Center Parcs Review.

In January we went to Center Parcs Longleat for a midweek holiday. I have been many times before when I was a child and we went as a family about 3 years ago so I have many good memories of Center Parcs, but also high expectations. I was not disappointed! Check in was smooth and fast,  accommodation was clean and comfortable, and the staff were all lovely and clearly loved their jobs - we did not meet any member of staff that was anything but happy, helpful and efficient.

ACCOMMODATION

We were allocated one of the newly renovated villas in the 'Fir' area of the village. As we went with friends we had a 3 bedroom villa, the living area was open plan and it was spacious yet felt cosy at the same time. The open fire, which definitely upped the cosy factor,  was well used as we went in January, but the villa was lovely and warm with the central heating alone. Between the two families we had 4 children, including a baby each, which meant we had A LOT of stuff - 2 prams, 2 cots, toys, changing bags, car seats, baby carriers... but they was more than enough storage space in the bedrooms and in the entrance porch, we never felt cramped. My only issues were that we were a long way from the main plaza, but the land train stops were near by and it runs regularly all day so it wasn't as much of a problem as I expected. Also, they are rather stingy with what is provided in the villa - there was only one loo roll in each bathroom and 2 bin bags, so next time we will be more prepared and take more with us. But the villa was spotless, the blackboard was a big hit with the older children and the beds were comfy, so overall we were very happy with the accommodation.

ACTIVITIES

 With two 4 year olds to entertain we sampled quite a few of the activities! The swimming pool was the most popular by far, we were there at least once a day, but often twice. They have recently upgraded the pool to include two new water rides and some impressive children's areas which the older boys and the babies both enjoyed. Casper is a very confident swimmer so was absolutely in his element, he especially loved the waves which start every half an hour after what is supposed to be a Tarzan call, but sounds a lot like a call to prayer! The water slides were also a big hit, although he was only tall enough for two of them, and the ones in the children's pool, there was so much to do that he didn't have time to get bored. We also took him to use the mini jet skis one morning, it was very early which was difficult to herd the children too, but Casper loved it and talked about it for ages after. The staff at the pool were all great, really enthusiastic and interactive with the children but you also felt they were safety focused and were monitoring all areas well.

At the Jardin de Sport we did archery and used the maze. The archery was well organised and very age appropriate, again the staff were wonderful and kept everyone safe, but also entertained. The maze was a new addition which was free to use and well received by Casper and his friend. It is great for kids because it has been built so the walls are low enough so you can see them at all times, Centre Parcs have obviously put a lot of thought in to making it a useful, fun and functional activity. There was a very wide range of activities here, definitely something for everyone; the facilities looked modern and well looked after and the pricing was very reasonable.

We hired bikes for the duration of our stay, well the Dads did as the babies were too small for any of the trailers so I opted to walk instead of bike to make things easier. The older boys were also at a strange age which was kind of in between the different options for kids that aren't riding independently yet - too big for trailers, too small for the bike that clips to the back of the parent bike, so we decided to use bike seats instead, which I hear was fun when going up the fairly impressive hills with a solid 4 year old as well! The helmet which was hired for our friend's little boy wasn't the best quality so I would advise taking your own if possible. The bikes themselves were well maintained and easy to use. If you are looking for ways to keep costs down I would definitely suggest taking your own bikes as it can be quite pricey for the whole family to hire them for the week, but is so much more convenient if you are happy to budget that in to your plans.

FOOD AND DRINK

One of the biggest added expenses at Centre Parcs is eating out or using the supermarket, but the villas are well equipped for you to cook there as long as you are organised and take all food with you; it is possible to keep costs down and have a really good value family holiday but also, if you are happy to spend the pennies there are plenty of options for eating out as well. We decided to cook for two nights and eat out for the other two, our favourite restaurant was the classic Pancake House, the kids loved it, the menu was varied, good value, and filling, and the staff were great, it really felt like a personalised service. We also ate at the American themed restaurant, Hucks, and a burger bar type diner called Dexter's Kitchen and the Sports Cafe, all had good menu choices but were on the expensive side. The food was always tasty, and the kids had good choices too. The supermarket was well stocked, but more pricey than your average supermarket, more convenience store prices, not ridiculously excessive but you could definitely save money by bringing as much with you as you can fit in the car! There is lots of options for getting food and drink in all the main areas of the village, including bars, Starbucks and sweet shops. Most of the restaurants are chain brands, so not the most exciting choices for 'foodies' but definitely enough to keep all the family happy for the week.

