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November Newsletter

Hi everyone,

It’s that time of the month again, and my jam-packed newsletter is here! As November is a five week month it’s felt like ages since I wrote my last newsletter, but I have crammed so much into these past few weeks and am so excited to tell you all what I’ve been up to! Here goes…

I celebrated Bonfire Night

 

My favourite time of year 💥🎉😍🍂 #bonfirenight #fireworks #autumn

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Bonfire Night is undoubtedly my favourite time of the year, I just LOVE it! I love wrapping up warm, grabbing a sparkler and gazing towards the skies as they light up with firework after firework. The food is a winner too, who doesn’t love tucking into a  hot dog (or three) whilst watching the fireworks go off?! I was lucky enough to go to TWO local displays this year and they were both wonderful.

I watched Ghost the Musical on stage

Musicals are soooo my thing, I love everything about them and am attempting to see as many as I can over the next few years! This year I’ve already seen The Bodyguard, Chicago and Les Mis, so watching Ghost was my final show of 2016 and what a show it was. Every single element from the cast to the music to the performance was mesmerising; I cried like a baby at the end but I loved every minute of it! Congratulations to the fantastic cast, crew and production company for putting on SUCH an amazing show.

I attended WTM London for the first time

 

 

I was sooo excited to attend my first conference at WTM London this year and couldn’t wait to start rubbing shoulders with brands, tourism boards and fellow bloggers at the biggest travel trade show in the world. I met so many people and learnt so much in such a short amount of time, one day definitely wasn’t enough to take everything in. Read all about my amazing time at London’s ExCel Centre here – I already can’t wait to return in 2017!

I won FREE return flights with Jet2.com

 

 

So anyone that knows me will know that I have really BAD luck at winning things. I never win on scratch cards, on lottery tickets or at any competition at all, until this month when I was one of 20,000 lucky people who won FREE return flights with Jet2.com’s  Name It competition! I was sooo overwhelmed I couldn’t believe it! I have the choice of visiting over 58 of Jet2’s fab European destinations in summer 2017 and I need to pick my holiday destination by 16th December, so I don’t have long! At the moment I’m torn between a cheeky week in Tenerife, or a little city break to either Dubrovnik, Geneva or Warsaw – people of WordPress… HELP ME CHOOSE! I might run a Twitter poll because I genuinely can’t decide.. watch this space…

I visited London three times in space of 7 days

 

 

It’s no secret how much I love London, and I was delighted when I recently got the chance to visit the city three times in the same week. I did some sightseeing on the Southbank, some wandering around Winter Wonderland and accidentally stumbled upon the UK premier of Fantastic Beasts in the middle of Leicester Square! London is looking particularly beautiful now that all the Christmas lights are up, and I just love the city at this time of year.

I entered Accor Hotels latest competition

 

 

I found this competition after scrolling past something on Twitter but I was also emailed directly about it and was invited to enter before the deadline closed, so thought I would get my entry in nice and quickly! AccorHotels is inviting bloggers to share their top tips on how to spend 24hrs in their fave cities. Naturally, I chose to write about the Big Apple as I literally had just 24hrs there before I had to jet back to sunny London the day after Independence Day! The prize is an incredible 9 night stay in Berlin, Amsterdam and Paris which, for me, would be my total dream trip so I’m keeping everything crossed that I may have a teeny tiny chance of winning. Have a read of my entry – and GOOD LUCK to all other bloggers entering, don’t forget to use the dedicated hashtag #AccorHotels24Hrs

I spent a festive day at Winter Wonderland

 

 

If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know I’ve been to Winter Wonderland recently as my feed is FULL of festive images from my day out there a couple of weeks ago. London’s Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary this year, and my fourth annual visit to the wintry spectacle certainly didn’t disappoint! I had a wonderful time and already can’t wait to return next Christmas (am I really thinking about next Christmas already?! Time – Please. Stop. Going. So. FAST!!

I reviewed a lovely hotel at the heart of the Cotswolds

 

Another day, another hotel review! Wonderful stay in the heart of the #Cotswolds – full review and blog post coming soon! #Oxfordshire

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Last weekend I had the pleasure of staying in one of the cosiest Cotswolds retreats, The White Horse Inn at Duns Tew. I was reviewing the Inn on behalf of a PR company and had a wonderful time. The staff made us feel so welcome, the room was sooo nice and cosy, and the dinner and breakfasts the next morning were AMAZING! The White Horse Inn was such as lovely location to spend my last weekend in November, and I would whole-heartedly recommend it to those looking for the ultimate getaway at the heart of the Cotswolds. Full review and blog post coming soon!

