What makes the perfect family holiday?
Even though the boys will be 3 years old, in less than a month’s time, I don’t have much to reference in terms of our ‘perfect family holiday’ as we haven’t actually had one yet.
And don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a pity party, we’ve had some lovely, lovely weekends away and done some amazing things, together as a family.
We’ve been on camping adventures, to festivals and on day trips.
We’ve played on a beach.
The boys haven’t been in the sea yet but we were lucky enough to go to to Bluestone in Wales , for four days last year, and they went in an amazing wave pool.
They’ve even played in the snow and built a snowmen (albeit, in our back garden and not on the slopes of Val-d’Isère).
But as I look at all of these pictures it strikes me that, even though they mark exciting little milestones in my son’s lives, they’re just a little bit *flat*.
The scenery is more ‘turgid’ than technicolor. And on closer inspection, it dawned on me that they’re all lacking in a couple of vital ingredients.
Colour and sunshine.
Now I’m a sucker for colour in all it’s guises. From the sunniest, happy inducing yellows, to soft and delicate shell pinks. I love every colour of the rainbow and all the shades in between.
I work with colour — in my day job — and write about it constantly, here on my blog, in the form of my Pantone series.
Colour surrounds us. Although very often, in our everyday lives, we don’t stop to pay it any attention.
We’re all so busy — trying to get to somewhere on time, making supper, shopping — just living life in general, that we sometimes forget to take a step back and admire the scenery.
Then we go abroad and the pace slows down. And glorious colour fills our eyes, like an assault on the senses.
Cobalt blue skies, clear aquamarine seas or mountains topped with heathery purple and violet. Vibrant markets, colourful stuccoed buildings and lustrous fruits and vegetables.
Overseas holidays seem to treat us to a kaleidoscope of colour, that seems to be lacking, here a home.
I think sunshine has a big part to play. That magical star, that radiates it’s warmth on our planet, changing flat grey skies to blue.
Adding light to everything and bathing all it touches in a golden glow.
Sunshine gives the sea it’s sparkle, makes the grass seem a little greener, the sky bluer, sand yellower. Gives the snow a sprinkling of glitter and just makes everything a little bit more colourful.
So on reflection, that’s what would make our perfect family holiday.
Sunshine and colour.
Perfect partners, they go hand in hand.
A bit like my beautiful boys.
To illustrate this even further, I’ve made a little film.
This is our family’s entry for the #MarkWarnerMum 2016 Family Ambassador programme in the ‘Craft’ Category! For more info on their fabulous ski and sunshine holidays visit Mark Warner.
Wish us luck!
You’re so right about colours standing out when you’re abroad. Thinking about all the colourful houses in Florida and the amazing colours in India – not that I’ve been there yet.
We’re just trying to work out how we’ll be able to go anywhere with our newborn. Camping with buggy and travel cot and stuff for her big brother – all the travel essentials. Probably won’t need the passports this year. :)
Aah bless you — we haven’t been abroad yet with the boys. They’ve just turned three and this year will be their first time on a plane! We’re off to get their passports this weekend — so excited! Travelling with newborns is such a headache isn’t it? But its such a finite time — enjoy it lovely. There’ll be plenty of time for travel when she’s a little bit older! x
Congratulations on becoming a fellow mark warner mum Caro! I absolutely loved your post and the video and I was really hoping you’d become an ambassador as your entry was so beautiful. So excited to be on the 2016 team alongside you. Very exciting year ahead :) xx
Ah pet!! Likewise!! I’m absolutely THRILLED for us all! Your beautiful photos were SO inspired — I’m so, so pleased for you.
And me ;)
I read the post at the time but couldn’t watch the film. Just saw it now. Gorgeous! Well done on winning!!!
