If 5 years ago (about a year after I had my first child) someone would have suggested that I would be going on a break to Butlins I would have laughed in their face. I'll be honest and say that it never appealed to me even when I became a parent and that their name/old reputation had put me off. It was recently when my children would watch the TV advert and beg us to take them there that we finally caved in and booked a 3 night stay over February half term.
We had booked a basic accommodation with no dining package but Butlins kindly offered to upgrade us to one of the West Lakes riverside view chalets along with a dining package which including breakfast and dinner.
We arrived around 7.30pm on the Friday night so it was quite late in the day. We were greeted by friendly and welcoming staff at reception who made checking in swift and stress free. They gave detailed instructions of how to find our chalet, where to park and a brief overview of the resort which was very handy.
Accommodation:
I have already reviewed our chalet in a separate blog post which you can read by clicking through here, West Lakes Chalets at Butlins Minehead. Spoiler alert though, we thought it was fantastic.
Food:
Our dining package included breakfast and dinner at The Deck restaurant which was a buffet. I'm not sure why but whenever I think of a buffet I automatically think it's not going to be great. I couldn't have been more wrong here. Both the breakfast and dinner had so much choice.
First up the staff were wonderful. There was never a problem getting a table and there were a couple of drinks stations so you were never far from anything.
Breakfast consisted of lots of different things from hot to cold. You could also have freshly made omelettes, pancakes/waffles and also a hot sandwich (which was one of my personal favourites). There was also fruit, yogurt, cheeses etc.
There was a coffee machine which served various coffees and hot chocolate. You could also have water, squash or juice.
Dinner had something that everyone would like. There was Chinese, indian, British food, Roast Dinner and more. The kids also had a good choice with plenty of meat and vegetables plus chicken nuggets, burgers etc. Drinks were the same as what was offered in the morning.
The only complaint I had with the meal plan was that the dinner service finished at 7.30pm which sometimes was a bit too early for us. The night we arrived we couldn't use our meal plan as we didn't get there in time as we checked in late in the evening so we had to buy ourselves a meal instead at one of the restaurants.
If you don't have a meal plan there are quite a few restaurants you can choose from so there's plenty of choice available.
Entertainment
The entertainment was fantastic. There were things going on throughout the day and the evening. There were meet and greets with characters and children's shows in the day. Littlest loved the Teletubbies show.
In the evening there were various shows such as concerts, comedy and more. On our last night we went to the silent cinema which was a great concept.
Activities
There are lots of activities on offer for children every day. The majority of them are included in your stay but some are payable. My girls went to a few crafting sessions and archery.They loved both. During the crafting sessions was the quietest we'd seen them all weekend.
There are plenty of parks dotted around the site. There was also crazy golf, a climbing wall and a high ropes area.
We also hired a family bike type thing (sorry I have no idea what it's called). It cost £10 for 1 hour. The kids had a great time but I didn't think it was worth how much we'd paid for it.
Swimming Pool
The swimming pool was great. There were slides, plenty of swimming space, toddler areas and a wave machine. There was often very big queues for entry when the pool first opened in the morning so we tended to go in the middle of the afternoon when it was less busy and crowded.
The only thing I didn't like was the communal changing rooms. This is down to personal preference rather than there being anything wrong with them.
Funfair
One of the best bits of the whole trip was the fun fair and the toddler fun fair. We all had a great time and both areas are included in your break so you can ride everything as many times as you liked.
The toddler funfair is inside which is ideal if the weather isn't on your side. There was also a soft play area which we didn't get around to using.
Staff
One thing that I've been wax lyrical about is the staff. Every single member of staff that we encountered from the cleaners to the red coats were wonderful. They were all happy, approachable and professional. They couldn't do enough for you. It's testament to Butlins as a company as they all seemed very happy in their jobs.
To sum up I am a Butlins convert. As a family we loved every minute of it so much so the girls cried their eyes out when they realised we had to leave. We've already been pricing up future breaks as we are desperate to return.