So there we go, I told you I’d had a busy month! It seems like November has gone by nice and slowly, and has given me chance to catch my breath after my hectic summer and busy autumn. I can’t quite believe we are about to enter our final month of 2016 though, where the HELL has this past year gone?! I’m in full festive mode now, I’m halfway through my Christmas shopping and I’m looking forward to the big day. Have you got yourself prepared for Christmas yet? Are you spending the festive period away from home? Tell me all your plans!

Love Jess x

 

Unexpectedly #London bound… Again! ✨💃 #selfie #happytuesday #backtomyfavecity

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October Newsletter – Happy Halloween!

Hi everyone,

Happy Halloween!! Can’t quite believe that it’s that time of the month again… Newsletter time! I thought my October was going to be pretty quiet, but it ended up being unexpectedly busy! I’ve been up to all sorts of exciting things and, as always, am more than happy to share them with you all… Here goes!…

I went on my first ever press trip!

 

 

So October has been an exciting month for me, mainly because I was invited on my first ever press trip! The wonderful team at Visit Bath invited me to spend a couple of days exploring their beautiful Spa city and I was able to obtain press passes to check out some of the city’s best known attractions. I had a brilliant time stepping back in history at The Roman Baths and climbing Bath Abbey for spectacular panoramic views of the city. I also spent the morning relaxing at the beautiful Thermae Spa before staying at the luxury Francis Hotel too – check out my full hotel review if you’re visiting soon and are looking for somewhere to stay! I was well and truly spoilt and already cant wait to return to beautiful Bath!

 

I registered to attend WTM London

 

 

So I’ve signed up to attend my first ever travel trade show and I am SO excited! WTM London is probably the biggest travel show in the world, with thousands of exhibitors from all corners of the globe coming together for three days of travel showcasing. I’ve been busy booking meetings in with various exhibitors and am hoping to meet with many more tourism boards, press members and fellow bloggers at the event next week. It has come round so fast and will be the biggest conference I’ve ever attended so I am really looking forward to it!

 

I became a tourist in my home city (again!)

 

 

I treated myself to a day off last week and spent some time exploring my beautiful home city, Oxford. I never get the chance to explore it properly and am always in a rush when I’m there (Christmas shopping is so stressful, I don’t care what anyone says!), so I thought it would be fun to spend some proper time seeing all the touristy things! I actually went on a first date with someone and we had such a fun day out, it was so refreshing to do something different for a date rather than just going out for a drink! I made a little Oxford ‘bucket list’ as it was his first time visiting the city, so we climbed St Mary’s Church, saw the Radcliffe Camera, explored the Ashmolean Musem & took a selfie under the Bridge of Sighs! It was so much fun and it reminded me how much I loved Oxford! What do you guys do for first date ideas? I love the concept of putting something travel related in there, I think it’s so much more exciting than just going to a pub and it can take some of the ‘first date nerves’ out the picture too!

 

I got scared silly at Thorpe Park’s Fright Night

 

👻 F R I G H T N I G H T 👻 #WeSurvived #ThorpePark #fbf #halloween

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I had never been to Thorpe Park before so when one of my  best friends suggested we head over for one of their Fright Night events I was so keen! I love theme parks and rides and love all things spooky and Halloweeny (that’s a word, right?!) so couldn’t wait to get my freak on and be scared silly. I have to say, it was crazy busy and the wait times for rides were insanely long, but we were there really for the Fright Night so we did a few rides but then spent the majority of time in the mazes. I was expecting them to be a little tame but oh my god they were SO SCARY! I was having heart palpitations, jumping out my skin and screaming my head off the whole way through, but it was so much fun and I will definitely be going back next year – what is wrong with me?!

 

My freelancing business has really taken off

 

This is how I feel right now. Today I calculated that I've earnt *almost* as much each month as I was earning in my old 9-5 job! I knew I could do it!!! I've started with nothing and built up my little business all by myself. At times I felt like giving up, like I wasn't good enough, and like I had no right to make a career for myself, but today I've felt so inspired and so pleased that my hard work seems to be paying off. Any doubts that may have been in my mind have now been dismissed and I am SO excited to continue my journey in my new career and see where this takes me! Here's to future success and many more adventures 📝💻✈️🌍 #MondayMotivation #freelancer #bloglife #virtualassistant

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I know I said this last month, but my business has continued to grow since then and I’m now earning almost as much as I was at my old 9-5 job!! I’m so so grateful to be content with doing what I love for a living, and it’s going really well so far. I’ve grown from nothing and now have six clients and am taking on an exciting new project soon which will expand my business even further. In case you don’t know what it is that I do, I’ve set myself up as a Virtual Assistant and I’m offering a range of services from social media management and content writing to Skype sessions for fellow bloggers and ad-hoc computer admin work for some of my larger clients. I seem to be getting busier as the days go on and am so pleased with how my little freelance life is turning out. Please contact me directly to see how we can work together!

