Family Day out
Showing posts with label Family Day out. Show all posts

Christmas At Liverpool ONE

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We are so lucky to have Liverpool ONE so close to where we live. For years we had to venture further afield for shopping trips and meals out. Since Liverpool ONE arrived we have everything we could ask for. Now you can drop the kids off at school and you can get everything you need and more before you have to pick them up again. Here's how we recently went Christmas Shopping at Liverpool ONE. 

Liverpool ONE Christmas Tree 2015
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Toby Carvery - Waterside Review

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The highlight of my week so far has to be our visit to the Toby Carvery - Waterside. It was a very cold, wet and blustery Monday evening and I really didn't want to head home after the school pick up to cook our dinner. I needed a day off from cooking and a nice Toby Carvery was just what I needed to warm me up.


We have quite a few Toby Carvery restaurants close by although we do tend to drive a little further to the Waterside. Daddy and I used to go for meals there before it was a Toby and it's always been a nice restaurant, even better now.
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Disney On Ice Silver Anniversary Celebration

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A few months ago we were lucky enough to see Disney On Ice. As soon as the show started we were all mesmerised and I knew then that we would have to see another show soon. I am so excited to reveal that Disney On Ice Silver Anniversary is touring next year and its making a stop in Liverpool.

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Our Day At Toytopia

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When we were asked to visit Toytopia I knew we would all love it. We love toys and having lots of different brands and toys under one roof is a our idea of heaven. With Christmas just a few months away it was a perfect chance for little J to try out some possible choices for his Christmas list. I have to say we have just got back from a fulfilled day - here is our day at Toytopia.

Entrance to Liverpool Exhibition Centre for Toytopia Event

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Visit Brewers Scare This Half Term

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You will know by now that we are very fond of Brewers Fayre and we are lucky to have one quite close to home. Earlier this evening we enjoyed a lovely meal and if you are looking for somewhere to take the kids then I would definitely recommend a visit to Brewers Scare this half term. After its recent refurbishment little J loves the new Beano play area and with spooky activities planned for next week I'm sure we will be back for another visit.

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Disney On Ice - Worlds Of Enchantment Review

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It's not every Saturday you are whisked away on a magical journey to Sunnyside Day Care, Under The Sea, Radiator Springs and Arendelle. If you hadn't already guessed it we went to see Disney on Ice - Worlds Of Enchantment in Manchester.

From the moment the lights went down and Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy took to the stage we where all mesmerised. 

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Pumpkinanza October Half Term

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Discover the 4 corners of the Greater Yarmouth borough on the Pumpkinanza Trail on the last weekend of October half term! Join in on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November.

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Family Snow Park Pass to Chill Factoré Giveaway

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Big J and I were so jealous when Daddy and little J got the chance to visit the new Mini Moose Adventure Playground recently at Chill Factoré. It looked so much fun and I know little J had a great time. We have been looking at all going together soon and I was checking out the website when I came across the Snow Park Pass.


The Snow Park Pass allows you to visit the Snow Park and experience a range of snow activities. They all look very exciting plus this Summer they have introduced a new Snow Luge.  The Snow Luge is built entirely from real snow and you can take on the twists and turns as you race to the bottom.  

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The 3 Queens Arrive In Liverpool

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Every year in Liverpool we seem to have a special event that brings millions of visitors to the city. One of my favourites was Little Girl Giant who has travelled to the city twice over the last few years and last year we got to see her with her Grandma. It was a  spectacular event that I know we will never forget. Yesterday was another event that I was really excited about and I am so glad I got to witness it. Three huge ships, The Queen Victoria, The Queen Elizabeth and The Queen Mary 2 all made their way into the River Mersey.

We arrived quite early and was lucky to find a spot just by the front so we had a perfect view of the 3 Queens when they made their way.

The 3 Queens
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In The Night Garden Party At Alton Towers

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A few weeks ago little J got his first ever birthday party invite. It was so exciting as it was to celebrate the first anniversary of the In The Night Garden Boat Ride in CBeebies Land at Alton Towers.

Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy and Little J blowing kisses
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Octonauts Arrive At CBeebies Land

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Alton Towers is a special place for us, we try to go many times a year especially on special occasions. To celebrate little J's birthday we took him to CBeebies land in Alton Towers. The Octonauts have arrived this year so it was a perfect chance for us to try out the new rollercoaster.

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Bella Italia Liverpool - Review

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When we walked through the doors of the Bella Italia today I was instantly sent 15 years into the past. When Daddy and I started dating we used to go to the Bella Pasta (thats what it used to be called) all the time. Other than its name it hasn't changed really it was just how I remembered it, I even knew where the toilets where and I haven't been there for at least 13 years.

