19 December 2012

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas Nose

Who wants a nose at our Christmas decorations?

Go on then...



Our decorations are up, the boys have seen the big man (if you're anywhere near Milton Keynes, Frosts has the most perfectly bearded Santa I've ever seen), I have made and posted my cards, I have bought all of my presents and some are wrapped already, we've been busy baking and crafting. I even have the Christmas Radio Times and a highlighter pen, but I'm not feeling it yet. With more funerals than weddings attended this year I'm feeling uncharacteristically subdued. We've also had colds, coughs, fevers and chest infections to deal with, but thankfully the boys were well enough to take part in their first Nativity play.

Perhaps a little Baileys in my coffee will do the trick.

Season's greetings, friends.


PS Thanks to Fox's Biscuits for the goodies. You've got to have a tin of biccies at Christmas after all.




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Review: LEGO Duplo Photo Safari 6156






When our new LEGO Duplo Photo Safari set arrived, we didn't even bother to finish getting dressed before we opened the box and every bag inside. A new Duplo set is always exciting.

Having freed all the animals (and the plane, jeep, trees and bridges) both boys started to build the set using the instructions and the picture on the box as a guide.



Presley and Cash are 5 and 4, and can now make models from the LEGO City and Creator ranges, but they still love Duplo. Sets like the Photo Safari one fuel their imagination. There is so much to play with.

They particularly loved the crocodile with its working jaws. They laughed their heads off as they made it eat everything in sight, including my dressing gown. 



When they finally grew tired of this (about two hours later) they asked to play with their stash of Duplo. We have quite a collection now and they used it to make other animals.

Presley said 'Look, Mummy, I made Elmer.'



They then moved on to make a family of robots:



The Photo Safari set is a welcome addition to our Duplo stash. Yes, the RRP is quite steep at £49.99, but you can keep an eye out for offers. In the run up to Christmas I took advantage of the Sainsbury's toy sale, the 20% off weekend at Toys R Us and the 3-for-2 on toys at Argos.

Duplo, as with all LEGO, is such a well-made toy. It is as versatile as a child's imagination. Although we are moving over to LEGO now, I hope it will be a little while before the boys stop playing with Duplo altogether. The bricks are compatible after all.

We have had Duplo in our house for almost four years and it is played with all the time. I've watched my boys go from putting bricks in their mouths, to stacking them, to making simple models, to building complex villages. I love it.


Disclosure: We were sent a LEGO Duplo Photo Safari set to review.



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14 December 2012

The Banana Test


How do you feel when you see a fruit bowl?

Does it make you want to reach for an apple or would you rather have an apple pie?

I'd like to share with you my top tip for healthy eating.

In our house we use The Banana Test to determine how hungry we are. The basic theory behind the test is that if you are genuinely hungry, you'll happily eat a banana. If you're just peckish or you fancy a biscuit, you won't. If it's the latter, you don't need that unhealthy snack.

We use The Banana Test with the children all the time. They're pretty good at eating their 5-a-day at mealtimes, but they are young boys and they love biscuit based snacks. If it's close to a meal, or nearly bedtime and they ask for something to eat we offer them a banana. If they're really hungry, they'll eat the banana.

Andy and I use The Banana Test too. Rather than reaching for crisps or biscuits we head for the fruit bowl, and we're feeling much better for it.

In our house, as you can imagine, we get through a lot of bananas, apples, clementines, grapes....

I wonder whether we can keep this up over the festive season.

Have you tried The Banana Test?


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Review: Kirstie Allsopp Bedding From Palmers Department Store


The last time I bought new bedding was shortly after we moved to our new house. I was absolutely convinced that our bedroom carpet was brown, so I bought beige bedding. The carpet is actually blue, so the bed always looked out of place - even when I bothered to straighten the duvet.




So you can imagine my relief when Palmers Department Store asked me if I'd like to review some bedding from from one of their quality ranges (think V&A, Cath Kidston, Kylie at Home and Kirstie Allsopp).

I chose this Kirstie Allsopp set, mainly for the colours. I now have a coordinated bedroom. This pretty bedding feels luxurious and completely brightens up the room. It would look even better if I could be bothered to run the iron over it...



Did I tell you about the time I met Kirstie at a party? Of course I did.

I have to say I hadn't heard of Palmers Department Store before they contacted me, but I'll definitely be browsing there in the future. As well as duvet cover sets they also sell many other great value items for the home, including towels, tableware, glassware and gifts. If you order by 12pm on Monday 17 December they guarantee delivery by Christmas.


