Guest Post | Fun Spring and Easter Educational Activities

Spring is here and Easter is right around the corner.  Birds are singing and flowers are blooming.  It's time to put winter activities aside and engage your little ones in spring and Easter educational activities. Need some ideas?  Here are two for you to try.  

Watercolour Flowers

Materials needed;

You will need watercolour paints, watercolour paper, some glue, a craft stick and some marker pens.  

Method;

Paint flower shapes using the watercolours.  Use this activity to practice making circles, triangles, straight lines, etc.  Have children associate visual colours with their verbal and/or written counterparts.  Identify, paint, draw and replicate common flowers found in your neighbourhood or from a book.  Replicate famous paintings of flowers such as Monet’s Blue Water Lilies.  Use Monet's Blue Water Lilies to explain impressionist art.   

Next, cut out the flower heads and attach a green drinking straw, coloured ice lolly or craft stick as a stem.  Do this with tape or glue.  Voila!  Celebrate Easter by decorating your flat with a handcrafted garden of flowers!  

Role Play Games

Role play games present an array of opportunities for spring and Easter educational activities.  Adapt game to the activity levels and space requirements at your disposal.  The Flower Shop and The Garden Centre are two game suggestions.  

The Flower Shop

Engineer scenarios in which the children are providing paying customers with purchased flowers.  If you did not create watercolour flowers, use plastic or real flowers.  Tailor the scene, setting and objectives to the age of the children.  Develop key skills in counting, math, money and manners in the role-play game.  The children can pretend they are shop managers running a till using play money.  Guide the children to count, calculate, give and receive money for purchases.  Children playing the customer role can practice their manners and conflict resolution skills.   

The Garden Centre

This is a role-play game that can be short or extend out over several weeks.  In the extended version, you will need to have soil, seeds and containers on hand.  The purpose of this role-play game is for the children to pretend they are running a garden centre.  First, they must grow product.  Growing products creates science-learning opportunities about the lifecycle of a plant.  

Opportunities include: 

Describe how soil is made

Explain how plants grow

Name the plant parts

Talk about how photosynthesis works

Explain how seeds germinate  

Provide the children with an experiential experience where they are responsible for feeding and caring for a living organism.  

This role play game can be adapted to suit a variety of age levels. Some examples include:

Build a sensory tub where children can experience the sensation of digging in soil, placing soil in pots and planting. Supply the children with whole carrots that they can place or “plant” in the pots.  

Brush up on plant science and engage the children in learning these systems, processes and terms. A Google search will provide the information you need should you be a bit rusty.

Once the plants are mature, this role playing game can evolve into The Flower Shop game above, where skills in math and counting are taught, practiced and reinforced.

Mega Bloks First Builders Review + Giveaway

I think just about everyone at some point in their lives played with building blocks of some sort. Building blocks are the type of toy that just somehow never get old to play with. They've come a long way though, even since from when I was younger. Now among the more traditional blocks there are awesome creations such as the ones below from one of the market leaders in building blocks, Mega Bloks, that serve to capture and inspire children's imaginations.

 We were recently sent this big bundle from the lovely people over at Mega Bloks who wanted to hear our thoughts on their new range. I have to say that as soon as I unboxed them from their packaging jt was clear that we were going to love sitting down and playing with them with Ethan. I suppose it's the little characters and the bright colours that instantly hooked us in.

Mothers Day 2014

Today was my very first Mothers Day as a Mum and it felt special, as most 'firsts' do. I woke up with my Husband and my gorgeous little nearly-a-year-old boy and I felt complete. My first Mothers Day with my perfect little family. We'd pick out a few little treats for me during the week, make-up brushes that I'd had my eye on for a while and a mascara and also a lovely floral umbrella that was a bit of a find in Accessorize whilst buying a voucher for my MIL. I know how fortunate I am to have received such lovely gifts and also to have such a wonderful family. I feel very lucky. 

Live for Now

My mind these days in mostly a happy place. I like to take the time out to be grateful for the things in my life and to be thankful. I'm not a religious person in the slightest, but for the good things that happen in my life and to my friends and family I am grateful and I like to take the time out to appreciate all of the good, no matter how big or small. 

