There's no better way to get you into the Christmas spirit than with a trip to Cardiff's Winter Wonderland and this is exactly what we did when we were invited to a special preview evening, before its official opening last week.
As soon as you step into Winter Wonderland you feel christmassy. If the smell of chestnuts and mulled wine doesn't put you in the mood then the sparkly snowflakes and Christmas music will.
The ice-rink itself is beautifully lit up and best of all it is undercover so you can enjoy skating even in rubbish weather. This year they are also holding relaxed access sessions which is great. During these sessions the lighting will become static, sound levels will drop and the capacity of the rink will decrease to allow those who may need extra support requirements to be able to enjoy the experience too. The timings of these session can be found on the Winter Wonderland website.
Eva couldn't wait to go. She still talks about the times we visited last year and which rides she went on and how much she enjoyed ice-skating.
As soon as you step into Winter Wonderland you feel christmassy. If the smell of chestnuts and mulled wine doesn't put you in the mood then the sparkly snowflakes and Christmas music will.
We decided to go on a few of the rides first. Eva absolutely loved the helter skelter (as did Daddy). Both Eva and Ophelia liked riding the Santa's Sleigh ride.
Next, we sampled some of the food that was on offer and we were spoilt for choice. This year there are a few outlets to choose from such as German Sausages cooked on a traditional swing grill, burgers, pigs in blankets, sweet and savoury crepes and amazing waffles to name a few. I didn't spot any child size portions anywhere (I could be mistaken). Hopefully this will be added next year.
After watching an Ice-Skating display, Eva and I decided to give it a whirl much to Ophelia's despair. She was desperate to come on the ice with us but the minimum age is 3. I'm not overly confident in ice-skating in the slightest so when Eva suggested we use a penguin, I was delighted!! Note to other parent's, it's actually quite hard work pushing around a penguin whilst supporting a small child at the same time. I honestly felt like I'd been in a gym class. I was shattered by the time she decided she wanted to get off. We loved it though and that's the main thing.
After Ice skating we chose to enjoy a much needed rest in the warmth of the Bierkeller Bar with a mulled wine. The bar is one of my favourite parts of Cardiff's Winter Wonderland. It is so cozy.
Next up we braved the big wheel. I'm not the biggest fan of heights but never show fear to your children hey. It's much higher than it looks and offers sweeping views of Cardiff City Centre. Daddy and Eva relished it. Mummy and Ophelia not so much.
We ended our evening by trying out the rest of the funfair rides. The dodgems were a huge hit as was the merry go round. Ophelia had the time of her life on that one. We all attempted the Bavarian Fun House which had us all giggling.
Overall, it was a fantastic evening as it always is. It's a wonderful place to go to get you in that Christmas spirit. It's perfect for a family trip and it would also make a lovely, romantic date night. There's plenty to enjoy for all ages. We are looking forward to visiting many more times this year.
For more information on opening times and to book your ice skating sessions, please visit Cardiff Winter Wonderland.
*Thank you to Cardiff's Winter Wonderland and Orchard for inviting us*
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I've decided to start joining in with the #LittleLoves linky. It's a great way of looking back at the previous week and highlighting favourite parts and reflecting on what we've done. It'll be a lovely thing to look back on in a few years time.
Read:
I'm currently reading a book called 'When breath becomes air' by Paul Kalanithi. It's such a wonderful but sad book. I work in an operating theatre so I was immediately drawn to wanting to read this. It's a memoir about his life and illness. He was battling lung cancer. I hope to finish it before we go on holiday next month so I can take a new book with me. Please send me your book suggestions.
I'm currently reading a book called 'When breath becomes air' by Paul Kalanithi. It's such a wonderful but sad book. I work in an operating theatre so I was immediately drawn to wanting to read this. It's a memoir about his life and illness. He was battling lung cancer. I hope to finish it before we go on holiday next month so I can take a new book with me. Please send me your book suggestions.
Heard:
The best thing i've heard in the last week has made me laugh so much. Ophelia has started to call me 'Kerry' rather than mummy. I have no idea why she has decided this and as much as i'm annoyed about it, it honestly has had me in stitches. She is hilarious.
Made:
We actually did something crafty during half term (shock horror for me, especially if you've read my recent post, Pinterest? More like Binterest! Mama ain't no Martha Stewart).
We were staying in a caravan in Tenby so we were a short walk to the beach. We decided to collect some pebbles and paint them. Both the girls loved it.
Watched:
Whilst we were at the caravan park, we watched a magic show at the clubhouse one evening. We were all enjoying it until my stupid husband decided to volunteer me to be in the end scene of the show and much to Ophelia's distress, I ended up levitating in the air. He loved it and the kids hated it.
Wore:
I bought a really cozy, winter jumper this week from River Island. It's grey, with a roll neck and super warm. It was perfect for the autumn/winter walks we had.
