In January we went to The Kings Head in Cirencester. By ‘we” I mean James, Mabel and I. We had a thoroughly lovely mini break with delicious food, a giant bed and one of the most impressive hotel bathrooms I’ve ever experienced.

Mabel (literally) slept like a baby in the provided travel cot so it meant James and I could enjoy a glass of wine (ahem, or two) whilst retiring early for a long soak in the tub and a movie-in-bed.

This little adventure was supposed to be the beginning of our 2016 plan to organise at least one “outing” every month. We got as far as February and then well, life got in the way. James and I have always been a bit fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants in terms of most things. Some might call it disorganised, I like to romanticise it and think of it more as…spontaneous.

Since we’ve had a daughter we simply can’t just take off in the car and go any old place of a weekend. Turns out shops and bars and an afternoon cinema trip are not particularly popular, or necessarily appropriate, for a two year old. Instead we find ourselves most Friday nights like a pair of rabbits caught in headlights wondering what we should do the following day. Of course we have events in the diary, birthdays, weddings, extended family outings and coffee with friends who also have children of a similar age and whatnot. I mean more what to do us three – as a family, just us.

I must admit with the arrival of summer (I use the term “summer” loosely obviously) we’ve upped our game somewhat. Last weekend we attended a local fete, next Sunday we’ve arranged to go for lunch in our favourite pub followed by a music festival they have in the park opposite and we’ve booked tickets for Jamie Oliver’s The Big Feastival in August.

In our day to day working lives we are far more regimented, I have a colour coded online calendar for Rock My Style and Rock My Wedding commitments which James and I share so we know who’s going to be working late and when, if I have an early morning pilates class, when he’s playing golf and other important (!) activities like that.

When it comes to the weekends though…it’s mostly blank. Now I know it’s lovely to just have “nothing” planned once in a while, but we’re beginning to realise we need to become a little less bohemian in our attitude towards entertaining ourselves, not least because the more Mabel progresses, the more easily bored she becomes. If we spend a lot of time in the house we do tend to one of us look after Mabel, whilst the other gets on with chores. And that’s no fun on a Saturday afternoon or a pleasant way to spend time together.

We do have family membership to National Trust which has been a godsend – we went on a lovely little picnic to Baddesley Clinton on Sunday. Do let me know if there are any National Trust places you would heartily recommend we visit over the coming months, we’ve exhausted the very local ones to us.

What do you do of a weekend? How do you plan in advance? Are there any websites you use to find out what’s happening in your local (ish) area? Are you put off venturing too far due to the rubbish and rather changeable weather of late? (I think maybe James and I just need to grow a pair when it comes to rain, and invest in decent wellies and a cagoule)

P.S If you’re looking for a mini break in The Cotswolds then make sure you have a butchers at The Kings Head, it’s a lovely warm and family friendly yet decidedly luxe hotel with lots to see and do in the surrounding area.