It has been a long 12 months for the majority of parents across the country. With schools being closed for many towns and cities, many parents have either been forced or made the choice to homeschool their kids in order to keep them as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Always entranced by birds, I can never get enough of birdwatching–whether outside in real life, or (especially in winter) via books and the internet. We were lucky enough to publish an excerpt from renowned wildlife photographer Paul Sorrell’s new book, Getting Closer. 

Publisher's note: we LOVE the amazing articles from our US Fish and Wildlife Service about our natural world. Here's one about tracks in the snow!

Who goes there? Winter is a great time to find out. The snow tells secrets about the natural world.

In woods and plains and less trafficked city streets, the movements of many shy creatures can be revealed in a fresh cover of snow.

Snow can reveal the mysterious lives of critters in the night.

These tracks were made by elk. The tracks indicate that elk were zig-zagging through the snow, digging for vegetation buried beneath.

Let’s be honest: the last few months have really made us want to leave our houses, jump on a plane and go somewhere, anywhere, far, far away. And yes, at the moment it might seem like being able to travel again is still far in the future, but as the world slowly starts to open up again, we can prepare for the day we can happily step out of house and into the big, wide world. 

World-famous for adventure travel and cultural voyeurism, Nepal is also a fabulous shopping destination. 

It's a cold, damp, rainy day. You're chilled to the bone, and nothing seems to warm you up - not coffee or tea, or cocoa or toasty wool socks. C'est la vie, you think - and then remember that you've got a bit of magic in your closet, and pull out the new Gesar travel blanket/meditation shawl from Sunrise Pashmina. 

It's hygge at its finest.

The Marriott is one of the world's largest hotel chains, and has one of the most robust loyalty programs. Their recent tie-up with Starwood Preferred Guest and Ritz Carlton has the Marriott-Bonvoy rewards program one of the world's largest.  

The Marriott Bonvoy rewards point has 30 brands across several price points. It allows for all types of travelers to earn free nights and utilize the various elite status benefits at different properties worldwide.