The time has come to start on the girl’s bedroom and the first thing we need to think about buying is a bunk bed. At the moment Youngest is in a cot bed and as much as I hate to admit it she is ready for a “proper” bed. I am resisting the urge to wail “she’s no longer my baby!” We are thinking that bunk beds might be the answer because it will free up some space in the bedroom. We could then invest in some proper storage for the mountain of toys that we have accumulated. Living on Jersey means that our choices can be quite limited as we don’t have as much choice as we would on the mainland. Oh how I miss the Sundays spent in Ikea. I have to admit that Ikea wasn’t top of my list for things that I thought I would miss about home. However, it really does have a fantastic range of furniture at a great price and lets not forget the meatballs. Yum! You just have to be careful not to get lost in the maze of sofas and beds. Never mind though as some companies do deliver to Jersey free of charge which is brilliant.

 

 

We have spent the past couple of months looking for bunk beds and we have noticed that there is a really wide range in price. Ideally we would like a bunk bed that comes apart so that they can still use it when they are older.

 

 

The Cologne white bunk bed from Glow (based in Jersey) priced at £449. It is a nice design. However, it isn’t clear from the website whether this bunk bed comes apart. It does look like the bed has a good head height and therefore an adult should be able to sit on the bottom bunk for story time.

 

 

 

 

The Stompa Uno S Plus detachable Bunk Bed frame from John Lewis (who deliver to Jersey). For £499.99 you get a bunk bed that can be detached when they are older and therefore it gives you more flexibility. Stompa is a recognised brand and has a good reputation which is reassuring. It has a stylish design and the ladder can be positioned on either side of the bed. The ladder is also ergonomically designed making it easier for your child to climb up and down the ladder.

 

 

 

Tam Tam bunk bed from MyPad for £499. This is a stylish bunk bed with a really funky design. I am sure that the kids would love this. The addition of shelves gives it some useful storage and would be the perfect place for storing books or perhaps a night light. My only concern is that I don’t think this bunk bed comes apart.

 

The Home & Haus Dunedin Bunk Bed from Wayfair is priced at £190.99. A really fantastic price at the moment because it has 44% off. I have been told that Wayfair deliver to the UK although I have never used them before. I love the colour of this bunk bed in grey. I think it would look lovely against a soft pink wall. This bed is also great because it comes apart. However, the ladder only fits on one side of the bed.

 

We are still trying to make our decisions. Do you know of anywhere that sells bunk beds? What do you think of our choices? We can’t afford to snooze for long as Youngest keeps turfing her sister out of her big bed.

 

 

 

Last Sunday it felt like Spring had finally arrived. The previous day had been a fog of illness that gripped three of us leaving us dozing and exhausted. On the Friday Oldest had been sent home from school ill and she clearly was very under the weather as she was shivering, despite having a fever and all she wanted to do was sleep. By the next day Mr C and I were feeling very similar and I mostly spent the day in bed sleeping, trying to shift the banging headache and feeling of nausea. The only one to escape the virus was Youngest who was most put out that she wasn’t ill and kept insisting, rather bizarrely, that she had a warty foot and spiders in her mouth.

 

But on Sunday morning the sun rose high in the sky and there wasn’t a rain cloud on the horizon and best of all we all felt well again. There was housework that needed doing, a washing machine that needed loading and homework that needed completing but we ignored it all and headed straight outdoors.

 

 

 

When the sun is shining there is really nowhere better than Jersey with its sweeping bays and clear, blue sea. We have had a lot of rain and rather miserable weather recently, as has most of the UK, and as such I have found myself pining for where we used to live in Yorkshire. We lived high up on top of the moors and when the wind blew it felt like the house was straining to stay rooted and sometimes it would feel like just one more gust and the house would be blown away. It is strange that it is during the winter months that I find myself missing Yorkshire and craving its beautifully wild landscape. You would think that if anything I would be grateful for living on Jersey with its milder climate. No longer does Mr C have to trudge out in the morning in below freezing temperatures to defrost the car for me; no longer do we wake up in the morning and bury ourselves deep into the duvet as it is so cold in the room and no longer do we have to worry about what we will do if it snows as it very rarely snows in Jersey. If it does snow then the whole island simply comes to a stand still which takes the pressure off trying to get into work.

