This is the view from the verandah in our log cabin. Not bad hey?
The Gallery: Picture Postcard
I've spent the last five days trying to work out which picture to use for the fantastic theme set by Tara for the special 100th edition of The Galley. I have really struggled because to me a postcard picture is a landscape, and I've used many of mine before for other Gallery themes or for Wordless Wednesdays. And so the one Gallery that I really wanted to take part in started slipping through my fingers.
And then I followed Tara's e-mail of the post over to her blog and looked at her picture, and the reasoning behind her choice:
"Is there anything finer than the great British seaside?"
And it hit me!
The photo that I have had in my 'pictures->blog->spare photos' folder since last July would finally get to be shown. So thank you Tara for reminding me of one of my favourite photos of one of my favourite locations. I can't wait to visit it again in a fortnight:
Lyme Regis, Dorset.
—
Lights Out Portable Pop-Up Blinds (Review & Competition)
One of the things that I was adamant with when setting up The Boy's bedroom when he was first born, was the window coverings. I was determined he'd have a black out blind and the linings on the curtains, as I didn't want him waking up at silly o'clock in the morning during the Summer, and I wanted him to have uninterrupted sleep during his afternoon naps. It's worked brilliantly and as a result is always something that I've worried about when we've gone to stay with friends and family, or gone on holiday. Most holiday homes have thin curtains which serve little purpose other than to throw a tinted hue over the room. I've been known to be pegging black out lining to the curtain rail in an attempt to darken it sufficiently enough for him to sleep.
Well, not any more!
Last week we were sent the Lights Out Portable Pop-Up Blinds to review, and they came at a perfect time as we were away for Easter weekend in a place that I knew had wafer-thin translucent curtains at the windows. These blinds are excellent. The pack contains two blinds and each one measures 1.2m x 1m. They fold down into a circular lightweight storage bag (measuring 45cm diameter) which took up barely any space in an otherwise cramped car!
Each of the blinds has a toggle through the middle of it with a suction cup attached to the one end. Simply position the suction cup and attach it to the window, pull the toggle and it holds the blind in place over the window, pulling taut to rest against the frame.
They overlapped perfectly and pulled tight to cover the wide expanse of window with no problem whastoever. Bearing in mind I'm not a 'follow-the-instructions' person, I had them up in the window within thirty seconds. For deeper window recesses there are extension rods to attach.
The left picture above shows the window to be covered, the middle shows it with the 'curtains' drawn, and the right hand picture shows the blinds in action. Apologies for the blurriness on the middle picture but I was taking the photo without a flash and had to stand still for thirty seconds to get the photo. I couldn't take a photo of the room with the blinds attached at first, as it was pitch black and my camera couldn't focus. I had to place my phone on the bedside table with the light on to give it something to focus on. As a result the slight light strip you can see is from the reflection of my phone not from the window.
One last point to note is that, despite many 'pop-up' items being nigh on impossible to 'pop-down' again afterwards, these were back in the storage bag within thirty seconds.
The Lights Out Portable Pop-Up Blinds are excellent! I would buy these in a flash because they work brilliantly, and I wish I'd known about them when I first had The Boy, so many holidays could have been more enjoyable with more sleep!
The kind souls at Lights Out are offering a set of the Portable Pop-Up Blinds to one lucky reader. Simply fill in the Rafflecopter form in order to enter.
All entry mechanisms must be completed for your entry to count.
Holiday Activities
I had such high hopes for this Easter holidays; we were going to play in the garden, plant seeds, garden, water and sand play, walk to the beach through the parks and generally enjoy the glorious sunshine that has been typical during April for the past few years.
And it's raining. A lot.
I don't know why I'm so surprised, the well known term is April showers after all. Sat on the M4 for several hours more than was necessary on bank holiday Monday, with the windscreen wipers on full and the demister creating a mini-sauna, I started to come up with some ideas for the next week and a half.
