Our Favourite Toys from Chad Valley plus Giveaway

We have had an awesome time as part of the Chad Valley Play Panel and have been given the opportunity to review some great toys.

Here are a few of those we didn't review on the blog as well as our Top 5 of their current spring selection.


First up they sent us this amazing 6 in 1 Multi Games Table,  the kids have loved playing with it and to be fair the adults have enjoyed a few games of pool too.

With darts, a bean bag toss game, push hockey, football and a target game this for me will be the perfect summer toy, we can easily take it outside and play with it well into the evening.

We were sent a rather wonderful Designabear Bunny who comes with clothes you can dress them up in, my daughter loves it and it is super soft and cuddly.

On to our Top 5 from their new 2018 ranges though....

1. My children absolutely love playing out in our garden, my daughter especially loves making potions and mud pies so this Mud Pie Kitchen would be perfect for her. I have seen people make these kinds of things but if you are a bit inept with a hammer and nails like me then this may be for you. - £99.99

2. And for summer picnics and a place to hide and play with toys how about this fab Wigwam Playhouse, at well over a meter and a half tall it is the perfect size for little and not so little children. - £29.99

3. My children are maybe a bit old for this now but I know once upon a time they'd of spent hours playing with little farm animals, building a farm and making all of the animal noises.  A set of 50 pieces means you have everything you need to create your own farm scene. - £11.99

4. Should we get some sunshine this year (crosses fingers, toes and everything possible) then this fabulous water sprayer will come in handy, the kids love being sprayed with the hose pipe but I must admit it gets a little tedious after a while holding it. This is great to get them jumping about whilst spraying them too.

5.  And finally we love this table top football table, great fun for all the family in all weathers. Not only is this the perfect rainy day activity but it also would make a great party game too.

And finally, you can win £75 to spend on making your own spring fun by entering the competition below. T&Cs apply

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunsets in Norfolk

Norfolk is one place I have never been before, but with so many people telling me what a beautiful part of the country it was I decided to give it a go for our holiday this year.

My children knew nothing about the trip and even on the day we went I had kept it a secret, only letting on we were staying away for a week when we were half way there.

As we pulled into the caravan park they squealed with glee at the thought of staying there for a week, announcing that I was the best mummy ever.

Who knew that my choice would create such a reaction, with a pool, amusements and a short walk to the beach their little hearts were full to bursting with excitement.

We headed to Heacham just down from Hunstanton, it is one of the only places on the East coast that you get to watch the sun set into the sea. And what a sunset it was, we ventured down the first night after some tea and played on the beach as the sun lowered itself into the sea in a blazing orange and blue glory.

The children built sandcastles and found a dead crab which they named and then buried in the sand, I love how they are both confident enough to pick the crab up and investigate it.

We didn't manage to make it down to the beach until a few nights later and I just love the difference in the sunset, from one cloudy sunset where the sky lit up orange and blue to another where the sky became a wonderful warm glow like the sky was on fire.

My children making beautiful dark figures standing on the waters edge, there heads resting on one another made my heart melt and for that moment I could of stayed like that forever. Never letting go of the sounds of the beach and watching as so many people stood cameras ready absorbing the wonderful sight that is the sun setting.

They were without a doubt the most stunning sunsets I have ever seen and watching them with my two most favourite people only made it better. I love watching sunsets, each one as magnificent and yet completely different as the last, it made me realise how few beautiful sunrises I see and that I need to change that this year.

Eats from the Street Pop-up Foodie Festival Nottingham plus Easy Chicken & Chorizo Paella Recipe

We love finding new foods and flavours in The Mummy Diary household, in fact we can often be found celebrating different traditional holidays from around the world, with local delicacies, tastes and flavours.

One of our favourite, super quick dinners is my easy-to-make Chicken and Chorizo Paella. Straight up, this recipe started as just a bit of this and that cobbled together, but for you guys and to celebrate the arrival of Eats from the Street in Nottingham this weekend I have written it down for my readers.

