Katie Ellison http://www.katieellison.co.uk A multi award winning family travel and lifestyle blog capturing our ordinary moments, adventures and everything in-between. Wed, 21 Jul 2021 09:56:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.3 http://www.katieellison.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/cropped-flava-90x90.png Katie Ellison http://www.katieellison.co.uk 32 32 140660541 A FAMILY TRIP TO LONDON AND A COUPLES TRIP TO LEEDS WITH JURYS INN AND LEONARDO HOTELS AD http://www.katieellison.co.uk/travel/a-family-trip-to-london-and-a-couples-trip-to-leeds-with-jurys-inn-and-leonardo-hotels/ http://www.katieellison.co.uk/travel/a-family-trip-to-london-and-a-couples-trip-to-leeds-with-jurys-inn-and-leonardo-hotels/#respond Wed, 21 Jul 2021 09:54:55 +0000 http://www.katieellison.co.uk/?p=23827 There is just something so exciting about packing up your suitcase and heading somewhere new for the night, especially at the moment when a change of scenery after so long is so very welcomed and appreciated. Of course it goes without saying we absolutely love to travel, it’s one of our biggest passions as a […]

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There is just something so exciting about packing up your suitcase and heading somewhere new for the night, especially at the moment when a change of scenery after so long is so very welcomed and appreciated. Of course it goes without saying we absolutely love to travel, it’s one of our biggest passions as a family, but with all that has gone over the last year and a half heading off an adventure hasn’t been something that has really entered our heads. However with the world starting to slowly open up, we were excited to head off on two nights away, both very different but both brilliant and so gratefully received.

Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels got in touch with us to see if we would like to try out two different hotels, Leonardo Royal Hotel London Tower Bridge on a family trip to London and Jurys Inn Leeds on a very rare couple night away. To say we were excited was an understatement, but we were also a little nervous as well. However on their website it was clear that the hotels had really thorough and strict protocols in place, and that guest safety was a priority. With this in mind we started to countdown to our first stay in London.

WHAT ARE JURYS INN AND LEONARDO HOTELS DOING TO KEEP GUEST SAFE?

You can read all about what the hotels are doing to keep guests safe here, but they have adopted a new five point plan called ‘Stay Safe Stay Happy’, and are working closely with Environmental Health, as well as taking the advice issued by the World Health Organisation, to ensure all health and safety measures are in line with the highest possible standards. We felt very safe during both our stays and you could clearly tell that the hotels were taking the safety protocols seriously.

 

LETS GO TO LONDON

 

We love London. It’s such an exciting place to visit as a family and we were so looking forward to visiting for the first time in a long time. We didn’t have lots of plans while we were there, we luckily picked a weekend when the forecast was great, so we decided to just spend the weekend walking around and taking in the sights.

Leonardo Royal Hotel London Tower Bridge

 
 

Leonardo Royal Hotel London Tower Bridge is, as the name suggests, the perfect base to explore, whether you are on business or pleasure. Situated just a few minutes walk from Tower Bridge it is also close to London’s most iconic landmarks including The Tower of London and The Shard. It’s also located just a short walk away from East London and Shoreditch, which is one of our favourite parts of London. The nearest tube station Tower Hill is also only a few minutes walk away.

We were so impressed by the initial welcome at the hotel, the lobby was gorgeous and our room was a perfect size with a fantastic view of London. The hotel has 370 stylish bedrooms – each with free high-speed Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, en-suite bathroom, hairdryer, and tea and coffee making facilities. There’s also two on-site bars and an on-site restaurant (as we were with the kids we didn’t try these out in the evening, but I can confirm the buffet breakfast was delicious with lots of choice!).

To top it all off Rena Health and Fitness Club is located on the lower ground floor of the hotel, where there is an indoor swimming pool with spa facilities. We went swimming twice during our short stay because our kids adore swimming and had missed it so much. It’s such a huge perk of the hotel as swimming pools like that are definitely rare in London.

 
Slightly more peaceful than once our three kids had jumped in, but the swimming pool is such a fantastic perk of the hotel!

One thing we all agreed on was how comfy the beds were in our hotel room, and we all had such a fantastic sleep. We were all just so excited and happy to be in London after so long.

 

So happy to be somewhere new.

 

 

WHAT WE DID IN LONDON…

As I mentioned above we didn’t have any huge plans for the weekend, we just wanted to walk, enjoy the sights and the weather, and just generally being somewhere new. We ended up walking ten miles on the Saturday which I still can’t believe. The sun was shining, everyone was happy that the world was starting to open up again, and it was just generally the best atmosphere in London.

 


The kids loved going across Tower Bridge, I remember being the same when I was that age, London felt so big and exciting.

 

 

How amazing is the view from this ‘secret beach?’ I love the fact that you can get the whole of Tower Bridge in. To find it head to Shad Thames on one side of the bridge, and then you will see the Horselydown Old Stairs. That gets you to the beach.

On our first day we headed to Covent Garden and got an ice cream from Milk Train, somewhere I have always wanted to try. They do incredible flavours and toppings, including candy floss which the kids all found exciting.

We walked around and took in all the street performers and it felt so nice to be doing something normal after so long.

 
 

We also walked up to Piccadilly Circus as I remember that being one of my favourite places to visit when I was little. We sat and took it all in and watched all the cars whizz past, we were just so lucky with the weather being sunny as we didn’t have to do much at all other than walk around and take it all in.

We all slept so well that evening after a busy day of exploring, I am not just saying it when I say that the hotel bed was one of the comfiest I have ever slept in. I slept better than I do at home!

The next day we had a wander around Shoreditch, checking out the always fantastic Borough Market, and having a session in a local gaming cafe called Platform (my kids especially the younger two are computer game crazy!).

We had such a lovely stay in London. Leonardo Royal Hotel London Tower Bridge was such a perfect base to explore, but equally had all the touches that really make a hotel stay comfortable and memorable- like the swimming pool, the delicious breakfast, the stylish interiors and the comfiest beds.

It was such a treat to be away from home after so long and we loved every minute. We can’t wait to go back soon.

 

A COUPLES TRIP TO LEEDS

Leeds holds a very special place in my heart as it is where Jon and I met all those years ago now. I first moved to Leeds age eighteen to university and I ended up living there nearly six years. We don’t go back often but when we do it is always so special, so I immediately knew that Leeds would be perfect for our rare couples night away together.

 
 

There are 36 hotels operating under the Jurys Inn brand and they are known for their warm, friendly service and convenient locations within easy reachof top attractions, amenities and transport hubs. Jurys Inn prides itself on the small touches, including the welcoming environment and friendly staff who greet you.

Jurys Inn Leeds is in such a great spot, located in Brewery Wharf in the city centre, just a short 10 minute walk from Leeds train station. The hotel is just a few minutes walk from the shops, bars and restaurants, and believe me Leeds has so much to offer in that department.

Jon and I checked in and had such a nice chat with the man on reception who was very friendly and chatty. On arrival to our room we were excited to find that we were in an executive room, meaning that we could help ourselves to anything in the mini bar, got early and late check in, and a king size bed amongst other benefits.

 
 

Our room was cosy and comfortable, with a fantastic view of Leeds city centre from our window. Jurys Inn Leeds has a really lovely feeling to it, the lobby and communal areas are stylish and sleek, plus the bar area served Costa Coffee which was a great start to the morning for Jon. There is also a gym and 248 bedrooms in total.

 
 
 

The bar area is a great place for a drink in the evening or a coffee to start your day- the artwork on the wall is all photos of Leeds and the surrounding area.

We spent our time in Leeds eating, drinking and shopping. The city is so good for all three of those things, and to be honest it was such a novelty to be away from the kids. Jurys Inn Leeds is in such a great location that we walked back and forth across the canal bridge, dividing our time between drinking in bars, eating and also checking out the brilliant shopping areas.

