Carters Steam Fair Review

We were kindly invited to the Carters Steam Fair. Unfortunately Gavin was working, but my amazing sister joined us for some serious fun in the sun! From the second we arrived I felt like I was taken back in time. It had some serious 'Heart Beat' type vibes. The music was fantastic, and the smell of steam was terribly nostalgic (even though I wasn't even born back then!)

We were kindly #gifted passes to go on the rides. Ollie's going through a very anxious phase at the moment, and takes time to warm to things. Where on the other hand, Harry up for anything. Harry initially rode the cars. The details on all the rides were stunning. You can clearly see how much they care for their rides.

Ollie then warmed up and they both rode the train. The ride were really good value for money. The rides went round many many times. We've been places in the past when it's done two rotations and it's over. We've often queued for longer. 

Entry is free, but token must be purchased. Rides vary between 4-6 tokens per ride. They are 50p each token, but there are deals for buying certain amounts. Definitely check online before you go.

Obviously we didn't ride any of the big thrill rides with the boys, but we enjoyed watching from the side, whilst eating our candy floss!

See the show dates below, and catch them near you!

Thanks for reading!

xxx

AD | Paultons Park Review

http://www.craigfamilyblog.com/2019/07/ourjourneytopaultonspark.htmlcontinued...

We had such a fantastic HOT day at Paultons Park. 

When we arrived we headed straight to Peppa Pig World, as the boys had enjoyed it so much last time. No queues were longer than 20 minutes, which I was surprised about for a weekend. Every ride is that area is perfect for the boys age group.

That weekend they also had special visitors of the PJ Masks.  I felt for them in the costumes in the boiling heat! The boys throughly enjoyed doing the movements and actions with them. 

We then headed off to explore the rest of the park. The boys were tall enough to ride Critter Creek and the Raging River Ride. Ollie did cling on to me for dear life, but it was great doing them as a family.

The boys favourite was the digger ride, as they could do it on their own. They literally did it 5/6 times :)

We have filmed a vlog whilst visiting, so I'll try and get that edited and uploaded ASAP.

Thanks for reading 

xxx

AD | Paradise Wildlife Park

On Monday 24th June we visited Paradise Wildlife Park. I'd say it was only within the past couple of years that I first became aware of the park. I didn't really know much about, other than it was reasonably local. 

We arrived, and headed to the birds and tortoise section first. The boys LOVED watching the tortoise wonder about. One thing I must say is that every section has a great photo opportunity spot, and the kids loved it. Check out Ollie's shell :)

We then walked through into the main park, and walked around the animals. I was not expecting the huge variety. I don't think there is an animal I can think of that wasn't here. My favourite animals are penguins, so I was pleased! The boys adored them all.

There was plenty of picnic benches dotted around the park, which we used twice. Once in the morning for a mid morning snack, and later for our lunch. We did bring a picnic with us, purely to ensure the boys would eat. There are plenty of options within the park if you choose not to though. 

The dinosaurs were phenomenal! I couldn't believe how realistic they were. They all moved, and reacted as you walked by. I previously wrote this on my Instagram post, but it's so true. They were so good we could've been in Walt Disney World. Ollie of course was terrified, so Gav ended up carrying him most of the time. At the end the boys played in the fossil hunt sandpit.

There was also a couple of fantastic play parks, a soft play and even a splash park. I honestly wasn't expecting it to be so good! We couldn't have asked for more!

Thank you so much PWP for #gifting us this visit. We had an absolute brilliant, filled with many many laughs. 

I vlogged our visit, so go check it out here.. https://youtu.be/8BCaCgTfnOY

AD | Knebworth House

I have lived within a 15 minute drive of Knebworth house all my life, but I'd never actually been. We drive past it frequently, especially when I was pregnant with the boys as it's en route to the hospital. 

They kindly invited us to the Peppa Pig and George event on the Sunday 23rd June. It has the most beautiful grounds, and loads of parking. We first headed to meet Peppa and George. I knew from previous experiences, Ollie would leg it and Harry would be up front. Thankfully I had my parents there also as an extra pair of hands, and my sister was on photography duties. They gave all the children plenty of time, which was lovely. Also the weather was perfect, so the children were all patiently waiting. 