As part of this thought process, I like to seize the moment. To embrace the now. To live for now. Make new memories everyday, live those memories and capture them via whatever means possible be that digital or else. Living for now is so important in so many ways, here's a reminder of why..

The A to Z of U & I

(A) Alex. You know me as Mummy but my other name is Alex (or Alexandra if I'm feeling posh!).

(B) Bot bots. You love your milk.

(C) Cats. We have a small army of them. By that I really mean just the four.

(D) Dad. He's an awesome person and a brilliant Daddy.

(E) Eat. You like to do this, a lot.

(F) Fart. Yep, you tend to do this every morning when you wake up as a habit.

(G) Grandparents. An excellent source for a bit of a break for Mum and Dad.

(H) Hair. Pulling my hair is, to you, the funniest thing in the entire world.

(I) Independence. If something is to be done, you like to do it yourself.

(J) Juice. A drop of juice in the sippy cup always goes down well.

(K) Kiss. I'm trying to teach you this one, but for now I just steal lots from you. ;)

(L) Love. I have so much for you.

(M) Mum, mum, mum, mum. Your favourite thing to say!

(N) "NO!" This seems to be hilarious to you.

(O) Okay. The word that follows a hundred "no"s after I've given up trying to tell you not to do something.

(P) Peppa Pig. Your absolute favourite thing right now (apart from me, of course).

(Q) Quiet. What does that word even mean anymore?

(R) Racer. You're an absolute boy racer in your baby walker. I know you'll love the trike that we've got your for your first birthday.

(S) Summer. We can't wait, you love being outside.

(T) Toes. God, yours are so cute!

(U) Unconditional. The love that Mummys and Daddys feel for their babies.

(V) Vegetarian. That's what we are proud to be.

(W) Wheels. You are obsessed with anything that has wheels.

(X) X-ray. For no other reason, then 'X' is far too hard of a letter to come up with anything else.

(Y) You. Are my world.

(Z) Zz. Mummy is always tired!

Advantages of bringing children up alongside pets

Having children and having pets are individually wonderful, but put the two together and it can be a match made in heaven. Here’s why children can benefit so much from growing up alongside animals…

Pets can teach children about responsibility

One of the most advantageous things about children growing up with pets in their home is that it can teach them about responsibility. No matter what animal you have, you can get your child to help care for it in some way, whether that be taking the dog for a walk, feeding the cat or changing the fish’s water. Granted, they may not enjoy every aspect of looking after a pet, such as cleaning up after it or even giving it medicine (although if you look on sites such as vet-medic.com there are loads of products that are really easy to apply), but they will understand the various responsibilities, including the unpleasant ones, that come from owning an animal.

A New Home

After many many months of worry, stress, excitement and uncertainty we are absolutely thrilled to say that we have now moved house and are settling well into our wonderful three bedroom family home in a gorgeous little village that we have been so welcomed into by the very friendly neighbours. 

I tweeted and shared the below picture on Instagram earlier today. Please do excuse the particularly weird face I seem to be pulling, the photo was taken with me facing the suns direction, it was the best angle we could get at the time of us outside the house.

We've been in since last Thursday (a week today in fact!) but only just got our Internet back last night. I've got so much to catch up on! - The world wide web moves fast and it's going to be hard to get myself back up to date all whilst getting the house straight. But as I always say, it's better to be busy than bored!
House wise - we adore it! We couldn't be happier with the house or the village we've moved into. I feel very very lucky, almost too lucky. I will obviously be sharing many more photographs via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and my blog over the next couple of weeks and will be eventually doing a sort of room by room house tour once we've got everything we want done. 
Anyway, thank you for being so patient with me and the blog and I hope you've enjoyed all of the amazing guest posts I've had in the last week. There have been so fabulous reads so if you haven't already done so, check them out and leave me a comment letting me know which has been your favourite and why. 

Vegetable Moussaka Recipe by Lauren from Mrs Hippo & Me

Hi everyone!

My name is Lauren and I blog over at MrsHippo&Me. I am super excited to have been given the chance to guest post on the lovely Alex's blog.

I mainly blog about mumsy stuff and have recently begun blogging about our baby friendly family meals. These are meals for the whole family to enjoy but good for your little one to eat too, the meals can be mashed or blitzed but I serve and show them as they are.

