Summer Sides with Primula Cheese

Recently Primula challenged me to create some summer side dishes using their yummy soft cheese. I love anything cheesy and I love Summer time so I was looking forward to getting creative in the kitchen!

I started with looking on Pinterest and there are so many amazing sounding recipes on there....sadly, I soon realised my kitchen skills are abit lacking so I decided to keep things simple and rustle up a summery pasta salad and potato salad.

Cheese & Bacon Pasta Salad

The beauty of this recipe is that you can just add whatever you fancy and the quantities do not need to be accurate. Basically cheese and pasta is always a winner, you can't really go wrong with this!

1 tube of cheese & chive primula
1 splash of olive olive
Generous squirt of mayonnaise
A few handfuls of pasta (or as little or as much as you think you will need)
1 red onion, chopped
Cherry tomatoes, chopped
Lean bacon cubes
Sweetcorn
Seasoning

- Cook pasta as normal and run under cold water when done
- Whilst the pasta is cooking, fry the bacon pieces.
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together. The cheese is quite thick so I found using the olive oil and mayo thinned it out and made it easier to mix
- Season to taste - I used chilli seasoning to give it a bit of a kick

Really simple, but a really nice dish that is suitable for the whole family. It also goes perfectly with bbqs as we discovered over the weekend!

Healthy Potato Salad

500g small new potatoes

2 tablespoons Tesco Healthy Living lightest mayo

80g Primula Cheese, Light

Spring onion, chopped

1 teaspoon of paprika

- Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes in salted water until cooked, drain then cool

- Mix in a bowl with the other ingredients bar the paprika

- Season to taste and sprinkle the paprika on last

Potato Salad

This can also be adapted for Slimming World - the mayo is only half a syn per tablespoon and the Primula (the light cheese version) can be used as your healthy extra A choice (80g). Another simple yet effective recipe and one that tastes even nicer the following day I think!

Both dishes went down well with the family and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more summery recipes that I can attempt! We love eating outside and hope we get lots more sunshine filled days this Summer!

Kids Activities to Make Your Home More Personal

It doesn’t matter the weather or the time of day; I can’t get enough of craft activities. Lately, I have taken to designing and making my own home-decorating pieces, which is a great activity to do with my kids because they can see their work every day. If like me, you share a love of all things craft but aren’t sure where to start, I’m here to help!

Don''t Buy - Create!

The best place to start is with items around your home that you have been considering replacing with something new. I am not somebody who enjoys cleaning, so I do my best to keep mud and dirt out of my carpets. One of the best ways is with a shoe rack, requiring all shoes to be taken off before entering. The beauty of this activity is that it only requires the nailing of a few pieces of wood to make the rack, and you are ready to create! Designate each family member a rack for their shoes, and allow them to design how it looks, with colours or prints.

My little one decided to paint his a mixture of green and red, splashed across each other. It wouldn’t have been my first choice, but he loves it and it encourages him to use it instead of bringing the entire park inside with him.

Picture This!

Family photos around the home make for a warm and inviting environment and are a great way to share your memories with guests. With your family, choose a selection of recent photos you have all taken and decide where you will hang them around your home. Next, head to a thrift store and get some basic photo frames. Decorate them as you please in a style that will match the room you intend to place them. If you went on a beach holiday, encourage your kids to paint and decorate with a beach theme to match the photo. If you have larger photos that you want to stand out, check out the Groupon discount codes for Photobox where you can all design and order a canvas print hanging picture.

Paper Mache Vase

If you love flowers as much as I do, you have a vase in every room. And while I enjoy the traditional glass look, they provide the perfect canvas for your kids’ creativity. With some old newspaper and a paste glue, create a paper mache layer around each of them. When they are dry, give your children free reign to design them how they like. The best thing about this craft activity is that it doesn’t cost a lot, and you can replace the layers as often as you like to keep your kids busy each weekend and the styles changing.

These are just some of the great craft ideas that you can do at home with your family, and can be a great way to spend a day in or a day out!

*Disclosure - Sponsored Post

10 Things I've Loved in May

With the months flying by so fast, I thought it would be a nice idea to write down all the things we've loved and enjoyed. We've had some great weather and have been out and about lots, plus we had a little holiday too. Read on to see my favourite things...

1. Just For Tots at Butlins Minehead

This is our 3rd year at Butlins for the Just for Tots break but I think it might just be our best year yet! For starters we had brilliant weather and it was sunny all week, normally we're dodging showers so it made a nice change to be out in shorts and t-shirts. 

