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Camping trip number 2 – Chichester

August 20, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Last weekend we headed off on a very last minute camping trip down to Chichester. We were loaned a brand new tent (a Vango Airbeam Evoque) which we needed to pick up on the way and didn’t arrive until 10pm. We had huge amounts of fun, putting up this brand new tent, in the pitch black, with only my car headbeams to light the way. However the tent is awesome – did you know you could get fully inflatable tents that don’t require poles?!

Anyway after pretty much arriving and going to sleep (it was midnight by then mind you), we woke around 7am the next morning and got ready for a day at Chichester Marina. The girls grandparents have a boat there and they had invited us all down for the day. I have to admit I always feel at home with Bob and Andrea (the grandparents) even though I’m separated from their son. After nipping out to the nearby village and getting some cash out (to pay for camping), we arranged to travel to the marina and meet Bob and Andrea. We parked the car and boarded the boat for the day.

The day was beautiful and the water was really calm, at least until we got out of the main marina area. We spent quite a few hours just “driving” around, before mooring up and having some lunch. Andrea made a fab spread and I was given a glass of prosecco and wine too. It was so relaxing. Next we moved the boat slightly and the girls went crabbing off a dock. Lily wasn’t really sure she was up for the idea but I persuaded her into it and both of them seemed to enjoy themselves. After what seemed like ages, Megan finally caught a crab and Lily freaked out and refused to fish for them after that. It was pretty funny. We named the crab Kevin and fed him bacon lardons, while trying to catch some more. However we were unsuccessful and in the end just placed Kevin back in the water.

Finally we headed back towards the marina to dock the boat and go for dinner. The girls both had a go at steering, as did Chris. However when we got near to the marina, Bob took over. Sadly there is a lock that you need to go through and there was a queue, so we ended up delayed for about an hour. In the end we moored up and headed to a place called The Boat House Cafe. Bob and Andrea had already told us it was there treat so it was lovely to enjoy a nice meal out. Chris, Lily and I all had burgers, while Megan had BBQ chicken breast. There was lots of wine flowing and it was such a pleasant evening. Lily ended up playing Pokemon on my phone, while Megan drew on the serviette. It was just very relaxing.

We headed back the campsite and relaxed for a while before grabbing an early night. The next morning we were up early again but this time we needed to pack up the tent and head home. It took quite a lot longer than we expected so it was around 10am when we set off. We stopped for food on the way home, but ultimately we were getting back for my sister’s house warming party so we didn’t have much time to spare.

It was a very rushed trip and a long way to go for the weekend but we had a great time. I’d love to go again next summer, but maybe for a week so we can see more of the south coast.

Our Harry Potter Convention and Ball experience

August 16, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Not this weekend just gone but the one before, myself and my best friend Nat took Megan and Lily with us to Nottingham, to a Harry Potter convention and then followed by a Yule Ball. We’d had it booked since about February and we were all looking forward to it. We had a hotel booked for the night, but also so we could get changed in between the convention and the ball. Although we had a weekend ticket for the convention, we had pretty much decided we would only attend on the Saturday (unless it was really good and then we might go again on the Sunday morning). However in the end we actually decided to only go Saturday after, checking into the hotel (Premier Inn) first and then walking around.

In the morning I still needed to work but while doing that I made us all bows. Megan was Ravenclaw, Lily Gryffindor and since I sway between Gryffindor and Slytherin, I picked Slytherin. Nat is Gryffindor too so she decided on a Deathly Hallows inspired Gryffindor bow. We all wore Harry Potter t-shirts too. We set off for Nottingham around 2pm and were there for about 3pm. We checked into the Premier Inn and then walked the 10 minutes to the convention.

When we got to where the convention was (Nottingham Conference Centre), there was a blue ford Anglia car outside and a replica of Hagrid’s bike. Sadly I don’t think either were genuine. We headed inside and there definitely wasn’t much of a wow. Outside were some owls, inside were some stalls (both upstairs and downstairs). Apparently there were some workshops and special effects stuff but there was no timetable or map to carry around so we just looked at stalls. Megan bought a watch and Lily bought a pokemon (yeah not HP related). We spotted a reptile area on the way out but otherwise we spent about an hour looking at stalls and nothing else.