 

I have come to the conclusion that the reason I miss Yorkshire in the winter is that in Jersey you don’t get a ‘proper’ winter. You don’t get that real coldness where your fingers go numb and your nose turns blue. I know it’s bizarre the things you miss and I realise that anybody reading this in Yorkshire will think I am crazy. But I miss feeling like you need to get cosy, like you want to wrap up warm and snuggle indoors. Perhaps I am feeling like this because we have just had the wettest January on record in Jersey and I am pretty sure what feels like never ending rain in February. I am so ready for spring because Jersey does do a good spring. The whole island seems to emerge from its hibernation. Fields of beautiful local Jersey flowers start to spring up, including whole fields of daffodils.

 

 

Fields are busy with tractors and the Jersey royals are uncovered from their plastic sheets. Some of the more popular beaches are busy again with tourists and locals alike, but you can also find your hidden gems. Little sheltered bays with glorious beaches that are nearly deserted.

 

 

In Spring the sun is shining again and it means that you can make the most of those mild temperatures by pottering on the beach, exploring rock pools or simply sitting back on the sand with a coffee. So last Sunday we took ourselves to one of our favourite beaches and we enjoyed the sun’s rays whilst watching the girls scavage for shells. Whilst admiring the stunning scenery I had to admit how lucky I am to be living in such a wonderful part of the world and whilst a part of my heart will always belong to Yorkshire an ever bigger part now belongs to Jersey. So Spring please hang around for a while as we quite like you on Jersey.

 

 

 

We had been heading to a beach when driving round the curve of the bay I realised that the tide was in. Therefore a potter around the beach was abandoned in favour of a mooch around St Aubins. I love exploring St Aubins because if I squint I can convince myself that I am back in Yorkshire.

 

 

I think it must be the cobbled streets that are hilly and quite challenging for little legs that reminds me of where we used to live in Yorkshire.

 

There is a lot to do in St Aubins with the art gallery and lots of independent shops and restaurants. There is also the old fishing harbour which is still packed full with fishing boats. Overlooking the fishing harbour is the parish hall which used to be the old railway station. There are often vintage fairs in the parish hall on a Satuday. The fairs are perfect for picking up all sorts of goodies.

 

 

You can also do the railway walk from St Aubins which takes you out to St Ouens. I would really recommend it, it is a safe path, free from traffic, (apart from the odd bike) and it is one of our favourite walks to do. It is a wide path that runs along where the railway tracks used to be and it takes you past reminders of the occupation, through woods, over fields and past the sea.

 

It wasn’t the best of days weather wise in St Aubins. However, the pretty houses gave us a little bit of much needed colour. We climbed up the sloping streets admiring all of the houses that clung to the sides of the street.

 

I love this pretty blue house with its wrought iron fence and pretty window boxes. It would have stunning views over the harbour and bay.

 

 

Youngest loved the door bell on this house.

 

 

On climbing to the top of the road we looked down at all of the lovely houses and I might have pretended that I was back in Yorkshire. Well it was certainly cold and wet enough to be Yorkshire .

 

 

We pottered back down to go and look round the art gallery and in some shop windows.

 

This deli does the most amazing bread and nibbles. However, I stayed out for fear that I wouldn’t be able to resist buying everything in sight.

 

 

This is a lovely furniture shop and always has wonderful items on display. I love the sofa that they have in their window. The rain then decided to make a reappearance so youngest used this to her advantage reminding me that she was hungry. The plan had been to go into a new independent coffee shop that has just opened up but it was closed so instead we headed to the new Costa Coffee.

 

 

It was a nice Costa with plenty of seats and the big windows offered views down to the harbour. Through the window you can just see the masts of the ships. After we had warmed up we headed back home as the rain was now coming down fast and heavy.

 

 

Where have you been exploring this week?

 

 

On Jersey we have had a lot of grey and rainy days recently. So much so that when we see a blue sky we practically whoop with excitement. Last Sunday was another grey day with patches of drizzle so we decided to do something different. We decided that we were going to visit the dinosaurs. Yep, we have dinosaurs on Jersey.

