Family Friendly Days Out in South West England

With so many of us staying in the UK for our holidays now, a family friendly day out is a top priority. Here in Dorset we are spoilt for choice with many attractions and places to visit and there is something for everyone's taste and budget. If you are watching the pennies, there are plenty of free days out to be found but you can also find lots of offers and deals on websites such as Top Dog Days. It's also worth joining the National Trust - they have beautiful properties all over the UK and have plenty of activities to keep children entertained.

Here's our pick of some of the best days out in South West England..

Longleat Safari & Adventure Park - Warminster, Wiltshire 

This has to be at the top of the list! There is so much to do at Longleat starting with the drive through safari which features zebras, giraffes, rhinos, tigers and even an elephant. If you're brave you can drive through the monkey enclosure but be prepared to leave minus bits of your car!!

You can ride the Jungle Express, get lost in the maze, stroke a tarantula, hand feed the lorikeets and even see the bats in the bat cave. Look out for special events such as the Festival of Light which brings the park to life with hundreds of chinese lanterns - it is worth a visit for this alone!

Paultons Park / Peppa Pig World - Romsey, Hampshire

You've probably heard of Peppa Pig World but Paulton's Park has so much more to offer for kids of all ages, not just Peppa fans! The park has over 70 rides, beautiful gardens, 4D cinema,  adventure golf, the Rio Grande railway and even a whole host of animals including penguins and flamingoes.

Little ones will love Peppa Pig World and there are plenty of rides suitable for even the smallest of visitors but be warned, it does get VERY busy in school holidays. You'll also be whistling the Peppa Pig theme tune for the rest of the week ;)

The Lost Kingdom is aimed at slightly older kids with rides such as the Velociraptor rollercoaster. You might even bump into a "friendly" t-rex....

Corfe Castle - Dorset

This is one of our favourite National Trust spots in Dorset and it's perfect for a fun family day out. Adults will appreciate the history but children will love exploring the castle walls, you can even send your teddy down to the bottom of the castle hill on a zipline!

Once you've finished at the castle, grab a bite to eat at The Greyhound pub which is one of the most photographed pubs in the UK. You can then hop on a steam train and ride down to Swanage, a pretty seaside town situated on the Jurassic Coastline.

West Somerset Railway - Minehead, Somerset

This is a must do if you're staying at nearby Butlins and is a great day out for little train buffs. The steam train departs from Minehead and travels through pretty countryside, passing villages such as Wachet and Dunster and ends up in Bishops Lydeard where it begins it's return journey. A rover ticket means you can hop on and off at any of these stops. Top tip - for amazing fish & chips, try the Driftwood Cafe at Blue Anchor.

Look out for children's events where you can meet your favourite characters such as Peppa Pig and The Gruffalo.

Tank Museum - Bovington, Dorset

Featuring the world's best collection of tanks, live action displays and interactive activities, The Tank Museum is a brilliant, full day out. You'll experience what it was like in the trenches, you'll learn about the horses that went to war and you'll get up close and personal with over 300 vehicles.

It's great value too - your ticket gives you an annual pass so you can return again and again!

A day out in Weymouth, Dorset

For a fun day at the seaside, Weymouth is the perfect option. Take a stroll along the promenade, paddle in the sea, spend your pennies in the arcade, have a beer in one of the many pubs along the Quay, try some amazingly fresh seafood, visit the Sealife Centre, go shopping...you can even visit Sandworld which features stunningly clever sculptures of very recognisable people and places!

Photo credit - Fotolia

Where are you planning to visit this Summer?

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Chuggington Toys - Brand New for Easter! Review

Elliot is a typical 4 year old, he loves trains. Playing with trains, watching trains, waving at trains, going on trains...you get the idea! His Grandad is a real train buff so that's definitely where he gets it from :)

We were lucky enough to be one of the first families in the country to receive some of the very latest Chuggington toys. Elliot was over the moon and couldn't wait to rip into the box to see what he'd got!

The new range features 24 collectable Little Chuggers and various ConnecTrax track packs. The track is really handy as it is compatible with lots of other pre-school train sets - and I'm sure we've all got at least one of them in the toy box!

We received the Track Pack which contained sturdy blue track and Chug Patrol Wilson who is one of the exclusive chuggers. We also had Hanzo and Hoot & Toot which were 2-car chuggers and then Koko and Wilson who came in little plastic sheds which also fit onto the track. All the chuggers fit together too so they can be played with separately or as one long train.

The set is aimed at 2+ and the little chuggers are perfect for toddlers who are just getting into trains - they are very sturdy and well made and can be used really easily on the track. At 4 and a half, Elliot is probably a little old for these toys as he is used to playing with his Thomas Trackmaster sets but that said he did have lots of fun with the chuggers still.

