Sunday 29 April 2018

Disney on Ice Worlds of Enchantment Review

This week we went to see Disney on Ice Worlds of Enchantment at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff. We are a Disney loving family and therefore hubby and I were just as excited as the kids. We've seen previous Disney on Ice shows so we couldn't wait to see the latest one.

We were lucky enough to be invited to a VIP meet and greet with the main mouse himself before the show. Both of the girls loved having a cuddle with him however, when it came to having their picture taken, Ophelia was suddenly camera shy.


After that we took to our seats. We were sat at the side of the ice rink but we still had a great view. We were actually sat over an exit so there was nobody in-front of us. The show started with a join in dance session to get everyone ready for the show. 

Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald and Goofy make an appearance before each section of the show to help you guess what world you'll be visiting next.


First up was Toy Story 3. This was by far my favourite part of the show. Both of my girls loved it too. It had lots of funny bits for us adults to laugh at. It saw the toy soldiers coming in on parachutes and all of the much loved characters from the film. I had a tear in my eye as the toys were sent on their next adventure. This was the longest part of the show but we didn't want it to end.




Next up was The Little Mermaid which involved lots of colourful costumes and bubbles, much to Ophelia's delight. Ariel and Eric performed some fantastic lifts and spins in their routines. 



After a short interval, Cars took to the stage. Eva is a massive fan of Lightening McQueen so she was completely awe struck to see him on the ice along with Sally and Mater. The actual Cars section was quite short which disappointed Eva. it would have been great if it was just 5 minutes longer.


Last up came Frozen. This was full of fantastic props, lighting and even snow. The skating was wonderful and the segment when Olaf sings 'Summer' was fab. It was vibrant and the costumes were very eye catching. The atmosphere in the arena was fantastic as everyone sang along to all of the Frozen hits especially 'Let it Go'.



All of us enjoyed the show and we will definetly be going again when it next tours in Cardiff. We went to a 18.30pm showing after school and I was worried the girls would be too tired but they not only stayed awake the whole way through, they sang and danced with it.


There are still a few dates remaining on the tour which you can see here, Tour Dates.

Have you seen Disney on Ice? What films would you like to see portrayed in the show?

*Thank you to Disney on Ice for gifting us with tickets. All words and opinions are my own*


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Sunday 22 April 2018

6 Ideas to Keep Children Entertained whilst Camping

Children love a good old fashioned camping holiday. They have plenty of space to run around and the whole trip is a great adventure. However, sometimes they can get bored. If you plan some games etc before hand then you won't be caught out struggling for things to do. Here are my 6 ideas to keep children entertained.


1) Music and Dance

Both of my girls love to listen to music so they can sing and dance. They do it all the time in the house so it's something we always take away with us when camping. The Panasonic waterproof Bluetooth speaker is ideal for travel, especially when camping due to its 'waterproof' nature. Let's face it, if you're camping in the lovely (sense the sarcasm) British weather then you have to be prepared for rainy days so this would be safe to use if it got wet. 
You can leave it in the tent to listen to whilst getting dressed and then pop it outside for a game of musical statues or musical bumps. Be warned though, you may attract all the other kids on the camp when they see how much fun you're having.


2) Football

Taking a football is a great way to keep the children entertained and it doesn't take up too much room. You can play endless games with it such as piggy in the middle or practice football skills such as dribbling.

3) Nature Hunt/ Scavenger Hunt

Getting the kids to explore their surroundings in a nature or scavenger hunt is a great way to get them interested in nature and the environment. You can hunt for bugs, pebbles on a beach etc. If it's raining you can create a scavenger hunt in the tent by sending them to look for things such as pillows, mugs etc. The possibilities are endless. 

4) Water Play

Young children love wet play. They always seem to relish in getting as wet as possible. You can pack some water balloons which are small and cheap and have a water fight. You can fill up a bucket of water and let them pour things with mugs and cups. At our very first festival they had lots of bubbles which my eldest really enjoyed so we've been taking them with us ever since. You can read more about our first festival camping adventure here, Our First Family Festival - Wychwood.


