National Trust Membership, is it worth it?

In short yes. In long, here's the lowdown, including a spreadsheet I made, detailing our most recent year of National Trust adventures…

When did we use it?

We mostly used it for days out from home, driving anything from 20 minutes to an hour and a quarter to get to our destination of the day. 

Another great way we used our National Trust membership is for low cost days out when holidaying in the UK. Use the NT app or guidebook to find properties and locations close to where you are staying.

Free car parking is another great bonus of National Trust membership. There are so many beautiful walks to follow on National Trust land. Baggy Point is a favourite of ours down in Devon, we also love Sandymouth.

Finally, who needs a service station when you can stop and picnic in a stunning garden or treat the family to homemade cake in an NT cafe? Free parking  and entry by scanning your card and you can stay as long as you like (especially useful if you have a later check in).

Westbury Court NT

How much did it cost?

Well, technically it didn’t cost us anything, as the membership was a family Christmas gift from my parents, but a 2 parent family membership costs £133 per year (£11.99 per month). There are also options for 1 parent families, as well as individual memberships. Costings can be found on the National Trust website.

Coughton Court NT

How much would we have spent if we had to pay at each location?

£498.05, which is £364.25 more than our family membership cost! Sometimes, my husband was at work, so I have worked with the cost of a 1 adult family in those instances.

Are there lots of extra costs?

The main extra cost is eating and drinking. The majority of the time, we took our own food and refillable bottles then ate on the laws or at picnic tables. Lots of properties have covered picnic facilities for rainy days too. All the cafes have a water point, where you can fill up your bottles free of charge. 

During the summer, we sometimes bought an ice cream from an on-site vendor and the times we did eat in one of the cafes, the food was delicious and not extortionate.

The other time you may want to spend, is in the gift shop. There are always beautiful books, fabulous cards and lots of locally sourced arts and crafts available. They’re usually situated near the exit, but it’s often possible to bypass them if you have magpies!

Croome NT

Your NT checklist:

✅Join online to save time when you arrive at your first property.

✅Don’t forget your card so you can scan it for free parking at many places.

✅A fully charged phone or camera do capture your team enjoying the stunning surroundings.

✅Weather appropriate clothing.

✅A picnic and snacks

✅Reusable water bottles.

✅A bag for dirty outerwear (the big, blue Ikea ones are great).

✅Clean shoes for the car.

✅Start your own hashtag or photo book so you can look back on your adventures, ours is #teamgoresnationaltrustadventures

Conwy Suspension Bridge

I'm sure we will buy National Trust membership again in the future, although we're taking a break this year so we can explore some of the venues on offer through Historic Houses membership (which was a Christmas gift from my Mother in Law). A top tip I have come across recently, is to join the Scottish National Trust as their membership options are cheaper, yet you can still visit sites cared for by the National Trust worldwide (including England). 

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).

We're Going Camping in a Camper Van...

Disclosure: We were give a discount on Hartland's hire fees in exchange for Social Media coverage and honest feedback to the Cheltsea team.

Our Cheltsea story started in July 2020, when we booked our first ever camper van experience! We are seasoned campers, but fancied something a little bit different this year. A VW camper is something we have often talked about and lusted after, but we are not in a position to buy one (nor do we have space to park one), so we were really excited to get going! 

As our holiday approached, we exchanged emails with the Cheltsea team, arranging details like which awning we wanted to hire and booking me in as an extra driver. We didn’t tell the children about the holiday until the van was parked on our driveway and we had packed it up. It was so much fun planning everything and imagining their reaction and Cheltsea did everything they could to ensure that our surprise had maximum impact!

Hartland and the Drive Away Awning.

Once we had shown the children the van and established that we were free to roam in it for the next four days, we headed straight for our favourite place, Woolacombe. It’s been a special place for my husband for many years and I have shared his passion for the place over the last 10 years, we even got engaged there in 2011! 

 

Van life is a little different to camping, some differences we loved and others not so much, but it’s all down to personal preference! Here’s our top three perks of van life:

 

1.   You get your very own mobile changing room and kitchen! We made packed lunches in car parks, ate takeaways overlooking the sea and used the van to change in and out of wetsuits.

  2. The cool. Hartland is very cool. There’s no way you can lose this van, even in a car park full of campers! Its distinctive colourway appeals to my love of bright colours and is a great change from the usual block colours.

3.  Setting up is fast, even faster if you’re travelling light and don’t need an awning! If you’ve  

     been organised and kept your bags etc tidy, you can pack away quickly too.