We headed back to the Premier Inn, grabbed a cup of tea and sat for a while before deciding we should get ready for the Ball. Nat curled Megan’s hair, while I did Lily’s. We had attempted to do Lily’s hair beforehand with the help of some Curlformers I’d bought but sadly they had mostly fallen out. It took about an hour to get them both ready and then about the same again for Nat and I. We put on our dresses and makeup, heading out of the hotel around 7.30pm (the ball was due to start 6.30pm but we didn’t want to be too early).

When we got to the conference centre, it wasn’t really that clear where to go so we asked. There was a bar and the ball upstairs and a hog roast outside. We headed for the bar first and got drinks, then into the ball which was like a wedding no one wanted to be at. There was a band playing but everyone was sat down looking miserable. After about five minutes we decided to head out to the hog roast instead. Luckily, this was amazing and sitting outside was nice too. After not being there long, a string quartet started up and it was quite enjoyable to sit there and listen.

Though to be honest, Nat and I could quite easily have left at this point, Megan was all for it too, Lily asked if we could go back into the Ball. As we headed inside there was a photobooth (pretty rubbish at that) so we had a picture taken and then went back up. Lucky that we did really as a few people were dancing and we bit the bullet and joined in. Within 15 minutes everyone was up, the live band were back and the lights were dimmed. This last hour was the best of all and thanks to Lily we ended on a high note. Though we didn’t stay quite till 10, we made the most of the evening and enjoyed it despite its lameness. I’m glad we went but it wasn’t worth £25 each.

We headed back to the hotel, got changed and climbed into bed. It had been a pretty nice evening but really we had made it enjoyable between the four of us, rather than the event itself being good.

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Holiday!!

May 19, 2016 by Bel 1 Comment

I’m not counting this as day one as we’re still in the UK, but technically we left the house today and are therefore on holiday!

I’m so excited about this weekend away, because finally I’m going to Paris. I can’t even begin to tell you how long I’ve wanted to visit for and even though we’ve been to DLP before (and even driven past the Eiffel Tower), I’ve never actually been to Paris itself.

Tonight we’re in a Travelodge in Maidstone, where we’re catching some sleep before heading off early in the morning. We will be traveling across the Eurotunnel and into Paris tomorrow, where we will check in to accommodation and then visit the Eiffel Tower! I hope to find time to update, even just a little, every day, so for now I will say good night and leave you with these pics.

Our post-Christmas break – Disneyland Paris

January 28, 2016 by Bel 2 Comments

It occurred to me today that it’s been a month since we went to Disneyland Paris and I still haven’t posted about it! As such, I’m putting that right – starting now.

On Christmas Day I surprised the girls by announcing we would be heading off to Disneyland Paris the following day! As neither of them had much on a wishlist for Christmas, this was my gift to them (any myself) even though it would be a very brief visit! On Boxing Day we drove down to Birmingham and parked at the train station there. We caught a coach at 6pm, that would head for Dover and catch a ferry over to France.

Normally the coach would have made stops all along the way, picking up other people. However by some miracle everyone got on at Birmingham, so there were no set stops to be taken. Instead the coach driver called at several services along the way and we eventually reached Dover by about midnight. Sadly when we got there, we realised the ferry over to France wasn’t till about 2am so this was a bit of a pain. The girls and I hadn’t slept at all by this point so we headed into Costa to grab some coffee and waste some time, before waiting patiently again on the coach. By the time we got on the ferry (and it was rammed) we were so tired and there was no way to sit. In the end we lay our coats on the floor and just slept there for an hour or so while the ferry crossed over.

When we finally arrived in France it was back on the coach and this time a real attempt to sleep. Megan ended up sleeping in the footwell of hers and Lily’s seats, while Lily spread out over both seats. Luckily for me, I can sleep upright so I just slept in my seat, glad for my ear plugs!

We arrived just outside of Disneyland Paris at about 9am. We stopped at services to freshen up and get some breakfast before finally heading to the park. We seemed to have caught enough sleep not to feel to rough, though a whole day in the park was bound to take its toll. Wrapped up warm we headed in, to enjoy our 12 hours of Disney magic!

The first thing we did was head into Disney Studios. We knew we would ultimately want to spend less time here so it was best to get it out of the way before heading into the main Disney Park. We had a wander around but Megan wasn’t keen to go on much – we did manage the Studio Tram Tour (as it was closed last time we came), the Slinky Dog ride and of course we grabbed FPs for the new Ratatouille ride (but not till 7pm that night!).

After that we headed to Disney Park, where everything was beautifully decorated for Christmas. It was lovely to have gone so close to Christmas and actually feel that bit more festive because we were there. After not long arriving in the park, there was a parade, so we decided to wait and catch this first. Being Christmas it was one we hadn’t seen before and of course it’s also been a few years since we went to DLP anyway. Next up came a trip to the castle and of course obligatory pictures. It was pretty sunny and it was in our eyes, so sadly the pictures weren’t great! After that I was determined to visit Maleficent in dragon form as on previous visits I hadn’t known she was there. I think both the girls were a bit nervous as we headed into the dark but it was really funny when the dragon moved and made everyone jump.

Next we took a wander, looking for somewhere to eat. We bumped into both Jafar and the Genie and we got some pretty great pictures. We stopped for lunch at Restaurant Hakuna Matata. Each of us had something different and luckily we enjoyed it all. Though the price was fairly expensive, we actually didn’t even manage it all so I won’t grumble about the cost. We tucked away drinks for later and then set off around the park again. We headed for rides that had low queue times (30 minutes or less) and also rides we hadn’t done before. We started with Snow White and then Pinocchio, before heading to Phantom Manor (and seeing Jack Skellington as Sandy Claws on the way).

By the time we came out, it was going dark. It was almost time for the next parade and so we found a spot for that and waited. During this time it became properly night time and also cold! After the parade we headed back to the Studios and used our fastpass for Ratatouille. The ride was fantastic and it was definitely worth going back for.

With nothing else to do at the Studios we crossed back over to the Disney Park and to be honest the tired and cold was beginning to wear on us. We stocked up on popcorn, crepes and coffee before heading off to It’s a Small World and finally riding that. With nothing else we wanted to do and with the fireworks an hour away, we wandered in a few shops before we settled down with our coats tightly wrapped around us and waited. To be honest it was a little boring but our feet ached and we were tired, plus we wanted a good view for the ending show. Finally the time came and we thoroughly enjoyed Dreams, followed by the Fireworks. We headed straight back to the coach at this point though, as our journey home would begin.

Once everyone was on the coach, we headed off. I settled the girls in their usual places and we all attempted to sleep. Luckily the girls managed plenty, right up until the ferry. Here I had to wake them for passport control checks but then we were almost straight on to the ferry and it wasn’t so bad. While we were tired still, we didn’t think we’d sleep so we headed for the dining area, getting food and drink. We spent most of the time chatting but at points we did just close our eyes and enjoy the peace, before finally heading back to the coach as the ferry docked.

It was still dark outside and so the girls were encouraged to go back to sleep. I managed a little more sleep too, until it got lighter and I gave up. Instead of stopping several times on the way this time, the coach driver just headed straight back to Birmingham – another advantage to having no one else to drop off. We got back to Birmingham massively ahead of schedule, even with one stop for toilet and breakfast. I had worked out we would be back around 1pm and instead it was about 9am. This was fantastic for us as we headed straight home and were back well before midday. The kids coped extremely well with the tiredness and managed all day without a problem. We did treat ourselves to take away and an early night though but it was such a fun few days that I would definitely consider doing it again!

Our pre-Christmas Break – Newcastle

January 13, 2016 by Bel 1 Comment

As you might be able to tell from my lack of posts so far this week, it’s a busy one! I have so many things I want to write about but no time to actually get writing. However one thing that I wanted to make sure I wrote about, before we got too far away from Christmas, was two wonderful trips we had in December. The first (this post) was to Newcastle the weekend before Christmas and the second (my next post hopefully) was a trip to Disneyland Paris, the weekend after Christmas.

On Friday 18th December, the girls had already broken up from school the day before and so we had a fairly lazy day. However we packed and got ready to go away, setting off for my mum’s house around 6pm. There we met up with my partner Chris, who had just finished work and was leaving his car there and the four of us set off on our weekend away. We were staying in a Travelodge in Newcastle (technically Gateshead)and it was one I hadn’t been to before so I was excited. I vowed to not get stressed with the kids and really enjoy this family time we had near Christmas! The journey is a fairly long one, about 3 hours, but we broke it up by stopping for a Burger King dinner at a services on the way. This meant it was about 11pm when we got to the Travelodge but the lady on the desk was wonderful and friendly, meaning that even though it was late, check-in was stress free.

We pretty much headed straight to bed and so in the morning we didn’t bother to set an alarm – just getting up when we woke naturally. Chris headed down to collect the Breakfast boxes, while the girls got dressed and I jumped into the shower. I have to admit to being a little disappointed with the Breakfast boxes – I’m sure there are people out there who like that type of thing (like a Graze box I guess) but for us they were just too much fruit/nut/seed, especially on the first morning.

On the first morning there was only one “Good Morning” box left and so we had three “Rise and Shine” boxes. The contents of the Good Morning box were better than the other – having Cornflakes and milk, orange juice, a Nutri-grain bar (strawberry) and a blueberry muffin. The “Rise and Shine” box on the other hand had a heavily seeded, fruit and nut muffin, with an almond and something cereal bar, a yoghurt and some orange juice. Needless to say we didn’t eat much – Lily had the blueberry muffin and Megan had the cornflakes, while Chris tried a bit of everything and left it. I didn’t even attempt anything as I just knew I wouldn’t like it. Though this was a big disappointment, I have to admit it was the only one of the whole stay.

After getting dressed, we headed out in the car, down the road two minutes to the Metro Centre. Here we planned to spend the whole day, even meeting up with Amy for part of the day. When we arrived it was easy to find parking and so we entered on the ground floor and started to wander around. Since we’d not really managed breakfast that morning, we treated ourselves to fresh pretzels and that was amazing!

We did quite a lot of shopping and bought a few bits. Megan had birthday money to spend and Next vouchers too so it was nice for the girls to feel free to buy things too. At around lunch time we met up with Amy and we all headed to KFC for food. It was quite busy but not too bad considering it was the weekend before Christmas!

In the afternoon we wandered around the top level of the shopping centre. However when the girls got tired (and Chris wasn’t feeling 100%) we sat down for a coffee and to catch our breath. After a while Amy and I wandered off to Primark together and left the girls with Chris. Eventually we headed back and sat down again for a short time. We decided what we were going to do next and since it was almost time for Amy to leave, we said our goodbyes. I headed to the car to drop off the bags and Chris took the girls into the nearby arcade. Though we aren’t big into gambling or anything, we do love our 2p machines and the girls love anything that spits out tickets!

After killing some time in the arcade (and spending plenty of money), we cashed in our tickets – the girls very kindly got Chris a Pac-Man tankard) – and headed back to the Travelodge. Here we all just lay on the beds and chilled out for a while. The girls claimed their free half an hour of wifi on their iPads, I read and Chris played on his phone. Eventually we decided we should eat dinner and so we headed out of the Travelodge again and went to the nearby TGI Fridays (literally a 2 minute walk).

Despite the fact it was a Saturday night, TGI’s wasn’t too busy. They fitted us in to a nice booth and we got a lovely server who made balloon animals for the kids and gave really good service the whole night. Going to TGI’s is a real treat for us as at home our nearest one is at least an hour away. It was nice to spend time just chilling out, enjoying a glass of wine (because we walked) and eating amazing food.

After dinner we were full and tired and so glad to not be far from the Travelodge. We walked back, the girls got changed for bed and then lay there playing on their iPads for a little while. I read again and Chris played on his phone and once we felt our food had gone down, we all went to sleep.

