Been there, done that?

Have you ever seen a photo online, checked the location and thought 'hang on, I've been there but I've never seen THAT!'

Recently, I posted on social media about a walk we did on our local hill (Cleeve Hill) and I have honestly never had so many comments and DMs telling me that they loved the hill, but had never seen the spots in my photos! So how can you have brand new experiences when you've already been somewhere? 

1. Just get out there!

The first time we walked there, years ago, we just followed the path to the masts and then directly back to the car. That's how most of our 'new' adventures start, with the most obvious.

2. Explore more.

After a couple of walks there, we started noticing adventure spots. Hedges Honey could get inside, little rock formations she could climb and then small quarries where we stacked stones, made words out of rocks and searched for fossils.

 

3. Go further.

Fast forward to lockdown and we started extending our usual walks. Our old end point became our halfway point and we found Prestbury Hill Nature Reserve, a gorgeous cluster of excellent climbing trees, complete with rope swings (which have since been taken down) and stunning views over Cheltenham. 

4. See what you're missing! 

Lastly (although perhaps this should have come first), I checked the location tags on social media and we had a good look at the map in the car park. Turns out that there were still some landmarks that we hadn't seen and we made our way to The Washpool, the best spot yet!

We're not done with Cleeve Hill* yet, there are still paths we haven't been down, which means more new places to discover. Remember not to discount places just because you've been there before.

*Parking charges will apply from 24th July onwards.

5 Free (or cheap) Days Out in Gloucestershire...

A big thank you to Jamie from savvyjamie.co.uk, who has written a guest post about her favourite budget friendly, Gloucestershire days out. We haven't been to the sculpture trail yet, but can vouch for how much fun the other options are for families!

Entertaining little ones can get pricey, so here are my 5 favourite things to do in Gloucestershire for free.

1. Head to The Jet Age Museum

Your little budding pilots will LOVE a visit to The Jet Age Museum. With lots of aviation history from around Gloucestershire, full-sized planes in their warehouse-style museum, and small single-pilot planes that can be sat in. There is also a Hawker Siddeley Trident airliner that you can book a free tour of (older children here as there is a height restriction). The museum is free but does ask for a donation. There is also an onsite café and a small gift shop full of reasonably-priced plane memorabilia. 

2. Visit Museum in the Park

This eclectic museum sits right in the heart of Stratford Park in Stroud. The museum also has a traditional “walled garden” which is perfect for playing Peter Rabbit! The museum also has a small giftshop and a coffee shop. Once you are done browsing the museum, talk a walk around Stratford Park and take in the Sensory Garden, dance in the bandstand, or feed the ducks (food is available at the museum).

3. Explore the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail

Download your free trail map and get ready for adventure. There are 16 sculptures to find and explore. The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail is 4.5 miles long, but there are shorter routes too. Car parking is £3 and the trail is free.

4. Wander around Gloucester Docks

With the guarantee of seeing boats, who wouldn’t love a visit to the docks. With added excitement like watching the bridge go up, or seeing boats being repaired out of the water – the docks can be a great day out. It’s home to award-winning National Waterways Museum and the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum. There are also plenty of coffee shops and it’s located right next to the outlet shopping centre, Gloucester Quays. 

5. Check out St James City Farm

Who would believe that right in the centre of Gloucester is a sweet little farm?! Well, you better believe it. St James City Farm is home to rabbits, pigs, sheep, chickens, horses and more. Get up close and hands-on at this charity farm where entry is free!

Good Crafternoon Everyone...

AD| Gifted with no obligation to promote or review

We had such a lovely surprise last week when an unexpected parcel from Babyprints Cheltenham landed on our mat. Honey and Ace were delighted to receive a parcel with their names on and even more excited to find out that they had been gifted a sibling subscription to the Little Fingerprint Craft Box Club. 

Over the next couple of months, we will be sharing our crafts with you over on Instagram, but in the meantime, here is what Babyprints Cheltenham owner Victoria says about this fabulous new branch of her business...

These fuss free, monthly craft boxes (which are all themed), include everything you need for three or more keepsake crafts. They contain many original and handmade items you won't find in high street craft stores, to make some truly memorable keepsakes you will treasure.

