to visit Vienna, where we were eager to see the famed white Lipizzaner stallions perform their
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Romantic Getaway – Buxted Park Hotel
Earlier in the year I booked a surprise (for Chris) romantic night away for the two of us. It’s not often we go away without the Dals as we miss them too much! The night away came around
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Floating in the Clouds – The Proposal
Almost immediately after I posted my sparkly engagement news on Instagram I was astounded by the amount of likes and lovely comments of congratulations that came flooding in. The picture has proven to be my
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Playing in a Purple Paradise – Mayfield Lavender
Up until around 20 years ago, the highly versatile perfumed purple plant which was first introduced to Britain by the Romans, and once carpeted the English countryside during the summer months was in decline. This
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Log House Holidays – Part 2
With the weather being so wonderful on the lead up to our road trip it had Chris and I praying that the sun would continue to shine for us during our stay. We were very
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Log House Holidays – Part 1
After reading Steph & The Spaniels glowing review of Log House Holidays, it was not long before I was on the phone booking us in for a summer staycation. Since booking, I had been counting down the
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Gin & Tea Garden Party
On a warm summer’s day what could be a better way to while away a few hours with girlfriends than getting together over afternoon tea? The answer….. add gin! After visiting Silent Pool Distillery one
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Back to Basics at Wriggly Tin Shepherds Huts
Last Wednesday afternoon we packed up the car and set off to meet Chris’s brother Ronnie and his fiancé Jo, along with their Boston Terrier (Yoda). We were on an adventure taking us to Wriggly
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Plodding around Polesden
Last Friday I started my weekend early by taking the day off to spend a little time with my mother. Oh and what a perfect time we spent together, blessed with a bright crisp autumn
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Dog Friendly Bodmin Moor
As you know back in October we took a mini break with Shiva and Bunter to Bodmin Moor, this was Bunters first holiday! We booked a four night stay at the lovely Poets Hideaway nestled deep in Bodmin
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The Poet’s Hideaway
“Getting away from it all” a phrase that Chris and I clearly have very different ideas on. My idea is that of a rural escape in the middle of know where with the dogs in
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