CampBestival 2017

CampBestival 2017

Well, what an experience this was!!

On paper, this weekend was my idea of absolute hell. Six children (two babies), a tent, rain….lots of rain, mud….lots of mud and not a tiled roof in sight! Somehow, amongst the damp and filth, we dug deep into our British souls and managed to have a fantastic weekend (great friends and the Gin also helped).Due to my total lack of organisation we didnt manage to secure a motorhome this year .Instead, we opted for CB Boutique camping with a company called PodPads.

It was a six man bell tent that included a groundsheet, carpet and six campbeds with sheets.

There was enough room in our tent for our travel cot, double buggy and festival trolly.  Although, with all the paraphernalia that comes with two children under two, it was a squash in there and not much room to move around. If the weather had been better and we could have left our bits outside it would have been much roomier.

There is a fab ‘reception tent’ where they provided us with free tea and coffee facilities and you can charge your phone free of charge.

One of the best things about Boutique camping (beside avoiding divorce while trying to errect a 6 man tent) is having the car park at a reasonable distance from your tent and being a short walk from the actual festival.

Last year, at the campervan field, it felt like a Marine assult course getting us, the five kids and a buggy from the motorhome to the festival.

Thats not meant to discourage anyone, but for us, and the ages of our children, we prefered to be closer to everything.

Next year we will head for Boutique again.  I am going to start doing my research now into what we will stay in and ill post about that over the next couple of weeks.

I would be lying if i said the weather did not affect our weekend.
Although we all enjoyed ourselves, we didnt get to make the most of what Camp Bestival has to offer.

We tried to do as much as we could when the rain stopped, but there is so much to to do, we missed out on alot.

Having a couple of art-mad youngsters in our crowd, we headed to The Art Tent first.
The kids had a great time making dreamcatchers out of old vinyl records and cds.

Once the main acts started we headed over to Castle Field.

We rumaged for a spot like crazed fans to watch Justin Flethcher AKA Mr Tumble and then pitched up for my personal Camp Bestival highlight of the weekend…..Dick and Dom.  You’ve never know true exhilaration until you have screamed ‘BOGIES’ in the rain, like your eight year old self.

One thing that did help keep my spirits up while my Hunters were getting abused was The Alchemy Bar by Schweppes.

A Gin and Tonic cocktail bar where Special ingridiants mixed with the G&T’s added something a bit special to my already favourite drink.

So with a couple of bevvies inside us, we soldiered on.

We danced (in the rain) to All Saints, Mark Ronson, Madness, Louisa Johnson and the other amazing acts that made up the 2017 line up. 

The kids raved with Bflf in the Bollywood tent and threw some shapes at Sara Cox DJ set.

Now lets talk about the food…..oh the food!
Ive mentioned in previous posts about how much I love the Camp Bestival grub.

On the first night we had an obligitory crepe…one of the kids favourite things! Not cheap at £5 each, especially when you have as many mouths to feed as we do, but its becoming a tradition we cant resist.

The paad thai noodles are a huge hit with my little lot.  I can guarentee they will put away a portion each, no problem!!
And obvs, anything that does get left, Mike and I are ready and waiting to swoop in like seagulls on Brighton Pier!

The corn is another essential whilst at CB! I can guarentee, my instagram is always cluttered over CB weekend with gorgeous kiddies sinking their teeth into a golden, buttered corn on the cob in The Lower Kids Garden.

Then you have Mikes playground, The Feast Collective.
This is a tent/section of the festival dedicated to different cuisines and dishes from all over the place.  Whether you fancy fish and chips or a lamb curry, The Feast Collective will sell it.
Mainly with a street food vibe, This is where i know ill find Mike if we get split up.

We tried DJBBQ pulled pork burger, which was everything i had hoped for after salivating over his Instagram over the last few months.
We tried chips, cheese and gravy which i am convinced would make the best hangover food and was another winner with the kids .
The dish of the weekend for me had to be the Indonesian Coconut Curry and dumplings…..it was the BEST curry I have ever had!

Another great thing about Camp Bestival is that you can bring your own food and drink into the grounds.
So, as tempting as it is to just keep browsing the stalls, trying a dish ever hour, bringing your own bits will save your pennies.

The rain finally eased off on Sunday afternoon so thats when we headed to The Dingly Dell.

