We chose possibly the wettest day this year to take a trip to Longleat Safari Park. Luckily big man was prepared. Mummy was not, as she had forgotton to pack big man's coat. Luckily we were meeting friends and they had a spare!



We started the day by heading to the batcave. On the way big man spotted The Snowman and rushed up to have a cuddle.



We all really enjoyed the Batcave. Once I realised that the bats weren't going to fly into me, it was great to watch them flying around and eat fruit.



We then had a walk through Jungle Kingdom and our friends tested out the first aiders when their little boy fell over and cut his head. Luckily all was fine and staff were helpful. Hungry, we headed off to eat in the Tropical Storm Cafe. It was busy, but it was lunch time and raining. The food was really nice and the frequent "tropical storms" kept the boys amused and looking at the ceiling.



We then decided that baby man was due for a nap and thought that this would coincide well with the safari.We were given a CD commentary to listen to as we drove around. After many stories of monkeys pulling apart cars, we decided to bypass them. Instead we decided to stop and look at the Ostriches. And then they came over to have a look at us! And a peck at the car too! Baby man was oblivious to the fact that an Ostrich thought he should wake up!



I was really impressed at how well you could see the tigers and lions - if a little worried about if they came any nearer. They seemed to be good at crossing the road. The CD made me giggle when it said that male lions were only really useful in looking good and fathering young.




























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You are able to recycle your CD at any of the retail outlets in Longleat. We didn't do this, and I wished I had. Although the CD is very informative, big man keeps asking to listen to it on repeat play in the car. I am sure that it must be confusing to baby man that he is meant to be seeing lions out of the window and all he can see is office blocks!


After the safari we headed to the Postman Pat Village. My boys have never really got into Postman Pat, so I was quite shocked at how much they liked this area. Although it is now looking a bit tired and worn, they loved pressing the buttons that made the characters move and talk.



Next we headed off to Longleat House. The buggy park is a long walk from the entrance of the house, but once inside, they had hip rests available to help you carry your baby around - which was a real help. As it's Christmas, the house was full of decorations and pantomime characters. Personally, I always get a bit bored walking round houses like this, but the addition of pantomime dames playing jokes on you and princes and Cinderella dancing Gangnam style, certainly makes it more entertaining - if a little bizarre. (No pictures can be taken inside the house - so you will just have to visit it yourself.)

We ended the day watching a musical Christmas tree show. Christmas songs played whilst the lights danced around on the massive Christmas Tree in the grounds. Then thoroughly wet through, but having had a great day, we headed home.



There was so much to do at Longleat, we weren't able to do everything in one day, so will just have to go back again for another visit. You can pay extra to see Santa, and there is an ice rink at the front of the house in winter too.

We were given 2 adult and 2 child tickets by Moneysupermarket so that we could do this review, and they have a range of days out money-off vouchers. I would not have thought of going to Longleat at this time of year before this, but rather than stay inside in the warm, it was actually fun to get out and about on such a wet day. The ticket prices, are also reduced to reflect that it is winter.

The #festiveplaylist linky is a competition sponsored by Coca-Cola. They are promoting safe driving over the Christmas period by supporting a designated driver scheme where the driver can get 2 for 1 on Coca-Cola at participating pubs. Their challenge is to create a Christmas playlist for your designated driver, so here is mine.

First up on my Festive Playlist has to be Frankie goes to Hollywood with The Power of Love. Ok, I know this isn't a classic Christmas song, but it was released around the holiday season when I was 17 and it brings back memories of being in the sixth form and working at the local burger bar. Why I want to remember the joys of having to change filters containing fat on Christmas eve, I am not sure!


Do they know it's Christmas? by Band Aid. I am pretty sure that anyone of my generation knows the words of this song off by heart. I think we all get caught up in buying way too many presents and eating until we are about to burst, and this tune helps to remind me of just how lucky we are.



The Fairytale of New York by The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl. I love the fact that a song like this can make it into mine and no doubt many others' festive playlists. Not a cheery song by any means, but the line "And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day" seems to make it a fab Christmas tune.

Merry Christmas Everybody - Slade. It isn't a Christmas Party if this hasn't been played - It's Christmas!



All I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey. I just love this tune, it makes me happy and at the end of the day, all I want for Christmas is to see my family and friends and enjoy spending time with them. There is nothing better than hearing this tune and dancing round the living room with one of my boys and singing it to them.


What would be on your festive playlist? Would you be my designated driver with these songs playing or would you insist on a total different playlist? What memories do these songs bring to you?

When I first saw the Answer Buzzers, I immediately thought how good these would have been when I was a teacher. Used in quizzes  I think they would have kept the pupils on task and made a great plenary - once the excitement of the silly noises had passed. If you click the link above you can hear what the buzzers sound like. Middle man likes the doorbell style one best!

Meeting Father Christmas can be expensive. I love the look of Lapland UK, but as I would have to sell a kidney to enable us to go, that was off the cards this year. After a lot of looking at reviews on the web I settled for going to Peppa Pig World (aka Paulton's Park.) It was fantastic, so I thought I would let you all know about it, if you are considering it for next year. I was particularly happy that I was able to ride Georges Dinosaur ride - something I didn't manage to do last time. Middle man was very excited by seeing all his favourite characters.

The magic of Christmas to me is bedtime on Christmas Eve. Excitement levels are high. What will Santa bring? And that's just me - the boy's are even more excited!

We start by going to the nativity at the local church in the afternoon. We then have some food and then preparations for the main man commence. Reindeer food and sparkles are sprinkled on the front lawn to guide Rudolph and his friends. (Who thought some porridge oats and glitter could be so exciting.)