And Lastly:
The highlight of last week was without a doubt having quality time together as a family. We were able to switch off and enjoy the fresh air. I was more relaxed as I practised a lot of mindfulness that week. I didn't worry about to do lists and I went for regular walks on my own which was just what the doctor ordered.
Look out for my future #LittleLoves posts
There's one symptom of Postnatal Depression (PND), that no one likes to talk about. One symptom so scary that you often wonder whether you have completely lost who you are. You become too ashamed to even mention it to anyone for fear of judgement and misunderstanding. You basically worry about being accused of being a terrible mother (or father). Perhaps you don't even realise it is a symptom of PND because no one has mentioned it to you. It's way too taboo. Let's talk about rage, the unspoken, scary symptom of PND.
There I am in the kitchen, it's 8.05am. Hubby is running around, already late for work but busy, trying to help me get the kids ready for the school run. He knows full well that some days , these normal, daily tasks are too overwhelming for me so he stays to make things easier but he needs to leave.
I haven't had breakfast, the kids are messing about with theirs, I realise I have work to do, emails to get out, washing to be done, food shopping to be done, the list is apparently endless. I can't possibly get any of this achieved by 8.45am before we need to leave. My phone starts ringing, my toddler throws a tantrum, I look at the time. I'm already talking faster, breathing quicker, blood pressure rising.
I usher my eldest to go and get dressed but she potters around, I attempt to make myself breakfast, I ignore the phone ringing and the dog mulling around my feet (why is he always in the way?), I start to panic. Then the baby throws all of her food on the floor. It comes quicker than you can imagine. The tension is fast and furious. My face gets redder and hotter. My body feels heavy and my legs feel weak. Stress and panic swirl around me like a tornado. I'm spinning and losing control. Then bam, enter the hurricane and storm.
I snap!! I snap badly. The rage is like nothing you can imagine and it's uncontrollable. I'm left screaming at anybody that can hear me. It's like as if the words are being dragged from my mouth and I can't stop them. I can't take them back. I shout, I scream, I want to throw things, smash things, no one ever listens to me!!!!
Then comes the guilt. I'm crying. Crying so much my head hurts. I feel sick, I can't see. I want to be left alone. I hate everyone and worst of all I hate myself. What have I become? I'm a shit mum. Everyone would be better off without me. I can't do this. I'm rubbish at it. Why am I so angry?
And that's what a rage episode looks like. They are unexpected and unwanted. They turn me into something no one can recognise and that is what is most frightening. My husband is frightened of me, my children are frightened of me and I am afraid of myself. I feel so ugly and so ashamed by the rage.
The smallest of things can set me off but looking back it's usually a build up of lots of minor triggers that lead to a huge explosion. It's also not always a massive outburst. I can just be nasty or angry, making snide comments or not wanting to do anything for anyone. Sometimes i'm a monster and sometimes i'm an alien.
The guilt I feel because of this symptom is ginormous. It weighs down on me and traps me. It makes my heart hurt. I love my family very much and wouldn't ever want to upset them and hurt their feelings yet it keeps happening again and again.
Its taken me a while to accept this as a symptom of PND. I honestly thought I was going mad. I thought I was alone and that no one would ever understand this side of me.
After recently, tragically losing a family member to a mental health illness, I have vowed to talk more about mental health on my blog. I will share with you the good, the bad and the damn right ugly. Nobody should feel alone. Nobody should feel that they can't speak or ask for help.
So come on let's talk about it. Have you ever suffered with anger or rage as part of your PND or mental health illness?
I haven't had breakfast, the kids are messing about with theirs, I realise I have work to do, emails to get out, washing to be done, food shopping to be done, the list is apparently endless. I can't possibly get any of this achieved by 8.45am before we need to leave. My phone starts ringing, my toddler throws a tantrum, I look at the time. I'm already talking faster, breathing quicker, blood pressure rising.
I usher my eldest to go and get dressed but she potters around, I attempt to make myself breakfast, I ignore the phone ringing and the dog mulling around my feet (why is he always in the way?), I start to panic. Then the baby throws all of her food on the floor. It comes quicker than you can imagine. The tension is fast and furious. My face gets redder and hotter. My body feels heavy and my legs feel weak. Stress and panic swirl around me like a tornado. I'm spinning and losing control. Then bam, enter the hurricane and storm.
I snap!! I snap badly. The rage is like nothing you can imagine and it's uncontrollable. I'm left screaming at anybody that can hear me. It's like as if the words are being dragged from my mouth and I can't stop them. I can't take them back. I shout, I scream, I want to throw things, smash things, no one ever listens to me!!!!