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The Iron Men

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Easter morning was nice and bright outside so we thought we would go for a nice walk. We didn't want to go too far as big J had plans to go online with his friends. We thought about going the Albert Dock but we recently visited there. I don't know why but Crosby Marina popped into my mind. 
I haven't been to Crosby for years and Daddy, big J and little J have never been. So we packed up the car with the essentials for a Family Day Out. Spare shoes, plenty of drinks, packed lunch and the most important item of all...a football.
Lovely view of the marina
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DreamWorks - Home

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Last weekend we were lucky to receive preview tickets to see the new Dreamworks movie HOME. I hadn't heard of it until I received the tickets and googled. Big J had already viewed a trailer of the movie and it was on his 'to see' list. 
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Mr Tumble's Circus Is Coming To Town

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I think if you are a regular reader you will now that we are a huge CBeebies fan and Justin Fletcher / Mr Tumble is a favourite of ours. We recently reviewed his new album and little J loves it.
Last year at Lollibop Justin announced that he was going on tour in 2015 and I was so excited as I knew little J would be a little bit older and would appreciate the show a lot more than he did at Lollibop.
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Time Tower At Warwick Castle

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On Saturday we were invited down to Warwick Castle to a sneak preview of the exciting new attraction Time Tower. We love Warwick Castle but to get to see a new attraction before anyone else was an exciting bonus. From the Northwest it is a two hour drive so we decided to do the drive and stay over the night before in a hotel close to Warwick. You can read about our stay here - Holiday Inn Leamington Spa.
When we woke it didn't look the nicest of days. It was quite cloudy and when I opened the window it felt chilly but the day actually turned out to be lovely. Really sunny and although there was a slight chill in the air it was a lovely spring day and there was no rain which was perfect as most of the activities are outside. 
Every time we have been to the Castle we have parked in the Stables Car park. It is just a minutes walk (probably less) to the entrance. Its a premium car park and costs £10. Its perfect if you want to nip back to the car.
Once we parked, we headed to the Stables Courtyard. This is where your day begins. You purchase your tickets here and it also has toilet facilities and The Coach House. Great place to grab a cup of coffee or a snack before you start.
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Spring Has Sprung

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I am so excited that Spring is finally here. Its actually unusual for me to be so excited about Spring as I do love Winter but this year I am so glad to see this long, cold, wet and miserable Winter finally pass. Since November we have just had one illness after another and I know we weren't the only ones suffering, everyone has been feeling ill, with coughs and colds.
 
At the weekend I woke up and I felt okay. I couldn't believe it. No sore throat, no cough or cold symptoms, just normal. What a relief. 

boys playing
The sun was shining outside and it was really fresh. We opened the windows and it was lovely to feel the breeze blowing through the house. We had time in the park and the garden and I was excited at the thought of getting all the garden toys out soon.

As its little J's birthday soon we will try and buy a few toys that he can use outside. He is such an outdoor person, he loves it. Our garden isn't huge but there is enough room to have a good play. Towards the back of the garden we have our old trampoline. It was big J's but he doesn't play on it anymore so it will probably be dismantled over the next few months so that will free up a little bit of playing space.

Big J doesn't play with toys in the garden anymore he just uses his goal but around this time of year big J normally tells us about a new scooter or bike that he has seen. He usually gets a new scooter each year for his birthday. The last few years he has chose an electric scooter and they have been perfect for popping in the car and taking out with us on our walks. He also has a stunt scooter which he loves and I think he may choose another one this year.

We bought new garden furniture last year and we got so much use out of it in the Summer. I am hoping we can spend as much time outside this year as we did last. 

So other than a few upgrades we are pretty much ready for Spring.

Michelle

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Win a Family Trip To Blackpool Tower Circus

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In all my 30+ years I can honestly say I have never been to a circus before. How sad is that. When I was younger I was scared of clowns and I always associated the circus with clowns. As we are Merlin Pass Holders I am now going to make an effort to visit the circus at Blackpool Tower. I have been reading some great reviews and I will definitely plan a trip this year.
If you like the circus then you will love my competition as I have a family ticket to the Blackpool Tower Circus Easter Extravaganza. 

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Early Morning Fun In The Park

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 Trying to get a soon to be teen out of bed on a Sunday morning can be nightmare so we usually have to wake big J up 30 minutes before he actually needs to be up. I usually give him a nudge and then ten minutes later another nudge and then usually on the 3rd and final nudge he will eventually get out of bed. I think theres nothing better than waking bright and early on a Sunday morning and heading out to the local park. Once big J was up and dressed, we wrapped up warm and off we went. 

Little J was very good and put on his all in one on and even his hat, which is a first. He usually takes it off within seconds of it going on his head. Also big J wore his coat. Sounds a silly thing to say but for whatever reason big J hates wearing a coat and somehow thinks that a tee and a hoody is suitable when its -2 degrees outside.

We have quite a few parks local to us but we decided to go further afield to Sherdley Park. Its not too far. We left the pram at home and brought little J's bike instead just incase he got tired.

As soon as we got there little J was desperate to get out the car. He loves being outside, we all do. The ball and the bike came along too and for the first half of our walk we kicked the ball up and down the hills. Little J was really good on his feet today. Sometimes he can be very wobbly and fall over but he was almost running down hills and his balance was perfect.

Big J however wasn't so good on his feet, he fell over a few times which I think was on purpose just so he could roll down the hills. Little J thought it was hilarious although I was panicking incase he rolled in dog poo.

