Family Friendly Holidays with Sykes Cottages (PLUS Your Chance to Win)

Sykes Cottages are the UK’s leading provider of self-catering holiday homes with over 5,000 handpicked cottages to choose from. With a range of cottages stretching from the glittering Cornish coast to the magnificent Scottish Highlands, their selection provides something for everyone.

If you come from an active family then why not visit one of their isolated cottages which are ideal for walking? With many of these cottages set in the heat of a National Park, you can spend a day trekking the hills before returning to rest your tired feet by the open fire. Or if you’d rather spend an afternoon playing amongst the surf, then don’t worry as they cater for this too with hundreds of sea-front cottages- perfect for that all important summer BBQ!

A Family Weekend Away With Forest Holidays

If you're picturing a getaway that's a real escape from the hustle and bustle of every day life, somewhere that is set in beautiful and peaceful surroundings with a touch of luxury thrown in too, Forest Holidays is a great choice. Their cabins are situated in picturesque woodland spread across 9 locations within the UK where you can really unwind.

We have just returned from a weekend at the Gloucestershire site and we had a wonderful experience as a family that really brought us together and enabled us to reconnect with nature. 

After signing in and collecting our key from the reception area which also doubles up as a large shop with restaurant, we drove down the road a short distance to our retreat; cabin 73. It was at the end of a row and it felt nice and secluded with a relaxed ambience, although all of the cabins are spread out well to offer a little privacy.

I could almost feel the stress and tension melt away while unpacking and then exploring the stylish and spacious accommodation of our two bedded Silver Birch in the Forest of Dean.

The ceilings are high and the light pours in through the windows allowing you to feel at one with the natural world. With leaf prints on the walls and heated wooden flooring, it brings the outside inside too.

The Mini Mes loved watching the squirrels and birds from the decking and they looked eagerly for the wild boars that roam the environment here. 

Divine Desserts from Rachel's Organic

A relaxing evening may seem like a thing of the past when you become a parent but everyone deserves a break and a little TLC, even if that means just making the most of your own bathroom! 

Simply dim the lights, add a few candles, slide into a herbal bath and enjoy some delicious treats in peace. Just like I did...

How to Create a More Relaxing Environment in your Home

FengShui is a Chinese practice which is believed to alleviate stress levels. The term FengShui comes from the Chinese words ‘wind’ and ‘water’, and the art of FengShui brings balance and harmony, or ‘chi’ to the energy within an environment, whether that is an office, home or garden. FengShui is believed to help with health problems as well as stress levels and whilst some aspects of the art can be confusing to learn, there are some stepping stones which are very easy to follow when thinking about bringing FengShui to your home.

Directions have meanings
First of all you have to understand that FengShui puts a focus on the compass and each direction holds a different meaning: north is career; north east, wisdom, knowledge and studies; east, health and family; south east, wealth; south, fame; southwest, relationships; west, creativity and children; north west, mentors and spirit guides. When trying to FengShui your home you are best to choose the areas which will have the biggest impact on the part of your lifestyle you wish to change, for example if you feel you are stuck in a rut at work and want to progress you can concentrate on the FengShui of the area in the north of your house.

Rearrange the furniture
The energy, or chi, in a room needs to flow freely and this can be helped by rearranging furniture to allow for a continuous circular direction to the physical flow in the room, rather than zig-zagging around the furniture. In every room you spend a long amount of time in you should make sure that the door is within sight of the place you will be positioned, so in the bedroom your door should be visible from your place in bed and in the living room or study you should have the sofa and chair for your desk within the view of the door rather than behind it. In addition to this it is claimed that having bookshelves with open shelves opposite your bed or behind you as you study will have a negative impact on your life, encouraging others to talk about you behind your back.

Clear clutter
The chi in your home can be negatively affected by clutter, so before you do anything it is important to focus your own energy on removing this clutter. If you have things lying around they are likely to gather dust, which will stagnate the area So, pack them away, clear away clothes, the ironing board and hoover, and throw out, donate or sell your old DVDs, CDs, books and games which no longer get used.

Bring the outdoors in and reflect your chi
Having plants around the home will help increase the energy flow so make sure you keep fresh flowers around or chose plants which have evergreen qualities so that they are well maintained. Chi flow can be helped by implementing mirrors around your home, keeping it from escaping when you cannot avoid other possible energy stagnating factors.

These are just some of the starting points for FengShui and there are plenty more factors to consider including choosing the right colour for each room and placing crystals around your home for increase energy flow. However by following these tips you will make a start to creating a less stressful environment in your home.



*Guest Post in Association With Music Magpie*