SUMMARY

We had a great time and will be looking to book again next year, I will probably be less tight and pay a bit extra to be more central though! We could not fault the cleanliness or maintenance of any of the facilities but the best thing about the village was the staff, as I have said repeatedly, they were all fantastic, you could tell that they all enjoyed their jobs and it showed in the standard of their work - the domestic staff, the lifeguards, the check-in people, the waiters... they were all enthusiastic and helpful! I have highlighted a few ways to keep costs down if you are on a budget so it really is up to you how much or little you want to spend, the initial booking is good value, as long as you can go in term time. There are plenty of ways to splash the cash if you are looking for a bit of luxury, but also you can have a great time without breaking the bank.

The Body Cofidence Program - Week 8 & Beyond!

Many apologies for the delay in writing this final post - what can I say? My old laptop died and I had to buy a new one, but here we are all sorted and ready to go!

It has now been a few weeks since I completed The Body Confidence Program and I have had a chance to reflect on how it all went and the changes I have made to my life since finishing it. I reduced by over 30 inches which was so much more than I ever imagined that I would have done so that feels amazing and is a huge motivator to continue the healthy habits that the program teaches you.

I now limit my snacking between meals, and tend to opt for a protein based snack with some fruit/veg. I don't crave sweet things so much, especially after my evening meal as I had been in the habit of eating something sweet every night after dinner; but now I stop eating after my last meal of the day - I could never quite manage to have my last meal at 7pm though! I blame shift work!

I am currently working through a couch to 5K program and feel like I have much more energy and motivation. Before starting the program I had been very lethargic - napping almost everyday that I didn't work when Casper did. Now, unless I am working nights I rarely feel
that I need a nap in the day. I continue to struggle with early nights, but I am working on it...

I dropped a dress size and definitely feel more confident in my own skin - I don't feel like I need to apologise so much for taking up space in the world. I feel less self-destructive and like I deserve to eat well and look after myself properly which are huge mind shifts for me!

Ru-Tee is a force of nature! I am so thankful to her and the time she gave to me. I continue to be inspired be her advice and passion - she has helped me so much to get out of a rut that was ruining my life, relationships and mental health. There is still much to work on both physically and mentally but I feel like I have broken through the barrier that was holding me back.

The Body Confidence Program - Week 6 & 7!

Apologies for missing a week - what can I say? My organisational skills are below par! I have had two good weeks though and this post is all about positivity to balance out last weeks miserableness; I reduced by 3 inches in week 5 and 4.25 inches in week 6 which gives me a total reduction so far of 29.5 inches!!! This is absolutely incredible and here are the good things I have noticed and positive changes I have made while on the program:

• Clothes that were previously tight and uncomfortable are now looser and much more comfortable.
• I have voluntarily exercised at last once a week, sometimes two, for the last few weeks. I aim to increase to three sessions a week but this is already such an improvement on before and highlights the increase in my energy levels.
• I rarely crave sweet things and often pick nuts and fruit as a snack even on treat days!
• I am now happy to eat the last meal of the day and then not eat again until the morning - I had got in the habit of always having something sweet after dinner and then picking at snack food until bedtime.

I have two weeks left on the program so I need to stay focused and keep going all the way to the end. I plan to get back to using the meal planner as I have been making up my own meals from the food list, My main goal now though is to actually be nice to myself and be proud of what I have achieved without letting my negative internal dialogue win and set me on my usual self destructive dieting cycle!

The Body Confidence Program - Week 5.

