VAN LIFE Archives - Beth Sandland

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Freedom Camping in Australia and New Zealand

Freedom Camping in Australia and New Zealand

11/19/2019 · AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, TRAVEL, VAN LIFE

How to Choose a Campervan to Hire for your Road Trip

How to Choose a Campervan to Hire for your Road Trip

10/20/2019 · AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, TRAVEL, VAN LIFE

How to Choose a Campervan: a comparison guide of rental campervan models, hire a campervan in Australia or New Zealand, van life, campervan life, Noosa Queensland

10 Things You Wanted to Know About Hiring a Campervan in Australia and New Zealand

10 Things You Wanted to Know About Hiring a Campervan in Australia and New Zealand

09/11/2019 · AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, TRAVEL, TRAVEL TIPS, VAN LIFE

21 Day South Island Road Trip: The Ultimate New Zealand Guide

21 Day South Island Road Trip: The Ultimate New Zealand Guide

07/21/2019 · NEW ZEALAND, TRAVEL, VAN LIFE

AWARDS

Cosmopolitan Travel Influencer of the Year 2019 Winner
Blogosphere Travel Influencer of the Year 2019 Short List
Cosmopolitan Best Newcomer 2018 Shortlist
Blogosphere Lifestyle Blogger of the Year 2018

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Eyes on the avo baby, eyes on the avo 👀🥑 At

Eyes on the avo baby, eyes on the avo 👀🥑 At 4 and a lil bit months old, this one is suddenly distracted by *everything*. I struggle to even feed him anywhere that isn’t a quiet, dim room anymore. He’ll give me niplash trying to watch the TV behind him and restaurants are an absolute sensory partaaay of lights/sound/colours/faces. Although it’s definitely a tricky age in terms of sleep (hi 2, 3, 4 & 5am last night…), fussiness and moods, I LOVE seeing his little personality develop more and more every day. He loves smiling at people, chats constantly and is low-key obsessed with watching the Olympics from his bouncer which at least gives me five for a hot ☕️😴 What was/is your favourite age?

ad: Even at the beach, we’re always home thanks

ad: Even at the beach, we’re always home thanks to our Ring doorbell. I bought it for my husband for Christmas and it’s come in so handy with a baby (I can ask couriers to leave parcels on the doorstep when I’m sat feeding, or under a sleeping 👶🏼 AND we can mute the chime 👌🏼) and post-lockdown now we’re venturing further from home. Keep an eye on what’s going on at your property whilst you’re away with motion detection and doorbell notifications straight to your phone. No parcels left out on the front step all week! Have you got a @ring doorbell? #RingofSecurity

Wedding vibes! The sun shined, there was singing i

Wedding vibes! The sun shined, there was singing in church and champagne and canapés and dancing and cake and it was just glorious 😍💍✨ Do you have any weddings this year? It was our first of 3! I love a wedding and the sense of occasion was even more special after the last 18 months. PS. This dress was really easy to feed in! The straps are stretchy and I wore a nude bandeau underneath that I could discreetly pull down🤱🏻💕

4 months of YOU 💖⚡️🌈
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You are an absolute dream come true Ziggy Rex. You’ve already perfected the most infectious smile that you’re incredibly liberal at dishing out. You’re growing bigger and stronger every day and we just love watching your personality develop. Can we believe it’s been 4 months already?! 🥰
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Bodysuit: @riverfinleyandfriends
Striped blanket: @hm_kids
Knitted blanket: handmade gift
Milestone cards: @paper_tots
Rattle: @kongessloejd

ad! Espresso yourself 💃🏻☕️ If you’re t

ad! Espresso yourself 💃🏻☕️ If you’re time strapped but love an easy self-care sesh AND the smell of coffee, you’ve got to give @frank_bod Original Coffee Scrub a go. I was challenged to use it a few times a week throughout July (and actually, I’ve been a customer since 2016 so was already a firm convert 😍). It leaves your skin instantly soft and supple and works away at stubborn areas; I’ve been focusing on the pimply chicken skin on the back of my arms and post-baby stretch marks on my 🍑. If like me, you’re a bit lazy when it comes to body care, try frank body’s Original Coffee Scrub! ✨☕️ #thefrankeffect