Disclosure: Palmers Department Store sent me a duvet cover and pillow cases to review

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13 December 2012

One of My Recipes is in The Hallmark Advent Calendar



I was delighted to be asked to contribute something Christmassy to the Hallmark Advent Calendar.

Behind every door is a top tip, craft idea or a recipe. You'll have to wait until 21st December to see my contribution, but I can tell you it's a simple recipe for something that your child could make for Santa. My boys love putting cookies and carrots on a plate for Santa on Christmas Eve. Last year they thought the big man would like a glass of milk as well. This year we may make some boozy suggestions, after all it is freezing at night.

There are some great ideas hiding behind the doors for the first couple of weeks of Advent, you may recognise some of the names of the contributors. I can't wait to see what's behind the other doors.


Disclosure: I was paid for my contribution to the calendar and to publish this post.
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12 December 2012

How To Do... Super Speedy Wrapping

Have you always wanted to know how to become a super speedy wrapper?

Watch this:




The PTA Christmas Shop, 700 presents wrapped using handbands:





3M Products used in this vlog:
Scotch Pop-up Tape Handband Dispenser
Scotch Comfort Scissors 20cm

If you like stationery take a look at the 3M shop. I've been trying out loads of different products recently, the double sided tape dispenser is perfect for card making.





Scotch currently have a weekly mystery gift giveaway on their Facebook page. For all the info and for some clues to the answers check out my It's a Wrap post.

Disclosure: Scotch are paying me to wrap my Christmas presents (on video). I have to wrap my Christmas presents anyway, so yay.
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30 November 2012

What's Really Important?

It's easy to get so caught up in day to day life that you forget what's really important. I'll give you a clue, it's not reality television or what someone said online. It's not what you have, it's who you have in your life that makes it special.

Family and friends are what's really important. Spending time with people you love; chatting, laughing, listening, caring, a welcome hug and a warm smile.

Especially when you've been best friends with someone for seventeen years and are as close as sisters. Someone who knows everything about you - good and bad - and still loves you, that's what's really important.

Yep, that's about it.


In loving memory of my beautiful friend
11 March 1969 - 16 November 2012


I miss you. 

My life is richer for having known you.

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Oh no, not again...

I only wrote my Dear PR letter a couple of weeks ago, but it hasn't made any difference. I complain about being sent free cake and now they've moved onto free chocolate.

Oh, alright, if I must. I'll review a monster chocolate Christmas wreath from Hotel Chocolat. You've twisted my arm.



Basically, the Festive Wreath from Hotel Chocolat is a huge (450g) slab of chocolatey gorgeousness. It arrived very well packaged and there was only a tiny chocolate chip that had broken off.

The Festive Wreath contains chocolate, cookies and caramel and serves 8 - allegedly. Perfect as a pudding or a treat when you've got friends round. It would make an excellent Christmas present. At £20 it's a little more than I would normally spend on chocolate for myself, but at Christmas it's a perfect gift.

Hotel Chocolat is known for it's quality, so you know that you're getting something pretty wonderful. It's a substantial block of creamy chocolate, crammed full of florentines and cookie pieces. We had to cut it with a knife to get at it, but oh my it's delicious. Somehow I knew it would be.


Disclosure: I was sent a Festive Wreath from Hotel Chocolat to review. The things I do for my readers. Tsk.





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14 November 2012

The Photo Gallery: The Eighties

I haven't joined in with The Photo Gallery for ages, but how could I let this week's theme go by without a rummage through my old snaps?

Yes, folks, it only me in THE EIGHTIES!


I LOVED the eighties, particularly the fashion and the music, and won't have a word said against them.

Shh.

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It's a Wrap - Scotch Giveaway and Facebook Competition


This giveaway is now closed, please see below for the link to Scotch's Facebook Competition and a few clues to help you with your entry.

The winners, selected using random.org, are:
5 - Shelley White
96 - Emma Hart
77 - Helen A
25 - Anon (mandymot)
1 - Cally Taylor

Congratulations!
I will contact you via Twitter or email today to ask for your addresses



Last year I reviewed the Scotch Pop-Up Tape Handband Dispenser and called it the best thing since sliced bread.

This year I'm working with Scotch on their Christmas campaign and they are offering Handband Dispensers and refills to five lucky Baby Baby readers.

