I love visiting eateries that have been recommended by others whether that is through websites or verbally.
It's a good starting point and stops me from wandering around aimlessly trying to find a place to eat.
But sometimes when you have more time on your hands and you...

Want to feel on top of the world (well in the UK at least)?

Then why not head off to Alston - the market town claims to be the highest in England, being about 1000 feet above sea level?

It lies within the North Pennines area of outstanding natural beauty,...

When you're surrounded by snow, the last thing on your mind is to venture out into the great outdoors for a walk.
Perhaps even less likely is to brave the cold in your bikini.
But with an inviting hot tub overlooking the Lakes, it was an offer I...

Many hostels vary from downright abysmal to great.

And although it is rare to find a really poor inhabitable one nowadays, visitors can often feel they lack character or sociability.

But just because you are booking into a budget room, you don't necessarily have to settle for dull, grey and...

Nowadays it seems giving somebody a normal gift is so boring.

And in my opinion with good reason too. It saves us from exchanging it on eBay for a start!
You see, in this day and age when most of us are working and have financial freedom, we indulge...

Set in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, Simonstone Hall really is unique - and looked even more magical with a good dusting of snow this week. I don't know how, but I managed to get to the magnificent country house while the rest of the country practically came to a standstill...

Ski season is well and truly upon us and the ski enthusiasts amongst us are busy gearing up to plough the pistes.

But if you haven't skied since last year, you may find that you're a wee bit rusty and could do with oiling up those muscles before heading off...

Perhaps it's the lack of pink fluffy towels or that the men in and around Essex are a tad more in tune with their feminine side, but I've never seen as many men in a spa than the Lifehouse.
Wandering around in their white robes and slippers, men can...

In an age where we're all becoming internet savvy, spending more and more time on computers divulging our personal information through no fault of our own, it's no surprise then that cyber crime in on the increase.

Spam emails, fake sites and hoax products are all used to lure bargain...

I've never been much of a skier or a mountain bike rider and I'm certainly no expert in either.
But it's not because I'm not interested. Instead, it's more to do with a lack of time and money
So when I had the chance to escape to...

It's not until you embark on a body sculpting journey like mine that you realise how important food is.

Not only to give you energy for all that heavy lifting, but also to rebuild muscle and actually get that toned physical look you're aspiring to have.

I've seen a good...

Some people are born knowing how to cycle, skateboard or even horse ride.
And although I wasn't born knowing how to do the first two, I have discovered I may have been born with a gene that makes me a bit of a natural when it comes to horse...

After kayaking in the fjords, hiking the Ox mountain, and completing my first ever via ferrata in a beautiful but cold Norway, I was looking forward to some much needed R&E in Madeira.
But first I faced the prospect of slumming it on the airport concourse floor at...

Ok the term 'grunting' is probably more closer to the truth! But hey, I am a journalist so exaggeration just comes to me naturally.

Honestly, I used to walk past the boys in the weight room and hear their 'grunts' and be alarmed.
"Was it really necessary to make...

It's coming up to two months now since I began my body sculpting journey and I guess you can say I am getting into the rhythm of things.

After some tweaking and changing I've got my food down to a tee, I've finally learned not to over do it on...

So everything has been running smoothly over the past 5 weeks in my body sculpting quest.
I've been to the gym at regular times, my eating has been tweaked over the weeks as I learn more about the importance of nutrition, and I felt like I was really getting...

It's funny how when you mention to people the challenge you are doing, that they all become some of kind of experts on the topic.
Honestly, I've been offered all sorts of advice from people who haven't even set foot in the gym before.
Worse still there are...

They say that if you want to be achieve something and be like someone, then you need to start hanging out with like minded people.
Not a problem !
Well, as if I needed any more encouragement than that to surround myself with ripped bodied hunks eh?
...

The weights room can be an intimidating place for anyone let alone a newcomer and especially if you are a woman.

Er, was that a glower from that dude built-as-a-brick on the bench press as I just walked in? I like to think myself of a confident hard woman -...

Body sculpting, has fascinated me for a long time - and that was way before Jodie Marsh popped up on our screens looking all honed and toned. And now with Olympic fever gripping the entire nation, I know I'm not alone in being jaw-droppingly fascinated by the scores of athletic...