This is an area in the woods with a childrens park, farm animals and outdoor activities like zip wires, childrens building sites and Lizzies Way.
Now, im not going to lie, I haven’t made it to Lizzies Way.
I have been told by my other blogging friends that this is a highlight of Camp Bestival.
All i needed to hear was, in the middle of the woods, she has a mud cafe and you can make potions!!…this is enough to make sure it is our first stop on the list for next year!

Over the next couple of weeks I will publish more posts on Camp Bestival.
I will cover more about the accomodation options, what to see, saving money and travelling there etc.

For now, the purpose of my post is to say, despite the weather, Camp Bestival 2017 was brilliant weekend, making more unforgettable memories with the kids, which, afterall, is what its all about.

The tickets for 2018 have just been released and ticketline offer a paymentplan.

You can book your tickets and pay them off weekly which I have done for last two years and it works so well.

Boutique options are not available yet but if you secure your weekend tickets, they include standard camping pitches.

If I have managed to convince any of you to go, please let me know and we can keep in touch over the next few months and maybe even hook up over a G&T  in the Magic Meadow next year 😉

If you have enjoyed this post, please share it on your social media.

Love Kate x

Easy SMX Kids Headphones

Easy SMX Kids Headphones

I was recently asked to review a pair of childrens headphones.
I can put my hand on my heart and tell you that despite being asked asked to do this, my review (or the kids review) is entirely unbiased.
Luckily however, we were really pleased with this product.

The headphones arrived, beautifully packaged in a smart box which looked great.  I opted for the blue and yellow pair (given libby is more likely to wear blue and yellow as the boys are to wear pink!)

The colour and design is great, ideal for a young children but also trendy looking enough for the twins (10) to use/wear.
According to Charlie, my eight year old, the headphones are very comfortable and the sound is great.
This point was proven when I called him five times from next to him and he blissfully ignored me, happily watching Toy Story on my laptop.

Libby (6) was next to give them a go, once she put them on no one else got a look in!
This is when I realised they really are worth the money.  You see, Libby is addicted to Youtube videos, the ones where adults are dressed up as mermaids or princesses and badly act through scenes from their kitchen table (they really are as annoying as they sound).
The point is, Mike and I spend 90% of our time telling her to turn it down or off as it is like listening to fingernails being scratched down a chalk board.

I have tried different headphones but she never keeps them on, complaining the are uncomfortable or she cant hear propertly.
I havent heard that annoying youtube drivvle since she put EasySMX headphones on.
At a cost of £21.99, I would recommend them, however, at the moment they are being sold on Amazon for £11.99 which is incredibly good value.  For a family as large as ours, means I can justify buyng a pair for each of the kids.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/EasySMX-Comfortable-Friendly-Protecting-Headphones/dp/B01KLXSNPE/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1484227162&sr=8-3-fkmr1&keywords=kids+easy+smx+headphones
I am putting an order in for another four pairs!
We are hoping to book a couple of holidays this year and i think they will be perfect aeroplane headphones.  Now the twins (10) have Iphones and Libby and Charlie have tablets, they will also be great for car trips and holidays.

Travel hack – Flying to Florida

Travel hack - Flying to Florida

As seasoned travellers to Florida I like to think i am experienced at organising a great holiday there.

Given that i am usually booking for eight or more people i am particularly good at making sure we stick to a reasonable budget.

I have just booked our flights to Florida 2018 and I’ve got to share this little gem with you.

Usually, if you fly from the South East of England to Florida you would either fly from Gatwick or Heathrow to Orlando, or Heathrow to Miami.

Unless you have air miles or you are booking a package holiday, flights are really expensive. 

Especially, lf like us you have to work around school holidays, even worse when you are paying for eight people!

So, here is my secret…….Norwegian Airlines!

They now fly direct from London Gatwick to Fort Lauderdale.
Fort Lauderdale airport is about 30 minutes north of Miami and about a 2 1/2 hour drive to Orlando.

Fort Lauderdale itself is our favourite holiday destination.
The beaches are stunning, restaurants are amazing and there is always loads going on.

If however, you are heading to Orlando, the price of flights will make the drive worth while.

So….

Drum roll please…….

Return flights for the Easter holiday 2018 £450 per adult and £350 per child.
This is for the Economy Lowfare plus ticket which includes In flight meals, 20kg check in baggage allowance and seat reservation.

Gatwick is so much more convenient than Heathrow for those of us that are South of London.

Now let’s talk about the airline.

Norwegian is classed as a ‘budget’ airline, But there really isn’t anything budget about them.

We travelled to Florida with them last year for my sister in laws wedding in Key West.

