Mummy & Moose
clapping, napping and yapping our way through the day

2022 – The year we can explore?

I am not one for resolutions and I don’t much like plans. If I make a plan to explore I tend to go overboard and there is too much room then for anxiety and doubts to start creeping in. I can go from writing a packing list to wondering what we would do if the worst should happen – and it happens every single time. More often than not resulting in me cancelling altogether. So, for me, plans are exhausting.

Much more preferable is to wake up one morning and have a feeling that I want to do something and then to just go with it. Obviously you cannot take this approach with all things though and I appreciate that sometimes a little planning is essential. My top tip for this is to marry a spreadsheet lover.

This year is our tenth wedding anniversary (and 20th together) and even though it meant that I had to make a plan, I was determined that we should do something special.

So, after a bit of deliberation over whether it is feasible in our current Covid climate, I have decided that 2022 should be our year to explore! I thought a lot about what that means and from it I made a sort of a wishlist for the year:

Back to the island

Many moons ago when we first met, MrG invited me to come along on the holiday he had booked with his friends. His sister was meant to go but she had had to drop out. So, just a couple of months after this rando from off of the internet, I agreed to go with them. The holiday was to Lanzarote. That was 20 years ago. I thought it would be a lovely idea to return to our first ever holiday destination to celebrate our time together.

I also know that M will LOVE being able to visit a real life volcano!

It’s only for a week but we haven’t been abroad for 5 years and I think it’s about time we try. We are going to be staying in Playa Blanca in a really lovely apartment next to a water park which means we will barely see Elizabeth! That girl grows gils on holiday, I swear.

The Norfolk coast

Remember earlier when I addressed my love of spontaneity? Well, a couple of weeks ago I was chatting with my sister and she mentioned that she had just booked a long weekend to the Norfolk coast for May. She said “you should book it too”. So I did!

I had been umming and aahing over taking the children to the seaside anyway – as we haven’t been in about 2 years – and I think that the Norfolk coast is vastly underrated. So we are now off to a place near to Great Yarmouth. I know it’s only a weekend but it will be a nice break and will also give Bonnie a short trial at the boarding place I have found for her. We have never left her before and this is someone’s home rather than kennels. It will be good to take her for the weekend to see how she gets on before our holiday in the summer.

I would love to tell you that we have an action packed weekend planned. But we don’t. I am looking forward to exploring Burgh castle and Gorleston beach but that’s about it really. Other than that I plan to be giggling with my sister while we watch our children play and the men BBQ (to be clear they will be operating the BBQ and not on it)

Cream teas all round

view of cornwall

Another coastline I adore is definitely Cornwall. I love the idea of staying in a Falmouth hotel and exploring nearby attractions like Pendennis castle. Obviously a must when visiting Cornwall is to treat us all to a proper cream tea. On top of that you have the beautiful beaches of course. The only thing holding me back from visiting is just how busy it can get in the summer so I think we might aim for a bit earlier in the year and hopefully make the most of the local wildlife cruises. I think Bess and Moose would both love a bit of dolphin spotting. We would have to make sure we remember our sea sickness pills though, I still shudder at the thought of our ferry crossing to Guernsey a few years ago!

Castle spotting

When MrG was a youngster he says that his Mum used to drag him round old castles on trips all of the time. Sadly for MrG he has only gone and married a woman who has the same love of history that his Mum did (and does) so an absolute must when I think about exploring HAS to be some trips to castles!

There are so many really cool ones. I love the idea of spending a couple of weeks just going from castle to castle during the summer. For a moment there I did even think we could save loads of money by staying in our tent. Then I remembered that I hate camping so maybe not!

Top of the list though, has to be Edinburgh castle. I have always wanted to visit Edinburgh and never have. If anyone wants to suggest other places we should see in or close to Edinburgh then please comment below!

See the World Without Going Broke – How to Save for a Year of Travelling

With coronavirus restrictions all but lifted and the UK more or less back to normal, travel is back on the menu. Pre-pandemic, travel industry expenditure in the UK had increased by 7% to a staggering £62 billion – a number set to be beaten in the coming years. For many, major plans for long-term travelling were postponed indefinitely. But as countries began to open back up to international visitors one by one, it’s time to get planning again. Here’s how to fund a year of adventure without going broke!

