With half-term fast approaching here in Staffordshire & Cheshire I thought I would put together a list of our favourite days out as a family. From free visits to the Museum to fun at Splash Landings there is something for every budget.
However you plan to spend your Spring half-term, whatever the weather, you can find some exciting half-term fun to be had.
Here are our Top Ten tried & tested days out with one indoors activity thrown in, just in case the weather takes a turn for the worst…
*Warning … Photo spam alert!
It started with Lil G’s 1st Nativity Play on Friday afternoon. What a beautiful way to start our weekend. He did so well. Standing up on stage to say his line ‘what a beautiful baby’, word-perfect and in front of not 1, not 2 but over 50 adults is fantastic in my opinion. A very proud mummy. So proud. Watching our gorgeous boy singing along to all the nativity songs, actions included and then the Christmas Carols was just the most heart warming moment.
I can only share this one picture with you as there were of course other children in the others, themes the rules! A rather proud Lil G…
A few days back I wrote a little post telling you all about our Top Ten Christmas Days Out in Staffordshire, Cheshire and Manchester. They were all activities we have done as Our Little Family since Lil G arrived in to our world. Each year we try to find something new, an adventure to be had and festive fun to take Lil G a long to. I believe we have the balance just right this year. A little bit of what we know and just a little bit of what we don’t!
We even managed to throw in a totally unplanned event last weekend which was super fun and left Mr H and I feeling just a little bit gooey inside. Who’d have thought that unplanned fun could be just that, FUN! Lesson learned. Just call me Monica.
It goes without saying that we have Christmas all wrapped up before December begins so that we can enjoy this Festive Fun. Our weekends are spent together rather than queuing in shops. Makes sense right?
Think Will Ferrell in Elf, you know the scene when he screams ‘Santa’ as he hears those magic words…
Ok people tomorrow morning, 10am, Santa is coming
This is the moment he hears that Santa will be arriving at Gimbles department store. That is Our Little Family.
Both Mr H and I have this overwhelming excitement for not only the big day but the run up to Christmas. Our planning starts pretty much after Lil G’s birthday which is at the end of June. We LOVE Christmas.
With presents bought for our little boy by October, all that is left to do is prepare the house (eek) and well, get excited (double eek). Our attention soon turns to how we are going to spend our weekends in December. The key is to be prepared and have these things booked in advance. Even as I write this post (12th Nov) I know of so many events where days are already SOLD OUT! Some events are on sale by March and others it is October or the beginning of November. You must move quick.
I thought I would share with you Our Little Family Top Ten festive events to take your little ones to in Manchester and Staffordshire… Continue reading
Welcome to my 5th #LittleLoves where I link up with the lovely @butwhymummywhy each Friday and look back at the little things that have made up my week. I want to say thank you to all the lovely bloggers who have liked my posts, commented on my posts since I joined in this beautiful linky.
Firstly … An apology. With Lil G’s birthday celebrations taking over the most part of last week I struggled to read over all of your posts. I love reading them, and offer you a pinky promise that I will do much better this week.
Read
For the first time in what feels like forever I spotted one of my favourite magazines on the shelf in Sainsbury’s as I suspiciously glided past the magazine aisle hoping Lil G would allow me this little indulgence. Red Magazine. I have enjoyed reading it during my train commute in a morning and evening on the 3 days I travel in to Manchester. 2 articles stuck out. The 1st was about a young women by the name of Ella Woodward who due to an illness had to change her diet, it dramatically improved her lifestyle. The 2nd about someone who some of you may know or have listened to at BritMums, Ben Brooks-Dutton. Both stories really touched me, for very different reasons of course.
Watched
If only I could upload videos to my blog. Lil G has been playing with the ‘Play Shop & Theatre’ non stop since we were blessed with this fabulous item from the Great Little Trading Co to review. Imagine Lil G shouting ‘show time, show time’ and you’ll be close to witnessing how deliciously cute this moment was.