The check in service was excellent (but when flying with five children you tend to get treated like VIP….mainly to move you on as quickly as possible).

The Dreamliner plane is a new aircraft. It offers good legroom (lowfare plus) and hi-tech facilities.

The touch screen media kit means you can order and pay for your duty free, food and drink using your tv and the cabin crew bring it straight to you.

The kids and I were fascinated by the ‘magic’ windows that are made of smart glass and tint at the touch of a button!

The service on board was great and the cabin crew were very attentive and patient with the kids.  As all of us parents know, that can make a big difference to a nine hour flight.

If you are considering a holiday to Florida, check them out.  I’ll be sharing more posts on holidays in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Miami soon.

www.norwegian.com/uk/

Let me know if you have any travel hacks when holidaying in Florida.

Love

Kate

 

The Alternative Christmas Dinner

The Alternative Christmas Dinner

Every year I say I will buy a few Turkeys to rear on the farm for Christmas dinner and every October I realise I have left it too late!

So then, every October /November I spend loads of time researching the best place to buy one. Marks and Spencers? Sainsburys? The local butcher or farm shop? Then I spend my monthly mortgage payment on a premium, amazing bird to feed my fifteen guests.

Now, here is the crazy bit….every year we all have the same conversation just after Christmas… ‘I am not a lover of Turkey’ ‘It is a very dry meat’ ‘It’s tradition though..’ ‘I prefer chicken all day long’

In fact, the only thing that Turkey offers our house at Christmas, which we can not sacrifice is Turkey sandwiches in the evening (which a medium crown will suffice). I have made an executive decision and will NOT be cooking a turkey for our Christmas dinner.

We have taken a few animals to slaughter over the last few weeks so we have a freezer full of beef, lamb and pork. The cuts of meat we have would be worth a fortune if we had to buy them at a butchers.   So this year I am going to cook a Beef Wellington and a leg of lamb for our lunch.

This got me thinking about alternative Christmas Dinners and what other things families serve up for their grub.

I asked a few fellow bloggers and it seems quite a few people are not too fussed on our traditional Turkey. Here are some suggestions for something different.

Sophie:

‘We go for Ham. There is no waste and we actually enjoy it. Noone in our family really likes turkey so always a bit of a waste!’

www.sophobsessed.com

Ayse:

‘We don’t eat meat so last year I made salmon. I wasn’t too fussed about it and this year we’re just having everything but the meat!’ 

www.arepops.com

Kelly:

‘We are having the Lamb stack from Lidl, as none of us are too fond of Turkey. I will be making stuffed butternut squash for the vegetarian quest and getting a small Turkey crown for my Grandparents, as that would be dangerous grounds if I didn’t !’

Www.reducedgrub.com

Louise:

‘We’re vegetarian and my Mum has always made a mushroom strudel and we’ve carried on the tradition! With all the usual trimmings of course.’

www.pinkpearbear.com

Victoria:

‘I find turkey quite bland so we usually have lamb or salmon.’

www.thegrowingmum.com

Emma:

‘A lovely plump goose and all that tasty skin 😍😍 ‘

www.readyfreddiego.com

Jessica:

‘We are eating out at a restaurant this year so my parents have chosen to have a Chateaubriand. As they said by the time Christmas comes your normally board of turkey ! ‘

Www.beautiesandthebibs.co.uk

Lauren:

‘We are vegetarian so we normally have a mushroom wellington or nut roast 😊’

www.sophiesnursery.com

Elizabeth:

‘My partner doesn’t enjoy Turkey so always has a lamb shank for his Christmas dinner. ‘

www.whererootsandwingsentwine.com

Eva:

‘Nut roast – as I’m vegetarian Husband isn’t but it became now our family tradition at Christmas.’

www.captainbobcat.com

Stevie:

‘My stepdad is Indian, one year we had a curry!’

www.thismummaneedstea.com

Georgina:

‘Quorn family roast and spinach and feta tart is what my family had growing up! ‘

www.geegardner.co.uk

Victoria:

‘Hubby and kids will have chicken breasts (hubby’s choice), but I’m veggie so I’ll just have extra stuffing or a nut roast.  We never cook a turkey here! ‘

www.lyliarose.com

Sarah:

‘If we was in charge of Christmas dinner I imagine I would cook chicken, I can’t stand turkey but everyone seems to enjoy a nice roast chicken! ‘

www.mummycatnotes.com

Siobhan:

‘A lot of our family don’t like traditional roasts, so our tradition is to have a big Irish cooked breakfast on Xmas morning, then party food and snacky bits during the day as everyone pops in and out, then in the evening, a couple of different joints of meat in warm rolls – yum!’ www.passthewineplease.blog

Samantha:

‘We’re not really into turkey so we always have our fave roast dinner meat – a chicken! We also get a big ham or beef joint too. 😊’

www.stressymama.com

Cat:

‘We do normally have turkey but on a couple of occasions we have gone for a rib of beef instead. One of our guests this year hates turkey so I think I will cook a rib of beef again.’

www.pushingthemoon.com

Kimberly:

‘We have a ham every year as hardly any of us like turkey. This year there are lots of us so there will be a goose too ‘

www.oddhogg.com

Wendy:

‘One year I did – IKEA meatballs, sticky chipolatas, fries, loganberry jam, sautéed red cabbage and Daim bar cake – all from the IKEA food shop for less than £20  – it was everyones favourite Christmas! 🙂 ‘

www.daisiesandpie.co.uk

Kati:

‘If I make a Christmas dinner it has to be apple-stuffed duck roast! I find turkey too bland and lean and if I’m going to go all-out, I might as well make it a cardiac arrest on a plate’

www.howtorockatparenting.wordpress.com

Clare:

‘My husband hates turkey he thinks it’s too bland so we compromise with a 3 bird roast normally. We had goose one year and it was so fatty and a pain in the bum to cook we just stick to a 3 bird.  I’m not telling him your having beef Wellington though that would be his preference!!’

www.freddiesmummyuk.wordpress.com 

Michelle:

‘For a few years, we did a Mexican Xmas Day.  Sombreros, Mexican decorations, games and Mexican food/Drink obv. Easier to get food from the supermarket in the rush and loads of fun! ‘

www.seeingRainbows.co.uk

Helen:

‘We have had steak, chips & peppercorn sauce for the past 5 years and love it! So chilled out and no peeling veg! ‘

www.casacostello.com

Jo:

‘I’m a vegetarian, so we don’t have turkey 😉 I make a savoury crumble instead, with loads of veg and cheesy crumble topping, and serve it with roast potatoes. Even my meat eating husband enjoys it!’

www.cupoftoast.co.uk

Liberty:

‘We always do something different. We are half south African and it sounds crazy but last year was brilliant, the lads went out to do the meat – a side of beef stuffed and rolled in foil on the fire (BBQ or braai as we’d call it) in the middle of a UK winter. They loved it and the kids too especially afterwards when we turned it in to bonfire. We added roasted vegetables and potatoes dauphinois to the meal which we’d done in the oven. All in all very little fuss and plenty of fun. ‘

www.libertyonthelighterside.com

Lynette:

‘We will be having chicken or lamb. I haven’t had a turkey Christmas dinner for about 20 years. I don’t really like turkey and I definitely don’t trust myself to cook it well. I know it would end up like the one in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’

www.reclusivefox.com

Charlotte:

‘One year we decided to have Christmas dinner out and I had roast pigeon! It was actually amazing and a welcomed change!’

 Www.themummytoolbox.com

Kelly:

‘We often have beef and I have a friend who lets everyone choose and so the kids pick fish fingers!’

www.thebestversionofkelly.com

Victoria:

‘We have a buffet with lots of elements from Spanish cuisine to reflect the Other Half’s heritage. ‘

www.starlightandstories.com

Sally:

‘Goose, pheasant, duck we’ve had them all as my family have never been huge turkey fans’

Www.motherand3sons.com

Natalie:

‘My cousin does turkey pasta because none of her family like a turkey roast. Sounds grim but she roasts the turkey, takes the meat off & turns it into a delicious pasta bake!’

www.crummymummy.co.uk

Sarah:

‘We’re doing a joint of beef this year.i will miss the turkey sandwiches though!’😂

www.digitalmotherhood.com

Christy:

‘This year we are having a three bird game roast – partridge, pheasant and pigeon! You may think eating pigeon is a bit weird but it’s actually a really delicate meat with a lot of flavour.’

www.welshmum.co.uk

Helen:

‘We tend to alternate, one year might be a rib of beef and a ham, other it will be a turkey. I’m not a huge fan of turkey so it’s a nice change for me. Important as I tend to be the cook!’