 

I’ve been LOVING the autumnal weather

 

🍂🌳 #blenheimpalace #woodstock #oxfordshire #cotswolds #oxford #GB #UK #england #visitengland #lovegreatbritain

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I was sooo sad when my amazing summer came to an end this year, but I have to say that I have been loving the autumnal weather we have been having over here in the UK throughout October. It hasn’t been overly cold, and we’ve had some beautiful blue skies and crisp autumn mornings that have seen me take the dog out on lots of walks, especially round the grounds of the beautiful Blenheim Palace! I love everything about autumn; the colours of the trees, Halloween and Bonfire Night and I love the countdown to Christmas – can’t believe how fast the end of the  year is approaching though… slow down already 2016!

So that’s how my October went! How did yours go? Were you as crazy busy as me, or did you have chance to have some down time? Let me know what you’ve been up to, or what you’ve got coming up for November – mine is going to be a busy one with trips to London and Essex already pencilled in!

Love Jess x

 

It's timeeeeee 😈🎃👻👯 #Halloween

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48 hours in Venice

So we've made it to #Venice and it is BEAuuuutiful 😍😍😍

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Ok so I can't leave #Venice out – just LOOK at it 😍🇮🇹 #Italy #ig_italy #venezia

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Ciao bellas!

On my recent Italian Escapade I had the chance to explore beautiful Venice, somewhere that had been on my bucket list for YEARS! We only had two full days to explore, but we definitely made the most of our short time in The Floating City, and it certainly lived up to our high expectations! Two full days actually gives you enough time to see the sights without the need for another night’s stay, so here is my list of must see’s and my guide on how to make the most of your time in the city…

Arrive in style by private water taxi

 

Arriving in style by private water taxi! Bonjourno #venice 🙋 #Venezia #Italy #wanderlustwednesday

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If you’re going to Venice, you’re going to want to arrive feeling like a VIP, and taking a private water taxi from Marco Polo airport into the city itself makes you feel exactly that! We had pre-booked a private water taxi, or Vaporetto as they are known locally, with HolidayTaxis for a hassle free journey to the centre of the city. Although there are public ferries leaving every half an hour, they are crowded and take up to 80 minutes to reach the centre, so splashing out on a private water taxi is definitely worth the money and will get you there in just half an hour, crucial if you’re limited on time!

 

Explore the beautiful Basilica

 

The focal point of the city; the beautiful basilica 💒 #Venice #venezia #ig_italy #italy

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One of the focal points of the city, Basilica di San Marco is a popular tourist attraction right at the heart of St Mark’s Square. Entry to the Basilica is free, but visitors are encouraged to leave donations and light candles. A small charge is made to access the altar and a further small charge is made to access the roof terrace which is well worth doing! You can climb to the top of the terrace for views across to St Mark’s Square and entry to the historic museum is also included.

 

Take a gondola ride

 

Ride a gondola in Venice – TICK! ✅✅ Next stop Florence 🚂🚂 #bucketlist #italianescapade #tourists

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No trip to Venice is complete without taking a ride on a gondola! Although it is expensive, it is one of those bucket list experiences that must be enjoyed during your trip. A ride on a gondola will set you back 80 euros (half an hour trip) but you’ll explore the city from a whole different perspective and it is worth the money. As a tip I would definitely recommend catching a gondola from the Rialto Bridge, as opposed to the Grand Canal waterfront or anywhere else in the city. Riding under the Rialto Bridge is pretty special, and gives you a fantastic photo op! Boat rides around the Grand Canal waterfront looked fun (although I think you have to pay extra to go underneath the Bridge of Sighs), but you won’t see much of the city with its little canals and waterways, so catching one from the Rialto Bridge is definitely recommended.

