A Family Day at The Races

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I have to admit, we hadn't really considered a day out at the races to be a family activity until recently but this summer we are working with Great British Racing and after spending last Saturday at Ascot for the Summer Mile, my mind has been well and truly changed.  

We arrived in the morning dressed in our finest and the racecourse was dominated by a huge magestic building, people were dressed wonderfully and the staff were incredibly helpful.  We were being treated to lunch in a private box so we headed up there to meet everyone and find out more about the day. The children were so excited to see everything and there really was so much to see.

This summer there are 50 family race days out of the 200 fixtures across the country and children under 18 go free to them all. The Summer Mile was really family friendly and it was great to see so many children around.  There was a specific family area full of fun things to do like a helter skelter, teacups and other rides, a huge stunt pillow to jump onto, circus skills workshops, a wooden marble run and lots more and there were no additional charges which I was so impressed with - there wasn't even big queues!

As part of our experience we were taken to the weighing room to find out more about why the jockeys are weighed and the children were allowed a go on the scales too.  We met one of the jockeys about to get ready for her races and the kids loved listening to her and finding out more about what the job entails.  Back up in the box there was a huge colouring wall set out for the children too letting them know about all the different jobs that exist at a race course, from the manager to the vets and everything in between.

There were 7 races on the day and plenty of time in between them to enjoy some food and drink and a turn on one of the rides or activities.  We were also lucky enough to get to cross the track and see one of the races from the other side starting with loading the horses into the box and ending on the finishing line. The children all chose who they wanted to win based purely on the colour of their silks and we cheered on our chosen horses.  The atmosphere was fantastic and we could see the excitement from everyone watching.

There was so much to do and see and we can't wait to attend another family day this summer with a picnic and our fancy clothes again (I do love an excuse to dress up!).  The children had such a great day and it really was so much fun as a family. To find out more about ‘Under 18s Race Free’ and find a family race day near you, go to www.under18sracefree.com

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5 Things we Loved at Villages Natures Centre Parcs in Paris

We had such an amazing week at the Villages Nature Centre Parcs in Paris and we definitely made the most of everything that was included in our stay as well as paying for a few extra experiences to make it more special. I have written about our stay there but I wanted to share 5 of our favourite activities from the week too.

1) The adventure playground set in the woodlands was just fantastic.  There was something for every age right up to mine and the wooden and natural style made it really stand out. It was huge, exciting and full of challenges, slides and climbing equipment and we could have spent much longer there. There is a little hut nearby where there is a free show some afternoons but the boys just wanted to run and climb in the playground.

2) Right next to the playground was a building where you could hire jeeps for the children to drive around and we took 2 out for half an hour one afternoon.  The children are in control of the jeeps but the adult is given a master switch where one button switches the engine off immediately so you can keep them away from  danger.  The recommended age for this was 3-12 but Dylan is a very tall 7 year old and was getting a bit big so I would say more 3-8 years really. The boys all thought it was the best thing ever and it was a reasonable price for the experience.

3) Onsite is a free farm where you can pet the goats and visit the chickens, horses and other animals.  There is a lovely cafe in the middle with the most fantastic soft play including trampolines and ball blasters with a wooden natural theme.  The farm was open every day and it felt like having a day out with no extra cost. My tiny animal lover wanted to bring all the goats back home with her!  

4) As we were away with extended family, it gave me a little freedom to do something just for me and I picked the high wires course.  I hadn't done something like this before and it was so much fun! I was fitted with a harness and taught how to work the carabiner clip system and after some practice we were sent out into the forest to try the routes we wanted to. It was terrifying at first but a great way to try something new and the courses were so extensive that after 2.5 hours in the forest I had only seen a small number of routes. There is a junior version for children from 6 upwards.

5) Centre Parcs are known for their swimming pools and this might just have been our favourite thing as a family.  The pool complex was huge with something for everyone.  There was a wave pool, a playground pool for little kids and one for bigger kids, an adventure pool, a lazy river, outdoor pools and so so many water slides.  At 1.05 metres there were quite a few slides that Finn could do even as a non-swimmer as they ended in shallow water and there were some scarier ones for the brave adults too.  We spent hours in the pools everyday and there were free float vests for the children to use.  My brother has visited the UK Centre Parcs and says Villages Nature is definitely superior in this department! 

We had such a fantastic week and lots of the best things about it were included in the price rather than being extras! If we were staying longer there were plenty of experiences we could have added on too.

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A Wild Night Out

Over the month of June we were trying hard to do something outdoors everyday around the school days as part of 30 days wild and this ended last weekend with us planning a wild night out.  Millets are encouraging people to spend more time outside and to help with our garden camping plans they sent us one of their Eurohike air tents, and some camping essentials so we could spend a night under the stars.

We usually try and pitch our tent with four wild children running around but I managed to put up the Eurohike Air 600 in around 20 minutes alone.  There are no poles, you just use a manual pump to inflate the three big beams and then peg it into the ground as usual! The tent has two bedrooms which we popped our air beds into and Millets had sent us some sleeping bags too and a tent carpet for our living area. The children were so excited and got into the spirit pretty quickly.

Camping means eating outdoors and we still had the BBQ out from Cora's party so we cooked up the leftovers and afterwards skewered some giant marshmallows to roast. The children struggled to eat their dinner knowing marshmallows were coming and were far too impatient to let them melt properly before wolfing them down!

Getting settled in a tent is never easy with four excitable children but the wonders of the weekend are that it doesn't matter if they stay up late and run around outdoors until they are totally exhausted.  When we visit campsites we try and stay near a playground for this reason and when they are tired enough, they come in for a snuggle and a book by the light of the lantern.  Once we get them in bed Ed and I can chill out with a drink and watch the stars.

