Category: travel

Hydro flask the only bottle you will need.

Introduction of my favourite bottle  

Firstly I am always using bottles for gym and dance classes or grabbing takeaway coffees. I saw an advertisement for Hydro flask and it looked like just the perfect bottle for both purposes.

I  contacted Hydro Flask to see if they would be interested in me reviewing their product in exchange for a free bottle.  Abbie Baynes sent me a lovely email enquiring which bottle I would be interested in.

Different types of Lids

Insulated sports cap only used for  cold drinks.
Flex top that can be used for hot and cold drinks

Review

I researched all the different bottles and chose the hydro flask 21 ozs  standard mouth as this would be ideal for coffees and cold drinks.  After I had used the flex top for a few weeks and  found it was perfect for hot drinks. Although I found it inconvenient for dance classes  as I had to keep it loose and was concerned I may knock it over. Many of my gym friends know how clumsy I can be lol. I contacted Abbie Baynes and explained the situation and she immediately sent me the insulated sports top which was brilliant when exercising and much easier.  I use this bottle all the time now as it is keeps drinks hot or cold.

Hydro flask offer excellent customer service and their products have been very impressive. I have been recommending to all my friends to try these products. The products came very quickly my mail. When using the hydro flask for hot drinks they will stay hot for  an amazing 12 hours. Therefore this allowed me to enjoy my drink slowly and not have to rush drinking it.  I am looking forward to using this bottle lots over the winter period. I may try taking soup for my lunch to have as alternative to sandwiches. The Hydro bottle is ideal for a number of different purposes for instance days outs, gym, work and my all time favourite hobby dance classes.

In conclusion If you thinking of buying a Hydro Flask get one you won’t regret it. There is a large choice of different bottles and sizes and food flasks. If you have any questions please send a comment.

This was a fabulous gift from Hydro Flask.

<a rel=”nofollow” https://uk.hydroflask.com/en_gb/

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog. https://rosinaslifeisnice.co.uk

Radisson Blu East Midlands Airport Hotel

Radisson Blu at East Midlands Airport Hotel was the hotel my mum and I stayed at during our trip in September this year. Our stay was from 1st -2nd September as we had an early morning flight the following day.

We had booked direct via Radisson Blu for the Park, Dream and Fly package which was perfect for us. We arrived and parked our car and then checked in. The shuttle bus organised by the hotel was booked for 4.45am the next day and the bus left early and we were at the airport in less than 5 minutes. In the morning there was an excellent selection of tea and coffees, cereal bars free of charge which were very much appreciated.

Our room facilities were excellent and very much appreciated they provided free tea and coffee facilities as well as bottled water.  If you had forgotten any items you could request items via their website which came very quickly. The WiFi was very good. The beds were incredibly comfy and we both slept very well. The reception arranged a wake-up call which was on time. Please watch my video below to see our room.

I would highly recommend Radisson Blu if you are travelling from East Midlands Airport. If you travelling back to the hotel by shuttle bus the telephone is just after security.

If you would like to read the rest of my hotel blogs please visit https://rosinaslifeisnice.co.uk/

Finally here is the link to book the Radisson Blu East Midlands Airport Hotel

<a rel=”nofollow” https://www.radissonblu.com/en/hotel

Wells next the Sea in Norfolk

 Introduction 

Wells next the Sea in Norfolk is one of my favourite places in the UK. Its gorgeous and plenty of places to go and lovely walks.  The beach is massive and you can walk for miles we never thought we would get to the sea but we did an hour later  !!!. You could take thousands of photos there its that picturesque. I think I could live there.  I have spent quite a few holidays in Norfolk as we used to have a static caravan in Cromer.

Pinewoods Caravan site 

We stayed at Pinewoods touring caravan site which is 10 minutes walk through the static caravans to the beach in Wells next the Sea. This touring site is in an ideal location for both the beach and visiting the town and very modern toilet and shower facilities. They had very yummy croissants that were available from the shop onsite. . The only issue I encountered was the lack of WIFI. I had to use my parent’s data and tethered my phone. They have a little train that takes you from Pinewoods caravan site to Wells next the sea and back again and costs £1.50 per single journey. We went on our last trip but Olly our little dog was not very impressed and we were concerned he may jump out so did not go this time !!!!

Restaurants

We stayed for 4 days and visited a few local restaurants along the Norfolk coast. It was incredibly busy as there was an event at Holkham Hall. The weather was gorgeous as well.  French’s fish and chips in Wells were fantastic and the rest of Wells seemed to have the same idea as us that evening. We went to Ollies Restaurant on Sunday which was in an area we never knew existed but I would highly recommend this excellent and very welcoming pub. They also sell a collection of RNLI products and I purchased a travel mug and my Mum purchased some lovely greeting cards.