This post I'm going to be sharing our vegetable moussaka recipe with you. Its a little time consuming but you'll be happy with yourself once you've served it up. I like to add as much colour to a dish as possible and this moussaka gives you the perfect opportunity to play around. Now, be warned. Its not a pretty dish, even the professional versions don't look that great and I'm far from professional!! But it definitely tastes a lot nicer than it looks... I promise.

My recipe is enough for three people, if you're cooking for more only add to the vegetables. Try not to add more liquid as you'll find the end result will be a little watery. 

What you'll need:

• 1 courgette
• 1 aubergine
• 1 large carrot
• 1 pepper (I used an orange pepper)
• 3 cloves of garlic (crushed or chopped)
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 pot of vegetable stock (usually around 500ml water)
• 2 large potatoes (sliced)
• 1 large onion
• Salt and pepper

For the cheese sauce, my recipe is from Channel 4 but you'll need:

• 50g butter
• 50g plain white flour
• 600ml milk
• 150g cheese

The method...

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. 

Prepare you meal by chopping up all your veg (see my tips on chopping an onion for dry eyes at the bottom of this post).

Add your onions to a large, deep pan along with a splashing of oil, keeping the temperature on a low to medium heat. Once golden brown, add your carrot, pepper, courgette, kidney beans, tomato then cover your vegetables with the stock. Add your crushed garlic and a sprinkle of pepper and salt to taste.  Bring everything to the boil then reduce to a simmer for around 30 minutes.

Now for the aubergines. They can be quite bitter, so for a sweet fruit we need to draw all that bitterness out! Slice them up, pop on a plate and sprinkle with salt. Not too much, just enough to cover every one and leave them for at least 10 minutes.

Now you need to start your cheese sauce. In a separate pan, add your butter until melted. Take off the heat, add the flour and mix until a dough has formed. Return to the heat and stir for around 4 minutes. Take back off the heat and gradually add the milk, stirring all the while. Eventually your mixture will turn in to a nice creamy sauce. Add your cheese and mix well until the cheese has melted. Leave it on there for a while, stirring often until its thick enough to use. Keep on a low heat otherwise it will become stringy or curdle

Back to your aubergines. Pop all your fruit in to a colander and rinse with cold water. Once done, pop them on to a sheet or two of kitchen towel and dab away any excess water or salt. In a pre-heated, oiled frying or griddle pan, lay your aubergines (keeping pan on a low heat) and turn once slightly golden. When each side is lightly cooked, dab again with the kitchen towel to remove and excess oil.

In an oven proof dish (such a lasagne, or casserole dish), start layering your mousakka. You will want a layer of potato, vegetable moussaka sauce, aubergines then the cheese sauce. Continue to layer until you have used up all your ingredients.

Sprinkle the top with cheese and pop in to the oven at 180 degrees for around 30-40 minutes.

Quick tip for chopping an onion

Chop off one end, peel, cut down the middle stopping before you reach the bottom. Turn then slice across, again, stopping before you reach the bottom. Turn on its side and chop.

No watery eyes and super quick!!

I hope you've enjoyed reading my recipe post (and hopefully the food once you've made it!).

Lauren xx ♥ MrsHippo&Me ♥ www.mrshippoandme.co.uk

* A HUGE thank you to the lovely Lauren for this amazing recipe. I can't wait to try it myself! Check out her blog for more about her and her beautiful daughter as well as some other of her yummy looking recipes!

Working it all in – Tips on making the most of your time as a Working Mum by Kelly from To Become Mum

Hello Bump to Baby readers!

I’m Kelly from To Become Mum and I have to say, I feel very honoured to be a guest blogger whilst Alex undertakes the ‘big move’ to her new house. Hope it’s all going well and you’re enjoying your home sweet home!

I wanted to share with you some advice from one working mum to another. I’ve been back at work now for more than two months and as Alex will soon be returning to work, I thought some words of reassurance would be appreciated. It’s a big change and sometimes there’s just not enough hours in the day, but with a bit of planning, you can juggle being mum and being yourself..

• Take it easy. Well, wouldn’t that be a fine thing? What I mean by this is when you first go back to work, try to take your time settling in and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You’re still the person you were before and you CAN do the job, but it will take some time to get used to things again and to adjust to your new pattern. Go easy on yourself and try to enjoy being back in the world of work again.