5) Bike Rides

If you have the room then make sure you take bikes or scooters. They are perfect for exploring (and tiring the kids out too)

6) Toy Box

Lastly take a toy box. When it rains you will need things to help keep them entertained inside the tent. If you use something like a Trunki then it can also double up as a ride along. Pack things such as activity books, colouring books, craft items, glue etc. You can get the children to make some crafts using nature as their supplies. They could so some pebble art or pressing leaves and flowers.



Do you have any top tips for keeping children entertained whilst camping?

*This is a collaborative post*


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Saray Restaurant Cardiff - Authentic Turkish Cuisine

As someone that has travelled to Turkey many times, one of the things I love the most is the cuisine and therefore I couldn't believe that the Saray Restaurant in Cardiff has not been on my radar. 

Saray restaurant is located on the bustling City Road which is within walking distance to Cardiff city centre. 'Saray' is the Persian word for Palace which is traditionally a place of amalgamation and honing cuisines from other ruling empires and the restaurant takes this description as inspiration for the service they provide their customers. Their menu boasts a fusion of flavours from traditional Ottoman cuisines with many traditional Turkish tastes to choose from.

Most people I know would think Turkish food was all greasy kebabs and pitta bread but luckily I know differently. Turkish food is all about bringing the family together and sharing freshly made food (especially at breakfast which is a very important meal for them). 

I was invited to a cooking class at the restaurant by one the lovely owner's Selma and also Kelly from Reduced Grub. Before the class I was given a Turkish tea in a beautiful cup whilst I had a chat and got to know two other local bloggers who write at The Globetrotter GP and Welshcakes and Wellies.


First up we were shown how they make their dough. Everything is made fresh in the kitchen which is wonderful to see. We then helped the chef to make Adana kebabs. Adana kebabs are a spicy mincemeat kebab. For ours we had a mixture of lamb mince, onion, chilli, parsley, red pepper and salt. 



We all had a go at shaping the mincemeat mixture onto the very large skewer. You have to squeeze the mixture along the length of the skewer until it is evenly spread out. I was actually a dab hand at this which I was rather impressed with. 

We then made a pide which is a traditional Turkish pizza. You can use meat or vegetarian fillings such as pepperoni, mice meat, feta, spinach etc. I made a mincemeat pide.




I'll be the first to admit I was fairly useless when it came to rolling out the dough and shaping it into an oval, however, the rest of the recipe was easy to do. 





Once everything was cooked it was time for us to sit down and enjoy everything we'd created and more. We tucked into a huge Turkish feast. It was fab to try lots of different dishes and the flavours were truly authentic. We finished off with more Turkish tea and a sweet treat called Kadayif, which is a form of baklava. It was delicious, my mouth is salivating just remembering it.





I had a wonderful time at Saray and would definitely recommend it. My husband and I called in one evening last week to pick up a takeaway kebab each which was the best one I have eaten in Cardiff. So much fresher and flavoursome than anywhere else and the portion was huge. We are also planning to have my birthday meal there next week as hubby has been desperate to try more of the menu out as I haven't stopped raving about how good it is there. 

Have you tried Turkish food before?


*Thank you to Saray for inviting me to the cookery class. All opinions are my own*
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Wednesday 11 April 2018

5 Reasons to Visit Croatia - Guest Post by The CSI Girls

Hello everyone! I'm Laura (L), one half of The CSI Girls, a blog written by two friends based in South Wales. We share our love of beauty and travel on our lifestyle blog and I jumped at the chance at writing a guest post for the lovely Kerry Norris about one of my favourite places.

Last year I went on a solo adventure to Croatia and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I've wanted to go since my brother went and told me how beautiful Split was, and after finding a sailing adventure with a group I couldn't resist adding that on too!