Then comes the guilt. I'm crying. Crying so much my head hurts. I feel sick, I can't see. I want to be left alone. I hate everyone and worst of all I hate myself. What have I become? I'm a shit mum. Everyone would be better off without me. I can't do this. I'm rubbish at it. Why am I so angry?
And that's what a rage episode looks like. They are unexpected and unwanted. They turn me into something no one can recognise and that is what is most frightening. My husband is frightened of me, my children are frightened of me and I am afraid of myself. I feel so ugly and so ashamed by the rage.
The smallest of things can set me off but looking back it's usually a build up of lots of minor triggers that lead to a huge explosion. It's also not always a massive outburst. I can just be nasty or angry, making snide comments or not wanting to do anything for anyone. Sometimes i'm a monster and sometimes i'm an alien.
The guilt I feel because of this symptom is ginormous. It weighs down on me and traps me. It makes my heart hurt. I love my family very much and wouldn't ever want to upset them and hurt their feelings yet it keeps happening again and again.
Its taken me a while to accept this as a symptom of PND. I honestly thought I was going mad. I thought I was alone and that no one would ever understand this side of me.
After recently, tragically losing a family member to a mental health illness, I have vowed to talk more about mental health on my blog. I will share with you the good, the bad and the damn right ugly. Nobody should feel alone. Nobody should feel that they can't speak or ask for help.
So come on let's talk about it. Have you ever suffered with anger or rage as part of your PND or mental health illness?
As a Disney obsessed family, I tend to dress both my girls in lots of Disney clothes. Over the years i've tried them from various shops, so I have now worked out where my favourite places are. Some places have better ranges and some have a nicer quality that wash better than others.
Here are the best places to buy Disney clothes for kids. You can also check out the best places to buy Disney clothes for adults here, Disney Clothes for Adults.
1) Cath Kidston
If you follow me on Instagram, then you will have probably seen me and my girls in matching Disney clothes from Cath Kidston. We adore their range. We all have clothes from every collection they have released so far and i'm sure we'll be getting some from the up and coming 'Mickey and Friends' collection.
The clothes are fantastic quality, they wash very well and they have such unique, pretty prints.
If you are looking to buy anything from Cath Kidston then Deals Daddy have discounts codes for them here, Codes.
2) Gap
Gap has quickly become one of my favourite places to buy Disney clothes for kids. They have an amazing range from baby clothes to teen clothes. I have picked up some great body and sleep suits for my youngest in Winnie the Pooh and Snow White prints.
I've also got lots of fab things for my eldest. My top picks for older children are the Disney Jeans.
3) Primark
Primark is the place to go for all things Disney, including clothes. They always have plenty on offer and is one of my top places to go for Disney sleepwear.
4) Next
Next doesn't have a huge range of Disney clothes but the ones they do have are adorable. I've bought the girls Tinkerbell clothes in there before and a couple of Mickey tees. If you are a Toy Story fan then make sure you check out their wellies. They are the cutest ones i've ever seen.
I'm also loving their new Marie from the Aristocats jumper.
5) Disney Store
The Disney Store is always the first place I look for special Disney dresses or Christmas jumpers. They may be pricier than other places but you know the quality is always good. I can't wait to get the girls their Christmas jumpers from there this year.
6) Zara
I've always bought such lovely Disney clothes in Zara. My favourite item was a pair of summer shorts which I got for Ophelia. If only they did them in a bigger size. They currently have the most amazing Disney kids shoes.
7) Uniqlo
Last up is Uniqlo. I was first introduced to this brand whilst in Disneyworld this year. We bought lots of fab Disney clothes for all of us including hubby. The pricing is very reasonable and they have a huge range. I was very pleased to see you can order in the UK and that there is a store here, but my closet one is rather far.
Here are some of my current faves online (all images are from the Uniqlo website).
Where are your favourite places to buy kids Disney clothes?
Here are the best places to buy Disney clothes for kids. You can also check out the best places to buy Disney clothes for adults here, Disney Clothes for Adults.
1) Cath Kidston
If you follow me on Instagram, then you will have probably seen me and my girls in matching Disney clothes from Cath Kidston. We adore their range. We all have clothes from every collection they have released so far and i'm sure we'll be getting some from the up and coming 'Mickey and Friends' collection.
The clothes are fantastic quality, they wash very well and they have such unique, pretty prints.
If you are looking to buy anything from Cath Kidston then Deals Daddy have discounts codes for them here, Codes.
2) Gap
Gap has quickly become one of my favourite places to buy Disney clothes for kids. They have an amazing range from baby clothes to teen clothes. I have picked up some great body and sleep suits for my youngest in Winnie the Pooh and Snow White prints.
I've also got lots of fab things for my eldest. My top picks for older children are the Disney Jeans.
3) Primark
Primark is the place to go for all things Disney, including clothes. They always have plenty on offer and is one of my top places to go for Disney sleepwear.