• Get organised. A family calendar is a great idea to keep track of who needs to be where and when and other household notes and tasks. Write down things as you go and try to spread things across the week so you can still plan in quality time with your baby.

• Do your food shop online. Places like Asda have really useful shopping tools such as shopping lists, where you can create different lists in advance to come back to later. I have a standard shopping list which covers all the basics, from the bread and milk we like to Ethan’s milk and nappies and pet food too. I know that I can just add all of these everyday items into my virtual basket with one click and my weekly shop only takes ten minutes to complete. I also find shopping online for our food helps me to stick to our budget, as I don’t get distracted by special promotions or ‘a quick look in George’, where I undoubtedly buy something new for Ethan’s wardrobe (I’m powerless to resist tiny clothes!).

• Delegate and share tasks. Time is precious and when you have the choice of spending your day off either doing chores or playing with your little one, I know which one I’d pick! Becoming a mum, particularly a working mum, means you readdress your priorities, not just in terms of your social life but in how important things like having a spic and span home are to you now. Sure, we all would like to have a tidy home and I’m not suggesting you leave things piling up until you look like you should be on some TV programme about people who hoard and never clean. No, you just need to decide what needs to be done and try to keep on top of things. 

• Try and tidy up as you go – I have different toys for Ethan to play with at different times of day and will only get one set of things out for him at a time, which I then tidy away when he’s bored. If you don’t have a great deal of floor space, this is even more important. 

• Write a weekly schedule of tasks, from your laundry and baby’s to the hovering and washing up, and assign a task for each day and share the load with your partner if you can. Breaking down the tasks into ten minutes a night will help you keep on top of things in the house whilst still leaving you plenty of time with your child, which of course is way more fun. If one of you makes the dinner, the other can get your little one bathed and dressed for bed and then you can swap, so your partner can put the laundry on whilst you read a bedtime story together.

• Make the most of your lunch break. A lot of people ask me how I manage to maintain my blog whilst juggling work, taking Ethan to nursery and looking after him by myself three nights a week while hubs works away. My answer? I use my lunch break! I have an hour at 1pm and if I’m not too busy, I will catch up on my blog writing, pop to the pharmacy to get a prescription, drop clothes off a the dry cleaners, nip into the post office… whatever needs doing, I use these child-free moments to get it done so when the working day is over and I have picked up Ethan, it’s just about us.

• Prepare for the next day the night before. I always get my bag and Ethan’s bag together the night before, so I’m not in a rush the next morning. When I get home and I take Ethan to his room to change him, I quickly repack his bag for nursery and lay out his clothes for the next morning. Then, when he’s gone to bed, I make sure I have everything I need in my bag and prepare my lunch for the next day. It’s simple but it’s easy to let things like this wait until the morning, when you’re bleary-eyed and running late.

• Use weekends to catch up on your quality time. As the three of us have our weekends together, I make a point of doing something so we can get out of the house and enjoy our time together. This will be much easier now it’s Spring and it can be something as simple as going for a walk to the park or having a cuppa with a friend. 

• You need to find time for yourself too when you’re not working so getting out and about can help you enjoy the things you used to whilst sharing them with your child. And again, share your time. It’s ok to head upstairs for a soak in the tub whilst your other half plays with baby. In half an hour’s time, you can do the same and your partner can take a break. A tired, frazzled mama is no good to anyone!

• Savour every moment. It’s perhaps one of the most over-used sayings ever, but it’s so true – enjoy every moment with your child as they grow up so fast. Who cares if you take countless photos of every little thing they do, every new outfit they wear and all the silly faces they pull? I’d much rather take too many photos than regret one day not having so many to look back at. Your memory does fade and you forget how small they were and if you’re going back to work soon like Alex, you’ll soon forget what being on maternity leave feels like.

The freedom of waking up in the morning, with the whole day ahead of you both and everything a possibility. Having PJ days and knowing your little one won’t judge you. All day, every day with your little guy or gal. Pure bliss. Going back to work is always going to be tough, even if you’re very career driven. You’ve spent every minute with this little person since the day they were born but now you have to share them. But share them you must and it’s not a bad thing at all; nothing gives me greater joy than picking Ethan up from nursery at the end of the day, seeing him playing with others then his reaction when he realises I am there. Sure, we’ve been apart for a few hours, but he has played and interacted with children near his age, developing by the second, whilst I’ve been playing grown-ups to help give him everything he needs. Being a working mum is hard work, but the cuddles at the end of the day make you appreciate what you have and are worth the juggling act.

