Are We Leaving Brighton? // Vlogmas Day 9 

I lived in a van for 3 years with my late husband traveling the US 20 years ago before it was popular, before cell phones, we had paper maps. Memories I cherish. I'm 52 and alone now and I've always loved watching your adventures. Do whatever it takes to stay in love. Excited for your future.

Calli getting excited about the rug was so cute!

I think our precious little Neo is showing an interest in vlogging, it’s in his DNA 😂❤

In regards to renting verses buying a home, my husband and I are in our early 60's and we have always rented because we do like to move and experience other places . And the fact that if anything needs repaired or replaced that is on the owners and not on us. That in itself saves a lot of money. Of course this is just our opinion. BTW, I started watching your videos when I saw ya'll on a video of Emon and Bec's videos. I really love these vlogmas videos because I have always told my husband and kids just how beautiful Europe is especially during Christmas. I lived in Germany a few times during my childhood, the last time is when I was 15-17 and I have always wanted to go back during Christmas. Thank you for sharing your videos :)

I learned to swim as a baby. Boldly jumping off the hi-dive at age 4. Had all my swimming badges by age 12. I've always been so happy & comfortable in the water~~ I have my parents to thank for that! xoxo

With Neo wanting to jump, you may want to consider getting him a door jumper or bouncer.... You can tell he just wants to move💖

I love that you're doing swim lessons. I wish every child could learn. My kids started at 6 months & progressed through the years to become summer lifeguards at 16. Healthy, fun & responsible.

When you own the home, you are responsible for all repairs and fixes, which... may or may not be a problem. We purchased a home, and we have reached the point where everything original to the house has needed to be replaced (Heating, cooling, water heater, and now the roof 20k! YIKES! with a total of around 30k in the last 3 years). However, being able to make any changes to the house, or hanging pictures and such isn't an issue. Having my own back yard, and not having to share walls with neighbors is so great. There's pros and cons to both. Our house payment is cheaper than rent though, so that was the deciding factor for us, but with all the money we have put into the house, it's probably not cheaper lol. Good luck with whatever you decide.

My wife and I rented and then bought a home. It depends on what the agreement is and what exactly you are willing/able to invest. If you rent you aren't responsible for the upkeep, if you buy you can always sell and regain that equity. The issue of owning when you don't live there is what to do with the property while you are gone, which you both know from the bus. That is my perspective.

A board game that is good for two players and pretty easy to learn is Carcassonne! We play it after dinner all the time and its really fun

Dad swimming fail. Too funny. Truly love the family trio vlogs now. Bravo team!

Buy property if you can, especially when younger; it is the most stable investment you can make, and will be instrumental for Neo when he's older. Happy holidays, love the daily vlogs!

Azul is GREAT. Excellent choice. And for the flooring, try a magic eraser and a little bit of dishsoap. It might help a little. But if it's actual dye, i don't think any houshold products will remove it without damage.

Azulejo is really good but if you’ve also played Sagrada, it’s quite similar to that! Played it online with family a lot during pandemic when we were all in different countries!

I went back to work when my oldest son was 16 weeks old and my husband stayed at home with him. It nearly ate me alive. However, this is what needed to happen to pay the bills and keep a roof over our heads. Mum Guilt is corrosive - I had to learn to enjoy every moment I had with my son (then children plural) as the guilt was making me a worse parent. I was so focused on what I 'should' be doing that I forgot to enjoy what was actually going on. It's also super important to take time for yourself so that you are rested, enthusiastic, excited about life rather than just going through the motions. You're doing great, Raya!

Putting a cam on Neo was cool. He has a great view of happy and loving parents

Neo is fab, we get a lovely close up of who he is becoming. Great stuff.

LOL with Louis - "where have these people been?" Raya, "there is actual footage of where we first met/laid eyes on each other!!" GO WATCH IT FOLKS it is really good!!!

i love your British words. Hoovering instead of vacuuming!!!!

Sweet little family, thanks for giving us a glimpse in your everyday life. Love your authenticity and positivity ❤️

No matter what housing you choose, obviously it costs. Renting is a good option when you need flexibility and don’t know if you want to sink your roots into one place. Buying ties up a lot of your money and if you go elsewhere and try to rent your house out, be sure you know your renters or you’ve checked them out. You don’t want someone trashing your house. And as a house owner, you need to get a management company to collect rents for you and deal with any maintenance issues while you’re gone. All of that costs too.