On Monday we went to a pub that I have wanted to visit for a long time. I have seen a lot of people mention it on Instagram.  I finally got to experience the amazing Hoste Arms in Burnham Market.  It exceeded my expectations and the meal was amazing.  We all had burgers which were massive.  All the staff were so welcoming and made a lovely fuss of our dog and even bought a bowl of water without being prompted.  We also visited the Beach Cafe at Wells beach which was very dog-friendly and plenty of bowls of water.

There are lots of dog-friendly places to go which is ideal for us as we took our Cavalier King Charles dog, Olly. My Dad saw several other Cavalier King Charles spaniels which Olly loved as he seems to know his own breed.

I hope you find this a useful blog.   If you have any questions please get in touch.   Click on the link below to read my other blogs.

https://rosinaslifeisnice.co.uk

Our Road trip = BBC Elstree Studios with Kate

On Wednesday 9th May I went for a road trip to BBC Elstree studios with my friend Kate. First of all I applied online for tickets to appear in the audience of This Time Next Year The Reveal with Davina McCall a few weeks ago. We were in luck as we both received tickets.

We looked at all the options of getting to Elstree. I thought  it would be easier to go via car as we did not know what time the show would finish. We left Lincoln at 9am and stopped halfway at the services at Peterborough for a drink and cake. On route  Kate and I then visited the David Lloyd in Bushey for lunch as we are both members so we can use other clubs. We had a little walk around to see where everything was and what they had to offer. The staff were all incredibly welcoming and we really enjoyed our visit. I wish we had a little more time as I would have liked to try their Prama class.

We left David Lloyd at 1.55 to get to BBC studios. It was only 15 mins away. I parked my car a 5 min walk from the studios. The car park was Brook Road Borehamwood WD5 5HQ . The cost of parking was £4.40 from 2.20 ish till 8.00 am the next day. We then walked to the BBC studio which was in the middle of a housing estate near McDonald’s.

If you would like to get tickets for future shows please click on this link.www.applausestore.com. If you put a promo code in when applying for your tickets you get a guaranteed ticket. If it’s a general ticket then you will not necessary get in to watch the show.

Most of all we really enjoyed the experience and fantastic that the tickets  were free. I will definitely keep looking to see what else is available. If you get the opportunity go along and I hope you enjoy watching the show.

Handy tips when caravanning

This blog will help you when caravanning away. My family and I have been on caravan holidays since I was quite young. We started off in a static caravan in Cromer, Norfolk and went most school holidays. We then stopped as it was not as convenient as we had a dog and the caravan site was not dog friendly.

As a family we had a break from caravanning for a number of years but decided about 8 years ago to get a tourer caravan as we could go to different places and take our dog. We basically bought the caravan for the dog, he is very spoilt. Olly our dog loves going on his adventures in the caravan.

Here are some tips I would highly recommend.

  • Check out the local area and see how far it is to the areas you want to visit.
  • Wifi. Some sites do not have great wifi  so always check 1st.
  • Read reviews of sites as it a good giveaway of what the sites facilities are like.
  • If you are sleeping on the bed that is made up make sure you turn the cushions upside down as you will not feel all the ridges.
  • For the best comfort get a duvalay they are so comfortable.https://www.duvalay.co.uk/duvalay-freshtec-sleeping-bag
  • Get a Mia Tui Alex bag to take over to the shower block. They fold up and a perfect size to take all your stuff to the shower block.https://miatui.com/collections/alex-folding-travel-bag-1
  • If you can choose your caravan pitch look at map before hand to see where you want to be.
  • Take spare blankets as some nights it can get quite cold.
  • If travelling with a dog have a box of all their stuff together.
  • Use shower as an extra storage. We always use the shower block for showers.
  • Use a old milk bottle and cut off the top to use as a bin.
  • Don’t forget your chairs to sit outside.
  • If you join the Caravan and Motorhome club and using your caravan several times a year and like using wifi join for the year as it is better value.
  • We always use Crocs as they are quick and easy to pop on.

Finally I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog. If you would like to read any of my other blogs please click on this link  https://rosinaslifeisnice.co.uk

Handy tips when cruising

This blog will help you on your 1st cruise. My family and I have been on a number of cruises. I always study the brochure very carefully to see where the best cabins are and what cabins you should avoid. I have cruised both P&O and Cunard. If you have any questions please get in touch.

