Exploring Countryfile Live 2016

So...I won some tickets to Countryfile Live on Twitter with Stanfords (@StanfordsTravel ) the other week and yesterday was the big day that we headed down to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire for the event. 

Here is a little tour around and the highlights of our day. Come through the grand wooden gates and into the showground.....

 

Into the Village Green for a vintage funfair where I spotted a mobile befry. If you didn't know from my constant twittering, well I'm a bell ringer. 7 months in and weekly practising a Touch of Bob Doubles or Grandsire but could I ring these bells from the Lichfield Diocesan Mobile Belfry, absolutely not. Some rounds and that rope went flying. Very embarrassing.

 The surroundings aren't too shabby eh? You could pay extra and go and explore Blenheim Palace too but we didn't as there's too much to see at the show.
Then it was time to go and find some animals for a farm mad little boy! Adam's Farm was a highlight of our day where we learnt all about the different breeds of farm animals. From watching mummy pig give in and crash out on the straw for her hungry piglets to watching a milking machine, we came away full of new information and will start learning about how farms work as part of our home education programme. 

A favourite of mine! Indian Runner Ducks

It was super to see rare breeds such as the Suffolk horse, chestnut in colour and a muscular body adept at traditional farm work. Historic breeds are really interesting to me, like the white cattle of Chillingham that we encountered earlier in the year. The Suffolk horse dates back to the 16th century but the population fell after WW2 and so the Suffolk Horse Society are helping breeders to increase numbers and raise awareness of this majestic horse.

Then it was time to cuddle a cow, well a model one anyone but I'm sure given the chance my boy would hug the real thing.

 Then it was off for food and drink - so much to choose from, we liked the street food area and had some delicious onion bhajis and vegetable samosas, obligatory summer drink of Pimms. We found a quiet area for some sensory downtime for Little Bird who has autism and relaxed on a bank underneath some trees - good fortune on two accounts for a brief downpour sheltered us and also Adam Henson came strolling past and we said good afternoon to him. Which brings me onto the fun we had spotting the Countryside presenters, after Adam we saw John Craven, Anita Rani and I said hello to Matt Baker who looks a bit startled :) So onwards around the rest of the show with tractors, crafts, clothing to buy, wellies to wang and the beautiful surrounding to scenery to take in. The striking River Glyme was the setting for a spot of fishing, canoeing and kayaking and there is a pond dipping area too, the activity that set the seeds of ecology alight in me as a child. 
A Wildlife Zone gave me plenty of ideas to take back home, from herbs planted in palettes and a chat about wildlife ponds with one of the keen and knowledgeable Wildlife Trust helpers. A wildlife Olympics was busy involving the children in games and the skulls of British Mammals was popular with young explorers. My son said they were dinosaurs :) 

Also I am now in love with ferrets, so cute snuggling into each other and extremely playful. 

A fantastic day out and it's on for the rest of the weekend if you're interested in going. Here's a final little walk around...... can't wait until next year now but in the meantime I have a head full of the countryside and some great ideas of things to do and explore.

My fear of being away #FOBA

When you go off on your holidays to have a great time do you ever sit back and wonder what's happening back at home?

FOBA sets in, the fear of being away. What did I not check? What did I not do? That sinking feeling in your stomach. Do you know it?

My biggest FOBA is my plants, yes my seedlings and my plug plants that I bring into the kitchen to protect them when we go away in late spring. That is key nurturing time for all my plants and flowers, from growing seeds starting in February/March and tending to them every day, I am always worrying about them whilst I am away on holiday. Will all my hard work be undone! Will there be days that are too hot drying them out and them not being looked after. Will the family member in charge over water them or just forget about them?

A more serious FOBA whilst on holiday is usually worrying if I've left a candle burning when I've gone out for the day since I often light a scented candle to get rid of cooking or doggy smells in the house - get distracted, rush out of the house - oh my, did I blow the candle out!?!

Panasonic Smart Home is a home monitoring system that is easy to install, so securing your home and allowing you to monitor your home from a smart phone or tablet. You can use it to switch appliances on and off, check security, control the lights, all for no monthly subscription fee. Best of all if gives you a carefree holiday and you can keep your FOBA in check.....just like Dave is!

#GeorgeousRoomChallenge A colourful sensory bedroom for my little boy

My son's bedroom is his little escape from sensory overload, his space to sleep, relax and play. When the team from George Home told me of the #GeorgeousRoomChallenge I was really looking forward to getting some inspiration for updating my son's bedroom. With a budget of £400, here is what I came up with.

Little Bird loves bright colours and the Asda Home Kids range certainly has so much to choose from a beautiful yellow bed frame that will be a highlight of the room to vibrant accessories like the parrot and green monster cushions and the cheeky looking monster wall clock. Dinosaur curtains in bold print match the colours in our accessories too.

LB can't tell me exactly what he wants but with his love of colour, animals and cheerful, fun items that he can name and help him with his words. A room filled with lots to see is a great environment and provides a great stimulus for learning. The dragon hot water bottle will be comforting for snuggles and the rabbit nightlight and apple illumi-mate are great for soft light when he needs to wind down.

Our chosen items create an eclectic space that mixes colour and pattern which against our usual painted white walls provides pretty accents and pops of colour. We love to read fairytales together so chose the dragon hot water bottle and princess money box to add an element of magic. The shark single sheet, parrot cushion, seahorse 'mermaid' rug and animal duvet set reflect my son's love of animals.

