The Only Girl in the House

Living the Legacy | Our Day at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park & ArcelorMittal Orbit {Sponsored}

Living the Legacy | Our Day at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park & ArcelorMittal Orbit {Sponsored}

“Legacy” was a word we heard a lot following the 2012 London Olympic Games, but 6 years on, yes, that was 6 years ago – in our part of the world, the Games never really reached us, let alone the trailing “legacy”.

Little did I know that just over an hour away from us was the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – the 560-acre urban-park created as a part of the Games’ legacy. Brimming with iconic, familiar and nostalgic landmarks such as the London Stadium, the Copper Box Arena and the London Aquatics Centre – all sights we became familiar with during 2012 – but what’s happened to these architectural masterpieces, the winding pathways made to accommodate thousands of spectators and the state-of-art facilities, since the Olympics packed their bags? We were invited to spend the day exploring the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to find out.

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A Little Photo Book Magic from Ella’s Books

A Little Photo Book Magic from Ella’s Books

What I’m about to tell you is a true story – and while parts of this tome may ring true with families across the world, there’s a happy ending and a solution to this universal problem. Intrigued? Read on!

It was back in August when I received a delightful (that’s not a word I use lightly in 2017, so trust me when I use it!) email from Ella of Ella’s Books. Sat on Brighton beach, in the summer sun, watching the boys throwing stones out to sea (not at each other for change, which made this moment particularly blissful!), I read Ella’s invitation to have one of her bespoke photo books made using our family photos. Now, let me tell you – as a family blogger with a shed load a kids, I get a lot of offers for photo books, none of which have tickled my pickle in the slightest – they’re glossy, mass printed, badly bound tripe (sorry, I feel strongly about this, can you tell?); but from the moment I clicked through to Ella’s Books site I could see and feel the difference. The attention to detail, the care she pours into every book and the personal touches – really make a huge difference. So, I said “yes” within a matter of minutes.

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Half-Term Sorted! at The Postal Museum London

Half-Term Sorted! at The Postal Museum London

Anytime Casper sees a red vehicle or person wearing any red garment, we’re pretty much guaranteed the glorious reaction of frantic waving accompanied by “Mama, Po Ma Pat!”. That chirpy bloke from Greendale, with his black and white and fancy new helicopter has a lot to answer for in our house. With a penchant for Pat and believing every parcel or letter that comes to our house is his, it made the invitation for Cas and I to check out the latest attraction at the fascinating Postal Museum a no-brainer.

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Our Stay at Ladram Bay, South Devon Family Holiday

Our Stay at Ladram Bay, South Devon Family Holiday

A modern home away from home, private beach and a plethora of activities for the kids… I don’t know about you, but when I’m looking for a break with the 5 boys in tow these features rate highly.  “Staycation” can induce the fear that the weather won’t cooperate like a petulant Greek demi-god with an attitude problem. It can bring back memories of glamping with two toddlers in 2010, having to purchase our own body weight in fleece lined goods and thermals, hearing the words “I can’t feel my toes!” before they’ve even got out of bed. But after a week at Ladram Bay at the end of August and summer holidays, it’s fair to say the aforementioned positives far outweighed my initial meteorological woes. It’s no mean feat to find a holiday destination that keeps our all our brood, dare I say it, happy – but I’d go as far as to claim that Ladram Bay not only kept the kids entertained and well fed, but us adults relaxed and de-stressed, without a scary price tag!

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Our Trip to Kynren – An Epic Tale of England

Our Trip to Kynren – An Epic Tale of England

This weekend will mark the opening show of the North East’s outdoor spectacular known as Kynren, in its second year, on a 17 show run throughout the summer. Last weekend, I was lucky enough to head up to Bishop Auckland, for the final dress rehearsal with two of the boys to experience Kynren in all its dazzling glory.

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