Aah thanks SO much pet!! I still can’t quite believe it — I don’t think it’s fully sunk in yet. So thrilled! xx
Wow, this is brilliant! I’ve only just got around to reading and watching your gorgeous video and I’ve seen that you have now been announced as a very deserving winner! How exciting! Massive congrats to you and your lovely family. I hope you have some wonderful adventures as part of the programme. Well done you! Xx
Aww Sue — that’s so, so lovely of you — thanks ever so much!! I absolurelty couldn’t believe my eyes when I read the email!! So, so happy!!!! xx
Congratulations Caro! I absolutely love your family video. I cannot wait to hear all about your adventures with Mark Warner. A very well deserved win:)
Aww bless you Lisa — thank you SO much!! I really do appreciate that xxx
Oh Caro you should 100% win a spot with this beautiful video! It is lovely and I am crossing all my fingers and toes for you. We are loyal Mark Warner fans for life and I think your family would be a perfect fit. xx
Aaah thanks so much lovely — I really, really hope so! I’d absolutely love to be able to give my 3 lovely boys a holiday. I would love to be an ambassador — what an amazing opportunity!! :)
Such a lovely post. Even though I’ve applied, I hope you get a spot. You really deserve it! xx
Aaah Elfa — bless you chick — that’s such a lovely thing to say. T H A N K Y O U!! xxx
This is such a pretty video – love the music, it’s simply gorgeous. All the best of luck!
Aah thanks so much Nell — that’s so lovely of you xx
Absolutely bautiful. Best of luck in the comeptition! :-)
Thanks ever so much — really appreciate it :) x
Lovely post and beautiful video! Good luck x
Aah thanks ever so much darling — that means a lot xx
Gorgeous! Love the sentiment and creativity. Fingers crossed for you X
Thanks so much Helen :)
Love this post and your video is the cutest! You would make the perfect ambassador for mark warner xx
Thanks so much pet — I’d absolutely love it. What an amazing job!!
Your video is inspired Caro. It made me well up! Best of luck with your entry, it’s so good! X
Aaah thanks so much Claire. A friend had said stick to my strengths and I can draw (a little bit) and since I’ve been vlogging I’ve learnt to edit film. Who knows if I’m right for the role, but I’ve done my best!! Fingers crossed for you too!! xx
The one thing left for us to do is to go away as a whole family – 8 of us might make a bit of a statement. Good Luck x
Good luck to you too sweetie! A holiday for 8 is some undertaking!! You’d need to be amazing at logistics and planning!! :)
Ohhh my goodness. Your video! Just BEAUTIFUL!
Wishing you all the luck in the world lovely xxx
Aah thanks so much Georgina :) xx
I absolutely love your video – it’s just gorgeous – have shared it and wishing you ALL the luck xx
Aww bless you lovely — thanks SO much!! xxx
Good luck!! x
Thanks!
I absolutely love your video, it’s so creative and totally adorable! Good luck!xx
Aah thanks so much Sian! There is such an amazing load of entries — I’m glad I’m not a judge! :)
A lovely post and a great video, good luck with this amazing opportunity!
Thanks ever so much — that’s lovely of you :)
Oh that picture of them holding hands is just adorable! We are a family that has made the most of snowy gardens rather than the slopes – there’s still plenty of fun to be had though! Best of luck with your entry x
I agree — we’ve had three years of fun playing on wet and windy beaches and in snowy gardens! I think you can have a lot of fun holidaying in the UK :) That said, I’d love to see them playing on a sunny beach, just once! :)
Such a fantastic entry Caro! I just love your video you created. You have done one fantastic entry. Good luck lovely you and your family would be a credit to the MW brand. xx
Aw thanks so much lovely. There have been such a lot of amazing entries — I’ve really enjoyed looking at them!! :)
Good luck, this is a great entry, the Mark Warner comp is a fab opportunity x
Thanks so much Jenni — such an amazing opportunity!! :)
Good luck with your entry, I really hope you you get to take the boys away on a lovely family holiday.