Croatia is a beautiful country and I'd recommend it to anyone who was thinking of visiting, there's plenty to do for the young adventurers, romantic city breaks and holidays for families. Here are my top 5 reasons you should visit Croatia:

1) Stunning natural scenery - there are so many different landscapes in Croatia to feast your eyes on but of particular interest to me were the waterfalls. There are a few different National Parks to visit but I had to go to the most popular, Plitvice Lakes. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever been and it's worth spending the day there walking along the path and finding the waterfalls.



2) Wine - As part of the sailing tour we went wine tasting on the Peljesac Peninsula. It was a surprise to me but Croatia has a big wine business and we visited three different types of vineyards with wine tasting on one afternoon.

I obviously enjoyed tasting the different types of wine and schnapps they had to offer! But it was also really interesting to learn the various histories of the vineyards and the families behind them.



3) Great seafood - having a large amount of coastline there is a massive abundance of seafood as you would expect. It's freshly caught every day and is the best thing you can eat!

Take advantage of the black risotto, made with a variety of fresh fish and black squid ink to give it its colour (and it comes with great wine!) and the calamari. It's all so tasty you really can't go wrong!



4) The Islands - on the sailing tour we visited a number of the islands and each one was totally different and greatly added to the trip.

There was Vis, a military island which still has the old tunnels you can walk through where the cannons were kept. It's also where the latest Mamma Mia was filmed so you can see how gorgeous it is too! 
There is also Korcula with the beautiful old town charm, Mjlet containing a national park perfect for active adventures and Parmizana with the beautiful beach clubs just ready for the most glamorous of beach parties and stunning sunsets. 



5) Old Town charm - Croatia is full of the most beautiful 'Old Towns'. They seem to be in every place I went to, including Split, Hvar, Korcula and the main one, Dubrovnik.

The orange tiled roofs and old stone buildings, the overall effect is so beautiful. And in all of them the little winding sidestreets and alleyways hide the cutest little shops and restaurants! They are all well worth exploring and finding some hidden gems.



 I hope this has inspired you to want to visit Croatia, if you're looking for any further information please feel free to check out my posts on each of these and send me any questions you have!


L xxx

Thank you so much for the guest post Laura. You can keep up to date with the CSI girls on the following social media:
Twitter @thecsigirls
Instagram @thecsigirls 
Pinterest 'thecsigirls' 
  
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Monday 9 April 2018

Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Enchantment

As you're probably aware already, we are a Disney mad family so when we found out that Disney on Ice is touring the UK again this year, we knew we had to go. Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Enchantment features some of our daughter's favourite Disney characters. This show includes performances based around Cars, The Little Mermaid, Toy Story and Frozen.



Eva and Ophelia are both obsessed with Frozen and adore Queen Elsa. Eva has longed to Ice Skate since watching the film so Disney on Ice presents her with a new kind of magic and inspiration. The last time we watched the show both of our girls were singing their hearts out to 'Let It Go'. It was very cute to see.



Another one of Eva's all time favourite characters is Lightening McQueen. I can't wait to see her face when she see's him on the ice. I'm very intrigued to see how the show will do that.


Disney on Ice is very popular with shows selling out fast. Here are the remaining dates of the tour:
  • SSE Arena Wembley, London 04/04/18 - 08/04/19
  • Echo Arena Liverpool 11/04/18 - 15/04/18
  • Motorpoint Arena Nottingham 18/04/18 - 22/04/18
  • Motorpoint Arena Cardiff 25/04/18 - 29/04/18
  • GE Oil and Gas Arena Aberdeen 02/05/18 - 06/05/18 


This half term we are going to Disneyland Paris so watching this show will help us get rid of the Disney blues after we've returned. Have you seen this show?



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Wednesday 4 April 2018

15 Tangled Quotes for Mindfulness

Next in my series of Disney quotes for mindfulness is the lovely 'Tangled'. I never used to be a fan of this movie but the more I watch it the more I fall in love with it. 


