The Travelista

My Cornwall Travel Diary

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This summer I visited Cornwall for the first time and brought my Mum along on her first ever blog trip. We spent 3 nights at the Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa in Newquay and used it as our base to explore the surrounding area. Leading up to the trip, I had so many of you send me fantastic recommendations of… View Post

Ocean Bliss at Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa, Cornwall

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I love taking UK staycations, but until now they’ve never been for the beaches. Cornwall is a destination I had heard and seen so many positive things about, so I knew I had to go and see it for myself. When I was invited to stay at Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to go… View Post

The Top 8 Things to do in St Petersburg in 2 Days

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I’ve had this blog post on my to-do list ever since I got back from my epic Scandinavian cruise. St Petersburg was the second stop on our 10-day cruise, and the only place where we docked overnight. This meant I was able to spend a full 2 days in St Petersburg, which was just enough time to see all of… View Post

A Mini Break Guide to St Andrews

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Scotland is a bucket list destination for people all over the world, and until recently I have completely taken its close proximity to England for granted. My recent solo adventure to Edinburgh and Dundee made me fall in love with the charm of Scotland and had me hankering to return. So I did. My return trip came in the form of… View Post

Baby on Board!

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Yes it’s true…we’re having a baby! I am pregnant. Baby on board. Saying those phrases still feels surreal to me. I have been pretty nervous to write this post, as sharing our precious secret to the whole world suddenly makes it all seem a lot more real. But it also feels like a huge weight off my shoulders because I… View Post

Afternoon Tea at The Ivy St Helens Square, York

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I remember going to The Ivy in London for the first time. I must have only been about 22. It was for an event with my old job. I remember feeling so excited to step into the elusive West End haunt. It’s one of those iconic London venues that should be on everyone’s London bucket list. If the walls could… View Post

9 Reasons to Visit the Austrian Alps in Summer

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We commonly dream of summer destinations with sand and sea, but have you ever thought about trading them in for mountains and lakes? The sunshine is just as likely to shine and the skies are just as blue, but you’ll have an entirely different kind of holiday in store. Inspired by my recent eco-friendly spa break in Austria’s Saalbach Hinterglem,… View Post

An Eco-Friendly Spa Break in the Austrian Alps

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My latest overseas trip took me to the Austrian Alps, which was a place I fell in love with last summer on a solo trip to Graz, Salzburg and Innsbruck. I’m usually all about visiting destinations once and moving on to somewhere new, but there was something about Austria that made me certain I would return. Last month I packed… View Post

7 Amazing Things to Do in the Black Forest, Germany

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One of my favourite things about travel blogging is putting the spotlight on alternative destinations that you may not have thought about visiting before. Next up is the Black Forest in south west Germany, which I recently visited on a road trip adventure with my best friend Naomi. The Black Forest is best known for being the place where many… View Post

