When you have two kids in tow it’s easy to panic pack and cram the car full of things to keep them occupied before you realise you need to calm down - you are only going away for a weekend. So our car was duly unpacked in favour of a single book and one or two toys for each of them. A lighter load is much easier to achieve if you pack when the kids are not around, we even decided to pick them up from school and head straight to the holiday cottage so there would be no hanging around.
With in-car snacks consumed and umpteen rounds of I-Spy completed we spotted Yachtsman’s Cottage and Lymington Harbour just beyond. I don’t know who’s more excited, me or the kids, as we head inside to run around as the first to explore each area and choose a bedroom. With all doors opened and all rooms and cupboards discovered I’m then drawn to the dining table where there is a bottle of Champagne together with flutes, a personalised welcome note and a booklet on the cottage. My daughter quickly locates the Wi-Fi code in said booklet and settles on the sofa to surf the internet.
Having unloaded the car contents just inside the front door my husband took the dog for a walk around the corner to the harbour where there was a small park and green area perfect for our little dog. The garden is small and perfectly formed but the lack of grass means that he will be doing this walk quite a lot. Meanwhile I distributed our belongings around the property. Whilst there were no drawers in the bedrooms for our clothes there were clever little alcove cupboards which I thought were genius and will definitely be replicating at home. In fact I would quite happily replicate almost every aspect of the interior design, from the cosy way the bath fits into the eaves of the ensuite to the lamps in the living room to the glass balustrade on the stairs and the granite worktops in the kitchen.
The kitchen was fully equipped with everything you would need, including a coffee machine for that vital morning wake up routine. The fridge was thoughtfully stocked with fresh milk and there was even clingfilm in the drawer to cover the leftovers from the car journey. As I look across the open plan layout of the downstairs, my daughter is still where I left her on the couch with tablet in hand but my son has located the toy basket provided and has made himself comfy on the fur rug with all toys spread out before him.
As the evening drew in and the kids were tucked up cosy and comfy in their beds, my husband and I settled on the sofa, champagne flutes in hand and toes toasting in front of the log burner. With our luxurious surroundings we genuinely looked like we were in a scene from a glossy magazine. Do I really only get to stay here for the weekend? Perhaps I will call in sick on Monday and stay just a little longer.
