Celebrating Creativity: Amanda’s Beaded Charms

As the new year begins, it feels like the perfect time to shine a light on creativity, patience, and passion — and that’s exactly what my wife brings to her crafting pastime, Amanda’s Beaded Charms.

What started as a love for beadwork has grown into something truly special. This year, Amanda decided to branch out in an exciting new direction by creating intricate insect designs made entirely from beads. From delicate wings to carefully shaped bodies, each piece is thoughtfully designed and beautifully detailed.

These creations are not quick makes. Every beaded insect takes a significant amount of time, focus, and skill to produce. The process requires steady hands, a creative eye, and a lot of patience — qualities Amanda brings to every piece she makes. The result is a collection of unique charms that showcase both craftsmanship and imagination.

Amanda’s Beaded Charms is a wonderful example of how a simple pastime can evolve into an art form. As she continues to experiment and develop new designs throughout the year, I can’t wait to see where her creativity takes her next.

Here’s to a new year of inspiration, beautiful beadwork, and handcrafted creations that truly stand out.

Rateswitch 2.0 Relaunch

Wishing Lee Every Success with the Launch of RateSwitch  2.0

It’s always inspiring to see someone take a bold step forward, and this week we’re delighted to celebrate exactly that.

My cousin, Lee, has officially relaunched his mortgage comparison company under the new and improved name RateSwitch 2.0. The launch event took place in the heart of the Welsh capital, Cardiff, marking an exciting new chapter for both Lee and the business.

RateSwitch 2.0 represents more than just a refresh — it’s a renewed commitment to helping people navigate the mortgage market with clarity, confidence, and access to better deals. Relaunching a business takes courage, vision, and a huge amount of hard work, and Lee has poured all three into this new venture.

We’re incredibly proud of him and want to wish him all the success in the world as he embarks on this next stage of his journey. If passion and determination count for anything, RateSwitch 2.0 is off to a flying start.

Here’s to new beginnings, big ambitions, and continued success in Cardiff and beyond.

A New Year 2026

As we step into a new year, we want to take a moment to wish all our family, friends, and wonderful visitors a happy and healthy New Year! May 2026 bring you joy, prosperity, and countless memories to cherish.

We are excited to celebrate our 26th year of blogging! It has been an incredible journey, and we look forward to sharing more stories, insights, and experiences with you in the coming year. Thank you for being a part of our community. Here's to new beginnings and a year filled with inspiration!

Boxing day

On Boxing Day, we woke to a beautifully cold and crisp morning, with clear blue skies and a bracing winter wind that made it feel unmistakably festive.

We met up with Lee, Cari, and Jude and headed off to the seaside town of Barry Island, wrapped up snugly in our winter coats as we wandered along the seafront. The funfair added to the holiday atmosphere, tempting Lisa and Cari to brave one of the rides despite the chill.

   

Soon it was time to warm up with a sausage roll and a hot drink before popping into the amusement arcade for some classic slot-machine fun.

We then took a gentle stroll down to the beach, where the kids ran freely, laughing as they drew pictures in the sand.

 Eventually, it was time to say our goodbyes — never easy, and just as emotional as ever.

In the evening, Angela and Chris pitched up for a drink and another lovely Boxing day meal.

Christmas Day 2025

Christmas Day kicked off perfectly with Chef Andrew cooking up delicious bacon rolls and pouring mugs of steaming hot coffee — the calm before a wonderfully festive day.

Lee arrived with Cari and Jude, who were bursting with excitement. Watching them tear into their presents under the Christmas tree was an absolute delight, their happy faces saying it all.

The grown-ups then swapped gifts including sets of amusing personalised socks and a unscheduled game of footsie took place on the coffee table.

We then all sat down to an incredible Christmas dinner prepared by Andrew.

The choice of food had to be seen to believed. 

The afternoon flew by with plenty of laughs, fun games, glasses of wine, and a few cheeky chocolate treats. It was a day filled with warmth, laughter, and pure Christmas joy.

5 Christmas eve

The day started with a trip into Central Cardiff to run a few errands, and who should we bump into, only "Pastie Pam" from Pissouri. We had taken the train into Cardiff and were impressed by the new "Tap &Go" they now use on Transport for Wales.

In the evening we joined. Lee and Auntie Pat for a Christmas drink at the Fairwater pub. The pub was busy but with a lovely atmosphere.

We returned home to enjoy a lovely Chinese takeaway .

Another Surprise and a Pantomime

We joined Lisa and Pat and set off for the town of Cwmbran, where we surprised Cari and Jude with our visit to South Wales. The surprise was a complete success, bringing plenty of excitement, hugs, and even the odd happy tear.

We headed into a cosy local café to warm up with coffee and hot chocolate before strolling over to the Congress Theatre to enjoy the pantomime Cinderella. Laughter filled the theatre as everyone cheered, booed, and clapped along while the cast delivered a wonderfully entertaining performance.

Afterwards, Cari declared it was time for a spontaneous “Secret Santa” trip to the local Poundshop. However, waiting until Christmas Day proved far too difficult, so the game was swiftly renamed CUSS – Cari’s Unwrapped Secret Santa. The biggest laugh of the evening came when Rob unwrapped… an Easter egg!

We then returned home for a lively quiz, where the girls’ team emerged victorious. To round off the celebrations, Andrew prepared a superb charcuterie board, which we all enjoyed together with a glass of chilled wine — the perfect ending to a joyful and festive day.