What I love about cooking and finding recipes to suit your family is that they become your own and something you can be proud of, so don’t be afraid to stray and add something else if you like that flavour.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

1 x Medium White Onion

2 x Garlic Cloves 

70g Chorizo

500g Chicken Breast 

1 x Cup of Basmati Rice

2 x Teaspoons Smoked Paprika

Few Stands of Saffron (optional)

2 x Tablespoons Tomato Puree

750ml Hot Chicken Stock

Salt & Pepper

1 x  Cup of Frozen Peas

1 x Lemon (optional)

Method:

1. Dice the onion, finely slice the garlic and roughly chop the chorizo and chicken into small cubes. 

2. Heat the oil in a deep sided frying pan and add the onion, fry on a low heat until see though, add the garlic and chorizo and cook until the chorizo has started to release its oils; add in the paprika and saffron (if using) and stir.

3. Add in the chicken and fry until golden and evenly cooked on all sides; once cooked add in the rice and stir for a few minutes until the rice is coated in the oils and spices 

4. Add in the chicken stock and give it a good stir, then add in the tomato puree and a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir again. Leave to simmer on low for about 15 minutes, keeping an eye on it and adding a bit more water if required.

5. After 15 minutes add the peas and leave to simmer for another 5 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the chicken is tender.

6. Best served with a wedge of lemon to squeeze all over the top however, I have two young children and they think this is disgusting so feel free not to ;)

This dish is an straightforward one pot recipe that can easily be whipped up with a few store cupboard ingredients; I know not everybody has saffron but it does add a bit of special flavour to the dish and you only use a few strands each time so a little goes a long way.

So what is your favourite dish from around the world?

On the 22nd to 23rd July 2017, Eats from the Street is coming to Giltbrook Retail Park with a variety of street food flavours from across the globe. A fab pop-up foodie festival with artisan vendors serving up a whole host of cuisines from around the world. Including loaded American hot dogs and burgers, traditional Vietnamese dishes and Wilma’s Cupcakery selling their signature cupcakes and cake-topped milkshakes.

The street food stalls will be serving between 11am and 6pm and unlike other food festivals, visitors will be able to sit and eat their food on a converted double-decker Routemaster bus, which has been transformed into a dining area.

We'll be popping along to this fab event as we not only love to try new foods but with so many shops to choose from it'll be the perfect opportunity to do a spot of shopping too.

This is a collaborative post, all words are my own.

Ferry Farm Park at Hoveringham - A Fab Day Out

Farm parks seem to entertain all of the family, no matter what age. They can get a bit expensive though, so it is nice that Ferry Farm Park at Hoveringham offers the farm experience at a more reasonable price.

At just £6.95 each it is half the price of one of the other farm parks in the area, it has all of the animals you could wish of a farm park, animal feeding and petting as well as plenty of space to run around and explore.

With lots of outdoor and indoor play equipment, a sand pit and ride on tractors it is the perfect place to take a picnic and spend the day, it also has a wonderful restaurant offering home cooked food and cakes, which were delicious.

Since it was half term and mine and my daughters besties from Mummy Plus Three were heading there, we decided to join them, and I am so glad we did. It was a really lovely way to spend a sunny half term day.

We picked up some food and set about feeding the animals in the barn, my daughter has so much confidence when it comes to feeding them and loved the goats snuffling at her hands for food.

 

All three children could have spent all day driving round the tractor course or playing on the adventure playground, with the sun shining why not.

There is plenty of space to let off steam and enjoy the countryside and with it being close the to the River Trent you can always take a wander down there too.

My daughter and her friend really loved feeding the ponies and donkeys and chatting to them, it was really lovely to see the kids at one with nature, beats being indoors watching telly and is much better than any fidget spinner.

If you are local and after something to do in the summer holidays then why not pay a visit to Ferry Farm, some areas could do with a lick of paint but it is still well worth it, plus with Gonalston Farm Shop just down the road you can pick up some local produce on the way home.

Hazy Summer Sun - An Evening Amongst the Gold

As the evenings get darker and the mornings cooler, I am holding on to the moments of sunshine we've had this summer. Just before the wheat in the field behind us was harvested, we managed to go and spend an evening investigating its golden beauty and the tiny sheaves almost ready to carry on their journey.

It has been magical to watch the wheat grow, from nothing but tiny shoots, to a field of gold, the children and I have loved watching the tractors as they drive up and down the fields.

We were a little miffed to have missed the combine harvesters and the actual harvesting itself, however, we were there to watch as the tractors swept up the leftovers and bundled them into perfectly rectangular parcels.