Tamba Park is Jersey’s newest attraction. Set in the parish of St Mary amongst beautiful countryside. We paid £3 each for entry which included entry to the whole park, including a ride on the boats. With two dinosaur mad girls we had to make a beeline for the dinotrail first.

Walking through a dinosaur mouth, much to the excitement of the girls, we found that we had gone back in time and were now walking amongst dinosaurs.

Being brave we tiptoed past the moving dinosaurs. Being careful not to attract their attention.

There were some very scary dinosaurs that were obviously hungry. Holding onto each other we scuttled past them.

Phew, we made it out alive, no one had become a dinosaurs’ snack. It started to rain so rather bravely we sought shelter in another dinosaur’s mouth.

Hiding in his jaw we watched the rain falling down and admired the lake.

Oldest was very brave and decided to count the dinosaur’s sharp teeth. When the rain stopped we decided to go and enjoy the park. Oldest had a go at driving the remote controlled boats.

Before she decided to launch herself down the zip line

We then carried on exploring the park before heading to the cafe where we sampled the cakes and drank hot chocolate and coffee. We watched the people on the boats, having fun steering their boats round the lake. We were going to go on the boats but youngest was fast morphing into a grumpasauras as she needed a nap so we reluctantly left the park behind.

We had a great time at Tamba Park, in fact oldest said it was “dino-mite”

Last Sunday after much dithering we finally headed out for a walk. It was a stormy day and a red warning was in force for storms that were due to hit the following day. In the end we decided to head towards Gorey which is to the east of the island. On a clear day you can see across to France. On Sunday we found that there was no chance of seeing the French coastline as it was obliterated by mist.

Ignoring the howling winds we headed towards the beach where we admired the view of Mount Orgueil castle dominating the skyline.

Gorey has a glorious beach with a wide expanse of sand that is often devoid of people even in the summer months. Above you can just about make out the pretty houses on the quay side which houses many restaurants that serve up delicious food and the best of the local produce. It really is a foodie haven.

We watched the little fishing boats being thrown around by the waves and the seagulls swooping in looking for dinner.

We then had fun flinging rocks into the sea and watching them being swallowed up by the huge waves. Eventually the wind started to make our ears ache so we sought shelter in the village, bypassing the park to search for warm cups of tea and cake.

The sky was getting greyer by the second and we started to fear that we were going to get caught in a down pour. Undeterred we pressed forward.

In the gloom this yellow shop with its sweet message warmed up our hearts! Youngest had decided that sweets were now the order of the day so we continued walking through the village, admiring the pretty shops as we went.

Then we felt big plops of rain starting to fall so we quickly retreated to the village shop where we bought goodies to enjoy in the car.

Our hands firmly grasping our treats we ran back to the car.

Reaching the car just in time as the rain started to fall down in great torrents. We sat in the car eating our treats, drinking tea and listening to the sound of the rain hitting the car roof.

If you are ever in Jersey then I urge you to visit Gorey it really is a pretty village with an amazing beach, pretty shops and fabulous restaurants. You can’t help but fall in love with the place and there is much to be enjoyed, whatever the weather.

 

It was a rather grey Sunday in which the island seemed to be muffled under a blanket of mist. Everywhere was quiet and the island took on a rather eerie air. Resisting the urge to hide under blankets we wrapped up warm and headed out into the driving rain. We chose St Brelades Bay which during the Summer months would be packed with tourists. Yesterday we were one of a handful of people on the beach.

We battled the gusts of wind determined to have a run around on the beach.

We couldn’t see that far out as heavy mist hid the horizon from view. We listened to the waves crashing whilst looking for dolphins.

During the Winter season many of the hotels on the beach front close giving the impression that the bay is hibernating waiting for the sun to wake it up again.

Oldest became excited when she thought that she had spotted a shoal of dolphins. We soon realised that what she had actually spotted was a group of brave surfers who were making the most of the big waves.

Oldest and Youngest love scouring the beach for treasure and they were soon showing me the spoils of their treasure hunt.

Starting to feel the cold we were delighted to spot that one of the cafes was open.