 
 
 
 

We went out in the evening and had a fair few drinks, so were both very appreciative of a comfy bed to sink into at the end of the night. The next morning we were treated to a continental breakfast that was left outside our room, which we both thought was a great idea. We had such a fantastic time together and loved every minute of revisiting the city we fell in love.

 
 

All in all our stays at both hotels were thoroughly enjoyable and such a treat. We have stayed in Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels before and wouldn’t hesitate to stay in them again, I would recommend them to anyone looking for great quality hotels in brilliant locations.

Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels currently have a fantastic offer running so if you are looking for a change of scenery and to spend some time in a new place then all the details are below…  The offer is available to book at the following link: https://www.jurysinns.com/staycations

  • Any City, Stay Two Nights or More offer rates returned will be for your chosen date and location inclusive of a discount of 20% on our “Flexible Booking – Room Only” and “Flexible Booking – Bed & Breakfast” rates for all Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels in the UK & Ireland.
  • Any City, Stay Two Nights or More offer rates can be amended or cancelled for free up to 48 hours prior to arrival day.
  • Bookings must be made at least 7 days in advance of stay date.
  • Any City, Stay Two Nights or More offer rates are based on two adults sharing.
  • Any City, Stay Two Nights or More offer rates are strictly subject to availability and some date exclusions apply.
  • Jurys Rewards discount applies to Jurys Inn hotels only.
  • Jurys Inn reserves the right to withdraw this promotion at any time and without prior notice.
  • All bookings are charged in local currency unless otherwise stated.
  • This promotion cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

 

NB: We were working with Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels on two complimentary stays in their properties, however all words, opinions and content is entirely my own. Thank you so much to them for working with us, we loved every minute. 

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4 NIGHTS IN PORTLAND, OREGON (PORTLAND TRAVEL GUIDE WITH KIDS) PACIFIC NORTH WEST ROAD TRIP http://www.katieellison.co.uk/travel/portland-travel-guide-with-kids/ http://www.katieellison.co.uk/travel/portland-travel-guide-with-kids/#respond Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:59:08 +0000 http://www.katieellison.co.uk/?p=23755 It’s been a while but I am back writing our PNW road trip posts. It’s probably been our greatest adventure yet- a road trip around parts of the Pacific Northwest in the US. We started off in Vancouver Canada, headed down to Seattle, then Portland, then Lake Tahoe, lastly finishing off in San Francisco for […]

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It’s been a while but I am back writing our PNW road trip posts. It’s probably been our greatest adventure yet- a road trip around parts of the Pacific Northwest in the US. We started off in Vancouver Canada, headed down to Seattle, then Portland, then Lake Tahoe, lastly finishing off in San Francisco for a few hours before flying back to London. We were away 17 nights in total and it was without a doubt one of the best experiences of my life so far.

I’m finally getting round to writing up an itinerary and travel guide for each destination, then once I have finished that I will put together a planning and tips post too. After spending a few days in Vancouver, British Columbia (check out my Vancouver travel guide blog post), we crossed the border into the US and headed to Seattle (Seattle travel guide here). Then it was time to head to Portland, Oregon, a city I have always wanted to visit. Here is what we got up to during our four nights in Portland….

 

 

WHY PORTLAND?

Portland and indeed Oregon as a whole is somewhere I have always wanted to visit. I recognise the backdrop from years of watching films and popular culture, and I follow a few travel instagrammers who live in the area. Portland, Oregon’s largest city, sits on the Columbia and Willamette rivers, in the shadow of snow-capped Mount Hood. It’s known for its parks, bridges and bicycle paths, as well as for its eco-friendliness and its microbreweries and coffeehouses.

 

There were a few places we knew we wanted to explore before we visited. We wanted to check out Cannon Beach (where the film The Goonies was mostly set), Multinomah Falls, and of course some of Portland’s impressive food cart scene. But mainly we wanted to relax for a few days and enjoy the vibe of what seemed to be quite a laid back and liberal city.

 

THE JOURNEY SO FAR – ARRIVING FROM SEATTLE

To give you a small idea of our journey and our route- we flew into Vancouver, Canada with British Airways and spent 5 days in Canada. We then picked up a hire car from Vancouver Airport (as this was the cheapest option) to drive over the border into the United States and into Seattle. The journey from Vancouver to Seattle should take around 2 hours 40 minutes, but be prepared to be held up at Customs for random spot checks.

We then dropped the hire car off at Seattle Airport as we decided not to have a car during our two days in Seattle. The reason for this was it was cheaper to hire a car from airport to airport and as we had driven into the US it was cheaper to give up the car and get a new one at a later date. We did look into different options but felt it was more convenient to drive the five of us into the US than it was to take a train, although we did look into this option as well. It was cheaper this way as well. As we were staying in the centre of Seattle we opted to pick up a car at the end of our stay to last us the remainder of the trip.

From Seattle it took nearly 3 hours to get to Portland.

WHERE WE STAYED

As we were staying in Portland for four nights, we decided to opt for an airbnb during our stay. We didn’t feel like we needed to be in the centre, as a lot of the places we wanted to explore weren’t in Portland centre itself. We stayed in a district in North Portland called the Mississippi Avenue District, a neighbourhood with a very hipster yet bohemian vibe, and full of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars.

The airbnb we stayed in was a handcrafted Japanese style home hosted by two guys called Jason and Doug. We only met Doug but they live above the home and were always on hand if we needed them. Doug was a very friendly host, and very knowledgable about Portland. We loved the property, it was built with traditional Japanese construction techniques, and our kids loved the little zen den hideaway in the middle of the apartment.

 
This bed complete with closing sliding door was literally the dream for our den mad children.

We would definitely recommend the airbnb, it was the perfect place from which to explore Portland and the surrounding area, there is on street parking for your hire car, and overall we felt very safe there.

COSTS

I will be doing a detailed blog post once I have finished all the destination blog posts (similar to this Florida Road Trip Itinerary and Budget), outlining sample costs and budget for our trip, but we try to be as savvy as we can with our hotel bookings. We try to book them as far as we can in advance. If you use a site like booking.com then you can cancel free of charge usually up until a couple of days before you arrive, so if you keep an eye on the rates you can rebook if they drop in price or rebook somewhere else, which is something we tend to do a lot on trips like this.

Airbnb’s tend to have a stricter cancellation policy as more often than not you are staying in someone’s home, but on a road trip such as this we try and mix our accommodation up. For this particular airbnb we paid approx £157 a night alongside airbnb’s occupancy and service fees.

In terms of spending money we try and budget for around £50 to £150 a day. Obviously this varies as some days we might be doing activities that cost more. As a family we enjoy being outdoors so we try and do as many ‘free’ activities as we can. Food wise, we tend to eat out once a day, as food can soon mount up your costs. Therefore we will eat snacky meals we have got from supermarkets etc, and only really eat out for one of our meals a day- it doesn’t matter which one. Portland was a great place eating wise and we ate the entire time in food carts which kept the cost down- we didn’t eat in a restaurant once while we were there. Like I mentioned I will talk more about budgets in my final post.

THINGS TO DO

We managed to pack a lot into our four days in Portland. Here are some of our highlights that I recommend….

MULTNOMAH FALLS/LATOURELL FALLS

I had seen other travel blogs and photos of Multnomah Falls before we travelled to Portland and I knew it was somewhere we wanted to visit.

The website Oregon.com describles Multnomah Falls as… “A waterfall as magnificent and memorable as any in the country is located just a 30 minute drive outside of Portland. Visiting Multnomah Falls, a 611-foot-tall roaring, awe-inspiring cascade of icy water, lets you experience the power and beauty of nature up close and with ease. From the parking area off of I-84, a 5-minute walk is all that separates you from the exhilarating spray at the base of the falls.

According to Native American lore, Multnomah Falls was created to win the heart of a young princess who wanted a hidden place to bathe. Although you can see the top portion of the falls from the highway, to view both tiers you have to walk to the viewing area located in a carved-out opening in the rock face. Tilting your head up in the narrow rocky confines of the steep cliffs, you get a mind-boggling perspective on the sheer magnitude of the falls.”