LB is home educated so the little blue desk would be a great addition to the room, storage for games in the garage storage box that doubles for playing cars with and a mixture of places to read stories - the sensory mermaid rug, the squishy dice beanbag and a cosy stripy blanket to cuddle in. 

Yellow metal bed frame £99  
Bedside table in oak effect and cream £39
Duvet set £10
Dragon hot water bottle £5
Green monster cushion £7
Parrot cushion £7
Red monster wall clock £9
Dice cube beanbag £20
Rabbit nightlight £5
Circus knitted shawl £14
Shark single sheet £6
Mermaid rug £14
Princess moneybox £6
Dinosaur curtains £16
Blue desk and chair  £75
Shopkins Apple Illumi-mate £6
Playbox storage £49

Total £387

This is my entry into the Asda Kids Bedroom Makeover Challenge and you can see the all the other entries at #GeorgeousRoomChallenge 

Degustabox June: BBQ treats and summer snacks

BBQ Box time from Degustabox, a summer filled mix of snacks and drinks to accompany a get together. A great selection from fruity ices, lager and popcorn and we used nearly all the products so a winner from us.

Branston Spicy Tomato Relish £1.65
Super on burgers and hotdogs, livens up any BBQ food. We used it on all manner of food to jazz it up. 

Sacla Pesto £2.79
Single serve mini pots of basil pesto with Grand Pedano cheese, Pecorino Romano cheese and pine nuts. Really handy and I added to pasta to make a quick meal.

Smooze Mango and Coconut £2.50
These are delicious, freeze them at home, made from natural flavours with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Suitable for vegan and gluten free too. Gorgeous taste and one I would seek to buy again for a refreshing summer treat.

Belgian Butter Biscuits by Destrooper-Olivier £1.10
Moreish! Really moreish. Ah these are beautiful, eat by themseves or make a huge ice cream sundae and stick them in the top.

Miracle Noodles £2.79
Holds hands up - haven't tried as none of us like the look of them! However, they are a low calories, soy free, gluten free, vegan, non gmo, Kosher Shirataki noodle.....so there we go!

Bakedin miracle Mug Brownie £1.50
A mug brownie, never have much luck with mug cakes but this was ok, tempting and chocolatey, ideal to have in the cupboard as a sneaky treat.

Butterkist Yoghurt £1.49
Nearly all eaten by my son so we can clearly say they were a winner. Butterkist Popcorn covered in yoghurt makes a snack that you can't put down. 95 calories per serving but it is very hard to limit yourself to just that!

Zeo £2.75 (see main picture)
Cloudy lemonade for summer's drinking. Very, very sweet and the kick of a sherberty flying saucer sweet. Made with 98% spring water and blended with lemons, cane sugar, beet and a dash of Stevia. A bit too sweet tasting for me.  A 250ml serving has only 28 calories.
Heinz Amoy £1.99
Coconut milk is great and so versatile; we use it in curries, stews and making homemade soup. Sourced from plantations in Thailand it is made from fresh coconuts. A staple product for the cupboard.

Haywards Pickles £1.89 
I have always been a pickle lover, Silverskin onions for an evening with the cheese and crackers.

Schwarz Burger Mix £1.49
An excellent product, we tried the American Smokehouse Homemade Burger Mix. It's a liquid mix that you add into your minced meat when making burgers. I'd add this to a chickpea mix for vegetarian burgers too. Such a simple product but it makes a big difference with the spices and seasoning already prepared to make the best BBQ burger ever.

King Star Crafted Lager £1.70
I'm advised that this was a refreshing crafted lager, me I just like the blue tin.

Degustabox offer a monthly food subscription box sampling new foodie products on the market for £12.99 a month, a fantastic way to sample new things and for the surprise element! The code BLDEG15 will fetch you £7 off your first box.

Where would my perfect home be?

Have you ever seen your perfect home but it's just not the right time to make that move? Happens to me all the time and I insist on putting myself through this torture by having a good look at all the new properties in my chosen area that go up for sale each month.

I found the ideal home this week, the right road, the right size house, so perfect. It's something about the curb appeal of a house that does the trick and the one I've seen looks a little like this: 1930's with a porch, a pretty painted front door and bay windows.

Image source: House to Home

Interiors-wise I am usually seduced by a spacious kitchen with room for a dining table and bi-fold doors that open into the garden so I can see what mischief my son is up to (and the dogs too). The open plan space is just what I want for family life with a range cooker and Shaker-style units, homely and lots of workspace for cooking. 

Image source: Ikea

However, I'm not moving yet but when I do, hopefully it will be on the wamer days and I can use these Summer Moving Tips. It may be raining but on a hot day, these tips are useful and recommend the removal as early in the day as possible before it gets too hot and lots of water to stay hydrated. Plus activities for the kids - most important!


For the moment I'm happy in the lush greeness of Cheshire but every time I visit London, I gaze longingly at the town houses with their window boxes of geraniums and picture perfect fronts. To live in the city for a while would be wonderful, experience the culture and the constant stream of life. I'd be at Borough Market and Columbia Road Flower Market for my blooms on a Sunday morning. 

I fell in love with this house in London with its gorgeous green door, iron work and leafy frontage, whoever lives there, well I am so envious. I would trade in and use a London Removals company to get me there as soon as possible. Nearby here are garden squares which we visited recently and the community feel in London was so much more than I expected.On a summer's day I adore the streets of London and if I had the money I would definitely give living there a try.

*Collaborative post