Late into the night they worked, picking up and building a huge hay castle, it was truly magical and should they go ahead and build on the land, we will miss watching the earth change through the seasons. But for now we will enjoy whatever grows there, last year was a beautiful field of oilseed, it’s bright yellow flowers swishing in the wind and turning into tiny rattling pods.

As the nights draw in we look forward to candle lit evenings and snuggly jumpers, blankets and stews, but for now, I hope I can get a few more wears out of my sandals and summer dresses and the children out of some of their clothes, for next year they will no doubt be too small.

What have you been up to this summer?

A Thoroughly British Holiday

There were a lot of changes here in The Mummy Diary house during the summer holidays, with life so busy it meant I hadn't managed to plan any time away for us.

I knew I wanted to take the children to the coast though, so I decided to take them back to one of my old childhood haunts, Mablethorpe on the Lincolnshire Coast.

It was busier than I had expected, with the streets, arcades and shops bustling with people. The beach was packed and it was hard to find a space that wasn't occupied. Although this would normally have bothered me, it made my heart swell, that so many people had come back to a place I once loved and that for some years had lost its appeal to many.

We spent a good few hours playing in the arcades, eating ice cream and playing on the beach. However, before long it was time to head back to our chalet to clean ourselves up, so that we could head out to the local fish and chip shop for some traditional seaside food.

We were staying in Trusthorpe just between Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea, it is a quiet little village with a few caravan parks dotted along the coastline.

Our chalet at Seacroft Holiday Estate was every bit the 70s classic from the outside, however it had been refurbished on the inside, with a new kitchen, sofa and telly and comfy beds to sleep in. The bath was another story, with my 5'10 frame being unable to even lie down, but I laughed about it and there was a shower block just across the park which I didn't realise until it was too late.

I managed though and it was the perfect place for us to stay, with the beach just a short walk through the estate it meant there were no roads to navigate and instead we were just straight onto the sand.

We headed down to the beach about 10am and spent the whole day on it. Running, jumping, making sandcastles and playing in the sea, we even spotted some seals in the sea. We had a picnic and my son made friends, it was just perfect and the archetypal British holiday of my childhood, it seemed it was equally as great for two of todays technology loving children.

We went back to the beach after we'd had some tea just as the sun was setting, it was empty apart from a few people having an evening dip and some curious seagulls and crows digging through the scraps of the days visitors. The unforgiving wind off the North Sea was still there and as our hair whipped up around our faces it was difficult to get a family picture of the three of us.

So instead I just sat and watched my children running, laughing and jumping over the holes that we had dug earlier that day. It was great to see that this holiday was as fun for them as it was for me back when I was their age.

With summer days slipping away and autumn tip toeing in, I am making the most of my sandals, and until I have battered out the last few grains of sand from our beach bags and buckets then summer will remain in my heart. What did you get up to  this summer holidays.

Following The Zebra Trail in Southampton

Since we were heading down to Southampton to visit the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas we decided to make a weekend of it and head down the day before, we've never been to Southampton before so we thought it would make a nice little weekend break.

I had seen about the Zebra trail on the Southampton Tourist Twitter page, so was looking forward to visiting them whilst we were there, there are many parks in Southampton city centre, so we decided to walk down through the parks and then on to the City Art Gallery before heading out for dinner.

To be able to walk through some wonderful park land, with plenty of space for a picnic, a huge park for the children and a little fair on for the summer, was a great way to entertain the children and as it was hot we stopped for an ice cream too.

The zebras were everywhere, we found one in the city centre and then they pretty much popped up everywhere we walked after that. This one was by the band stand and it wasn't until afterwards I noticed the delightful bit of rubbish standing with it.

We walked down towards the the art gallery and found this beauty, with zebras eating ice creams it was the perfect zebra for the day, with so many different Zebras and no two alike, they got us talking about the shapes and colours used.

I hadn't realised you weren't allowed to take photos in the gallery but managed to snap this beauty before my husband told me it was no photos, thankfully this meant I side stepped the shame of being asked not to take photos by the staff there.

Outside the gallery was I think one of my favourite Zebras, covered in wonderful bright bees with a hidden Where's Wally style bee, you can just see him hiding behind my sons shoulder.

