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April Newsletter!

 

 

Hi everyone!

So as usual I’m late putting my newsletter up as I’ve had another CRAZY few days towards the end of this month attending the fantastic Traverse conference in London! I got back from Vienna right at the start of the month, have done some exciting day trips and have taken on some new blogging opportunities too! It was so lovely to have some much needed time off over the Easter break, and here’s how my April went…

 

I took part in my first April fools day campaign

 

 
Right at the start of the month I produced a sponsored post in collaboration with the fantastic Netflights team showcasing five beautiful destinations that look as though they belong on a totally different planet. I had a really good response from this post from you lovely lot and you seemed to really enjoy it! For the eagle eyed readers amongst you though, you might have spotted something slightly odd… and I can now reveal that this post was in fact an April fools day campaign! GOTCHA!! Did you twig?!

 

I reached 3000 Twitter followers

 

 

 

This is a HUGE milestone for me and I’m so pleased to have finally reached the big 3K mark on Twitter! A few years ago I could never have imagined that even just 3 of you would follow me on Twitter and be interested in reading my blog, let alone 3000 of you! A big thank you to everyone who has followed me and my journey over the past few years, I can’t wait to keep growing my blog and my social presence and am eternally grateful to all of my wonderful readers. Next stop, the big 5k! 😉

 
I went to Blenheim Palace for the last time this year 

 

What a beautiful day and what a beautiful part of the world we live in ☀️☀️ #blenheim #sunshine #sundayfunday

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So if you’re an avid reader of my blog, and you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I go to Blenheim Palace an awful lot! It’s so close to my home (just a 15min drive) and it’s one of the most beautiful places in Oxfordshire. Sadly our annual passes have come to an end and we won’t be renewing them until 2018, but we had one final wander around the grounds and the palace on a lovely sunny April weekend. I really made the most of my last visit to Blenheim and went for lunch in Woodstock too to make a proper day of it. I will obviously be returning to Blenheim again soon, just not for a year or so until I renew my AP, but I’ll miss this pretty place! Until next time, Blenheim 😘

 

I had a girly spa day

spaday

 
Back in January I booked a spa day as part of my sister Sophie’s 18th birthday present for the two of us as well as my mum and other sister Hannah and we couldn’t wait for our first girly day of 2017! We headed to the super modern Bannatyne Banbury Spa in Oxfordshire, around 40 minutes from home, and were treated to back massages, facials and full use of the facilities including pool, sauna, steam room and hot tub. We had lunch there to make a proper day of it and it was so lovely to spend some quality relaxation time together – I totally switched off and had a good detox. I love a good spa day and it’s even better when I get to spend it with my beautiful family!

 

I had an exciting meeting with a local PR company

 

tweet

 

 

So I can’t say too much about this at the mo, but last week I had a super cool meeting with a local travel PR company in Oxford and I think I’m going to be working with them at some point in the not too distant future on reviews and press trips! I’ll bring you more news as and when I have it, but all I can say is that I’m really excited to be working with a fantastic team and I can’t wait to get cracking on some new blog projects for 2017!

 

I had the most amazing weekend in London at Traverse17

 

 

 

Ahh I’ve just got back from a brilliant weekend in London for my second time attending the fantastic Traverse conference! I went to the Cardiff event last year and it was fantastic but this year was EVEN BETTER with more workshops, more events, more brands and sponsors and lots more parties! Michael, Paul and the rest of the Traverse team ensured every single one of us bloggers were well looked after at the Ravensbourne building next to the 02 arena and I learnt such a lot from my three days there.

 

 

I networked as much as I could, making sure I spoke to as many people as possible, and this really helped to boost my confidence. The highlight of the weekend was a river cruise along the Thames hosted by CityCruises and CheapFlights – seeing all the famous London landmarks lit up after dark was mesmerising and something I’ll remember for a very long time! Thanks Traverse team – you da best! <3

 

So my April was filled up nicely and wasn’t too crazy busy but it ended on a real high with my recent weekend in London. The month of May is now upon us and I’ve got some exciting things planned as well as my first beach holiday in three years with a week in Tenerife to look forward to at the end of the month! How did your April go? Let me know in the comments below!

Love Jess X

 

 

Also here's me loving life at #CanaryWharf just because tube station tourists have more fun 🚇🚇 #youknowit #TravelTuesday #I'mageek

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Hotel Review: The White Horse Inn, Duns Tew (Oxfordshire) – A wonderfully cosy stay 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 was invited to stay overnight at The White Horse Inn, a glorious pub with 11 cosy rooms nestled in the sleepy little village of Duns Tew in Oxfordshire. Located an hour away from London, and just 20 minutes drive from both the dreaming spires of Oxford and the world famous designer outlet of Bicester Village, The White Horse Inn boasts the perfect location from which to enjoy some the Cotswolds’ finest tourist attractions. Here’s my full review of this gorgeous property…

The Location

 

 

The White Horse Inn really is at the heart of the Cotswolds; close enough to explore everything this beautiful area has to offer, but far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the larger cities and towns, so that you can get a perfect night’s sleep and a true taste of village life in Duns Tew. As mentioned above, both Oxford and Bicester are a 20 minute drive away, whilst other places of interest, including Chipping Norton, Burford and Woodstock (where you’ll find the stunning Blenheim Palace), can be reached in under 30 minutes.