I like that the Track Pack comes in a zip up bag, we managed to squeeze all the chuggers in there so it makes it really handy to take out . There are other chuggers in the set so we might have to look out for the others to add to the collection!

These toys are brand new and will be hitting the shops this Easter so keep your eyes peeled for Chugginton coming to a toy shop near you!

*Disclaimer: We received these products in exchange for an honest review. All views are my (Elliot's!) own

When you try and take a picture....!

My Week in Pictures - 14th April 2017

It's been ages since I've done one of these weekly round ups but this year is flying by, and I want to be able to look back and remember what we've got up to!

Top Row:
- Poor little Erin caught chicken pox last week which was no surprise seeing as Elliot had it previously and it seems to be doing the rounds at his pre-school. Despite the spots, she was still so happy!
- Whilst Erin and I were at home in pox quarantine, Elliot was at a birthday party at his new favourite place Ramp Rats. It's an indoor skate park specifically for kids and he loves it! He's now nagging us for a skateboard....yikes!
- I had a good old clear out of Elliot's winter clothes this week and intended to put them all away in this big bag...Elliot had other ideas!!

Middle Row:
- On the Sunday my parents did an egg hunt in the garden for Elliot which he loved. It wasn't Easter weekend but it was the only day that everyone in the family was free to have lunch together so it was great spending some time together. The weather was gorgeous too and their lovely garden was the perfect place for an egg hunt!
- We have been loving the warm Spring weather and Elliot has been outside lots. His Nanny bought him this Imaginext toy at a baby sale (£2, what a bargain) and he asked me to bring it outside for him to play with.

Bottom Row:
- Elliot loves driving past this amazing dinosaur sculpture in Poole and we actually stopped to take a closer look this week. The dinosaur now has eggs underneath her and Elliot was so excited!
- Erin has changed so much since she was born but it amazes me how much she looks like Elliot. There's no doubting that they are siblings!
- We had a Mummy and Elliot day today and went to see Justin Fletcher in Southampton. It was lovely to spend some one on one time with him and he loved the show!

Hope you've all had a good week x

Turtles Half-Shell Heroes Mutant Loader Vehicle with Mikey - Review

I'm not quite sure how Elliot got into  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but it's one of those things that has crept up on us. He enjoys watching them on his iPad and TMNT stuff was at the top of his list last birthday and Christmas! ( I remember going a bit mad when Sainsbury's had their toy sale - so much TMNT stuff!!)

With that in mind, when I got offered a Turtles Half-Shell Heroes Mutant Loader Vehicle to review I could hardly say no could I! In fact, just like the Imaginext Arkham Asylum, he bugged me everyday waiting for the postman! 

So what does the loader vehicle do? In simple terms....it's for catching the baddies! They can be scooped up on to the forklift and with a turn of the wheel, they are lifted and flipped into the capture cage. 

Well....Elliot loved this! He immediately went and got his other TMNT figures and each and every one got scooped up into the cage, good guys or bad guys...he wasn't picky! 

The vehicle comes with a Mikey figure who is coming out of his shell for the first time ever...is this possible?! Where did he leave his shell?! Also, in my day he was called Michelangelo - how long has he been known as Mikey!? 

What I loved about this toy is that it's really chunky and well made, perfect for younger TMNT fans.(2+). Some toys can be quite flimsy but Mikey and his vehicle have already been bashed around and fallen from a great height several times with no breakages. 

The Half Shell Heroes Mutant Loader Vehicle costs £19.99 and can be purchased from most leading retailers. You can find out more about TNMT at the TNMT Toys Collectors Club or Flair PLC

*Disclaimer: We received this product in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own

Newborn Essentials - Things We Actually Used!

When you're pregnant you're bombarded with recommendations of things you MUST buy. I fell for this on my first pregnancy and ended up with a ton of stuff I never really used but felt like I had to have just because I'd been told to.

This time round I was abit more savvy and didn't make any unnecessary purchases, instead sticking with the things I'd tried and tested for myself the first time round.

So here's my list of essentials - stuff we actually used!