 

When we go to Woolacombe, we usually stay at Easewell Farm in Mortehoe. It’s part of the Woolacombe Bay group and we love it there because it’s nice and quiet, but you also have access to their bigger, busier sites (should you wish to visit them), which have more facilities and evening entertainment. We don’t normally go down there in the summer holidays and unsurprisingly, Easewell was full this summer, so we booked Woolacombe Sands as we have friends who have stayed there and recommended it.

 

The main difference between the two sites, was proximity to town and therefore, the beach. Woolacombe Sands is the closest camp site to the beach and there’s a lovely foot path which leads you there in around 15 minutes.

 

Our few days away were a blur of exploring beaches (we loved Grunta and Combesgate this time), walking, bodyboarding and enjoying delicious food. Shout out to Fudgies for their incredible pasties and sausage rolls, Big Chief for their wonderous waffles and ice cream and Woolacombe Bay Pizza Co for the obvious!

We loved being back in Woolacombe and loved our first foray into van life. We look forward to making more camper van memories in the future! 

P.S. If you sang the title, you are my people! ;-)

Honey and Ace wear... T- Shirts tie dyed and printed by AMG Cre8tes

Tuppence a bag...

One of Honey's first words was bird and Ace loves anything that can fly, so agreeing to review Nick Baker's Window Bird Feeder distributed by Interplay UK Limited was a no brainer.

The feeder came in a compact box (simple to wrap up as a Christmas present FYI) which was easy to open and required no extra equipment to get in to. The feeder came with an instruction booklet which is broken into clear, easy to follow steps. Each step accompanied by an annotated diagram which is great if you prefer to follow visuals. 

Following the instructions, it took around 5 minutes to put the feeder together. During this time, I was able to chat to Ace about the different shapes and colours of the various components and ask him to find parts that matched my descriptions, which he loved doing.

The finished article is a good looking, neat product which wasn't at all obtrusive once added to our patio door. We added some seeds and hoped for the best, but unfortunately, our garden is a wildlife free zone most of the time and even after a week, we didn't spot any birds. 

Honey, Ace and I had a chat about why birds might not be coming to our feeder and their ideas were:

- They don't like the food.

- They don't like the garden.

- They're scared because they can see us playing inside.

After our chat, we decided to move the feeder to the playhouse window, as Honey thought that they could hide behind the curtains to peek at any feathered friends who may decide to visit. Ace wanted to try offering the birds some bread instead of seeds so he grabbed a crust and tore it into more manageable chunks. Alas, still no birds after a few days of waiting (and some optimistic trails laid out by Ace), but I guess that's the peril of having an artificial lawn and only one (barely) living plant in the garden! It's great for year round play and is incredibly low maintenance, but it's not very attractive for animals.

The instruction booklet also includes some suggestions about they types of food that can be used to attract birds, as well as ideas for positioning the feeder to try and get the best results. Our next step is to take the feeder round to my parent's house as they already have a well established bird feeding station and plenty of yummy looking (if you're a bird of course) bird food options.

Another great feature of the instruction book is the glossary of birds (complete with fact file and pictures), so you can extend the learning beyond the garden and spot different species when you're out and about too! Honey wanted to tick off some of the birds we saw in the park and in town and we also chatted about some of the birds we were unlikely to see at the moment and why that might be. 

My only very slight niggle with this product, was that each piece came in an individual plastic bag which seemed unnecessary as we just opened everything all at once and laid it all out on the floor so we could see it more clearly!

We will let you know how the feeder gets on in its new home, oh and a little bird (groan) tells us that some of the other products in the My Living World range from Interplay may suit our little garden down to the ground... Snail World was made for us as we have always, inexplicably had an abundance of snails here and Honey is just desperate to keep them as pets!

*Although we were gifted this product in order to write a review, all thoughts and opinions within this blog are my own.

Ace wears... Dinosaur top by Blade and Rose @ Cotswold Baby Co

Tiny Campers...

We love camping. At the moment it's our preferred way to holiday as a family and we expect it to stay that way for the next few years at least. We usually set off straight after work on a Friday afternoon and arrive at our site just as the sun is starting to go down, so it's really important that we get the tent up fast and get the electric hook up sorted so we have light to unpack the rest of our stuff. With this in mind, when we bought a new tent earlier this year, we made sure we practised pitching it before our holiday. This also served as an opportunity to sweep the sand and grass out of the tent left there by the previous owners!

Arriving well into the evening, it's also important to have a plan for the children while we pitch the tent. Honey takes her camera when we go camping, so she tends to potter round the pitch taking photos or playing the built in games, while Ace stays in the car and watches a film on an iPad or sits in the carrier on my back while we get things sorted.

We find it helpful to pack the car in reverse, making sure that the things we will need first are the easiest to access. Once the tent is up, we get the electric hook up plugged in so we can shed some light on the situation then set to work setting up the kids bedrooms just incase they start to flake and need to go to bed!