- Indoor dens: I've waited a long time for The Boy to be old enough to appreciate a good solid den. I used to make them with the dining table, chairs in a long line for crawling through as a tunnel, create another tent between the sofa and the radiator and I'd be set 'til tea-time when the family of six suddenly needed to eat. Damn rude that they needed the table cloth and chairs I think. Unfortunately our dining table has cross over legs at the base (Swedish designers didn't think that one through!) and so I might have to rig up something using a clothes horse and the piano.
- Craft: We're still working our way through the bargains that I bought in the Baker Ross Christmas sale, and the main things we have left are human body sponges for painting. Mix and match arms, legs, heads and bodies, plus facial features. I think I might tape down a big roll of paper on the kitchen floor and The Boy can go mad with some paint.
- Soft-play: When hell freezes over. Forget it until April 23rd.
- Taking the children to the cinema: Yes I have one child, I know this. However, this happens every holiday when my mum ends up looking after my niece and nephew too, she gets a little tired and I usually step forward to help out in some way. After all three children and two adults is far more friendly than the alternative. I reckon The Boy could sit through an animated movie, especially if we picked one of those screenings that was family friendly (not so dark, chatter allowed, etc).
- Doing a rain-dance: We might just don wellies and raincoats and go splashing in puddles. Because at the end of the day, when you have a two year old, you can let your inner child out every so often!
What activities are you up to this holiday?
A Holiday Retreat
I've always been the type of person who likes to go on holiday for a short amount of time, the thought of a fortnight anywhere makes me feel a little bit anxious. The longest holiday that we've been on was for two and a half weeks to America, and even though we stayed in four different cities in that time, I was incredibly tetchy from day 13 onwards and just wanted to come home. Mr. TBaM and I sat in Central Park listing all the things that we missed from home; proper chocolate, butter, coke (it tastes funny in the US), decent toilet paper, sleep, our home. We were both quite homesick and were so pleased to return to our beloved semi.
Since having The Boy, I've also realised that when it comes to holidays it's not just the length of the stay which is important to us; I also find it difficult staying in a hotel. By and large, being confined to only one living area that is yours is incredibly restrictive, especially when you have a toddler. Therefore we've taken to having self-catering holidays, and because I don't want to put up with other people's noise, detached properties are the way forward for us.
The United Kingdom has such amazing locations to visit, all within a few hours drive, that I can't understand why anyone would want to deal with the trauma of a plane journey and not being in control of the travel. Last week, mum and I settled down to try and work out where we were going to go on our annual family holiday, perusing many websites about English country cottages, farms, holiday resorts etc. We managed to find somewhere in the end, and after last year's disasterous week-long holiday, we decided on four nights in June half-term down in Devon. Usually we go for August, but the weather has been so bad the past couple of years that we decided to go earlier in the 'Summer' instead.
Tradition dictates that I go on holiday down to the south coast of England, something which my in-laws can't fathom. But then they live near the south coast, so for them it's not a holiday. My husband had holidays in the north of England as a child, mainly because his paternal family are from there. I've been up to the Lake District for a weekend to see a friend in Kendal, been to a wedding in Derbyshire and seen a small part of the Peak District, and have visited Sunderland as a young teen to see relatives. The area of northern England that I really want to go to though is Yorkshire. There are so many beautiful beaches and with the contrasting rugged moors, that I look forward to the time when The Boy is old enough to tolerate the car journey and we can investigate cottages in Yorkshire enabling me to live out a little Wuthering Heights moment!
So, which area of Britain do you most want to visit, and why?
The Open Road
Back in our footloose and fancy free days, Mr. TheBoyandMe and me did a decent amount of travelling on our holidays. Most of the time it was for long weekend breaks in European cities, as I am a bit rubbish on medium/long haul flights, but there were the odd occasion where we flew for over eight hours to either Dubai or to America. Those holidays were amazing, and we were fortunate to get upgrades to premium economy or, in the case of America, first class! Thank you Virgin Atlantic!