After our evening stroll down to the quay, we headed back to the hotel but not before stopping to see a few more Zebras, the shark was my second favourite after the bees and such a fabulously zany idea  but every single one of them was brilliant and as beautiful as the last.

I loved this idea, it gets people exploring areas of a town they may not have seen before, looking at other peoples ideas on a different kind of paper. So if you happen to be in Southampton this summer then do check out the Zebras, they are well worth a visit and I only wish we'd had the time to explore more of this wonderful city.

Exploring Hardwick Hall

Last weekend we were invited to Hardwick Hall, one of many beautiful National Trust properties , whose occupants over the years have played a huge part in shaping the history of the area. We visited Hardwick many years ago pre-children and although the house itself hasn't changed, there are now some new stories to learn about.

From Bess's troubled granddaughter and once heir to the thrown, Arbella, to the last Lady of Hardwick, these two new exhibitions give us even more insight into Hardwick Hall's past.

First up though we stopped for lunch, the Great Barn Restaurant has a selection of light bites as well as hearty meals, there is also a fabulous menu for both adults and children.

I chose the cheese and leak scone with ham salad, it was fabulous, a full plate and packed to the brim with tasty salad and accompaniments.  My husband chose the full English breakfast which is served up until 12pm and my son had the cottage pie, all really tasty and big plates. My daughter chose one of the children's lunch boxes, for £4.50 it came with a nice big ham cob, crisps, a drink, some fruit and a chocolate bar as well as a box to colour in, some crayons and a booklet.

There were some wonderful cakes to chose from, so we had a couple of pieces to share, they offer cream teas too and plenty of drinks, both hot and cold. Once you've placed your order, you can take a seat and relax, there are plenty of tables and chairs available, inside or in the cobbled courtyard. The food was served quickly and we all had clean plates at the end.

After lunch we went over to the house, it was a warm day but inside the house was cool and so a welcome relief on the hot summer day. On entering we were welcomed by a member of the team who explained about the house and gave us a quiz sheet for the children to complete as they walked around the house, as well as a sheet of naughty history for the adults.

The new exhibit takes you through the life of Arbella and the history of how she didn't make it to become Queen of England after Elizabeth I died. The story is a sad one and ends with her lonely demise as a prisoner in the Tower of London.

It is a moving story and through the imagery and artefacts presented you really get a feel of what it must have been like for her, I felt extremely sorry for her and what she must of gone through.

The artefacts, beds and furniture in the house oozed sophistication and grandeur, as we moved through to the Last Lady of Hardwick exhibition, you could see tastes and styles change, however the opulence still remained.

Not only do they tell you about those that lived here, but they do also go on to tell you about what the National Trust do in order to look after the artefacts in the house, how they are cleaned, repaired etc. It is very interesting and the kids loved it too.

A final visit to one of the most important rooms in the house, the kitchen, here the children could get involved in some carpet weaving, napkin folding and see what was needed to keep the members of the house fed. All throughout the house in fact, there were things for the children to get involved in, gone are the stuffy days of not being able to touch anything and walking round like soldiers, the staff members got involved, engaged with you and for me this brought to life what the house was about for the children and adults alike.

After we'd visited the house we went outside into the beautiful rose gardens, the smell hit you before we even got close, it reminded me of my grandparents house growing up, they would make some excellent rose petal perfume.

The children amused themselves running around the garden, playing under the trees and looking in the pond. Had we had more time, it would have been a lovely place to sit and read a book as the sun shone down.

The rest of the gardens were equally as beautiful, running amongst the trees and looking at all of the vegetables and beautiful flowers was a great way to spend a sunny afternoon, with plenty of benches and spots to eat a picnic, Hardwick Hall is a wonderful place to spend the day.

We'd had so much fun and even when it got to leaving time, we still hadn't seen everything, there are so many areas to explore, you could really could make a full day of it, from opening until closing.

Our final stop was a trip down Lady Spencer's Walk, with some rope swings, an obstacle course, forest games and dens it was a delightful way to end the day. My daughter didn't want to leave she was enjoying it all so much.

Hardwick Hall is a fantastic way to spend a day out, perfect for the summer holidays too, it is easy to get to, being only 5 minutes off J28 of the M1. With plenty of space to run around, have a picnic and with a great choice of food, there really is something for everyone.

NB: We were given complimentary entry and food tickets for the day, however all words, photos and opinions are my own.