*Disclaimer - We had already paid for a Butlins break but they offered us an upgrade in accommodation and a dining package in exchange for our review. All words and views are my honest opinion.*
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We had booked a basic accommodation with no dining package but Butlins kindly offered to upgrade us to one of the West Lakes riverside view chalets along with a dining package which including breakfast and dinner.
We arrived around 7.30pm on the Friday night so it was quite late in the day. We were greeted by friendly and welcoming staff at reception who made checking in swift and stress free. They gave detailed instructions of how to find our chalet, where to park and a brief overview of the resort which was very handy.
Accommodation:
I have already reviewed our chalet in a separate blog post which you can read by clicking through here, West Lakes Chalets at Butlins Minehead. Spoiler alert though, we thought it was fantastic.
Food:
Our dining package included breakfast and dinner at The Deck restaurant which was a buffet. I'm not sure why but whenever I think of a buffet I automatically think it's not going to be great. I couldn't have been more wrong here. Both the breakfast and dinner had so much choice.
First up the staff were wonderful. There was never a problem getting a table and there were a couple of drinks stations so you were never far from anything.
Breakfast consisted of lots of different things from hot to cold. You could also have freshly made omelettes, pancakes/waffles and also a hot sandwich (which was one of my personal favourites). There was also fruit, yogurt, cheeses etc.
There was a coffee machine which served various coffees and hot chocolate. You could also have water, squash or juice.
Dinner had something that everyone would like. There was Chinese, indian, British food, Roast Dinner and more. The kids also had a good choice with plenty of meat and vegetables plus chicken nuggets, burgers etc. Drinks were the same as what was offered in the morning.
The only complaint I had with the meal plan was that the dinner service finished at 7.30pm which sometimes was a bit too early for us. The night we arrived we couldn't use our meal plan as we didn't get there in time as we checked in late in the evening so we had to buy ourselves a meal instead at one of the restaurants.
If you don't have a meal plan there are quite a few restaurants you can choose from so there's plenty of choice available.
Entertainment
The entertainment was fantastic. There were things going on throughout the day and the evening. There were meet and greets with characters and children's shows in the day. Littlest loved the Teletubbies show.
In the evening there were various shows such as concerts, comedy and more. On our last night we went to the silent cinema which was a great concept.
Activities
There are lots of activities on offer for children every day. The majority of them are included in your stay but some are payable. My girls went to a few crafting sessions and archery.They loved both. During the crafting sessions was the quietest we'd seen them all weekend.
There are plenty of parks dotted around the site. There was also crazy golf, a climbing wall and a high ropes area.
We also hired a family bike type thing (sorry I have no idea what it's called). It cost £10 for 1 hour. The kids had a great time but I didn't think it was worth how much we'd paid for it.
Swimming Pool
The swimming pool was great. There were slides, plenty of swimming space, toddler areas and a wave machine. There was often very big queues for entry when the pool first opened in the morning so we tended to go in the middle of the afternoon when it was less busy and crowded.
The only thing I didn't like was the communal changing rooms. This is down to personal preference rather than there being anything wrong with them.
Funfair
One of the best bits of the whole trip was the fun fair and the toddler fun fair. We all had a great time and both areas are included in your break so you can ride everything as many times as you liked.
The toddler funfair is inside which is ideal if the weather isn't on your side. There was also a soft play area which we didn't get around to using.
Staff
One thing that I've been wax lyrical about is the staff. Every single member of staff that we encountered from the cleaners to the red coats were wonderful. They were all happy, approachable and professional. They couldn't do enough for you. It's testament to Butlins as a company as they all seemed very happy in their jobs.
To sum up I am a Butlins convert. As a family we loved every minute of it so much so the girls cried their eyes out when they realised we had to leave. We've already been pricing up future breaks as we are desperate to return.
*Disclaimer - We had already paid for a Butlins break but they offered us an upgrade in accommodation and a dining package in exchange for our review. All words and views are my honest opinion.*
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If you’re someone who loves being out on the road, with wide and open stretches of land all around you, and you’re not too keen on the crowds, make sure a Nevada road trip is on your bucket travel list! Take your partner with you for some quality alone time, or go during the summer holidays if you want the kids to see what’s really out there as well.
