Spending a Knight at Warwick Castle

I am a firm believer in the fact that you are never to old to have fun or be extremely childish when the occasion calls for it. That is how me and my friends ended up booking a night away at Warwick Castle, staying in one of their Glamping Tents.

We set out early on a Sunday morning to catch a train into Warwick, we had to change trains twice, but it only took us an hour to get there. The village of Warwick is so beautiful, we wished we had time to explore it more, but nevertheless we quietly walked the 5 minute walk up to the castle, store are cases in the lockers, grabbed our tickets and headed excitedly to our first stop of the day. The Dungeons.

View from the top of the Tower

I have been to Warwick Castle a lot, but have never been into the Dungeon attraction, so I was super excite to finally go in. If aren't a fan of being scared then this probably isn't for you, but I found it so funny, it is like they wanted to scary you in a funny way, if that makes sense?

The Conservatory Tea House

After the Dungeon we were all a little hungry and headed to The Conservatory Tea House. You almost forgot that you were at a Castle and felt more like you had step into a scene from Downton Abbey. When we saw that they did an Afternoon tea we knew what we wanted. Tea, sandwiches, cake and the most beautiful view of the gardens, oh yes this will do me just fine.

Afternoon Tea

After lunch we saw a large crowd gathered by the Jousting area, a little full from are sandwiches and cake we decided to watch, I mean you have to watch a Joust if you are standing in the grounds of a medieval Castle. Tip. Try to get there early if you want a good view of the whole show, we where more at the end and couldn't quite see what was happening at the other end, but the performers made up for this by just being so funny. We were on the side of the bad knights, (for some reason they always wear black) and I think that gave their Squire's more licence to misbehave.

Goofing Aound

Now it was time to explore the Castle, were are inner child began to take over. We started at The Royal Weekend Party, designed as Edwardian Weekend Party, again think of Downton Abbey. You are free to explore the rooms and interact with some of the props and scene. Have tea with a Countess, play a hand of cards with the King or lounge on a shezlong. My inner child was having the best time.

Our New Home

Well, what a long day we have had, and now was the time when we got to see where we would be sleeping that night (inner child getting ready to go crazy again.) Are very own medieval inspired Glaming tents (inner child screaming with joy.) It was so amazing and OMG! possible the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. We enjoyed an All-You-Can-Eat Mediaeval Dinner Feast, it was £18.95 for Adult, half that for children, I thought it was a little expensive, but the food was really good, plus you got free drinks throughout your stay, so we couldn't wait to enjoy a nice hot chocolate before bed.

Charlie :)

They was night entertainment, but it was mostly for the children, Archery, Sword fighting and a Birds of Prey show, you could also get the to handle the birds and have them land on you arm, it cost about £5, but it was worth it. We got to handle a young Bold Eagle called Charlie, he was such a cutie. 

Night-time Entertainment

After Breakfast we said goodbye to our lovely tent and went off to enjoy our last day at Warwick, finishing off the parts of the Castle we didn't do, like the Horrible History Maze and explore the upper parts of the Castles and admiring the view from the top of the Towers      



When went out into the town of Warwick for lunch, we saw a really cute Tearoom on our walk from the train station, and it was just outside the Castle gates, and of course we ordered another helping of Afternoon Tea. Quite possible the best I have ever had. The bread for the sandwiches was still warm, the scones were hot and tasted so good, and Oh-My-God the cakes, so damn good.

Thomas Oken Tearooms    

Best Tearooms ever. 

Pedalo Selfie

We ending our trip with a cruise along the river in a dragon pedalo, I got the best spot and didn't have to peddle, but we couldn't stop laughing as we nearly crashed twice. We were sad when it was time to leave, we had the best time there and couldn't wait to come back and do it all again.

Have you ever been to Warwick Castle? If you did what did you enjoy about it, or maybe you didn't. Either way tell me about it.

Kerry.

How to come up new idea for Blog Post or Youtube Video's

When it come's to Blog or Video idea's there are thousands to choose between that it can be overwhelming. As a Blogger and Youtuber I want my contents to be insightful, well-rounded, exciting, personal, and inviting to new audience. With so much already out there I find it hard to come up with new and fresh idea's. 

Here are my top tips for discovering new idea's

Go for a walk.