To enter this giveaway:

  • Please leave a 'pick me' comment below. You must leave a way for me to contact you if you win (e.g. your Twitter ID).
  • If you give this post a +1 you can have another entry, simply leave another comment. 
  • If you tweet a link to this post you can have another entry, simply leave another comment.


This giveaway closes at 8pm on Tuesday 20th November 2012. The winners will be drawn at random. Usual terms apply. UK only. The prizes will be sent out by the PR agency.

Good luck!

***

Scotch are also running a competition on their Facebook page where the weekly prize is a beautifully wrapped mystery gift worth up to £150.

I'm helping them out by posting clues to the mystery gift on this blog.

The clue for Week 1 is:
I’m the smallest member of my family (one billionth); fit in the palm of your hand and can hold tunes a plenty!

Check back here each week for the next clue.

Week 2
A word defined,’ to set alight or start to burn’ - you’ll be carrying a library with you wherever you go!


Week 3
In Greek mythology, the first women on earth – she comes with charms, but whatever you do, don’t open her box!


Week 4
Cheltenham _____ or Leamington _____ - it’s sure to be a day of pampering; leaving you relaxed and revitalised!

Week 5
At the gym, going for a run, or a frequent traveller - the perfect mix of sound and style - made for music lovers!

Week 6
Comes in a wicker basket and promises to be full of festive treats!


Week 7
An essential for keeping the kids occupied whilst on those long car journeys!


Week 8
If you got a new iPod for Christmas, you'll be needing one of these as an alternative to headphones!

Disclosure: Scotch are sponsoring me to work on this campaign, but I genuinely love this product and will be using it for all my Christmas wrapping. As you will see in a few weeks, I have a lot to wrap this year.
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13 November 2012

Bake it for Babies - Changing the World One Cupcake at a Time


It's amazing what a few bloggers can do in a short space of time.

We were inspired by a Save the Children blogging conference. We had thrown around fundraising ideas and in addition to the Blog it for Babies campaign and tour, some bloggers decided to create a cook book. Jenny created a Save the Children cupcake based on the peanut paste that is given to malnourished children by Save the Children.

A few of us submitted recipes and ta da, the result is the beautifully illustrated Bake it for Babies Cook Book. I'm delighted to have a recipe published. I made these cakes, from my recipe, for the boys' birthday, for the children to take home from the party at our local farm centre.



The best indictment of how wonderful this book is, is that when I lent it to my mum she didn't realise that I was showing her because I had a recipe published (her noisy grandchildren had just arrived). When she returned the book a week later she said she'd copied down four of the recipes to try.

It would make a lovely xmas present....

Bake it for Babies is available from Lulu. All proceeds to Save the Children.



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Dear PR, I'm sorry...

I've never asked you for anything to review, ever.  I decline 99.9% of products that you offer me for review, sometimes I'm even polite enough to email you back to tell you 'thanks, but no thanks'.

It's not me though, it's you. It's your fault I have to apologise. It's your fault I've been such a slacker.

You see, you've been emailing me with offers of free cake. I mean, who on earth turns down free cake?

Oh, you wanted me to write about the free cake? Oh, okay. This is why I've been rather sheepish lately and not replied to your chasing emails. This blog post is my thank you for all the free cake that I've scoffed this year and not written about.

Dear PR, I'm sorry I'm late with my review, but I was too full of cake to get to my laptop. Love, Sandy x

Mr Kipling

CAKE! Individually wrapped cake slices that you can kid yourself you're only going to eat one of as a treat, but then you rip open pack after pack until they're all gone... ahem... maybe that's just me.

No only did Mr Kipling send me some yummy cakey goodness (that I didn't share with my family), they also sent an M&S gift card (that I didn't share with my family). What I did share with my family was the day out they also gave us. And what a gorgeous day we chose for our treat. Thanks, Mr Kipling.



Aunt Bessies


My children love to bake. I've only got to mention the 'b'word and they're got their aprons on. Sometimes all they want to do is mix something. Aunt Bessies cake mixes are perfect for this. They are quick and easy, especially if you lack confidence in the baking department or don't bake regularly. The instructions are clear and you only need to add the odd ingredient such as an egg, oil or water. My boys made the cookies first and they turned out really well. My mum and I shared the rest of the mixes. She loved the Victoria sponge, but wasn't so keen on the Yorkshire tea loaf.