After that we headed to the gardens and dinosaur trail, where for the event they also had a special Peppa Scavenger hunt. There was a wedding being set up in the middle of the stunning gardens. 

We then all went through the maze. We did all have a good laugh in there! Then we walked around all the amazing dinosaurs. The boys were in complete awe. 

When we'd finished walking round, we then took the vintage bus to the outside of the grounds, where the park was based. The boys LOVED every second on that bus, and would of happily rode it all day.

I'm always apprehensive when it comes to parks, as often mine are too small and I end up having to lift and carry the whole time. But it was brilliant. Gav and I were able to follow them round, and climb on the apparatus ourselves. 

We then walked across to the infamous drop slide. I had a sneaky suspicion that they would be too small for it, which they were. But they had the most fabulous astro slide, which was perfect for them. The boys thought it was brilliant. We did have tears when I said we were moving on.

We then let them have a turn on the bouncy castle. This is where my face expression looks absolutely terrified on the big kids jumping next to my babies, but they were absolutely fine. I think Bouncy Castle for the boys birthday is a must.

We finally took the bus back to the House and got the boys an ice cream. They loved running around the large open space, whilst we enjoyed a little sit down.

Thank you so much Knebworth House for inviting us. Without visiting, I wouldn't have known half of what they had to offer. We will defy be back!

PS. I did also film a vlog whilst we were there. CHECK IT OUT HERE - https://youtu.be/Mqt6wwCPBQk!

AD | Our Journey to Paultons Park

On Saturday 29th June, we were invited to Paultons Park. Rather than staying overnight the night before, we set off from out home in St Albans in the morning. We hadn't had breakfast so we did stop on route for a cheeky McDonalds brekkie. Who doesn't love a sausage and egg McMuffin, and OMG the hash browns.. anyway I digress. 

The boys were kindly gifted products to keep them entertained on the journey. Our packs included:

• Amazon Fire Kids Tablet
• Personalised Name rom A to Z books, by ItsYourStory.co.uk https://www.itsyourstory.co.uk/products/121-from-a-to-z-with-name-of-child
• Peppa Pig Finger Puppets, from Milly & Flynn 
• The Gruffalo Snap Card Game, from Milly & Flynn: https://www.waterstones.com/product/snap-card-game/5060532870682?awc=3787_1559825695_13b8e91923d4bf65e814cc53dc02442b&utm_source=259955&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Genie+Shopping
• Personalised Water bottles for Ollie & Harry, by ItsYourStory.co.uk: https://www.itsyourstory.co.uk/categories/43-personalised-water-bottles
• Snug and Hug Froggy Pillow, By Go Travel: https://go.travel/uk/for-kids/froggie-folding-pillow
• Snug and Hug Monkey Pillow, by Go Travel: https://go.travel/uk/for-kids/monkey-flat-neck-pillow
• Sammy Stegosaurus, by JoJoMamanBebe: https://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/sammy-stegosaurus-d4342.html
• Tristan Tricerotops, by JoJoMamanBebe: https://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/d4733.html
• Village High Street colour and play set, by My Little World: http://www.mylittleworldcraft.co.uk/village-high-street/

It was the hottest day of the year yet, so everyone was on the M25 heading the beaches along the south coast. The journey took about 3 hours, but the boys were content for the whole journey with their bag of goodies.

The drink bottles kept their drinks cool. The pillows were brilliant for them to take a little nap on route. The books are absolutely lovely. It's actually really nice that they can each hold a book, whilst I read it aloud. The dinosaurs have been the boys favourite since I opened the box, and pretty much come everywhere with them ever since. The Amazon tablet is great. Loaded with age appropriate apps. The Peppa Pig finger puppets make the boys imaginations shine. The belly laugh with each other. We didn't end up using the snap or colouring set on the journey, but were have since we've been home. In the car I think the boys would've needed to be a little older, or had a lap tray for those. 

If your planning a long journey with your children, please check out the items above :)

Thank you so much to all the companies that #gifted us the items.

..Our Paultons Park review is coming soon!

