A life filled is a life fulfilled…

…when it comes to my life this is definitely the case. I have quite literally filled my life. A husband, 3 children, a franchise, a new business in development, charity work, counselling training, not to mention my family and friends. And do you know what…..I finally truly feel fulfilled. It has taken me 35 years but I no longer look on right move and long for a bigger home, I don’t wish for a different car or a new career. I don’t have that under lying feeling that something is missing or not right! I have found my contentment. Maybe this will change, maybe it won’t but I know I am really enjoying my life at the moment and plan to keep it this way!

Playtrain Kids Activity Centre, High Wycombe

I love Playtrain in High Wycombe. It is the best soft play centre I have ever visited. It not massive, but the facilities are excellent and they have all bases covered. Personally that fact it isn’t massive is a big bonus to me as it means you can sit down and not have to keep getting up to try to find out where your child is. It is definitely a parent/carer friendly venue with its great cafe area and small shopping area at the reception.

Atmosphere; I love the relaxed environment and think it is the most organised and well thought out soft play centre I have visited. There are even screens up on the wall that show corners and areas of the play frame that are not fully visible if you are sitting in the cafe area. I have always found the staff to be friendly and helpful.

Play Facilities; The main play frame is clean and looks in good condition. In addition to that there is a craft area, a library area computer games and a moving bus ride (additional charge for this). There are also some other activities like a play shop area, large connect four and small ball pool. I really think there is something to entertain every child here. There is even a small outside play area that the children can use in the summer. There is also a small area for the smaller children which has seating by it for you to watch over your little ones!

Cafe; The cafe offers a good menu with lots of healthy options. The coffee is good quality and there is a children’s meal deal option. I feel the price is moderate to high, but I don’t mind paying the price as it is good quality fresh food. They also sell ice creams which is great for the kids in the summer.

Retail area; This is the only play centre I have been to that have incorporated a small shop area into the business. It is in the entrance area and sells pocket-money toys, Magazines, Nappies through to a lovely selection of wooden toys and mobiles. The also regularly have local businesses come in that sell. These range from Dace painters to Osbourne Books to Fingerprint Jewellery.

Parking; For me this is the only thing that lets the centre down in any way. There is a car park, but it isn’t that big and if there are parties taking place it fills up very quickly. You can park on the main road, but it is the main road that runs through the industrial estate so is very busy. At weekends you can park in the bays outside the opposite unit, but you do need to cross the main road then. Even the parking isn’t ideal it isn’t enough of an issue to put me off going or recommending the centre.

Price; I think the under 1 and under 4 pricing is fair, but do think £6.10 for an over 4 is a little on the high side. However, they do offer an annual member ship for £99 for the first child and then only £25 per sibling which is great value if you plan to be a regular visitor.

 

Parties; I have not had a party or been to a party at this venue. However, I have been there while parties are taking place and the food that goes into the party rooms always looks really fresh and healthy and they seem to be very organised at preparing the rooms.

For anyone who is looking for a softplay centre in the Bucks area I would highly recommend Playtrain and my children and I would go as far as to say it is the best centre in the area.

School egg hunt!

I just had a call from the school asking me to go and collect Madison as she had, had an accident on the school field and had been stung. When I got to school she was sobbing her heart out and I could see her leg was covered in a rash. I asked what had happened and the teaching assistant went on to explain that they were doing an Easter Egg number hunt on the field and Madison was trying to get an egg and had fallen into a nettle bush!  I know it is only March and the school caretaker probably hasn’t been out to cut down any offending bushes yet but you would have thought that the teachers would have checked the area they were hiding the eggs in before sending thirty 4 year olds out to start searching! I know accidents happen, but it does annoy me when they are ones that could have so easily been avoided.

Friendly word of advise to anyone planning an egg hunt this Easter…..check the area before dropping the eggs!