www.welshmumwriting.com

Shopping for a large family

Shopping for a large family

I think the key to shopping for a large family is bulk and planning! I tend to split my shopping into various trips. I pay a yearly membership to Costco so that I can buy alot of our shop in bulk. I buy toilet rolls, washing powder, fabric conditionor, cleaning products, nappies and baby wipes. I also buy things like ketchup, seasonings, tea bags, coffee and rice. Costco also have really nice meat, their pork belly in particular and I find it hard to resist their caremilsed onion sausages! On average my shop at Costco comes to £80-£100 and that would last me at least 6 weeks. The problem with costco is that they always have loads of other stuff that I want to buy but shouldn’t.  You know, the sort of stuff that makes Mike sweat when I start browsing,  pillows, candles, coffee machines, throws (you can never have enough throws),  books and home decorations. can guarentee that regardless of how quickly Mike wants to get around and tries to steer me away from anything that is not on my list, if there is a bar b que, tool set or ‘boys toy’ on offer it will add an extra hour to our trip! I find taking a list always helps me stick to what I really need and also means I don’t come away forgetting any essentials. Once I left without nappies and loo roll but instead had two paddling pools and a football goal! Next stop is Aldi where  I stock up on all our cupboard essentials like crisps, biscuits, cereals, squash, tins and pasta etc. I also buy their prosecco, wines,  cheeses and ham. This leaves my regular ‘pop in’ to Co-op or sainsburys for milk,  bread, fruit and veg much less of a burden. I can preach this, but I really need to stick to it myself. As much as I know I should do it and on an organised month I am religious, I also have months where I spend £200 more than I need to because I leave it all to the last minute and run into sainsburys, hungry and with no plan of action! There are also weeks/months where I can get my a#?e to the supermarket which is when sainsburys delivery gets used. Speaking of the continence of delivery, I am really tempted to try one of these fruit and veg delivery services where they deliver you a box once a week….does anyone have this?  What are your thoughts? I have mentioned in previous blogs I tend to cook alot of big pot dishes such as Curries, pasta, shepherds pies, lasagne, chilli, stews, they all work out cheaper than buying ready prepered food for us as a big family.

Our day at Godstone Farm

Our day at Godstone Farm

I have been visiting Godstone farm since I was Georges age. Over the years it has just got better and better, whilst keeping hold of it orginal charm that makes me so nostalgic. So last week, I made the brave decision to take ALL my children for a visit. Even though we live on a farm, there is nothing like a day out at Godstone Farm.  We are so fortunate that it is just fifteen minutes from us. Considering it was the middle of the summer holidays, it was relatively quiet, which helped me stay sane. The farm is divided into areas that makes it easy to explore. They have all the animals you would hope to see on a farm.  Horses, donkeys, pigs, goats, llama and cows. They have a wonderful selection of birds and smaller animals. Chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks, rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs aswell as a few reptiles. Activities are ran throughout the day such as animal talks and feedings. Have you ever watched Pig and feret racing?  The kids loved it! I had to giggle when the boys announced, on seeing the piglets… ‘Look mum, this pig has more babies than you!’ -yep, she looks in better shape to! Always a magical part of the day is the barn where you can hold the babies and small animals. They have baby chicks of different ages, rabbits and tortoises. Aswell as making sure no little darlings throw the chicks across the barn, Godstone farm employees are on hand to answer any questions the kids have. My kids loved this area, particularly George. Lets talk about the outdoor play area that gets even the adult visitors excited. The playground alone is worth the enterance fee. (How amazing is this swing!?) It has everything from zip wires and large slides for the older kids (and adults), to a sand pit, climbing frames and ride-ons for the younger ones. It is perfect to plot up and have a picnic, but, if like me you are not that organised, they have a sandwhich hut serving coffee, tea, cold drinks and ice cream. We spent about two hours here, and I still had to drag the kids away kicking and screaming! If the weather is bad, There are also two covered play areas. One is a huge soft play area set up in one of the large barns.  The other area is smaller with a climbing area and slide, set up for younger children After wearing George out in the play area we headed to the Dino Trail. Dotted around a path, and looking over the llamas, at the bottom of the farm are large model dinosaurs.  Each one is accompanied with facts on the animal. With a toddler and an eight year old obsessed with dinosaurs, this was a great suprise! Who knew that a baby T-Rex could have been born with feathers? We ended our day in the large sandpit for younger children with a portion of chips and an ice cream. I spent most of my time here wrestling George as he tried to take every tractor toy in the sandpit away from the other tots.  Always making time for a trip to the shop, the boys bought some water toys to play in the sun. Apart from all the activities, I was impressed with the general appearence of the farm. The landscaping is beautiful, the facilities were clean and there were plenty of hand washing points. We had a great day at Godstone Farm.  As always, it provided a fun and educational day outdoors, enjoying the great British summer. For more information, please visit http://godstonefarm.co.uk/ *I recieved free tickets in return for this review. However, as always, all my opinions are entirely honest and without biased.

