• Opus Anglicanum at the V&A
    days out - Local Review - London - sewing

    Opus Anglicanum at the V&A

    January 28, 2017 - By 

    Last week I took myself off to town for the day. There were a couple of exhibitions I really wanted to see at the V&A, one was Opus Anglicanum: Masterpieces of English Medieval Embroidery. I love sewing and embroidery and this looked like a fantastic exhibition. Opus Anglicanum: Masterpieces of English Medieval Embroidery From the 12th to the 15th centuries, England enjoyed an international reputation for the quality of its luxury embroideries, often referred to as ‘Opus Anglicanum’ (English work). Made by professional craftspeople in the City of London and rich in their intricacy, they were sought after by kings, queens, popes…

  • London Model Engineering Exhibition
    days out - London - parenting

    A family day out at the London Model Engineering Exhibition

    January 23, 2017 - By 

    On Saturday the whole family went to the London Model Engineering Exhibition at Alexandra Palace. This isn’t usually my idea of a fun day out but we used to live in the area and I was really keen to go back to re-visit some old haunts. The London Model Engineering Exhibition is in it’s 21st year and Ally Pally is a great venue for it. It’s a huge and very old entertainment complex built at the top of a hill. It houses a pub and ice rink as well as huge exhibition halls and we’ve seen Keane perform there as…

  • DK ProduKtions and London Borough of Hillingdon presents Dick Whittington 2016
    Christmas - Family Life - Hillingdon - Local Review - London

    Boxing Day panto – Dick Whittington {Compass Theatre}

    December 26, 2016 - By 

    Last Christmas we went to the pantomime with some friends which we all really enjoyed. It’s nice to get out of the house on Boxing Day and if it’s too cold for a walk then the panto seems like the next best thing. This year I was organised and booked us all tickets to see Dick Whittington at the Compass Theatre in Ickenham. According to Wikipedia pantomime (informally panto), is a type of musical comedy stage production, designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is still performed throughout the United Kingdom, generally during the Christmas and New…

  • Monster Trucks film preview
    days out - Local Review - London

    Monster fun at KidZania and the Monster Trucks film preview

    December 18, 2016 - By 

    This morning we were invited to enjoy some monster fun at KidZania London and attend a film preview of Monster Trucks. We love KidZania and are always happy to spend a few hours there. It was lovely to be there on a Sunday morning as it was really quiet and the children were able to try some of their favourite activities. KidZania was all decorated for Christmas and they had some lovely special events for the festive season, including the UK’s first Christmas market run by kids for kids! We’ve been to KidZania a few times now and the children…

  • Buckinghamshire - Christmas - days out - National Trust - parenting

    A fairytale Christmas at Hughenden Manor

    December 17, 2016 - By 

    I’ve mentioned Hughenden Manor a few times on my blog. It’s a local National Trust property and a great family day out. We’ve recently re-joined the National Trust as we realised how much we missed being members so I am looking forward to lots more great days out in 2017! We visited Hughenden in October to go pumpkin carving. You can read all about our Halloween experience here. As we were leaving one of the volunteers mentioned we should book early for Christmas and I did. I read a little more about it on their website and knew it sounded…

  • Christmas - days out - Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy List – Week 115

    December 5, 2016 - By 

    This time of year is so busy. As if school and after school clubs weren’t enough, we are trying to squeeze in extra festive activities whilst keeping winter germs at bay. After a busy weekend visiting my mum in Wiltshire I am so happy to be sitting at home catching up on my blog, the children safely at school. This week I will be finishing off costumes for their nativity plays and buying lots of Christmas presents – am I the only one who hasn’t started yet? Most weeks I find it so easy to write this Monday Happy List…

  • The Lego Store in Leicester Square
    days out - Lego - Local Review - London

    Our visit to The Lego Store in Leicester Square

    December 4, 2016 - By 

    On Wednesday my husband and I decided to have a day time date. As much as we love our children we hardly ever get to do the things we wanted to do. So we headed into the West End for a bit of shopping and lunch without two children who need constant food and toilet breaks! We’re both adult fans of Lego so wanted to visit the new Lego Store in Leicester Square. I’d been invited to view it before it opened to the public and was gutted I couldn’t make it. It was our first stop when we got…

  • A visit to Father Christmas at the Playmobil Christmas Grotto at Intu Watford
    Christmas - days out - Local Review

    A visit to Father Christmas at the Playmobil Christmas Grotto at Intu Watford

    November 27, 2016 - By 

    December is so busy for us and all our weekends are double and triple booked, so today found us visiting Father Christmas in his special magical discovery lodge at Intu Watford. Did you know that Playmobil have teamed up with the shopping centre chain and some of them are hosting special Santa’s Grotto’s in association with Playmobil? I bought our tickets online and we managed to keep our visit a secret until we got to the shopping centre. Then I gave them their golden ticket and we headed to the grotto. The children both love Playmobil so were very excited.…

  • Blogfest 2016 with Coca Cola
    blogging - days out

    Blogfest 2016 with Coca-Cola

    November 19, 2016 - By 

    This year I was resigned to the fact that I wouldn’t be able to attend Mumsnet Blogfest. Blogfest is one of my favourite conferences but as a stay-at-home-mum, money is tight for this kind of thing. A few weeks before the event I received a lovely invitation to attend Blogfest as a guest of Coca-Cola and I jumped at the chance to go. There was a stellar line up of speakers and two of my oldest blogging friends, Mum Friendly and New Mum Online (pic below) were going so I knew I was going to have a fab grown up day out.…