We got them both a blow up bed in an Aldi camping event and they are brilliant, they have bumpers so little ones don't roll out and pillows don't end up on the floor. We use Ace's old cot bed sheets over the mattresses and have also bought 3 season sleeping bags for them both. We now have a fancy new tent with semi-blackout bedrooms but previously, we used a Gro Anywhere blind to darken their bedrooms. We also take a familiar, favourite toy to help with bedtime, Ace brings Ewan the Dream Sheep which is also brilliant if he stirs in the night as he can press it to help himself drift off again.

In terms of clothing, when you're camping you can really feel the evening temperature drop, even if the day has been beautiful, so layers are essential. I pack seasonally appropriate daytime outfits for the kids, then add a few hoodies and extra leggings, plus some fleecy pyjamas and bed socks. Wet weather gear is a must, whatever the weather forecast or season, wellies and waterproofs don't take up much room if they're packed properly and may well save you from being stuck indoors if the British weather does it's thing!

When we're camping, bedtimes don't exist. The first night tends to be a really late one by the time we've finished pitching the tent and setting up home and while they do tend to be ready for bed earlier as the days go on, there's no point in trying for their usual 6:30pm bedtime, otherwise everyone will be awake at first light! I often find myself getting more sleep than I do at home because I'm so tired from all the fresh air that I'm in bed pretty soon after the kids!

As with all new things, it's a good idea to talk to your children in the run up to going camping, for example, you could read stories such as 'Maisy Goes Camping' or 'Camping Out' to help them understand some of the things that will be the same and different while they're away. You can also get fab, camping themed sticker and activity books which are fab for taking away with you, as well as for introducing the idea while you're at home. If you don't know where to start with finding good quality, camping or holiday themed books and activities, I highly recommend a look at Mimi's Bookshelf, Annabelle puts together gorgeous packs.

Whenever we have enough space in the car, we take a drying rack which saves having to find trees to hang a washing line between. If your tent is big enough, you can also bring it in of an evening to stop the dew making it all wet again in the morning!

Consider taking a mini fridge or electric cool box so you can take the essentials for everyone to have breakfast in the morning without having to find a shop. We also cook a bolognaise or chilli con carne at home, freeze it then take it down with us for our first evening meal away.

A camping stove is a must for heating up our frozen meal and also for my husband to make as many cups of tea as he fancies. We also use it to make hot chocolate for our flasks if we're heading out for a walk and the weather is a bit chilly!

We also take a small toaster and collapsable kitchen unit so we have shelves to store snacks and meal ingredients, in the long run, this saves us money as we don't have to eat out for every meal. It also means that everything can have a place, which helps to keep the tent tidy and stops things from getting lost.

Don't forget the little things:
- Sun cream. We ended up with a really expensive bottle from a gift shop last year as I left ours in the tent, it does the job but it takes forever to rub in which isn't great.

- Medication. We always take Calpol, Snuffle Babe, Sterimar nasal spray and Nelson's teetha granules with us, even if there's no hint of teething or illness. You never know when something may strike and there's nothing worse that trying to calm a poorly child with nothing to offer them!

- Spare batteries. Ewan the Dream Sheep doesn't run on fresh air!

Most of all, don't forget to have fun! Once you're all set up, head out into the world and have plenty of adventures, safe in the knowledge that your home from home is waiting to welcome you back at the end of the day.

Honey and Ace sit on... Fold up chairs by Asda

In Sickness and in Health...

When Honey refused cake, then promptly fell asleep on me at a birthday party this weekend, I knew she was really under the weather. It's never nice when children aren't feeling very well, you'd do anything to take their place and stop them feeling rotten but instead you can only provide medicine, sustenance and of course, plenty of cuddles. The thought of being housebound with a poorly little one isn't the most appealing way to spend your day, but with a little bit of planning and lots of positive thinking, it doesn't have to be as bad as you fear!

Be courteous
Don't forget to make the people who need to know, aware of your little one's illness. Whether it's calling work to let them know you can't come in, leaving a message on the school or nursery answerphone or a quick Facebook message to the person who runs that lovely group or class you can no longer make that day. 

Be positive
Yes, it's annoying and sometimes inconvenient for a little one to be poorly but it's something you can't change and they certainly wouldn't choose to be feeling rough so it's best to find a way to come to terms with the situation and get on with things. 

Negative: We have missed what I know would have been an awesome photo shoot with Mouse About Town today.
Positive: We are super lucky to have been photographed by Gill on a number of occasions previously and I know other people who are attending today so I'm looking forward to seeing their beautiful faces in the photos later.