Last summer we pitched the tent in the garden for a few days and the boys had their friends round to sleepover in it and we will definitely be doing the same things during the summer holidays as they absolutely love sleeping outdoors and when they wake up in the morning they stay out there playing.  The Eurohike air tent is so much easier to put up and take down, it took less than 10 minutes to get it from upright to back in the bag and only about one minute to deflate it completely which is what we need with lots of little children running around! 

The additional 'footprint' made pitching even easier.

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Our Family in June

Goodbye June and hello summer! June was a month of little adventures, days at the beach and in the woods, cinema trips and swimming and the preparing for the end of the school year. These final weeks always seem to take forever as everyone loses motivation but Finn has been excitedly doing his settling in sessions and there isn't long until he will be in a fresh blue polo shirt too! June had plenty of parties including Cora's and it was the last month I could say I had a baby (and even that was pushing it) as my little girl is now 3!

This month I loved spending all day at the beach, playing Pokemon Go on my phone, giving landscape photography a go and throwing a huge garden party.

Ed loved a childfree weekend at Download festival, seeing Tool play, cooking all the bbq food and finding a new favourite beer.

Dylan loved planning his birthday party and sending out very early invitations, having a bouncy castle in the garden, going to school earlier in the morning so he has more time to play and watching The Kid Who Would Be King on DVD.

Archie loved riding a horse at a birthday party, lots of after school play-dates with his friends, swinging on a rope swing in the woods and dressing himself head to toe in pink.

Finn loved seeing the new Toy Story film, going to his swimming lessons, spending time in his new school classroom and playing in the tent in the garden.

Cora loved opening all her birthday presents, stroking every dog she can find and trying to take them all home with her, a toy My Little Pony that her friend gave her and swimming.

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The Night Before Three

Tonight I put you to bed in your own room, the last time as a two year old but before I had made it to the bottom of the stairs I heard you dart out and climb into my bed where you would much rather be and sure enough I found you snuggled up in the middle waiting for me when I went up to check on you. 

It was your last day as a two year old which means tomorrow is the day you have been talking about for so long, your birthday.  It started with a small crowd, you wanted to invite Elsa from Frozen, Archie and his best friend, a horse and a spotty dog, but now you spend the day listing all the friends and people you want to come along, with your best friend Freddie always being top of the list. You know exactly what you want and I love that strength in your character (most of the time). Unfortunately what you want most for your birthday is a pet dog so you may be a little disappointed in the morning!

This has been the year you made close friendships, found the things and people you love and learnt to pull the best sulking face.  Everything is pink and ideally fluffy and My Little Pony features heavily and you talk about your brothers like you own each one of them.  Collectively they are 'my boys' when you mention them and you love picking Finn up from nursery so you can hold hands on the way home. 

You are so fiercely independent in your actions, you dress yourself, you put on your own shoes, you can do it all, but you only want to do anything if I am there. You get upset if I ever leave the house without you, even just to take the boys to school and you want to be within touching distance of me at all times, preferably on my lap. I thought this phase would have ended by now but it is showing no signs of slowing down!

You have big feelings and you understand so much. You tell me you are sad, or worried or ever so happy and you greet me with such love every time I come back from somewhere, even the bathroom. You are cuddly and affectionate with everyone and even though I have told you many times that we always ask before stroking a dog, I see you put your hand out for a quick 'fluff' when we walk past any.

You are cheeky and mischievous, your hair is always wild and you strip off at any opportunity.  You are such a 'girly girl' in so many ways but you are always grubby, covered in felt pen and getting stuck in too.

Everything I said in this letter as you turned two, and this one as you turned one still applies, you are still so much the same character, just with more dimensions each year.  I can't wait for the adventures of three but before they begin I want to pause, just for a moment to soak up everything you are now. I want to remember the feeling of your arms round my neck, your nose against mine. I want to remember the way you take care of me when I feel ill, the way you tell me that I am your best friend, completely unprompted, the way you make me feed your teddy in the morning before you have your milk. You will never be this small again.  The clocks will move forward and so will you but I never want to forget this wonderful stage in your life.

Baby girl, you are more loved than you will ever know

xx

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What the Kids Wore // Little Green Radicals

Both the little two have shot up in the past year, far more than the average amount and very little from last summer is going to fit. Little Green Radicals send us a few pieces from their stunning new collection though and I think they are going to be summer staples. I have loved LGR for years now and have bought so much so they are a great brand to work with! Not only is their clothing organic, it is also fairtrade and designed with childhood in mind.

Finn's shorts look so smart but they are soft jersey cotton and so comfy. I love the little red button on the back pocket and how they will go with so much.  His t-shirt is covered in colourful lion faces and is one of his favourites. Cora's leggings are the perfect shade of yellow which means they are back on almost as soon as they are out the washing machine and I love how floaty and light her top is.  At the bottom of this post you will find a wonderful summer beach dress too which is so beautiful in real life.

I wanted to take photos in this field as I took them in the same place last year when I worked with Little Green Radicals and I think they show the stunning colours - I can't believe how much they have grown! As always I have too many photos but I think they help show how the clothing really looks, how it moves and how comfy they find it.  Finn is an average height 4 year old and I went for 4-5 shorts and 5-6 in top as we prefer them bigger.  Cora is a petite 2 year old (34 months here) wearing 2-3. I often buy a size bigger than what they usually wear for the tops and dresses and the correct size for bottoms.

And here is the stunning frill dress which I am tempted to buy in a bigger size for next year too!

You can find the whole Little Green Radicals collection here

We were sent these items for the purpose of this blog post but all thoughts and opinions are my own and we have genuinely been buying this brand for many years.

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