 

We arrived at Multnomah early as we had heard that the car park filled up quickly. Even early it was almost full by the time we got there. It was busy but not unbearably so (but I don’t know if I would have wanted to go any later so my tip is to get there early!), but it was well worth it. The waterfall was spectacular to witness.

 

The kids were absolutely fascinated and you can walk several hundred feet up and reach Benson Bridge for an even more interesting view.

 

If you head just around 20 minutes down the road, near a place called Corbett, you will find Latourell Falls. We actually preferred it here. Firstly it wasn’t as busy, and secondly you could actually go to the base of one of the waterfalls. There is a car park on site and it is around a 3.4k loop walk all around.

We were one of the only ones who stood at the base, but honestly standing there getting wet and feeling the power of the waterfall behind us, was genuinely up there with one of the best experiences I have had. It sounds random, but in that moment I just felt so grateful for being there on a trip we had always dreamed of doing.

CANNON BEACH

Cannon Beach was a must have experience that we knew we wanted to do while we were in Oregon. Situated about 80 miles away from Portland (about 2 hours drive), this sandy beach is unmissable, with the incredible Haystack Rock an Oregon icon being something we recognised so vividly from films and TV growing up. It was named one of the world’s 100 most beautiful places by National Geographic, and you can definitely see why.

We decided to get up at 4.30am in order to catch the sunrise… great idea in theory until we got there and realised the sun rose in a different direction. It was also really foggy so as we were driving so we wondered if we would see anything at all. Actually it ended up turning out good in the end, as although we didn’t see a sun rise, the sun did turn some pretty colours and we were one of the only people on the entire beach.

 

I adore this photo of Wren running around. Again it was up there with one of our trip highlights, it was just lovely to see the kids so carefree and paddling in the ocean, even though it was freezing!

 

After getting thoroughly wet and cold we headed back to the car, before stopping at a random little American diner type place called Pig N Pancake for some… you guessed it pancakes ( a bit of a family holiday tradition).

We then spent some time driving around, checking out the incredible Oregon coastline and scenery, while the kids had a sleep in the car after our early start.

 

You could easily spend longer at Cannon Beach, the town itself was pretty with cafes and shops, and you could even stay here a couple of days to make the most of the coastline. But for us the morning spent paddling was just enough to at least get a glimpse of what this lovely little town has to offer.

 

OXBOW STATE PARK

On the way back from Cannon Beach we were all feeling a little tired and not really up for anymore exploring that day. So while Jon drove I googled places to just chill out and enjoy the Oregon scenery. I found a place called Oxbow State Park, which promised lovely scenery and a place to swim in the Sandy River. We ended up staying for the rest of the day, just relaxing, playing in the river and reading a book. I definitely recommend it as a place if you want a day or afternoon of unwinding after all your exploring.

 

PORTLAND ROSE GARDEN

On one of the days we headed more into Portland itself. One place we visited was the Portland Rose Garden. It’s apparently the oldest continuously operated public rose garden in the United States and is home to more than 10,000 roses. It is free to get in, a safe place for kids to explore and let off some steam, and then once you are done there there is a fantastic huge kids playground nearby as well in Washington Park. We spent a good couple of hours here in the sunshine letting the kids run about.

POWELLS BOOK STORE

Being a family of bookworms we couldn’t visit Portland and not go to Powell’s Book Store which is a huge independent book store. They have a huge range of new and second hand books and we let the kids choose a special book with their pocket money. We also bought a couple of second hand books as well to take home to the UK.

 
 
 

EATING AND DRINKING

We were really looking forward to trying out and experiencing Portland’s food cart scene. With hundreds of tiny kitchens throughout the city, Portland’s food-cart scene is legendary. CNN has declared Portland home to the world’s best street food, and what makes it even better is that most Portland carts stay put in groups dubbed “pods,” making it easy to sample a few at a time.

We went to a few different ones during our time in Portland, and we also didn’t eat in a restaurant the whole time we were there. Two of the ones we liked were ‘The Bite on the Belmont‘ and Cartopia, where we were able to sample a large range of different foods and cuisines.

 

I really recommend googling and trying a few out during your stay, the food is so delicious, cooked fresh and perfect to pick a few different dishes to just enjoy together.

 

It’s making me hungry just thinking about them…

 

Lastly a couple of shout outs for two local Portland legends that we really enjoyed as well. Blue Star Donuts is well worth a visit if you are a family like us who love a donut or two, and Salt & Straw make delicious ice creams with a great story about how they started up. They do crazy flavours such as Pear and Blue Cheese, Honey Lavender, and Freckled Woodblock Chocolate. We enjoyed both as a lovely holiday treat (always seeking out the sweet food treats!).

 

And that is it, the main things we did in Portland. We loved our time in Oregon and it is definitely a place we would like to go back and explore again one day in more detail.

I have made a video about our time in Portland which I have shared below which gives a little more insight into our trip…

ONE LAST THING…

The next stop on our trip was meant to be four nights (plus a one night stopover) in San Jose, California, but at this point in our trip we had already done ten nights of travel and exploring. While we were in Portland we decided to completely change our plans, and instead of heading to San Jose (we had already visited San Francisco on our last US trip and there wasn’t a huge great deal we were planning on doing there anyway), we decided to head inland east towards Lake Tahoe. I am not sure I remember why we decided to do this, but I am SO glad we did.

It was a huge drive (the distance from Portland to Lake Tahoe is 565 miles and it would take 9 and half hours in total), but we got up very early on our last morning in Portland and drove halfway, stopping for a night’s stopover in a funny little roadside motel in a town called Klamath Falls. It was quite bizarre but also a very funny experience, because nothing was open and the motel carpet was so dirty that our socks were black. We also realised that we didn’t have a plug for the bath and we were all feeling a bit grubby from a five hour drive, but when we rang reception we were told we couldn’t have a plug as people kept using them to flood the rooms deliberately. Still it was a cheap stopover and perfect after a long drive.

On that particular day before arriving in Klamath Falls, we stopped at the most beautiful spot called Crater Lake which is still in Oregon (approx 244 miles and 4 hours 20 minutes drive from Portland) as we had heard it was beautiful. It was definitely worth a stop and we wish we could have stayed there longer to explore. It is the deepest lake in the US and famous for it’s crystal blue water and water clarity.

It really was so beautiful and an incredible place to get out and stretch our legs.

After our motel stopover at Klamath Falls, we headed on on to the final journey of our trip – Lake Tahoe. Blog post coming soon 🙂

 

 

 

 

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IS THE CITROEN C5 AIRCROSS SUV A GOOD FAMILY CAR? (AD) http://www.katieellison.co.uk/life/brand-collaborations/is-the-citroen-c5-aircross-suv-a-good-family-car-ad/ http://www.katieellison.co.uk/life/brand-collaborations/is-the-citroen-c5-aircross-suv-a-good-family-car-ad/#respond Fri, 13 Nov 2020 09:21:52 +0000 http://www.katieellison.co.uk/?p=23465 I wanted to add a note at the start of this post to say I actually wrote it back in March before the start of lockdown due to the COVID 19 pandemic. I then decided alongside Citroen that it wouldn’t be an appropriate time to post, so I decided to wait until now. I appreciate […]

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I wanted to add a note at the start of this post to say I actually wrote it back in March before the start of lockdown due to the COVID 19 pandemic. I then decided alongside Citroen that it wouldn’t be an appropriate time to post, so I decided to wait until now. I appreciate Citroen being flexible and for letting me wait until now to post it…

 

For the last few months we have been testing out a new set of wheels- the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV.

As a family with three children and a new puppy, the car we get is really important as it needs to be big enough and practical enough for our family of five. When we got an email from Citroen asking if we could like to put their latest addition to the test to see if it held up to the demands of busy family life, we jumped at the chance. We’ve taken the car on holiday, to the beach, on long drives, on very short ones, and it has been our main car for the last few months. We’ve fully put it to the test to see how it coped with every day family life, and now I am doing a comprehensive review of how we found the car…

Is the new Citroen C5 Aircross SUV a good family car?