Little J went on bike and we went on a walk next right round the park. We walked past the farm which was closed, but we saw some chickens, goats and donkeys. 

We came to a huge mud hill on our walk which Daddy and big J had to climb up. I think little J wanted to climb up too.

There is a play area in Sherdley Park, the boys had a go on the swings, slides and big J had a climb on the climbing frame. 


















When we got to the play area I started to feel the cold so we didn't stay too long. I'm really looking forward to warmer days. I love being out and about. Most of our adventures don't cost anything. We always take a packed lunch and plenty of drinks. In the summer we will buy ice creams and little treats but for days like today we didn't spend a penny. I always find these days the best. All we needed was a ball and a play area and we had lots of fun, lots of laughs and quality family time together.



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Half Term Fun

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I love it when the kids are off school. I was really looking forward to spending time with big J and heading out for some family days out. We have all been full of cold recently and unfortunately it didn't miraculously disappear last week while we were off work and school but we made the most of it.

On Monday we headed off to the Albert Dock for a ride on the Wheel of Liverpool. We have been on the wheel before. Its been a few years and little J hadn't been on it so I was unsure if he would like it. 
We had a look on the internet first to see if there were any offers on and there was a voucher for 25% off which came in handy and took the cost down to £19 for the four of us. 


The Wheel is just by the Liverpool Echo Arena and looks over the Albert Dock and the River Mersey. It was clear but the time we got on the wheel so we had a nice view out. 

On the first turn it stays at the top for a little while and then after that it goes straight round. Five times in total I think. Daddy doesn't really like heights and I was a little worried that one of the doors didn't look properly shut but it was fun and the boys enjoyed it.



We managed to get a pod to ourselves which was good as little J kept switching sides so was up and down a lot

After we had been on the Wheel we headed over to Costa for a nice lunch.


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Midweek we headed to up to Blackpool. We had a few things planned and were all indoors so it didn't matter if it was raining today but I'm glad to say it did stay nice and dry.


First of all both monkeys fell asleep on the way there. It made me giggle when I saw them both. We had only been in the car five minutes before big J was snoring. Little J managed about 20 minutes before he was snoozing too.

After there little nap we had arrived and our first stop was Sandcastle Waterpark. We have been to the sandcastle before but again before little J was born. Both boys love the water and big J loves all the slides so I knew it would be a fun day.

When we arrived the queue was huge. We had tickets so we were shown inside through a side door and within minutes we were in the changing rooms. I hate swimming baths changing rooms. They always smell funny and you never know what you are standing in so I always take my shoes off at the very last minute. I have to say considering how busy the changing rooms were they were very clean. I saw at least three staff cleaning the floors while we were there which was nice because they can get very mucky.

There were female, male and family and they all linked towards the lockers. We chose a family changing room and again considering how busy it was we didn't have to wait. 

We paid for an electronic locker which was slightly larger than the regular lockers. £3 deposit which was returned at the end of your visit. Normal lockers are available for 50p I think, I am not sure whether that is returned at the end or not.

*photograph credit - Sandcastle Waterpark*

The waterpark itself was very very busy and the queues for the slides were huge. Big J queued for almost 30 minutes for the sidewinder ride and that was only for a rubber ring. He then had to take the ring up the stairs and join another queue.

While he was queueing little J was enjoying paddling in the shallow end of the pool and swapping from one side to another.

Big J loved the sidewinder ride. and was eyeing up the next slide. First though he played with little J in the pool. After a hour of so I could see little J was a little tired so I decided to take him out and let Daddy and big J hit the slides

We got back to the changing rooms and to dressed and then headed back into the waterpark to take a seat and have something to eat.

I was a little disappointed that after walking round for almost 15 minutes there was no where to sit. Not one free table. There is maintenance on some of the seating area by the snack bar but all the other seats were empty but had peoples towels on them. I don't think that is fair and it felt like being on holiday when you have to fight for a sun lounger in the morning. It was clear that no one was sat there, the towels were dry

In the end we gave up and decided to go for a walk instead. On the way out just by the main entrance there was another snack bar and some sofas so we manage to sit there and grab a bite to eat. I had my iPad with me so little J chilled on that and made use of the free wifi.

After a while Daddy and big J returned and they had only managed two slides in just over 1 hour and a half. They did manage to try out Aztec Falls which was a new ride. They loved it. Very fast and dark. We have promised big J that we will return another time on a less busier day so he can enjoy the slides although I think it will be busy all the time as it seems very very popular.

Overall the seating situation was a nightmare and I do think there should be a policy to remove towels if no one is sitting there. There was so many people standing up, with babies and children because they couldn't get a seat. Like I said above it was very clean and for me personally that was a big thumbs up as I felt comfortable walking round without my shoes on. The slides they went on, they loved. Big J's favourite was Aztec Falls and Daddy like the duelling dragons. There was plenty for little J to do too. 

Both boys had a great time and we will definitely be returning again. 

What did you get up to in Half Term?



*we were invited to the sandcastle waterpark, all thoughts opinions and photographs are our own unless stated*
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