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It’s been such a glorious sunny week here in Shropshire that I’ve been sneaking outside between bursts of work – soaking up the sunshine and checking in on my rescue tadpoles 🐸

Our wildlife pond has been drying out quickly with the lack of rain, so I’ve been scooping up as many tadpoles as I can and rehoming them in six large, shallow plastic containers dotted around the garden. It’s not quite the wild setting they started in, but they seem perfectly happy in their new (temporary) homes.

👩‍💻 New Blog Post: Replying to Reviews with ChatGPT

In between tadpole rescue missions and tea breaks in the sun, I’ve also written a new blog post all about replying to guest reviews – something that can feel very difficult, especially when the review is unfair or overly critical. I’ve known B&B owners who’ve been so upset by a review that they’ve seriously considered giving up altogether.

The blog shares how you can use ChatGPT as a tool to help you with review replies – not to write them for you necessarily, but to support you. Think of it like being an author working with an editor – the kind who helps you tidy things up, find the right words, and respond in a calmer, more professional way (even when you feel like responding to the guest with every swear word you have in your vocab).

I know some people are a bit unsure – or even firmly against – using tools like ChatGPT, and I completely understand that hesitation. But if you’ve ever felt stuck, upset, or not sure how to respond to a guest review, I’d really encourage you to give the blog a read. You might be surprised by how useful it can be – especially on the days when you’re tired, emotional, and still have three bathrooms to clean.

And if you’ve never used ChatGPT before and don’t know where to start, I’ve included a done-for-you prompt you can just copy and paste in.

👉 Read the blog post here
How to Use ChatGPT to Reply to Guest Reviews – without sounding like a customer service robot

📖 Course Notes Update

I’ve also been knee-deep in a full refresh of the B&B course notes – all 200+ pages of them!

The notes have always been a bit of an evolving beast. They started off at around 100 pages when I first launched the course 19 years ago, and they’ve more than doubled in size since then. I’ve made several big updates and plenty of smaller updates over the years, but it felt like the right time for another top-to-bottom review.

I’ve finally decided it's safe to remove the COVID references (I’d been purposefully holding off, just in case things changed again), and updated some of the links to other organisations that have changed over the years.

The updated version will hopefully be available next week for everyone currently signed up to the course.

🍋️ In the Kitchen

I’ve been trying out a new key lime chia pudding recipe this week – summery, tangy, and full of fibre.

I do try to get as many nutrients as possible from real food, rather than relying on supplements, and while I always hit my 30g-a-day fibre goal, I sometimes fall short on protein. My understanding (and I’m not a dietitian!) is that we absorb less protein as we get older, so I’ve started adding a little organic unflavoured protein powder to give things a boost.

I’ve also been reading a lot about creatine and its potential benefits for women over 50, so I’m testing that out too.

Here’s the recipe if you fancy giving it a go:

• 100g full fat Greek yoghurt
• 100g kefir
• 30g chia seeds (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• Zest of a lime + juice of half a lime
• 20g unflavoured protein powder (optional)
• 3.5g creatine monohydrate (optional)

Mix it all together and leave it for at least 30 minutes (overnight is even better). I like it topped with chopped kiwi and a sprinkle of my homemade granola.

📺 Books & TV

In case you’re looking for a bit of a break…

🎧 I’ve been listening to a lot on Audible lately. I sort of enjoyed Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty – it wasn’t always an easy listen, but I’m glad I persevered. Just a heads-up that it deals with themes of death, so probably not one for when you're in the mood for something light.

For something easier, I just finished Love Untold by Ruth Jones – a nice, gentle listen / read. And perfect if you're a fan of Gavin & Stacey and are missing Nessa's voice!

📺 TV-wise, we’ve been dipping into Michael Portillo’s Continental Railway Journeys – which is surprisingly soothing. And I imagine we’ll be watching Red Planet and Top Gun this weekend in memory of Val Kilmer.

Have a great weekend and wishing you lovely guests who leave you fab reviews!

Karen

P.S. Thinking about running a B&B but not sure where to start? My First Steps Workshop will help you figure out if it’s right for you.

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