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

When the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV turned up on our doorstep, I was immediately thrilled with the look of the car. I should put in a little disclaimer here and say my knowledge (and interest) of cars normally doesn’t extend past the colour, the comfiness, the boot size, and whether or not I can charge my phone inside, Jon is the car man who looks at all the specifications in our house. But I can confirm that I was really impressed with just how stylish the car looked- it’s a very good looking car, and I was looking forward to driving it.

 

I loved the white colour (white or black is always my favourite for a car), but the red touches made it look extra stylish. I loved the wheels as well, and on inspection the interior was just as nice. Obviously this depends on the model you go for, but ours had gorgeous brown leather seats.

I was also impressed to see that the boot was a great size (so important for a family!) as well.

 

Perfect for a dog, scooters and all the other bits and bobs you need when you have three children! We are past the buggy stage with Wren now, but it is also perfect for buggies, suitcases and everything else. Considering the size of the car the boot is the biggest in it’s class- very impressive.

WHAT’S THE CAR LIKE TO DRIVE?

The Citroen C5 Aircross SUV is a dream to drive. I had never driven an automatic on a regular basis before, and initially I was nervous, but now I am completely converted. Like I mentioned above, the nitty gritty technical aspects of a car aren’t particularly something that I pay too much attention to- but of course I want our family car to drive well and be a pleasure to drive. The car stands out as the most comfortable SUV in it’s segment thanks to two exclusive Citroen innovations- suspension with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions and also it’s Advanced Comfort Seats.

The car also has 19 driving assistance aids (which are fantastic- things like Grip Control with Hill Descent Assist, Reversing Camera, Park Assist and Driver Attention Alert), which are fantastic and so useful (I have never seen anything like that in a car before).

 

Whether it’s on a short journey or a long one, the car is comfortable and smooth to drive. I take my daughter Maddie up to London for football a couple of times a week- and it is always a pleasure to drive.

WHAT ABOUT THE INTERIOR?

The interior is by far my favourite part of the car. First up the car looks incredibly stylish inside. Our particularly model has a stunning panoramic sunroof (which can also open), which makes driving it a pleasure both on the sunny days and the grey ones- it fills the car with natural light.

But my favourite part of the car is the drivers display and entertainment system. It has an electronic pedometer and a fully customisable electronic drivers display, which you can configure in a variety of ways how you want it.

 

The entertainment system is by far the BEST I’ve experienced in a car. It has a fantastic display for navigation and music. You can link up your phone to experience your own music, and can even hook up music apps like Spotify- meaning driving long journey’s is a pleasure (nothing beats popping on some tunes and singing along in the car and I have such happy memories of doing this with my kids on long drives).

There are also heated seats on the two front seats (and a massage chair on the drivers chair which we only found out about just as we returned the car) which are a DREAM in the winter.

 

There is even a charging plate to charge your phone, which is both genius and so handy (although there are USB points if your phone doesn’t have a wireless charge).

 

WHAT MAKES THE C5 AIRCROSS GREAT FOR FAMILIES?

There are a number of things that make the car stand out for me as being a fantastic option as a family car. Firstly and most importantly is the comfort factor- after all we are often in the car with our children a lot, ferrying them to various activities and social events, or going on long journeys. The car is comfortable and has plenty of space for a growing family, what with the large boot capacity which I mentioned above.

The three seats in the back also move independently of each other- meaning that everyone is relaxed and comfortable. There are two ISOFIX points on the rear seats as well, and lots of space in the back as well.

 

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D CHANGE ABOUT THE CAR?

I thought long and hard about this one because I want to give a balanced review, but in all honesty there isn’t much I’d change about the car. I absolutely loved driving around in a brand new car for a few months, especially one as stylish and comfortable as this. I think if I had to change anything (which isn’t necessarily changing it but just adding to it) I would love for Citroen to make a seven seater version of the C5 Aircross. I know they do larger cars in the fleet, but there isn’t much I would change about this one, however as a family of 5 there is often small occasions where our kids might have a friend over, or we might need to give one of our family a lift, and for that reason as our full time family car in an ideal world we would typically have a seven seater.

This is only really an issue if you have three kids like us, or do take other people in your car on a regular basis, we have had five seats before and when we did have a seven seater we rarely used the extra seats- but in an ideal world Citroen would make a seven seater version too.

I asked Jon my husband as well just to give a balanced review whether there is anything he would change and he just said that it takes a couple of minutes for the computer systems to boot up. It’s not a huge issue, but can be a bit slow if you want to get on the road quickly in terms of putting in the sat nav details or turning the heating on as an example.

   

OVERALL

Overall the car has been a pleasure to drive and use over the last few months. It’s perfectly suited to busy family life and we’ve all very much enjoyed driving around in it. If you are looking for a car in this price point that looks stylish and sophisticated, but is also packed full of technology and is comfortable too- then I would definitely recommend looking more into the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV.

 

NB: We were working with Citroen over the a few month period testing out the car and as such were loaned the car for this purpose, but all words and opinions are entirely my own.

 

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A VISIT TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH http://www.katieellison.co.uk/family/a-visit-to-the-pumpkin-patch/ http://www.katieellison.co.uk/family/a-visit-to-the-pumpkin-patch/#respond Tue, 03 Nov 2020 10:55:29 +0000 http://www.katieellison.co.uk/?p=23723 Maybe I have been living under a rock (or perhaps a pumpkin), but I didn’t really know pumpkin patches were a thing in the UK. Having seen them on American films and indeed when we visited the US during October one year, I thought perhaps they were just something that was popular over there. However […]

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Maybe I have been living under a rock (or perhaps a pumpkin), but I didn’t really know pumpkin patches were a thing in the UK. Having seen them on American films and indeed when we visited the US during October one year, I thought perhaps they were just something that was popular over there. However over the last few weeks I saw more and more people visiting them here in the UK. My instagram was awash with photos of an orange sea of pumpkins, of little people pushing wheelbarrows full of pumpkins of all different shapes and sizes, and of couples posing and smiling in front of a pumpkin or two.

 

In half term we decided to go and see what the fuss was about for ourselves and headed to a pumpkin patch about 45 minutes away from where we live. Mads was on a play date with her friend for the day so Jon and I just took the younger two. We had to pre-book because of COVID, but when we arrived it was quite busy and we were a little worried. But once we got in the pumpkin fields were huge so there was loads of space to keep out of people’s way.

We had a great time and the kids loved running around and trying to find the most perfect shaped pumpkins to bring home to carve. I took a few lovely photos and that’s the reason for this post- I never really share ‘diary’ type blogs anymore, but wanted to make sure I had record of the few photos I took.

So few words from me today and just a few photos, but a lovely morning I want to remember. It may well become a yearly tradition- although next time we will bring Mads along, it didn’t feel the same without the biggest member of the family.

 

Also before we forget about pumpkins and ghosts and ghouls for another year, I had to share this photo of my girls on halloween. It was a low key day at home for us for halloween for this year, we don’t tend to go crazy for it anyway, but the restrictions combined with the weather meant that we stayed home. But we dressed up (as skeletons like most years- there is no point buying new costumes when these still fit!), and had fun with a spooky treasure hunt among other things. I took this photo of the girls when we went on a dog walk- they look terrifying and got into character far too well!

I also made a day in the life video of our spooky day at home. I have added it below if you fancy a watch…

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THIS NEW CHAPTER OF LIFE http://www.katieellison.co.uk/family/this-new-chapter-of-life/ http://www.katieellison.co.uk/family/this-new-chapter-of-life/#respond Mon, 28 Sep 2020 10:11:59 +0000 http://www.katieellison.co.uk/?p=23692 Oh hey seriously neglected blog. I had visions of writing more posts in 2020, but then, well, 2020 happened. The last few months have been a rollercoaster of emotions- contentment at the simple life we found ourselves in, huge worry, frustration, anxiety, personal loss and grief that we’ve faced as a family in the most […]

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Oh hey seriously neglected blog. I had visions of writing more posts in 2020, but then, well, 2020 happened. The last few months have been a rollercoaster of emotions- contentment at the simple life we found ourselves in, huge worry, frustration, anxiety, personal loss and grief that we’ve faced as a family in the most unconventional of ways, and lots of happy memories too. 2020 has been one hell of a mixed bag so far, but that’s not want I want to focus on while writing this blog post.