However, one thing that I decided from those holidays is that I would not be taking The Boy on any flights until over the age of five years old. I am certinly not condemning anyone who does, but the thought of trying to keep a little one amused on a aeroplane for more than an hour, while stressing that they weren't irritating the less understanding passengers, makes my blood run cold with fear and anxiety! The decision was made to spend The Boy's first holidays in our own country, and I've never regretted it!
We've been on holiday now three times to Dorset, each time with my parents, and hired lovely little cottages by the sea. We tend to stay in the same town each time, the one that my great aunt used to live in, and always always enjoy it. But this year I fancy something and somewhere different. I've been investigating wooden lodges in Cornwall, debating caravans in Devon, staying with friends in the Lake District and I can't decide which one to go for. All I do know is that after last year's holidays with mum and dad (where we argued and were over-ruled on our parenting the entire week), our main holiday this year has got to be different. This is our time to relax, enjoy our surroundings and chill out, bonding as a family.
One of my best memories from my childhood holidays (always spent in static caravans in the South-West of England) is when my dad converted an old transit van into a campervan. It is the only time I have been 'camping', and I'm not sure that one night spent on a camp-site really constitutes camping, but it's the closest I'll ever let myself get to 'roughing it'. Dad had put in a sink, a stove, a table and benches. He'd designed it so that the table dropped down and made a bed which mum, my sister and I slept on, while he slept on the floor underneath. I remember every single elbow in my face (from my sister), every pelt of rain on the window, and every bleat from the camp-site goat, and this was over twenty-five years ago!
The idea of a campervan or mobile home really appeals to me though. Not a caravan which wobbles, but something that can be static but easily moved to another location. Just packing everything up and moving to another beach, another farm, another county really excites me. I have such twitchy feet on holiday that one time when we stayed in Barcelona (for five nights) we stayed in two different hotels! I don't like the idea of being stuck somewhere unpleasant. With a motorhome you could change your surroundings, and chase the weather, so easily.
I know that things aren't quite as easy as all that though, there's maintenance to be had on any vehicle and a motorhome is no different. Tax, MOTs, general services and motorhome insurance are all things that need to be taken into consideration. However, what a fabulous pipe-dream for me to have? And when I win the lottery this weekend, I will indeed be investigating the swishiest motorhome that I can find!
'Ho-De-Ho' Not 'Hi-De-Hi'!
If you've been hiding under a rock for the past month then you'll be excused for not knowing that this weekend was the Tots100 Christmas Party at Butlins, Bognor Regis resort. Anyone else has no excuse and should hang their heads in shame now!
As this was my first proper blogging event, I was so excited but incredibly nervous. Obviously anyone is nervous about these, but I have been particularly nervous as this was the big reveal: I was no longer going to be a green bug with yellow antennae and a permanently happy smile. However, with Mr. TheBoyandMe and The Boy in tow for the family weekend in Bognor Regis, and my lovely friends @JennyPaulin and @Jessies_Online to support me I felt a lot more comfortable at meeting the other bloggers.
Having decided to stay an extra night, we drove down on Friday night (right decision, roads were empty) and with The Boy settled into his pyjamas and travel Gro-bag the three and a half hours passed quickly.
We were soon settled into the incredibly plush Ocean Hotel in the Butlins resort. I didn't get the chance to see the Shoreline hotel over the weekend and I understand this to be more orientated towards younger children, but the Ocean is more my cup of tea: a nice boutique-style hotel with additional facilities making it easy enough for those with younger children.
