A Relaxing Mid Week Break at Darwin Forest - Review

It is no secret that we love to be in the countrside, that we love to be at one with nature and out enjoying the fresh air.

So when we were invited for a mid week break at Darwin Forest in one of their Classic Vogue lodges I am not sure who was more excited, me or the children.

Sat in the beautiful Peak District between two of my favourite towns, Bakewell and Matlock, it is a wonderful location and with plenty to see and do in the area it is the ideal base to explore this wonderful part of the country.

Since you can't get into the lodge until 4pm we first headed to Bakewell, it is a stunning town full of wonderful independent shops, cafes and of course Bakewell Puddings. We spent the day there, eating chips by the river, looking in the shops and playing on the park.

The children were rather impatient to get to our home for the week, perhaps my biggest mistake was showing them everything that was on offer at Darwin Forest.

On arrival we were greeted by a friendly receptionist who gave us our key and explained where our lodge was, we drove around looking for our lodge and it was just so quiet and peaceful, the trees all beautiful with their changing leaves and colours.

We eventually found our lodge and it sat there looking all inviting in the cold and wet, with just a single light making the lounge glow a warm orange, it was super toasty and warm when we got inside and just what we needed on what wasn't the best autumn day.

With a modern kitchen/diner, lounge, bedrooms and its own veranda, it was such a lovely place to call home for the week.

I bought all of our luggage in and set about making tea, the kitchen was well equipped and had everything we needed for our stay, including dish clothes, tea towels, dishwasher tablets and washing liquid. So you don't need to worry about bringing anything really other than your food and maybe some tinfoil and cling film.

We had a picnic tea and sat in the toasty warm lodge looking out through the warmly lit trees, it was wonderful and with the log effect fire it felt so snug.

Our beds were comfy and warm and we all slept soundly, even though the rain fell through the night and into Tuesday, but not to fear, the rain did not stop play.

With a swimming pool on site we headed there first thing, as did a lot of other people, however it wasn't too busy and we had a good swim about. We drove that morning not really knowing how far it was to walk in the rain, but to be honest everything is within easy walking distance and wasn't too much effort being relatively flat.

Photo courtesy of Darwin Forest

After lunch we headed to the soft play centre, fortunately the children are still both of an age where they enjoy soft play and they made friends and had a great time. As a single parent this sort of thing is great, it means I can grab a hot cup of coffee and sit and read for a short time whilst they enjoy themselves.

It is a big soft play area and so the children didn't get board at any point, they also offer a good selection of food, perfect for hungry tummies. There is a charge of £3.50 per child, but for a few hours of fun this isn't too expensive and is about what we'd normally pay.

Wednesday saw the sun shine bright, sending down a gorgeous golden glow from the leaves above. So we headed out into the woods on the woodland walk and to find the trim track. We spotted a few rabbits, plenty of birds and an absolute abundance of fungi along the woodland floor. The golden leaves carpeting the floor made this a wonderful time of the year to be visiting, wrapping up warm in layers of jumpers.

After our walk we headed to the mini golf course for a quick game, it only cost a £5 and was a great way to spend an hour and for the first time ever I got a hole in one, a complete fluke I'm sure. Afterwards we popped to the park, whilst it was dry we made the most of it.

Since the children had enjoyed it so much the day before, we headed for another few hours at the soft play, it gave them time to blow off steam and me a few hours just to relax, since I was on holiday too.

Afterwards we walked back through the woods to get changed so we could head back out for some tea. I thought it would be nice not to have to cook for one of the evenings so I booked us in at The Foresters restaurant on site, it has a good varied menu including some classics like chilli, pie and pizza. They even have a take away menu, perfect if you don't fancy cooking but would like to eat back in your lodge.

After we'd finished eating there was time to pop into the games room which is just next door, it has pool tables, air hockey and some other arcade games. I got to teach the kids the pleasure that is pool, although not particularly easy with a little 5 year old and an ' I don't need you to show me how' 8 year old, but we had fun and afterwards we wandered back through the woods, listening to the owls hoot.

Once back in the warm cabin we watched The Great British Bake Off, it has been a bit of a guilty pleasure for the children the past few weeks and we haven't watched the last one yet, although we know who won.

On Thursday we had a slow morning doing some Halloween crafts and the children played outside, later that day we headed out so my son could have an archery lesson. We'd had a look at the list of activities before we arrived and my son really liked the idea of archery, so I booked him in for a session when we arrived.

I was a little worried about how he'd get on but I needn't of, he was a pro and Dan the instructor was really patient. It looked like everyone was having so much fun and almost instantly I regretted not booking myself on the course too. The session cost £12 and I feel this was worth it, my son had so much fun and it was definitely the highlight of his week.