My blog used to be a family diary. Long before the days of Instagram, or You Tube, or before I possibly became more cautious of the fact about writing my thoughts and feelings online, this space was one where I used to share our family life as my children grew. I started it back when Mads was a few months old, it was primarily a space where I could share my emotions (and bloody hell wasn’t I soppy and emotional back then?!) and journey of being a mother.

 
 

Life changed, being online changed and somewhere along the line I stopped sharing in this way on here. Not necessarily in a bad way. Blog’s aren’t as widely read anymore, and certainly not in that capacity. I do want to share more on this blog going forward, but more from an informative, helpful point of view. Something that will benefit whoever stumbles upon it to read it. However I couldn’t let this new chapter of life pass me by without writing something. As in years to come I know I will read these posts back and feel such a sense of nostalgia about this point in time.

I really feel like we have entered a new chapter here. Actually maybe we have started a whole new story. Years ago, back when I used to feel like I would never not be exhausted after a restless night sleep with one of my babies, when I’d sit at baby groups and talk endlessly about these small humans sucking on toys on a blanket in front of us, when I’d spend afternoons absentmindedly staring at Peppa Pig on the television while feeling like I could cry because of the intensities of a day with a strong willed toddler…. I never imagined the day would come where all three of my children were in school.

 

I always felt like I had time. Even though I felt emotional when both my girls started at school, with their little curly hair in ponytails and their socks falling down cause they were too big for their little legs, I always still had Wren at home. The age gap meant I would still have him with me for a few years. But last week, that time I had ran out. He’s been in school for a couple of weeks now, but last week was his first week of full day’s. Those baby and toddler days have gone, and now the education system will have him for approximately fourteen years.

It sounds ridiculous but I almost feel guilty. Guilty for how I used that time. Did I do enough with him? Did I play enough? Did I get irritated when he wanted to play trains all.the.time but he kept breaking the tracks so I had to constantly fix it back together?  Did I take him out enough? I never ventured to a baby group with him, I was past those days at that point. Was that selfish? I keep replaying things back in my mind, they feel bittersweet and almost laced with nostalgia so strong it almost makes me feel sad. I know I did enough, I know I was enough. I wasn’t perfect but I did my best. But I can’t help but feel this huge range of emotions that I can’t put into words.

There’s that saying, it’s a bit of a cliche, ‘The days are long, but the years are short.’ That couldn’t be more apt at the moment. I can’t believe we are at this stage, that those baby, toddler and pre-school days that seemed like we would be in for an eternity, have been and gone. That chapter of our lives is over.


I know from doing this twice before that I will get over it. In fact already even after just a couple of weeks, it is already getting easier, one day it will become such a part of our daily routine I won’t even think about. That I won’t feel like someone is pulling on my heart strings as I gently push him to walk into his classroom on a morning. That I will soon welcome the space that school brings me, that I will look forward to seeing them at the end of the day just like I do his sisters.

Except I can’t help but feel like things are different this time. Because the last firsts are the hardest. The primary school days are whizzing by, with the girls being in Year 5 and Year 3, it won’t be long before secondary school creeps nearer. Then beyond that who knows. In a few months time I will have been a parent for almost a decade. A decade. It doesn’t even seem possible.

 

I’ve had people say to me that now the kids are in school I can have a bit of freedom. Time to concentrate a little on me again. Fully focus on my work for the first time properly in years, take up a new hobby, work on my fitness. Become some sort of master baker and chef extraordinaire (lol only joking). Anything. And I know that it will come in time. But right now I just feel a little emotional and a little sad. That it’s the end of an era. And the end of a chapter I am not entirely sure I was ready to finish just yet.

 

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48 HOURS IN SEATTLE (TRAVEL GUIDE TO SEATTLE WITH KIDS) PACIFIC NORTH WEST ROAD TRIP http://www.katieellison.co.uk/travel/48-hours-in-seattle-guide-to-seattle-with-kids/ http://www.katieellison.co.uk/travel/48-hours-in-seattle-guide-to-seattle-with-kids/#respond Wed, 01 Jul 2020 14:42:04 +0000 http://www.katieellison.co.uk/?p=23616 Back in the summer of last year we embarked on what possibly was our greatest adventure yet- a road trip around parts of the Pacific Northwest in the US. We started off in Vancouver, headed down to Seattle, then Portland, then Lake Tahoe, before finishing off in San Francisco for a few hours before flying […]

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Back in the summer of last year we embarked on what possibly was our greatest adventure yet- a road trip around parts of the Pacific Northwest in the US. We started off in Vancouver, headed down to Seattle, then Portland, then Lake Tahoe, before finishing off in San Francisco for a few hours before flying back to London. We were away 17 nights in total and it was without a doubt one of the best experiences of my life so far.

I’m finally getting round to writing up an itinerary and travel guide for each destination, then once I have finished that I will put together a planning and tips post too. After spending a few days in Vancouver, British Columbia (check out my Vancouver travel guide blog post), we crossed the border into the US and headed to Seattle, Washington for a brief 48 hours in this fantastic city….

 

WHY SEATTLE?

In all honesty while Seattle is always somewhere I had seen on films and TV shows, I hadn’t had a huge desire to visit it, in the respects that it wasn’t on my top 10 American cities list or anything like that. However it was between Vancouver and Portland, the next must have stop on our destination.

Seattle has lots of things that we were intrigued to see. First of all it’s the home of Amazon and of course is a very large tech city, and we were interested to soak up that vibe with all these creative and intelligent people around. We were also keen to get a feel for the city itself, it is largely surrounded by mountains, water and green spaces, and it looked from all accounts a lovely city to visit. We also wanted to see the iconic Space Needle- after growing up watching films such as Sleepless in Seattle. Then we had always wanted to see the legendary Pike Place Market, and coffee mad Jon wanted to see the first ever Starbucks. So there were a fair few things we wanted to pack into our already pretty short stay.

 
 

THE JOURNEY – CROSSING U.S CUSTOMS

The journey from Vancouver to Seattle should take around 2 hours 40 minutes, but driving wise we decided to do something a little different. First up we looked into the AMTRAK train service and we decided that while this probably would have been the best option in order to relax, it was a bit of a strange timetable. There was either a really early train service (and you need to be at the train at least an hour or so earlier in order to pass through border control), or one that went in the evening, meaning you’d still be on the train quite late at night, which we didn’t feel comfortable about with three children.

We read up a lot about hire car’s before we went and it was working out quite expensive to hire a car to then take into the US from Canada and do a road trip. Rather than hire a car in Vancouver and use it there and travel into the US we hired a car for 2 days in Vancouver from a city centre car rental place to explore outside of Vancouver, and then we hired another car from Vancouver airport to Seattle airport just for 24 hours to get us into the US. The reason for this is that it was so much cheaper to hire a car just for 24 hours from airport to airport. It did involve a lot more organisation and made us waste a bit more time (as it meant my husband had to get the train from city centre Seattle to the airport after he dropped all of us and our luggage off) and vice versa, but it meant that it saved us a lot more money.

Crossing border control was actually fine, the children found it a bit of an adventure, but we did have to stop the car and have a random spot check on the vehicle for about an hour and a half. After a quick stop at our first ever Taco Bell en route, we made it to Seattle late afternoon.