We stayed in an Atlantis room which is more of a mini-suite with a king-size bed in the main bedroom area and small seating area, good-sized bathroom (with a fixed overhead rain shower) and a twin bedroom area. There are flat-screen televisions (with in-built DVD players and freeview) in both sleeping areas, a plethora of towels and a complimentary toiletries set, a small fridge in the main room, a balcony with table and chairs, a safe (big enough to fit a laptop, DSLR camera, video camera, etc), a kettle (with four mugs, tea bags, sugar, long-life milk and coffee sachets), an iron and ironing board, a hairdryer and 'disco' lights throughout! That's not something that I'd normally consider a selling point, but the slow colour-changing ambient lighting was strangely calming and The Boy and me (ha!) loved it.
The room was excellent and I can't recommend it highly enough. I have only three tiny niggles: the first was that the carpet didn't appear to have been hoovered and so on Saturday morning I asked at reception if they could send house-keeping in to give it a quick going over. Reception were most apologetic and by the time we got back two hours later, every fibre of the carpet was standing to attention having been vacuumed to within an inch of its life. Secondly, it was incredibly hot in the room! The other thing that irked me was that they didn't empty our bins on either day, and as we had eaten breakfast in our rooms we had food waste, plus with a child who is still in nappies at night, there was a fair amount in the bins overflowing onto the beautifully clean carpet!
I was amazed at the amount of entertainment available throughout the weekend, definitely something for everyone in the family. The staff are genuinely helpful and caring, being a redcoat really does matter to them! I'd downloaded the brilliant (and free) app for the iPod Touch which can add entertainment events straight to your calendar, this made it really easy to keep track of where everything is taking place and at what time. With free wi-fi (strict firewall settings making it safe) available in both hotels and the Skyline Pavillion it makes it easy to check against the app. Oh and to tweet!
There's a fair amount of places to eat: pizza, pub food, snacks, bar food, Burger King, Turner's (where we had our meal) and in the hotels themselves. However, having spent £90 on just four meals (lunch for the three of us on Saturday and dinner for Mr. TBAM & TB, lunch and dinner for all three on Sunday) the prices are a little on the steep side, which makes the Spar shop a good addition to the site. We had a very good meal with some healthier options available (there's quite a fast-food vibe to some of the 'easteries') in the Sun and Moon pub. The Boy had three fishfingers, five smiley faces and a pot of peas for £3.50 and it was served on the most sensible plate I've seen given yet:
Unfortunately we had to leave last night rather than this afternoon (as I wanted to get The Boy to the doctor this morning) and therefore we missed out on seeing Father Christmas in our designated slot, but were provided with a small gift of a selection box as a consolation.
Would we go again? Yes!
Would I go in the depths of Winter again? No! The site is right on the coast and it was bitterly cold in the open air.
Was the Christmas vibe present during that Christmas Festival weekend? Yes, in abundance!
Overall: service – excellent, hotel – excellent, entertainment – excellent, food – good but pricey.
This is neither a sponsored or a review post. We had a reduced hotel-rate as part of the deal that Tots100 organised with Butlins, but this has no bearing on the outcome of this post which I wasn't asked to write. I just wanted to share the love!
Flexibath (Review)
When we went on holiday at the beginning of August, I wrongly assumed that the family-friendly self-catering apartment we were staying in would have a bath in one of the two 'bath'rooms. More fool me! We ended up having to buy a big plastic tub from a supermarket for him to bathe in; it was neither practical nor comfortable.
When we were given the opportunity to review a Flexibath a few weeks later, I almost jumped for joy because we were due to spend the weekend in a chain hotel which I knew didn't have a bath. I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a stress-saver the Flexibath was! It fitted perfectly into the shower cubicle, filled up within two minutes and was compact. The accompanying bath toys were perfect to keep The Boy amused and entertained. It folded flat and stored easily in the car, taking up minimal space amongst the vast array of other items that such a small being needs!
Since that weekend a month ago, the Flexibath continues to be The Boy's bath of choice. He has a bath every other night and we used to fill the 'big' bath up with six inches of water; enough to cover his legs etc. and keep him warm but not too much to waste water. However, The Boy now chooses to have the 'little' bath 90% of the time. He has had no more than two baths in the 'big' bath in the past month.
