I TOOK some time off last week.

Away from work and the blog (although I still managed to squeeze a few posts in) and what do you know?! It was rather bloomin’ lovely.

Elsie, the husband and I had a family day out on Friday to go and see ‘some animals’. Although Elsie kept referring to it as the ‘farm’ it was a little more exciting than that (sorry sheep, cows etc) as we got up close and personal (kinda) with lions, tigers, polar bears and giraffes to name just a few.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is one of my favourite places, a true gem and luckily for me, only about 45 mins away from where we live. We’ve been a number of times (last time to celebrate Elsie’s first birthday) and I can say – hand on heart- that every time we go, it just gets better and better.

Unlike a zoo, the animals have plenty of room to roam and do their thang and a few hours pottering around the Park is pretty good exercise for us humans too, especially little people. Plus all that fresh air is good for the lungs! And the soul.

There’s plenty to do, some amazing animals to appreciate and lots of seating areas to rest and have a pit stop. Now you may think this isn’t a priority when it comes to choosing a family day out, but let me tell you – when your toddler’s level of crankiness reaches it’s peak, finding a spot to sit and tuck into some sarnies is a must!

Having family days out is so important to me, because it’s all about that special quality time and creating happy memories. Time can go all too quickly if we’re not too careful which is why days out with our ‘little monkey’ are very precious indeed.

Elsie’s favourite animal at the Park? A pig. I kid you not. (Perhaps we should have gone to the local farm after all!)

Roll on to Saturday and it was time for the husband and I to enjoy some rare time to ourselves too as we hotfooted it to Malmaison Leeds for a night.

It was our first night away as a couple since I was pregnant (three years ago -blimey!) and it was just what the lurve doctor ordered.

We wined, we dined, we er….had a good time, and I even managed to get an hour to myself in a bath full of bubbles. A rare  luxurious treat indeed.

Leeds is a city I know pretty well so I’m always happy to visit and the hotel was lovely (although I have to say nowhere near as nice as other hotels I’ve visited in the Malmaison chain which was rather surprising.)

All in all, it did us the absolute world of good and even though I suffered dreadfully from motherhood guilt and we came home to an unsettled Elsie (who kept telling me how she was sad because she’d missed Mummy and Daddy and cried in the night – *weeps and reaches for wine*) it was worth it.

The reconnecting, the break, the time alone, the lie in, the cup of tea in bed – was pure and utter bliss.

So often we overlook how important quality time is to our happiness when life – with it’s menagerie of stuff and errands- gets in the way.

But quality time, creates quality relationships AND a quality life.

And if that’s not enough of a reason to make more time for quality, then I honestly don’t know what is.

Now then, what shall we get up to next? (Ideas on a postcard to….)

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With love,

Kate