Crafting is a wonderful, easy way of developing your young child's creativity, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and knowledge of pattern, texture and colours. For older children, craft provides valuable independent creative play opportunities. 

Just £12 a month will buy you entry into our exclusive and fun club with so many benefits, including these amazing craft boxes, delivered straight to your door, with a bumper December box for those who have been signed up for 4 or more months. There is also a reward scheme where you receive a special prize once the reward chart is filled and every child signing up will receive a birthday card and gift on or around their special day too!

We can also personalise boxes for children with sensory processing diagnoses and hold a range of sensory and fidget items we can swap out for some crafts. Please remember that colours may vary from promotional photographs of each month's box on social media.

We try to make these boxes as plastic free as possible but sometimes it is unavoidable. Please recycle what you can. Don't just take our word for how great these boxes are, here are just a few lovely reviews from some of our members,

"P has loved doing something different and having my full attention."

"We are in love with these boxes, always something different and creative to do, thank you so much."

"Saturday morning fun, I am loving these as much as my daughter is!"

There is even a private Facebook group for subscribers to join, so they can share ideas and see what other members have created. Victoria also posts videos and how to guides in the group, for those who may want a little extra inspiration. 

If you like the sound of the Little Fingerprint Craft Box Club and decide to subscribe, please let Victoria know that you found her through this blog!

Pump it up...

The first lockdown saw us exploring our town more than ever before. For the first few weeks, we stepped out of our front door and headed into the countryside, there were so many footpaths we had never walked before and so many beautiful views we’d never even glimpsed!

Alongside our walks, we also took to our local streets and cul-de-sacs for bike riding practise. Both children were confident riders, but most of their experience had been in parks, so we wanted to teach them to navigate crossing roads, watch out for pedestrians and negotiate other hazards. Once we were happy that they’d mastered those skills, we started to roam further afield, trying to stick to cycle paths where possible, but thanks to the quieter roads we could also teach them how to ride safely on the road, when we needed them to.

 

One of the best places we’ve cycled to in Cheltenham is the BMX Pump Track at Burrows Field in Leckhampton. Children and adults alike, can use the track to hone their bike skills, improve their fitness and most importantly, have fun!

Currently, there are social distancing reminder signs by the track, it’s the perfect activity for kids to meet up without the temptation of huddling together!

 

If you’re not up for cycling there, there’s a small, free car park at the edge of the field (next to Broadlands Pre school). There’s also lots of grassy space around the track, perfect for meeting up for picnics at a distance.

 

We arrived at the track at around 11am and as lunchtime came and went, it got quite a bit busier, so I’d suggest heading down there early if it’s your first time, giving your children chance to get to know the lay of the track. There’s a really helpful sign next to the entrance, explaining the skills you should master before taking on the track, as well as covering track safety and etiquette points.

 

As well as other newbies like us, we saw toddlers on balance bikes bossing the track, older children who had clearly been practicing for years and adults who effortlessly navigated the track. Despite the range of ages and abilities, everyone was polite and respectful, giving the smaller children space and nobody laughed or made comments when wipeouts inevitably happened. 

Both our children (4 and 7) had an awesome time and spent the cycle home planning their next trip!

If you fancy giving it a try, you can gain access to the track via Moorend Grove. The postcode is GL53 0HB.

Honey and Ace wear... Cycle helmets (don't get on a bike without one).

Hidden Cheltenham...

With school runs a distant memory, 9:30am felt early to be meeting up with friends in town, but it forced us to be up and at ‘em and was the start of a free, fun filled day! 

We spent a happy hour at Cheltenham Children's Library (with baby bounce and rhyme going on in the background) choosing books for the summer reading challenge, reading and doing some of their activities. After returning the old books and borrowing the new, we all headed across the way to The Wilson for a play in the World of Wonders Gallery. Dressing up, colouring in and making music were the favourite activities, and again we spent a cheerful hour having fun.

Next up, we had decided to follow the Hidden Cheltenham trail, having picked up the map last week. We waved goodbye to our friends, then headed out.

The first clue is in the reception area at The Wilson and they advise you to take a photo of it so you don’t forget the instructions. This turned out to be great advice all the way round, as some of the clues are multi step and it’s good to be able to check what you need to look for or do.