The Power of The Sun

It’s hard to believe we are still in March! The sun has shone here all week with temperatures hitting around 20 degrees! The sun is an amazing thing, it transforms people into happy, chatty individuals who seem to have no problem baring all! The streets here are awash with pasty white legs, both men and women have stripped down to the minimum to try to catch some of those rays! On the school run this morning at least a dozen other parents spoke and passed the time of day with us, even ones I have never spoken to before. What is it about the sun that makes us more friendly?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining, I only wish we could guarantee sunshine for at least 4 months of the year that way I wouldn’t crave a foreign holiday in the sun. I love the sun, but as I have got older I am a bit more cautious about getting burnt. Gone are the days where I sit and sizzle covered in oil to get that all important tan. The fact is I am pale skinned and burn VERY easily. I have tried sun beds, fake tan and sun bathing and nothing ever really gives me a gorgeous golden tan so it’s time to embrace my pale skin and be practical and stick to the factor 20. I had a very embarrassing incident last year with fake tan. I was working in London and the sun had come out and I couldn’t bear wearing tights on the commute as I would got so hot. Not wanting to display my transparent legs I decided to invest in some spray tan. I did a lot of research and ending up going for one specifically for legs, it was a spray one from L’Oreal than promised air brush finish tanning. I read the instructions and it all seemed pretty straight forward. I applied it early evening and waited to see what happened! By the time I went to bed I was feeling pretty smug at my now lovely brown legs. Impressed at how even and flawless they looked and how easy it had been to do. However, when I woke up in the morning it was a different story. I don’t know what happened but basically my legs were streaked with fake tan and looked dreadful. I showered and scrubbed at my legs which just seemed to make the white bits more white and the brown streaks just look dirty. It was a disaster and I will never dabble again. I had to go back to my trusty old tights and just sweat it out!

I haven’t got my legs out yet this year, but have to say if the sun is shining in Portsmouth next week I just might have too however white they are! Long last the sun I say, it makes for happy days!

Waddesdon Manor in the Sunday Sun

What a gorgeous day it has been! Today is the only day this week the 5 of us have been together so we thought we would make the most of it and head off to Waddesdon Manor to enjoy the good weather! We became National Trust members about 5 years ago. It is great, you get free entry to most NT venues and free parking at a lot of site too. We go to Cornwall a lot and this is what made us go for the membership as it saves us a fortune in beach parking down there. If you are not a member I strongly recommend you look into it especially if you have somewhere like Waddesdon Manor near by.

We arrived just before 11am expecting it to be packed, but were pleasantly surprised at how quiet it was (I think it was because the clocks had gone forward and everyone wasn’t as organised as normal). We took a leisurely stroll down the main drive towards the Manor house and then straight off to the adventure playground. This area is fantastic if you have a young family, it is all very clean and safe. It is set on different levels, down a hill-side, which are all wood chipped. The good thing about the lay out is you do not have hundreds of families packed into one area. The down side is if you have an excited child who just can’t wait to move on and shoots ahead, before you know it they are out of your site and down to the next level. This happened to us once, but fortunately, Madison found it quite scary to not know where we were so has never done it again. My girls love the nest swing so we headed there first, and for the first time ever, there was no queue. The girls played happily on the zip wire and swings for about 20 minutes and then we decided to head down to the Stables cafe at the bottom of the hill. Even though the adventure playground is set on a hill-side it is still reasonably pushchair friendly. There are wooden gang ways that are sloped all the way down to the bottom level. Watch out though as these can get very slippery if it has been raining. I prefer not to take a pushcahir personally as going down is fine, but it is hard work on the way back up and you have to go back up to get back to your car! There are hand rails on all the walk ways down the side of the play areas if you have someone with you who is not so steady on their feet. I just love the whole layout and feel of Waddesdon Manor. It is very family friendly and carries a very traditional vintage theme which is right up my street.

The Stables cafe has a large outside seating area and then a smaller inside one. We decided to sit inside despite the glorious sunshine. It was very bright, but there was still a bit of a nip in the air and Noah needed feeding so we headed inside. There are some fab new pictures in the cafe area of the Rothchild’s estate, they are breath-taking and worth going in just to see them even if you don’t fancy a coffee. The fresh cakes display is always a massive attraction to us and my husband and I always find it hard to resist. Today was no different. I went for homemade lemon drizzle cake (which was very light with just the right amount of sticky drizzle on top) and Mr BB went for the meringue with raspberry coulis. The girls decided they wanted Ice cream, typical children the first sign of the sun and they want an ice cream everywhere we go. The coffee is good, not too strong or bitter and we have always found the service to be swift and friendly. The menu offers light lunches, but we have not yet ordered from it. However, for what I have witnessed the portions look good and the food always looks fresh and appetising. I would say that the pricing is what you would expect for a National Trust cafe, by no means cheap, more your premium coffee shop pricing.