Cadbury



Free chocolate? YES, PLEASE. Over the last few months I got to try some new Cadbury chocolate. My favourite was the Dairy Milk Bubbly, but I still happily scoffed the Toffee Popcorn and Golden Biscuit Crunch. The things I have to do for my readers. Welcome to Joyville, indeed.


Heinz



Heinz Five Beanz, what's that got to do with cake? Well, not only did Heinz send us some new Five Beans and old skool Alphabetti Spaghetti to try, they also send a bag of food shopping to go with them - including a tower of profiteroles. We ate well that weekend, I can tell you.

I wasn't sure I'd like the Five Beanz, because I associate kidney beans with chilli, but they tasted great - just like regular Baked Beans, but with more texture. I now use them in chilli and veggie pasta dishes, as well as on toast. I'm a Five Beanz convert.


Angel Delight Ice Cream


Mmm, Angel Delight AND Ice Cream? That's a match made in Heaven, surely? Angel Delight Ice Cream is lovely stuff, it's cheap and easy to make. You whisk milk into the packet mix and freeze. The butterscotch flavour is my favourite. No, you don't have to thank me.


Hovis


I know, I know, it's not cake, but bread is pretty good too. Thanks, Hovis, the Seed Sensations loaf is delicious.


Disclosure: all of the above items were sent to me for review, all opinions are my own.


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1 November 2012

Reasons to Love Living in Milton Keynes #6


Woodpecker:


Whaddya mean you can't see a woodpecker? Tsk.

Extreme close up:



See? Woodpecker!

It's not all concrete here in Milton Keynes, you know.


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22 October 2012

Win a Tassimo Coffee Machine with Costa at Home and Baby Baby


***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***




I'll admit it now, I mostly drink decaf instant coffee.

There. I said it.

This doesn't mean I don't appreciate good coffee. For me a proper coffee is a treat, something to be savoured. My school-gate mates and I go to our local Costa once a week for lattes and laughs.

When I was asked if I would like to try Costa at Home I jumped at the chance. Since my shiny new Tassimo T40 coffee machine arrived Andy and I have been enjoying Lattes and Americanos every day. What a treat.




As far as we can tell they taste pretty similar to the coffees you get at Costa. The Latte (above) is soooo good, it's creamy and full of Costa Coffee flavour. The Americano (below) is rich and strong. I use the manual setting on the machine to add more water, and a splash of milk, to make my perfect drink.




The Costa at Home T-Discs are available at major supermarkets, RRP £4.29 for 16 Americano discs, £4.29 for 8 Cappucino discs and £4.99 for 8 Latte discs. You can also buy Costa at Home Roast and Ground coffee for filters and cafetieres.

If you would like to try Costa at Home, Costa have kindly offered to send a Tassimo coffee machine and some Costa at Home T-Discs to one lucky Baby Baby reader.

Entry is via the Rafflecopter widget below. Usual conditions apply. The prize will be sent out by the PR. No cash alternative is offered. Only valid entries will be eligible for the prize.

Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was sent a Tassimo T40 coffee machine and three boxes of Costa at Home T-Discs to review.
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5 October 2012

Desperately Seeking...


I've never been particularly ambitious. In fact, I think I've demonstrated an almost total lack of drive throughout my life.

When I was a Trainee Accountant I said I'd take the exams until I failed. I didn't. Once I'd qualified I had an appraisal or performance review, or whatever it was called that week. I was asked the dreaded question 'Where do you see yourself in 5 years?'. I said what I thought my boss wanted to hear. I told him I wanted to be a Financial Director by the time I was 30. I got that job at 31. It was a rubbish job. The company asked me to falsify the accounts. I resigned.

See, ambitions are a waste of time. I hate setting goals. I'd rather just amble along in life and appreciate the good stuff, rather than constantly striving for something and being disappointed. All this 'Shoot for the Moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars' doesn't sit well with me. Besides, the moon is nearer than the stars. If you miss the moon you'll plummet back to earth and burn up on re-entry. Just saying.

As you can guess, I don't have a bucket list. There are things I'd like to do, like play the piano well or make a half-way decent Yorkshire pudding, but they can wait until I get round to it. I have a mental list of things to look out for, including orange ice cream or strawberry chocolate. One day I may see them in a shop and that's fine.