Next Father Chrsitmas' plate is left by the fire. The picture above was big man's second Christmas. Santa was left some homemade gingerbread biscuits and a bottle of ale. Last year,however, big man was concerned about the amount of cake Father Christmas would have to consume on Christmas Eve, and the unheathly side effects of this. We therefore opted to swop the biscuits for some cucumber! Mummy also managed to convince big man that Santa would like a glass of red. A few carrots are left for the reindeers. Then it's off to bed with a Christmas story and stockings left at the bottom of the bed.

I remember the excitement I used to feel as a child, and I am pleased that it is still there as a parent. Roll on Christmas Eve - as for me, that is the magic of Christmas.


This is my entry for the #O2GuruMagicofXmas Linky, sponsored by O2 GuruTV 

This is a concept that a lot of people don't understand, but I hate mince pies, Christmas pudding, and Christmas cake. They contain dried fruit and spices that I do not like. Unless you are serving up a chocolate yule log - I will say no. Therefore when it come to baking with the children over Christmas I would much rather make some fairy cakes and ice them in a Christmas fashion.

Middle man loves his food and I don't bake with him half as much as he would like, so I saw this Christmas craft linky as the perfect opportunity to make some fairy cakes.

Start by making a simple fairy cake recipe. For 12 cakes, I use 4oz self raising flour, 4oz caster sugar, 2 eggs and 4oz butter. I added some chocolate drops, so that it looked like currants when you bit into them. Cook the cakes and allow them to cool.

When cool, melt some chocolate and put a spoonful onto each cake.

Then make up some yellow icing and put a small spoonful on top of the chocolate.

Top with holly and red berry sprinkles if you have them, or if like me you don't, then improvise with some cut up green jelly sweets and some red sugar balls.

And there you go - this is my kind of Christmas pudding, made by (and then quickly eaten by) my middle man. If you can stop your little ones from eating them up, then put a few in a cupcake box - making a lovely gift for family and friends.

(If you,like my sister and husband, think that Christmas puddings should have white cream - not yellow custard, then just don't add any yellow colouring!)

Last week I took part in a twitter party about pocket money, sponsored by pktmny, and I asked the question "What age do you start giving pocket money?" I was shocked to find out that people were giving their 3 and 4 year old's pocket money. Big man has just turned 5 and doesn't get any. He does get money from people, but generally I am in control of what he does with it. Having his own money to save up for things and spend as he wishes will help teach him the value of money. I asked him if he knew what pocket money was. He did, as he had seen it on the TV. I asked him what he would do with his money if we gave him some pocket money. There was no hesitating: "buy sweets!" When I explained that too many sweets was bad for you, he suggested that he would share them with his brother!

Big man does a lot of clubs, and I think asking him to make a contribution to these will help him decide which ones are the most important. He is also very interested in Science at the moment. His current school library book is this!



He seems to be working his way through the series as we now know all about moon moths, earwigs,stickleback and how to grow potatoes and strawberries. He has expressed an interest in buying some "science things" with his birthday money, so maybe all his pocket money wont go on sweets after all. At the end of the day, big man is growing up, and it is important that he learns how to manage his own money. Come the new year we will go through the whole idea with him and hopefully after a few trips to the newsagents he will be all sugared out, and saving for the latest toy.....


.....or book on slugs!



How old were your children when they started getting pocket money? Did they just buy sweets or were they good and able to save for a toy that they really wanted? Do you encourage your children to give some of their pocket money to charity? I would love to know your answers as it is all new territory to me!





This is my entry to  #pktmnyparents Linky on BritMums - click the picture above to see other entries or enter yourself. Pktmny is a new pocket money website for children. I have had a quick look at the site and it enables you to pay your children online, which after a disastrous week of remembering to put chocolates in their advent calender, sounds a great idea. I will be checking the site out further, over the Christmas period ready for big man to start saving and spending in the New Year.

Wednesday started badly with the wii telling me there was no weight change this week. It wasn't a great surprise, but I thought I must try harder. I ate my breakfast and then my day turned into a sketch of Outnumbered which if I had watched, I would have found far fetched.

Gok Wan introduced us all to the concept of a capsule wardrobe, now Campbell's soup have come up with the idea of a capsule store cupboard. The Campbell's soup challenge is to use Campbell's soup along with any of these 12 store cupboard essentials to create a delicious recipe.


I opted for the low fat chicken soup as I am still on a health kick. I am also extremely busy at the moment. My rectangular stone baker is coming into its own as I can make healthy meals for all the family just by chopping some food and putting it in the oven.

It has been a few weeks since I have taken part in The Gallery, mainly due to a lot of birthdays and a poor internet connection! This weeks theme is colour.


I would have posted it on time, if I hadn't been living through a comedy scene yesterday - but that's a whole other post. In the meantime if they need a new cast for "Outnumbered" me and they boys can jump straight in.

At the moment I feel as though I am somewhere inbetween the 12 days of Christmas and The Hungry Caterpillar. I have been going off the rails slightly. I love Christmas but it does seem to encourage you to eat and drink, no matter how good you are trying to be. This weekend I ate out twice, which is never good when you are trying to loose weight. I have tried to be reasonably good. I have decided that if I lose a few pounds over the next few weeks then that will be great. My main aim will just be not to gain any weight. On the plus side, I went shopping the other day and actually had to go back to get smaller sized clothes rather than bigger ones! (Having said that, the clothes sizing was all over the place. I have lost weight but I can guarantee you I am nowhere near size 6 - yet bought 2!?!) This is me off for a school mums night out, at my kind of half way weight loss point I suppose.



Anyway, I managed to lose another 2lbs last week which brings me up to 18 now.

Don't forget to check in on my weight loss buddies and show them some support too.

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