As Elliot has got older we have found more and more for him to do at Butlins and this time he was actually tall enough to go on the go-karts with his Daddy - he was over the moon! 

We also had a bit of a special treat when we watched Treasure Island featuring Sid & Rebecca from CBeebies. Elliot was picked to go on stage to take part in a game so we were just a bit excited!! Now every time he sees Sid and Rebecca on tv, he says "we know them!" :)

2. Dunster Castle, Somerset

On our way home from Butlins we stopped off at Dunster Castle which is owned by the National Trust. As it was a weekday, it was really quiet and we only saw a handful of people whilst we were there. We didn't go inside the castle this time (we did this last year, it was interesting but a bit boring for toddlers!) but instead we walked around the castle via the wooden play area which Elliot loved. There were logs to climb on, stepping stones to step on and musical instruments made from trees! 

We had a quick stop in the Dunster Watermill on the way round and then finished off in the crypt which always gives me the shivers! Especially when a bat flies past inches from your face, eeek! 

3. Singing with Just Sing Choir

This is consistently one of my very favourite things! I read a report recently that said being in a choir is good for your health and I agree 100%, it's a great stress-buster and gives you such a high. We've been busy this month practicing for our big gig of the Summer which is at the Wimborne Folk Festival. We have two performances over the weekend and I can't wait! It's such a busy weekend with thousands of people descending on Wimborne and the choir always has such a fun time.

4. Bluebell woods at Pamphill, Dorset

Elliot and I finally got to see the bluebells in bloom when we visited Pamphill in Dorset. I've been meaning to go for the last couple of years but never quite made it! It was a beautiful sight and I'm so glad we visited, I got some lovely photos of Elliot. 

5. Sunshine!

Finally finally we've had some lovely weather and we've been trying to make the most of it by days out and spending more time in the garden. Elliot's got a new water table so he's spent lots of time outside dunking various toys in the water! 

One of my favourite places to visit on a sunny day is Upton Country Park - there is a lovely walled garden there that is a great place for a picnic but the best bit is the splash fountain! 

6. BBQ's and Alfresco Dining

This is our first Summer in our current house but we have a lovely decking area that is great for barbeques. We've had a few this week and I love eating outside, I don't know what it is but food just tastes better eaten in the fresh air! Looking forward to having many more bbqs over the Summer :)

7. Sports4Tots

Recently we signed Elliot up to a kids sports programme called Sports4Tots. He already does Little Kickers football on a Saturday but we wanted him to try out something different. At Sports4Tots they cover a variety of different sports such as rugby, tennis, football and hockey and the classes are really fun. Elliot loves it!

Elliot's first taste of tennis!

8. Scooby Doo

This isn't one of my favourites but Elliot has gone mad for Scooby Doo recently. We bought him the mystery machine and haunted house for Christmas and he has been steadily building up his collection with new figures, and the current favourite, figures in slime!

Universal Studios Sep 2015...this might have been the start of the obsession!

9. Eurovision Song Contest

This is one of my guilty pleasures in life!! Every year my family all get together at my parents house for a little Eurovision party - we have party food and one of my sisters will always bring a notebook to mark all the entrants. I know that UK never really stand much chance of winning (even this year with a great song!) but we're still holding out hope that the UK gets to host again one day in the future so we can get tickets!

10. Family Days Out

This month has been busy for us but we always try and do something together at the weekend...nice weather is an added bonus! Last weekend we visited Swanage which is a pretty seaside town located on the Jurassic Coastline. We had a little wander around the town followed by a delicious lunch in The Ship Inn - I love pub lunches! 

Family Photo!

I'm going to try and remember to do this each month so we can look back and see all the lovely stuff we got up to. Especially as Summer normally equals a packed diary for Elliot!

What was your highlight of May?

Best of British: 101 Ideas for Having Fun with the Kids This Summer

Planning a Big British Summer Adventure


Elliot and  I aren’t new to planning big days out, we’ve been all over the place so far this year. Now that summer is on the horizon, with budgets and other constraints considers, it’s time to start planning our summer adventure.  

If, like us, you’re struggling for ideas of where to take the kids next, check out this handy ebook created by over 101 of the Best British Bloggers. With hundreds of activities, destinations, and just general FUN each of the ideas has been tested by a blogger just like myself and is personal recommendation straight from the heart.

My suggestion for the book was Longleat Safari Park, one of our favourite attractions to visit: 

No doubt we will most likely be heading back to the Longleat at some point this summer. The drive is only a short distance, the weather will be warm enough to enjoy the safari and Elliot just loves the animals!