 

WHERE WE STAYED

As we were only in Seattle for two days we wanted to be right in the centre. We didn’t have a car while we were there (our car hire planning is confusing but after we returned the Vancouver car to the airport, we then picked up another car that we would then have for the remainder 10 days of our trip!). After a bit of research we decided to book the Hotel Max. Conveniently located at the corner of SW 7th Avenue and Stewart Street, Hotel Max is within walking distance of Pike Place Market, the nearby shopping districts, the Space Needle (although we got the monorail) and many of the city’s other cultural attractions.

The hotel had friendly staff, a stylish lobby, with games to play on comfy sofas and free beer every evening. Our room was really small, but stylish, if not a tiny bit tired around the edges (but you have to think about how old the building would be!). We felt safe there and wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again, it was a really great location and a great price as well.

 

COSTS

I will be doing a detailed blog post once I have finished all the destination blog posts (similar to this Florida Road Trip Itinerary and Budget), outlining sample costs and budget for our trip, but we try to be as savvy as we can with our hotel bookings. We try to book them as far as we can in advance. If you use a site like booking.com then you can cancel free of charge usually up until a couple of days before you arrive, so if you keep an eye on the rates you can rebook if they go cheaper or rebook somewhere else, which is something we tend to do a lot on trips like this.

The Hotel Max was a pretty mid range hotel- we booked far in advance and we had the requirements of needing a central hotel as we didn’t have access to a car while we were in Seattle.

We paid $638.07 (£501.47) for 2 nights in Seattle staying at the Hotel Max. These rates can obviously fluctuate considerably depending on what time of year you travel and when you book.

In terms of spending money we try and budget for around £50 to £150 a day. Obviously this varies as some days we might be doing activities that cost more. As a family we enjoy being outdoors so we try and do as much ‘free’ activities as we can. Food wise, we tend to eat out once a day, as food can soon mount up your costs. Therefore we will eat snacky meals we have got from supermarkets etc, and only really eat out for one of our meals a day- it doesn’t matter which one. Like I mentioned I will talk more about budgets in my final post.

THINGS TO DO

Although we were only in Seattle for a short time, we managed to pack a lot in. Here are some of the main things we enjoyed doing…

SPACE NEEDLE

We decided to go up the Space Needle early one morning and we are so glad we made the effort to get up early to do it. We were there when it opened and were one of the first ones there. We actually got the monorail from a stop near our hotel (this should almost be another thing to do in its own right as the kids loved it!), it is themed like something out of The Jetsons.

 

The Space Needle opened on April 21, 1962, and continues to symbolise the innovative and forward-thinking spirit of Seattle. Located at Seattle Center, the Space Needle stands at 605 feet tall and is one of the most photographed structures in the world. It’s almost breathtaking to look at in the skyline. In late summer 2018, the first part of a new renovation was unveiled, which includes floor-to-ceiling glass viewing experiences including an upper level outdoor observation deck with open-air glass walls and glass benches. It also has the world’s first, and only, rotating glass floor giving you a unique view of the city below.

 

It really was breathtaking up there and because we went so early it almost felt like we had the place to ourselves. It was a beautiful way to spend the morning.

 
 
 

PIKE PLACE MARKET

 

No trip to Seattle is complete without a trip to the iconic Pike Place Market. It opened on August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers’ markets in the United States. It is open 363 days a year. It is a popular spot for both tourists and locals alike, full of plenty of fresh produce stalls selling fruit and veg, plus a number of fish markets, butchers, flower shops, bakeries, cheese counters and a wide range of restaurants.

However the main attraction of the market for tourists is the flying fish. You may have heard of the market’s famous flying fish before, but you have to see it to believe it. We stood and watched the fish being thrown at Pike Place Fish Market, located at the main entrance of the covered market area. It was weirdly mesmerising and we stood there for a good fifteen minutes watching the banter and antics between the fishmongers.

 

Of course the market gets exceptionally busy, so my best tip would be to go early in the morning. One of the best things about having young children is that they are early risers- it meant we got there as they were setting up for the day. We also did go back as well when it was busy just to soak in the atmosphere.

 

We stopped off at a couple of the fresh fruit and veg counters and got some fruit to nibble on while we were walking around. The vendors were so chatty to the kids, it is quite an experience.

 

We’ve all been to markets before, but there is something really unique and special about Pike Place Market. Make sure you go down to the lower levels, where you can explore three floors of small owner-operated shops that specialise in jewellery, books and magic to name but a few.

 

Also if you are hungry head downstairs to the lower levels and go to Alibi Room. Tucked down an alley way, it doesn’t look special (it’s next to the bubblegum wall), but the pizza’s were delicious and it was packed when we went.

 

Also before you go, head to the first ever Starbucks just opposite the market which opened in 1971. I didn’t take many photos as it was so busy.

THE GUM WALL

As mentioned above, Seattle is home to a rather strange (and disgusting) art installation. There is a wall that is literally filled with thousands upon thousands of pieces of gum and it truly has to be seen to be believed.

The tradition began around 1993 when patrons of a nearby theatre stuck gum to the wall and placed coins in the gum blobs. Theatre workers scraped the gum away twice, but eventually gave up after market officials deemed the gum wall a tourist attraction around 1999.

 

Our kids were just excited that we let them have some bubblegum, but there are some interesting facts about the gum wall. Firstly the gum is on a wall of over 50 feet- that is a lot of gum. There are gum sculptures, people sticking gum up so high you wonder how it got up there, and also people sticking notes and business cards to the gum. There is also the most horrible sickly sweet smell, and a few wasps around. It has only been cleared off once, in November of 2015, and it took nearly 130 hours of work.

 

So gross! But definitely worth a visit.

WANDER AROUND SEATTLE- INC THE AMAZON SPHERES

I think the best way of exploring a new place is just walking around. Seattle is actually a really accessible city to wander about and feels very safe in the main city centre.  Not far from our hotel were the Amazon Spheres which are definitely worth a watch.

 

The Amazon Spheres are three spherical conservatories that comprise part of the Amazon headquarters campus.The spheres are reserved mainly for Amazon employees, but are open to the public through weekly headquarters tours and an exhibit on the ground floor.They are home to over 40,000 plants from other 50 different countries. The Spheres are definitely worth a visit (even just to the outside) as they are a sight to behold.

There is also a dog park right across from the Spheres that our children loved to watch. Apparently Amazon recently announced that more than 7,000 dogs are registered to come to work at its Seattle headquarters, hence the need for dog parks dotted around the city.

While you are there head to the Amazon Go shop which is just opposite. It is a crazy concept – you just walk in, shop and go, without needing to queue to pay. The checkout-free shopping experience means it automatically detects when products are taken from or returned to the shelves and keeps track of them in a virtual cart. When you’re done shopping, you can just leave the shop, and later Amazon will send you a receipt and charge your card. It was random but good fun to try (we only bought a pack of biscuits just to give it a go!)

KERRY PARK VIEWPOINT

We decided to walk up to the Kerry Park Viewpoint (obviously you could drive but we didn’t have a car at that point) as we had heard that it had beautiful views of Seattle. It was a bit of a walk from our hotel (but a great way of exploring more of Seattle) up a steep hill, but when you get to the top it is more than worth it.

 

We spent a good couple of hours up there watching the Seattle skyline turning from day to night. It was busy, but such a nice atmosphere, with everyone else doing the same thing. I definitely recommend it for incredible views of the city.

 

OTHER RANDOM SEATTLE RECOMMENDATIONS-

To finish on a random note I wanted to recommend a couple of other things we did that perhaps don’t need a full section of their own. First up, we are a family who loves donuts! If we get word that there is a good donut shop on our travels, you better bet we will be there testing them out.

Top Pot Donuts was recommended in a few of the guide books and magazines I read about Seattle. On our first evening when Jon dropped the car back to the airport (he took Wren for a sleep in the car!), the girls and I headed to try them out. We weren’t disappointed, the location we visited was gorgeous (they have a few around the Seattle area), and the donuts themselves were delicious.

