The first time we went camping with both of our girls it was the stuff of nightmares. It almost brought hubby and I to tears. The whole trip was great in the end but setting the tent up and trying to get organised almost had us throwing it back in the car and driving home. It took the best part of 4 hours, including several trips back and forth to the car which wasn't anywhere near the tent. Not ideal with 2 little ones. Arwyn ended up doing it all himself whilst I attempted to keep the girls entertained. However, we recently went glamping with Ready Camp which has restored our faith in The Great British holiday.
Ready Camp are pre-erected safari style tents with 2 bedrooms, real beds, a sofa, dining table and chairs, plug sockets, a small radiator and a small kitchen area making them perfect for families. We chose to go to the Minehead site for a weekend break away.
Usually packing for camping trips is stressful for us. Not having to pack things such as beds, tables etc made it much easier and also made the car journey more comfortable. Usually we are squashed in amongst everything but the kitchen sink. All we had to pack was bedding, clothes, toiletries, food and some toys for the kids.
We arrived at the camping site which is on top of a hill with breathtaking views of Minehead below. It had a reception area with a small shop and onsite shower facilities. It's a small but spacious site. There wasn't a park or recreation area.
We were able to park directly next to the tent which was very handy. We unzipped the tent and unpacked and got settled in about 10-15 minutes which was amazing. All we had to do was pop the bedding on, place the food in the fridge and leave our bags in the rooms. We were able to relax and get on with our break away in record time.
The tent is spacious and housed the 4 of us comfortably. There is actually space to sleep 6 people as there are double bunkbeds in the one room and also a mattress underneath the bed. The first thing we were impressed with was the fact that the furniture was of good quality. The beds were real beds (not fold up or camp beds). There was a lovely wooden table and chairs for eating.
The kitchen area is small but more than adequate as there is a fridge with a freezer section, a 2 hob stove, kettle, microwave, cutlery and various tableware. There isn't running water in the tent so you need to collect water from the camp facilities.
Underneath the double bed were fold up chairs which we placed on our decking area. We spent most of the weekend out on the decking as the weather was so lovely.
The shower/toilet/washing block was literally a 5 second walk from our tent. It was clean and warm with everything you could need and cleaned daily.
Despite the weather being beautifully warm in the day, the nights were chilly. Luckily we'd brought some blankets to use. We left the heater in the children's room which really helped keep the chill off. On our first night we got a Chinese to eat from the town centre. We all slept well and in fact ended up having a lie in on both mornings. All the fresh air must've warn us out!
On the Saturday we went to Minehead beach which was a short drive away from the site. The kids loved running around. We then went for a pub lunch in a fab place which had an outdoor play area to keep the girls entertained.
We returned to the campsite and soaked up the sun whilst playing outdoor games. We played with bubbles, balls and even rolled down the hills. We then had a BBQ for dinner which Arwyn cooked in the tent.
On Sunday we had an afternoon tea in Minehead which was amazing. We then drove to a Lavender farm (sadly there were no purple fields as it was the wrong time of year) but we had a drink and an ice cream in the sun.
We had a fantastic time glamping with Ready Camp. It was lovely to spend some quality time together as a family and just enjoy getting back to nature and the basics. There is something about camping that makes you feel like a child again. We spent the 2 days laughing and smiling and wishing we could stay longer.
The only thing we'd like to see differently at the Minehead campsite is perhaps a small outdoor park for the children to play in. I also think the tents could be placed in a different area as they are right opposite the toilet block rather than on the large field overlooking the stunning scenery. However, that wouldn't put us off returning as we had such a fantastic time.
You can watch our weekend away here:
*Thank you to Ready Camp for inviting us to stay at the Minehead camp site in exchange for a blog review. As always all my opinions are honest and my own*
Ready Camp are pre-erected safari style tents with 2 bedrooms, real beds, a sofa, dining table and chairs, plug sockets, a small radiator and a small kitchen area making them perfect for families. We chose to go to the Minehead site for a weekend break away.
Usually packing for camping trips is stressful for us. Not having to pack things such as beds, tables etc made it much easier and also made the car journey more comfortable. Usually we are squashed in amongst everything but the kitchen sink. All we had to pack was bedding, clothes, toiletries, food and some toys for the kids.
We arrived at the camping site which is on top of a hill with breathtaking views of Minehead below. It had a reception area with a small shop and onsite shower facilities. It's a small but spacious site. There wasn't a park or recreation area.
We were able to park directly next to the tent which was very handy. We unzipped the tent and unpacked and got settled in about 10-15 minutes which was amazing. All we had to do was pop the bedding on, place the food in the fridge and leave our bags in the rooms. We were able to relax and get on with our break away in record time.
The tent is spacious and housed the 4 of us comfortably. There is actually space to sleep 6 people as there are double bunkbeds in the one room and also a mattress underneath the bed. The first thing we were impressed with was the fact that the furniture was of good quality. The beds were real beds (not fold up or camp beds). There was a lovely wooden table and chairs for eating.
The kitchen area is small but more than adequate as there is a fridge with a freezer section, a 2 hob stove, kettle, microwave, cutlery and various tableware. There isn't running water in the tent so you need to collect water from the camp facilities.
Underneath the double bed were fold up chairs which we placed on our decking area. We spent most of the weekend out on the decking as the weather was so lovely.
The shower/toilet/washing block was literally a 5 second walk from our tent. It was clean and warm with everything you could need and cleaned daily.
Despite the weather being beautifully warm in the day, the nights were chilly. Luckily we'd brought some blankets to use. We left the heater in the children's room which really helped keep the chill off. On our first night we got a Chinese to eat from the town centre. We all slept well and in fact ended up having a lie in on both mornings. All the fresh air must've warn us out!
