Joanne

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The Knight Tribe | Talland Bay Beach, Cornwall

Talland Bay beach One of the main reasons for me wanting to visit Cornwall was to visit their picturesque beaches. They always looked so beautiful in photos like something you would see abroad and I…

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Making beautiful memories with John Fowler holidays in Cornwall

Disclosure- I won our John Fowler holiday in a competition.

Cornwall is a five to six-hour drive from where we live and we had promised our youngest that we would take her to Peppa Pig World in Southampton for her birthday treat. We decided to leave a few days earlier and pay Paulton Park a visit, as it was almost on our way, subject to a slight detour – at least that was our logic. Emily, Leo and Lydia had a brilliant day and the smiles on their faces were priceless. After Peppa pig World, we drove two more hours in the direction of Cornwall and spent a night in a hotel to break the journey up.

We stopped off in Taunton for the night before carrying on our journey the next day, which would only take an additional two hours from where we currently was.

David and the girls at the entrance of Peppa Pig World. Leo didn’t want to be in this photo because it was ’embarrassing’ his words.

Our John Fowler holiday

We stayed at John Fowler Trelawne Manor in Looe in an adapted platinum caravan as it had a washroom which made it easier for Leo to use. The kids were all very excited and had been impatiently counting down the days to our holiday.

Check-in wasn’t until 2pm and we had arrived at 11.30am so we took some time and explored the grounds for a short while but in true British fashion, it poured it down so we stopped to eat in their on-site café. The food was reasonably priced, freshly cooked and very delicious.

The Knight Tribe- John Fowler Holidays

In the short time we were there waiting to check-in, we discovered an over 18’s only section with slot machines and a few vending machines and on the opposite end, there was a small arcade for the children to play in.

The entertainment door was closed at that time so we didn’t get to see inside, but there was a board outside with a timetable of what was on each night of the week. We also discovered a snooker room, which we didn’t get to try out whilst we were there due to not having enough time.

The reception area also doubles up as a bar with plenty of seats to have a drink whilst you wait. We received our keys and the lady on the desk explained on the map where our caravan would be and gave us a welcome pack as well as a copy of the entertainment timetable so we knew what was on, where and when.

The Caravan was lovely and they had placed us next to the Manor and directly opposite their on-site ‘Mace’ shop, which sell all of your essentials and more. I found the shop to be reasonably priced especially for a convenience shop.

Here is a tour around our caravan.

We unpacked quickly and then googled the closest Aldi which, from the caravan site to the supermarket, was about a twenty-minute drive. That evening we decided we would stay in the caravan and play board games, watch a movie and eat some popcorn as we were all very tired.

Playing snakes and ladders

The next day, we took the opportunity to visit a hidden gem called Talland Bay beach. You can read all about our day out here, I would definitely recommend you checking it out.

Talland Bay beach, Looe

That evening, we decided we would check out the evening’s entertainment. The kids loved the kid’s show which starts at 6pm and is run by the ‘Stripeys’. Daddy even got pulled up to dance to baby shark and chichi wa, which I found hilarious to watch.

I had a go on Bingo, which is also on every night at 7.30pm, and you can win up to £200. We played both Saturday and Sunday night and the girls even had a go at the Kids bingo on the Sunday, which had pretty cool prizes if you got a full house. Leo was more than happy to spend his time in the arcades winning tickets so he can swap them for prizes in the hall.

On Sunday we stayed on the site and explored the John Fowler facilities. The kids wanted to go swimming, although the weather wasn’t great, they didn’t care. I was a bit gutted that the indoor pool was closed between certain times for lessons so we used the outdoor pool. The pool temperature was ok and the area was a decent size with a slide. There is also a play park which the kids loved playing on.

In true Knight Tribe style we had to check out the crazy golf and have a go at tennis. For a £5 deposit, we played crazy golf and when we had finished we returned the golf clubs and balls and swapped them for tennis rackets and tennis balls, which is the same with snooker cues, and when you are done you get your deposit back once you have returned the borrowed equipment.

If you are looking for a relaxing, fun and exciting break for the family then I urge you to check out John Fowler Holidays in Cornwall. There is plenty to do on-site to keep the kids entertained day and night. We had a really lovely time away together and have made lots of new memories together.

**I won this holiday**

Back to school – Amazing must have ideas

Disclaimer – All items were sent in return for inclusion

That time has come quickly around again where we are all rushing to finish our back to school shopping ready for the new school year that is looming upon us. Instead of the usual back to school note books and stationary (which I love BTW ) I wanted to feature some alternative products and I have a great selection here to show you.

Back to school lunch ideas

First on the list is this ingenious lunch gadget called ‘Crimp it‘ It doe’s exactly what it says it does and crimps the edges of your bread or thins transforming them into a sealed sandwich for you to eat how it is or pop it in the toaster. This is already going down well in our house.

Keeping with the lunch themes, we have 350ml premium doubled walled stainless steel food containers from Dragons and Daisies a family run business with a passion to encourage likkle dragons to embrace their individuality. There are six colours to choose from. Use DDFLY15 for 15% off when you use this code at checkout.

Back to school drinks

The design on this 500ml stainless steel drinks bottle from SHO is stunning and there is soo many other beautiful designs and sizes. This bottle can also be used to keep drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. Perfect for a busy school or work day.

Do you have a child going up to secondary school? IMO have a fantastic and affordable mobile phone that would be perfect for first time phone users. It has all the features they need and if they were to drop, damage or lose it to theft, it’s not going to cost you much to replace it.