Without further ado, here’s some of the best landmarks and hot spots to make sure you stop off at during the drive.
Visit the Valley of Fire State Park
There’s a lot of national and state parks in Nevada, but the Valley of Fire deserves a special mention for your potential road tripping plans. You’ll know it when you see it, considering the amount of red Aztec sandstone that’s collected and built up here - 40,000 acres, if you want to be exact.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the visitor centre, as you can learn all about the archaeology and geology of the area, and you can stock up on books and postcards too. You can also camp here, with 24 hour access to the site if you’ve got a tent pitched up, and there’s only a small entrance fee of $10 - it’s a rather cheap visit for what you can get up to!
Stop Off at Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large lake that has plenty of beaches to accompany it, making it a popular spot for people to get their swimming costumes on and their surfboards off the roof of the car! There’s also some ski resorts around here, so if you don’t fancy getting wet in the water, you can always strap the boards to your feet instead.
Go hiking and skiing in the north of the lake, and then relax and take in the sunshine when you get to the south again. There’s a real distinct ecosystem on offer here, and even your kids will be in awe of the wonders of the natural world all mingling together around the borders of the water.
Drift Down Route 50
Route 50 is almost as famous as the grand old Route 66, and it’s commonly known as ‘America’s Loneliest Road’. There’s a good chance you’re going to be cruising down this highway at some point during your road trip, so make sure you stick your head out the window and take in the flat expanses that have no one around for miles and miles.
On your route you might just spot a ghost town or two, as well as ancient buildings tucked away behind more modern businesses, but it’s a mostly rural road when you get onto it in its Nevada region. You’ll have plenty of snaps of the sand and the sky whilst you’re making your way through!
Try Lake Mead on For Size
Lake Mead is the biggest natural reservoir in the United States, and it’s going to be amazing to stop off at and look over when you get the chance to visit it. It’s impounded by the Hoover Dam, and during the winter season, you’re likely to see snow on the tips of the mountains that surround the lake.
The water at Lake Mead is brilliantly blue, and you’ll find all sorts of colourful and misshapen rocks that border its shores and stick out of the lake itself. Feel free to hire a boat for a couple of hours or half the day and take a trip around the lake, and discover all of the private coves and open expanses that are on offer.
Take a Stop at Hoover Dam
Right on the border of Nevada and Arizona lies the Hoover Dam, and it’s probably going to be one of the last spots you visit on your tour (or at least, one of the last on the first leg!). The Hoover Dam sits on the Colorado River, and it’s a wonderful site to behold - it’s one of the biggest man made structures in the world, and has some real longevity built into it; apparently it can stand for about 10,000 further years from now!
So if you want to take a look inside, be sure to book a tour of the Hoover Dam, and research your options. It’s a popular tourist spot, and it has quite a few tour booking companies to prove it.
Road tripping through Nevada is going to be a very unique experience, so make sure you’ve planned!
*This is a collaborative post*
Today's post is a guest post by Jade (you can find out more about Jade and her blog at the end of the post. She is also a brand rep for my small brand, Magically Jasmine.
Traveling to Disneyland Paris with under 5’s had a lot of questions running through my head. The main one being ‘What rides and attractions would be suitable for an under 5?’
We’d booked this amazing adventure, but had no clue where to start with what the girls would like. Of course we could look at height charts to see what they could go on, but as Kairi was big enough for Tower Of Terror, the chats were just that, height not how child friendly they were.
So after multiple trips to Disneyland Paris with 6 Different under 5’s starting from 6 weeks old, I finally have the perfect list of rides and attractions suitable for an under 5 at Disneyland Paris.
- Ratatoulie
Ratatouille has to be one of my personal favourites at Disneyland Paris and one I get to share that love with my daughter too. You are ’shrunk’ down to the size of a mouse and taken on a 4D adventure through the kitchen visiting schemes from the Ratatouille movie. You will smell lemon as you go through the fridge, feel the heat of the cooker and some surprises too.
This ride is perfect for the whole family and one that under 5’s are sure to enjoy.
