London with kids - My top tips

London with kids is a brilliant day out but some planning makes the trip a lot easier.  There is so much to see and do that a little research before you go will make a huge difference.  If you can stay overnight this is beneficial as it can be tiring especially with little ones.

London with the kids - My top tips

• Plan your visit. Have a rough idea of what you want to do & order. We knew we were visiting the Tower of London so I found a hotel within a few minutes walk from there. 

Raven's at The Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

• Don't worry. I thought the children might find the rush & tube daunting but they were totally unfazed.

• Rest. There's so much to do you can have the tendency to squeeze everything in but this just results in tired/grumpy children & no fun for anyone.

• Premier Inn offer free breakfasts for children & have loads of locations with family rooms. We stayed at London Bank (Tower) hotel.

• If you have a Merlin Pass you can visit Madame Tussauds, Sea Life London, Shrek's Adventure, London Dungeon and the London Eye for FREE.  Please check terms and conditions as some passes have restrictions on peak time.

• If you are able stay on a Sunday most hotels offer a better rate.

• The tube is free for children 11 years old and under.  Walk through the larger section and just tap in using your debit card and they walk through with you for free!

• A hop on hop off bus is a good way to see lots in a short space of time and save tired little legs.

Trafalgar Square

Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower)

View of the London Eye

• Check for voucher codes at restaurants.  We went to Zizzi and saved £15 with an offer on their own website.  Can definitely recommend great kids menu and lovely food.

Lego Store - Leicester Square

National History Musuem

• Remember there's loads of free activities.  Hyde park with the Diana memorial fountain, play area and Serpentine, St James Park near Buckingham Palace famous for it's resident Pelicans and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with the Tumbling Bay playground.  The National history museum, Museum of London Docklands, The science museum, for Harry Potter fans visit Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station. Visit Covent Garden to see the street performers and watch the Changing the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace or simply stroll around taking in the sites, my son was thrilled to see Big Ben in real life. For rainy days I recommend the Lego store & M&M store both in Leicester Square.  Fab places to browse although the kids might bug you to purchase something.  Hamley's on Regent Street is another place to browse and hide from the rain. My kids love the Harry Potter floor. In the warmer months there are several free fountains for kids to splash in dotted about.  I know of Somerset House, Granary Square, Lewis Cubbitt Square and Goodman's Fields and of cause the Diana Memorial Fountain which I'd describe more as a water circuit than fountain.

Pin it!

Emma xxx

Turtle Bay Preview Night

I was lucky enough to be invited to the preview night for Turtle Bay on Tuesday.

It's opening this weekend after a £800,000 refurbishment on Gold Street, Northampton.

The building has been completely transformed and its so nice to see a new and exciting food outlet/bar in Northampton.  I loved the decor and all the fairy lights.

Whilst enjoying a fruit rum punch (amazing) & a saints inspired melon cocktail (my partner gave this the thumbs up) we got to sample some starters.

I got to try the very lovely classic beef patty and garlic & chilli pit prawns and my partner sampled the crispy whitebait and jerk glazed pit ribs which he said were really good.

We were then seated for the main event and tasted the famous one pot curry goat. I'd never had this before and really enjoyed it & would definitely order again. We also got to try jerk chicken and the supervital green salad.

After a strawberry daiquri and a pineappleade we got to try 3 desserts. The passion pie (similar to lemon meringue) was soooo good and I wished I could have taken a slab home!

The staff were enthusiastic and welcoming and Turtle Bay had a great atmosphere. I'm already planning our next visit with friends.

Turtle Bay Northampton

• Email northampton@turtlebay.co.uk
• Address Turtle Bay Northampton,
  2-6 Gold Street,
  Northampton Town Centre,
  NN1 1RS
• Opening times
• Sun:11:30-00:00
• Mon-Thu:11:30-00:30
• Fri-Sat:11:00-01:30

Ecover Laundry Challenge

Ecover Laundry Challenge

Let's face it doing the laundry is not the most entertaining job but it has to be done.

I try to get mine done on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays so I don't feel like a laundry maid all week.  I love getting it out on the line when I can but with the weather changing my tumble dryer will be back in constant use.

You can't beat fresh bed linen although changing a king size duvet cover is always a workout!

Ecover has brought out a new scent lavender & sandalwood and it is lovely and I would definitely use again. Cruelty free and safe for sensitive skin so a winner all round.

This post is an entry for Britmums #EcoverLaundry Challenge sponsored by Ecover

Creating and Catching Memories While Travelling With Destination 2.

Creating and Catching Memories While Travelling.

What do you do with your holiday pictures? Do you upload to social media? Make a photo album? Frame your favourites? Or forget about them?

I still love real photos & photo albums. The kids love browsing through them and remembering key holiday memories and places we have visited.

In a recent survey 29 per cent admit to leaving snaps on the computer. A further 29 per cent admit to not doing anything with them at all while over 14 per cent go as far as putting them in a separate folder on their phone.

When it came to making hard copies of the images, only 12.5 per cent of holidaymakers make the effort to get them printed. The remainder of us either create an album on our phones or share them on social media.

Why not do something with your special travel snaps? And then plan your next holiday adventure?

Destination2.co.uk has loads of long haul travel ideas and over 70 years experience. I would love to visit Mexico and Bali once the kids are a little older.  For you adventurous travellers you might want to take your little ones now and have a truly magical holiday to frame.

Destination 2 - Destinations

https://www.destination2.co.uk/