First toes in the ocean moment 🥰🌊✨
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I’ll be honest, I put that swimsuit on for the first time in a year and felt extremely uncomfortable. I’m just glad I didn’t allow that to make me miss this ‘first’. I’m still learning to accept my changed body. I’m also trying to challenge my ingrained ideas of what a ‘good’ body looks like. To shift more towards neutrality; how someone looks is almost always the least interesting thing about them. It’s a journey. I can’t say I particularly like it yet, even though it grew, and now feeds, my son. The belly that is so celebrated for its growth in pregnancy is so easy to vilify in ourselves post-natal. I feel a sense of guilt that it’s been 15 weeks. But then, it’s only been 15 weeks. Society has a lot to answer for. Just know that it’s okay to acknowledge that your postpartum body did something incredible whilst simultaneously struggling with the shift. You don’t have to love and celebrate it if that feels too much, but if you can then you absolutely deserve to (whether you’ve had a baby or not). 🧡
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Ziggy’s swimsuit: @marksandspencer
Mine: @fandfclothing (last year)

Seaside nap vibes ✌🏼🐆🍦⚡️
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carrier: @artipoppe (ad/pr) #babywearingdad

Be more Ziggy ⚡️✌🏼 Want to campervan with

Be more Ziggy ⚡️✌🏼 Want to campervan with a baby? Here are my top tips:
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☀️ Pack light. Even the best laid out vans are small and you really don’t need much! E.g. Carrier over pram, no need for toys (there’s SO much going on to stimulate them) etc.
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☀️ Co-sleep. Unless you hire a whopping RV there is not space for a travel cot so co-sleeping is pretty essential. We love the Sleepyhead (now @dockatot.uk) for travel naps. In this VW Transporter, le husband slept in the roof bed and Ziggy and I on the bottom one.
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☀️ Pack layers (for you and baby!) rather than pretty outfits.
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☀️ A flat bouncer (we LOVE the @babybjorn one) is super handy. Probably contradicts tip # 1 but because it goes completely flat it was never in the way. It was great for Ziggy to have a seat when we sat on our camping chairs in the evening and he even chilled in it inside the van with the bed up.
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☀️ Set up a nappy change station on the ‘kitchen’ when you go to bed. When the bed is out there isn’t much room and you might want to change a nappy before folding the entire bed back in the morning. Anything that makes life easier pre-coffee…
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☀️ Baths = warm flannel. Totally adequate for a bit, though he did shower with me once after a 💩 explosion which was fine!
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☀️ Plan at least one night on a campsite with a washer/dryer and prepare to pay £723 in 20ps for the privilege…
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☀️ Download episodes/films before you leave for some evening entertainment
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☀️ Muslins. All the muslins. Oh wait, that’s just life…
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Any other tips? Or for older sprogs? 👶🏼🚐🗺
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Van: @staycationscotland
Outfit: @polarnopyretuk
Hat: @christines_vintage_babyknits

ad! Beach baby 🌞✨⚡️ Twinning with my mini

ad! Beach baby 🌞✨⚡️ Twinning with my mini me in @newbielovers latest collection; Tiny Footprints in the Sand. If, like me, you’re always on the hunt for gorgeous, neutral, earthy baby and children’s clothes at an affordable price then tap the link in my bio! Even better when they do matching pieces for Mama too 💛 #newbielovers

Ohhh you melt me 😩🥰 this little chickpea lea

Ohhh you melt me 😩🥰 this little chickpea learnt to ROLL this weekend! Obviously I cried, picked him up to celebrate and he weed all over me (nappy free). It’s crazy to think we’re already more than a quarter of the way through his first year and just how far he’s come. 🧡
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Romper: @another.fox (ad/pr)