Ideally for me it would be along a beach listen to the waves gently glide over the sand, but I live nowhere near the sea, so a good stroll through my local country park (which happily is only a 2 minute walk from my house) will have to do. There is something about the quiet and calm that really make me happy, and gives me time to think without any worldly distractions. Take a note pad and a pen, find a bench or a spot of grass and write what every comes to mind. 

Work it out.

Ah the Gym. It is like Marmite, you either love it or hate it.

Me? I am a mixture of both. Hate going there, but once I am there I put everything I have got into it.  

It is anything great place to think (and hopeful shift some pounds) While working out on a machine I find that my brain likes to take a wander. If an idea catches me, I can think it though, make plans, take notes without googling how other people have done this. 

Pinterest.

The home of all things creative.

Have an idea, but can't think where to take it? Check out Pinterest, it has everything you could wish for. I am not saying you should copy other peoples idea's, but let Pinterest inspire you to come up with you own idea's. I find that I can spend hours on Pinterest just browsing for idea's. Pinterest is also a great place to advertise your Blog and find new Bloggers. Honestly if you haven't checked out Pinterest, make sure it is the first thing you do after readying this post, you won't be sorry :) https://www.pinterest.com/

Get out and about.

Stuck in our own little world it is easy to lose sight of the things that matter to us, so take a trip into town. Visit your favourite shops, take your time and have a good browse. Go to your favourite clothes store and try on something new, go to the drugstore and see what is has just been released or find a new shade of nail polish or lipstick. Going into your local book store and see if there are any new books you wish to read. If you like arts and crafts then go to you local craft store, take you time and see what you find. Rediscover what it is you are interested in and hopeful new idea's should flood in.

Start at the Beginning

This one may seem odd as I keep saying to focus on yourself and not copy others, but bear with me. 

With all have our favourites, Blogger's, Youtubers, we all have them, and it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we have to have to produce the same level of contents as the professionals. So take a look at their early work, go back and read their first post or watch their first video. We have become accustomed to a certain level of professionalism and we think that we should deliver the same quality as people who have had years to craft there work, but they started at the beginning too, and before they become renowned for their work they just want to have some fun and work on projects that matter to them or thing they like. Don't get caught up so much in what other are doing and just do what you love and the rest will fall into place.

If you have any tips you want to share then leave them in the comment section.

Kerry.

  

Inspirational Sensations

These are the people who make me better. A better person. A hard person. To see and believe in myself and understand the hardships of live. I find that at different times you need to be inspired by different people. Some of these people make me think deeply, some make me laugh, other motivate me to work harder, while some just show me a different light. 

Here are five people who have inspired me to be a better person.

1. My Cousin, Emma. The Motivator

I quite possible have one of the wackest Families on this planet. A deliciously random collection of creator, each one with their own personalty and strengths. It would be unfair on me to say that only one of them inspires me, when quite a lot of them do, but my Cousin, Emma makes me feel like a slacker on even my most productive day. A trained and qualified midwife, she has had to work hard to achieve her goals. Last October she had her first child, but that didn't stop her, she religiously went to gym and joined exercise class, posting on Instagram her progress, and studies hard to gaining new qualification. She works hard and enjoys the result. When I hear about her latest achievement or see her progress, it always motivates me to get up and go.

2. My Best Friends.

Cliche, but I don't care. I am lucky to have two amazing friend, this year is are 10 year Anniversary, We are like 3 pea's in a pod and have had some great adventures together. We have all had are fair share of hardships, yet together we make up the perfect balance. 

3. Louise Pentland.

Also know as Sprinkle of Glitter, this Blogger/ Youtuber has capture my heart. Originally a blogger she has a mass following and I am happy to be part of it. Again it sound like a cliche, but if you have ever read her blog or watch her video's, then you will know why. She has more kindness and love in her little finger than most people have in their whole body. Her Blog Post are always amazing to read, they make me feel better about myself, or make me thing deeply about the issue's she raises. I hope that one day I could write inspire Blog post the way that she does.

4. Philippa Gregory

This women inspires me to write. If you haven't heard of her she is a historical novelist, best known for her novels The Other Boleyn Girl and The White Queen. I love love love her books. I own every single one and I have ready them all at least 5 times. I am fascinated in history and would one day love to write my own historical novels. When every I read one of her books it really motivates me to pick up a pen and start writing. If I ever do finish that novel, I will have her to thank for it.

