Thursday photo #295

New year is a funny time. I always feel ready to get back into a routine, particularly in terms of eating healthily. Yet with the children off school and a few other things happening, it’s difficult to get back to normal. This year, whilst we’re still not eating particularly well we’ve at least managed to get plenty of exercise and fresh air.

Westonbirt Arboretum

A few years ago, my husband took Libby to Westonbirt Arboretum, about an hour’s drive from where we live. It’s a national collection of trees with trails for children to follow, a treetop walkway and lovely flat paths. I’m not sure why I didn’t go with them then, but we decided to visit this weekend. They allow children to ride their bikes as long as they’re smaller than a particular height. It was an ideal opportunity for the girls to have a bike ride and for us all to enjoy some fresh air.

Westonbirt is a really lovely day out. We arrived just before midday and chose a path to follow that would take us to the cafe. It was really quite busy but when we started to make our way away from the entrance and visitor centre, there weren’t too many people. The girls were able to ride their bikes in a relatively flat area and we enjoyed a hot lunch from the cafe. Westonbirt is dog friendly too and Bubbles had a lovely walk.

Barry Island new year’s day dip

I remember watching the Tenby boxing day swim many years ago and wondering what the attraction was. I couldn’t really understand how or why anyone would want to go in the sea at this time of year. Fast forward to 2019 and I realised there was a new year’s day dip on Barry Island. I couldn’t sign up quick enough. Surprisingly, my husband and the girls were up for it too.

Many people dress up for the dip, so the girls decided they’d go in fancy dress. Can you guess who they both were? They both only really dipped their legs into the sea, but it was great to take them to the event. They enjoyed the atmosphere and were excited to get into the water. My husband and I both had a short swim once the girls had got out. I can’t think of a better start to a new year.

Thursday photo #295

I love this photo of the girls on their bikes. They usually look relatively neat and tidy, particularly on school days when I plait their hair. So, it’s always nice to see them in their natural state. Muddy, dishevelled and full of mischief.