Brand & Blog
Today we have a guest post from the lovely Ami over at Through Ami’s Eyes. As a fellow ‘Essex girl’ I love finding out new places we can take the kids and a couple on this list are new to us!
Over to Ami…
Pickle loves being our and about and some of my favourite days spent with him have been when we have been outdoors enjoying the fresh air and the sunshine. There is so much to do in Essex where we live and I wanted to share with you my 5 favoutire places to go with my toddler in Essex.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t going to enter the #MarkWarnerMum competition. I knew the quality of posts would be off the scale, and recently my anxiety has put blogging on the back burner. Not only that, but I’m a Virgo, a creative Virgo, which means my creative freedom fights my need for perfection on a daily basis. This isn’t good for my mood. A lot of projects are usually left unfinished. Hence why I didn’t want to put the pressure on myself to enter this competition.
Having said that, this weekend we took a drive to Yorkshire to visit my family. My husband took a couple of days off work and we spent a few days relaxing and spending quality time as a family. We got home last night and something changed. I decided going for this opportunity of a lifetime; allowing my children to go on a holiday we could never provide, was worth the stress and rush of putting together my entry in 24 hours. Because the deadline is tonight.
So here you go, my top 10 holiday essentials with a twist. 5 are my holiday essentials and 5 and everyone else’s. And just for fun, I let me creative freedom take over and design a couple of Mark Warner souvenirs!
When Blogger Maria Hughes of Happy Mummy heard that I was going away this week, she jumped at the chance of guest posting for me! Maria offered to write about her recent family day out at Stansted Mountfitchet Castle; as that is fairly local to me I was happy to hear Maria’s thoughts on her day! Over to Maria…
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle is a Norman motte and bailey Castle and village that has been reconstructed with meticulous detail on its original site in Essex. The castle is essentially an open air museum, fabulously constructed to really give you a sense that you have traveled back in time! Its worth mentioning that this is the ONLY medieval castle and Norman Village reconstructed on its original site in the whole world!
The caslte/village is very hilly so if you have impaired mobility then I would suggest giving them a call ahead of your visit for advice; it is also a little tricky to navigate with a pram so if you have a sling or your child can walk/be carried then that is definitely the best option.
The entry price is a very reasonable £10.50 for adults and £8.50 for children, with under 3’s being free. Included in the entry price you get the norman village/castle, the toy museum and the dinosaur experience so it really is exceptional value.
We started off with dinosaurs & the toy museum; I have to admit that although the life size dinosaurs were extremely well constructed and very impressive to us adults my toddler was petrified of them! I can see older children really loving them though, as you walk past them and up the hill to the toy museum you are treated to tape recordings of dinosaurs roaring to really enhance your experience.
After the dinosaurs we progressed on to the toy museum; the museum has over 80,000 exhibits on display and encompasses everything from toys to TV memorabilia, as a huge Only Fools and Horses fan I was delighted to be greeted with a full size Trotters Independent Traders Van at the entrance! My husband is a huge Dr Who fan so he was equally delighted with the Darleks and Phone Box! There is also a haunted manor within the toy museum that you can enter for an extra £1 each (we had a toddler with us so this was a definite no for us!).
The castle/village was next and I have to say that the reconstruction is magnificent you really feel as though you are back in 1066; the smell of lit fires greets you as you enter the site and there are animals roaming freely; there are several houses with reconstructed scenes inside and a church with a working bell. There were several things that you could try on or do; hats, shields and stocks, its nice to see a museum with pieces that you can actually try on and fun with.
We had an excellent time at Stansted Mountfitchet Castle and will definitely return again soon.
If you want to read more about my family’s adventures, please check out the Day’s Out section of my blog.
Thank you so much to Maria for this fab post. I’m definitely going to take the kids soon!
~A~
If you’re planning a holiday to Bluestone Wales then make sure you check out their website before you go. There’s everything you need to know about facilities and activities available onsite.
Our holiday earlier this year was absolutely amazing. Well worth the 6 hour drive! We have been to similar UK holiday destinations with Lamb and they just didn’t cater for children his age. Most activities are for children age 5 or 6+, not babies and toddlers. What instantly impressed us about Bluestone Wales is the attention to detail when it comes to infants. There is something to do for all ages. Whether it’s sensory play for 0+ month old babies or tree climbing for adults. Everyone is catered for.