* Thank you to the lovely Kelly for such a fantastic post which offers so much well needed reassurance to us Mums on Maternity Leave who intend to return back to work. For more from Kelly and her adorable Son Ethan (great name!) head over to her blog. 

The Brand New Feeding Range from Fisher Price | Review

I'm a huge fan of Fisher Price, their products are continuously perfect - Always bright, fantastic quality and totally fun. So when they asked me if I'd like to be one of the first to review a few products from their brand new feeding range I was thrilled.

They sent me over three items. A 3 pack of their new heat sensitive bowls, a 2 pack of the stack 'n' store sippy cups and a pack of their learn-to-hold feeding spoons.

The first thing I (and probably you) noticed was just how (again) brightly coloured these are. Summer is finally on it's way (yay!) and these colours are just perfect for the summertime don't you think?

On opening up the packaging, I could instantly tell that again, as with most Fisher Price products, the products were of a high quality.

The Stack 'n' Store sippy cups were a big hit with Ethan. The packaging states that they're leak free and we're happy to confirm this is indeed the case (but we wouldn't have expected any less from Fisher Price). Ethan finds his cup easy to hold and even easier to drink from. We have had absolutely no problems whatsoever with this cup. The sippy cups are, in my opinion, absolutely amazing value for a 2 pack it's just £7.49. They are suitable from 6 months.

The bases, lids and handles are also interchangeable allowing for mixing and matching and no
separate valve piece means cleaning is a whole lot easier. 

The Heat Sensitive bowls are unique colour changing bowls that in a nut shell take the guess work out of feeding. Special heat sensitive material in the bowls indicate when the food is too hot and gradually changes colour as food reaches an appropriate temperature. I think this is a brilliant idea, as I'm sure many Mums like I do, worry about their babies food being too hot. We have been left pretty impressed by this awesome feature! For a 3 pack it's just £9.99 and they are suitable for 4 months and up. 

The learn-to-hold spoons are really innovative! They can be twisted and shaped to suit individual weaning needs and are perfect for self-feeding. They are suitable from 4 months and cost £5.99 for a 4 pack. 

I'm really impressed with the products we've tried from the new range and absolutely would recommend them to any new parent. Out of the three I think the sippy cups are our favourite!

The range is available to buy exclusively at Boots in store and online from March 2014. 

A Moment for Mummy by Hayley from Sparkles and Stretchmarks

My life as a Mummy is endless fun... all those lovely giggles and smiles, kisses and cuddles ... I enjoy my gorgeous baby boy every day.

But sometimes...I can't help but think it'd be a real treat to be able to eat my lunch without having little fingers grabbing at it....or even to be able to drink my tea while it's still warm! (The first time around....not after the third spin in the microwave...)

So, when my baby decides to take a nice long afternoon nap, I breathe a sight of relief and I look forward to taking a moment for myself...

As I'm switching on his monitor, my mind is buzzing with a million ideas of how I might spend the next half an hour or so indulging myself...

30 Minutes To Go....

As I leave his bedroom, I check the time on my phone...Perfect! I could grab myself a cup of tea and watch a bit of Loose Women!

Oh but wait....the laundry basket is looking a bit full over there....

Well it won't kill me to just empty it out and put a wash on quickly...

25 Minutes To Go....

Washing in the machine....time to make that cup of tea! Off I go to turn on the kettle...

Oh wow, when did the kitchen work tops get so greasy?! They could really do with a quick clean!

I bet I could get the whole of the kitchen worktops done before the kettle even boils anyway....

But then, if I'm doing the kitchen worktops I might as well do the bathroom while I'm there too......

15 Minutes To Go....

Ok, that's only 10 minutes gone. I can still catch a bit of TV....Back to that kettle!

Cup of tea poured....

Still plenty of hot water in the kettle....I could really do with giving the floor a quick mop....might as well just do that quickly.

But first I'll need to sweep it....