- It’s A Small World
It’s A Small World is a slow moving boat ride which takes you through various scenes and countries. The dolls sing to you in many languages and at Christmas you may get an extra surprise too.
The girls love this ride and ask for it to be both the first and last ride of the trip. Quick warning though, you may not get that song out of your head!
- Toy Soldier Parachute Drop
The ride is for those on the higher end of the 0-5 scale. You sit in ‘buckets’ hung underneath one of 4 parachutes. You are taken up into the air and dropped down quite fast.
From the top you get the most magical view of the park, the kids will love to put their feet up and when they get really courageous, their arms too!
- Slinky Dog Spin
Another Toy Story classic Slinky Dog Spin. After waiting in a fun queue, you board and sit inside part of slinky dogs tummy. As the rides name says, it spins you around and around in a circle as Slinky chases his tail! A fun family ride that will leave you all laughing.
- Carousel
Of course no theme park would be complete with a carousel and the one at Disney does not Disappoint. Embark on an adventure just outside the cast as your board your wonderful horse. Round in circles to classic Disney themed music you will go and if your little ones are on the smaller end, take a trip on one of the ‘stationary’ carriages instead.
- Alice’s Curious Labyrinth
Every now and again the kids will need to let of steam. If you are bored of the play parks, why not head into Alice’s Curious Labyrinth. From tiny doors to great photo shots the Labyrinth has plenty to do and if you have a little extra time you can make it all the way to the middle and climb the top of the castle too!
- Casey Jr
Last but in no means least, don’t forget to take a ride on Casey Jr. This classic train (as featured in Dumbo) is hidden away at the back of the park. The wait times are often quite short and this is probably one of the first ‘roller coaster’ rides your little one can go on!
Casey Jr plays the classic tune are you zoom around the back of the park taking in the exciting scenes from nearby rides. It’s one not to be missed!
Of course you could always spend your time meeting Mickey and friends or just playing around the parks and exploring! Do you agree with my picks? I’d love to hear what your top rides for under 5’s are in the comments below!
I’m Jade and I run www.mummieswaiting.com where I help parents plan stress-free Disneyland Paris holidays to make magical memories that last a lifetime!
Laminate flooring is a more convenient and easy way of flooring not only because it will save you a great amount of money, you can also do it by yourself. But then again, there are some things you need to know before installing laminate flooring.
The inner core of the material is made with wood or fiberboard that is susceptible to moisture damage so, avoid installations in any room with a floor drain or sump pump. It’s not a great choice for restrooms and laundry rooms, either.
You can place it in kitchens however, you should be over the top about cleaning up any spills right away. Laminate flooring can go directly over most other flooring materials with the exception of indoor/outdoor carpeting and others with short snaps. That implies you don't need to remove old surfaces before you start. Be that as it may, your new ground surface will raise the dimension of your floor somewhat — around 3/8 inch — so you should be aware of changes to different rooms. Most deck producers have change edges that consider shifting floor structures.
Source: http://www.modmyrv.com/wp-content/gallery/mod-54-image-gallery/laminate-flooring-laying-it-down-1.JPG
In case you're introducing overlay over existing ground surface in your kitchen, measure to ensure machines will fit into their unique positions after the new deck is introduced. If not, you may need to remove old ground surface before introducing the new.
Get the room ready
Prepare the room by taking off the base shoe and baseboards. Ensures the floor is spotless and level — introducing over a non-level floor can prompt delicate, light zones and may add to creases opening up. Tolerances are typically 1/4 to 3/8 inch estimated more than 10 even feet. High spots on wood floors can be sanded down. Then again, you can "fill" low spots with bits of 30-lb. felt. Low spots on solid sections ought to be loaded up with leveling compound.
Measure the room
Measure the space to decide the all out area of deck you'll require, at that point include 5 percent for waste and missteps. Keep in mind that you'll need to leave a hole of around 3/8 inch around the edge of the space to take into consideration the deck to extend and contract with changes in mugginess. That hole will be concealed when you reinstall the baseboards and base shoe.