For Babies and Toddlers (0-3) – Mini Rangers 
For Children (4-7) – Junior Rangers
The Older Kids (8-12) – Celtic Rangers
Fun For Adults
Entertainment
On our first day we headed straight to the Adventure Centre which was pretty close to our lodge. In here you can find the Circus Zone for babies and toddlers. This was a big hit with Lamb. You can also find the Wildwood Cafe, the Adventure play area (which is a-ma-zing) and lots of activities you can book like messy play etc.
A short walk from here you can find the tournament field and the steep ravine. Here you will find most of the activities for the older kids and adults, like archery and high wires.
In the centre of the resort you will find The Village. This is where you will find the Treetops Playground. This is a really good park for the kids to go wild in. There’s a large section for older children, and a gated, smaller section for toddlers and younger children. Even though Lamb is a toddler he much preferred the bigger bit, so mummy and daddy had plenty of fun running around with him!
Blue Lagoon
A short walk from our lodge was the Blue Lagoon Water Park. This is open to the public, however if you are staying at Bluestone then you get a free pass for the duration of your stay. We were really impressed with the Blue Lagoon. There’s a little splash pool for the little ones, and lots of fun games for kids to play with. Lamb particularly like the lazy river which flows outside and back in again. He found this hilarious and love going out in the cold.
The changing facilities are great for families. There are plenty of family size changing rooms with changing tables for babies and toddlers. There’s a quick dry machine that costs £1, so if you want to dry off quickly then that’s worth a go.
We didn’t eat or drink at the Blues Lagoon cafe so I can’t comment on that, however there were plenty of tables and chairs around the pool.
We were happy to see that the pool was accessible by wheelchair, so if you need disabled access then you don’t have to worry. The staff were extremely helpful to those who were less able.
Finally I can’t write about the Blue Lagoon without mentioning the slides! There are 4 in total. 1 single, 2 singles side by side, and one double. The double was my favourite. It was basically like a rapids and you can go down in pairs. The current is quite strong so keep this in mind if you’re not a strong swimmer. I am confident in the water and I still found myself pulled under with the current at the finish.
Well Spa
I was lucky enough to enjoy a visit to the Well Spa during our holiday (a little treat from my mother-in-law). I have been to a couple of Spas and I have to say I was really impressed with this one. I often expect on site spas not to be as good as independent spas, but this one exceeded my expectations. It was much larger than it looks from the outside, has an amazing outdoor jacuzzi, a relaxing quiet room, and plenty of steam rooms and saunas. We both had a 50 minute massage during our visit to the spa. This was honestly one of the best massages I’ve ever had. They cater the massage to your needs, so rather than offering you a standard full body massage, they ask you what your problem areas are and work on the body parts that you request. The therapists used ESPA products and as part of our deal we both received a sample pack worth £25. I love the products and am using all of them.
We booked our spa day from a promotional email I received before our trip. I was often sent a deal which was only available by a certain date. So if you are thinking of going to the spa, then keep an out on those deals in your inbox. If you aren’t sure about booking before you go, make sure you check out the daily deals on the TV in your lodge. While we were there there was a really good offer available (I can’t remember what it was, sorry!)
Eating
One huge bonus for us was the takeaway service. This is so useful to families with young children who can’t stay up late. We ordered a takeaway curry which was really nice. It was around £10 per person plus a little more for naan breads, so it’s not cheap, however turned up pretty quickly and tasted really good. i would definitely recommend trying out their takeaway service if you’re not on a budget.
We also ate at The Knights Tafarn twice and thoroughly enjoyed the food. I’ve read a couple of comments about the food at Bluestone being pretty standard, but we totally enjoyed the food we ordered. In particularly on one night they served Spaghetti Carbonara and it was probably one of the best I have ever tasted. I was gutted to wasn’t on the menu the second time we went there!
We also enjoyed a lovely cappuccino in Millers Bakery. I’m a big coffee drinker so can be a tad snobby when it comes to a decent cappuccino. Millers Bakery served a decent cappuccino. Fact.