10 Minutes To Go....

Ok, kitchen is like a new pin now...let's grab that cup of tea and go....

I'm just about the sit down but the sofa doesn't look too inviting....those cushions need plumping....Why do they never seem to look properly arranged these days?! Let's just quickly sort those out....

5 Minutes To Go....

That's better!...Whoops....Damn tripping over toys! I need to have a quick tidy up in here....it'll only take two minutes to put the toys away.....

All done! Right...time to sit down!

Hang on a minute....the programme is over....what time is it?! It CAN'T be that time already.....

"Waaaahhhhh!!"

Oh my goodness.....naptime is over already?! 

Oh well....quick slurp of my freezing cold tea, and let's run up to get the baby.....Maybe I'll get that Moment For Mummy tomorrow?!

This guest post was written by Hayley from Sparkles & Stretchmarks....Hayley blogs about life as a first time mum to soon-to-be 1 year old Tyne...the highs, the lows & everything in between!

*Thank you to my good friend Hayley for this hilarious, honest post. I'm sure all of us Mums (and Dads) can totally relate! Sounds like my day every single day! If you haven't read Hayleys blog before, you're missing out. She's such a talented writer and I know you'll love her!

Top Tips for Perfect Photos by Steph from Influence Blog

Hi everyone! I’m Steph and I blog over at influenceblog.net The precious little man in the photos is my six month old, Finlay who kindly agreed to be my model for today’s post. I thought I’d share with you all some photography tips as it’s something I get asked a lot about on my blog. Please note I’m not an expert, but hopefully these ideas might help anyone hoping to get into photography. 

My weapon of choice is a Nikon D5200. Investing in a good camera is so worthwhile in my opinion, as they’re amazing for giving your personal photos that professional edge.

Use Natural Light

It might sound obvious but I believe the secret to taking great photos is using natural light. The more light you have the sharper and better quality your photos will be (and less work editing for you). When shooting indoors choose a room that lets lots of natural light in. Finlay’s nursery doesn’t have big windows so I tend to take indoor photos of him in our bedroom or in the living room. It makes such a difference!

When outdoors obviously you don’t have to worry, but I find the best time to take pictures is when the sun isn’t too bright, so in the morning or alternatively you can find a shaded spot - if you’re living in the UK this probably won’t be a problem ;)

Don’t Force It

Some of my favourite family photos are the ones that capture a real genuine moment. Of course I love photos where we’re all smiling at the camera, but my favourites are the ones that aren’t forced or posed for. I take my camera everywhere with me as you never know what you’re going to stumble on or when your kiddo is going to choose to be ridiculously adorable. These natural photos are so precious.

Click, Click, Click

I always take several photos whenever taking pics of Finlay. His little hands are always moving, he blinks a lot (he’s inherited that from Dad, my husband is the king of blinking in photos) and of course he can topple over without warning. So click away until you get, what I like to call, “The money shot!”

This is also a great way to experiment with different angles/positions. Play around and try some zoomed up close, off centre, whilst making sure your shot is always well proportioned (rule of thirds). I love photos that are a bit different and not your typical pretty picture!  

By taking a few shots of one moment or scene you’ll get more creative photos, for example I love the shot above where Finlay accidentally fell backwards (always choose a soft surface people!!) and his little hands are still clutching his toy. It's so cute!

Try Manual & Use The Right Lens

Most cameras have lots of great auto settings, which is perfect when you’re getting to know your camera. When you’re more confident you can start to experiment with the manual settings, which gives you more control of how much light you let in (aperture) and how much of the person is in focus (depth of field). But that’s a whole other post in itself! I recommend watching Youtube tutorials, as they’re free and great for teaching you the basics of what you need to know.  

There’s a lot to be said for choosing the right lens too. My favourite lens to use is my 35mm, I use this to take most of Finlay’s photos as it gives you great depth of field and works well indoors. If you’re out shooting anything fancy (nature shots, couple photos) you can use a 55-300mm, which is pretty big and heavy but I’m always pleased with the incredible results it produces.

I hope these tips and tricks help, most importantly have fun with it! Big thanks to Alex for having us over on her lovely blog :) 

*Thank you to the absolutely lovely Steph of Influence Blog for these awesome tips. Her photos are always perfect and her blog is amazing so when she agreed to guest post for me on this topic I was absolutely thrilled.  If you haven't yet subscribed to her blog, I urge you to head on over and check it out.

