Days Out: London Zoo {Review}

19/10/201817/10/2018Leave a comment

London Zoo was probably one of the first zoo’s Sharon and I remember visiting when we were young, which is no surprise seeing as it opened in 1828! I remember visiting when I was little and seeing a number of rare animals (for that time anyway!) and being in complete awe. From Gorillas to Pandas, London Zoo was one of a kind for many years. I’m also pretty sure I remember riding a camel.

More recently, we were introduced to the wonders of ZSL London Zoo: Gruesome Nature Live! at Camp Bestival, which got us thinking about re-visiting London Zoo. We rarely venture into London, so seeing as we were visiting for something else that day we thought we’d pay them a visit and see how much has changed over the twenty-something years.

Continue reading →

Milestones: The Last Year

17/10/201816/10/20181 Comment

A few weeks ago Sharon and I submitted T’s application for Primary Schools, and as soon as we pressed ‘submit’ it hit us. It suddenly dawned on us that this would be the last year of doing so many things that we’re currently used to, and I’m a little sad.

From family holidays whenever we wanted to midweek trips to Pets At Home (aka the free zoo), we’ve been free to do as we pleased, but next year it’ll be very different. It’ll no longer be us against the local coffee house. It’ll be school drop offs and pick ups, after school clubs, school uniforms! There will be less time for ‘us’.

Or so it feels anyway.

Although this isn’t the first time things have changed, our routine changed drastically when he started nursery and I went back to work after maternity leave, for some reason this feels different. Nursery doesn’t feel full on or as intense as school does (perhaps because he doesn’t go full time?), so it doesn’t seem like he’s being taken away from us as much or for as long. Where as with school he’s going to be there almost double the amount of time as nursery what with the likelihood of after-school clubs!

Whilst I’m incredibly excited to start this new chapter, I can’t help but feel a sense of dread and regret that I’ve missed some amazing opportunities or not made the most of the time we’ve had together.

Continue reading →

T’s Reads: Alien Nation by Matty Donaldson

15/10/201812/10/2018Leave a comment

This week was National Coming Out Day. If you’ve not heard of it or had your head in the sand for 24 hours, it’s a day to celebrate the coming out of the LGBTQ community (as a member or as an ally). We’ve written our feelings about the day before, which you can find over here.

Founded in the United States in 1988, the initial idea was grounded in the feminist and gay liberation spirit of the personal being political, and the emphasis on the most basic form of activism being coming out to family, friends and colleagues, and living life as an openly lesbian or gay person. The foundational belief is that homophobia thrives in an atmosphere of silence and ignorance, and that once people know that they have loved ones who are lesbian or gay, they are far less likely to maintain homophobic or oppressive views.

Wikipedia

As well as a form of protest, it’s also an opportunity for members of the community to educate others on the language they use and advise others on what they can do to help those still in the proverbial closet.

In keeping with the theme, we were recently sent a children’s book that does this.

Continue reading →

Bluestone: Our Accommodation: Ramsey {Review}

14/10/201816/10/20181 Comment

Last year, we stayed at Dina’s Lodge as part of our blogger’s experience with Bluestone. This was an incredible property and was perfect for larger groups. This year, because it was just the three of us, we decided to try something new and a bit smaller. We’d also read a few other blog posts saying how great this particular accommodation is so we thought we’d give it a try.

Bluestone has a huge array of accommodation choices available, from studio apartments to cottages to ‘Tenby Connect’s’ that sleep 12 in a ginormous lodge over 1.5 storeys. All of them have their own qualities and unique style and are tastefully decorated to suit the surroundings.

This year, we stayed in a Ramsey Lodge, but if you would like to know more about the living options available, the Bluestone website has all the details; from image galleries to floor plans.

Continue reading →

Bluestone: Our Week in Wales 2018

13/10/201817/10/2018Leave a comment

Arriving home shortly after our first visit to Bluestone last year, we were soon on the Bluestone website booking our next visit. We had such an amazing time when we visited that we wanted to do it all over again the following year. Bluestone is like nothing we’ve ever experienced, and as written previously, is one of the few ‘holiday parks’ where we enjoy (and prefer) to stay on site!

We decided to book for the same time as the previous year, not only because we found a great deal but because we wanted to take advantage of the fact that we can still travel with T during school time – meaning everything would be a lot quieter. Plus, Bluestone is stunning in the Autumn.

Continue reading →

Wooden Railway Tracks and Trains by Wooden Railways (Review)

11/10/201809/10/2018Leave a comment

When T first started his love of trains, we never really knew what this would involve. Sure there would be the occasional trip to a steam railway (or the level crossing if we were skint!) and of course obtaining a fair few toy trains a long the way. Over time, however, we have in the region of 30 different trains. Ranging from plastic to wooden to even a soft cuddly train.

It’s quite the collection, and I now dread to look at how much we’ve spent over the past three years on train related items. T has an engine driver hat, an array of whistles, and a variety of tickets kept from different journeys. And when I come to think of it, why not?

I like Lego, T likes Trains.

Continue reading →