The village shop had a good selection of foods, which were not too badly priced. Of course the prices were higher than your local supermarket but when you take into consideration the petrol cost and effort toy drive out of Bluestone, we are more than happy to pay their prices. Plus my mother-in-law is super organised and made sure we had plenty of food and drink when we arrived.
Finally I can’t write a review on the food at Bluestone without mentioning the amazing Camp Smokey. A brief walk into the steep ravine and you find yourself at the hidden and adventurous Camp Smokey. Lamb absolutely loved it here. You are completely surrounded by woodland. Up in the trees you can see the high wires and all around you is forest. The food is limited but lovely and you certainly feel like you’re in an American style holiday camp. Camp Smokey is a must if you’re staying at Bluestone.
Outside Bluestone
We organised a day out at Folly Farm, which is a short drive from Bluestone. I’m going to be reviewing Folly Farm separately but I just want to say this is by far one of the best days out we’ve had with Lamb. It is so much more than a farm. It’s a farm, a zoo, an adventure playground, an arcade, a theme park all rolled into one! We had so much fun and would 100% go back if we visit Wales again. If you stay at Bluestone you must go to Folly Farm for the day, and make sure you prepare to be there all day lone because you won’t want to leave.
Bluestones is definitely the place to go with a young family. There is so much to do for all ages. If the weather is rubbish, there’s plenty to do indoors, if the weather is amazing there’s plenty to do outdoors! We were so impressed with our whole holiday and would absolutely recommend Bluestone to other families.
If you want to read more about the accommodation and a general review you can read my first post here.
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We’ve taken Lamb on holiday abroad twice and in all honesty both trips went really well. We now have 2 kids and travelling may become a little difficult.
So what can I do to reduce stress?
Use Travel friendly Products
Not everyone has the budget to buy quirky products but there are some products out there that would really help when travelling with babies or children.
The Doona for example. What a clever idea! Whether you’re off on a plane or travelling cross country on a train, this fab infant carrier/pram means you can travel with your baby safely and not have to lug a pram around!
A car seat that turns into a pram. Genius.
Be Organised
Organisation isn’t a strength of mine, but when it comes to travelling it’s pretty important that I stay organised. I usually keep everything in one folder and print out all booking forms and confirmations even if it’s not required. My tip is to double check all dates and times of bookings/flights etc and log them into your calendar on your phone. That way if you can’t access/find your paperwork you can check your phone. If you’re travelling abroad make sure you check the expiry dates on your passports and that they all have 6 months left.
Have A Treat Bag
We all know how quickly kids can get bored so my tip is to have a little rucksack or bag packed with lots of goodies that you can distribute throughout your journey. Snacks/sweets, stickers and crayons. Oh and don’t forget surprise eggs. Come up with a way of letting them earn something out of the treat bag. Maybe they have to be quiet for an hour (yeah right), or eat all of their lunch. Or maybe they can choose something every half an hour.
Pay Extra For Sensible Flights
Ok, you’ve got a 3 year old and 8 week old, do you really want to get up at 3 am for a 7 am flight? Do you? No. So book an afternoon flight, give yourself the morning to pack up the car and make your way to the airport. Give yourself time for stops along the way – “I need a wee/snack/iPad/teddy”. You know what toddlers are like.
The sensible times usually cost more, but I know I’d prefer a pricey flight to stressful departure.
Stay Overnight At The Airport
If you don’t live near to the airport you are flying from, why not book a hotel for the night before? It reduces the stress of the journey and adds another little part to your holiday!
Hire A Car
Waiting for taxis with kids? Probably not the easiest of things to do. Now we have 2 children I think hiring a car would be sensible. I can organise car seats for the kids and know we will be travelling safely. Book a car with a reputable company before the holiday, perhaps ask the holiday organisers who they normally recommend. To save some pennies why not use a comparison site like Holiday Autos to see who’s offering the best price for what you need. When you collect your car make sure you get the car you paid for (I’m sure I read somewhere about a couple who were given a more expensive car and were made to pay a lot more when they returned it) and the agreement is correct.
Those are a few of my tips for reducing stress when travelling with kids.
What would your tips be?
~A~
*In collaboration with Holiday Autos