The baby cam is so cute 😭 seeing neos perspective

Schooling is the major turning point life decision change for sure... We moved out of a pretty nice house, but in a bad school area, to a smaller place, but with the school/community we wanted, and have made some of the best friends we've ever had, and our boys are thriving. We had to keave A LOT of things behind. NGL it changed our whole life really, and it wasnt easy at first, loosing friends, starting over in a lot of ways, and our home is still small not perfect, but the trade off is well worth it for us. As you know and talk a lot about, community is everything, and that is amplified so much with kids. The where and in what you live isn't as critical as the who you are raising kids with IMO. But enjoy the baby time! It is magic, but it will be gone so fast, and soon you he dealing homework struggles and pre-teen hormones...

From all that I've heard, renting vs. buying really depends on your priorities. Buying a house typically ends up locking you in to wherever you've bought because you end up paying a lot more for the maintenance and things on the house. I think renting is definitely best if you want to prioritize more travel and freedom and then figure out what you want to do. I wouldn't go to the trouble of buying a house if you're not 100% sure that's where you want to live. Eventually you guys will figure the perfect place that works best for your family ❤️❤️

the only advice I have is to "try"to stay in a place once Neo is in school because I've been a digital nomad with my family living in Bali for 6 years while our son was young and it was amazing but now that he is a teenager and we want to try to move to a new place it seems to be a bit more difficult. Right now we are thinking to stay long term in Greece and have applied for visas but now we feel it may be important to be in our hometown in Canada just for our son to have the stability. Im not sure if Costa Rica is like Bali but once the kids become teenagers many of the families leave the island. I saw his friend groups get smaller and smaller. Of course though you will never regret moving around with Neo as it will really shape who he is and will be so fun as he's a toddler meeting people from all over the world!!

I love Azul! My first choice anytime we start playing.

There is nothing stopping you teaching Neo and any other children you have at home so you can split your lives between Brighton and Costa Rica. We tried school after moving from the south west to the Midlands, we were living on the same estate as my Husband was brought up on, but despite that both our wonderful children were bullied, we took our son out of school where he thrived, we moved our daughter to a school away from the estate but getting her there meant long walks and she wad having trouble with her joints, we took her out too. The D of Education came to see us because they had had complaints that we were keeping our kids home. After showing them what work they were doing and after having a talk with the children on their own,they went away happy. Our 12 yr old daughter was doing G.C.S.E Level maths and science, my son had other interests but they were happy with what they were doing. My so started collage at 16 to get his qualifications and my daughter followed just before she was 16, got the necessary qualifications in a year then went on to do a B.Tec National Diploma in Applied Sciences, they both went on to go to University. There is a large movement of parents who advocate teaching children at home, and plenty of groups all over the country for children to mix with other home taught kids, so they don't miss out on mixing with their peers, it's just these children don't bully like they do in schools.

Some 2-player boardgame recommendations: Castles of burgundy and 7 wonders (this has instructions for a fake "3rd player"

Try the magic eraser for the red stain on the floor

What a lovely looking wee bloke Neo is. It's hard to believe how much he has grown. Hope his recent sleeping issues have sorted themselves out? I remember how difficult it is when you are 'living in the moment' thinking it will never get any better ... but it always does! Love seeing your wee family daily on the buildup to Christmas .. appreciate it. Best wishes from NZ ❤

For renting vs. buying in your situation and since you like community so much, consider buying a house with multiple bedrooms, so you can rent out at least 1 bedroom on a 12 month lease to help pay for your mortgage and look after the property even when you're not there, and rent the other bedroom(s) on a mid-term basis (1-6 months) and block out the weeks when you want to be there. That way, you'll always have a place to stay and store your stuff in the UK, and your expenses won't be sky high because someone else is at least partially paying YOU for rent, and the house isn't sitting empty for thieves and unexpected disasters to go untended like your bus in Costa Rica has had. You could also park your double decker bus on your property, so it's short term rentals will help pay for your mortgage while removing any land expenses you currently pay for where it sits. -Thoughts from a digital nomad and former vanlifer who's researched this topic for years and followed you for years.

Louis, you are such a natural with babies and animals , So loving!

Lovely to hear how grounded Raya is

Loving these vlogs, always so interesting & getting me in the Christmas spirit so thank you finding the time to vlog, you must be exhausted ! We bought when I was 19, hard work but no regrets, our house is now ours & no rent to find every month. A difficult decision for you given you want to travel !!❤

Yes to Azul!! Great game and I’ve heard the travel size is very well done.

Neo is really into the camera and it really sounded like he said Hi to it. Louis you are like every family's wish for a big brother. Raya as a former educator you are doing the right thing buy b ready early.

Guys you absolutely HAVE to watch the starling murmerations at Brighton Pier.

I absolutely love how you speak to and with Neo is adult language, sentences, words. Excellent for your precious son. (back to the video)

I wish I had as much energy as Louis!

My advice to you about the stain on the floor from the rug would be to call a floor store and see what they recommend to try.