For my inner eco-warrior, this is excellent news. We've measured and calculated the water. We fill the Flexibath up with 15 litres of water for The Boy, which provides the same depth of coverage as in the normal bath. The normal bath requires 60 litres of water for this!
So can you do the Maths? Over the past month, we have saved 630 litres of water!
The reasons why we love the Flexibath:
- it folds flat and is stored easily
- it uses a fraction of the water normally needed to bath a child
- it has a non-slip base
- there is a very-snug fitting plug to empty the water out (although we tend to scoop it out & water the house plants!)
- it's bright and attractive
- it is an essential for holidays!
As I've mentioned, Flexibath have introduced a set of bath toys to accompany the bath. These consist of a clear plastic shelf with suction cups for adhesion, a coffee/tea making set with colourful cups, jugs and a funnel. The toys which are soft and fun to play with, are made from the soft plastic used in the bath. They also work as probably some of the best bath toys that he's played with in the 'big' bath.
At only £29.95 for the Flexibath, and £13.95 for the bath toy-set I think these are essential additions for any trip, or eco-warrior who is conscious of the amount of water used at bath-times.
I was sent these items for review. My opinions are honest and unbiased.
Our Holiday in Tweets
I thought rather than go for the bog standard recount; I'd present my week in an alternative manner! (I may have used selective editing)
Saturday 30 July 2011
07:05 Morny. And so begins the mad panic of 'it's 2hrs til wr go on holiday', only I'm too tired, so sod it
07:15 Oh God, I'm so tired!
12:46 Stressed hr in the M5 service station. Didn't know we were going to be stopping, least of all for lunch. Could have been there by now!
14:28 Yeah baby! Holiday!
16:22 Trying to not be ungrateful but finding it very hard. My mum has already done the food shopping without consulting me.
16:23 Including buying jars for 10m+ for my 2yo. Incredibly p*ssed off that she's done this when we said we were going to go shopping together!
16:25 I know she's trying to help but I run my own family my way, 10yrs since I lived at home. I do things differently now
22:15 First day of holiday has seen so many mini-strops, it's like bloody Dynasty around here. Tomorrow I don my best Krystal Karrington smile!
22:29 Off to be sociable with the Grumpy Bunch for half an hour.
Sunday 31 July 2011
00:07 I have my dad inordinately happy by spending 3/4 of an hour playing dominoes #gooddaughter
00:17 There's moths. Everywhere. And bloody bats. I don't like flying things…
00:18 Night twitter
00:18 Can no longer type straight. I give up
06:13 Worst night ever because of not being our bed, cot, rooms, temperature etc. Knackered
06:57 Sod it, may as well have brekkie in peace and quiet
07:10 I'm sat in the conservatory on my own. No other bugger is awake. Grrr, getting bored
10:55 God my mother is touchy! Never realised how much. Now how would I cajole a 10yr old? Will it work on a 66yr old?
17:37 Chesil beach
23:25 Off to see a certain little lady pig and her family tomorrow. Return visit for us, let's hope this set of grandparents behave themselves
Monday 1 August 2011
06:49 Morny. Peppa Pig World today, wahoo
07:09 The Boy woke up at 6.30. He wanted Nana and Grandad so I may have quietly shown him the way…
10:47 Thanks everyone. I don't understand why my site won't load when it is on my phone @maft
16:19 Peppa Pig World is serious fun when you have grandparents who take part
23:41 Right. 2bed/2bathroom apartment aimed at families? You'd expect one of those 'bath'rooms to have an actual bath? Yes? No? Just me? Ok then
Tuesday 2 August 2011
14:33 It has just taken four men to fold down our pop-up beach tent. Hilarious! I think this should be a new form of beach emtertainment!