Muncaster Castle, Cambria. A Hidden Gem in the UK.

I am one of those people who just absolutely loves to visit new places. My favourite type of place to visit is somewhere with a deep history. I suppose that's why castles always top my 'places I want to visit' list. 
As you all know, we took Ethan on his first holiday last year to The Lake District and we had such an amazing time. It was mine and Adams second visit (our first being for our Honeymoon) and it didn't fail to take our breath away for a second time. The Lake District is just such a stunning place. Whilst we were there, we took the opportunity to visit a castle called Muncaster Castle, which if I'm totally honest just absolutely wow'ed me. I was blown away by not only the enchanting castle itself, but also by the beautiful views it overlooked. I've seen a few castles before, but none so beautifully located as Muncaster.
We took a few snaps, but I don't think any photographs could ever truly do the setting justice. 

I love this photo that I took. It seems strange to say, but this photo and being there made me feel so alive. 

Muncaster is a historic haunted castle and is still a lived-in family home by the Pennington family, who have resided in the Castle since 1208. A previous resident, Tom Fool aka Tom Skelton who was once a court jester at Muncaster in the 16th Century is also subject of many ghost stories there.

My lovely Hubby with the gorgeous views behind him.

Here we are with Ethan who was much younger than he is now!

I loved meeting the owls!

The World Owl Centre within the gardens of Muncaster Castle is the headquarters of the World Owl Trust. The charity is widely acknowledged as the world's leading owl conservation organisation. The Trust promotes scientific research, habitat creation and restoration, nest box scheme and a breeding programme. They re-habilitate injured owls and other wildlife until they are fit to be released to the wild.

As with most castles, photographs are not allowed inside so here we are at the entrance.

I could have stayed there forever. Muncaster castle is the type of place you instantly fall in love with and never want to leave. So when LOOK Insurance asked me to submit my favourite place in the UK to their new interactive map of hidden gems, Muncaster castle was definitely my number one choice

From contributing to their map, I have discovered some amazing places in the UK such as Bamburgh castle in Northumberland, which is now firmly placed on my own personal 'must visit' list! 

What's your favourite place in the UK and what makes it so special? Don't forget to tell others about it and submit yours here.

*This post is in association with Look Insurance Services.

Feeling Great

I don't know why I've titled this 'Feeling great' because actually I feel better than just 'great'. I feel on top of the world. Cheesy, I know, but it's true..
I really don't like to say these things out loud, perhaps because of some deep rooted superstition I have, but a lot is going right for me right now and that feels pretty amazing. 
And this post isn't to brag about how wonderful my life is and it certainly does not mean to say that everything in my life is just fine and perfect - because it certainly isn't. It's just a post for me to look back on when I'm having a tough day and feeling down in the dumps for whatever reason that may be. This post should serve as a reminder that actually Alex, life is good. 
Without going into detail and perhaps boring the socks off of you, I owe a lot to my wonderful Husband and of course just as much to my beautiful Son. I can even perhaps finally admit that I also owe quite a lot to myself and I should recognise this more. 
Life is what you make of it and make of it I believe I do. 

Ethans first Birthday - The Invitations

As you all know, we're moving on Thursday so I'm being super organised and have sorted out most of Ethans 1st Birthday which is next month on the 17th. On his actual birthday we are giving him his presents that are from us, his main present is a trike. :) The we will be going to Whipsnade zoo together, which I'm seriously excited about. His birthday party is going to be held on the 18th at our new home. It basically is a small family get together as Ethan doesn't really know any other babies at his current age. The party will also serve as a kind of house warming party for us to show the family our new home. :)

 These are the invites we have chosen for his party - they're from Hobbycraft and come in packs of 10 for just £3.99 which I think is pretty amazing value considering how lovely they are. You can find them here.

A great thing about these invitations is that there is enough room inside for everything you need, I know that on some invites, you can sometimes end up squishing writing in but these have plenty of room for all the vital information for the day.

Asides from a first birthday I think they'd be perfect to be used for a baby shower or a christening.

What do you think to our choice of invites for Ethans first birthday?