bishop&holland

Dallas Fashion Blog

What I Packed For Punta Mita

open back dress // sunglasses // nude heels // flower earrings // hat // mini straw tote // blue cut out dress

floral maxi dress // blue swim suit // white heels // tiered dress // blue sandals

pareo // straw tote bag // matching floral top and skirt // scrunchie // pink swim suit

What I Packed for Punta Mita

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

Things to do in London with Kids

two women and three little boys bundled up in front of tower bridge london

London is one of our favorite cities. My grandfather moved to London in the early 80’s and we’ve been visiting him since we were little kids. We spent a lot of time in London growing up, and I studied abroad in London in college. Fast forward many years and now I get to share those experiences with my kids, for which I am very grateful!

The last time we took the boys to London Willam was 2.5 and Henry was almost 1 year old. Ford wasn’t even in the picture yet! We did a lot of fun things, but I would say this is our first trip where they dictated a lot of the things they wanted to see and do, and I loved seeing how much they loved the city.

There is so much to see and do in London with kids. Here’s what we did on this visit:

three little boys standing in front of red double decker bus in london
interior of milestone hotel london with boy laying on sofa
toddler boy in red coat and yellow rain boots
interior of milestone hotel london
red double decker bus on london street
interior banquette the ivy chelsea london
two little boys riding on double decker bus in london
entry to the ivy chelsea london
family group around dining table the ivy chelsea london
interior the ivy chelsea london
man and woman standing outside the fulham football club london
two women and three little boys in garden at the ivy chelsea london
avocado toast with poached eggs
two men and woman standing near fulham football club field
little boy kissing mother on cheek
little boy heading downstairs at the ivy chelsea garden london
little boy bundled up in front of big ben london
child's map of london sights
two little boys enjoying afternoon tea the milestone hotel london
view of tower bridge from southbank london
family group southbank london view of tower bridge
family group inside the london eye
spiral staircase in kew garden london
family group in front of waterloo station london
two women and toddler boy having afternoon tea the milestone hotel london
toasting with champagne the milestone hotel london
sabrage presentation at the milestone hotel london
gaiol's coffee kew garden london
childrens playground kew garden london
family group in front of london eye
dad sitting with three little boys in pub london
two women and three little boys bundled up in front of tower bridge london
magnolia blooms kew garden
boy hanging on the ropes childrens garden kew garden london
two little boys in london eye view over river thames
woman and little boy on bridge view of london eye
view of big ben and parliament
three little boys sitting with lion statue trafalgar square
two little boys at the london transport museum
view of river from Eton england
woman with toddler boy in front of windsor castle
windsor castle
three little boys standing with guard windsor castle
three generations of women having tea and champagne the milestone hotel london

Things to do in London with Kids

  • Afternoon tea at the Milestone Hotel: This was our first stop when we made it from Four Seasons Hampshire to London. We chose the Milestone Hotel for afternoon tea, because they have a special children’s afternoon tea menu and we wanted the boys to experience it. It was so much fun and the boys loved using fancy tea cups while drinking “the best hot chocolate ever” and snacking on delicious sandwiches and desserts. The adults were equally as happy enjoying champagne as well as tea, sandwiches and desserts and just thankful to be in London! As a bonus, we were treated to the Art of Sabrage experience. Sabrage is the art of opening a champagne bottle with a saber, a tradition which Napoleon started during his reign. It’s a very exciting thing to see! Tip: Reservations are needed in advance. The Milestone is a boutique hotel with limited seating for afternoon tea and for the Art of Sabrage.
  • Visit Hamley’s toy store on Regent Street: Since the boys’ great grandmother lives in London, we decided to pick up a few toys to have for her house. We have gone to Harrod’s in the past, but the boys wanted to see the “oldest and greatest” toy store.
  • Bus ride/Tube/Taxi/Uber boat taxi/Train: Basically any mode of transportation and the boys had the best time.
  • London Eye: Last time we were in London, William was afraid to go on the London Eye, but this time it was number 1 on his list!
  • Big Ben: This was high on the kids’ list, too. On our last visit Big Ben was covered in scaffolding, this time we we got to see Big Ben in it’s full glory.
  • Trafalger Square: The boys loved climbing on the lion statues and running around the plaza.
  • London Transport Museum: This is a must visit for kids if they are into trains/buses/etc! This is so close to Covent Garden which always has fun street entertainment.
  • Tower Bridge: We had so much fun taking an Uber boat to Tower Bridge and walking across it. The Tower of London is next door and we will definitely do that on our next visit when the boys are a little older. They were very interested in the dungeons 🙂
  • Kew Garden: Just outside of London, this is a beautiful botanical garden. We took a slow day here, taking the train from London and exploring the grounds. They have the best children’s garden – the boys played for hours! We did the treetop walk, too. It’s very high above the trees… and some of us found it a little scary!
  • Windsor Castle: This is the perfect place to get up close to the guards and see the inside of a castle and the amazing Queen Mary’s Doll’s House. It’s a quick train ride from London, and be sure to walk across the bridge to Eton! Feeding the swans there on the River Thames is always fun for the kids.
  • There is SO much to do in London; this is just what we did this trip. We can’t wait for our next visit.