 

Finally as we were leaving Seattle to head on to our next destination, we made a brief stop off for a run around in Gasworks Park. Gas Works Park is a 19.1-acre public park on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant, and contains remnants of the sole remaining coal gasification plant in the United States.

The slightly surreal park backdrop has been featured in a number of films, including the slightly iconic paintball scene in 10 Things I Hate About You (if you were a tween in the 90’s like I was!).

And that is it. A short but sweet stay in the brilliant city of Seattle. We felt like there was so much left to explore, but at the same time we feel like we really got a good insight into the city in the short time we had.

It was on to our next stop…. Portland, Oregan!

Here’s a video I made about our time in Seattle.

 

PREVIOUS ROAD TRIP POSTS

5 Days in Vancouver 

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WHAT I’VE READ IN LOCKDOWN SO FAR… http://www.katieellison.co.uk/life/what-ive-read-in-lockdown-so-far/ http://www.katieellison.co.uk/life/what-ive-read-in-lockdown-so-far/#respond Sat, 16 May 2020 13:55:46 +0000 http://www.katieellison.co.uk/?p=23596 I used to be a huge bookworm, in my childhood, teen’s and early twenties. Then I had children, spent far too much of my time messing around on social media, and somewhere along the line I stopped reading as much. My reading now goes in phases- sometimes I read more, sometimes I read less, but […]

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I used to be a huge bookworm, in my childhood, teen’s and early twenties. Then I had children, spent far too much of my time messing around on social media, and somewhere along the line I stopped reading as much.

My reading now goes in phases- sometimes I read more, sometimes I read less, but it is very unlikely I will finish more than one or two books in a month unless it’s one of those ‘can’t put it down’ types.

Since we have been in lockdown I have found myself reading a fair bit more. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not exactly churning out the books at a rapid rate. I finished off one I only had a few chapters left of and have read another four. But that’s still a lot more than I read before and I’m loving it. I am loving going upstairs to bed early and getting absorbed into the chapters, or sneaking 5 minutes in the sunshine while the kids are playing in the garden.

I thought I would do a mini review of the ones I have read so far (I haven’t read all the ones in the photos, plus I have read a couple extras, but I have given some away to my sister now so I can’t take photos of the exact ones).

 

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

When I asked on instagram what people thought of ‘The Family Upstairs’, I got mixed reviews. Most people said they really enjoyed it, but I had a few people say it didn’t grip them. I haven’t read any of Lisa Jewell’s other books, but after The Family Upstairs I will definitely read some more.
A twisty thriller mainly set in a large house in London’s Chelsea. The blurb on the back of the book states…’A baby is awake in her cot. Well-fed and cared for, she is happily waiting for someone to pick her up.
In the kitchen lie three decomposing corpses. Close to them is a hastily scrawled note. They’ve been dead for several days. Who has been looking after the baby? And where did they go?’

The Family Upstairs is essentially a thriller. There’s multiple characters and storylines, and lots of plot twists. I found the book a bit of a slow burner to begin with, and also a little confusing to start. There are three point’s of view, and also two different timelines. The first half definitely dragged a little by the time I got halfway I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down- it all starts to make sense and once you get to grips with the characters you are desperate to find out more.

The book starts with Libby, who finds out on her 25th birthday that she is the sole inheritor of a Chelsea mansion. She arrives to see it with the estate agent to find that it is dilapidated and hasn’t been lived in since Libby was a baby. Slowly Libby learns what happened in the house, and the book presents the story of the lives of the children living there back then, culminating in their broken and traumatised, emotionally damaged psyches. Libby is to find her life changed forever as she learns of the secret family histories of her newly inherited mansion.

This is the most twisted and darkest of books, as revelation after revelation unfolds, which makes for an uncomfortable but never less than a compelling reading experience. As mentioned it was a bit of a slow burner, but gripping towards the end.

Rating- 3.5/5

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

When I read the back cover of Dear Edward I knew straight away it was the book that would be going straight to the top of my reading pile. You know how some books just draw you in from the back cover and almost make you want to stop reading what you currently are so you can read that one instead.

When a domestic flight comes down in the US, 12 year old Edward is the sole survivor. All other 191 passengers including his mother, father and brother are killed instantly. Ironically I am not all that keen on flying, but I had a morbid curiosity about what it would be about. When Edward wakes he is a hero, people all over the world know his name. The book then alternates between the final hours on the doomed plane, and Edward’s teenage years and how he copes with his grief as he grows.

Even though the book is rather sensationalist in its storyline, it’s actually rather gentle. There isn’t a huge plot, and it moves along at a rather slow pace. The stories of the characters on the plane itself I found interesting and intriguing, but I felt at times we didn’t get enough information about them. Reading about Edward learning to cope and live after such a tragedy is at times profound- we read a lot about grief, trauma, coping and therapy.

It made me question my own life in a strange sort of way, and the ending had me in floods of tears, both from Edward’s point of view and also the passengers and what they thought in their final few minutes. It was actually pretty tame for the most part despite the harrowing subject, but it definitely was one of those ones that stayed with me for a few days after I had finished it.

Rating 4/5

 

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

I had seen so many people rave about this book on instagram, with some people saying it was one of the best books they had ever read, so I had high expectations for The Flatshare. Did it live up to its hype? Yes and no. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it, I thought it was a brilliant book, easy to read (especially at the moment), and a lovely story. Was it the best book I had ever read? No probably not, but then that is impossible to decide anyway. Either way it is a must read for me.

The book follows Tiffy and Leon and is I guess what you would call a typical rom com, but also it is in some ways better. It’s an uplifting, gentle, heartwarming story that makes you smile and get absorbed in the characters the whole way through. Both have agreed on an unusual arrangement between themselves and are sharing not only a flat, but a bed together. Yet they have never met. Tiffy has the apartment to herself at night, and when she’s off to work, is when Leon comes home.

During this arrangement, they start to exchange very simple little notes and letters that are left around the apartment, and slowly their lives starts to intertwine without them meaning to.

While there is the typical cute side, there are other underlying elements due to the fact that both Tiffy and Leon are dealing with their own demons and struggles. It feels very realistic and true to life, and that is why I enjoyed it so much.

The story is told in alternative point’s of view, which helped you get to know the characters even more, and had just enough of a plot to really grip you and make you want to know what happens next. It is definitely one of those books I would recommend to anyone.

Rating 4.5/5

The Life We Lost by Jill Santopolo

I absolutely loved this book, probably one of the best I have read in ages. This story was written like a love letter, with simple writing and short chapters meaning it felt like it was easy to pick up here and there when you had a few moments. You didn’t need to think much, which sometimes is just the type of book you need. However that being said this book really captivated me from the beginning, and stayed with me for a long time afterwards.

Told from the perspective of Lucy, one of the two main characters, she narrates the time when she met a man named Gabe and developed an intense, once-in-a-lifetime type relationship, which didn’t work out, but since then has affected every aspect of her life. It is such a raw, heartbreakingly honest, and devastating account of that kind of love that changes the whole course of your life.

While both of their lives move on without the other, Gabe and Lucy still find themselves orbiting around each other from time to time, encounters which provoke passion, pain, betrayal, jealousy, grief and a very intense love.

I sobbed my heart out at the end, and as I said above it is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. The ending was a little bit of a cliche, but that doesn’t stop me from giving it the highest rating I can.

Rating 5/5

One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus

One of Is Lying is actually a young adult fiction book, centered largely around a high school in the US. While I wouldn’t read teen fiction constantly, I do actually enjoy a well-written young adult book from time to time. This book is one of those type of books.

Five students have detention one afternoon. There’s Cooper, Bronwyn, Addy, Nate,and Simon, the slightly feared creator of About That, Bayview High’s gossip blog. They’re all in detention for something none of them did, and they can’t understand why the teacher doesn’t believe them. Before detention is finished for the day, Simon is dead, and apparently it wasn’t an accident.

The book then follows each of the main characters from one of their point’s of view each chapter, as both they (and we) try and work out what happened to Simon that afternoon. It’s a whodunnit type of murder mystery and will keep you guessing till the end- the author has a great way of drawing different characters in until you are suspecting everyone.