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  • Introducing Theodore William Hamilton ✨ Likes; long cuddles, white noise and milk time. Dislikes; nappy changes and being naked. This little boy has been through more battles and challenges in his short life than most of us will go through in a lifetime, and he has the war wounds to prove it. The strength of a premature baby is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. I will forever be grateful that Theo got through his battles and I will never take a second with him for granted (even when he’s screaming and weeing all over himself at 3am 😴). We’re currently in a bubble of love, settling Theo in at home and getting used to being a little family of three. My life has changed infinitely but I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve never known a love like this. Our little hurricane. Our miracle ⚡️🌪
  • After 109 days, 15 weeks, 5 hospitals, 4 ambulance rides and 3 operations, our strong, brave boy is finally ready to come home. We have fought for this day ever since Theo unexpectedly catapulted into our lives in October. There are times when I doubted if this day would ever come. For 109 days, I have sat beside Theo’s incubator / cot and told him about the amazing life we’re going to have together. I’ve told him all about our home, his nursery, his toys, his cousins and all the special people in his life who can’t wait to meet him. I’ve seen the magic of what 4 Neonatal units have collectively done for Theo, saving his life multiple times and taking him from a vulnerable, 800 gram, “25 Weeker” to a wide-eyed, curious and loving boy weighing exactly 5lbs. It seems impossible to summarise the rollercoaster my family and I have been on in these past 109 days. I plan to share it with you all in time. But for now, we are going to celebrate this unforgettable day and soak up every moment of having our baby boy finally home. Thank you to every single member of the NHS who made this day become possible and thank you to @scottwh9 for being my rock. My gratitude is endless. Miracles really do exist 💫👶🏼
  • All ready and waiting for baby Theodore to come home 🙏🏼✨ The strength and bravery our little boy has shown in these past 12 weeks is what has kept me going every day. He has defied the odds and proven how determined he is to be in this world. He has graduated through the Neonatal ranks of intensive care, high dependency and is now finally in special care (SCBU) which is the final step before coming home. Looking through photos of his journey, it is unbelievable to see how far he has come. People keep telling me how strong I have been during this time, but you haven’t seen real strength until you have seen a room full of premature babies. This has been the hardest time of my life, but we can finally see light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel. I’m aware I’ve basically disappeared from the internet, but this is an all-consuming journey I’ve felt I’ve had to deal with privately with the help of family and friends. I will come back online when I’m ready and can’t wait to introduce you all to him when he is a little bigger and stronger. Baby boy, we (and your army of teddies) are ready whenever you are ❤️🤞🏼🏡
  • ‘Twas the night before Christmas, in the neonatal intensive care, all the babies were sleeping, while sounds of alarms filled the air. The nurses making rounds, double-checking their meds, while tucking the little babies, snug deep in their beds. The stethoscopes were hung, by the preemies with care, in hopes that they would all soon, be breathing room air. When out in the hall, there arose such a clatter, the nurses came running, to see what was the matter. Up from the desk, the tech flew with a fret, to make sure all was well, in each baby’s isolette. The respiratory therapist, arrived on the double, but the babies were all okay, on their oxygen and bubble. The nurse was baffled, and exclaimed in a tiff, “Is this really happening tonight? And on my third shift?” When what to their wondering eyes should appear? but a man in a suit, who loved the babies so dear. With a clipboard in hand, and a velvet satchel too, they knew at that moment; he must be St. NICU. He was dressed in red scrubs, from his tip to his toe, and wearing surgical gloves, so the germs would not grow! He was a jolly old fellow, with a few extra pounds, but that didn’t stop him, from making his rounds. He saw babies in boxes, with tubes and with wires, preemies and term infants, and their parent’s desires- To hold and to rock, to kiss and kangaroo, They had Christmas wishes, but only these few. Snuggling the little one, he wrapped him so tight, he handed the baby, to his Mum with delight. A smile arose from her mouth, with great joy, for this was the moment, she dreamed to have, with her boy. Visiting each baby, and their concerned parents too, He knew right there and then, there was something special about the NICU. Placing his hands, on each little head, kissing their foreheads, he winked, and he said- “Tiny babies so strong, with determination and might, so this is where you come, to live and to fight.” “To breathe and to grow, and to learn how to eat, what a difficult journey, but such an amazing feat.” He had a sparkle in his eye, and a hop in his step, as he approached the isolettes, and whispered secrets he’d kept...Continued in comments...💕
  • Believe it or not, my baby boy is with me in this photo. ‘Kangaroo care’ is a type of skin to skin contact that parents are encouraged to have with their premature babies. The babies are placed on the parents chest under a loose fitting top, and snuggled in with blankets. Its the closest thing to being back in the womb for premature babies, as they can feel their parents heart beat, hear their parents voice and smell their parents scent. In the past 5 weeks my world has gone from airports, press trips and pitches to a one mile radius around a hospital, in a city I don’t live in. I have been living in hospital accommodation in Sheffield since Theo was born as there was no space for him to be treated in Leeds. I have entered a new world that, at first, was totally alien and incredibly overwhelming (it still is to be honest). I have difficult conversations with doctors, surgeons and consultants every day and I am learning an entirely new medical language. My days at the moment are mentally, physically and emotionally draining, but the best part of my day is when I get to hold my baby for an hour, sometimes two. I sit in a chair next to his incubator. We’re still in a room surrounded by nurses and beeping machines, but when I close my eyes I imagine we are back home together, like we will be one day in the future. Scott took this photo of me when I fell asleep with Theo during kangaroo care, and to me it speaks a thousand words. Theo, my sweet baby boy, I hope that one day my mind will be blown that you were ever this tiny. From tiny acorns, mighty oak trees grow #prematurityis ❤️🌳
  • Welcome to the world Theodore William Hamilton 👶🏼💫 As today is his ‘1 month’ birthday, I thought it would be a good day to finally share his arrival with the world. On the 30th October at 7.18am I gave birth to our beautiful baby boy, Theo. Theo’s extremely early arrival came as a complete shock. Since then life has been a rollercoaster of emotions and challenges. What I have been through this past month goes against every convention of motherhood and maternal instinct you can think of. It has been the hardest thing I have ever been through in my life, but I am taking things one day at a time and trying to find the positives in everything. Theo is a determined little fighter and is making some really positive steps forward and we are staying strong for him. We won’t be able to bring him home until around his due date in February, and until then he is receiving the very best Neonatal care in hospital. He is the most perfect and precious thing I have ever seen in my life and Scott and I are completely in love. This is why I’ve been so quiet, and why I’m taking some time away from social media. I’m sharing a little more about Theo’s journey so far in my latest post. Link in bio ✨💙

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