Negative: I missed Melody Mamas yesterday, it's a fab choir for parents, where children come along too.
Positive: Everyone else at choir got a break from my voice ;-) Plus, I decided to film my own version of the song we were due to sing, which was silly but good fun!

Negative: We are going to miss our Matilda Miniature Music class this afternoon. It's a brilliant music class where all the kids (and grown ups) get to play real instruments and sing a mix of original and traditional songs. Oh yes, there's also tea and cake during free play time!
Positive: There's another class tomorrow so we will go then if Honey is back at school and if not, there's always next week!

Be organised
You're at home, possibly unexpectedly, what can you get done? Make a list. Perhaps you need to put a load of washing on, does the dry washing needs removing from the drying rack, or maybe the dishwasher needs unloading. These things don't take long but will instantly make you feel productive and might even spur you on to complete other jobs. On the first day of feeling poorly, Honey sat on our bed and helped me sort out all her and Ace's clothes (well, she fell asleep halfway through, but it's the thought that counts). This led to me preparing bags to take to the charity shop, to pass on to friends and listing some bits on a Facebook selling site. Subsequently we ended the day with more space and a little bit of money towards the next size up.

Be different
Offer things that your children don't often choose to play with or that are kept hidden away under normal circumstances. In our case, board games and jigsaw puzzles are a good place to start and are perfect for a little one who's feeling under the weather, as they can be done slowly and in stages. I also brought down some longer books we have been given for when Honey is a little bit older. We have been sharing some of the stories in stages and holding our place using a home made bookmark (stickers are another great poorly activity). Honey and Ace have also enjoyed playing with a drawer full of cuddly toys that never usually see the light of day, they just needed reminding they were there!

Be outside
Just hear me out on this one! If you've kept a child off school, it's unlikely they're well enough to spend much time outside but that doesn't have to stop the rest of the family. During Honey's most recent bout of illness, Ace wasn't keen on staying inside all day so I bundled him up, opened up the playhouse and sent him off to roam in the garden for a little while. I briefly joined him and spent 20 minutes doing some weeding and sweeping leaves off the (fake) lawn while Honey had a nap on the sofa indoors. The next day, with my to do list in mind, I took advantage of my husband coming home early from a training course and walked into town with Ace to get a few jobs done. Ace and I both enjoyed the fresh air and we were also very productive. Today, there is a slight improvement in Honey's health but there's no way she'd have managed school after not eating for 3 days and barely moving so she's still off. The plan to get outside today, is a walk to the corner shop for some milk and maybe even have a cheeky pit stop at our very local cafe to pick up a cake to bring home for later!

Be naughty
Now, don't go breaking toys or ripping books and blaming me, here's what I mean. Let the rules slide a little. Honey hadn't eaten for two days so when she fancied jelly and ice cream for tea yesterday, that was a step forward in my book. Ace eating a packet of crisps on the sofa (usually a total no go area for food) bought me some time to fold the washing that had been sitting in the tumble drier all morning, so it was worth having to get the hoover out when he'd finished. Honey finished watching a film (usually restricted to one film of an afternoon at the weekend) then immediately asked for another one because her 'body was too poorly to play' why not, and as it turns out, the second film actually sent her off to sleep!

There are so many germs around this winter and if you're looking after a poorly little one, I hope they feel better soon. Roll on Spring!

Ace wears... Coat by Little Buffalo

Towering above...

Having grown up in The Cotswolds, I've been to Broadway Tower a time or two but never as an adult and never in charge of children! It wasn't busy when we arrived so we parked up on the side of the road, but there's a large Pay and Display car park on site and fees are refundable when you spend £5 in the cafe or shop. 

We took a leisurely stroll up to the tower, taking in the amazing views and waving to Honey's friend (who totally couldn't see us but who lives nearby so...) This time, we didn't go inside as Honey was feeling tired and therefore wasn't in the best mood, so we wanted to make the most of being outdoors. You can buy tickets to go inside and children under 6 are free. We wandered a very short way along The Cotswold Way and did some wildlife spotting, Honey had an I-Spy book to fill in and Ace just chased a load of sheep!

The terrain was gentle enough for Ace to come out of the sling and have a good run around, followed by a short, downhill hike, although I've no idea how he resisted picking up all the sheep poo! 

When we'd had enough wandering, we headed to the cafe and indulged in (very reasonably priced) cakes and gingerbread men. There are tables inside and outside, I only spotted one high chair but there may have been more hidden away. Other attractions included a Pooch Playground for those of you with canine friends and a nuclear bunker dating back to the Cold War, so I'd say there's definitely enough to keep everyone occupied for a couple of hours or more if you take a longer walk down The Cotswold Way!

Honey wears... Flamingo t-shirt by JoJo Mamas Bebe
Ace wears... Red shorts by Frugi