What I really love is live music, so I have email alerts set up for tour dates. One band I've loved for years is Turin Brakes. Their first album, The Optimist LP, is one of my top five albums of all time. This is my favourite Turin Brakes song, from that album, 'Feeling Oblivion':





I saw them in 2001 at Wembley, supporting James on their so-called 'farewell tour'. Turin Brakes were amazing live. A few months later they were supporting Travis in Brussels. My boyfriend and I got tickets, flights and a hotel. We turned up for the gig to find it had been cancelled. Travis couldn't be bothered to turn up. The gits. The box office was closed and would open for refunds the following morning, at the same time as the check-in desk for our flight home. We drowned our sorrows in strong lager in a dodgy bar, but that's another story. I can't listen to 'Why does it always rain on me?' without getting cross and shouting 'because you're gits' at Travis.

Fast forward ten years and I'm still on the lookout for Turin Brakes tickets. Finally I saw they were playing at Esquires in Bedford in July, that's not far from me. I bought tickets. Then I felt uneasy. What if I was holding onto an idea about something that turned out to be a bit rubbish?

I needn't have worried. Turin Brakes are still magnificent live. They played all the old stuff, new stuff and, er, stuff in between. Esquires is a small venue (I saw Evan Dando there last year with Rachael, we stood right at the front wishing we'd brought in a decent camera between us), with a great atmosphere. After a few songs I found myself smiling at Turin Brakes. I hope that didn't put them off. I was smiling because I was happy. Happy because I love their music, happy because they have the coolest looking bass player ever, happy because they've still got it, happy that I was out with my husband and happy because - just for once - having some ambition turned out to be a good thing.

If this super serendipity is not enough for you, I have another connection to Esquires. The Trainee Accountant I shared an office with twenty years ago is a face on the Bedford live music scene and I bumped into him at the Evan Dando gig. That's one for the fact fans out there, almost.

Turin Brakes are playing The Stables in Wavendon on 29th November. Do come. I'll be there, at the front, smiling at the band.

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Review: Keycamp - La Croix du Vieux Pont, Berny Riviere, France




On the first night of our Keycamp holiday we sat in the evening sunshine, on our decking, overlooking a lake, with a cold beer in hand. I said to Andy "This is the Life". It really is.



This was our first overseas family holiday. We had survived the drive to Dover, the ferry crossing and the 150 mile drive through the French countryside. All we had to do for a whole week was relax and have fun. Bliss.

About Keycamp
Keycamp Holidays are self-catering specialists in Europe and the USA. They have 99 hand-picked parcs across ten countries in Eurpoe. They have something for everyone, whether you're looking for an action-packed holiday, full-on rest - or a bit of both - you're bound to find what you're looking for. Accommodation ranges from Supertents to fully equipped mobile homes via chalets, lodges and tree houses.

We were looking for a parc that was fairly close to Calais with plenty to keep the children occupied. The Keycamp website isn't perfect, but we managed to get most of the information we needed. We couldn't decide which parc to try. In the end Keycamp suggested La Croix du Vieux Pont, mainly for the Kids' Clubs. Although it was a little further than we wanted to drive, we decided to go for it.  I'm glad we did. Driving in France is a whole other blog post, but I thoroughly recommend spending a few Euros on the (almost empty) toll roads.



La Croix du Vieux Pont, Berny Riviere
90 miles North East of Paris, close to the Compiegne forest and the pretty village of Vic-sur-Aisne is La Croix du Vieux Pont. This large parc is clean, well-maintained and covered in flowers and trees. In fact, my children collected 541 hazelnuts from just one tree on the parc. Yes, we counted them. Yes, we bought them home. Yes, we put them in the garden for the squirrels. Yes, the squirrels took them ALL. Yes, I'm expecting hazel saplings to appear in the garden next year.



On the parc there are three lakes; two for fishing and one for swimming. We paddled, dug holes, filled them with water, made streams for the water to return to the lake and built sandcastles at the man-made sandy beach by the swimming lake. The boys called this part of the holiday 'watery adventures'.



There is an enormous, spotlessly clean, swimming pool complex. The children loved the kids' pool and we were perfectly happy to splash about in there for a few hours. We said 'this is the life' to one another quite a few times in the pool.



There are many play areas with facilities for all ages. The boys loved the adventure playground. Presley learnt how to use a fireman's pole. This made him very happy.



There were electric cars, trampolines, a bouncy castle and canoes and pedalos that you had to pay for. We bought a pre-paid card and got 30 rides for the price of 20, otherwise it's 2 euros a pop.

