Hazy Summers of Sound

Yesterday driving back from work Clean Bandit popped up on a playlist and with the sun gently setting as I headed home I was taken back to last summer.  Happily cocooned in festival fun we danced and sang along as the sun set over Castle Stage.  Just another magical memory from our family time at Camp Bestival.  With Spring fast approaching, Andy, the children and I are starting to get excited about this years line up.  Where else can you see Bananarama, Fat Boy Slim, Jess Glynne and Tears for Fears, to name a few? Actually I am most excited to see The Brand New Heavies, some cool acid jazz sounds filling the hazy summer evening air, glass of Pimms in hand = perfection.  

So for the next few weeks as the days get longer and finally I get to see more daylight, (honestly there are days when I am concerned I maybe becoming a mole!) thoughts will turn to the promise of new memories being made as the sun sets over the Castle Stage.

To see the full Camp Bestival line up (so far!) and to purchase tickets please visit www.campbestival.net

Until next time, take care. 

Zoe

xo

January Round Up

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Whilst I have planned on monthly round up posts before I never seem to quite get around to it.  So this year I have decided to try and collate a round up as each month closes, sharing what I have been doing, reading, listening to and even watching.  

Reading  - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo

In an effort to declutter and tidy the house properly once and for all I have turned to the tidying godess that has received high praise across social media in the recent months.  So fingers crossed her magic works on me!

Doing - Business Planning

This month has seen me helping my husband make plans for creating a business that fits around our family and gives him a way to share his talents.  To be honest I have thoroughly enjoyed this, donning my creative and marketing hats again.  Also one of the ideas will mean I can collaborate with him.  Watch this space.....

Listening - Adele, Foxes and Jo Whiley

This month I have continued to play Adele's new album, 25, whilst in the car.  A damn good sing along on my long drives home from work have been the tonic I needed as the dark evenings have become a little depressing.  My other love this month has been Foxes, I absolutely love this band and have added them to my various playlists this month.  Also this month I have been making sure I listen to Jo Whiley's Radio 2 show as much as possible, whether this is live or on catch up.  For me Jo's show is a celebration of talented musicians, old and new, whilst catching up with an old friend or big sister.  

Watching - War and Peace and Call The Midwife

After spending so much in the company of Dr McDreamy and the cast of Greys Anatomy whilst I devoured box set after box set on Amazon Prime, I needed a new fix.  This time it wasn't a hospital based medical drama, the only blood to be seen is on the battle field, or in childbirth. Having never read War and Peace, I know a terrible admission for a literature graduate, I was intrigued by the new adaptation.  Thankfully this does not disappoint and I am loving the character development, drama and beautiful location and costume of this epic.  Call The Midwife has become a firm favourite with myself and the girls, making time every Thursday after school to watch an episode in the wintry months, so we are thrilled that January saw it's return.  

What have you been up to this month? Any recommendations?!

Until next time, take care.

Zoe

xo

A Summer of Festivals - Camp Bestival

There is a hint of warmer days ahead and with thoughts of summer we are starting to think about where we will be pitching our tent this summer.  Obviously I won't have the same degree of flexibility this summer as I start my new career, but panic not, I will be taking some annual leave to head to a festival or two with Andy and our children.  So I thought over the next few weeks I would share some of our favourites and those we want to try.

Camp Bestival is top of our list again this year, with a line up to rival previous years and a theme that is really exciting for us.  Being outdoors, enjoying the wild has been part of our lives for years so the Wild theme of our favourite festival is of course perfect, nevermind that Michaela Strachan and Steve Backshall being there and of course we loved the National Trust activities last year, especially climbing that huge tree.  So undoubtedly we will be heading to Dingly Dell early on the Friday! Of course the music line up is important too, there is always music on in our house and we all love sharing new finds and old tunes with each other.  With the Kaiser Chiefs, Clean Bandit and Ella Henderson included in the line up, everyone is happy, but for me it has to be Soul II Soul.  This band is the sound of the summers of my sixth form days.  Immediately I am taken back to the hazy days of being a teenager, planning my escape via university, lazing around with friends, just chilling and knowing that this hacienda will end again soon as our studies transplant us around the country.  

Obviously there is a plethora of other acts and activities, with the comedy line up press release landing in my inbox yesterday, including Marcus Brigstocke, Matt Richardson and Kerry Godliman. And with the promise of more acts to be announced I am sure Camp Bestival is heading for it's best year yet.  

To find out more about Camp Bestival or to book tickets, go on you know you want to....head over to the website...on your marks, get set go....www.campbestival.net

Have a fabulous weekend and until next time, take care.
Zoe
xo

Summer Sounds On The Go

There are times in our busy house that you just want a little space to listen to your music choices, not everyone elses, to watch just one more episode of Homeland or Frozen for the umpteenth time.  The solution of course has been headphones.  Giving everyone the chance to watch or listen to whatever their latest favourite may be, without the rest of the house being subjected to it again and again.  Plugging themselves into their phone or tablet has meant fewer arguments, especially in the last year or so.  So when Coloud asked if we would like to test their range of headphones we were delighted.  Personally I loved the bright colours, knowing that they would brighten up a run on a dull morning, when I didn't really want to head outside, but I was intrigued to see if they actually delivered a decent sound too.

The Pop

These neatly designed little headphones pop into you ears, with covers in three sizes to prevent them falling out, unlike other brands that aren't so snug.  Lucy regularly watches her favourite vloggers on You Tube and prefers in ear headphones, so she has willingly tested The Pop.  She loves that the wires don't get tangled due to the flat design but most importantly the sound quality is excellent.  Lucy has said there is little disturbance from external noise and whether she is watching a video or listening to her latest music choices these little headphones deliver fantastic sound.  Aswell as the excellent sound quality she was interested to see there were different colour combinations available, which is important to every fashion loving teen.

The Knock

These were our least favourite pair that we tested.  Lucy and Jack compared them to being similar to school headphones and found external noise was heard more with this pair.  However The Knock are a lightweight overhead design which both Kitty and Amber liked as they didn't feel heavy on their head.  Again the flat cord was a hit, meaning the headphones could be worn quickly without having to unscramble the cords first.

The Boom

The Boom had the majority vote as our family favourite.  The closed construction design meant interference from external noise was virtually non-existent.  Jack regularly watches movies and listens to music on his laptops and has tried various sets of headphones over the past few years.  He was very impressed with The Boom and was surprised when I told him the price (£20), as he thought they would be much more expensive considering the quality of sound produced.  Connor was equally impressed with these and they also get mine and Andys vote.  Similarly to the other two pairs The Boom has flat cables, which really impressed us all, yet Andy and I are interested to see how this lasts in the longterm, knowing that cables do work loose with time.


The Pop, The Knock and The Boom are all available from Coloud's website.  Each design is available in various colour choices, allowing you to personally style your perfect set of headphones.

Until next time, take care.
Zoe
xo

Disclaimer - Coloud generously provided us with a pair of each headphone design, however as always all opinions are mine and my family's own.