Thanks for sharing Neo with us. He is adorable.

I know that mama guilt feeling too! I remember back then when I first got a chance to be by myself after my first child was born, it felt a little weird but exciting. It felt so renewing after I was back with my son again. I had missed him but felt so great to get some me time.

The best advice we were given by the nurses at the hospital when our son was born was to take some time away from our son, especially me. It would be good for us and our son. And to not feel guilty about it. Of course it would only be an hour or so to maybe go to dinner or do a little shopping. It also helps your baby to become used to being around other people.

Hi guys, loving vlogmas , you could try a magic eraser that will probably work on the red on the floor 🤞🏻🎄

Ohhh I'd love to have more 2 player games! Can't wait to hear if you like it.

Azul is an amazing game!!! It’s one of my faves right now. I’ve had it for about three years. The full size one has really high quality pieces as well.

At the park, I love how your dog just bolts away from you at full speed~~ Freedom!! lol Loving your happy family vibes 🙂

Hi from Vancouver, Canada. The rain is so relatable~~ uugg wett stay warm

Love you guys and Neos outfit of the day 🤩 On renting / buying, a mortgage and bills works out the same / sometimes less monthly cost than renting. The hardest thing about it is getting up a deposit to put down. Lots of people don’t think it’s flexible to buy, but you always have the option of renting out your house while you’re not there (creating and generating income / the house will pay for itself), and in the long run it’s an investment. You can always sell and get your money back out of it you’ve put in, whereas renting you’ll never see that money again. We made £20k profit over three years on our first property, sold it and got a bit more of a doer upper that has now gone up in value by £80k over the past two years (also in the UK on the south coast), just as a comparable example, clearly made more on the house we’ve spent a bit of money doing up 🥰

Love you guys sooo much❤ yes I feel that mama guilt. Even 14 years later. But please feel free 🎉

For the stain try Dawn liquid soap. Next try Simple Green. Last resort a bleach pen.

I used to watch Louis daily years ago and have watched all his / you guys videos since. Never commented though. I’m absolutely loving vlogmas and hope yall continue to vlog (more frequently) after. Even if it isn’t the travel vlogs you’re known for. Also can I just say that Raya is glowing these days and seems so … happy! Not that she wasn’t always happy but it’s bubbling over right now. Anyway commenting to say good job and to boost your channel cuz you deserve it!

That Modest, kind spirited Darling Dog 🐶 SO glad you saved the darling girl ❤❤ the wholehearted joy with which she loved Louis on the new rug and catapulted off on the walk - what a Wonderful spirit to have in the house - such respect to you both for saving her 🙏

Azul is a really fun game.

As wonderful and admirable as parenting is (and I def praise all you parents who take it on) seeing how much time and energy it demands from Raya definitely reaffirms my choice to not have kids. I don't know how you moms do it!

What a treat to have a new vlog every single day - thank you!!

Renting versus buying. If you definitely know you want to live in an area, then look for a property but don't put a time on finding it. We did that, missed a few properties but the perfect one eventually came up. I love when Neo sees himself in camera like at his new play area. So cute.

The best Azul game in my opinion is the Summer Pavillon version! I highly recommend

To get the marks out use cif basically leave in there for about 15 mins then wipe it off

Love you guys!

You guys need to play Catan, it's the best board game ever!

As someone who's been a homeowner for almost 25 years, it is not for the faint of heart - anything happens, breaks, needs updated/replaced, etc. it's all ON YOU! Whether it's something as simple as an appliance or as expensive as a new roof or major plumbing/water issues, which could range anywhere from $500 to $50,000. As a renter, you don't have that issue. This is why I've always given the advice to weigh your options carefully.

In my opinion, buying a house is better because your putting the money towards something that will be an asset to you. You could always rent out/airbnb the house while you're in Costa Rica or if don't want to live there anymore. I'm sure these are things you've considered but thats just my two cents. Another great vlog, and that gnocchi looked delicious!

I think you will end up spending more time in the UK as the healthcare and education is excellent there. It makes sense to buy something and you can always rent it out if you’re not there.

I'm so glad you're doing vlogmas! Really enjoy watching you guys. Have you tried a magic eraser sponge and soapy water on the red stain on the laminate. Magic erasers are brilliant!

Maybe look into Shared Ownership properties?

For the red stains on the floor... maybe what worked for me when I had to remove nail polish from the carpet could work just as well for your stain ... I used ginger ale and baking soda, I was truly impressed when it worked perfectly and immediately! 😊

Try Magic Eraser on the floor stains - it’s amazing what it will take out!