Our Day Out at Thorpe Park

Our Day Out at Thorpe Park

If you are at a loose end with the kids this summer and want something that will suit all ages, from babies to older teenagers (and you) try Thorpe Park.  Thorpe Park is a large theme park set between Chertsey and Staines-Upon-Thames, at juction 11 on the M25. Despite being just a forty five minute drive from me I haven’t been there since I was a kid.  Mike was supposed to join me, but because of his work commitments I took the kids on my own. Two children under two, four over six and just one adult meant I wouldnt be able to make the most of the day.  So, I dropped George and Arthur to my Mum and Dad’s and headed off with Mikey (10), Harri (10), Charlie (8) and Libby (6). When we arrived the kids checked the map and all the many rides and gave me a summary of the ones they definitely wanted to go on. My slight disapointment, being a huge rollercoaster fan, (bigger the better) was because I was on my own, I had to swerve some of the biggest and best rides in the park. Mikey was also disappointed, as he seems to have inherited my need for thrills!  Saw, Stealth, Colossus, Rush and Nemiesis Inferno were all no-gos for us this time round. So lets talk about the rides we did go on. Like other theme parks, Thorpe Park is separated into different areas, each with its own theme. We started our day at Amity, a section of the park based around the seaside town that the movie Jaws is based on. The first ride we went on was Flying Fish, a family rollercoaster. After dragging Mikey and Harri on some of Universal Studios scariest rides last year, they were both up for this ‘tamer’ ride. Libby and Charlie however, were rollercoaster novices and both tried get out of it. Thinking they would enjoy it once they were on it, I managed to convince them with some gentle persuasion. They loved it! Mikey didnt feel it quite satisfied his adrenaline need, but enjoyed it nevertheless. Whilst in Amity, we also went on the obligatory log flume Tidle Wave and the more gentle water ride, Storm Surge. One of my most memorable rides with the kids was ‘Storm in a Teacup’.  Maybe because I remember this ride and the Tetley men from when I was the boys age.   While the kids were spinning the cup, faster and faster, I was watching their faces, they were ecstatic, their laughing and screaming with excitement will stay with me forever.   It is what #makingmemories is all about. From Amity, we headed to ‘The Jungle’.   This is where we rode on Mr Monkeys Banana Ride (a tame thrill ride for younger children) and the Rhumba Rapids, riding through the jungle river on a raft. Whilst in The Jungle I spied a ‘Ghost Train’ sign. Ghost Trains are my favourite kind of ride so I dragged the kids kicking and screaming towards it. They breathed a sigh of relief when it stated at the entrance that you had to be 13 or over.  I was gutted! It looked fantastic, promoted as Darren Brown’s Ghost Train, I am heading straight for that on my kid-free visit! Harri’s ride of choice was Angry Birds 4D Experience. It was very similar to the Shrek ride at Universal Studios.  I dont want to spoil it for anyone, but it is a great ride for all the family. At Old Town the kids jumped on The Rocky Express, which they all commented that George (2) would have loved. Then, the kids hurried Mikey and I passed Samuri and Saw whilst we sulked like teenagers. We stopped for a well deserved Whoppa at Burger King, just because it was the closest Eatery.  However, there are plenty of places to eat at the park.  They have everything from a Bar and Grill to Fish and Chips, Mexican, Kebabs, Pulled Meat and BBQ, they even have Burger King and KFC. If you want treats they offer Donuts, Ice Cream, Slushies and lots of yummies dotted around the park. The Lost City was the home of Mikeys favourite ride of the day….Quantum.  Judging by Thorpe Park standards it was one of the smaller rides but given that Mikey hadnt managed to ride any of the monsters, this satisfied his thrill level for the day. Charlie and Harri however, were not so keen! Mikey ran off begging to ride again, whilst the others threatened to report me to social services for making them go on such a scary ride (I bolted out of the queue with Libby at the last minute as I knew she would be petrified). Zodiac was a great ride, I actually managed to ride that one with Mikey as the queue was less than five minutes. We spent the last hour of our day at Thorpe Park at Amity Beach, A large, man-made beach with shallow pools and water features. The weather was beautiful and It was so reminiscent of the Lidos my mum used to take us to when we were kids (none of which are open any more). I sat and watched the four kids mess about, splash each other and have a great time. Depth Charge is next to the beach.  It is a multi slide where you sit on a raft and ride down the slide.  The kids would have gone on this again and again and again but time was running away. Being the unorganized mum that I am, i hadnt packed swimsuits or towels so it is just lucky we made that the last stop of the day. I say last stop, but as every parent knows, no trip to a theme park is complete without a visit to the park store! Loaded with badges, sweets and souvenirs, we were ready to say goodbye to Thorpe Park. All I needed to do was remember where I parked the car!!! For more information on Thorpe Park, their prices and admissions, head over to their website. https://www.thorpepark.com If you have been or do plan a day in Thorpe Park I’d love to hear your feedback. Love Kate Xxxx Linking up with #BloggerClubUK