This was one of those books that while I enjoyed it overall, I wasn’t desperate to read it if that makes sense. You know those ones where you can’t wait to get in bed in the evening so you can read another chapter? This wasn’t one of those, I almost found myself wanting to get to the end and find out what happened so I could move on to a different book.

That said overall I did enjoy it and I would recommend it, especially if you like murder mystery type books plus young adult fiction.

Rating 3/5

 

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LOCKDOWN LIFE http://www.katieellison.co.uk/family/lockdown-life/ http://www.katieellison.co.uk/family/lockdown-life/#respond Wed, 29 Apr 2020 11:47:23 +0000 http://www.katieellison.co.uk/?p=23572 We are now entering our fifth week of lockdown in the UK. Five weeks ago we would have very rarely used words such as ‘lockdown’, ‘social distancing’ and ‘COVID19’, yet now they are words we use and hear on a daily basis. What is going on in the world is surreal, terrifying, life changing and […]

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We are now entering our fifth week of lockdown in the UK. Five weeks ago we would have very rarely used words such as ‘lockdown’, ‘social distancing’ and ‘COVID19’, yet now they are words we use and hear on a daily basis. What is going on in the world is surreal, terrifying, life changing and utterly impossible to comprehend, in fact I don’t think I have even begun to process it.

 

I, like every single person in the UK, am being affected by this. Not as much as others by any stretch, but our lives have still changed dramatically, and by all accounts they will be for some time. I miss family members so very much, my Grandparents who are half an hour away but it may as well be a million miles, my Nana and Grandpa who went into a nursing home two weeks before this all started and who now we can’t even begin to imagine seeing anytime soon. I worry about people in my family with underlying health issues, I worry about the financial impact of this in months to come… the list goes on. But I know how lucky we are compared to some. So very lucky. To have a home of our own to stay in, a garden for the children to play in during the sunny weather, and to not to have to fear either Jon or I going out to work and potentially bringing any bugs back.

I don’t know if anyone else feels like this, but I almost feel guilty at times. Guilty that I am not doing more. Reading or hearing the stories of staff on the frontline in the NHS and the courage they are showing every single day. Or the supermarket workers worrying each time they go into work that they might catch something. All the key workers and the work they are doing, while all we need to do is stay home. On a day to day basis it almost doesn’t feel real, like we are in this little bubble where unless we read the news or go on social media, we wouldn’t know that anything is wrong. But the truth is we are all going to face the repercussions for many months to come. We aren’t just going to flick a switch and it all go back to normal- we will all feel the effects of this for a very long time. It’s hard to comprehend and even harder to process. I think that’s the hardest thing for me at the moment. I don’t know what I expected, it’s not like deep down I thought they’d end lockdown and that would be it, it would be back to normal, but I just don’t think I really thought about further than what we are doing now. The thought of the aftermath of this, the way we will live our lives, is so uncertain.

During these lockdown days there have been happy moments. Life moves on a slower basis, the weather has been so kind to us (although this week it has changed), and I feel very lucky that I get to spend this extra time with my children. Don’t get me wrong, there’s the uncertainty, the stress, the not so good moments, and the worry. Life is very easy to make look idyllic in a few photos of a beautiful, yellow field, or a quick edited insta snap. Life isn’t always idyllic, no one’s is. My children drive me mad on the daily. There is bickering, grumpiness, even physical fights between them. But there’s also the increased enjoyment of the simple things. Like our daily walks, bike rides, or more time in the evening to just be the instead of rushing out to football or other clubs every night of the week. I am trying more than ever to focus on the positives. And there are many of those.

 

We took these photos on our daily walk the other day when the afternoon sun was setting. We are being really respectful of lockdown, sticking to our one daily walk or bike ride of around an hour (usually much less), and not going out in the car bar for shopping. Most days we just walk the strip up and down behind our house, it’s really just a dirt track with the main road one side and our estate on the other, but I don’t think I have ever been more appreciative of it. However some days we cajole the kids and go a bit further. We live on the outskirts of a town, but if you walk the other way it takes you to miles and miles of countryside. This particular day we went to the rape fields near our house. We live in the flattest part of the country and as such there are so many of these yellow fields within a few miles. We try and take photos in them most years, it’s always been a little tradition of ours, different ones depending on which ones are better that year.

We are discovering so much beauty on our doorstep and we are grateful more than ever for where we live. For the sense of community amongst our neighbours, for the socially distant chats with dog walkers on the strip behind our house. I’m grateful for taking photos- we stopped for 5 minutes and I snapped a few, the creativity is keeping me sane at the moment during this time. While the actual taking photos part takes a few minutes, I get so much enjoyment editing them on the computer later once the kids are in bed.

 

I wanted to finish this post by saying I am sending love to you all. Whatever situation you are in, where ever you are in the world, and whatever you are going through.

 

 

We are all in this together and if there is one thing that I have learnt from this so far, there is so much kindness and amazing people all around us.

 

Lots and lots of love. xxx

PS There is a footpath through this field, we weren’t trespassing!

 

 

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HOW TO EDIT VIDEOS ON YOUR PHONE http://www.katieellison.co.uk/life/how-to-edit-videos-on-your-phone/ http://www.katieellison.co.uk/life/how-to-edit-videos-on-your-phone/#respond Fri, 17 Apr 2020 11:50:18 +0000 http://www.katieellison.co.uk/?p=23558 Last week I wrote a blog post all about creating a fun stop motion style video on your phone, something which has been entertaining myself and my children while they have been off school during lockdown. Today I wanted to share a different idea with you. If you have been following me for a very […]

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Last week I wrote a blog post all about creating a fun stop motion style video on your phone, something which has been entertaining myself and my children while they have been off school during lockdown.

Today I wanted to share a different idea with you. If you have been following me for a very long time, or even a while, you will know that documenting and creating memories is something that has been a huge passion of mine for a very long time. Indeed the whole reason I started my blog nine years ago now (!) was to document life as a first time mum. Back then social media was very different, but my whole reason for starting it was to be creative and to record the memories, way before this crazily became my job.

Photography has been my passion ever since I was a teenager and my Dad let me borrow his film camera to play with. I was hooked. It’s been my biggest hobby ever since I was eighteen years old and I adore everything about it.

 

Some totally unrelated photos as we took them the other day on our daily dog walk.

For the last few years though I have got into video a lot more. I was a little late to the You Tube bandwagon, mainly because as bizarre as it might seem as I put my life online, I actually don’t particularly like being in front of the camera (a lack of confidence or self esteem can manifest itself in many forms). After many years I have finally found what works for me in terms of you tube- I don’t necessarily want to be the biggest or most popular you tuber, I tend to stay clear off the type of content that everyone is doing and I know would help my numbers rise.

But one thing I have remained constant with on there is day in the life videos. Bar travel videos these are my favourite type of videos to make by far. They challenge me creatively, I love to edit them, and I love to tell a story. Best of all I love to look back on them to see our most special of memories.

 

I have recently started making day in the life videos on instagram using my phone instead of my camera. To me these videos feel a lot more candid, a lot more real, and are less intrusive than picking up my camera. They are also more accessible too. Camera phones have moved on a long way, and it’s amazing the type of video you can create with them. I had a lot of people on instagram ask me to share how I made them, so I finally got round to filming a You Tube video the other day with a full tutorial from start to finish of how I edit them together.

 

VLLO APP

 

For a fair old while now I have been using VLLO to edit my phone videos. There are so many different video apps out there but I find that it’s great, simple to use and get the hang of, and best of it is free. You can pay extra for the upgraded version with more features, but I have never needed that for the videos I create.

Anyway enough waffling from me. Here is my video tutorial on how to make mini films on your phone.

I hope you enjoy it and if you do end up making one yourself and share it to instagram, make sure you tag me at @katie_ellison or use the hashtag #stayathomeminifilm so I can see your creations.

 

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