After a final jump in the shallows we headed to the cafe to dry off and warm up with steaming mugs of coffee whilst watching the waves crashing outside.

 

Sunday is our day for enjoying a leisurely walk and today was no exception. In between rain showers we bundled up warm and headed out. We are extremely lucky to live somewhere very beautiful and most weekends we can be found on the beach watching the waves crash or searching for Mermaid’s Purses amongst the rock pools. But much beauty can also be found away from the beaches and in the capital of Jersey, St Helier. Sunday is the perfect day for a leisurely walk around the capital as most of the shops are shut. This means that you can meander down the streets at your own pace whilst savouring the pretty sights.

I’m a firm believer of looking upwards and this is why, it’s such a stunning building that many people walk past everyday, unaware of the beauty that looms above their heads. With the sun starting to make its slow descent in the sky we hurried towards the marina.

The marina is a fantastic place for a walk. As well as fantastic views it has a hotel and a range of cafes that try to tempt you inside with their delicious looking cakes. This time we ignored our rumbling stomachs and carried on with our walk.

Admiring the impressive yachts we argued over which one was our favourite. I’ve always fancied a life at sea and I’m sure that I would be more than happy with one of these lovely little yachts. Small problem might be the price tag.

With the sun basking everything in a golden glow we soaked up the view of Elizabeth Castle on the horizon. The castle is a must visit for families coming to Jersey.

We then stood on tiptoes looking over the harbour wall towards the castle and down the bay to St Aubin. The sea mist rolling in covering everything in white mist, shrouding the houses from view.

The air took on a magical and ethereal feel that left us feeling calm. However, our growling stomachs reminded us that it was time to head home to cook dinner. So rather begrudgingly we peeled ourselves away from the harbour wall and started the walk back home. On the way we stopped to admire one of the many pieces of art that are dotted around the marina.

Looking up rewards us with yet more glorious sights.

How lovely are those apartments? I would love to live on the marina but rumour is that the ones facing the marina can fetch prices of 1 million and over. I’d better get saving.

It occurred to me the other day that I had been looking at my fitness the wrong way. I had been trying to squeeze in trips to the gym in between work and looking after the children and as a result I was becoming stressed. I wasn’t getting to the gym as often as I wanted to and the constant juggling of trying to fit it in was making exercise seem like a chore. Then it occurred to me that I was looking at it all wrong. Instead of trying to juggle everything I should be combining it all. So this weekend saw me dragging the family outdoors for a hike with me. Getting outdoors even in the cold and drizzle is so good for the soul. So on Sunday we wrapped up warm and headed to Val De La Mare reservoir and arboretum. It is one of our favourite places to visit as it is really safe for the children and there are so many different paths and hiding places to explore. When we go on these walks we like to take a bag to collect any treasure we find. Our treasure could be interesting looking leaves, fairy cups (acorn shells to you and me) or beautiful bark from one of the many trees.This is the children’s favourite tree as it looks like it is shedding its skin. We found some lovely bark from it on the floor and added it to our treasure bag!Although it was a gloomy day we had fun running and hiding behind the trees whilst keeping an eye out for any bears that might be lurking.After exploring the forgotten forest we emerged out into the sunlight where we found the reservoir.

Nestled next to the reservoir were some boats. The children informed me that the boats belonged to pirates hunting for their treasure.With the wind chill starting to work its way beneath our layers of clothes we decided to run back to the car. Whilst finding muddy puddles to jump in on the way.Not ideal footwear for a muddy walk but I still haven’t got round to buying us all wellies. I keep hoping that the rain will be stopping soon. When we got back home we snuggled under blankets, excitedly chatting about our walk over big mugs of warm coco whilst munching on chocolate eclairs. We really love getting out for walks as a family but with the recent never ending rain we haven’t been going out as much. We realised that we can still have fun outdoors whatever the weather. The children love charging around outdoors and it seems to stoke their imaginations as they invent incredible stories, it is also good for us as we get much needed exercise keeping up with the children. A walk is also fantastic for clearing my head too which really helps with my work.

After our fun adventures in the forest we all slept very well with some of us having fantastic dreams about pirates burying their treasure in the woods.