Legoland Review

At the beginning of the year my mother in law had saved up vouchers from the times newspaper. It meant that we could go online and gain tickets for £10 each. We had to select a date then and there. Of course, as soon as we set a date for anything, something goes wrong.  Of course both myself and Harry had tonsillitis. He was battling a fever and was crazy tired. The evening before Gav had tried to message and call them, but it was past working hours. Everyone we spoke to thought we’d have no trouble moving it. Unfortunately when we finally got to speak to someone 10am the following day they said we’d need to pay a transfer fee of £15 per ticket. Obviously that made no sense paying more than the ticket price, and knowing our luck we’d have issues on the next date. 

We decided that even if we went for an hour, and Ollie and Gav could do stuff we’d try it. We had an emergency doctors appointment for Harry at 10.40, so we didn’t even get to the park until afternoon. 

Firstly it’s £7 to park the car 😳 then we walked in and walked the park anti-clockwise. We got on the spider spin, and then walked to dragons apprentice, knights quest, pirate falls, Lego ninja.. all were closed for maintenance.  Thankfully the next one wasn’t closed otherwise we were on the brink of a full on toddler and mummy breakdown. Unfortunately it seemed quite the theme of the day. The rain didn’t start until around 3pm so it wasn’t for weather reasons either.

Harry was an Angel. We knew he was poorly when he chose to stay in his buggy 🙁 He did get out at the rides, and was carried on and off. They had a good time on the things we could do. 

My favourite was the Atlantis Submarine. We got the pod to ourselves, and honestly I was expecting it to be screens. Gavin’s favourite was the coastguard HQ, and the boys adored the 3-5 L-Drivers. I think Gav and I were stunned that they did it. 

Between the weather, feeling poorly and a lot of the rides being closed I came away feeling ripped off. If I had of spent £50 per person I would have gone mental! Maybe one day we will return to check out the rides that weren’t accessible, but I’d certainly be looking for vouchers! 

Check out our vlog of the day...
https://youtu.be/22_-koi36NY

Thank you for reading ❤️

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A post shared by Hayley Craig - Twin Mum (@craigfamilyblog) on Jun 12, 2019 at 10:40am PDT

AD | Whipsnade Zoo

On Thursday we visited Whipsnade Zoo, and had the best time. We were super lucky with the weather, which was a relief after the forecast predictions. 

We arrived at 11am and parked in the main carpark. There is the option to drive inside for an additional cost, but I was happy to walk. 

We walked the park in a anticlockwise direction. The boys decided they didn't need the buggy, so we bravely left it in the car. It was a lot bigger than I had remembered as a child, and Gav's apple watch registered 15000 steps even before we left, so you can only imagine their tiny little legs.

You can watch our vlog of the day here: https://youtu.be/XlBtHwLM5Wk

As well as all the animals, they have a fantastic play park with a huge amount of activities suited for all ages. They also have a soft play, which in busy times you need to book. We were lucky to have visited on a weekday/ term time. 

There were plenty of eating establishments dotted around, with loads of picnic tables. We always tend to take a picnic on days out, to guarantee that the boys eat, and it saves us money too. 

We all had the most amazing day and seriously couldn't fault it!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hayley Craig - Twin Mum (@craigfamilyblog) on Jun 6, 2019 at 11:29am PDT

This trip was kindly #gifted in return for an honest review.

Thank you for reading xxx

The Craig's Visit... Shepreth Wildlife Park

Last Tuesday we visited Shepreth Wildlife Park. Now I’m not going to over egg it, it’s no Woburn, but it’s a good day out for parents with toddler age children.  There’s no glitz and glamour, but Ollie and Harry loved every minute!

Everything was accessible to them at their height. 

There’s a choice of two soft plays, a huge outside play area and sandpit. And obviously the animals. 

We went midweek in term time, and it was very quiet. There’s plenty of picnic benches scattered around the park. You can buy food on site, but we always tend to pack a picnic for days out. It ensures the boys definitely eat, and saves us a lot of money.

The gift shop at the end sold the boys favourite pick N mix, so we got sucked into buying 10 for £3.50 (which I don't think is too bad).

AD | GoBoat Day Out

Last Sunday we had a fantastic day out in London. We were kindly invited by Go Boat to experience their 2 hour self-drive powered boats. We were able to take up to 8 people, so we took along Nannie, Papa and Auntie Hannah (especially for extra hands on children😂). 

