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by yablon | July 29, 2013

Princess and the Pea.. and her bed linen

I was under the impression that good bed linen lasts for a lifetime. We picked out some fabulous Egyptian cotton sheets and duvet covers for our wedding list and now, some 13 years later, it is no longer fabulous. (Maybe that’s because He and I have been married a lifetime?)

Sanderson’s aqua Tiger Stripe from K&Co

So I wondered if perhaps, in a cost-saving, waste-not-want-not world, I should opt for replacement sheets of less good quality. But this would jar with the love affair I have with my bed and the fact that I honestly look forward to bedtime ALL day long. So I have decided that I can’t scrimp and save and that only the best will do for this Princess to be blissfully unaware of THAT pea….

Talking of princesses, anyone who knows anything about the internationally renowned design and decorating brand, Sanderson, will be aware of its long-standing Royal Warrant. (Sanderson still supplies fabrics, paint and wall coverings to HM Queen Elizabeth II and British Royal Palaces.)

So, I hunted down a fresh aqua stripe and found Sanderson’s 200 thread count Tiger Stripe in K&Co’s range of bedding.

Fit for any princess. Now I just need to keep the Smalls out!

Smalls invasion to my bed heaven

I worked on this post with K&Co, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I couldn’t possibly detox

I know that a full detox isn’t for me. It’s not that I’m not interested in how one can detox – on the contrary – I’m actually fascinated by the whole process and even obsess about how brilliant it would be to do it. But in reality, I don’t have what it takes: determination, strength of character and a burning desire to be detoxed.

detox reverse

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I tried the juice cleanse and both hated and loved it in equal measure. I loathe everything about the 5:2 diet and all who gloat about it. And I know I should drink more water but the constant pee-ing gets on my nerves.

It’s not that I’m SUCH an indulger either. Cheese, ice-cream and good,strong coffee are all within arm’s reach downstairs but I do also consume more than my five-a-day of the good stuff. And… when my foodie friend recently popped in for a green tea, she dropped a top tipple (detox) tip which I did try this weekend while nursing a hangover: handful of mint, an inch of fresh ginger root plus half a cucumber, lime and lemon all simply dropped into a jug of water. Delicious and refreshing – but that was as far as I went.

a long detox tipple

So imagine my delight when I got a press release telling me all about the new Patch-It called Detox. For those who are as unaware as I was, Patch-It is the original reflexology patch expert. As I read down the release I felt increasing comfortable with this effortless patch detox process: simply place these large plasters on the soles of your feet before bedtime, it explained. The mardarin wood vinegar and mineral crystals in these ‘plasters’ (apparently) stimulate key reflexology points on your feet delivering (wait for it) oxygen to your skin and drawing out those awful toxins. I gave it a go.

Detox Patch-It hard at work

Effortless being the key here. If detoxing can be done while I sleep, I’m game.

Detox Patch-It retails at £29.99 for 20 patches (ie 10 day supply)

HMS Belfast and my grandfather the sailor

Grandpa Harold, Captain in the Navy

I was around the same age as my Smalls are now when I first visited HMS Belfast with my maternal grandparents. It was a proud moment for my grandfather as he had been Captain of a minesweeper during the Second World War. Responsible for the dangerous task of removing the mines planted by the Germans to obstruct the Allies’ shipping, he was on Active Service for the entire war.

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the list of my grandfather’s ships during the war

Taking us on board and showing us around HMS Belfast was his way of communicating how he had lived, fought and survived during his distinguished career in the Navy. I adored listening to his stories but, of course now that he isn’t around to ask, I wish I had quizzed him further.

Small gawps at the great, big ship

Last Friday I took the Smalls on board this ship, the largest and most powerful cruiser in the Royal Navy, to meet her Chief Yeoman and tour guide. They soaked up his stories and anecdotes of life on board this 77-year-old warship. The gun turrets, swinging hammocks, messes, operating theatre, provisions room, kitchen… every square foot of the ship illustrates yet another aspect of these brave sailors’ daily lives.

a real gun on board HMS Belfast

the tightly-packed hammocks, slung just 52cm apart…

the ship’s kitchen

… and gruesome operating theatre

As invitees of Imperial War Museums, we were all treated to a delicious lunch in their recently opened Upper Deck Bar at the entrance to HMS Belfast. While we munched on some delicious smoked salmon sandwiches, the spectacular view of Tower Bridge inspired yet more patriotic emotions.

view of Tower Bridge from Upper Deck Bar

Our last treat was to retreat to the bowels of the ship where we learnt about Dazzle Camouflage from IWM’s informal learning manager. Through a creative workshop it was explained to us that in order to make it more difficult for the Germans to estimate a target’s range or speed, the Navy ships were decorated with complex patterns of geometric shapes in contrasting colours. We were each given a printout of a ship to decorate before we headed home full of questions about life at sea during the war.

our ship dazzle camouflage

Mini became a whizz at the ladders

A huge thank you to Imperial War Museums for an equally fun and educational visit to HMS Belfast which brought back memories of my own childhood.

Family Yablon in Montestigliano, Tuscany

Palazzo Danati, Montestigliano

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Once upon a time (1953 to be precise) the head of an aristocratic Italian family searched high and low for a holiday home he could call his own. The moment he set his eyes on the agricultural property of a then very run-down Montestigliano, set in the Tuscan countryside, he knew that he had found what he was looking for; a perfect location for him and his large family.

view from my bedroom window

The cluster of farmhouses and villas sit on the top of a hill with a stunning view of the Sienese countryside, the olive groves, vineyards and acres of woodlands– and, today, Family Donati has renovated the property and continue to maintain the estate as an agriturismo.

one of the older farm tractors

Family Yablon were also searching, some 50 years later, for a holiday location to suit all our needs. Remote, relaxing, rural – ideally in Italy. And following a friend’s recommendation, 2 properties (facing each other) were booked to house us all.

breakfast view

The 9 of us ate, slept, swam, cooked and cooked and ate some more.

Italian family style meals

Montestigliano offers its guests 2 swimming pools – one for noisy divers and the other for more peaceful plungers.

adult-only pool

A night of opera in the main square of Montestigliano pleased both the uncultured and opera-lovers amongst us.

an evening of opera arias in the palazzo

Together with our morning visit to Siena, we felt culturally satisfied.

streets of Siena

The Internet access is sporadic and the TVs non-existant therefore providing the digital detox we all needed.

unbelievably delicious Montestigliano olive oil

Brother found that the property surrounding Montestigliano is webbed with trails waiting to be explored – he even managed to drag Lord Y and me out for a pre-breakfast sunrise trek…

early morning trek

… where we encountered a truffle hunter with his dogs

the truffle hunter gave us one of his truffles!

In summary, the setting is rural. Embrace it or miss out on an unforgettable Tuscan adventure.

To book, email the marvellously efficient Francesco who made our stay utterly memorable.

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lifeofyablon.com

Princess and the Pea.. and her bed linen

I couldn’t possibly detox

HMS Belfast and my grandfather the sailor

Family Yablon in Montestigliano, Tuscany

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