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Monalogue on how to staycation in the UK.

INTERVIEW WITH ROMONA

 

With staycations being one of 2020’s biggest trends and a new appreciation for the British countryside we got in touch with Ramona Jones aka Monalogue, countryside loving lifestyle blogger to find out her top tips for British Winter breaks and how to make winter cottages cosy.

 

That was back in 2013. Since then, I’ve continued to be a huge fan, with owner Lori Leven doing an Instagram takeover while in Tucson one year and myself closely following along with the latest happenings from afar. I finally visited in January of 2014 during a quick trip to NYC for the Gem Awards! I had only a few hours in NYC before I had to catch a plane home and immediately knew I wanted to check out Love Adorned.

We are big fans of your Monalogue, where did it all start?

I started my Instagram journey back in 2011, the app was iPhone only and you could only upload photos taken within Instagram itself, so as you can imagine things worked quite differently then! By 2013 I had figured out what I wanted to share - Honest narratives of my life and moments of escapism from the English countryside, and so @monalogue was born! My username is a play on 'monologue' and 'Mona' because my name is Mona and I like long captions regardless of whether anyone reads them!

 

What do you love most about being a blogger?

The thing I value most about my job is the privilege of escaping the 9-5 office lifestyle. I can suffer from sensory overload and find it difficult being around people for a long time, in doing this work I have been able to make my own little creative world that is friendly to my needs. Something I was never able to achieve in an office! 

 

Tell us what your top tips for making a house... Or cottage cosy for the winter ahead?

The worst reality about living in a 300 year old house is that it does get very cold! We like to have lots of log fires from Autumn through Winter and I like electric blankets and chunky throws. We are actually looking at getting heating installed this year though. Sometimes modern comforts are a very welcome addition to the old charm! 

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What's your top three UK travel destinations and your why?

I am a bit biased because I spend most of my time close to the South West, so I can't speak for the rest of the country. Here I would recommend Castle Combe, Wells and Bibury. The history is very much preserved and unspoiled in all three places, and they have an essence of magic!  

 

This is the year for staycations, what tips would you give Orpah readers who are looking to have a holiday in the UK? 

My advice would be to go for it even if you have doubts! There is so much to see here and I think we often take it for granted by jumping on a cheap flight to anywhere but here. Every region has something different to offer, you could make a lifetime of wonderful holidays here, each one being unique, without ever boarding a plane.