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

48 Hours in the English Countryside

family picnic english countryside

When we flew to London this time, we decided to fight jet lag at the beautiful Four Seasons Hampshire. This is such a unique property! Just a 35-minute drive from Heathrow, it’s a beautiful manor in the middle of the English Countryside. We had a great experience on our flight (the boys slept about seven hours), but the time change can still be hard! We loved our stay at Four Seasons Hampshire- it was the perfect way to transition to London time, such a different experience for us and one of the highlights of our trip. There is so much to do and it’s such an idyllic place!

two little boys running across brick courtyard english countryside
sitting room four seasons hampshire
little boy riding a pony
two women having afternoon tea four seasons hampshire
three little boys at indoor water park four seasons hampshire
afternoon tea service four seasons hampshire
woman riding a horse english countryside
woman walking in rain boots english countryside
two little boys riding ponies
three little boys petting pony in the stables four seasons hampshire
family group four seasons hampshire
three little boys with pony four seasons hampshire
man and woman getting ready to shoot clays english countryside
two women riding horses english countryside
two women toasting with champagne at a picnic
two women sitting on bed with coffee
picnic hamper and champagne english countryside
family having a picnic in the english countryside
two women with coffee sitting on bed with three little boys
woman and little boy in garden english countryside
little boy relaxing on sofa with ipad four seasons hampshire
woman and little boy standing outside in the rain four seasons hampshire
little boy eating fish and chips
two women and three little boys with a pony
avocado toast with poached eggs four seasons hampshire
two women and little boy standing outside in the rain four seasons hampshire
raising a glass of champagne four seasons hampshire
welcome amenity four seasons hampshire
two women with three little boys four seasons hampshire

Rooms

The rooms were just renovated in the last year and they are stunning. There are just 130 rooms in the hotel. We had one suite which was a great setup for a family, and my parents had a deluxe room which fit their needs perfectly! We found Four Seasons Hampshire to be very kid-friendly. After our overnight flight, our rooms were ready upon check-in, including the kids’ sofa bed already turned down and cozy for them! The staff had lots of fruit, cookies and delicious snacks waiting for us when we arrived. The room was also equipped with kid’s size robes and slippers, which the boys loved to wear when we went to the pool!

Activities

There are so many family activities to do while at FS Hampshire. The boys were a bit young to do some of the of activities, but we did everything we could while we were there!

  • Sharkie’s: This is the splash pad/kids pool area. We reserved a time each day and you have the area to yourself for an hour. We did this the first day after lunch/naps and it was the perfect way to fight jet lag and ease into our trip! The adults pool is also available for family swim and we booked an hour there as well. The pools are all located in the spa area and next time we will definitely make time for a spa treatment!
  • Tour the property: The hotel sits on 500 acres and it’s gorgeous! While the boys were napping we took a drive around in the hotel car to see the whole property.
  • Pony Grooming: We booked pony grooming for the boys on our next morning. Any age can do this and the Equestrian center staff were so kind and helpful. The boys loved this experience!
  • Horseback riding: Kids ages 4+ are able to go horseback riding. It was Henry and William’s first time horseback riding and they loved it. The Equestrian staff was again so helpful and the boys’ ponies were on a lead line, so they were chatting and laughing the whole time we were on our horseback ride!
  • Sporting clays: While the boys napped, Caleb and I tried out the sporting clays. The course is a quick drive (or walk) and it was really fun!
  • There is so much more to do, but this is all we could manage to fit in during our stay! Here is a full list of activities you can do at FS Hampshire!

Dining

  • Wild Carrot: This is the main restaurant and we did breakfast here, lunch one day and dinner one night. The food is all locally sourced and kids 5 and under eat free. Everything we tried was delicious!
  • The Bar at Wild Carrot: This bar is so charming. We did dinner here the first night as it is a little more casual and we weren’t sure how the boys would be feeling.
  • Picnic: We did a picnic on property and it was so much fun! The restaurant packed a picnic hamper of sandwiches, salads, fries and a bottle of champagne. The hotel car drove us to a beautiful spot under a huge tree. It was the perfect setting.
  • The Library: This is where Afternoon Tea is served, more on that below!

Afternoon Tea

For Stia’s birthday, we decided to have a “girls” moment and do the Hampshire’s Afternoon Tea

  • Served in The Library, it’s a cozy and elegant setting
  • We did the Champagne Tea; it was perfect!
  • Served with finger sandwiches, sweets and scones to finish. So delicious- we tried everything!

FAQ/Need to know

  • Everything must be reserved ahead of time. We made every meal/activity/pool reservation prior to our trip.
  • We booked airport transfers through the concierge. They had car seats available for the boys, too.
  • It’s a 9 hour flight from Dallas and then 35 minutes from Heathrow airport
  • There is a little village close by and the concierge can arrange a taxi
  • Stonehenge, Legoland and Highclere castle are nearby if you would like to venture off-property

What to Pack:

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine