Days Out
Showing posts with label Days Out. Show all posts

Christmas 2018 | The Lanterns at Chester Zoo

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On Sunday we headed over to Chester to experience The Lanterns at Chester Zoo. We have never been before but some of the family went last year and loved it so they booked for us all to go this year. I had no idea what to expect so I was really surprised when we got there to see lots of animals made out of lights.
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Christmas 2018 | Tea With Santa At Dobbies

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On Saturday we headed to Dobbies Garden Centre for our first visit of the year to see Santa. I say our first visit because we have at least another 4 visits planned to various grottos but I can honestly say now I doubt any will compare to the whole Dobbies experience.
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Dining Out | The Ring O Bells, Warrington

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Have you ever walked in somewhere and got a good feeling about it straight away? I have a few times and one of those times was recently when we went for a pub lunch at Ring O Bells in Warrington. We were invited along to sample the menu and take a look at the pub which is soon to celebrate it's 1 year anniversary under new ownership. 
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Dining Out | Kids Menu at Turtle Bay

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Last week we headed in to town to for lunch at Turtle Bay. This was our first ever visit to Turtle Bay so we were not sure what to expect. Little J is quite a fussy eater but as they had just updated their kids menu we were keen to give it a try.
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Days Out | Royal De Luxe Giants Come To Liverpool

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Last weekend we were very fortunate to witness the amazing Giants as they visited Liverpool. Royal De Luxe last visited Liverpool in 2014 and I was so amazed back then that when we heard they were bringing their giants back to the streets of Liverpool we just couldn't wait.
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Closed Giveaway | Family Ticket To Winter Wonderland

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One of Liverpool’s most iconic landmarks will be transformed into a magical, immersive, Christmas attraction for 2018.St Luke’s “Bombed-Out” Church, situated at the top of Bold Street, will be turned into a Winter Wonderland for almost four weeks this festive season and is set to become the ‘must visit’ Christmas Grotto experience of the year in Liverpool. I have a family ticket worth £60 to give away to one lucky reader.
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Days Out | Knowsley Safari Park

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We live under 20 minutes away from Knowsley Safari Park yet we haven't been for years which is such a shame. Last week we visited and I instantly remembered all the things I loved about the park and how much fun we have missed out on.
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Days Out | CBBC Summer Social 2018

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We were so excited to hear that the CBBC Summer Social event was coming to Liverpool this year and we were literally counting down the days. The lineup for the 3 day event was amazing including lots of CBBC and CBeebies favourites such as Sam and Mark, Mr Tumble, Dr Ranj and lots more.
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Days Out | Indoor Play Centres In Manchester

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Over the last few months we have visited lots of indoor activity / play centres, however there are three in particular that little J has said are his favourite. All completely different but all based around in and around Manchester so I thought I would share with all three.
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Disney On Ice - Dream Big Coming To UK This Autumn

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When I heard about that Disney On Ice was returning this Autumn with a new show I was eager to see how it could top the show we saw a few years ago. When I saw the announcement that Dream Big will feature Moana, Frozen, Beauty and The Beast, Tangled, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin I was so excited, what a fantastic bunch of characters. 
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CBBC Summer Social Is Coming To Liverpool

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We are so excited about CBBC Summer Social coming to Liverpool this year. We have been to something very similar in the South a few years ago and it was amazing. This time it is our hometown and we cannot wait to attend.
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Exploring Cheshire This Summer

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The Summer Holidays is one of my favourite times of year. I get the whole school holidays off with the boys and together we love planning all the things we want to get up to. Days out is usually top of the list as we love being out and about and this Summer we are going to be #ExploringCheshire. We are so lucky to live close to Cheshire as we get to experience all the fantastic things to do and see.
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Breakfast With Santa At The Alton Towers Hotel

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One of our favourite Christmas traditions is visiting Alton Towers each year for Santa’s Sleepover. This is a tradition that we have enjoyed for almost 20 years now and over those years we have seen the Alton Towers Resort change and evolve with new activities added each year. This year we enjoyed a breakfast with Santa for the first time.

Santa Breakfast at Alton Towers


Usually we visit Santa on our first day over at CBeebies land in the theme park and whilst this is still an option we were staying in an Arctic Explorer room so had the chance to have breakfast with Santa instead.

Breakfast was booked for us at 9:15am on the day of our departure. There were two sittings, one at 7:30am and one at 9:15am. I can’t say how busy the 7:30 sitting was but the later one was extremely busy in fact it was full and we did see a very disappointed family who had obviously booked but there was no room for them.

If you have enjoyed breakfast at the Alton Towers hotel before in the secret garden well the Breakfast with Santa is just next door in the Emperors Suite. We were advised to arrive at 10 minutes early and even by this time the waiting area was full.

When the doors opened there was a stampede to get through the door and find a table however there was no need as we had all been allocated a table already.

Santa Breakfast at Alton Towers
We were given a table for four and I will say it was a squeeze. Not only was the table of four small but we were packed in between other tables and it just felt a little overcrowded. Having said that little J didn’t seem to mind and was quite happy tucking in to the pastries that were on the table already.

meeting Mrs Claus
Once everyone was seated we were welcomed by Sir Algenon who is the explorer mentioned throughout Alton Towers. He told us of a time when he met Mrs Claus and then suddenly she arrived. She had prepared a lovely breakfast for us all but before it was time to eat we had to help decorate the tree. Some of the tables had tinsel on and some had presents. We had a present and little J took the present down to the front and placed it under the tree while Mrs Claus and the elves sang a very upbeat and happy song.