Seeing as Madison had yet another Birthday party to attend this afternoon (on average she is going to one a week at the moment) we had to cut our visit short today and head back towards the car. But not before visiting the adventure playground one more time. On the way back it was starting to get a lot busier and there were queues forming for the zip wire and swings. We have always found the visitors at Waddesdon Manor to be very friendly and polite. People will say good morning to you as you pass them and strike up a conversation whilst waiting for one of the playground activities. There is a small a very which the girls always enjoy walking round but we didn’t go in that direction today. There is still a lot of Waddesdon Manor that we have yet to explore. You can pay to have a tour around the Manor House which is something we are planning on doing this year. There is also a train ride that takes you down to the plant centre which is set at the bottom of the hill in a different area of the estate. It is always worth checking out the events calendar at your local NT venues as they host a whole range of events from Live Music to Wine Tasting and these can be discounted if you are a member. I really enjoyed our little trip out in the Sunday sun and always come away from Waddesdon feeling very luck that we live so close to somewhere so lovely!

Becoming a family of 5!

This week I have hit my first obstacle of becoming a family of 5! With Easter Hols coming up I thought it would be nice to head to the coast for a couple of days. I love Portsmouth and haven’t been since I was pregnant with my oldest child so thought that would be a nice place to head for. However, can I find a hotel or B&B that will allow 5 of us in one room – No! I can’t even find anywhere than has adjoining rooms. I can’t believe it. Having three children seems to be more common these days so why are none of the mainstream hotels allowing for this?

When I was pregnant it had crossed my mind about foreign holidays and how that could be problematic but after speaking to a friend who has three children she said that the best option for foreign holidays is to hire a villa. We have had a villa holiday’s before and loved them so that would be no problem for us. It just never crossed my mind about the odd night away in this country. To be honest I thought there would be more family facilities available in this country as lots of families stay here for their holidays. I AM NOT a camping person so that IS NOT an option, much to my children’s disgust –  not that they’ve been but they seem convinced they would love it! I on the other hand have been and will not be going again! So it looks like a trip to the coast this Easter may just have to be a day trip!

New mission to add to my list; Research hotels that accommodate families of 5! Any suggestions greatly received 🙂

Portsmouth Waterfront

My day can be……

Happy

Active

Relentless

Driven

Wounderful

Organised

Restful

Knackering

and sometimes all of these at once!

Know the facts about Fingerprint Jewellery

I love Fingerprint Jewellery, so much so that I brought a Smllprint franchise!

I am just about to enter my fourth year of making Fingerprint Jewellery and I still love it as much as the day I started. There are a lot more companies out there offering this product now which is great as it gives the customers a choice. Being someone who spends a lot of time online I am very good at doing my research before buying, as many savvy Mums are these days. I would recommend to everyone that if you are interested in Fingerprint Jewellery then do your research before you order. Here are a few things I would say you need to know before ordering;

1. Does the company make a mould of the Fingerprint using putty and then recreate it for the jewellery or do they take a cast of the Fingerprint straight into PMC (precious Metal Clay). The difference here is that if they are using a putty then in essence are making a mould of the Fingerprint and then using the mould to stamp into the clay. Companies that do it this way often send you the kit to take the print yourself. The downside of this is that you only get one attempt per kit which is hard when you have never done it before. If the company take the print straight into the clay then what you get back will be the print that is actually taken – a cast of the Fingerprint. This means your child will of actually touched the piece of Jewellery. This will also mean it is a trained professional that is taking the print, so far less stressful for you. Another bonus to this method is that if the print doesn’t come out very well the person taking it can take another print there and then and continue doing so until you are happy with it. I had a customer only this week who came to me with 6 month old twins. I took one of the girls prints and it was lovely, but we tried several different Fingers with the other little girl and she just didn’t have any lines yet. In the end we decided to leave it a month before we try again to see if her lines have developed. The lady was so grateful, as there was no charge for the appointment and she knows that when we do get the print it will be a clear and hopefully detailed one (the detail obviously depends on your childs skin patterns). If she had been using a kit herself she would not have known the quality of the print until her Jewellery arrived and by then it would be too late to do anything about it.

2. What kind of Clay do the company use? Smallprint HQ have done a great deal of research into the best Silver Clay to use and have tested all the products on the market. Different Silver Clay’s will give you different finishes. If you look around at different companies you will see some pieces have a much higher shine than others. I have even seen some that looked like they are almost a brushed effect. Look at the finished items and see what finish you like, don’t be afraid to ask what they use. At Smallprint we use PMC as it gives an excellent smooth finish that polishes up to a high shine.