  • Ring a number of different agents as the price can differ enormously.
  • Don’t accept an upgrade if you want to be in a specific area as you could be put anywhere on the ship.
  • If you are on your 1st cruise I would advise going midships and lower as you will feel less movement.
  • Take sickness wrist bands and tablets just in case you need them. They do sell them on the ship but they will be more expensive.
  • When looking at cabin deck plans look what is above and below. I would personally avoid been under the swimming pools or prom deck. This is so you do not get an early wake-up call when the crew are arranging the deck chairs
  • Each day they will give you a newsletter of what will be on the following day. We always look what we want to do the previous day so we don’t miss any important competitions.
  • If you are with a few family members we leave notes of where we will be at what time so we don’t lose each other. We sometimes leave notes in the letter holder outside the cabin.
  • If you do use the internet remember to log out, I forgot one time.
  • Don’t put your phone near your cruise card as it will stop you getting in your cabin. I was doing this constantly on my last cruise.
  • Check what evenings have which dress code as you don’t want to miss the Captain’s dinner. The menu on those evenings is really special and my friends unfortunately booked an alternative restaurant and felt rather cheated.
  • Don’t forget your pegs as they have a line in the bathroom.

Will I win my bid with Seat frog app ?

Has anyone had any success with the Seat frog app? I love travelling 1st class but some of the fares recently have been quite expensive. I downloaded the app several months ago and have not tried it yet.

How much has it cost you all to upgrade your tickets using the Seat frog app? I hear you can upgrade from £5.00. There is 2 options you can bid or upgrade now. Since writing this blog I have booked a standard ticket for one of my trips to see how much it will cost me to upgrade. I probably should have just booked direct but I wanted to see if I could save more money. When I have been on my journey in June I will write a blog on my experiences using the app and how much it cost me in the end.

Please follow my blog so you hear about my experiences using the Seat Frog app https://rosinaslifeisnice.co.uk

Handy tips on how to pack light

First of all this blog is Handy tips on how to pack light. Anyone who knows me well knows I do not find it easy to pack light but I have managed to find some easy solutions to have a weeks clothes in a carry on case. Here are my tips.

  • I use travel bottles for skin care products or if I can I will get some free samples from my favourite brands which pack even smaller.
  • These packing cubes which compress even smaller and much easier when you get to your destination. I have used these and they are brilliant. I got a pack of six in different sizes.


https://amzn.to/2HNnjaU

  • I use a small box with compartments for jewellery it’s really easy to use for earring, bracelets and necklaces. This product was bought from amazon and was incredibly cheap. My Mum saw how useful the box was that she asked me to order her one on our return from our trip.


https://amzn.to/2HLFMVp

Mia Tui has an excellent selection of bags for travelling. Some of their bags have a cabin compliant PVC bag which is useful going through security. You can purchase a pack of 3 bags all different sizes which is very useful for all occasions.

https://miatui.com

pvc bags

  • Buy a Go travel worldwide travel adaptor it has 2 USB charging plugs.

https://amzn.to/2jotiZ6

  • Pack your lightest shoes and wear your heaviest.

Renaissance Heathrow Hotel

An article at Renaissance Heathrow hotel

I have stayed at Renaissance Heathrow  hotel twice before travelling to Heathrow airport.This hotel ideally situated for all terminals. We stayed here in 2016 before a trip to New York travelling from Heathrow Terminal 2 and then last year travelling to Terminal 5 for a cruise to the Mediterranean.

The hotel was excellent and refurbished before our stay in 2016.  The bedrooms are very well decorated and great size and considering you are so close to the airport it was very quiet. The staff were all very helpful and polite. The lift had a security system that you had to scan your key card to get to your room.  My mum and I booked both stays via holiday extras as they had the best deals and additional discounts codes so always worth googling holiday extras discount codes. I will put some links of some discounts to help you all save some money. I would not hesitate booking this hotel. It’s always worth checking different sites to compare prices.

There is a free bus that’s goes to and from Heathrow Airport. The bus stops outside the hotel and not far to terminal 2. Here is a link below to help you all. We had to book a taxi to terminal 5 as we were a bit further away and not many buses at the time we left but in a taxi it only took 10 mins. We got to the airport a little too early that even the luggage drop was not open. !!!!!!  I did help a few passengers check in though.

Puerto Pollensa holidays

We have decided to go to Puerto Pollensa. We visited when I was younger and we loved the resort as they had lovely restaurants, beaches and my favourite cake which is a speciality in Majorca an ensaimada. While in Majorca we had them for breakfast every morning Every time we visit Spain I always look for ensaimada it could be anytime it does not have to be breakfast.

We have looked at a number of different apart hotels. My Mum and I  would like to be in similar area to last time which was close to  beach and near Ila d’Or Hotel. We have worked out Puerto Pollensa is quite a large bay !!!!!! If anyone has been recently been could you advise on any recommended hotels and in particular bakeries which are within close walking distances ?  I will go every morning to collect my ensaimada and of course other pastries.

 

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