Then a special visitor arrived down the chimney - Father Christmas. He was sat throughout the breakfast by the tree so you could visit him, have a photo taken and receive a gift. Mrs Claus and the elves were happy to have their photos taken too.

Once the buffet opened everyone was on their feet to get some food. It was about 9:50am by this time so I can imagine there were quite a few hungry tummies by this time.

The selection of breakfast was just as you would expect. Cereals, fruit and pastries then hot food such as sausage, egg and beans.

There was plenty of food and it stayed available throughout right until it was time to go.

When it was little J's turn to see Santa he went very shy as usual but Santa was great and chatted to him before posing for a photo and then giving little J a gift. He received a cute elephant hand puppet.

Once everyone had finished their food and had their photo with Santa it was time for him to return to the North Pole to prepare for the big day. He sang a lovely duet of ‘Its the most wonderful time of the year’ with Mrs Claus as they made their way through the tables and towards the exit.

meeting elf
Little J really enjoyed the breakfast and was entertained throughout.

What We Loved

A nice addition to the Santa’s Sleepover experience.

It was something we hadn’t experienced before so was good to try something new.

The room and tables were decorated perfectly for the festive season.

Great selection of food and drinks available throughout.

Chance to meet Santa and receive a nice gift.

What Could Improve

The number of people in the room. The room was overcrowded.

There was no professional photograph with Santa as promised. We had to take our own.

The gifts were not wrapped and were not as good as previous years of seeing Santa at the resort.

Overall it was a nice experience for little J and I think we would definitely book again if it is an option next year.

Michelle
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Half Term Travel With Virgin Trains

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I know a lot of my readers will be enjoying Half Term this week although up in the North of England a lot of schools enjoyed their autumn break last week. We had lots of plans for half term but as you may have read little J got a stomach bug so all our plans went on hold. However as we missed out on a week of adventures we are planning a weekend away and I can't wait. You may have read recently that John and I headed to London for the day to see Wicked The Musical. We got the train bright and early and we were in the capital in no time. I love sitting on the train knowing that we will be in a new city soon, it's now one of my favourite things to do. We are lucky to be able to get a Virgin Trains Pendolino train and it's so nice to sit back and relax and let someone else do the driving. For our next break we will be taking advantage of the Virgin Trains family ticket at a fixed price for up to 2 adults and 4 children.
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Is Taking The Kids To The Pool A Dad Thing To Do?

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Both boys absolutely love the water and we try to take them swimming as often as we can. I probably shouldn't say we, I actually mean John takes them swimming whenever he can. I'm not fond of swimming or water if I'm honest. I don't feel confident at all and if something were to happen I don't think I would react well. I'm not quite sure where this fear has come from but I would hate the boys to pick up on it so I tend to take a step back. Don't get me wrong I will go in from time to time but if I can get out of it I will. 
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Theatre Review - Wicked at The Apollo Victoria, London

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A few weeks ago Daddy and I headed to London for the day. We got the 6:45am train and was in London by 9am. I had booked us tickets to see Wicked at the The Apollo Victoria. It’s not a musical I had wanted to see before but Daddy really liked the sound of it so I booked them for Father’s Day.
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Disney Pixar Cars 3 Movie Review

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Last weekend we headed to our local Odeon to watch Cars 3. It's been 11 years since the first movie was released and in the 11 years since, we have been massive fans of Lightning McQueen. Big J's first cinema visit was when he was just 4 years old and we watched Cars so its odd that Little J's first ever cinema visit is when he is also 4 but he's watching Cars 3.
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The Gruffalo and Organix Giveaway

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You may have read my earlier post about us being a Merlin Annual Pass holder, which means we get to visit attractions across the UK throughout the year. One for our Summer Bucket List this year is to visit Chessington World Of Adventures for two reasons. Firstly we have never been and secondly because little J absolutely loves the Gruffalo and Chessington World of Adventures now have a new Gruffalo River Ride. Celebrating its partnership with the new Gruffalo River Ride Adventure at Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Organix are giving one lucky Playdays and Runways winner the chance to win a Gruffalo DVD and a £10 bundle of its top selling Goodies healthy snacks. 
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Sea Stars At Sea Life, Blackpool

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Having a Merlin pass is probably one of the best purchases we make each year. Being a Merlin pass holder entitles us to free entry to 32 attractions across the UK after paying a one off fee at the beginning of your membership. Over the past few weeks we have visited Alton Towers, Legoland Discovery Centre and last weekend we Sea Life in Blackpool to check out Sea Stars which is new for 2017.
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How Natural Playgrounds Help Children’s Development

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Both boys have visited our local parks and playgrounds since they were very young. They both really enjoy being outdoors and whilst I wasn't one for swings or slides when I was younger I wanted to make sure the boys were comfortable using outdoor equipment from a early age. Playgrounds aren’t just about entertainment – they’re a key part of a child’s development. From confronting danger with climbing structures to social skills garnered by interaction in a play environment, playing outside helps children grow. I think the 'confronting danger' part for me was why I didn't like playgrounds as I never felt confident. Fortunately both boys love climbing and it's nice to see them taking risks because it is all part of development. 
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