One thing I've learnt from seasoned camping friends is to do a trial run before a first camping holiday. Something local where you get to test out your tent and other camping equipment and also make sure that the kids don't totally hate the whole concept of camping. With a proper camping holiday planned for part of May half term I figured that we needed something before that so St George's day was booked in as the perfect opportunity for us to have a trial run. Mr C and I have both camped before, but not for years and we don't think we've ever camped together. It was also going to be the kids ... read more
Camping – nearly all the gear and absolutely no idea
I'm sat here writing this on the eve of our very first family camping trip. We're planning to go away in Spring Bank week (end of May) but in an attempt to be really organised when I joined the Camping and Caravanning Club (which lots of seasoned camping friends recommended we do) I also found out where our nearest site was and booked us in for one night. And that night is tomorrow! Argh!!!!! The logic was that I wanted a practice run before our first proper camping holiday. It'll be the first time the kids have ever camped, and the first time we've used our new tent, so we figured that if ... read more
Crossing the Solent to the Isle of Wight
In case you didn't gather before, I was pretty excited about our recently family trip to the Isle of Wight. Not only was I generally looking forward to going there and seeing if the island was as nice as I remembered from a school trip all those years ago, but I was also hugely looking forward to the ferry trip over and the kids' first time on a ferry. I'm not totally sure what the kids expected a ferry to be like, but we'd talked to them a fair bit about what would happen and how we would take our car on to the boat. Master C did keep getting a bit confused and thought we were travelling ... read more
Growing brains with Education Quizzes
Before becoming a parent I have to admit that I'd not really thought about education for my kids much. That kind of happened at school and I didn't need to think about it much. Now that I am a parent though I realise that education is much more of a life long thing and what you do at home works so much along side what your children do and learn at school. The two really need to work in harmony and that's where a site like Education Quizzes works so well. Designed for all children, the primary aim of Education Quizzes is to help children be successful at school. The quizzes are all written ... read more
Have tent, will camp
It seems like a lifetime ago that I blogged all about how we were on a quest to buy a tent and become campers. So much has happened since then that it seemed like it was time for a little update. I'm delighted to say that we are now the very proud owners of a family tent - after spending crazy amounts of time researching tents and camping equipment and spending our weekends dragging the kids round camping shops across the south east. The big tent purchase came though after a trip up to the NEC to the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show on Mr C's birthday - we know how to celebrate a ... read more
Round the world by ferry
A couple of weeks ago I took part in a twitter party for Discover Ferries. I heard about it by chance as one of my friends was helping to run the twitter party and as I'd just booked ferry tickets for us earlier that morning for a Easter holidays trip to the Isle of Wight it seemed appropriate to take part. Especially as there were prizes to be won. I always love a chance of winning something after all! As it happens I didn't win (damn!) but I did have the most amazing hour reminiscing about various ferry journeys that I have taken over the years. If you'd asked me before hand if I'd ever ... read more
Born to Be Wild with the RSPB #BornToBeWild
Photo Credit: RSPB With a daughter who currently has her heart set on being "a nature explorer who also is an artist" an invitation to the RSPB reserve at Rainham Marshes to meet Hattie Garlick, author of the wonderful new book Born To Be Wild, was absolutely perfect. Both kids love being out in the fresh air, but Little Miss C really gets a buzz from doing nature based things outside. At school she seems to spend hours and hours in the playground building bug hotels and feeding snails and when inside she's always happiest when sat at the kitchen table with some gloopy glue and a load of ... read more
Aldi’s Easter Drink Offerings
When an email pops into your inbox from Aldi asking if you'd like to review their Easter alcohol offerings you're not going to say no are you? Well I know I certainly wasn't going to. Especially when I'd literally just been having a chat with someone about how good I've always found wine from Aldi. And what a selection of drink they sent me to try! Everything you might need to get you from pre-dinner drinks, through dinner and on to a nightcap. Now, I'm no Jilly Golden (if you're old enough to remember her!) but I know what I like when it comes to a tipple or two. We started off with ... read more
I Have an Orange Juicy Drink – Andrew Sanders
I was completely intrigued when I opened a parcel containing I Have An Orange Juicy Drink. What a wonderful title for a book. Especially so when you have a small boy like Master C who is always talking about his "apple-y juicy drink". The little boy in this story loves his orange juicy drink. So much so that when an alien, a dinosaur and an elephant try to take it away from him he squashes them. With a garden shed, an ocean liner and the moon. Obviously... But when the little boy's brother comes along and asks nicely for some he hands it over with a big hug. Because whilst he loves his ... read more
The Children’s Garden – Matthew Appleby
It may be freezing cold whilst I sit here writing this, but looking out at our back garden there is no doubt that there are lots of signs of spring out there. A very early spring when you consider how many daffodils are already brighting up the flower beds. I have so many good intentions about how we're going to use our back garden going forwards. Every year I say that and so far I've been foiled every year by the kids not quite being old enough to join in enough for me to make actual progress. 2016 WILL be different though. I'm sure of it. Master C is now very nearly three and a half, and ... read more