Full Time Employment

First things first, you will want to make sure you have secured full time employment for your year of preparation. Pulling together the funds for travel alone will be difficult if you do not have regular work lined up – your existing commitments to rent, bills and sustaining yourself will always come first, meaning you will need a bare minimum regular wage to keep up with your travel budget.

Start Saving

Next is to start saving money from your work. This sounds easy from the off, but requires a lot more thought than it may at first seem. Draw up a holistic budget for your living situation, including your income and any outgoings, from rent and utilities to weekly averages for food and leisure expenditure. Find out what you have left monthly after each payslip; this is the most you can save monthly without cutting into your living expenses. Once you have settled on a minimum monthly figure to save, do some digging to find an easy-access savings account with the best available interest rate, and set up a direct debit for the amount you want to save from your current account to your savings account.

Investments

Savings accounts have become notoriously toothless in recent years, with inflation stagnating and interest rates remaining low. As such, you may want to find a way to get greater returns from your savings, especially if you aren’t going to be touching them. One great way to do this is by investing your savings on the stock market. An investment fund is the safest way to do this, whereby a broker takes your money and invests it across a portfolio of companies it believes will grow steadily. There is always an element of risk, but the returns can average 5% – a significant amount, especially if you’re after having as much money as possible ahead of your year-long trip.

Trading

Even greater returns than investments can be found, however, by having more of an active hand in investing your money. With research, patience and attention to detail, you can follow the stock market yourself, and trade stocks to generate bigger profits than passive investment funds. Trading platforms like Metatrader 5 allow you to continue to trade from anywhere, meaning you could feasibly earn money even while you travel!

Secondary Work

If you still have time to spare in your day, you can opt for a more sure-fire way of generating additional income for your travels, and take on a second job. You could go freelance, and provide the same services you do in your day job ad-hoc to new clients via online freelancer platforms; you could pick up a bar job to work the evenings after your day job; or you could even pick up cash-in-hand labouring work on weekends – the options are endless.

Meal Plan – Emptying the freezer so we can fill it with Christmas food edition

Following what feels like the shortest October in history, we are now in “nearly Xmas mode”. I am still avoiding carbs wherever possible with varying degrees of success. Although it feels like much more of a challenge now that salad season is long gone. Who wants lettuce in November?!

It’s going to be a fairly quiet week for us. Aside from my nephew’s birthday we have no other plans really. Moose’s after school club was cancelled due to a lack of staff and Bess is sitting mocks. I am working weekdays only now which is great. It means that I have weekends free to relax with the kids but I do miss having a couple of days off midweek so that I can be a bit less stressed with getting dinners ready and spellings done etc.

I noticed that our freezer is pretty full so this week I think we will try to eat our way through that lot to make lots of space for yummy Xmas food! It should make for some interesting meals and if November is anywhere near as short as October felt then Xmas will be here before we know it.

This week in food

Monday: Chicken and roasted vegetables with garlic bread

Tuesday: Pork satay with broccoli

Wednesday: Garlic and herb chicken with cauliflower cheese and Brussel sprouts

Thursday: Steak with pea shoots, pear and stilton

Friday: Chicken burgers and chips (mushroom omelette for me)

Saturday: Lamb meatballs with red pepper harissa sauce and bulgur wheat (cauliflower rice for me)

Sunday: Salmon and broccoli with hollandaise sauce (and potatoes for the kids and MrG)

 

Whatever you have planned for the week, I hope you enjoy it. I would love to hear what your go to meals are? Easier to prepare the better! Feel free to comment below.

Personal Mobility in the Wake of the Covid Epidemic: Hike in Used Cars Sales

Humans go through cycles. Some of these cycles are generational. Others occur over a longer term. Such as the rise and fall of civilisations and empires. With the advent of the car, having your own vehicle became a symbol of financial and social as well as literal mobility. Allowing people to easily travel just about anywhere they wanted to go. Following this there was a realisation of the effect of vehicles on the environment. Whereupon the more conscientious members of society invested in bikes, bought bus and train season tickets or walked to work and school instead. And then came Covid-19.