When we arrived the boys were fitted with a special baby size life jacket, and then we were given a tutorial of how to use the boat. Gav was the appointed captain. There are adult life jackets on board, if you so wish to wear one.

The experience is perfect for all ages. The boys really enjoyed pointing at everything along the way. You even see the warthog at London Zoo! 

There is a really handy placed M&S a stones throw away, meaning you don't have to lug a picnic around London beforehand. Even the Prosecco was only £8 per bottle #winning!

We were so lucky with the weather, but they do think of everything at Go Boat, and there were even umbrellas on board! I'm hoping we will visit again when the sun is shining, and sip Pimms rather than hot chocolate!

Thank you Go Boat for an amazing day! #gifted

Camping with the Craig's

In an effort to save money, Gavin convinced me that camping was the way forward. I've never camped before, nor do I have any desire to, but it is a passion for Gavin, and he'd love the boys to experience it. I've agreed to give it a go (twice(because the first WILL be a guaranteed disaster)), and then if I still don't like it it'll be boys trips from then onwards.

In great attempts to make my experience as great as it can be, Gavin has spent many an hour trawling the internet for the perfect equipment, at bargain prices.

THE TENT

We have gone for the enormous Vango Marna 600 XL 6 Person Tent. It has a zipped porch area at the front, perfect to safely storing the boys buggy, without taking inside the floored tent. And hopefully for summer evenings, sat in a chair sipping on dark fruits cider. 

The mid section, is the living space. And then to the rear in the bedroom. It can be separated into two rooms, for when the boys get older and want their privacy. Unfortunately the room dividers won't block out the snoring, or farting from the boys in my life!

This is it! We have also purchased the added Vango foot print (groundsheet) and Vango carpet, to make it homely.

SLEEPING

Gavin knows that for me to stand any chance of enjoying the camping life, I need to get sleep. We got 2 x Double Air Bed and 1 x Single Air Bed. They are the EuroHike ones from Blacks, with a built in air pump. We tested them in our living room, and they seem alright!

Equipment

We have brought two adult chairs, and two child chairs. We're still looking for a storage unit or some sort, along with a inflatable sofa, if anyone has any recommendations?

EATING

We have picked up a collapsable washing bowl/chopping board, water containers and crockery (all in the sale). Gavin's parents have an old cooker from when he used to go as a kid, which we have tested and it still works. Gavin treated himself to a Weber go anywhere BBQ, which will be perfect for rustling up a tasty dinner every night (we can even use it as a small fire afterwards.)

The Plan

Gavin and his family often went camping to Devon when they were younger. One of his friends has highly recommended a campsite in Dorset that he wants to try as well. 

Please drop us a message if anyone has any recommendations for good family orientated camp sites/equipment/tips!

Wish me luck....GULP!

Local Expert - Summer Edition (In and Around Hertfordshire)

Local Expert
The gift of being having twins is fantastic, but when you go from two of you to four of you, it can be a huge financial shock. We have plenty of fantastic family time together, but we try to do it on a budget. 

Here’s our family fun guide to Hertfordshire:

• Maidenhead Aquatics, St Albans - not just a place that sells fish, but children can feed the larger fish for £1 per tub. There’s a small soft-play area suitable for up to 8 year olds, perfectly located in the cafe!

• Verulamium Park, St Albans - 3 hours free parking is available in the sport centre car park. Centred around a lake (unfortunately you’re not allowed to feed the ducks though). There is a large play ground, and the splash park is highly popular in the summer months. 

• Cassiobury Park, Watford - great park, and fantastic water park that opened summer 2017. There is some free parking available, but subject to availability. Other than that, and maybe an ice cream (or two) its a free day out. 

• Aldenham County Park, Elstree - To enter there is a small charge per car (no matter how many guests). There’s a great Winnie the Pooh themed walk around the 100 aker wood, as well as the opportunity to feed the ducks at the lake. There is also a play area. For a extra fee, you can also access the farm. 

• Heartwood Forest, St Albans - We love taking a stroll around the Magical wood, seeing all the carved animals along with the way. Takes about 1.5 hours to complete with toddlers!