 

Soak up the ambience in St Mark’s Square

 

Listening to live #Italian music whilst in #Venice – grazie, grazie! 🇮🇹🎶

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Venice is quite a small city, so it’s nice that you can see everything you want to within just  a couple of days. If you’ve done everything and are stuck for something to do, why not just park yourself in the middle of St Mark’s Square and soak up some typical Venetian atmosphere?! There are a number of bars and cafe’s dotted around the Square, and it gets busy at night-time with people enjoying dinner and drinks. It can be expensive to eat out in the Square though; some bars charge a fee just for sitting at the table whilst listening to the resident live music bands! If you’re on a budget why not grab some plastic glasses and a bottle of wine and sit on one of the benches in the Square? You’ll still be able to enjoy the atmosphere and listen to the fantastic Italian music without paying for the privilege! If it’s bright sunshine in the middle of the day though, grab a creamy gelato and enjoy the warm weather whilst people watching in the Square!

 

Visit the city’s many museums

 

La Piazza 🇮🇹 #sanmarco #venice #venezia #italy

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Venice is home to a number of different museums, the most famous being the beautiful Doge’s Palace overlooking the Grand Canal. Dating back to the 10th century, the Venetian Gothic landmark can be toured with or without a guide and boasts stunning architecture throughout. If you’re looking to visit as many museums as you can during your time in Venice, I’d recommend purchasing a museum pass at one of the tourist information centres which allows access into a number of important and historic buildings across the city, perfect especially if the weather isn’t great!

Climb the Campanile for a birds eye view

 

Campanile di San Marco: 323ft high and showcasing #Venice from every angle! 😍🇮🇹 #tbt #italy #ig_italy

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Seeing Venice from above is pretty special, and the views across to St Mark’s Square and the city’s neighbouring islands and waterfront is breath-taking. Climbing the 323ft bell tower is easy as you can take an elevator straight to the top, and you can spend as little or as much time as you want exploring the city from every angle once you’re up there. If you’re lucky enough to look under 18 you can get away with paying half price for your ticket too – a nice little money saving tip!

So there we have it, my top tips on exploring Venice in a whirlwind 48 hours! Immerse yourself in the romance of the city, visit the sites and get around on a gondola for the full Venetian experience. Hopefully this post inspires you for your trip to the city and helps with that all important planning!

Have you ever been to Venice? Tell me what you thought of it, I’d love to hear your comments!

Love Jess x

Arriverderci #Venice – you've been beautiful! 🇮🇹 #Italy #venizia

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This place tho 😍🇮🇹 #Venezia #venice #italy

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Restaurant Review: The Fox, Great Barrington

Had the pleasure of #reviewing yet another gorgeous #Cotswolds pub last night – #blog #post coming soon! #burford #oxfordshire

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A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a local PR company, the same one that asked me to review The Perch at Oxford, asking me to review yet another local Oxfordshire restaurant. I said yes (obviously) and headed over to The Fox Inn, located in the sleepy little Cotswolds village of Great Barrington, just past Burford, on a sunny Tuesday evening with one of my best friends.

The Fox Inn has been serving ale drinkers and food lovers for many, many years and it’s gorgeous riverside setting with large garden attracts tourists and locals alike. The pub is particularly popular with dog walkers, due to it’s fantastic location near the River Windrush and some of Oxfordshire best footpaths and bridleways, making it the perfect place to stop off and relax whilst enjoying a drink or a bite to eat in the most comfortable of surroundings. The Fox even caters for your canine friends with a unique Dining with your Dog Menu so your pooch will be just as satisfied as you are whilst you’re devouring your Sunday lunches!

 

the-fox-inn-dog-menu

Image courtesy of The Fox Inn

 

The Fox Inn.png

Image courtesy of The Fox Inn

Upon arrival we were greeted by bar manager Summer who looked after us during the course of the evening too. Summer was brilliant, she was super smiley, friendly and helpful and was attentive when asking our orders. The menu was eclectic with a number of options to suit every taste bud; diners could choose from hearty pub grub dishes including beef stroganoff, chicken curry, fish and chips or homemade pie. The starter menu was plentiful, as was the ploughman’s lunch menu which we will definitely return to try one day!

the-fox-inn-menu

We both skipped starters but opted for the crispy duck and bacon salad (£16.50) and the mega knuckle of Cotswold lamb (£22.95) for our mains. Both dishes were served promptly and both were truly delicious! The sticky balsamic dressing and hot pitta bread really complemented my crispy duck and bacon salad, whilst my friend said her slow cooked, melt in the mouth lamb went perfectly with the rosemary sautéed potatoes and fresh vegetables that came with the dish.