5. Catherine the Great.

Told you I liked history. Most people know her as that monarch who had a thing for horse's, complete lie, but actually Catherine the Great was an amazing women. Born in Prussia in 1729 she was a member of the Germany royal family and her name wasn't Catherine, but Sophie. She married at the age of 16 to the Russian Heir, Peter. She overthrow her husband, and probably had him killed. There are plenty of source where you can read up on her if you would like. She was a women born into a time when only men could rule. She defied all expectations and became one of the greatest rulers of all time, bringing Russia into a modern age. She walk to her own beat, didn't really care about the opinions of others and was a brave, unique women. When I think of her I think "she did it, and so can I" 

Music In Me

Sitting on the stool of my new keyboard I feel a wave of calm fall down upon me like cool air on a hot day. Gently I glide my fingers over the key before softly tapping away.

Peaceful moment ruined however when I remember that I can't play and the only sound I am making is basically know as a racket.

I remember the first time I ever played with a piano, I was 4 years old, first year of school. We had a piano in the hall and I got to play it one day ( I don't remember why.) The teacher taught me to play Twinkly Twinkly and I remember how happy it made.

Most of my earliest memories involve music. I remember when we went on holiday we would listen to music in the car, our favourite tapes were Disney, Beach Boys and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Yep your read right. Appently I use to sing Touch-A Touch-A Touch-Me at the top of my lungs around my Grandparents house, that had never heard the song and I was only 3, but I can only imagine what my Parent must have thought. Heehee it makes me laugh.

One Christmas my Parents brought me and my older Sister a Keyboard, I was so excited. I played it all the time and put on little shows in our living room. My Dad would film them, I have never seen them, but the thought makes me cringe just a little. Embarrassment!

Like all thing, my old Keyboard broke and the music was gone from my everyday life, but I stilled played at school during music lesson, My Dad says that he regrets not putting me in for private piano lesson, but they just couldn't afford to, and I didn't seem to mind.

Now in my 20s I am able to buy my own Keyboard and fall in love with playing again. Music is a bigger part of my life than I ever thought it would, I don't think I have gone one day without it. Must people fear losing phone because they won't be able to communicate with others, for me it would be about not being able to listen to my music.

Music make me happy and if something so simple makes you happy you should hold onto it for dear life.
     

Start doing something for yourself

It feel very easy to get swept along by the current of the new internet world. The simplicity of turning a hobby into a functioning career, whether it is uploading a video on youtube, photographing a breathtaking picture or even posting on a blog. When you are young you see this as your ticket into a better life, the life you want. You see friendships being made and communities being built. You see a world of opportunity all at the click of a computer mouse. It is exciting to believe that you could live like some of these people.

The disappointment come in swiftly and brutally and leaves you feeling incredibly empty inside. 

When it feels like you have poured your heart and soul into something only to feel rejected when no-one is interested. No-one has read that post. No-one has view that video. Not one commented, not one has like. Nothing. Let me tell you it is the worse feeling in the world. 

However we grow and as we do we begin to reflect on our past errors. I didn't know what I was doing, I didn't think it though. I didn't advertise my blog or make people aware of it existence, how is anyone going to read it if they don't know about it.

It is then that you find yourself asking the question.

Why am I doing this?

When I started Blogging I wasn't writing for me, I was writing what I thought would make my blog popular and in the end it broke me. I deleted everything that I had written, closed down the account and retreated back into a dark corner. 

About 3 months ago I decide to try again, but this time on my terms. I need a change. My day-to-day activities were quickly becoming  monotonous and it was making me feel sad and depressed. I worked hard at making everyone around me feel happy and loved, but I was feeling quite shut out. I decided enough was enough. I am only going to get one chance at this life, so I better start living it.

That was when I starting writing my online journal. It was for me. My live, my thoughts. A place where I could write all the greatest moments of my day or upload those pictures from my last trip, and if no-one see's, I don't mind anymore.

This is still new to me, my blog is my baby and it will take time to nurture it and watch it grow. I want to look back in 10 years time, read this post and smile at all the things I have achieved doing thing my way.  

Nothing was going my way

Productivness: it is the thing we strive to do each day, wither we achieve it is another matter altogether.
So when I woke up this morning I want to make today a productive day and made all the arrangements to make it so. It felt good. Yet just as soon as I started on my first project of the days things started to go spectacular wrong. The battery died.

Halfway though the first filming project of the day and my camera battery dies. "No worry I have two more" i thought, oh how wrong was I. First it take a good 5 minutes to remove the camera from the tripod, 5 seconds to replace the battery, 7 minute to get the camera back on the tripod and an instant for me to realise that is battery is dead too. Darn it. This was turning into a exercise routine.

And repeat...

After checking battery and quickly crying of "hallelujah" I begin to put it back onto the tripod.

And 3.2.1 POP!

I broke the tripod.

Now I want to cry into a tub of Ben and Jerry's

But panic not. I always have a spare. The problem is it a lot shorter, but nothing was going to stop me from achieving what I had set out to do. Solution: balance said tripod on top of boxes and book.

Yeah! Now I can film.

Lighting broken

"Oh for goodness sake"

Never mind Ben and Jerry's. Give me Vodka!

"Don't stop Believing" or "Let it Go"

It would be a lie to say that I don't have dreams, goals for my future, a plan.Yet I am embarrassed by it, i hid it, i even deny it to ever be anything more than a girls dream fading to memory. Even to those so close to me, people who I have a bond with so strong that nothing can brake it.

I remember my first ever dream, to be a mermaid. Unrealistic, true, but I was 3 years old at the time, and although I am no longer 3, if someone said to me that they could make me a mermaid, I would scream with joy.

I have always been an unrealistic dreamer and I think that is my problem. I was a 90s Disney child and believed that dreams "really do come true" but never noticed that most Disney characters had to fight for they happiness. Sound stupid, (I am aware) but I guess that one day everything would just fall into place and would get everything I every dream.

How wrong am I?

I told you I was unrealistic.

Now I am older and a little wiser I now what I want to do, and I know how hard I will have to work to get anywhere with it, but I still hid behind this fear that if I tell anyone about my passions or dreams, that they will laugh at me, or tell me I am being ridiculous, or do that every so annoying hush voiced of "oh really, sounds interesting" head tilted to one side, a looked of confused sympathy and judgement spread across their face.

It is easy to say one thing, but hard to believe in it.

I think I need to sing out at the top of my lungs "Don't stop Believing" or "Let it Go"

|\What do you think?

I wonder

I think we all reach a point where we wonder what could have been if things were different.

If I was a different person, what would my life be like?

Would I still be scared of the silly little things? Would I have had the confidence to pursue my dreams and goals. Would I be skinny or blonde or rich. So many what if's, but there is only one that I ask myself now.

What if I change the way my life is?

I put off doing so many things because I am scared or worried or embarrassed and very self-conscious. I am at a age now where I find that my life is going through a downward spiral and I feel powerless to stop it. More so I don't know how to stop it.

It feels like my dreams are out of my reach. but I am the only one who is pulling myself away from them. Even if I get close to them I start to run scared, afraid to even peek around the corner at the sunshine and embrace the warmth.

I don't want to be like this anymore. I don't want to runaway and hid anymore, lock myself away and say that tomorrow will be a better day, that starting Monday things will change, because it won't. Saying it is meaningless, they are just empty words of a girl to scared to experience the world, to embrace life.

I don't know where to start. Do I dip my feet into the pool or dive in head first?
I am only sure of one thing. That my life needs to start.

Be a little more unplanned.

So, am sitting in my room, casual making my way through a short stack of Hobnobs biccys, watching old Tv shows on netflix, when it stroke me.

That this was going to be the highlight of my day!

Which is rather sad, I shall admit, yet right now the only thing that could top this night for me would be a rather bubbly Lush bath and face mask to match.

Yes I am a rebel.

But seriously, what has happened?

There was a time when life was clubbing with my friends, or pulling all nighters, being young and free and completely silly just for fun. When did life became serious and organized. Everything planned out and predictable. When something out of the norm turns up it become a little overwhelming, we didn't plan this, we aren't sure what to expect or how to react.

I am oddly organized (despite the chaos around me) I can't go anywhere without planning every little detail, It can be handy to be completely in the know, but God is it more fun to just wing it and find yourself emerged in a different place, a different time, a different feeling all together. The best time I have seem to arrive from nowhere, unplanned, unexpected and wonderful.

I wish I could be more like that, a little more unplanned.

Morning!

 It is half past four in the morning and I am wide awake.

"Why?" you may ask.

Because my body hates me.

I have been staring up at the ceiling (which is hard to do in the dark) for the last hour just singing a little song in my head.

The song goes: DumDeDumDeDeDeDum Oh please go back to SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

My Brain never shuts down. If I have something on my mine or there is something that I need to do the next day, my brain will fixate on that thing until I get up and sort it. Drives me mad.

 "And what" you may wonder is so stressful about the stuff I need to do today that has awaken me early from my slumbers?

Absolutely nothing.

I have the day off work, so today is Chores Day. That's right my brain has woken me up to do my laundry and go food shopping.

Thank's Brain. Where would I be without you.

Hope you are having a better morning than me

Diet!

I hate the word

and yet

I am obsessed.

I know all the rules, every trick, every turn and yet here I am, still overweight, still miserable about it, and still DIETING! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Yet I know I am not the only one out there who feels like this, nor am I the only one struggling and crying and, dare I say hating it.

I don't want to eat Lettuce leafs for the rest of my life, I will end up looking like a rabbit and I just can't rock that look.  

Stop underestimate yourself.

Haven’t we all been told that we can achieve anything if we put our minds to it, that the world is our oyster, the sky’s the limit. Yet somehow I find myself thinking that it is not. What if this is as good as it gets? What if this is all we can expect from our short time upon the earth. Our hope, dreams, goals for the future, nothing more than empty, delusional thoughts. What if this is it?

As a hopeless dreamer I have big and bright plans for my future, yet as each day forms into another month I find that nothing changes. I feel like I squander my youth because I was never willing to take the risk, I was complete afraid of changes. I would scare myself into believing I wasn’t good enough or never be anything more than what I had become. People always talk about following your dreams and that nothing is impossible, but it can be. I feel it can be. I awake everyday hating the fact that I am like this, hating myself for being stuck. By midday I would have come up with a plan of action on how I can change my life around, on how I can final be freed from iron barred cage. When final I lay my head down to sleep I feel good, feel positive as if I can take on the world and awake like a phoenix’s from the ashes. When my eyes close however, I begin to hate myself again, because I know it would never be true.

Lack of confidence in yourself is easily done, when you have no confidence to start with. Always second guessing every move. Does this dress look good on me, will my friends hate it, will they talk about it when I am not in the room, what we people walking by think, I can already guess what they are saying about me. The voice in my head drive me insane and seem to never stop they endless torture, it is as if I have bullies in my head or something.

Then there is guilt. So much guilt. I feel like slapping myself all the time for being so stupid with my thought. I am so lucky, lucky that I now and more than I am grateful for. I live in a house, in a pretty safe country, I have a job, I can buy food, clothes, anything really. I go on trips, shopping trips with my friend, nights out with the girls, and laugh over a few cocktails at the trendy bar and pay way too much on dinner. All of it taking for granted because we don’t know any different.  The earth cries every day for the lives that it loses each day, people die every day, right now, this very second someone will die. Someone will feel the bitter sting of that death for days, months, years to come. I feel that loss weighing down my heart, it makes me want to cry right now to think about it. All the hurt and pain and suffering in the world and yet some people think they are having a bad day when they can’t get a good Wi-Fi signal. We live in a screwed up world.   

Beauty Nightmare!

Do you ever walk into a shop and get submerged by all the different array of products and brands on offer these days?

I do.

I consider myself a novice when it comes to things like make up or skin care or hair care. I was about 18 years old when I first wore make up. I went on a night out with my collage friends and they put make up on me.

18. Years. Old. I kid you not.

I was never that interested really. Most girls at school wore make up, (even some of the boys were sports a touch of eyeliner) But to me they always look silly with their orange faces, bright eye shadow, and over-the-top blusher. It wasn’t their fault, they were kids (sort of) and were still learning. I wasn’t a very confident person when I was young, I didn’t see myself as pretty or stylish and didn’t see the point of trying to improve my…ugliness shall we say.

Years have passed since then and (with a lot of help from my friends) I am starting to actually care about how I look and look after myself better.

But sometime it can be really daunting.

There is just too much choice out there and some of the stuff out there I have no idea what it is for.

So today I went out into the world and I brought myself some new thing. Now when I say “some” I really mean a lot. Half-price sale, say no more.

One of the things I brought today was quite unusually. It was Tea Tree BB Cream. Tea Tree oil is really good for the skin, it works wonders on troublesome spots as it is an antibacterial antiseptic and has soothing properties(apparently). It also has Witch Hazel in it. Don’t know my about Witch Hazel if I’m honest, but people rave about the stuff. These are things you tend to find in face washes, but then they put it all together with a BB Cream. Not sure what a BB Cream is. Is it a face moisturiser with foundation in it? Not sure.

Any who’s I will be giving it ago and see will report back to you.