3. What is included in the price? Before you place your order check what is included in the price. Most items are displayed with engraving but you will find that it is not always included in the price quoted. Also check what attachments are included as again, items may be displayed with a chain but not necessarily included in the price. Ask if the purchase comes in a gift box or bag and again is that included.

4. Don’t be fooled by wording on websites or sales pitches. A number of companies quote things on their websites like ‘we are the market leader’ anyone can write these statements but can they back them up? If companies are quoting this don’t be afraid to ask them how they know they are. It is a grand statement to make and I always wonder how these companies justify what they are saying. Also you will find a lot of small companies saying things like ‘we are cheaper than the franchised companies as we don’t have to pay management fees etc’. The price of Silver is the same to everyone and if you shop around you will find that the franchised companies are not always more expensive than the small companies especially if they charge extra for engraving, packaging etc. The advantage of the franchised company is that all franchisees are trained to a specific standard and the quality of their work checked regularly. Head quarters of Franchised companies have extensive testing done on the findings and materials they use to ensure the customer is receiving the highest quality product, this is not something that a small company would always have the time or resources to do.

5. Check the Size and depth of the jewellery. If you find a company that seems to be considerably cheaper it may be because their items are thinner or small than other companies. Where possible I would always ask to see samples and if this isn’t possible ask for measurements or the weight of the finished item so you can compare the companies fairly.

Ultimately, as with everything, it is all down to personal taste, but if you are going to invest in something so precious it is good to know the facts!

Why do I always need a bottle?

Am I alone in my bizarre behaviour? We all know how good water is meant to be for us and how the average adult should drink 2.5 litres per day, but how many of us actually do this? I think I’m lucky if I get through a pint a day. I do know the days I do drink more I definitely feel more alert and better in myself. The funny thing about me, and it has got to be psychological, is that I drink a lot more water if drinking it from a clear plastic sports bottle! How strange is that?!?!?! It’s true. If I put water in a glass it will just sit there all day, but if I fill an old evian sports bottle with fresh water I seem to carry it around the house with me, take it in the car and sip at it continuously throughout the day. It has to be a sports cap though or I don’t drink it! Why is this? Am I weird?

I know I can drink 2.5 litres of water as only 9 weeks ago when I had Noah, I had a problem with my bladder and the only way I was getting rid of my catheter was to wee a certain amount, so they told me to just keep drinking water. I sat on the bed for 3 hours and just downed glass after glass. I went through 3 large jugs! It worked and at the time I promised myself I would keep it up and drink more water on a daily basis. Naturally the moment the catheter was removed and I got back into the comfort of my home I forgot that thought, until this week that is. So today I have carried my litre evian bottle with me everywhere I go and am just coming to the end of the second refill. Only half a litre to go, but do you know what….I think I will have a glass of Rose to reward my efforts and try again tomorrow!!!!

Please someone tell me I am not aone in this?????

 

Disney On Ice, Princesses & Heroes

For Christmas we brought Madison a ticket to see Disney On Ice, Princesses & Heroes at Wembley Arena. It was the first On Ice Show that Madison has seen, but I am an old veteran as I had already taken Ella to see 3 different DOI tours over the years.

Madison went dressed as Rapunzel and was overflowing with excitement. Because I had to get home to collect Ella and Madison I decided to drive. This is the first time I have driven to Wembley and I have to say was pleasantly surprised how quick and straight forward it was. The venue and car park signage on route was excellent, but watch out for the speed cameras there seemed to be dozens of them. I had decided to pre-book my parking as I had no idea how busy it was going to be and also if it would cost more if I tried to find parking on the day. I booked with CSP Limited who are one of the official Wembley car park owners. It cost me £20, which I thought was a bit steep, but paid it as I wanted to know where I was heading and that I would get a space when I got there. As it turns out on the drive up to the Arena there are a large number of industrial units who were all offering event parking for around £10 cash. It would have been a bit further to walk and I am not certain I would have been totally happy leaving my car there and walking on my own with a 4-year-old when I don’t know the area. However, if we were to go again as a family it is something I would consider. Parking was very straight forward, we went in the red car park (they have two, red or green) and just pulled up, showed my booking confirmation and went straight in. Got parked right next to the exit on the ground floor, the car park was virtually empty.

