Desperately in need of a break and dreaming of holidays in the sun, we were terribly disappointed to find we couldn’t get passports for the youngest two in time.

A little look online and I soon discovered there was no need to be sad or even to go abroad, there’s a whole host of places to go to in the UK. There are even sites dedicated to finding family friendly holidays. From gorgeous cottages and holiday homes close to the sea, lakes or hills to log cabins there’s something for everyone.

Deciding to embrace the strange snowy weather we picked a beautiful log cabin in the Sherwood Forest complete with underfloor heating, log burner and even a hot tub. A real treat. We booked it last minute ringing up on Monday morning and setting off that very afternoon. So exciting

Dreaming of long walks in the fresh air, toasting our toes & marshmallows by the fire and playing in the bubbly tub we were not disappointed .

When we arrived it looked like Christmas. Our lodge was draped in icicles and covered in snow. Not sure what to expect really: three bedrooms, two bedrooms and a huge living space awaited us. The letters WELCOME spelt out on the scrabble board and the hot tub warming… We were delighted and instantly relaxed.

I’m not sure if it was the lodge itself, the snow or the forest but we really didn’t feel as though we were in the Uk. It felt much more like Canada and we loved it.

The lodge itself was gorgeous. It was very spacious and thought out. The underfloor heating was lovely and the lodge felt very warm (except for the Master bedroom which was freezing).

The kitchen was well stocked with everything needed to cook delicious family meals. We loved the fruit bowl and filled it to the top. If you don’t want to cook there are local pubs pretty close by or you could even have pizza delivered (we didn’t but they looked yummy).

One of the highlights of these lodges for the girls was getting so close to wildlife. They loved the little squirrel visitors each morning and admired them from the window.

There were dressing gowns and slippers in the main bedroom, perfect for getting to the hot tub. There was even Jenga, Scrabble or a Wii to play on those cold, wet days. We used it all.

Set up for walking and cycling there are plenty of trails to follow for all levels and ages. Bikes are availabe to hire too. There are several play parks for the children, local attractions close by and then after all that exercise you get to relax and unwind in your very own hot tub. We were in ours several times a day and again at night when the girls were all in bed (don’t forget your baby monitor).

The log fire was gorgeous too. Perfect for warming up after long walks and hot tubs:

Just a few niggles though Forest Holidays – if you want to improve your service with the price you pay and the promise of a luxury holiday, Internet access really ought to be free, your bottles of products a bit bigger and the wood to get you started on your first night should be a bit more impressive….it looked like kindling to us. Not a log to be seen 🙁

That said though, a fantastic short break and an ideal one for sharing with family or friends. We are feeling so much more relaxed and refreshed and would definitely go back 🙂

Karen x

Please note we paid for this holiday in full ourselves and received no incentives or discounts in return for this review. I just felt like sharing my experience.