 

The dessert menu was varied and offered a number of different delights for adults and a smaller ice cream menu for the kids too. We chose the waffle with maple syrup and ice cream and the sticky toffee pudding and toffee sauce; both puds were A-MA-ZING and I could’ve devoured both of them all in one go!

the-fox-inn-dessert-menu

Overall we had a fantastic evening out at The Fox and will look to return with my little westie dog in the winter months.. I’m sure the Dog Menu will be a hit with her, and with us! The roaring fire will make this Cotswolds gem even more cosy and I’m looking forward to seeing what yummy dishes the winter menu promises!

A big thanks again to Summer for looking after us – we will be back! To book an evening, weekend, dinner or lunchtime meal at The Fox Inn please contact the pub directly.

NB. Thank you to Crimson PR & The Fox for sponsoring my visit. All views and opinions are my own.

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September Newsletter

Hi everyone,

Another month has gone by and I’m reminded daily that we are in the latter part of the year now, with Christmas countdowns on and the nights drawing in it really does feel as if my amazing summer of 2016 is well and truly over! Noooooo!! I’ve had the best few months, and September has been no exception to that – here’s what I’ve been up to…

I had another announcement to make

 

 

So most of you will already know this, but this month I made ANOTHER exciting announcement and took a brand new step forwards in my travel career… I have been selected as an intern for UK Blog Awards and I couldn’t be more thrilled! As well as gaining bags of social media experience, I’ll also be expanding my blog writing and hopefully attending events and networking too, which will definitely boost my confidence. The internship is only for three months but I’m so excited to be working with such a fantastic company and I’m already hugely enjoying it!

I had the most amazing time on my Italian Escapade

 

Made it to the Collosseum! 🏟🏟 #Rome #twinnies #matchingeverythinggggg

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I literally flew back from Rome late Friday night and I had the BEST time on my Italian Escapade with my sister! We flew to Venice for 2 nights, then took the train to Florence for 3 nights before catching another train to Rome for 3 nights and then flying home on the 9th day of our adventure. We took a gondola ride in Venice, climbed the Cathedral in Florence and explored the ancient ruins of the Collosseum in Rome – more things ticked off the bucket list! We had SO MUCH FUN explore beautiful Italy and it’s left me already wanting to go back for more!

I attended the annual #bloggersfestival

 

Best backdrop ever 🌸🌸 #bloggersfestival @scarlettlondon #flowerwall

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It was my first time at the #bloggersfestival, hosted by Scarlett Dixon of Scarlett London Events, and I had such a lovely afternoon meeting new people and fellow bloggers! We were treated to goody bags galore by the sponsors and took part in competitions and fun events throughout the day. I left with tonnes of freebies and lots of new friends too – thanks for a wonderful afternoon Scarlett!

I collaborated with two local restaurants

 

 

This month I was lucky enough to be asked to review not one but TWO wonderful local restaurants, one in Oxford and one in a small village in Oxfordshire, and I was only too happy to oblige! I had two lovely evenings out tasting some fantastic food and enjoying lovely pub atmospheres; it was a pleasure to write the reviews and I know I’ll definitely be back to both places in the near future!

I continued to grow my brand new freelancing business

 

 

So my shiny new business is almost 2 months old, and I can’t quite believe it! I’ve been working my butt off to get things up and running; staying up late, having my lunch at my laptop and marketing myself on social media to gain new clients. I’m so pleased to say that it’s going really well so far and I’ve been maxed out with work for the past few weeks! I’m offering a range of services from social media management and content writing to Skype sessions for fellow bloggers and ad-hoc computer admin work for some of my larger clients. I seem to be getting busier as the days go on and am so pleased with how my little freelance life is turning out. Please contact me directly to see how we can work together!

I had a fun girly day out at Ascot Races!

 

Best day at the races with my girl 🐎🎉💖 #ascot #raceday #winners

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So today me and one of my best friends are attending a fab day out at Ascot Races, one of the most popular racecourses over here in the UK! We’re dressed up to the nines and are praying that the sun continues to shine for us and that our good fortune comes in when we pick our horses… wish us luck! 😉

Pheeeew, another month of madness over – and it’s time for October already! I’m looking forward to Halloween, especially as I’m going to Thorpe Park’s Fright Night for the first time EVER and I’m also planning a little visit to beautiful Bath in a couple of weeks too. How was your September, what did you get up to? I’d love to hear about your upcoming winter plans too!

Love Jess x

 

Arriverderci #Venice – you've been beautiful! 🇮🇹 #Italy #venizia

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