Our Day at Drusillas

Our Day at Drusillas

We have been fortunate to visit a few special attractions around the South of England this Summer. When I have asked the kids which one stands out, Drusilla’s Park won hands down. It has been so long since I have been to Drusillas It is nothing more than a vague memory to me.  So when I was asked to give a review of the Park I jumped at the chance. Anyone that I have spoken to about Drusillas has raved about it, so I was really excited to take the kids. A friend of mine, Simin, lives in Eastbourne and has an Annual Membership for Drusillas.  She has been visiting the Park for over fifteen years.  So, apart from a great opportunity to meet up with her and her little girl, I thought it would be handy to go with someone who knows the zoo and can give me a guided tour! Drusillas Park Is located just off the A27 at Ariston. From where we live in Warlingham (just outside of Croydon) it took approximately an hour. The kids usually hate long journeys, but I avoided the motorways and the route took us on a lovely drive through Ashdown Forest. I had always thought Drusillas was a small zoo.  My kids adore animals and learning about different species so I knew I would be earning brownie points on this day out.  What we actually realised on arrival is that Drusillas is so much more than ‘just a small zoo’. The variety of play areas and rides are probably the best I have ever seen!  But, I’ll tell you all about that later. Lets start at the beginning of our day. Car parking was simple and you don’t get charged to park in it.  This shouldn’t be a surprise, but a few of the attractions we have been to over the last six weeks have charged us for parking. Like most of my days out, it started with a coffee.  Coffee is my ‘mama fuel’ to help me mentally cope with the day ahead.  Not only to make sure I don’t loose one of my six children, but to make sure I can keep an enthusiastic, ‘Balamory style’ attitude throughout the day. Imagine my delight when I was greeted with a Starbucks sign! After my caffeine fix, it was straight onto the animals. The children had been given some activity booklets to complete on the way around the park. I thought they were great because they were kept simple.  The kids had to spot animals listed in the booklet and stamp it accordingly.  This meant it was easy for my younger children to complete, whilst keeping the older ones entertained too. They could also take part in the Zoolympics Challenge.  There were various points around the park where you could test your sporting skills against different animals. Our first stop was Iguanas and Snakes.  The smell was reminiscent of the twins bedroom, so I was keen to move on fairly swiftly, but the kids took in every fact and bit of information available to them. The Farmyard was lovely to mooch around, George loved it and It was so informative.  The older children have been to many farms and have books on most of our animals, yet we all learnt new facts at this section of the park. -Did you know that dairy cows produce 21 litres of milk per day? -Did you know that Donkeys are sometimes kept as pets to keep lawns short? (yea, I suggest swerving that informative can of worms!) -I also learned that despite how I might feel sometimes, I am not built like a carthorse and, at a push, I just about have the strength of a Serval (a giant cat)….I know!? who knew!? You don’t it about me, but I love monkeys!!! I could watch monkeys all day!! So Imagine my delight when our next stop was the capuchins (Marcel from Friends?) Marmosets, Colobus, Squirrel monkeys and Macaques.   There were even more species of Monkeys dotted around the park. In all the years I have visited farms and zoos, I have never encountered Bats until I visited Drusillas. The children and I were fascinated.  We could walk through an enclosed area where the bats were hanging (literally) all around us.  I grew up next to woodland and we would see the shadows of bats regularly during the summertime, but it was a completely different experience to see them up close. New arrivals at Drusillas this year are the Giant Anteaters, and how amazing are they! (and, FYI, nothing like ALF!) The park has over one hundred different animal species and I am not going to go through every one, but amongst some of our favourites were Beavers, Porcupines, Sloths, Camels and Penguins. I loved seeing the Flamingos, (and not just so that I could use that cute sticker on Insta Stories!) They are so beautiful and pink…. I am working on mike to let me have a flock on the farm….what do you reckon my chances are!? Another highlight of our day was our walk through Lemurland.  This is an enclosure where you can walk amongst the Lemurs and watch them jump across your path or if you are really lucky, they might even land on you! The Go-Wild play area was exactly as it is described…Awesome Play.  