A Grown-Up Festive Weekend in Ouseburn

Ouseburn is one of my favourite areas of Newcastle. I would say it's where all the cool kids go but if I'm honest, I don't think that's true. I think it's better to describe this area of Newcastle as somewhere those in their 30s and 40s like to come to pretend they're cool. So in celebration on my 35th birthday, we decided to spend a child-free weekend here and pretend we were one of the cool kids.

Review & Top Tips | Northern Stage Newcastle Christmas Show 2018

Disclosure: We purchased our own tickets at a discounted press rate. Photo Credits : Pamela Raith 

Northern Stage Christmas Show | Overview & tickets

The Christmas Show at Northern Stage is always something I really look forward to. It's completely different to anything else in the North East and is a fantastic alternative for those who aren't too keen on a traditional panto. The production is always magical with incredible staging and live music. I wasn't too keen on last year's show but think this was a one-off as we still talk about previous shows (with Get Santa being a particular favourite) to this day.

Review & Top Tips | Theatre Royal Newcastle Panto 2018

Disclosure: We were kindly invited along to press night and provided with complimentary tickets in order to review the show. Photo Credit : Paul Coltas

Theatre Royal Newcastle Panto | Overview & tickets

Goldilocks and the Three Bears starts it's run at Newcastle Theatre Royal on 27 November and continues until 20 January 2019. Newcastle favourites Danny and Clive are always super popular with many people snapping up tickets as soon as they're released year after year. Tickets are available from £15 and it is one of the more expensive pantomimes in the North East which I think is reflected in the production quality.

You can find out more and book online here

Alnwick Garden Santa Review

Visiting Father Christmas at Alnwick Garden has always been something I've wanted to do. The photos always look fantastic so this year I decided to splash out and book tickets for Heidi, Jack and Evan to visit after school.

There are different ways to visit Father Christmas at Alnwick Garden. We decided to visit after school when the garden was closed. This was advertised as being in the Alnwick Garden Treehouse which is the largest treehouse in Europe and such a magical setting. I paid £16.99 per ticket for the kids and grown-ups were free (charges do apply if you visit through the day etc... My review is based on the after-school weekday experience only).

Review & Top Tips | Playhouse Whitley Bay Panto 2018

Disclosure : We were kindly invited along to press night and provided with complimentary tickets. 

Playhouse Whitley Bay Panto | Overview & tickets

This year's panto is Peter Pan. Brought to you by Blue Genie Entertainment and starring Antony Costa as Captain Hook and Whitley Bay favourite Steve Walls as Smee, this show runs from 1 December - 5 January. Tickets are available from £10.70.

Review & Top Tips | Customs House Panto South Shields 2018

Disclosure: We were kindly invited along to panto press night and provided with complimentary tickets.

Customs House Panto | Overview & tickets

This year's Christmas Panto is Beauty and the Beast and runs from 27 November - 5 January. Tickets are available from £9.99 - £21.

Beko Soup Maker | A Review

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Over the past few months, we've been working with Beko as part of their #EatLikeAPro campaign which has involved testing out various Beko appliances and using their tech to improve our diets and encourage healthier eating whilst still being convenient enough for busy family lives. You can find out more about the campaign and check out lots of healthy family recipes over on the Eat Like A Pro website here.