Show Time
Wore
Who ever thought a rain mac could provide such a beautiful moment. Our 2nd day at Alton Towers turned a little rainy, but that didn’t stop our fun. Lil G and I hand in hand, discussing which rides he and daddy would be tempted by. Me on the other hand was dreading his need for speed, we certainly didn’t expect our 3-year-old to snub CBeebies for the big rides!
Isn’t it lovely not having to wear a coat, waking up to blue skies, going to bed with the windows open, waking up to the birds tweeting. Although it is looking rather grey out there right now, bring back summer!
Heard
*jumps to work mode* The joy in a candidates voice when I made not one but two offers of employment this week. I could hear the smile spreading across their faces. For those interested you can read more on my day job here mummy Hargreaves at work.
Made
For a lovely Thursday lunch time … (tentative link I know)
Have you tried this? Wow. If like me you enjoy a glass of prosecco, and maybe even a pimms, then this is a drink you have to try. It is refreshing, colourful and leaves you wanting more. It is, an Aperol Spritz. You can buy the liquor in supermarkets, it comes with instructions on how to mix it, but here they are …
Ice and a slice of orange, 3 parts of Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, 1 splash of soda
And lastly …
Please cross your fingers and toes for nice weather, today is meant to be Lil G’s 1st sports day. We are super excited, as is he, I really do hope the rain doesn’t cross our path. Not only for the children but also because the adults have fizz and picnics to enjoy!
Ooh yes, Lil G has his friend F coming over tonight for his 1st sleepover! A weekend of 1sts in our house. Lil G has stayed over at F’s house, never here though. It’s rather exciting. I may be Up All Hours this evening!
And lastly lastly, I have received two lovely gifts this week, totally unexpected and extremely well received. I really was touched. The first is a gift from a twitter/blogging friend, for just being a friend and the second is from a lady called Ruth. I stopped to help her after having a car accident, for the whole story here it is The Sweetest Thing.
Friendship through blogging, who’d have thought
My first Flower Card
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… Our gorgeous boy turns the grand old age of 3! It is officially Birthday Eve – the night where you will find Mr H and I blowing up balloons, last-minute preparations, perfectly placing Lil G’s gifts ready to open as he wakes (this will be the only morning I am dreaming of a pre 6am get up, well that and Christmas Day of course).
On top of that, packing our bags ready for our little adventure to Alton Towers, Splash Landings and CBeebies Land for 2 days as a surprise for Lil G! And finally, I can put my notes down, I can stop planning, I can tick off the check list and enjoy our 2 days away before returning on Friday and for the last time pick up my check list for his birthday party on Saturday.
Where has the last 12-months gone? It’s hard to believe a year has passed us by so quickly. When I look back at the pictures from our boys 2nd birthday it only seems like yesterday when we were blowing out candles. Doesn’t he look so young, a baby in fact. He really has grown up over the last 12-months, making us so proud, taking the move to Kindergarten in his stride, proving to us just how special he is. Never failing to impress us in how he approaches a situation and more recently how he has returned to eating most foods popped in front of him. Phew *wipes brow* it’s been a long 12 months of fussy eating.
Some pictures from his 2nd Birthday …
We have had so much fun, the last 12-months have been filled with adventure, new experiences, laughter, lots of cuddles, giggles, tears, threenager tantrums and buckets of imaginative play. To our Georgeous (as we call him), we love you …. Wakey Wakey mummy and daddy want to open some presents!
I can’t quite get my head around the fact that in another 6-months time I will be completing school application forms, in preparation for the big move to school in September 2015 (WOW). Talk about wishing our time away. It’s all very exciting though isn’t it. Yes he’s not my baby anymore, he’s my big boy, Mr Independent, surprising us each day with his fabulousness. With his wisdom. With his love.
And finally, as our gorgeous boy is about to embark on a new adventure, as a 3 year old no less, I will return to Mr H who is frantically organising our super busy day tomorrow. Good night.
2years old 1 year old
KA x
Lil G’s 3rd birthday is coming!
