We’re delighted to announce that over the next year we’ll be collaborating with a small selection of fantastic family and lifestyle bloggers, who will be joining us to explore the i-escape Kids Collection and bring you the scoop on some boutique gems. Over the next few weeks we’ll reveal a little more about them here. First up, let us introduce you to Fritha of tigerlillyquinn…
Your blog in one sentence…
The lifestyle blog of a twenty-something mum to a small boy named Wilf, and wife to a bearded husband named Tom.
What kicked it all off?
I started to blog a year or so after I graduated from university. I’d been trying to get a job in illustration and was told a blog would be a good place to show my work and interact with other creatives. It then evolved over the years into a lifestyle-ish blog and then, after I had Wilf, into a family lifestyle blog. I’ve been blogging now for almost six years!
When picking a break, what are the top three things you look for in a destination?
I am a big fan of colour and design, so I always look into a destination to see if it will fit with the type of aesthetics we enjoy. We tend to go for city breaks mostly, because we feel cities usually have colour in abundance and there is always so much to discover. We don’t drive so we tend to pick places that are very accessible by public transport. And checking whether the accommodation is child-friendly is always a must; it’s always so much easier to relax if a place is set up to welcome children.
What destination is high on your hitlist for 2015?
I’d love to visit Rome as it’s somewhere I’ve wanted to go to for a while now. In fact, I’ve never been to Italy at all – something I’d like to rectify this year.
If you could pack your bags for any i-escape hotel, where would you go?
Soho House in New York would be amazing. Or The Farm in Jaipur!
If you could only visit one country for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
Ooh, that’s such a tough question! Probably France as I’m a bit of a Francophile, but I should choose a bigger country like the US if I’m only going to be able to visit one for the rest of my life! It’s so vast and so different depending on where you go.
What’s your earliest travel memory?
My family moved around quite a lot and loved to travel in quite a bohemian way. I think my first travel memory was camping in Spain with my parents and older brother – we were there for six weeks and I clearly remember hanging out the washing and collecting water from a tap in a field to carry back!
What’s the essential item in your suitcase?
My camera. I would feel like I’d lost a limb if I left it behind. We took a day trip once and I left it at home by mistake – it took a while to get used to appreciating everything while I was there, rather than trying to record it.
Any top tips for stress-free travel with the kids?
Always make sure you have an activity bag with you for the journey, especially if you’re on a long flight where they’ll have to sit still for a while. I try to include toys Wilf might not have played with in a while (so they feel ‘new’ to him), as well as crayons and paper, a children’s magazine, and a tablet full of kids’ apps for when boredom really kicks in! In general though, I find travelling with my son a pleasure. He’s often better behaved when we’re away, as I think we’re a little more relaxed and there is so much to see and do!