Keep an eye on this page as I will be adding more over the next few days as other items arrive.

The Play Town, Role Play Centre – Stamford

The Play Town Role Play Centre

I dont know about you, but I always get a bit anxious when I go to a new play centre for the first time. Will it be clean? Will it be stupidly busy? Will food and drink be overpriced? Will there be somewhere to sit? So when I was invited to join my friend and sister with all our kids, my anxiety was a little high. However, My Play Town Role Play Centre immediately put me at ease. This place was very clean, it wasn’t overly busy, food and drink prices were reasonable and there was plenty of places to sit.

The Centre runs three 90 minute play sessions a day at 9.30am, 11.30am and 13.30pm, which you can book online. They also limit the number of children attending, to ensure all children get the most out of their play time. After each session finishes, they close their doors to restore the town back to normal. We arrived early and saw them wiping down the equipment with dettol wipes ready for the next session of discoverers. I love that they do this in between sessions to stay on top of cleanliness. There are plenty of places to sit and watch your children play and you can even join in on the fun. Socks must be worn in the play area, which if needed, can be purchased for 50p.

 

There are nine different role play area’s to explore equip with uniforms and accessories to enhance their role play experience.

  • Fire Station
  • Little shop – I love that the little shop has old empty bottles that have been reused rather than thrown away / recycled.
  • The Little r.o.c cafe
  • Little Snippers
  • Theatre
  • Vets
  • Health centre
  • Construction
  • Ice cream parlor, picnic table and BBQ

 

 

Food and Drink

The cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5, so you have complete piece of mind that your food and drink is being prepared in a clean hygienic environment.

Cakes

  • Cookies £1.30
  • Fairy Cakes 80p
  • Brownies £2.50
  • Slice of cake (decent sized) £3.25

While we didnt try any food as we had just recently had lunch before we arrived, it looked really lovely. For £4.00 kids can have a sandwich, drink and 3 items of their choice:

  • Yogurt
  • Small bag of cookies
  • Raisins
  • Crisps
  • Piece of fruit
  • Soreen snack size malt bread

 

Kids food

How much is it?

Child

Off-Peak: £6
Peak*:      £6.50

Adult

Off-Peak: FREE
Peak:        One FREE adult per paying child

Extra adult

Off-Peak: FREE
Peak:        £3.75

* Peak prices apply to weekends and school holidays

Pre-walkers are Free (if accompanied by a paying adult or sibling)

 

The kids had an amazing time and not once did any of the kids come back to where we were sitting to say that they were bored. All the children in the session were engaging with each other, playing shop keepers and hairdressers, doctors and vets, and it was really interesting to watch how they were all interacting. I am definitely going to be bringing my kids back. It is a 35 minute drive from where we live but in my opinion, it was totally worth it. If you are looking for a reasonably priced, interactive few hours with the children, then I highly recommend you give Play Town a go.

 

***We paid to come here, this is not a collaboration***

GIFTED | BLUME DOLLS REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY!!!

GROW YOUR OWN BLUME DOLL – JUST ADD WATER!

Lydia saw Blume dolls for the first time a few weeks ago when we popped into our local toy shop to buy a bucket and spade for her school trip.  She didn’t have a clue what they were but the packaging had immediately caught her attention and she wanted one.  So I was super happy when we got offered the opportunity to review them on my blog.

What are they?

With 22 to collect in series one, Blume dolls are a new and exciting collectable toy with an unboxing experience like you have never seen before. There are 10 surprises included in each pot and with just a few sprinkles of water, you can watch your doll magically Blume before your very eyes.

Blume dolls have already been declared the hottest surprise toy for 2019 by Good housekeeping and we are about to find out why.

The outer packagings is wrapped very tightly so you will need a pair of scissors to help remove it as there are no easy tear lines.

Inside the lid, there is a little pink watering can, stickers and an instruction/ collectors guide. You will need to peel off the foil lid to uncover a brown cover.

 

Now you are ready to grow your own doll.

Fill up your watering can and sprinkle it over the brown lid/cover as directed below.

Now, sit back and watch your doll magically sprout out through the top like a real flower.

 I love the element of surprise they give the kids and I think no matter how many times you do it, it will always be this exciting.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYS37_Tc6UM[/embedyt]

Once you have sprouted your magical doll, open up the pot and remove the mechanism to reveal more surprises awaiting inside.

Each pot contains a clip-on outfit, handbag and a cute little friend for your doll.

You can keep the Blume pot to store your accessories safe inside and decorate it with your new stickers to make it homely.

 

Each doll comes with its own level of rarity –  adorable, rare, super rare and the mystical doll called Leilani

We unboxed left to right:  Tate (Adorable)    Sedona (Adorable)   Celine (Adorable)

Each doll comes with a cute little outfit which you can mix and match with the other dolls, you can even swap their hair. Some dolls hair are stuck on so do not try and pull too hard or you will end up ripping the hair as I did.

The dolls do not stand on their own easily with the weight of the hair, but when it’s taken off, depending on if your dolls hair detaches, they can stand on one foot.  (See photo above with the doll wearing a purple top.)

The big hair is a really cool feature on the dolls and they come in all different colours and styles. Another clever thing about these dolls is that their hair is foam so it can be squished. Squishies are huge in the toy industry right now so incorporating this into the creation of these dolls was a really clever idea.

Where can I buy them?

Blume dolls series one are available to buy from all good toyshops. They retail at £9.99 each and are suitable for ages  3+

Giveaway

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