The Room

 

 

The Inn boasts 11 cosy and comfortable rooms made up of standard, classic and premier doubles, king superiors and king twin beds. Three of the rooms are over the pub itself, up a small staircase at the rear of the bar, whilst the rest of the rooms are separate to the main building. Each room boasts an en-suite bathroom, with hot shower and bath tub, central heating, LCD flat screen TV, tea and coffee making facilities and there is free WIFI throughout. Our double room was located in the main building, on top of the bar area, and was so cosy and warm. The bed (and the pillows!) were super comfy and the hot shower was amazing – we had a great night’s sleep and really loved the homely feel to our room; it was cosy and full of character, as well as fitted with all the new mod-cons I would look for in a hotel room.

The Bar

 

The cosiest of bars welcomes you to The White Horse Inn #cotswolds #oxfordshire #hotelreview

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This 17th century property is full of charm and the bar and dining area complement each other perfectly. The bar is well stocked with every drink you can think of, and the large flag stones and cosy log fire make it the perfect place to unwind. The dining area leads just off from the bar and is equally as characterful, with plenty of space and a fantastic food menu, with locally sourced produce, which changes daily. We were both so looking forward to dinner after a busy day’s shopping at Bicester Village (on Black Friday, might I add!!) so couldn’t wait to tuck in to some hearty pub food.

The Staff

 

And my table literally had my name written all over it! #Oxfordshire #Cotswolds #hotelreview

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The staff made us feel so welcome throughout the whole of our stay, from the minute we arrived to check in, to the second we checked out the next day. Upon arrival we were welcomed by Alex and then shown to our room by George and told what time to head down for dinner that night and breakfast the next morning. We were then welcomed at dinner by Alex again, who showed us to our table which quite literally had my name written all over it! Throughout the evening we were served by George and James, they looked after us really well and nothing was too much trouble. The next morning we were served by George again for breakfast and he checked us out upon departure too. I cannot thank the staff enough for making our stay so enjoyable, thanks guys!!

The Dinner and Breakfast

Although this is a pub, the menu and the whole feel of the place felt more like a restaurant, in a really good way! The atmosphere was still as relaxed as the pub/bar area, but the food was mouth-wateringly good and on par with what you’d expect from a restaurant, so we felt that the Inn offered the best of both worlds in that respect. We opted to skip starters and went straight for the main courses, choosing the cheeseburger and the 10oz rib-eye steak respectively. Both main courses came with fries (cooked to perfection) and we really enjoyed our meals!

 

For pudding we chose the homemade apple crumble and the chocolate truffle torte, both of which were AMAZING! I’m such a pudding girl and I love all things chocolate, so my dessert was heaven on a plate, whilst the apple crumble was delicious too. Every aspect of our meal was wonderful, we just wish we could have chosen more food from the amazing menu, although we were suitably stuffed once we’d finished eating!!

Breakfast the next morning was really good; we both opted for the Full English (obviously) and enjoyed freshly cooked sausages, bacon, eggs and mushrooms with thick toasted bread. The breakfasts totally set us up for the day ahead and we left feeling well and truly full up!

The Verdict

 

 

Overall we had a really wonderful stay at this gorgeous hotel right in the heart of the Cotswolds. I would highly recommend staying here on a mid-week or weekend visit to this part of Oxfordshire for a cosy and comfortable stay. Every aspect from the warm and welcoming staff to the fantastic dinner and gorgeous room made our stay such a pleasant one, and I would recommend the Inn to anyone looking for a place to stay in the Cotswolds.

So there we have it, my full review of the wonderful White Horse Inn. I cannot recommend this place highly enough for those looking for a comfortable stay in the heart of the Cotswolds– thank you for making our stay such a pleasant one! For more information or to book a room please visit their website directly.

NB. I was a guest of The White Horse Inn for the purpose of this review, but all opinions are of course my own.

 

 

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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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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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Restaurant Review : The Perch, Oxford

 

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a local PR company asking me to review a fantastic local Oxfordshire restaurant, of which I was only too happy to oblige! I was asked to head to The Perch just off the Botley Road in Oxford and we’d booked a table on a busy Sunday evening on one of the hottest September days on record!

The Perch is one of the oldest pubs in Oxford, located just outside the busy city centre in Botley, and just a few minutes walk from the River Isis and pretty Port Meadow. Despite it’s central location, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled upon a country pub with it’s quaint riverside setting and stunning gardens. The interior décor of the pub is rustic but with a modern feel and the outside bar, patio area and secret garden, with walk-through arches and fairy lights, adds to the beauty of the site.

 

Can I have some of these fairy lights in my garden please? ✨✨

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Upon arrival we were greeted by Maddie and Ben who looked after us for the rest of the evening. The menu’s presented to us were varied and offered something for every taste bud. Between the five of us we were served bread and oils to start and opted for Blythburg free-range pork belly (£15.95), ale battered Cornish fish and chips (£13.75) and the chargrilled 8oz burger (£13.75) for mains.

menu-the-perch

 

The food was served promptly and was truly delicious; every mouthful of my burger was tender and perfectly complemented by the bacon, tomato relish and  farmhouse cheddar cheese with triple cooked chips just the way I like them! The pork belly and fish and chips received excellent feedback too – all were cooked to perfection and served with the perfect accompaniments; scrumpy braised carrots with crackling and pear mustard for the pork, and tartare sauce and minted peas for the fish.

The dessert menu was full of summery options including sorbet’s and posset’s; we chose the frozen raspberry ripple parfait (£6.25) and were pleasantly surprised! The white chocolate cream and hazelnut praline was a lovely pairing and the whole dessert tasted fantastic.

dessert-menu-the-perch

 

Overall we had a wonderful evening out at The Perch and will certainly be returning in the winter months! I’m looking forward to sitting by the roaring fire and soaking up the cosy Cotswolds atmosphere!

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

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

 

Family selfie for mums pre birthday meal! Beautiful evening out at a beautiful place 🍴💖

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