Aah thanks SO much Kizzy — that’s lovely of you xx
Love the video. I’ve always wanted to go to bluestone. It looks great there. Good luck in the competition xx
Thanks so much Kerry. Bluestone is FABULOUS! We went in March last year — it was cold but fantastic!! They boys absolutely loved the swimming/wave pool. Even a year on, they still talk about it!! I’d go back there in a heartbeat :)
Beautiful video! Wishing you the best of luck xx
Thanks so much Maria :)
Oh Caro, that video is just wonderful! I’ve watched it a few times now and it’s so lovely to see how brilliantly creative you are. MW would be crazy not to pick you xx
Aww thanks ever so much!! Creativity is a double edged sword though — it means that you can’t ever just do a ‘half-baked’ job. You end up spending far too long trying to perfect things. But you know that already, as you are just the same!! ;)
Such a lovely post – we have been lucky enough to have had two holidays abroad since Pickle arrived. Sunshine and colour are definitely great to have. Good Luck! Kaz x
Thanks so much Kaz. I’m keeping my fingers crossed! :)
Good luck in the competition! xx
Thanks so much!! :)
I love reading your blog about your twin princes! I’m a twin myself and find it an amazing experience! Today we wrote a little post about being twins too. You can check it out at Joleisablog.wordpress.com
Oh by the way, I hope you’re chosen, so good luck!
Aaah another twin!!! I love that you say it’s an amazing experience :) I hope that my two grow up saying the same thing!! :) xx
I find it doesn’t matter where you go it is the family that makes the family holiday! Great post though. Good luck!
That’s a lovely sentiment and I’d love to agree with you Tori, but have you ever been on a caravan holiday, with twin toddlers, when it’s raining?! I have and, with the best will in the world, a bit of sunshine would have made all the difference!! ;)
Lovely entry and photos and good luck!
Thanks so much Claire!
Such an inspiring post, it is so easy to miss out on the beautiful scenery all around. This post is specially for those of us who live in London and are always on the fast lane. From today, I will work on enjoying the moment, it is something I rarely do as you rightly said, just because we are busy doing a whole lot of stuff.
Aah thanks so much Esther. We all lead such busy lives but trying to be a little bit mindful is a good thing isn’t it? I daresay, we can’t slow down but taking a bit more notice while we’re on the journey, is something I’m trying a little harder to do, these days :)
Good luck in the competition – and wishing you a lovely first family holiday when you get one – I always find as long as the kids are entertained we all have a lovely time – and that is exactly what companies like Mark Warner do so well.
Aah thanks so much Sonya — keeping everything crossed!! :) xx
What a wonderful post. I think the family make a holiday perfect. Good luck lovely #twinklytuesday xx
Thanks so much pet :) And I agree — I’m happy as long as I have my three boys with me :)
This is just PERFECT!!! For me, you’ve nailed it xxx
Thanks so much darling!! xx
Oh Caro. I knew your entry would be fantastic but this is pure class. Your post and video is amazing…utterly mesmerising and totally you. You’ve captured the essence of you and your family and it’s beautiful. Good luck and I hope SO much that you become an ambassador xx
Thanks so much darling — that means such a lot. I really, really struggled with the categories — I didn’t really fit into any of them — so hopefully the little film is considered craft!!
This video is beautiful. A fabulous entry. Good luck xx
Aah thanks ever so much Laura — that’s really lovely of you xx
Gorgeous post lovely! I really love your descriptions in particular. Beautiful writing! Best of luck to you all Xx
Thanks SO much Emma!! That means such a lot :) xx
Such a lovely post and a beautiful video Caro. I really hope you get an ambassador spot, it is totally well deserved and your boys will love it! xxx
Aww thanks so much gorgeous — fingers crossed xxx
Caro this is gorgeous, good luck my beautiful friend, you would make the most amazing ambassador, I love the whole concept of you beautiful creative video xx
Aww thank you SO much lovely. Am keeping my fingers crossed for you too. I think your family would be awesome ambassadors! I bet MW are thrilled with the applicants they’ve had this year. So many lovely bloggers xx
I loved this post but the video you’ve done is amazing, you should be so proud its fantastic! I’m so craving a holiday after writing my own and reading everyones entries and holiday posts! Good luck it would be totally deserved xxx
Aah thanks so much Alice, that’s so lovely of you. A wise friend had said stick to your strengths, so that’s what I tried to do :) I would LOVE to take the boys on a proper holiday — I’d love to see them on a sunny beach. Fingers crossed :)
Caro, your video is so beautiful and I’d love to see your family be picked by Mark Warner, you’d be the perfect ambassadors! Good luck my colourful friend xxx
Aww thanks so much chickie :)