The trail is around 2 miles and I thought scooters would be a good move, so I could pull Ace along on his if he got tired. Between clues, the scooters were a godsend, but I didn’t realise that you actually had to go inside some of the shops, so they were a bit of a pain at times (especially in Tiger as we missed the clue on our first circuit, so had to negotiate the narrow aisles twice).

Everywhere we went, we were met cheerfully and some of the stops even had activities or treats for any children taking part in the trail. Shout out to Middletons for their colouring station and free sweet bowl and also to Lakeland for their lovely gift of an icing bee making kit (another free activity for tomorrow).

The trail itself was very interesting and I definitely learnt some new Cheltenham facts on the way round. It also made me visit parts of town I hardly ever venture into. The route was a little haphazard at times, we were frustrated with having to go back on ourselves at times and Ace didn’t like going past green spots with the ‘wrong’ numbers on, only to come back to them a while later. I will add that this was sometimes due to me wanting to take a safer scooting route, away from main roads.

Including a picnic lunch and a few pit stops for snacks and water, the trail took us around 3 hours. If your children are older, you may need less time, but equally the trail could last all day if you stop to browse in the shops it takes you to or further explore the areas you are led to. We liked the distance updates dotted around some of the stops, Honey was especially motivated by these.

Our last stop was back at The Wilson to swap our trail sheet for goody bags. The kids were excited to find bubbles, balloons and glow sticks in the bags. If you have more than one child, just be aware that the contents of the bags may vary, for example Ace had a beach ball in his, while Honey had a WarHammer figure instead. This initially caused a little friction, but after a quick chat, both were happy with their lot!

As we went round, Honey and Ace also managed to collect another few stickers on their 'No child left behind' summer challenge sheets, so don’t forget to take yours too if you head off on the Hidden Cheltenham trail!

My only suggestion for the Hidden Cheltenham trail, would be to have the option of following the it digitally. Our map and answer sheet were rather tatty by the end and nearly blew away a couple of times when I dropped them due to hand holding or scooter wrangling (having now visited the website, the map is available to download if you sign up for the trail online). It would have been great to have had the option to follow the trail via QR codes and an app where you could also record your answers and unlock the clues, especially as I had to have my phone out to keep track of all the photos of the clues anyway. 

All in all, I would recommend the trail to anyone living in or visiting Cheltenham. It's a great way to see the town and a fun, free way to spend a day. 

Honey wears... Dress by Mini Boded (preloved)

Ace wears... Cargo shorts by frugi

Pick your own...

When we arrived at Primrose Vale this morning, it wasn't looking good for strawberries. The weather over the last few days meant that the crop had taken a battering. Thankfully we managed to find enough survivors to fill a punnet, but they're now taking a little break to replenish their stocks. Don't worry though, as raspberries, loganberries, blackberries and more were all available in abundance and there's a blackboard on the front of the building letting you know what's available, along with prices and picking tips.

The picking areas are vast and really well organised. They are all labelled and there are plenty of staff members on hand to answer any questions you may have.

There is free parking on site and enough to keep you occupied for a couple of hours in my opinion. Honey absolutely loved the new play area, especially the clamber stack at the end of the wooden trim trail, but she was also pleased to see that her old favourites (the vintage tractor and the drainpipe slide) were still there!

There's plenty of space for you to bring your own picnics to eat on site, or alternatively there are plenty of delicious goodies available to buy in the farm shop. The ice cream menu looked amazing too, so we will definitely be heading back to sample it soon!

Honey wears... Pink shorts from Tu at Sainsbury's 

Shop 'til you drop...

The Gallagher Shopping Park is one of the most popular shopping destinations in Cheltenham and we are lucky enough to live just a 5 minute drive away from it. It has over 500 free parking spaces, which includes both disabled and parent and child spaces. They have also been recognised with a Park Mark award under the Safer Parking Scheme, designed to reduce crime in car parks. Easily accessible by bus, the shopping park is situated less than 2 miles away from the town centre and is also on bus routes leaving from the train station.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon when the park was at its busiest, finding a parking space took a while, but eventually we spotted one. When we have Ace with us, it's really useful to park in one of the parent and child spaces so I can easily get down the side of the car to help him out, but he wasn't with us today so any space would do. Navigating the car park with a young child is made easier by the zebra crossings and there are also designated lanes for bikes, so everyone knows where they should be. 