We only had a 5 minute walk to the Arena and then we were inside. It was such a pretty site hundreds of little girls all dressed up as Princesses. I think I must have seen a costume for every Disney Princess you can think of. We had arrived about 30 minutes before the performance was due to start so it wasn’t too busy and the queues were minimal for toilets, refreshments and merchandise. This is the only part of the day that let it down for me. The merchandise! It really infuriates me that they charge the earth for souvenirs and refreshments at these shows. We passed a couple of sobbing children with the parents saying, “No  you can’t have a slushy, it’s a waste of money!” And who can blame them at £8 for a souvenir cup filled with chipped ice and covered in 3 fruit flavourings! Despite feeling this, I went knowing that you are charged the earth for things at these events so Simon had given Madison £20 to spend. Therefore I let her choose what she wanted. When she handed the money over for her Tinkerbell Slushy and Micky Mouse Candy Floss complete with plastic crown and only got £4 change I felt physically sick, but took a deep breath and smiled. It was her treat after all.

After getting over my sick feeling we took our seats, which I have to say were brilliant. I had paid a little more than I normally would so we were rink side. We had an aisle seat 3 rows back and the view was excellent. The stage setting was very impressive, better than I had seen at previous shows. It wasn’t long before the lights dimmed and the music started. Madison was mesmerised for the whole show. She sat still, didn’t ask when it was going to finish and didn’t need the toilet through the whole performance. The show flowed really well with Micky and Minnie acting as presenters and then snippets from all the Disney Princess films being reenacted on Ice. I too really enjoyed it and couldn’t believe how quickly it went. The first half was 45 minutes followed by a 15 minute interval. They did walk round during the interval trying to sell you programs, flashing wands and refreshments which again I find frustrating. You’ve battled through the barrage of various stalls to get in and the children have forgotten about what they weren’t allowed to have, only to have someone with a great big smile start waving said items in their face and reminding them of what they wanted! Fortunately for me Madison was perfectly content with her purchases and didn’t bat an eye lid. The Dad sat behind me was the organisers dream. He was alone with this daughter who I would have said was about 3. When she sat down she was already carrying a light up wand which would set you back £10. Before the show started he had purchased two ice-creams at £3 a pot. Then during the interval the little girl kept saying to him that she wanted what ‘that little girls got’ referring to Madison. With that he said “you stay here and Daddy will go and get you some”. I was horrified that he then stood up and left the arena area, leaving his young daughter sitting on her own! Obviously, I had overheard him so I had an eye firmly on her, but I have to say if that had been my husband I would have had a lot to say about him leaving her. Thankfully the little girl was really good. She only got out of her seat when she dropped something. I turned round and asked if she was ok, and she asked if I could get the thing she had dropped before her Dad came back. It had come down to our level and she couldn’t reach it. I handed it to her and she got straight back on her seat. Her Dad then appeared with an £8 slushly which he handed her, she took one mouthful of the ice and told him she didn’t like it! With that he left her a second time and then reappeared a few minutes later with a bottle of water and a programme. As I said organisers dream customer!

The second half was about 40 minutes and was equally as good and fast-moving as the first. I was starting to get a bit worried as I knew it could only be minutes from the end and there had been no sign of Rapunzel. Madison would have been heart-broken if her favourite character had not been included. Thankfully my prayers were answered and Rapunzel took the ice as the last story. The finale was spectacular with all the Princess and Heroes along with Micky, Minnie, Tinkerbell and Goofy all performing at once.

I really rate this show and would give it a 5 out of 5 for suitability for 3-7 year olds. I think it would appeal to the boys as much as it does the girls. Disney know what they are doing and they do it so well. There was no cost spared on the set, costumes, special effects or ability of the skaters. Put that altogether with the timeless classic Disney stories and you have a show well worth the ticket price in my opinion! If you are going to one of these shows you need to keep in mind the wall of souvenirs that you can’t avoid. My advice would be set yourself a budget and stick to it. You know it is going to be totally over priced, but it is all part of the experience. Madison loved her day and said she felt like a princess when we were walking back to the car which not only made my heart melt, but was proof enough for me that it was money well spent!

I have just received information about the Disney On Ice Passport to Adventure show which starts touring at the end of the year! Knowing how much Madison loved this one, we have booked her a ticket for 30th December. That’s one Christmas present sorted already!