It was every child’s dream and with a separate area for younger children, it had something for all ages. The kids spent over an hour in this part of the park.  If they had their way they would have spent all day there! The photos don’t do Go-Wild justice.  I couldn’t possibly get a shot with everything included! But, there was still so much to see so we had to drag them away from Go-Wild and head for the Get-Wet water park. Simin had text me the night before to tell me to make sure I brought the kids swimming cosies and towels.  Now I don’t want to appear a whinge, but when you are getting ready to take six children out for the day something has to give.  On this occasion I forgot the swimsuits! Luckily, it was such a hot day It didn’t stop Libby and George from having a great time jumping in and out of the fountains and water sprays.Go Safari! is Drusillas new attraction which only opened this year.  It is an area of the park made up of three rides.  They provide perfect thrills for younger children (my two and ten year olds enjoyed them). The Hippopotobus, The Flying Cheetahs and The Safari Train which takes you on an adventure around the whole park. Drusillas has a great Park Maze. We all had great fun getting lost and trying to find our way out.  I kept George safely on my shoulders the entire time we were in there.  Those of you who follow my blog and Instagram will understand why! #Georgethemenace Hello Kitty Secret Garden is a lovely area with three more childrens rides.  The exciting 25ft hooper, a ride where you are bounced up and down.  The tea cups which, need no explanation and the Kitty car ride where you go on a magical journey through Hello Kittys Garden. Stop at Hello Kittys House.  The girls met The Puss herself, Hello Kitty, and you can indulge with a pamper at her ‘Parlour’.  Children (or adults if you so wish!) can have their face painted, temporary tattoos and hair braids (at cost). On this occasion I was organised and took a packed lunch with us. Therefore, I can not comment on Drusillas eateries but they all appeared clean and inviting (and the coffee was great😉) The facilities were good and you were never too far from a toilet (which is always handy with six children!) Harrison can not go anywhere without playing a shoot-me-up game so he was not dissapointed. And, if we hadnt run out of time they would have liked a go on the climbing wall. Drusillas have Keeper Talks and Animal feeding at regular times during the day and they have loads of events on throughout the year.  I would definitely recommend heading over to their website www.drusillas.co.uk We had such a great day!  The weather was glorious, but I can imagine we would have enjoyed it regardless. On our way home from Drusillas, Mikey asked if he could go back and ‘be a keeper for the day’ for his birthday……I am certainly going to look into it. If I have convincedyou to take a trip to Alfriston to visit Drusillas, let me know what you think. And, as always, Please share with your friends and followers 😘 I recieved free entry to Drusillas in return for this post. All of my opinions are completly honest and unbiased.

Petworth and The Three Crowns, Wisborough Green

Petworth and The Three Crowns, Wisborough Green

​I am really lucky when it comes to my relationship with Mike. Being self employed he is at home alot of the time. This would drive most wives to murder! But, as it happens, I quite like it! He often joins me for a coffee with the girls in the morning, listens to us moan about shit we find to moan about and then lightens the mood with one of his cocky comments. I’m completely going of the subject of my post! What I’m getting at is that he often suggests a random trip out after I’ve dropped the kids off to school. It might be that he has a job to price up or check on so we could be off anywhere (I’m writing this blog from the car on our way to Clapham) Just before Xmas we took a trip out to a place called Petworth. Petworth is a beautiful, small town in West Sussex, about 30 minutes from Horsham. A town made up of cobbled streets, antique markets and beautiful boutiques. We didn’t have much time there as we were restricted by the school pick up but there is a national trust property there which I will save for my next visit. Obviously I managed to find enough time to check all the shops out! I was so pleased with a bunch of real mistletoe I treated myself to 😘 The indoor antique Market is fantastic. If you like quirky bits for your house that add character or you just love a mooch around, looking at vintage gems it is definatly worth visiting. Some of the items we looked at I’m certain would be ten times the price on Kings Road!