June has arrived, which only means one thing and that’s the month our gorgeous boy turns 3 years old. I stand corrected, Mr H tells me it’s also the start of the World Cup, huh, that’s nothing in comparison to our gorgeous boy approaching the grand old age of 3! Have I mentioned that it’s his birthday soon? I can’t help but be proud of our cheeky monkey. He’s achieved so much since coming in to the world a little earlier than expected! That would be at 33 weeks.
Born premature at 33 weeks
‘Im not a cheeky monkey, I’m ‘George Archie Hargreaves’ I find myself saying this to him as often as I can just to hear him say his name. I should film it one day, it’s rather cute. Our gorgeous boy has requested a superhero birthday party, where he will be Super George, I will be Super Mum, Mr H will be Super Dad and let’s not forget Alf, whose new nickname is no longer Bear it’s Super Dog.
Superhero badges for the children
Just like his daddy was and still is, Lil G is a HUGE fan of all things superhero with a soft spot for Superman and Spiderman. Huge fan. Oddly, and despite daddy not forcing certain things he does seem to be sharing the same passions. Lil G is football crazy always finding a ball to kick, loves his ‘football suits’, he’s obsessive about his hats too, from the minute he wakes up, the first thing he pops on is a hat! 
As you do, I’ve been busy pinning on Pinterest, scouting the internet, looking at children’s entertainers, planning age appropriate party food (much fun), and in general planning his party since the turn of the year. I’m one of those people always planning something. #ILoveToPlan
I’m ever so grateful that his birthday is in June, it’s like having two Christmas’s when you factor in the cost of a party. The only difference is that Santa isn’t present! We spend the first 6 months of the year planning Lil G’s birthday celebrations, and the next 6 planning Christmas! You may think we’re crazy, we love it, I’d go as far as to say that Mr H is worse than me, he gets rather giddy!
It’s not just a close circle of ‘our’ friends anymore. Lil G has his own friends and took great pleasure in helping me to write a list. This is how it went…
My best friends first; Elliot, Freddy and Annabella. Write them down mummy… yes George Archie! Are you sure. Oh and… Ruby and Oscar, Henry, Bain (it’s actually Cobain, Bain reminds me of the villain out of The Dark Knight!) Dylan and Thomas.
The list goes on. We have 28 children on the list, 28! Blimey. In fairness to Lil G a third of this list are siblings, either younger or older. I just don’t feel I can exclude people. Does that make me a fool? Mr H, as predicted has told me that I’m silly for inviting them all, perhaps I am. I’ve promised to be more ruthless next year. Brownie promise. I’ll report back in 2015! It won’t happen, each year so far, has got bigger! And why not.
There will soon be a day when Lil G will no longer be my baby, he already tells me ‘I’m not a baby, I’m a big boy’. Brings a tear to my eye every time he says it. It won’t be long before he’s telling me what he wants to do for his birthday, bowling, the cinema or worse still somewhere with his friends and without me! Eek.
There should be a rule handed to all children at birth, ‘you must take mummy everywhere with you, everywhere’. Agree? Or better still a pinkie promise to stick together like glue, FOREVER.
All celebrations, especially birthdays should start with an invitation and we were not disappointed with this years choice. Given the superhero theme, this couldn’t have been more perfect.
Previously my gorgeous George’s birthday has fallen on a day which he would normally spend with Nanny and for some stupid reason I hadn’t booked it off (Katie Hopkins would be impressed!). It goes without saying that I have regretted it each year, so as a surprise for Lil G, Mr H and I have booked a 2-day break at Alton Towers and Splash Landings to celebrate. We went at Christmas and he absolutely loved it, so we know we’ll be getting a woohoo from Lil G when he realises!
I still can’t believe how quickly 3 years has passed, I definitely need to build a time machine! Or better still a black whole, where we can freeze time and stay at this point for just a little bit longer. I really do love the stage Lil G is currently going through, his little ways, language and the amount of love he shows us. I’m sure the kisses and cuddles will stop one day *pulls sad face*.
I look forward to reporting back at the end of the month. But for now it’s back to my planning, oh how I love to plan!
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life as our little family 