Let me know if you have a destination favourite from the ebook! 

Peter Rabbit The Tale of the Great Breakout DVD - Giveaway

Did you know that Peter Rabbit is over 100 years old now?! He first appeared The Tale of Peter Rabbit book in 1902 and has been delighting fans ever since. I remember reading Beatrix Potter books as a child and I think it's lovely that the generation are also able to enjoy the stories!

Abbey Home Media have recently released a brand new DVD, The Tale of The Great Breakout featuring Peter Rabbit and his friends. 

When Mr. McGregor captures the whole squirrel tribe in his garden, Peter must stage a mass break out to save his friends.  Follow our hero Peter and his friends Benjamin Bunny and Lily Bobtail on their adventures and quest to save the day, overcoming obstacles and outsmarting predators, all the while finding fun and excitement in the most unexpected places. 

With a taste for radishes and a thirst for adventure Peter Rabbit is the lovable and extraordinary friends you longed to hang out with when you were a kid. But when the chips are down and danger lurks, there's no better friend to have around then Peter and his boundless courage will always see him through.  Peter has an infectious enthusiasm for life and is also an irrepressible optimist. He is cool under pressure and his quick-witted mind is as nimble as his super fast legs

The DVD runs for 70 minutes and contains 6 exciting tales: 

-The Tale of the Great Breakout

- The Tale of the Mystery Plum Thief

- The Tale of Benjamin's Strawberry Raid

- The Tale of the Downhill Escape

- The Tale of the Unguarded Garden

- The Tale of the Cat and the Rat

It also contains a free height chart which was a big hit in our house - Elliot has been lining up against it to see how tall he is! 

If you fancy winning yourself a copy, take a look below. Good luck! 

Peter Rabbit - The Tale of the Great Breakout DVD

A Ride on the West Somerset Railway

The West Somerset Railway is the longest heritage railway in England and is a trip well worth doing if you're visiting the Minehead area.

We spent 5 days at Butlins in Minehead and couldn't wait to take a day trip on the steam trains. We originally visited back in 2014 and have fond memories of Elliot's first railway trip however as he was only a little toddler, he can't remember it atall!

The trains depart from Minehead and travel 22 miles along the coastline and through beautiful countryside to a small village called Bishops Lydeard. The WSR offer a variety of tickets so you can either travel all the way to Bishops Lydeard, or hop on and off at the many stations along the way.

It was a lovely sunny day when we decided to go on the train and we were at the station bright and early for the first departure of the morning. We did have a small panic however as we spotted one of the redcoats and a massive crowd of holidaymakers making their way to the train station on an organised trip. We thought the trains might be packed out, we needn't have worried though as there were plenty of spare seats and the Butlins gang were herded up to other end of the train!

Elliot was really excited when we got on the train and couldn't wait to bag himself a window seat so he wouldn't miss any of the action! He had great fun waving at everyone on the platform.

We decided to stay on the train the whole way to Bishops Lydeard and it took around 75 minutes. The time flew by though and by the time we'd had a quick visit to the on board buffet car for a drink it was time to disembark. Bishops Lydeard station has a museum, shop and a cafe and the village is only a short walk away if you wanted to explore. It's also really interesting to watch the trains being fed and watered ready for their next trip!

After a quick stop at Bishops Lydeard, we hopped back on the next train and traveled to Watchet, a small coastal town situated 9 miles from Minehead. It was lunchtime so we decided to stop for a bit of lunch and enjoy the sunshine!

It was market day in Watchet so it was nice to have a wander around the stalls - and of course we got tempted by the chocolate stall!! We found a great pub, Pebbles Tavern which had a large selection of ciders and ales and they even gave Elliot a free soft drink which was a nice touch. There's nothing like an ice cool cider on a warm sunny day!

As the weather was so nice we decided to get fish & chips and take them down to the harbour. From here you can take a stroll along the harbour walls and see the lighthouse.

Our train back to Minehead was slightly late arriving into Watchet but the staff kept us informed and were very friendly to speak to. They are all volunteers and you get a real understanding of their passion for the railway if they stop for a chat. Elliot was even allowed to try on the ticket inspector's hat!

We had a lovely day out on the steam trains and it's something I'd definitely recommend if you're visiting the area. And especially if you have a train mad child!! The WSR also run lots of special family events throughout the year so it's worth keeping an eye out on the website for details of these.