Image from www.primark.com
Next doesn't have a huge range of Disney clothes but the ones they do have are adorable. I've bought the girls Tinkerbell clothes in there before and a couple of Mickey tees. If you are a Toy Story fan then make sure you check out their wellies. They are the cutest ones i've ever seen.
Image from www.next.co.uk
I'm also loving their new Marie from the Aristocats jumper.
Image from www.next.co.uk
5) Disney Store
The Disney Store is always the first place I look for special Disney dresses or Christmas jumpers. They may be pricier than other places but you know the quality is always good. I can't wait to get the girls their Christmas jumpers from there this year.
6) Zara
I've always bought such lovely Disney clothes in Zara. My favourite item was a pair of summer shorts which I got for Ophelia. If only they did them in a bigger size. They currently have the most amazing Disney kids shoes.
Image from www.zara.com
7) Uniqlo
Last up is Uniqlo. I was first introduced to this brand whilst in Disneyworld this year. We bought lots of fab Disney clothes for all of us including hubby. The pricing is very reasonable and they have a huge range. I was very pleased to see you can order in the UK and that there is a store here, but my closet one is rather far.
Here are some of my current faves online (all images are from the Uniqlo website).
Where are your favourite places to buy kids Disney clothes?
Eva absolutely loves Ballet. She's always in her costume and dancing around the house, so when we were sent the Sylvanian Families Ballet Theatre to review, she was over the moon.
Sylvanian Families were my favourite toy to play with when I was growing up so it's amazing to see Eva enjoying the same things I did. The fact that they are still around now is a testament to how loved the toys are and how good the quality still is.
The Ballet Theatre is one of the best Sylvanian Families toys we have. It has lots of great detail and I love how interactive they have become. This one actually plays songs from The Nutcracker and Swan Lake or you can use your own music by connecting a device with a cable. We've had lots of Disney songs being piped through the theatre for all the shows that Eva has been putting on. There is also a rotating stage to allow figurines to dance.
It comes complete with the Sylvanian Families character, 'chocolate Freya' who is dressed in an adorable ballet outfit. There is also a separate set which you can buy called Ballerina Friends which includes Rebecca Periwinkle and Nora Teak. We have recently bought this for Eva.
There is plenty included to ignite Eva's imagination. There is a ballet barre, stairs, coat hanger, chair, floor sheet and backdrop sheet.
Eva plays with this almost everyday. She quite often connects it to her other Sylvanian Families sets and puts on ballet lessons and then a big performance. I think it's great that you can connect the houses etc as you can build a village for lots of role play fun.
I would definitely recommend this toy as I think it's great for encouraging children's imaginations. Most toys these days seem so advanced that they take away children's own ideas but Sylvanian Families still allow lots of role play and children to create their own stories. It will be included in my Christmas gift guide (keep your eyes peeled for this).
You can buy the Sylvanian Families Ballet Theatre from all good retailers including Smyths and Argos.
Did you play with Sylvanian Families when you were a child?
*Thank you to Sylvanian Families for sending us the Ballet Theatre in exchange for our opinion in this post*
Sylvanian Families were my favourite toy to play with when I was growing up so it's amazing to see Eva enjoying the same things I did. The fact that they are still around now is a testament to how loved the toys are and how good the quality still is.
The Ballet Theatre is one of the best Sylvanian Families toys we have. It has lots of great detail and I love how interactive they have become. This one actually plays songs from The Nutcracker and Swan Lake or you can use your own music by connecting a device with a cable. We've had lots of Disney songs being piped through the theatre for all the shows that Eva has been putting on. There is also a rotating stage to allow figurines to dance.
It comes complete with the Sylvanian Families character, 'chocolate Freya' who is dressed in an adorable ballet outfit. There is also a separate set which you can buy called Ballerina Friends which includes Rebecca Periwinkle and Nora Teak. We have recently bought this for Eva.
There is plenty included to ignite Eva's imagination. There is a ballet barre, stairs, coat hanger, chair, floor sheet and backdrop sheet.
Eva plays with this almost everyday. She quite often connects it to her other Sylvanian Families sets and puts on ballet lessons and then a big performance. I think it's great that you can connect the houses etc as you can build a village for lots of role play fun.
I would definitely recommend this toy as I think it's great for encouraging children's imaginations. Most toys these days seem so advanced that they take away children's own ideas but Sylvanian Families still allow lots of role play and children to create their own stories. It will be included in my Christmas gift guide (keep your eyes peeled for this).
You can buy the Sylvanian Families Ballet Theatre from all good retailers including Smyths and Argos.
Did you play with Sylvanian Families when you were a child?
*Thank you to Sylvanian Families for sending us the Ballet Theatre in exchange for our opinion in this post*
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