Again in the morning, we just woke when we woke naturally. Chris went for the breakfast boxes and this time we all managed to get the “Good Morning” boxes. This meant that Megan and I could both have cornflakes and Chris and Lily could have blueberry muffins. Sadly Chris was the only one to like Strawberry Nutri-Grain bars too so we just packed those to take home with us, along with some of the orange juice that was left. We packed up all our stuff, checked out and headed to the car. We’d have a lovely weekend away and the Gateshead Travelodge was so close and easy for the Metro Centre (and TGI) that we would definitely go back again!

We headed home and stopped for lunch at a services on the way. It was a lovely weekend break but it was good to get home too!

Bank Holiday Weekend – Monday

August 31, 2015 by Bel 1 Comment

Last day of hols and while I’m updating this from home, I still wanted to compete the diary for our third and final day in London.

We woke up this morning, got ready and packed. It was raining so this scuppered our plans but we decided to head for the Museums. First we started with the V&A but the girls (and us really) just weren’t interested. Instead we headed for the National History Museum and while this was much better, it was so busy that we only lasted an hour before leaving.

We caught the tube to Kings Cross Station, just to make sure we were there on time, then headed out for lunch. We settled on Subway, with the plan of takeaway for dinner when we got home. After Subway we went back into the station and after some deliberation we queued for the Harry Potter 9 and 3/4 photo shoot. It took the whole hour we had spare and so then we caught our train and traveled back to Newark.

Mum picked us up from the station and it was chucking it down with rain! We got back to her house and then Chris drove us back home. We unpacked, ordered takeaway and settled in for the night. That’s where I am now. We’ve eaten takeaway and the girls are on their computers. I’m making my way through emails and browsing the net! It’s been a good weekend.

Bank Holiday Weekend – Sunday

August 30, 2015 by Bel 1 Comment

Again I’m updating from the Travelodge on our Bank Holiday weekend away! It’s been another lovely day, this time shared with Chris!

The girls and I got up and got ready this morning and went out to meet Chris. By 11am we were all together and after a quick visit to the Platform 9 and 3/4 shop (which is also online), we set off for Leicester Square. We had Five Guys for lunch, then wandered to Forbidden Planet. We were in Forbidden Planet for ages and even when we left, we wandered into two or three other other geeky shops while making our way towards slowly Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. Megan bought a Minecraft book and Lily got a little obsessed with Harley Quinn. I can see this is going to be a craze setting in!

Not far from Ripleys, we still had time to kill and so we went in the M&M shop. I’ve been before but the girls and Chris hadn’t (well not the London one, we went to one in Florida). It actually took us quite a while to walk around all three/four floors and the girls had their picture taken with all the M&M characters. Afterwards we headed to Ripley’s though and while we weren’t really sure what to expect, it was pretty good and took us just over an hour to look around. Afterwards we just sat outside for a while, our feet were hurting and we were trying to decide what to do. However we then went for another wander and ended up at Nandos for dinner. Again, Chris and the girls hadn’t been to a Nandos and I realised it was before Megan was born since I’d last been. We all enjoyed our food though and the service was great.

Finally we headed back to the Travelodge (another long trip on the tube and this time incredibly busy!) and chilled out. That’s where we are now – watching X-Factor! Chris is going for a shower, the girls aregoing to go on their iPads and we’re all just relaxing.

Shopping Haul - Minecraft and Harley Quinn Comic

Bank Holiday Weekend – Saturday

August 29, 2015 by Bel 1 Comment

It’s Saturday night and I’m coming to you live from a London Travelodge!! We’ve had a fab day, traveling on the train from Newark to London, then checking in and enjoying London. The train journey went great and everything was on time for a change. We traveled the tube to our Travelodge in Hounslow Central though and this took ages!

On the way back, we got off at Knightsbridge and met up with my friend Tim for lunch at the Disney Cafe in Harrods. The food was pretty expensive and the cafe was nothing special, but the service and food was good and the girls got “free” Disney ears. Afterwards we went to Harrods Disney Store. It was much nicer than a lot of Disney Stores I’ve been in and they did seem to have things that other stores didn’t. I bought Megan a beautiful jacket and to be fair to Lily, she got some Disney Infinity characters. Finally we headed out and went for a wander, before deciding to grab coffee and sit for while to chat. At 5pm Tim needed to go so we said our farewells. The girls and I did the London Eye (thanks to Avios Reward Scheme) which was great and then finally we traveled back to the Travelodge for dinner.