On the Saturday we went to Minehead beach which was a short drive away from the site. The kids loved running around. We then went for a pub lunch in a fab place which had an outdoor play area to keep the girls entertained.
We returned to the campsite and soaked up the sun whilst playing outdoor games. We played with bubbles, balls and even rolled down the hills. We then had a BBQ for dinner which Arwyn cooked in the tent.
On Sunday we had an afternoon tea in Minehead which was amazing. We then drove to a Lavender farm (sadly there were no purple fields as it was the wrong time of year) but we had a drink and an ice cream in the sun.
We had a fantastic time glamping with Ready Camp. It was lovely to spend some quality time together as a family and just enjoy getting back to nature and the basics. There is something about camping that makes you feel like a child again. We spent the 2 days laughing and smiling and wishing we could stay longer.
The only thing we'd like to see differently at the Minehead campsite is perhaps a small outdoor park for the children to play in. I also think the tents could be placed in a different area as they are right opposite the toilet block rather than on the large field overlooking the stunning scenery. However, that wouldn't put us off returning as we had such a fantastic time.
You can watch our weekend away here:
*Thank you to Ready Camp for inviting us to stay at the Minehead camp site in exchange for a blog review. As always all my opinions are honest and my own*
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We were recently invited to the opening of Ocean Invaders which is the UK's largest Jellyfish experience at the Sealife Centre in London. We've visited aquariums before and we always enjoy them. We hadn't been to the London one so this was the ideal opportunity.
The aquarium was opened early for us for a very intimate experience. There weren't many people there which made it extra special.
We arrived and were treated to breakfast whilst watching some of the marine life. It was a very early start so hubby and I were very grateful for the coffee to wake us up. Both the girls loved watching the animals swim by and Ophelia was particularly fond of the Sharks.
After breakfast it was time to explore Ocean Invaders. Eva and Ophelia were actually the first kids to go in there which was lovely. There are 3 different zones to explore, discover Jellyfish, understand Jellyfish and wowed by Jellyfish.
To get through to the area you have to walk through a special wall of Jellyfish. Eva wouldn't go in at first but soon found it highly amusing and spent a long time going in and out of it. Ophelia being the tough cookie that she is, practically ran through it with no hesitation.
The girls both loved seeing the baby Jellyfish. I never even knew they were that small. They were fascinated by them and it was actually Eva's favourite part of the experience. She kept returning to them.
We walked through the Zones to see many different types of Jellyfish. I didn't realise there were so many and that they all look so different. It was fascinating to learn about them.
We then headed into zone 2 which had some interactive areas. There was an area where you could feel the sting of a Jellyfish. I was too nervous to put my hand in but Eva did. She then played on a game which was on a huge screen.
The final zone really did have the wow factor. It was amazing to walk around it. I won't give away to much but you felt as if you were surrounded by Jellyfish and were taken in by lights and sounds.
Overall, we thought it was fantastic. Every single one of us really enjoyed it. It's an experience unlike any I had seen in the aquariums i've been in all over the world. It was fun but also educational.
Ophelia had the time of her life. The lights and sounds were a sensory overload for her and there was plenty to see, touch and explore.
Eva adored learning about the Jellyfish. The staff were all friendly and knowledgeable and she listened intently to what they were teaching her.
Ocean Invaders is a great addition to the aquarium. If you haven't been I strongly recommend it.
A big thank you to 365 tickets who invited us to the event. You can find them here as @365tickets on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also purchase tickets from here, London Aquarium Combo Tickets
The aquarium was opened early for us for a very intimate experience. There weren't many people there which made it extra special.
We arrived and were treated to breakfast whilst watching some of the marine life. It was a very early start so hubby and I were very grateful for the coffee to wake us up. Both the girls loved watching the animals swim by and Ophelia was particularly fond of the Sharks.
After breakfast it was time to explore Ocean Invaders. Eva and Ophelia were actually the first kids to go in there which was lovely. There are 3 different zones to explore, discover Jellyfish, understand Jellyfish and wowed by Jellyfish.
To get through to the area you have to walk through a special wall of Jellyfish. Eva wouldn't go in at first but soon found it highly amusing and spent a long time going in and out of it. Ophelia being the tough cookie that she is, practically ran through it with no hesitation.
The girls both loved seeing the baby Jellyfish. I never even knew they were that small. They were fascinated by them and it was actually Eva's favourite part of the experience. She kept returning to them.
We walked through the Zones to see many different types of Jellyfish. I didn't realise there were so many and that they all look so different. It was fascinating to learn about them.
We then headed into zone 2 which had some interactive areas. There was an area where you could feel the sting of a Jellyfish. I was too nervous to put my hand in but Eva did. She then played on a game which was on a huge screen.
The final zone really did have the wow factor. It was amazing to walk around it. I won't give away to much but you felt as if you were surrounded by Jellyfish and were taken in by lights and sounds.
Overall, we thought it was fantastic. Every single one of us really enjoyed it. It's an experience unlike any I had seen in the aquariums i've been in all over the world. It was fun but also educational.
Ophelia had the time of her life. The lights and sounds were a sensory overload for her and there was plenty to see, touch and explore.
Eva adored learning about the Jellyfish. The staff were all friendly and knowledgeable and she listened intently to what they were teaching her.
Ocean Invaders is a great addition to the aquarium. If you haven't been I strongly recommend it.
A big thank you to 365 tickets who invited us to the event. You can find them here as @365tickets on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also purchase tickets from here, London Aquarium Combo Tickets
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