My Little Trolls

Today we've pretty much had the perfect day, walking through Thorpe woods, drinking coffee in front of a cosy fire and then a lazy Sunday afternoon at home getting ready for the week ahead. Despite it raining most of the morning, it really didn't matter to us. The fresh air was exactly what we all needed. Plus the children were all dressed up for rain in their Tiny Trolls of Norway outfits which we were kindly sent to review.

5 Summer Garden Activities for the Children

Tearing the tykes away from Peppa Pig is no easy task unless you want tears and tantrums, but as us mums know, sitting in front of the television for the entire summer is probably going to do them more harm than good. 

So when the sunshine finally appears it’s no surprise that we all want to make the most of the weather and embrace as many of the good days our British climate has to offer. 

The trouble is, once you get out into the garden and have no pink pigs to entertain the children, the dreaded ‘I’m bored’ motto soon rears its head, and you want to instantly throw in the towel as you wonder whether it’s really worth all the effort in the first place. 

But unfortunately that moment seems to come no matter their age, and finding unique activities that will keep them outside is not only good for their health, but also for your own sanity. 

Take some inspiration from the games below and whether you’re feeling active or not there will be something to keep them entertained well into tea time. 

P.Y.O at White House Farm, Norfolk

This afternoon we spent some quality time as a family, wandering around orchards and pumpkin patches at White House Farm, Norfolk. I had been searching for a place to take Darcie for a while now, and managed to stumble upon this this place online. I'm so glad I did, because its such a wonderful little find.

Welcome to October Half Term!

Its that time of year again, October half term! October half term is one of my favourite breaks, it feels like its the most needed out of all the holidays through the year. Any other teachers agree? I'm looking forward to spending it with family and friends and of course getting ready for Halloween! We haven't got many days out planned, we wanted to just go with the flow and see where the week takes us. I think sometimes its better that way.

Ickworth House with The National Trust

We were very kindly sent a family ticket to explore a National Trust site, we decided upon Ickworth House as it was a place relatively close to us but we had never gone to visit. When we arrived the staff made us feel very welcome, as it was raining and Darcie was walking veeery slowly, one of the staff offered to give us a ride on the small shuttle bus up to the house. When we approached I couldn't help but feel I was being transported back in time, like a character from Jane Austen - just with a toddler attached to my leg. 

We arrived just as a tour of the basement had started, so the lovely staff took our bags and brought us up to speed. I have to admit, the tour was my favourite part. It was fantastic to see the volunteers share their knowledge and love of the history. It was so fascinating to see how a house of that size used to function - I can barely manage my own modern three bed!

The National Trust have restored the basement so beautifully, I was very envious of the kitchen! 

For children, the basement was perfect. They can play a song on the servants piano, handle the kitchen equipment and even play a game of "I spy" with the National Trusts's well thought out activity sheets. Its perfect for getting them excited about history.

After this, we were a little peckish. We were going to bring a picnic, but one, we were very disorganised and two, the weather wasn't in our favour anyway! Luckily they have a superb restaurant, we can highly recommend the pate! 

It was then time burn off some calories and explore the grounds!

Darcie loved to have the freedom of running around! We saw many families who were lapping up the grounds, either in their wellies or on their bikes - I'm thinking this would be the perfect setting for learner cyclists! 

Before we headed into the house to take another tour, Darcie spotted some children's activities that were available - perfect for them to get involved!

Then it was time for a walk around the house, this part is not so good for tiny tots and unfortunately we didn't get to see everything. 

That being said, I think Darcie was in awe with much of what she saw. She kept saying "oh don't touch it!" - at least that sank in! 

We had an absolutely fantastic day, and we were very grateful to all the help that was offered from the staff and how they engaged with Darcie - we were blown away to be honest!

Thank you very much the National Trust, we can't wait to come back, next time with our wellies on so we can tick some more things off our "50 things" to do list (find out more HERE)!

What's your favourite National Trust Site?

Mummy B xoxox

Enjoying our home, Norfolk

When reading Kerri's blog Ginger Lilly Tea and her recent trip to Norfolk with her beautiful girls, it reminded me how much I love living in Norfolk. Having not even been home a week from honeymoon, it was a lovely to read someone's enjoyment of place in which I live and certainly didn't make me feel sad to be back home. 

Yesterday we spent some quality time with the family, it was Jamie's last day off after nearly three weeks. We decided to go for a family walk, and took our dog Lady to Santon Downham. Santon Downham is perfect for the whole family, it has a lovely walk along the river, you can walk through the woods or even have a splash or swim in the river if you're feeling adventurous! 

Lady was feeling especially adventurous, she never normally likes water but was completely lapping it up today! 

After Lady had finished playing in the river we headed for a walk through the woods. We managed to find blackberries and some pinecones too, though Darcie was way more interested in the blackberries!

Picking blackberries also meant that we ticked another item off the National Trust's "50 Things" (read more about this initiative HERE). 

It was so nice to feel like we were really appreciating our home, in fact I feel really lucky sometimes that we have all these beautiful places virtually on our door step!

Where is your favourite place in your local area?

Mummy B xoxox

Nature Misses You

Im teaming up with the lovely people at The National Trust to let you know that nature misses YOU! We are all guilty, at times, of spending a little bit too much time in front of the telly, on our phones or laptops and not enough time enjoying the wonderful world around us. As a parent, I'm conscious of making sure that I encourage my daughter, Darcie, to get out and explore, whether its just in the garden, a local park or something a little bit more adventurous.

The National Trust launched a fantastic website called "50 things", the site inspire children to get outdoors and complete 50 activities before they are 11 3/4! I think this is a brilliant idea and was really surprised at some of the "things" of the list. Most of them are simple and free activities - there are really are no excuses for not getting stuck in and to start exploring! 

The website itself is fantastic, if you join up you also get the opportunity to unlock special certificates, games, hidden challenges and rewards for the best exlporers.C

During our honeymoon in Cornwall, we decided to tick a few things off the list. We managed 8 in total! Not bad going! We had so much fun completing these things, all of which didn't cost us a penny. This is perfect for the summer holidays, especially as we are now well into the holidays and the kids might be getting a little bored, so why not give it a go?! If you want to download your own 50 Things list head over HERE.

Here are a few snaps from our adventures so far...

I think Darcie was most keen on the wave jumping, rock pool searches and kit flying... she is a definite beach tot! We can't wait to keep going on with our adventures, I'm determined to get everything ticked off the list... and as she is only two its definitely doable! I'm hoping to keep you updated on how she is doing, I would love to hear from you guys as well if you fancy joining in!

Do you think your children would enjoy this? Have they already completed the list?

Mummy B xoxox