Dinner was very average but it hit the spot. We then went back to the room and collapsed. We’re now heading to bed, though we’ll probably watch X Factor first!!

Minnie Mouse in the Harrods Disney Store

The Railway Children – York Theatre Royal

August 7, 2015 by Bel 1 Comment

Yesterday we were lucky enough to see The Railway Children in York. I’d mentioned last week to my mum that it was on and we’d found a date that worked for us and booked tickets. I’d been hoping to see it in London but when it was as near as York, we couldn’t miss the opportunity.

The theatre for The Railway Children is purpose build, so as to have two platforms and room for a train to run down the middle. The play originated in York, at the Signal Box Theatre, but later moved down to London’s Kings Cross. Due to this month being Theatre Month in York, the show is there too (it didn’t moved, the one in London is still on as well).

The Signal Box Theatre is part of the NRM (National Rail Museum) which is a free museum featuring a variety of rail related items, especially trains. As such we decided to make a day of it, arriving at the museum with time to look around and also to eat lunch. At 2pm we made our way to the theatre and sat through a fantastic production of The Railway Children.

I have seen The Railway Children movie but it was some time ago. The kids did a Paper Chase around the museum which reminded us on the key parts of the story which was good, but for the most part it all came back to me while I was watching.

The acting was absolutely spot on and I couldn’t complain about it at all. The unique staging and experience is by far one of my favourite that I’ve been too and I would most definitely recommend it to others and even go again myself. It’s probably no surprise to those who know me, but I cried at least three times, the timing was impeccable and despite knowing the storyline, it still touched me.

If you are thinking about going, you definitely should. While its probably not for young children, both mine at 7 and 10 enjoyed it (though probably more Megan than Lily, as there were times when Lily seemed bored). It has a little jump part, a little dark and scary part but overall its a great family show. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as did my mum who also cried at various parts! Whether you manage to make it for York Theatre month, or go down to London to see it at Kings Cross, I recommend you give it a go. With regard to seating, Platform 2 on the back row was fantastic but if you have to pick anything, pick the middle no matter whether it’s front, middle or back!

Weleda Insight Day

July 8, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

Last week Nat and I were invited along for a Weleda Insight Day at their main location in Ilkeston. I was originally supposed to be attending the week before, for a beauty themed day, but due to unforeseen circumstances, wasn’t able to make it. However it turned out for the best as Nat was able to come with me instead and while the theme was Mother and Baby, we still had a great time.

We arrived at 9.30am and for the first half an hour it was just tea and coffee, waiting for everyone to arrive. At 10am we had a little chat, telling us all about Weleda, the company, their policies and their products. It was really interesting and I learnt a lot about their ethos and standards.

After the chat, we all piled into a mini bus and drove about a mile down the road to the place they grow all their plants and flowers. We met with the gardeners and had quite a long tour, looking at each location, learning about each plant and what it’s used for etc. The day was beautiful and it was really sunny, it honestly couldn’t have been a nicer day for it.

Once the tour was finished, we settled down on some seats outside a marquee and learnt a little more about the process of making some of the products. Two ladies from the group volunteered to chop up calendula flowers and then added ethanol was added for us to see how the process begins. We were then talked through the rest and people were able to ask questions.

Afterwards we were driving back to the original place, where lunch was waiting for us. There were all sorts of amazing sandwiches, salads, crisps and snacks. Nat and I were so torn for choice but we loaded ourselves up and enjoyed everything we tried. Eventually the afternoon session began but Nat and I were only able to stay for part of it as we needed to get back in time to collect the kids from school. As it happened, the afternoon was more Mother and Baby themed anyway so it didn’t matter too much that we missed it. What we did manage to see was the wide range of Mother and Baby products that are available from Weleda and these are only a scratch on how many products are available altogether.

On leaving the day, Nat and I were both giving goody bags to take home with us. They were packed with loads of great products that I can’t wait to give a try to!