Not sure if it was this video or another one where you asked about thoughts on buying a house vs. renting… either way, just make sure you’re taking into account the current mortgage rates (especially being self-employed), insurance, closing costs and other ownership costs like maintenance and property taxes. I know the idea of paying towards equity vs. renting seems better (and it may be for some people), but like Ramit Sethi says, rent is the maximum you’ll pay each month whereas a mortgage is the minimum… and as someone with a veritable income, that matters to me (and maybe you)!

Try a little hair spray on the spots and rub that might work , awesom vlog

Lovely video! Your videos always make me smile.

I played Azul for the first time with my family last night! It took a round to get into it, but really loved it by the end! Hope you love it too :)

Did you attach the toy cabinet to the wall? If not, it may fall over on Neo. I love the rug❣️

Azul is a lot of fun @Raya and Louis!! We play it a lot. Have you tried nail polish remover for the stain?

Watching from Brazil and just love the Vgolmas séries. You are the greatest.

I love your Christmas intro Raya and Louis xxx

Brighton seems like an awesome place to live and I love your house. Maybe try to buy it

My sister taught babies to swim and it’s so good for them 🫶🏻

Azul is a great game!! So fun!!

For the stain, maybe try just baking soda and water and scrub it with a scrub brush? I got black hair dye off of hardwood doing that 🤷🏼‍♀️

Azul is fun and a good addition to board game collection! happy playing

No matter how many neat things for baby👶it's always ordinary things around the house or kitchen😊 Neo, likes the camera

My son had a big chest in his room, wasn't as wide as a double but bigger than a single. The chest was under his window. One night we found his bed empty. Looked everywhere till noticed his bed was slightly away from the wall, moved his bed, there he was wrapped in his quilt fast asleep. He was 2 1/2 when he started this, one night he took all his toys out of the chest, lay half of his quilt in, put in his pillow then climbed in and pulled his quilt on top of him, I think he must have moved while he was asleep and the lid closed. When we went to get him up nothing, checked down the side, checked under the bed and found his toys, lifted up his chest lid and found him still fast asleep. We fixed a strong cord to the inside of the lid the fixed 2 strong hooks to the wall so the lid could be held in place, also put a curtain through the cord between the 2 hooks so once he was inside the chest he could pull the curtain across to give him a cosey dark bed. We had moved to flats right in the centre of town, he had loved the Christmas light the year before, he would stand on an armchair with the back against the wall, he would stand there and stare at them for ages, the flats had a walkway past, it was just a bit too bright for him. We moved out 3 months before he was 3 and his sister was due , no more bright lights out side his window.

Azul was a very popular game when it came out . Very pretty

PERFECT game choice!!!! (great content, as always - thx and merriest of christmases)

Hello😊 Try a magic eraser to remove the stain. Just add some water to the sponge and it should take care of it. Works wonders on any marker or pencil marks on walls too if Neo gets into coloring. Hope this helps! Much love. ❤

Omg yes those half an hour as a mom especially when they're so small

@Luis maybe try a baby wipe on the red rug stain on your floor or Murphys wood soap. Neo is a very smart little man. He is absorbing a ton of information & his reactions to his new discoveries are precious 😊

Try white vinegar or white spirit for the stains lovelies xxx

I was watching Louis daily vlog when he went to New York and me Raya for the first time!

Love you so much guys! Such pure souls! 🥰🥰🥰

Hi Raya & Louis, how are you? You should get Neo a Jolly Jumper. We got one for our little one (9 years ago now) & she absolutely loved it!!! I think Neo would love it. Love your video’s . Keep well. 😊 Amy

I don’t know if this helps but I have friends who are paying a mortgage on their house, but last year they rented the house out for 3 years to go travelling. They have a company who rented the house and manages it for them so they don’t have to deal with that side of things. Buying a house I thought would have been more of a tie but seeing my friends do it makes me realise other options are possible.

I bought the same Christmas book for my baby grandson! 🎅🏼

Loved the rug. Where is it from? Also loving your daily vlogs Louis and Raya!

Maybe wet baking soda ....ans a small table to raise tree..

oh I thought you were going in the direction of Sydney Street I thoroughly recommend Zoingimage they have some great images of Brighton for your lounge wall or coasters to give as presents. my favourite shop in Brighton and my hairdressers used to be in Kensington Gardens where you were looking a Christmas jumpers. I love that you're in my old stomping grounds.

LOL, an ornament may have been "Made in China", many many years ago, but between then and now, that ornament has history. There is a story to tell. The silver jeweled ball Louis picked up in that shop, is identical to the silver balls, my mom bought in the 70's? Looks like a disco ball.

Yay for doing swim lessons! So glad we did with both our kids. They are still good swimmers as young adults. 😊

You mentioned Zoe and Alfie the other day- any chance of a vlog with them- would love to see them again- you had such good chemistry together