14:36 A saxophone was playing on the promenade in Lyme Regis while we built sandcastles, ate chips and got sand everywhere. Very atmospheric
14:40 The Boy is sat in his car-seat very seriously. He has just declared, "I eaten my ice-cream." I agree sweetie.
14:49 And now he's asleep
19:15 Eating his tea al fresco watching people on a picnic bench "those people are eating their tea" shhh "they can't hear me nana! Those people sing twinkle, twinkle little star"
Wednesday 3 August 2011
07:10 #badnightcoffeeclub That is all I have to say
14:41 Spent the morning in the local market town's market. The Boy refused to eat his lovely lunch and is now comatosed on the bed.
14:42 Why don't toddlers eat as well when on holiday? It's the most stressful thing! I feel like my mum is glaring at me when he refuses
15:02 Can I just commend @maft? My blog may have gone down on & off due to transfer from server, but he has worked relentlessly to fix it!
17:55 Things that annoy me: PRs who will not get the message that no I will not host something for nothing
21:10 The atmosphere this evening is horrendous; you could cut it with a knife. No-one's talking to anyone, might bugger off to bed in a moment
23:33 It is widdling it down here. That's fine as long as it's finished by morning!
Thursday 4 August 2011
00:07 It is really widdling it down here. Our bedroom opens out onto the conservatory which is really noisy from the raindrops on the roof
05:35 Morny. It's torrential outside & so windy. Not sure if it's rain or the sea pelting againat the conservatory #coastalcottage
05:52 I'm starving! Have eaten 3 crunch creams but they've not taken the edge off it
06:00 I might attempt this sleep nonsense again.
18:30 "I've got my seat-belt on". The Boy's understanding of grammar is developing daily and astounds me.
22:26 I have spent an hour trying to get a connection on the laptop through the wireless tethering & 3G on my phone! Grrrr! I miss wireless
22:59 Finally I have a connection to the Internet! I am currently sat on the toilet (don't worry the lid's down!) editing my 365! #dedicated #mad
23:11 Last night, The Boy looked out at the stormy sea highlighted with Neptune's waves & shouted 'Iggle-Piggle!' He could see him sailing to bed
Friday 5 August 2011
06:52 Morny! A beautiful penultimate day here in Dorset (but I still haven't had a cream tea!)
10:37 "The sky box is open mummy!" He means sun roof!
17:15 I kid you not, my mum has just phoned from the car behind to tell hubby to let the car coming up to overtake. Seriously!
17:58 I need a holiday to recover from this one #extendedfamilyholidays
20:53 I love her, I love him but God I've had enough of them. I don't think I can do this holiday again.
21:06 See that's what happens; you go away for a week on holiday and no-one tweets you.
21:58 I wish the child upstairs who is screaming about wanting a story would be given one. If he wakes The Boy up I'm going to clock his parents.
Saturday 6 August 2011
06:32 Morny. It's too early but this is good in a way: got to pack up & get out by 10.30!
07:45 Right, toys in car (most of them) cotbed down, duvet/pillows folded, clothes packed. Time to shower then try fitting it all back in my car
07:46 If we ever have another child, we're going to need an Espace not a Scenic. Some MPVs aren't as big as you'd think!
10:18 Family friendly cafe/restaurant in Bridport. Has an indoor play area and everything! 'Generations'
10:43 It is so hard to find a coffee shop where people don't sneer at your little one playing, to find one that has a play area.
14:21 Right settle an argument for hubby & me: pleb or plebb? #trafficjamonM5 #bored
14:25 Worried now that pleb/plebb is an un-pc term… off to check t'Internet
14:27 Phew, ok. Not.
14:40 Oh my word, 4th gear & 50 miles an hour #excitement #trafficjamonm5
16:59 Ha, take that motorways! You shall not defeat me
18:50 We have feasted on cheese, french bread, dough balls and onion rings. #comfortfood #knackeredaftertravelling #needaholidaytorecover
Sunday 7th August 2011