Asda Little Angels Newborn Nappies - At half the price of Pampers, I really don't think you can beat the Little Angels range of nappies. They are soft on bums and sizes 0-2 even come with a freedom section at the navel to protect the umbilical area which can be extra sensitive in the first few months.
Hayley Westenra - Hushabye CD - This is a bit of a random one but Erin really reacts to music and I found that this CD, which is a collection of gorgeous lullabies, really soothes her if she's tired. Our favourite is Hayley's rendition of Brahms Lullaby!
Kinder Valley Nursing Pillow - This was on offer for £9.99 in Asda so I picked one up thinking I'd use it for feeding Erin. I haven't actually used it for that purpose but we do use it to prop her up in if she's on the bed or playmat. She likes to be able to see everything and it's a bit better for her than being flat on her back! It's also good for practising tummy time.
Silver Cross Isofix - We bought ours when Elliot was a baby and couldn't be without it now. Initially we thought we could just make do without one and save ourselves some money. But after getting drenched one too many times as we faffed about strapping the carseat in we decided to invest...and I'm glad we did! It's so quick and easy, it literally takes a second to pop the seat into the mount and it makes things so much easier when trying to get the carseat in in the dark!
Sudocrem - Love this product! I'd never used it before having kids, now I've always got a pot stashed away for emergencies. It's great that it's multipurpose, for instance it works really well on nappy rash but also, I used it after my c-section which really helped. Also good for sunburn!
Professional Photos - These days most of us have decent cameras on our phones but I think it's lovely to have some professional pics done of baby, especially in the early days when they are so small and squishy. A very talented lady called Samantha Prewett did ours and I'm so pleased, I would never have been able to achieve this using my camera and (lack of) skills! She even wrote about the shoot on her blog.
Babymoov Changing Bag - I initially bought a cheap changing bag on Amazon to use with Erin but you really do get what you pay for as it broke within a few weeks. My husband took pity on me and treated me to a lovely Babymoov bag for Mother's Day and I love it! It's got loads of pockets which I love and I can fit so much in there..which is very important when you have kids. (one pocket is just for snacks alone!)
Neutral 0% Baby Products - We were sent some of these to review for the blog but I really like them and will definitely continue to use on Erin. I like that they are specifically for sensitive skin so I know that her soft delicate newborn skin is having anything too harsh on it.
Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Machine -  The prep machines have had a lot of bad press recently after some customers found mould in their machine's pipes. We checked ours for mould and it was fine...phew! I love the prep machine, it's so handy for making bottles and a god send in the middle of the night when you have a screaming hungry baby! I only wish we'd had one when Elliot was a baby! I'm a big fan of the Tommee Tippee products and other essentials we use are the bottles and electric steriliser.

What was your number one essential item for a newborn?!

Jonathan Adler's New Fisher Price Range - Review

When you think of Fisher Price, you wouldn't normally associate Jonathan Adler, iconic American potter and designer. However last year he was named as Fisher Price's new Creative Director and he has been bringing his sense of style to some brand new products.

A new range of baby toys, suitable from birth, is inspired by contemporary art and features bright bold colours, geometric prints and gorgeous animal designs. It's never too early to develop a baby's sense of style!

We were lucky enough to be sent a selection of these new toys and Erin finally got a chance to do her first review! Obviously she is only very young still (9 weeks at the time of writing this!) but it's never too early to introduce toys to your baby to encourage their development.

Monkey Mirror (RRP £19.99)

This was my favourite of the range! Featuring a very cute monkey face, the mirror is perfect for tummy time. I love the clash of the geometric pattern and the bold colours and the attention to detail. There are lots of things to play with including a squeaky monkey, clacking bananas, a crinkly panel, fleecy grass, a jingling parrot and of course the mirror. The other side features colouring jungle animals. 

I have been encouraging tummy time recently and usually Erin gets a bit grumpy (she's prefers being propped up so she can see around!) but I think the mirror is going to be a great help getting her to spend time on her tummy. There are so many features on the mirror to keep baby entertained and I love the fact it can just be folded up for easy storage. It's really lightweight too so it would be an ideal toy to pop in your suitcase if you were going away with your baby. 

Activity Alligator & Activity Elephant (RRP £12.99 each)

These are lovely sensory toys that can be attached to your buggy or changing bag which is handy. Much like the monkey mirror, the toys are brightly coloured and feature the same geometric pattern as the rest of the Jonathan Adler range. 

The alligator has bright red and orange scales, a crinkly belly, a knotted tail and lots of different textures to boost baby's senses. He has a rattle attached to one foot and some rings on the other which make a fun clacking sound. I love that he is made of such lovely soft material, it feels almost suede like. 

The elephant is similarly coloured with a variety of textures including crinkle, corduroy, knit and plush. Like his alligator friend he features dangling toys which include a colourful butterfly and noisy rattle. He makes a really satisfying crunchy noise which Erin was fascinated with! 

Signature Style Pegs - Giraffe Spinner (RRP £4.99)

This cute little fella is bound to be popular with babies. He is bright and eye catching and features the same striking patterns as the rest of the range. Sensory stimulation is provided by the spinning bird and clacking rattle. Like the activity animals, the giraffe can be attached to your changing bag or buggy. 

We loved the giraffe and Elliot spent ages showing Erin the spinning bird! 

I think this is a lovely range and I adore all the bright colours and funky patterns. Sometimes baby toys can be a bit samey but Fisher Price are definitely onto a winner with these ones. I like that that toys are suitable from birth - Erin is still very young so she's not quite at the playing stage yet but she has started to find her hands and the toys are brilliant for her with all the sensory stimulations.

Are you a fan of Fisher Price toys for your children?

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