With clothing and accessories from Next, Outfit and Sports Direct, food from Subway, Greggs and Patisserie Valerie and homeware from HomeSense, DFS and Oak Furniture land, there isn't much you won't find at the Gallagher Shopping Park.

 

The reason for this trip was because we had been invited to check out what's in the shops for Autumn/Winter 2018, which was exciting but a little daunting for me as I am a huge fan of 'summer brights' and often feel drab in darker, more wintery colours (apart from a LBD, who feels drab in a LBD?). I needn't have worried though, because what Honey and I found across the stores was actually a sea of colour! Sure there was some terracotta and mustard in the mix (both lovely, classic Autumn colours, they're just not normally what I look for), but overwhelmingly, the trends seemed to be all about colour. 

Boots is my favourite, child friendly place to shop on the park. There are parent and child spaces right out side the doors, tiny trollies to keep little ones occupied while you shop, plus a baby room for those emergency feeding or changing moments. There are also loads of fab offers in store if you're part of the Boots Parenting Club (which is free to join online and gives you benefits such as free gifts, extra points on kids items and money off vouchers). For the grown ups, there are some fab new nail and lip colours hitting the shelves and the current trend for face masks doesn't seem to be diminishing, which is great news for people like me who like to pamper themselves at home when the budget doesn't stretch to anything more professional!

I hear a lot about HomeSense on Instagram, but rarely visit as we have a relatively minimalist home (apart from the kids' toys) and I don't want to be tempted into buying all the pretty trinkets! Honey LOVED all the pretty trinkets and I was rather taken by the range of colourful cushions available, but it was upstairs that really surprised me. Honey was in awe of the toy section and I could see her point! It's a great place to pick up quirky yet inexpensive birthday presents and there are some fab gifts for new babies too. There's even a food emporium up there, which I had no idea about!

Now on to my favourite bit of shopping, clothes! Since becoming a Mum in 2013, then again in 2016, most of my clothes purchasing has been for my children, which is why they most definitely have way better wardrobes than I do! I wouldn't have it any other way, but sometimes a treat for me is needed and appreciated.

Outfit was our first stop and Honey and I were overjoyed to see so much red on the rails (she's obsessed with PJ Masks and Owlet is her favourite, I just think it's a fun colour)! I also loved the metallic trainers, fun, slogan t-shirts and bright hoodies. I love this shop because you can buy for yourself and your children and choose from a range of brands all under one roof.

In Sports Direct, the great choice of colourful, practical outerwear caught my eye. Proper outdoor clothing is a must for our family. Honey and Ace love to go out in most weather conditions (Ace isn't overly keen on snow) and the school run needs doing whether it's pouring with rain or not, so being able to buy great quality, outdoor brands at reasonable prices is ideal. I also loved their range of colourful footwear, I am definitely motivated by pretty things, so a cute pair of trainers I've found in there will be the perfect 'carrot' to dangle to encourage me to exercise more often!

Finally, in Next, we loved their fun twists on animal print, their rainbow themed kids range and their colourful adult styles too. Perennial favourites, dinosaurs and unicorns continue to play a big part in the children's and homeware departments, much to Honey's delight. We also loved that after a tiring couple of hours shopping, we could relax with a juice and a babychino at their in store cafe, Patisserie Valerie.

To summarise, The Gallagher Shopping Park is a great, family friendly shopping destination. From the parent and child spaces, walkways and zebra crossings in the car park, to the super useful baby rooms and toilets in Boots and Next, they have tried hard to make life just that little bit easier. On top of that if you need to get back home for the school run or only have half an hour to shop before a toddler meltdown ensues, Gallagher Shopping Park's Click and Collect service can help make sure you get what you came for. Oh, and one last thing, how useful is it to have a supermarket on site too? With Sainsbury's across the road from the main park and another supermarket due to open in the old Whole Foods building, you can even do the weekly shop while you're there!

So, I'm off to do an online shop for some of the rainbow clothing we didn't purchase yesterday but if you fancy seeing some of the other bits we liked the look of while we were shopping, why not have a browse of our Pinterest board to give you some inspiration? Happy shopping everyone!