Acclimate the flooring
Adjust the deck by bringing every one of the bundles of ground surface into the room. Open the bundles and disperse the free boards around the room in short heaps. This encourages the ground surface settle to the encompassing moistness in your room, a procedure that takes around 48 hours. Utilize the chance to examine any boards for harm.
Prep door frame
Prepare entryway outline with the goal that the deck will slide underneath the trim and frame (it's a lot simpler than endeavoring to slice a sporadic shape to fit the embellishment). Utilize a bit of ground surface and underlayment as a guide and imprint the entryway trim and support for cutting. Cut the pieces utilizing a pillar saw — a claim to fame handsaw with a balance handle that makes it simple to cut close to the floor. You can rest the saw sharp edge over a bit of ground surface to ensure you have a straight, even cut that is the right stature.
These things you have learned will give you a smooth installation of your laminate floorings. In any case that you find it hard to do these things, you can always hire a professional installer from your manufacturer but it can cost you a lot of money so better consider doing it by yourself instead of hiring a worker.
*This is a collaborative post*
If you follow me on instagram then you'll know that over the last half term we had a weekend away, staying at the West Lakes Chalets at Butlins in Minehead. It was a fantastic few days and I'll be going into detail about what we got up to on other posts, so keep an eye out for those. This post is focusing on the accommodation alone.
There are many different types of accommodation available at Butlins Minehead, categorised into value, moderate and premium. We were fortunate enough to stay in a Lakeside Chalet in the West Lakes area.
We arrived at about 7.30pm to check in, which was all very quick and simple. We were handed a map and shown which way to drive to our accommodation and where to park. the parking was not directly next to where we were staying but it was about a 2 minute walk so that wasn't an issue for us. It may be an issue for others with carrying things back and forth from the car but it honestly isn't far too walk.
First impressions of the area and chalet were wonderful. The surrounding area seemed very quiet, peaceful and pretty. From the outside I thought the chalet would be quite small but it wasn't at all. It was like a Tardis. We were staying in a 2 bedroom chalet.
Once through the front door there was a hallway with plenty of coat hanging space and areas to place bags and shoes.
To the left was the master bedroom which had a double bed, plenty of wardrobe space, a TV, hairdryer and iron. The main bathroom was also accessible from the bedroom as well as from the hallway.
The main bathroom was a good size with a bath, shower, toilet and many shelves for placing your toiletries etc. It also had a mini wash bag with some essential products in it.
The other side of the hallway had the 2nd bedroom which was sized well for our 2 children. It had 2 single beds and a small wardrobe and dressing table which was more than adequate for their belongings.
There was also a separate toilet room which was at the end of the hallway, which again had a mini Butlins wash-bag I was pleased to see that 2 toilets were in the chalet as I think it's needed when you're staying as a family.
The lounge/dining area was at the end of the hallway. It's an open plan room with the kitchen to the left and lounge area to the right. It was modern, bright but it still felt very homely and welcoming. The TV had plenty of channels to choose from.
The kitchen area had everything you could need including a dishwasher (essential when you're away on holiday as you don't want to be doing all the chores). All cutlery, pots, pans etc were there. We had a meal plan which including breakfast and dinner so we only used the kitchen area for making lunch and drinks.
We had a small cleaning set which including washing up liquid, tea towel and sponge. There was also tea, coffee, sugar etc provided. My husband said a coffee machine would make a great addition to the kitchen.
The wow factor came from the balcony/veranda area. It was stunning. It was huge in size and provided fantastic views of the lakeside area and other chalets. The girls loved watching the wildlife out there whilst we sat and enjoyed a glass of wine or tea. It would be perfect during hotter weather.
Cleaning was offered at the chalet daily although we only accepted it once.
Overall, we were very impressed. The chalet was more than big enough for a family of 4. It had all the amenities we could need. We felt very comfortable and relaxed. It was quiet and fairly soundproof as we didn't hear our next door neighbours at all (they were definitely there). We loved all the decor and the Butlins vintage prints.
The downside was how far away the West Lakes area was from the main area with all the attractions etc. It was about a 10 minute walk with the kids (would be shorter without them). It's not too far but if you have children who don't like walking then that may be an issue. This could also be seen as a good thing as you're away from all the noise and commotion so I guess it's a catch 22. We did appreciate the quietness of the area.