Dangers of Public Transport

Sharing your space with others becomes a problem when faced with the possibility of contracting a serious respiratory virus, with potential long-term after-effects. No longer can you shrug and use a dab of hand sanitiser or just remind yourself to wash your hands as soon as you can. That might work for colds which are mild, or even seasonal flu which is only serious for older people or those with compromised immune systems, most of whom are already eligible for the flu vaccine. The actuality of Covid-19, plus the effects known as ‘long Covid’ add up into a nasty illness from which recovery, for anyone, is not guaranteed.

 

Costs of Running a Car

For some, the costs of running their car made making the switch to public transport a common sense decision. But, given the huge rises to public transport costs of late, reconsidering this might be a pleasant surprise! Sure, the initial cost of the car will be significant. However a used car is instantly much cheaper than a new model. And thereafter, your running costs will drop to much less than a lengthy commute, especially if it requires more than one bus or train. Insurance and taxes are reduced when you invest in a second-hand car, as they are based on the already reduced purchase price, making the saving continue for the life of the vehicle.

 

Loss of Eco-Friendly Cred

While you might think that going back to car ownership is giving in to the dark side, in an environmental context, again, this is not the case. Used cars have already gone some way to amortising the ecological impact of their manufacture, and every year that it is in use thereafter continues this process. You might not think of yourself as eco-friendly as you would be on a train. It might surprise you though. Especially if you manage to buy a second-hand hybrid vehicle which has high green clout in its own right.

 

If you are going back into the office and your skin crawls at the thought of being crammed in close to strangers after all this time. Why not check out the used car market? You can buy used cars at cheap prices from KAP Motors.

Where to go – Canada. Travelling with kids.

There are so many choices when it comes to travelling. You could be forgiven for thinking that these choices would be diminished when travelling with tiny humans – but you would be wrong. One of the best destinations to visit as a family is Canada and fortunately there are lots of flights to Canada from the UK that you can book

With so many destinations to choose from it can be a little overwhelming. No matter what you love to do during your time away, we have put together a few ideas to help you plan your next trip!

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Ontario

With more than 15000 animals including sea turtles (my personal favourite), Jellyfish, Sharks and Stingrays. Ripley’s Aquarium is the largest in all of Canada. This place is a must see for sea life fans of all ages!

CN Tower

Right next door to Ripley’s Aquarium is the CN Tower. Holding the title of the world’s tallest freestanding structure for 30 years, this is a great way to get a wonderful view of Toronto!

The queues to get into the CN Tower can be pretty long but don’t worry, there is plenty to do along the way including a great big Moose! As well as the Moose there is the Skyquest cinema and even a magician to entertain those waiting to see the stunning views over Toronto from the top of the tower.

Niagara Falls

Top of the list of must see’s for a lot of visitors to Canada. Known for it’s waterfalls of the same name, Niagara Falls is a city with lots to offer. See the falls from a different angle by taking the Journey Behind The Falls or if you have older kids do The White Water Walk. Go and check out the Butterfly Conservatory or have fun on the Cosmic coaster at Clifton Hills Amusement park!

West Edmonton Mall, Alberta

The biggest mall in North America (spanning the size of 48 city blocks), West Edmonton Mall is a destination in itself. As well as a plethora of shops, the space also features an indoor amusement park, waterpark, bowling alley, mini golf course and ice rink, on top of the over 800 stores and services found on site. With more attractions than you could enjoy in one day, a stay at one of the two on-site hotels makes this an ideal weekend destination for families looking for a range of fun to be enjoyed all in one spot – without ever having to step outside.

Did I mention there is also a zoo!

Stanley Park, Vancouver

Stanley Park is Vancouver’s premier spot to get up close and personal with nature and animals. The grassy expanse offers outdoor teahouses and stunning views, beachfront hideaways and splash parks. It is a typical getaway spot for friends and families, especially as it is home to Vancouver’s aquarium, and some of its best equestrian outlets.

Something to know, before you go

Children who are traveling to Canada without both parents need authorization from the non-accompanying parent. Sometimes this is enforced and other times not, but to play it safe you’re better off with a notarized letter. Divorced parents should carry copies of legal custody documents. Find out more about the rules here.