The staff at the parc and the Keycamp couriers were great. I got to practice my French too. I was disappointed to see a few British holidaymakers not making any attempt to even say 'bonjour' or 'merci' to the local staff. Yes, they all speak English, but come on. Make. An. Effort.

There are two restaurants, both offering traditional French food. We went to the Farmhouse near the parc entrance. The food was perfectly fine, but nothing special. We also had a couple of meals from the on-site takeaway. The pizzas are excellent.

There are shops on the parc selling a range of groceries, alcohol and toys. The bakery was particularly fabulous. The prices are pretty reasonable, but the local Carrefour supermarket in Soissons is bigger and cheaper - especially if you're cooking for a family. I love mooching around supermakets on holiday. We found some brilliantly named beers. A Lord Darren, anyone?



Also at the parc, but not visited by us, was bike hire, a spa, a bar, a disco, tennis, table tennis, archery, mini-golf, football and a zip wire.

Accommodation
We stayed in a two-bedroom Villagrand mobile home. Our home from home was clean and had everything we needed, including a full size fridge-freezer, cooker, shower and bottle opener. There was plenty of storage space and the beds were comfortable.



We had our own decking with a table, parasol and chairs, and a garden with sun-loungers. We ate most of our meals al-fresco. There's nothing finer in life than baguettes and a cheese board (and butter and jam if you're five years old). Check me out with my designer Diet Coke and the beginnings of a tan. Ooh la la:



We were very lucky with the weather, but as August turned to September we needed the additional blankets that were provided as the temperature dropped at night.

Kids' Clubs
Our children (who turned five and four while we were on holiday) would not have been comfortable being left in a kids' club. We saw a few groups of children being led around the parc or taking part in activites and they all looked happy, but it's not our thing.



What we absolutely loved though was the Mini Fun Station. Becky and Tommie ran both morning and afternoon sessions suitable for children aged from six months to five years. Parents stay as the children paint and stick, play in the sand pit or the ball pond, try to hula hoop, throw, catch, do jigsaw puzzles or collect hazelnuts (see above).



The best part of our holiday, without a shadow of a doubt, was the free Learn to Ride classes at the Mini Fun Station.



In the first session of the day children are taught how to ride balance bikes. The next session is pedals...



There are several major milestones in a child's life. One of the biggest is learning to ride a bike, without stabilisers. Both my children managed this at Keycamp. Becky and Tommie were excellent teachers. We were proud of the way our boys joined in with the Learn to Ride classes. They ran across the parc to get to the Mini Fun Station each morning. And they leaned to ride bikes. Happy days.





Around Berny Riviere
You can get a coach from the parc to Paris and Disneyland Paris. Tickets are also available from Reception if you want to drive to Disney (these tickets are cheaper than buying from the UK before you go). The French Parc Asterix is also nearby. We decided not to take a day out from our holiday to visit one of these as there was so much to do at our parc that didn't revolve around queuing.





We did spend a wonderful afternoon at Chateau du Pierrefonds, a short drive from the parc. This magnificent fairytale castle has to be seen to be believed, it looks computer generated. The BBC's Merlin is filmed there.




We loved the windows, the gargoyles and the creepy crypt. Don't blink (Doctor Who reference).




After we'd explored the castle we ambled around the beautiful town of Pierrefonds and stopped for an ice cream. Pierrefonds is well worth a visit.

Our Verdict
We thoroughly enjoyed our Keycamp holiday. When all you have to do for a week is enjoy yourself, you quickly feel pretty chilled out. We were so relaxed that when, on our return journey, the ferry broke down and had to be towed into the port at Dover, we were happy to open a bag of crisps and watch the tugs at work.

Our holiday was excellent value for money and we would wholeheartedly recommend a Keycamp holiday. In fact, I've already been on their website looking at 2013 holidays.

Facts and Figures
Seven nights from 13 April 2013 for a family of two adults and up to four children staying in a two bedroom Villanova mobile home with decking at La Croix du Vieux Pont will cost from £301, including a return Dover to Calais ferry crossing – and a saving of £31. Fly-drive and alternative ferry packages can be arranged though Keycamp at a supplement.

For the latest deals, further information or to make a booking, visit www.keycamp.co.uk or call 0844 406 0319. Keycamp are also on Twitter and Facebook.


Disclosure: we were given a seven night break in a mobile home, including return ferry crossings, linen and towel hire. I write reviews based on my personal experience. I always think about the value of any activity as if I had paid for it myself, to determine whether I think it is good value for money.



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