The other negative for us was that the doors were quite heavy (especially to the living room) but I'm guessing this is because they are fire doors perhaps?
We would definitely stay again, in fact we are pricing up a break over the easter holidays. We would either stay in a West Lakes chalet again or we'd like to try their new premium seaside lodges or bayside apartments which look fantastic.
*We were already booked to go on our break to Butlins but they Kindly upgraded us to this accommodation in exchange for this blog review. All opinions, words and photographs are my own*.
There are many different types of accommodation available at Butlins Minehead, categorised into value, moderate and premium. We were fortunate enough to stay in a Lakeside Chalet in the West Lakes area.
We arrived at about 7.30pm to check in, which was all very quick and simple. We were handed a map and shown which way to drive to our accommodation and where to park. the parking was not directly next to where we were staying but it was about a 2 minute walk so that wasn't an issue for us. It may be an issue for others with carrying things back and forth from the car but it honestly isn't far too walk.
First impressions of the area and chalet were wonderful. The surrounding area seemed very quiet, peaceful and pretty. From the outside I thought the chalet would be quite small but it wasn't at all. It was like a Tardis. We were staying in a 2 bedroom chalet.
Once through the front door there was a hallway with plenty of coat hanging space and areas to place bags and shoes.
To the left was the master bedroom which had a double bed, plenty of wardrobe space, a TV, hairdryer and iron. The main bathroom was also accessible from the bedroom as well as from the hallway.
The main bathroom was a good size with a bath, shower, toilet and many shelves for placing your toiletries etc. It also had a mini wash bag with some essential products in it.
The other side of the hallway had the 2nd bedroom which was sized well for our 2 children. It had 2 single beds and a small wardrobe and dressing table which was more than adequate for their belongings.
There was also a separate toilet room which was at the end of the hallway, which again had a mini Butlins wash-bag I was pleased to see that 2 toilets were in the chalet as I think it's needed when you're staying as a family.
The lounge/dining area was at the end of the hallway. It's an open plan room with the kitchen to the left and lounge area to the right. It was modern, bright but it still felt very homely and welcoming. The TV had plenty of channels to choose from.
The kitchen area had everything you could need including a dishwasher (essential when you're away on holiday as you don't want to be doing all the chores). All cutlery, pots, pans etc were there. We had a meal plan which including breakfast and dinner so we only used the kitchen area for making lunch and drinks.
We had a small cleaning set which including washing up liquid, tea towel and sponge. There was also tea, coffee, sugar etc provided. My husband said a coffee machine would make a great addition to the kitchen.
The wow factor came from the balcony/veranda area. It was stunning. It was huge in size and provided fantastic views of the lakeside area and other chalets. The girls loved watching the wildlife out there whilst we sat and enjoyed a glass of wine or tea. It would be perfect during hotter weather.
Cleaning was offered at the chalet daily although we only accepted it once.
Overall, we were very impressed. The chalet was more than big enough for a family of 4. It had all the amenities we could need. We felt very comfortable and relaxed. It was quiet and fairly soundproof as we didn't hear our next door neighbours at all (they were definitely there). We loved all the decor and the Butlins vintage prints.
The downside was how far away the West Lakes area was from the main area with all the attractions etc. It was about a 10 minute walk with the kids (would be shorter without them). It's not too far but if you have children who don't like walking then that may be an issue. This could also be seen as a good thing as you're away from all the noise and commotion so I guess it's a catch 22. We did appreciate the quietness of the area.
The other negative for us was that the doors were quite heavy (especially to the living room) but I'm guessing this is because they are fire doors perhaps?
We would definitely stay again, in fact we are pricing up a break over the easter holidays. We would either stay in a West Lakes chalet again or we'd like to try their new premium seaside lodges or bayside apartments which look fantastic.
*We were already booked to go on our break to Butlins but they Kindly upgraded us to this accommodation in exchange for this blog review. All opinions, words and photographs are my own*.
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