1) Venture outside your comfort zone, the rewards are worth it

2) All at once every things is different, bow that I see you

3) And at last, I see the light

4) I am the lost princess


5) I see a strong, confident, beautiful young lady

6) I'm where i'm meant to be

7) Never stop dreaming

8) You were my new dream, and you were mine


9) All those years outside looking in

10) Go live your dream

11) I could go running, and racing, and dancing, and chasing, and leaping, and bounding, hair flying, heart pounding, and splashing, and reeling, and finally feeling now's when my life begins


12) And it's like the fog has lifted

13) All those years, living in a blur

14) I promise. And when I promise something, i never ever break that promise

15) Best Day Ever

You can read the rest of my series by clicking below:
15 Winnie the Pooh Quotes for Mindfulness
15 Beauty and the Beast Quotes for Mindfulness
15 Moana Quotes for Mindfulness
15 Peter Pan Quotes for Mindfulness
15 The Lion King Quotes for Mindfulness


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Making Everyday a Reading Day with World Book Day Club

Both of my girls love to read. At ages 5 and 2 they have already developed a passion for having stories read to them. Before bed we always read a few books together. Both girls come and sit on my lap and it's such a lovely 15 minutes. It's one of my favourite times of the day. We usually read about 5 books so when Scholastic kindly offered to send us some new books from their World Book Day Club, I jumped at the chance to read something new.


The Scholastic World Book Day club is a huge selection of over 400 books including offers and money saving packs. I didn't realise that when you shop with Scholastic and spend over £10, they donate 25% worth of free books back to a school or nursery of your choice. Last year, they donated over £9 million in free books to schools which I think is fantastic. The World Book Day Club runs until the end of April and there are lots of well loved authors to choose from.

We were sent the following books:

  • The Koala Who Could - Rachel Bright
  • That's Not My Chick - Fiona Watt
  • There's a Monster in Your Book - Tom Fletcher 
  • Sugarlump and the Unicorn - Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks

The Koala Who Could 
This book is about a Koala named Kevin. Kevin doesn't like change and he likes the same routine. Some other animals try and show him how change can be good and in the end Kevin enjoys it.


The story will help little one's who worry a lot that change can be great. Eva loves this book. She likes to point out and name all of the other animals in the story. The colours in the book are warm and the illustrations themselves are inviting. 

That's Not My Chick
This book is ideal for little one's. Each page contains touchable textures and simple descriptive phrases to match the textures. It's good for sensory development. There are many in the series but this one is perfect for springtime. The pages are bright and eye-catching. 


Eva used to read these books all the time when she was younger and they have now become Ophelia's firm favourites. I can't begin to tell you how many times a day we have read this book since it arrived. 



There's a Monster in Your Book
Tom Fletcher is one of our favourite children's authors. We are big fans of his 'Dinosaur that pooped' series as they always provide a giggle when we're reading them and this book is no different. This is truly a unique reading experience. The story is about a Monster hiding in the book and you have to try and get him out using the commands in the story such as shaking the book, blowing at the book etc. 


The book has gone down an absolute storm in our house. Even Ophelia laughs ecstatically when we read it and joins in with the actions. The illustrations are accurate and quirky and the print is easy to read and follow. It's a great read for the middle of the day or also super handy for getting any last minute energy out of the window before bedtime.


Sugarlump and the Unicorn
This is another fantastic book by a much loved author. There is glitter on every page so of course Eva was instantly drawn in. The story is about a rocking Horse named Sugarlump who wishes to see the world. A magical unicorn turns him into a real Horse and he gets to experience lots of new things such as galloping through fields and even dancing. However, he misses the children that used to own him.


Eva loves this story. Although she gets very sad when the Rocking Horse is upset but the ending is lovely. The book has wonderful illustrations and characters that are emotive. The rhyming words help to keep the girls interested.


You don't have to be a member of a school book club to order these books or any others from Scholastic. You can buy them directly from https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/ and then nominate a school or nursery to receive the 25% back (if you spend over £10) at checkout.


Have you read any of the books before? What books are your child's current favourites?

*Thank you to Scholastic for sending us the books. All words and opinions are my own*
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