With everything from bikes to hire, archery, a swimming pool, gym, tennis, woodland walks and the soft play, there really is something to do in all weathers. This makes Darwin Forest the perfect all year round location. I didn't use the car all week and it felt like I had actually had a break, I loved being able to walk everywhere, it made everything so much more relaxed. The lodges are all well equipped and some even come with hot tubs, this would definitely be the icing on the cake and I am already planning our return visit.

After a wonderful week we finished it off with a trip to Matlock and Matlock Bath, both great towns in different ways. Whether you love vintage and antiques or arcades and a walk down the river with some chips, they are both wonderful little towns.

*We received a midweek break at Darwin Forest to form this review, all words and pictures unless otherwise stated are my own.

Konfidence Swim Jacket Review

A while back, we were sent some Konfidence swim jackets to review. With the house move and birthdays though, we haven't had chance to get to the pool until last week, when I took the children to try out their new jackets.

Now firstly, I have to admit we have been very laid back when it comes to teaching the children to swim, partly because we have always had other things to do and partly because I always wanted my children to learn to swim in the same way I did, with their classmates.

However, I have always felt guilty and with swimming lessons on the horizon for my son, I felt it time to really get him into the pool.

The Konfidence jackets themselves are made from a soft neoprene and have eight floats inside which can be taken out as your child becomes more confident, the children both loved how they looked as did I.

So, we put them on and they fit snug and comfortably and the children were both eager to get into the water. My daughter loves her pink jacket, it's a great way to get them into the water with a colour they love.

My son loved the red, a few years a go he would have chosen the Octonaut's pattern but this was perfect for him.

Now, when we first got into the water both children were a little bit apprehensive, my daughter so much so she was hanging on to me for dear life. My son after a little coaxing and me showing him how the suit made him more buoyant he was swimming (in his own special way) around the pool.

My daughter took a little more coaxing as she wouldn't let go of me for me to show her how the suit helped her float, but we got there eventually and by the end of our session she was jumping in from the side and didn't want to get out, a transformation from when we first started.

The Konfidence jacket certainly lived up to it's name and gave two children who have always been afraid of the water the confidence to get in and splash about without any fear.

We can't wait for our swimming journey to continue with our Konfidence jackets.

NB: We were sent the jackets to a review, all opinions are our own.

Axo'Plage - The Perfect French Beach Holiday

Last year we visited the Aisne area of France, we found the gite we stayed in on Gites de France, a french website that means you find traditional properties at a very reasonable price.

Although you book through the French website, they do speak English and then you are put in contact with the French owner. The website offers a wealth of information on the properties and what is included, as well as if the owner speaks French if you are worried about the language barrier.

Anyway, onto Axo'Plage, this is an inland beach next to a lake, but it's not just a beach it is a huge country park with plenty to do, places to relax, have BBQs and picnics.

The beach has lifeguards, changing rooms and toilets as well as places to have food but we usually took a picnic, you can hire umbrellas and there is plenty of space.

There is a roped off area of water which splits off the swimming area with the rest of the lake, it is also possible to hire pedalos so you can take a trip further afield.

Best of all it is clean, no dogs are allowed (so no poo) and the overall location is idyllic, we had mostly warm days if not at least the afternoon.

This is the view of the beach from a viewing platform high above the nature reserve...

Lot's of space and grassland to kick a ball, setup a picnic or simply relax if you have and enough of the sand.

Being further inland the gite is a bit cheaper than being at the coast, but with Axo'Plage you get the same beach experience. If you have younger children or those not experienced in the water it is not tidal and you are safe in the knowledge there are lifeguards.

There is a fee to get in but for the quality of the beach and surrounding areas it's worth it. If you intend to spend the whole week there you can buy multiple tickets too.

We loved it here, there is plenty of space to park and even when it got really busy (on a French bank holiday) we didn't feel like we were cramped in. There is a campsite next door and a few gites locally.

We had a wonderful time here at our gite and visiting the local attractions and especially Axo'Plage.

Swimsuits for Summer

After having my two children I lost a lot of confidence when wearing two piece swimming costumes, so I brought one a few years ago with tummy control but after a few years wear and sun exposure it has seen better days.

So a little searching on the internet has led me to some gorgeous options…

I love this one from John Lewis, the floral print is bright and colourful, and very reasonably priced at £39.50 and on a plus side these would go with my Sun Jellies.

As is this one from Sea Folly also at John Lewis a little more expensive at £99.

This one from Boden is really lovely too, the colours and fit look great, only £59.

This one from Marks and Spencer is not only fashionable but has the tummy control I am looking for, only £39.50

And finally another from Marks and Spencer this gorgeous nautical stripe swimsuit which I think is fun and only £32.50.

As with most clothing I have no idea which will fit my body type so will need to go and try some on, although if I remember it like last time it won't be a pleasant experience…who designs the changing rooms in shops? Always rubbish lighting that makes me look like a lump!