Mum guilt…my hot topic of the day after Ziggy we

Mum guilt…my hot topic of the day after Ziggy went Edward Scissorhands on his little cheek because I didn’t cut his nails in time. 😢 I’ve never done baby massage. I pick a book for our bedtime feed every night but sometimes just scroll on my phone instead of reading it to him….I put a question box on my story but many of the things that people are feeling like guilty mamas over are so similar that I thought I’d open it up here instead, in case it helps to see that you’re absolutely not alone. One thing that I definitely don’t feel guilty for is taking ‘me time’. This week he’s hung out with both his Dad and his Granny while I’ve gone to the gym. In previous weeks I’ve left him to get my nails done. Even just popping to the shop on my own…Sure, I get that “did I forget to put underwear on?” somethings-missing feeling and exclusively breastfeeding, I only get up to two hours freedom anyway, but ultimately it makes me a better mum. What are you currently feeling the mum guilt over? I guarantee you’re not alone 💕

3 months of you 🌈💘 I think this might be my

3 months of you 🌈💘 I think this might be my favourite age so far. Still little and snuggly but super smiley, ‘chatty’ and interactive. It’s a JOY watching him start to actually experience the world 🥰

Postcards from the Isle of Skye 💌🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 SAVE this post for later (the little bookmark button in the right corner under the photo) if you’re planning a visit…🗺
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VIEWS 📸
• Kilt Rock (second pic)
• Brothers Point (first pic)
• Portree Harbour (fourth pic)
• Quiraing (third & sixth pic)
• Sligachan (fifth & seventh pic)
• Neist Point Lighthouse
• Lealt Falls
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WALKS/ADVENTURE 🌿
• Fairy Pools (2.4km round)
• The Fairy Glen (2km round)
• Quiraing (6.5km round)
• Coral Beach (3.2km round)
• Old Man of Storr (3.8km round)
• Camasunary Bay (9.2km round)
• The Point of Sleat (8.9km round)
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FOOD 🍕 (*book ahead)
• Pizza in the Skye (Howdens Carpark, Portree, £)
• The Three Chimneys (£££)*
• Seafood Shop (£)
• Skye’s Oldest Bakery (Dunvegan Bakery, £)
• Red Skye Restaurant (££)*
• Chidakasha (veg/vegan, ££)*
• Loch Bay Restaurant (££)*
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CONVENIENCE 👛
• Large Co-Op in Broadford & Portree
• Boots in Portree
• Fuel: Armadale, Broadford, Portree, Uig & Dunvegan)
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Book a van via @staycationscotland and explore 😍 Any spots to add? #isleofskye #innerhebrides #scotlandexplore

“Going on holiday with a baby is just paying to

“Going on holiday with a baby is just paying to parent in another location”…If I can offer just one tip about travelling with a baby it’s to ignore that nugget. Of course you still have to parent. Of course you have to adjust your expectations and sacrifice some of the things a holiday entailed pre-kids. But even after a broken night (especially after a broken night) a change of scene can work wonders. Early starts mean fewer crowds, walks in the pram or sling means plenty of exploring new places and you’ll make plenty of memories (and no, the baby won’t remember, but you will). We’ve also been astonished by the immense difference in him in just two weeks - growth and new skills that we probably wouldn’t have noticed as much with the distractions of work and home. So don’t let other people put you off, if adventuring with a tiny human is something you’re excited to do 🥰 PS. Zoom in to see how much Ziggy enjoyed his night at Loch Ness 🤣

Feet up, staycation vibes ✌🏼🚐 Picked up a

Feet up, staycation vibes ✌🏼🚐 Picked up a campervan this weekend to explore the highlands and Skye with our tiny adventurer. So…Scotland is giving me all the NZ vibes! Swap sandflies for bastard midges (😳) and L&P for Irn-Bru - there are stunning mountains, valleys, waterfalls and lochs around every corner! This was our wild camp on the first night, just outside Glencoe. I wish the rest of the UK would get on board with allowing respectful wild camping…Moving owning a campervan higher up our goals list, though my backpacker days might be wearing thin because I was totally eyeing up the motorhome styles with showers and loos at the ferry port yesterday. 🚿👀
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Any favourite spots on Skye, near Loch Ness or Loch Lomond? Or anywhere in between the three!
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Campervan rental: @staycationscotland ⛰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #scotlandexplore #babytravel #scottishhighlands

12 weeks of YOU. The littlest love of my life. You

12 weeks of YOU. The littlest love of my life. You are pure sunshine Ziggy Rex 💛🌈

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