*Although this blog post is a paid collaboration with The Gallagher Shopping Park, all images, thoughts and opinions within are my own.

Honey wears... Leopard print dress by Next
Mummy and Honey wear... Autumn/Winter brights by Next and Sports Direct

Let's Make Some Noise...

Next up from the Miniature Music Music Bag Club is the 'Let’s Make Some Noise’bag. I'd explained that we were going to return the 'Zoom' bag, but that we would still get to see Kate and the rest of the toys during Miniature Music classes. Honey was fine with that but Ace got a bit upset and wanted to hug Kate the astronaut goodbye, which was super cute.

Honey and Ace were really excited to open up the new bag and even more exited to see what was inside! 

This bag contains:
1 story book (including CD and DVD content).
1 melodica
1 accordion
4 shaker eggs
2 sets of hand bells
2 sensory sticks

Ace absolutely adores books and the fact that this one has vehicles in it AND a song to sing along to, pretty much blew his mind and it's been a firm favourite here over the last couple of weeks. The book comes with a CD/DVD so you can sing and watch along or remind yourself of the tune if you forget! The instruments provided lend themselves to becoming bicycle bells, rumbling trucks and beeping horns during the story but can also be used on their own to accompany a range of toddler performances or family sing alongs. 

Honey loved using the sensory stick as a conductors baton and could regularly be found conducting an imaginary orchestra or choir (Melody Mamas warm up Bella Mama being the performance of choice). Ace's favourite was the melodica, he learnt to fit the mouthpiece by himself and loved dancing round with it playing his own, wonderful compositions! Both children are big fans of a shaker egg or two and love a round of Wind the Bobbin up, as well as recreating class favourites such as fast and slow and shake and dance around.

If you fancy joining the Music Bag Club, you can find all the details in the latest Miniature Music newsletter. We hope you have fun making some noise!

Honey wears... Bunny sweatshirt by H&M
Ace wears... Hooded sweatshirt by Primark

One Grove...

This post is a little different to my normal posts as there are no kids in sight! Sometimes it's nice to take a little bit of time out to do something for yourself. Whether that time is taken daily, weekly or monthly and for how long, is up to you, but here's something I've done for myself recently.

I've always wanted to try pilates, so when Lucy from One Grove got in touch to invite me 
to see their studios and have a go on one of their reformers, I was really excited. I haven't exactly been a regular at the gym over the last few years, I've chosen to spend my time and money on a couple of other things, but I've always enjoyed exercise and been pretty flexible, so I had high hopes for my session! 

One Grove is a specialist pilates, physio and yoga studio close to the centre of Cheltenham. The studio is tucked away down a quiet side street, close to Waitrose (which has a huge, customer car park, just saying) and it's an oasis of calm, a really beautiful place to go to stretch your stresses away. 

With no monthly commitments, you can just call, go online or pop in to book onto any of their 25+ classes each week, a refreshing change from having to pay by the month, even when you can't make half the classes!

On arrival, I was given a tour of the facilities and a brief rundown about the history and principles of pilates and after filling in a short health form, we got started. Lucy moved me through a diagnostic warm up, during which, she was able to spot my weaker areas and encourage me to focus on these throughout the workout.

Once on the reformer, Lucy clearly demonstrated and explained what she wanted me to do and coached me through the movements, reminding me to focus on specific areas and also to breathe (which sounds odd, but I was concentrating so hard at points that I had in fact forgotten)! After less than half the session, I felt like Lucy knew my body and its capabilities better than I did and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was able to do. I totally switched off from everything else during my session, which is very rare for me as I always have a whole raft of brain tabs open, but I can honestly say that they were all well and truly closed while I was moving through the stretches and exercises Lucy set for me.

If you've ever considered pilates, I urge you to take the leap and give it a try. At One Grove, you will receive a personalised workout, which is tailored to your body. You will never be crammed into a huge impersonal class, so you know your body will always be getting what it deserves and needs from your class or private session. You can plan your workouts based on your free time and budget and the knowledgeable staff are so friendly and welcoming, you will feel right at home from your very first visit.

*Although I was kindly gifted a 1:1 session with Lucy for the purposes of writing a review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mummy wears... Gym leggings by Primark