I had a much better week than I expected and lost 5.25 inches, giving me a total reduction of 22.25 inches at the halfway point. I am obviously delighted by this but I am also feeling a bit low this week for these reasons:

1. I have lost more inches than the program promises but I certainly haven't lost any dress sizes. My clothes feel like they fit better but I am not going to fit in a smaller size any time soon.
2. I don't feel any different,no one has said that I look any different and I can't see much difference in the pics I took to compare with the start. I guess I just set unrealistic expectations for how I would look by the time I had lost 16 inches.
3. The number on the scales hasn't changed at all. I know that Ru-Tee doesn't like you to weigh yourself until the end of the 8 weeks but it is a hard habit to break for me - I have managed to limit myself to one weigh a week though which is a great improvement. I was just hoping to have lost actual weight by now, especially as I have 8 stone to lose, there is no way that I will drop dress sizes without losing weight.

So all in all I am going into week 5 feeling very unmotivated - I will need to sort my head out, and quickly if I am to avoid throwing away my good work up to this point.

(Apologies for no pics - technical issues I'm afraid!)

The Body Confidence Program - Week 4

Week 3 has been my most difficult on the program so far. I have returned to work and got a dental abscess which has greatly reduced the types of food I could eat- anything cold was too much for my already sensitive teeth. I picked at off plan foods on everyday because I wasn't sticking to the eating every 4 hours rule so my blood sugars were fluctuating and I was drawn to easy, sugary foods. But, after saying all that I still reduced by 3 inches! My total after 3 weeks is 17 inches so I am looking at week 4 as a new week, no more rubbish excuses.

I am becoming a little disheartened that even though I have reduced by the 16 inches the program promises I am not feeling any different. I am definitely not 2 dress sizes smaller, I suspect this is because I am much bigger than the average program user so have much more to lose. I think I will do an interim before and after picture at the end of week 4 to try and spot the differences.

I have purchased a treadmill - or a run-miller as Casper calls it! I have started the couch to 5k program using an app on my phone and it hasn't been too awful so far...so it is all positive and I must have more energy because I wouldn't have managed to motivate myself to even try a few weeks ago.

The Body Confidence Program- Week 3

So, this post is rather late because of night shifts and dental abscesses! But at the end of week 2 I have reduced by 10 inches!!! TEN FREAKING INCHES! Understandably I am very pleased, but I am getting impatient that my clothes don't really feel any different yet, but as The Man keeps telling me - just keep going, it's all going in the right direction.

I have been enjoying the food and am even eating tomatoes - I have hated tomatoes my whole life! I have struggled more to be really strict with the rules which is an ongoing pattern with me and diets, so I need to try really hard to keep my head in the game going in to week 3.

My other goal this week was to get more exercise in to my life. So Casper and I have been on some lovely walks when it has been sunny and I have purchased a treadmill for rainy days. I have noticed that my energy levels have been improving but I am unsure if this is because I have been on annual leave so haven't worked a night shift for two weeks....

I am back to work this week so I will have to up my organisation game to ensure I stick to the meal plan and don't slip back into bad habits. Wish me luck!

The Body Confidence Program - Week 2

So I've reached the end of week 1 on The Body Confidence Program, and I am very pleased to report that I have lost 4 inches in total! The weekly goal is 2 inches a week so I am very pleased with 4. I now need to keep focused into week 2, I often manage to be really good for the first week of a diet, have good results then let it all slip for the second week.

I have generally found the first week easy - I haven't felt hungry or really craved sweet things. The food has all been delicious and simple to prepare, although I do feel a bit like all I do is shop for food, prepare food and cook food - I'm hoping that this will feel like less of a chore as the weeks go on! What I particularly like is that it is all food that the whole family can eat, I just add a carbohydrate for The Man and HC. When I have done diets like The Cambridge Diet I get quite miserable because I am only drinking milkshakes while everyone else has proper food, so it is nice to still feel normal, and not having to cook food that I'm not going to eat - there really is nothing worse!

Things to work on for next week:

• Keep drinking enough water - I find plain water very boring and struggle to drink a lot of it. I would usually add some squash to it, but this is not allowed on this plan, so I just need to put my big girl pants on and get on with it! 
• Try to do some exercise - I have been very unmotivated with this for a long time now.
• Get organised with my food prep as I go back to work next week - I have had 2 weeks annual leave. If I am to be successful I will need to make sure I have prepared all my meals the day before a shift.
• Don't let treat day affect the days either side of it! I find myself thinking at 8pm the day before "well, I'll be eating this tomorrow, so why not now?" and at 8am the day after "I ate this yesterday, it will be OK to eat it now too..." 
• Keep a check on my 65% protein/35% everything else proportions. It is easy to pile the plate high with all the veg! 