For more information and to book tickets online, please visit:

http://westsomersetrailway.vticket.co.uk/

#LittleLoves Spirits, Choirs and Eurovision

Well, here we are again - Friday already. How can that be?! Can't believe it's almost June and we're practically half way through the year. Time is just disappearing in a blur!

So here's some of this weeks Little Loves...

Read

I actually updated my Kindle for the first time in ages this week and have been making some time to relax and read a book. I like to read for a bit before bedtime as it really helps me unwind.

I finished a book yesterday called Time to Say Goodbye by S.D Robertson. It was just an impulse buy on Amazon as it was 99p for a Kindle download but it was absolutely brilliant and I'm so glad I stumbled across it! It tells the story of Will, who has been recently killed in a tragic accident and his struggle to make contact with his 6 year old daughter from the afterlife. 

It was a really poignant read and made me cry in several places. I guess when you're a parent you just can't imagine ever having to leave your child and it really made me emotional! 

Watched

I love a bit of trashy easy to watch telly and last weekend I had a bit of a binge watch of America's Next Top Model. I hadn't realised the new series had started on Sky Living so I had 5 episodes to catch up with! I have no interest in the fashion industry but I've always loved watching ANTM - I think Tyra Banks is brilliant (if a bit bonkers) and I love seeing the makeover episodes where at least one contestant will freak out over their new haircut!!

Credit - The CW

Another show I have watched this week is Gareth's Invictus Choir. Really enjoyed seeing how Gareth Malone bought the choir together and his method of teaching. I have to say it made me blub a bit, I can't wait to see the next episode and find out how the choir got on singing at the Invictus Games. 

Credit - Radio Times

Made

I'm still plodding on with Slimming World and have been trying my best to cook healthy meals for the whole family. Last weekend I made some healthy pizzas using a wholemead bread mix from Asda. They turned out really well and I will definitely have them again, I really miss pizza so it's a great substitute! 

Wore

I treated myself to a few new tops last week as we were going away to Butlins and my wardrobe was lacking tops suitable for the warmer weather! I picked up this one from Yours Clothing and I love the elephant print. It's also nice and long too which is great, I hate tops that don't cover my stomach or bum! 

Sorry, not the best picture!

Heard

I keep hearing Disturbed's cover of The Sound of Silence on Radio 2 and I think it's brilliant, it gives me goosebumps!!! 

I've also been listening to the soundtrack of Les Miserables quite a bit...well maybe too much because Elliot keeps asking to hear One Day More again! He loves to sing along ;)

Lastly...

It's the Eurovision Song Contest final this coming weekend and I actually can't wait!! My sisters and I always go round to my parents house to watch it, we have a mini party and my sister Sarah always brings her notepad to mark all the entries! 

I don't mind the UK's entry, it's a bit Coldplay-esque and it's quite catchy. But come on, we don't have a hope in hell of winning!! I will definitely be voting for Ireland though, you might recognise the contestant...Nicky Byrne from Westlife. The song is quite catchy but we really want Ireland to win so we can get tickets for next years final! 

**Edited just to say that apparently Ireland haven't even made it to the final, doh!! 

Orchard Toys 'Where Do I Live' - Review

Orchard Toys launched a brand new range of games at the beginning of the year and we were sent "Where Do I Live" to try out.

Elliot is a big fan of Orchard Toys and we do have a lot of their games such as the Giant Railway jigsaw.  I love the fact that they are perfect for his age group and very educational.

Where Do I Live is aimed at children aged 3-6 and is for 2-4 players. The concept is very simple, it tests your child's memory as they have to match the correct animal to the correct board. The first person to collect all their animals and explorer wins the game.

The game includes:

4 double sided boards
24 animal cards
4 explorer cards
Instruction leaflet

To start the game, each player picks a board and all the cards are placed face down on the floor. The players take it in turn to pick a card. If the card matches the board, they can keep it but if there's no match then the card goes back. It's up to the other players to remember where the card is and if it matches their board so they can pick it up on their next go.

It's a great way for children to learn more about animals because each board features a different habitat such as the ocean, rainforest, desert and polar regions. All the animals on the boards are from that specific habitat. I think Elliot has memorised every animal and where it is from!

What I love about this game is that on the back on the boards you can find fun animal and habitat facts and this is such a great way of teaching children about the world. Kids are like little sponges and I know Elliot especially loves to find out new things about animals.

This game was a bit hit in our house and we've already played it several times since we got it. A must for any little animal fans!

Where Do I Live is available from the Orchard Toys website and has a RRP of £9.50

Disclaimer: We received the product for the purpose of the honest review. All views are my own