Saffron & Cyrus

A little context

My WHY…

Because women deserve to believe that life can get bigger, not smaller, as they get older.

I’m interested in what happens when we get curious, try something new, look after ourselves, admit we’re struggling, change our minds and realise we’re not finished yet.

This is my story of strength, weakness, reality and utopia, four sides of a life still being written.

Why I exercise and what I really want from a fitness instructor

Featured story

Why I exercise (and what I really want from a fitness instructor)

A personal take on fitness, confidence, ageing and why I keep showing up at the gym, even when my body has other ideas.

Family adventures & travel

Places we’ve been, things we’ve tried

Family escapes, hotels, adventures and the places that give us something to talk about when we get home.

Crete, Greece


Celebrating 50 in Crete

Nine days at the Mitsis Royal Mare, with family beach days, moussaka, cats and a little midlife indulgence.


Read the story →

Strathyre, Scotland


A family escape to the woods

A log cabin, Loch Lubnaig, canoeing, cycling, Persian barbecue and an unreasonable number of wasps.


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Rhodes, Greece


Atrium Prestige, Rhodes

A family stay in Rhodes, looking beyond the glossy photographs to see what a hotel actually feels like with a child.


Read the review →

Yorkshire


A gourmet getaway

Can a boutique hotel deliver grown-up luxury when you have a small child in tow? The Burgoyne makes a convincing case.


Read the review →

For travel PRs & tourism teams

Planning your next travel campaign?

I’m interested in thoughtful family travel, hotels, destinations and experiences that give readers something worth talking about.


More from Saffron & Cyrus


A few more things I’ve been writing about lately.

Why Persian sefidab is my unexpected beauty obsession as a new mum over 40
Style and Confidence | Newcastle

Why Persian sefidab is my unexpected beauty obsession as a …

As a new mum over 40, I’m obsessed with everything and anything that will help with my daily beauty routine. That means a) Get rid of my lines and wrinkles and b) Stop the kids calling me “grandma” in future in the playground.

sefidab

My weekly ritual

If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be smuggling powdered animal fat across continents, I’d have laughed. Yet here I am, a new mum over 40, utterly obsessed with sefidab (or Rooshoor, if you want to sound fancy), the Persian exfoliator that has become my weekly ritual for keeping my skin, eyes, and hands from looking like I wrestled a toddler for 12 hours straight.

Read more about my full sefidab ritual →

How to earn money from your blog
Parenting in Midlife

How to earn money from your blog

The world of blogging for business is a confusing one, particularly if you are new to it. Finding that certain je ne sais quoi certainly doesn’t happen overnight.

December 1, 2017
Meet Mr Bengal: life with a toddler, and the cat who rules the house
Parenting in Midlife | Newcastle

Meet Mr Bengal: life with a toddler, and the cat …

The real ruler I moved into my new house thinking I was in charge. It didn’t take long to realise I wasn’t. The true ruler arrived on the day we…

This is a story of friendship, love and little C who’d really like to get his paws on our unflappable cat lodger, Mr Bengal.

Mum Over 40: blogging on a budget guide
Persian Pulse | Newcastle

Mum Over 40: blogging on a budget guide

When you haven’t got a big budget, there are times you just have to improvise. Here are some steps to becoming a blogger-in-chief.

October 5, 2017
The Alnwick Garden review: Family fun, Persian history and stunning scenery
Persian Pulse | Northumberland

The Alnwick Garden review: Family fun, Persian history and stunning …

With the last bank holiday of 2017 upon us, we put our thinking caps on to come up with somewhere beautiful to take little Cyrus. We arrived at the same conclusion – there’s nowhere more beautiful and spiritual on our doorstep than The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland.

With the last bank holiday of 2017 upon us, we put our thinking caps on to come up with somewhere beautiful to take little Cyrus. We arrived at the same conclusion – there’s nowhere more beautiful and spiritual on our doorstep than The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland.

The emotional milestone of a toddler’s first haircut (and why I didn’t let dad do it)
Persian Pulse | Newcastle

The emotional milestone of a toddler’s first haircut (and …

Here’s some tips to keep baby calm during his first haircut.

Here's some tips to keep baby calm during his first haircut.

Breastfeeding at 40: tips, challenges, and confidence for older mums
Real Life Stories | Newcastle

Breastfeeding at 40: tips, challenges, and confidence for older mums

Check out my story about breastfeeding as a new mum over 40.

August 21, 2017