The Body Confidence Programme - Week 1

So, on Saturday I started an eight week diet and lifestyle programme called The Body Confidence Program. It is basically involves a gluten and dairy free meal plan - which has helpfully been devised by Ru-Tee who has loads of relevant experience. There are also rules designed to instill healthy habits such as getting enough sleep and drinking enough water. The course costs £450 for 8 weeks of daily email support and a weekly phone call along with the meal plan and resources in the members area of the website - I have been lucky enough to be offered a free place in return for regular blog entries. So here we go!

I was really excited to start and the meal plan came through on the Wednesday before we stared which put many of my fears to bed - Would it be complicated? Would I like the food? Would I be hungry? The most exotic ingredients so far are a pea protein powder and coconut oil, both of which I purchased before hand via Amazon for a reasonable price. The meals are all super simple to prepare and cook and the menu has been thoughtfully arranged so as to use up leftovers. The food is also so filling, I can honestly say that I have not been hungry even once in the last 2 days - infact at least one I have had to make my self eat so as to avoid big gaps between meals - one of the tips to stabilise your blood sugar levels through the day. But most importantly the meals are so tasty, even The Man and Casper have willingly ate them!

Things I am finding easy:

• Eating yummy, fresh food.
• Preparing and cooking the meals.
• Drinking lots of water.

Things I am struggling with:

• Going to bed early - night shifts really ruin a sensible routine.
• Not eating after 7pm - I often don't get home from work until 8.30, also night shifts are an issue again. I plan to bring this up at next week's conference call.
• Chewing my food 35 times - you really wouldn't believe how hard this is when you have been used to rushing meals and not concentrating on eating! I am getting better but it will definitely take some practice.

Little Party Parcels Review

A couple of weeks ago we were sent a box full of products from Little Party Parcels to try and review. They are a company that sells pre-filled party bags as well as items to put in party bags if you'd rather pick your own.

There is a huge range of party bag fillers to suit every budget- they range from 4p for sweets to £7.50 for a magic set. There are toys, games, craft and construction kits and lots more to choose from - I'm certain that you could find something to please even the most discerning kids (and parents)! Included in our box was a set of pick up sticks (90p) and a metal pencil case (90p) which I think is very good value. I particularly like that you can buy the exact amount that you want instead of packs of 5 which often leaves you with lots of leftovers. Obviously you get what you pay for and some of the cheaper items seem like they wouldn't stand up to much wildness - but I personally don't expect expensive items in a party bag so it's entirely up to you how much you want to spend and what items you think your crowd would enjoy.

You can also purchase pre-filled bags, which are also very reasonably priced and range to suit all tastes, ages and budgets (60p - £2.90 per bag).Some arrived already packed in sealed cellophane party bags; others came packaged with paper bags which you need to fill yourself - I actually prefer the paper bags - they look and feel a better quality than the cellophane ones. If you are short on time or inspiration these are great, and there's still enough room for a slice of cake in the bags too! You can purchase empty bags as well, it really is a one stop shop for party bags - no more rushing around the local shops at the last minute!

Casper particularly liked the construction kit- he loves anything involving tools and this came with a screwdriver and a spanner! Under supervision and with a lot of assistance we completed the crane, the whole activity kept him interested for quite a long time - a real achievement! The sweets were also a hit!!!

The products came well packaged and in perfect condition. P&P is £3.95 or free over £30, delivery was quick and also trackable if necessary. Little Party Parcels comes highly recommended from me, I can't think of any where that provides such a good choice for party bags. They also do a range of wedding activities and bags which I shall definitely be looking at if we ever get married! 

Ozeri Bathroom Scales and Pedometer Review.

Last week I was kindly sent two products from Ozeri to review, the Ozeri Touch Total Body Bathroom Scale and the Ozeri 4x3 Sport Digital 3D Pedometer. As I have previously discussed I am currently trying to lose weight so these products came at just the right time!