• Lavender Fields, Hitchin - Beautiful location in the summer to take some amazing photos. You can take some clippings which the boys enjoyed.

• Ruislip Lido & Railway, Ruislip - Perfect location to head to in the summer, with a manmade beach and splash park. Although the carpark is very small, so arriving early is recommended.

• London Colney Paddling Pool, St Albans - Very small, but free. Mine were a little too young for it this summer, as the water was knee height for me, and I felt like I couldn't relax.

• Frosts Garden Centre, Bedford - They make fantastic effort in the summer, with a HUGE outdoor sandpit and ride on toys (all free). 

• Hatfield Park Farm, Hatfield - See my other blog post for more info, but a firm family favourite.

• Stanborough Lakes, Welwyn Garden City - Fantastic park, and great walk around the lake. In the summer the kids can paddle in the shallow waters.

Classes

In our area are ridiculously expensive, and as I knew I’d struggle with the stress of having two babies and one me, I decided not to sign up to anything. The only place I have joined was our local twin club. There was a annual membership fee of X, and twice a month they put of a play session that is X to attend. Also throughout the year there are family events/parties at the weekend which are great fun! 

Restaurants

When it comes to eating out we tend to stick to very family friendly establishments. Our firms favourites are; Pizza Express, Harvester and Nandos.

All offer plenty of high chairs and a reasonably priced children’s menu. 

Locally we also have “The Waffle House”. I love popping here for brunch, and the boys are a big fan of their banoffe waffle! It has a really relaxed feel, and the perfect location for a mummy catch up. 

Shopping 

St Albans - We are fortunate in St Albans to have a lot of options when in comes to shopping. Our Town centre is split into various arcade areas. You have the main strip with mum essential shops like M&S and Boots, then St Christopher Place, which has higher end brands like Cath Kitson and Jojo Maman Bebe, and also the Maltings which includes shops like Wilkinson’s, and H&M. 

The Galleria, Hatfield - Great for Outlet shopping. It includes a fantastic Gap outlet and Choice, which is especially great for picking the kids up clothes at bargain prices. 

Stevenage - before falling pregnant I’d barely ever been to Stevenage, but that’s where the hospital we selected was based so during our (at least) fortnightly visits to the hospital we became very acquainted with the area. Especially Mothercare! I don’t usually visit their town centre, but they have most of the bargain shops (The Range, B&M Bargains, Home Bargains) based in various retail parks. 

Supermarket/Groceries - When it comes to supermarkets I don’t have any particular favour to any of them. They all have their faults. With having twins, knowing that your supermarket has a double trolley is VERY important. My one frustration is our closest Aldi in Hatfield, they only do singles. It’s brilliant for baby products, but I have to always take someone else with me. 

Exploring Hatfield Park Farm

With the boys now walking well, I am now trying to fill my Friday day off with a fun activity. Last week Gavin had to take annual leave, but this week his shifts worked out that he was off. The weather seemed nice, so we spoke through a few ideas and we decided to head to 'Hatfield Park Farm'. We have heard such good things about it, especially in conjunction with the very expensive and well known 'Willows Farm' not too far away.  The entry cost £5 for each adult, and under 3's are free. A bag of feed was also 50p.

Unknown to us the boys have a fear of farm animals... who knew? The were comfortable walking a meter away from the fence, but no closer!  The park is set up in a kind of lollipop shape, and you can feed most of the animal along the way. On route there is also fun little things to do. There are two large sandpits (the cleanest sandpits I've ever seen!) with diggers that the children can sit on and actually manoeuvre themselves. 

There is also a tractor themed slide, and climbing apparatus, but he has seen better days. A few mums were commenting on it, whilst we were playing on it. 

There was a little steam train that was available to ride on for an extra cost. We decision to take a ride on the tractor instead, mainly because it was included in our ticket. It did a large loop of the park seeing all the animals along the way. It was a bumpy ride, but a lot of run.

The only negative for the whole day was a local girls school were visiting too. The girls were just a bit old for it all. I'm so sensitive to those kinds of things. Especially around my tiny toddlers. I feel very overprotective! At one point one of the teachers had to suggest one of the girls got off one of the sandpit tractors above, so Harry could go on.

Keep your eyes peeled for another Friday family adventure!