Nottingham Forest - Football and Family

Last season, I headed down to the City Ground on a typical English day, cloudy, sunny with a chance of rain, to watch my first ever Forest match, I absolutely loved the buzz around the ground and seeing the way it bought people together.

After much internal debate about whether I could manage it on my own, I decided to take my children along for the next home match. Thankfully, they loved it too and despite being sat in the cold, they loved the excitement of the game and listening to the cheers, chants and boos of the crowd.

One thing that occurred to me that night however, was that I was possibly one of the only women there alone with their children and it got me wondering why? Is it really just 'a man's game' as I'd heard often from those around me at my first match?

Undeterred, we kept on going and the more we went the more we loved it. I sometimes got annoyed at the the occasional archaic comments, but we didn't let it spoil our enjoyment.

We'd wrap up warm when it was cold, I'd take a blanket and hot chocolate and we'd sit there and be a part of the fun. What I loved most was that it gave us something to look forward to as a family; something that we could all get in to.

My daughter joined the Junior Reds 7s scheme in the following weeks and got her first Forest Garibaldi shirt. She wore it with pride to every match and even created her own hand drawn Forest flag, inspired by the other colourful displays around the ground.

Football isn't necessarily hooligans, swearing and an expensive habit; it can be about family bonding and for us it has been just that.

This season, I'll be working alongside Forest to showcase that a trip to the City Ground on a matchday can be the perfect family activity, no matter what your family dynamic.

Plus the club have made it even cheaper to get to games now; with their children's season tickets starting from £15 for up to 11 and then £70 for up to 17.

Even if you just fancy going to the odd match here and there, Forest's regular Kids for a Quid promotion has meant we have managed to get to lots of games for under £30 for all three of us. And considering how much the cinema can cost these days, it's great value.

Football doesn't have to be about the 90 minutes the players are on the pitch, Forest are striving to make more of the Match Day experience. The Family Area in the Peter Taylor Stand has some great new pre-match events with the club mascot lined up.

Plus with the ground being a stones throw from the wonderful West Bridgford and Nottingham itself, it really is a great way to spend the day with your family.

A few weeks ago we went to pick up our season tickets from the newly refurbished ticket office and whilst we were there couldn't help checking out the club shop.

We'll be there in the Family Area, cheering on the Reds this season. #COYR

This is a collaborative post, we are working with Forest in return for our season tickets. All words and opinions are my own.

Dancing Fit

Before children we used to go clubbing a lot, I think a mixture of eating healthier, super quick metabolism and dancing in clubs kept me fit.

Although I don't go clubbing anymore I do still enjoy dancing and can be often found in the kitchen bopping whilst cleaning.

Music to me is a way of setting yourself free and if I can get the children to join me then I do, who said fitness had to be all gym.

Plus music can be a great way to de-stress and for me always brings back memories and feelings from moments in my life. For example Chemical Brothers reminds me of being at Glastonbury and a fab weekend at a Radio One Big Weekend, I remember seeing myself on the big screens dancing! It was amazing.




My daughter loves to dance and can often be found twirling round the lounge with me,  I hope to get her in to dance classes later this year and I hope she can find a love for it.

Exercise doesn't always have to be about the gym, sometimes you can burn calories doing what comes natural, there is a beautiful quote in the film Hanna which has a soundtrack by Chemical Brothers funnily enough, it says "Music; a combination of sounds with a view to beauty of form and expression of emotion" I think this is the perfect way to describe it and why I love to dance so much.

Me clubbing about 7 years ago

Linking up to Active Family on The Olivers Madhouse

A Run About in the Park

Sometimes it's great to just go to the park and have a run about, in fact it's amazing how much kids seem to enjoy the simple act of running in circles.

The perfect way to get them out into the fresh air and an easy way of getting them active without them even realising they are exercising.

Running, jumping, rolling, throwing, catching and playing, so much and all you need is some grass, oh and maybe a ball and a frisbee.

Getting active needn't cost the earth either, you can take a picnic to eat and just find a large space to run about in, whether it is is a local park, national trust house or even your own garden. Make the most of the summer, enjoy running about and being free.

It's something we love to do and you get to make memories too.

Linking up to Active Family over on The Oliver's Madhouse