Ozeri Touch Total Body Bathroom Scale
Amazon Link

The scale looks stylish and minimalist, I think it would fit nicely into most bathrooms but it is also very slim so you could easily put it in a cupboard or somewhere similar if you didn't want it on display. It also comes in white. The LED display is clear and easy to read, even with my rubbish eyesight! The scale turns on automatically when you step on it and turn off again a few seconds after you get off, I believe the supplied batteries will last a long time. 

It is also very easy to use, the instruction manual is very easy to follow and also includes educational material about what the different measurements mean - the 4 metal pads can measure your body fat, water and muscle percentage and also your bone mass. You can set up to 8 profiles which means you can track your weight loss etc, this is easy to do and takes only a few seconds, the scale then works out which profile is yours by how much you weigh - it is all very clever! 

There is also a tare function which allows you to weigh pets, children luggage etc by weighing yourself with and without them and then two separate numbers are displayed on the screen. There is no maths involved! This would have been a godsend before our holiday to check our luggage weights, but will also be handy when weighing Casper as we don't go to baby weigh-in very often now.

So all in all I would recommend this product, it is easy to use, accurate and looks beautiful. It will definitely be invaluable in setting healthy weight loss targets for me too! 

Ozeri 4x3 Sport Digital 3D Pedometer
Amazon Link

This pedometer is quite big which can make it difficult to attach securely to clothes but it makes it really easy to use. The display is clear and the buttons are big enough to press easily. It comes with a detachable wrist strap and a frame you can slide it into which has a clip on the bag for securing to clothes. I found it best when kept in a pocket as I was worried I would lose it if it fell off while clipped on my clothes. It is slim when you remove it from the clip frame so fits discreetly in a pocket.

The only thing I don't like is that the step counter automatically resets at midnight- I work night shifts so I would like to manually reset my steps when I get into bet at 8am. The pedometer is easy to set up once you have read the enclosed instructions and measures many different things - steps, distance travelled and calories burned - it is easy to cycle through the different displays and you can even set a step target, there is an increasing line on the step screen which shows you how close you are to your target which I find very motivating.

I probably wouldn't recommend this to people as there are similar products available, even apps on smartphones. But I enjoy using it and shall continue to try and get my 10 000 steps in!

Holiday! A Review of the Companies We Used.

Apologies for the silence, we have been in Athens for few days. This was our first abroad holiday since firing out a baby two and a half years ago, so consequently was Casper's first time on an aeroplane too! So I was a little apprehensive about how he would behave but he was actually fine - only a couple of strops, mostly due to having to stay in his seat for landing and takeoff! His ears didn't seem to bother him and the other travellers were fab and happy to engage with him so it was much less stressful than I had predicted.

We flew out with Air France who were great, the staff were friendly and really lovely with Casper. We got priority boarding due to the toddler and in a particularly awful queue we were skipped to the front which definitely avoiding a major tantrum! There was a special kids meal which was brought out before the adult ones it included a hot pizza pocket type affair, a potato salad, biscuits and a mini Mars bar. Casper was asleep when it came out so I packed most of it away or later but the adult version was similar but with an orzo salad and an apple tart which was all very tasty and seemed fresh. We kept the buggy with us until the boarding gate when the staff took it to the hold for us, unfortunately they didn't return it at the transfer airport which was a bit of a nightmare as we had a wild toddler rampaging free around Charles De Galle airport for nearly 3 hours but that was really the only negative of the outward journey. I would happily fly with Air France again and recommend to anyone, but especially those with small children.

We stayed at the InterContinental Athenaeum in Athens which was stunning! The rooms were huge, as were the beds- all three of us happily slept in ours. We were in a newly refurbished room - it was slick and luxurious but also felt cosy and relaxing. The staff were amazing with Casper, they were all so friendly and smiley; in fact everyone we met in Athens seemed to love children- he's never been kissed by so many strangers! The only thing that let the hotel down was how pricey everything was, we didn't eat there as main courses were 30-40 euros, a coffee and an orange juice was 15.50 euros, but we got a great deal on the room and the hotel puts on a free shuttle bus into the centre which meant we could go and find food that was more in our budget.

The return flight was with Alitalia who I wasn't as impressed with, Although they didn't really do anything wrong as such everything just seemed a bit less than Air France. The staff were professional but did not come across as very personable and didn't really engage with the toddler.Te food was particularly miserable, there was no child options so he had to have the same dry sandwiches as us - he didn't eat much that night (luckily I still had the Air France food in my bag, so they saved the day!). We took the buggy right up to the plane door and it was returned for the transfer- very handy with an over tired toddler and a long way to walk. The planes were also really rattly and noisy, fine for me as I am not a nervous flier but I can imagine it would be pretty unsettling if you were anxious. I would fly with them again if they were cheaper than other options but I wouldn't recommend them.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things #2

Nancy Tillman

Nancy Tillman is a wonderful author and illustrator; we have 4 of her kids books and I love all of them - even if they do make me cry! The first one I purchased from Amazon when I saw it on offer and noticed the amazing reviews, the others soon followed when I realised how special they are! These are the titles we own:

1.  Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You, a truly perfect book which focuses on the unconditional love between a parent and child. I have read a fair amount about attachment parenting and the positive impact that knowing you are loved and supported has on a developing brain and this book is almost an instruction manual in how to let your children know that you will love them no matter what - I can almost recite it from heart! 
2. On The Night You Were Born, this one focuses on how special and unique you are - "You are the one and only ever you". It is probably my least favorite of the ones we have, we still read it often at it is great but not quite on the same level as Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You.
3. It's Time To Sleep My Love, is written by Eric Metaxas and illustrated by Nancy Tillman. The text is a beautiful poem that makes you read it in a relaxing rhythm- just right for bed time: "You'd better close your eyelids quick, so you can dream my love my love, so you can dream my love". 
4. The Spirit Of Christmas, I bought this book as a gift for Casper last year- our first Christmas without my Nan and it completely broke my heart "...the thing that was missing from Christmas was you...". It is written from the point of view of someone who can't feel Christmassy even though there are decorations and carols, then they realise that it isn't things that make Christmas it is the people that we love.
5. The Crown On Your Head, I have just purchased this one today and can't wait to read it! 

There are many reason why I love Nancy Tillman's books; the first has to be the stunning illustrations- they are so intricate and detailed, Casper loves looking at them and spots something new every time, some even have text hidden in them which I didn't spot the first few times of reading. Secondly the text is always just perfect, gentle rhythms which are made to be read aloud at bedtime and messages which are sentimental enough to make you cry but not sickly sweet (even for cynical old me)- my Mum actually refuses to read them because they always make her tear up! Also the hardback format is great for toddlers that think that being gentle is only throwing things halfway down the stairs instead of right to the bottom...

We read three books before bed every night and these books get chosen often, I recommend them to anyone who will listen and often buy them as gifts. I could go on about them all night but I will resist and just say that you definitely won't regret purchasing any of these books- this is what happens:

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things #1

Olive et Oriel

I discovered this company and their beautiful prints when browsing a company called The Little Life's website- I fear that this company no longer trades, but please let me know if I am wrong as I loved a lot of their products. But anyway, I have since purchased straight from Olive et Oriel as I am obsessed with their prints!

My favorites are the minimalist, monochrome typographic prints- I have 3 A4 sized ones and 1 smaller one. All are printed on good quality, thick card and are just perfectly cute and quirky. I initially bought the "Wild and Wonderful" one to go in HC's nursery but while waiting for a nail it was put up n the living room, and has since been joined by 2 more - "Embrace the chaos" and "Wild and Free". The latest addition is a smaller "Have Courage & Be Kind " print. 

 I love the messages and feel they are particularly relevant to my wild child, who is certainly a free spirit! I also drum into him the importance of being kind- I'm terrified of having one of those children that other parents keep their kids away from! He does have a propensity to air on the boisterous side so I like to remind him that being gentle and considerate is very important.

As for the company itself I have no complaints- the ordering process was simple, I feel that their products are priced fairly (I paid £7.69 for the print below), the P&P was free and my order arrived well within the advised time scale. I will certainly be highly recommending them to friends and family.

So go check them out (Olive et Oriel)!!!!