10 Reasons to Stay at Matfen Hall in Northumberland with Kids

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We fancied something a little different as a treat to end half term this year so packed ourselves and the kids up to spend a night at Matfen Hall in Northumberland in celebration of our 12th wedding anniversary. We had the absolute best time and I can't wait to share it with you. Matfen Hall is a grand 4* resort and it does feel pretty fancy but on the other hand, it is super warm and welcoming and not the kind of place you feel like you have to keep your children seen but not heard. If you're looking for a luxury family staycation in Northumberland, Matfen Hall really delivers. Here are 10 reasons to stay here with kids: 

Where to Visit & Feed Reindeer across North East England this Christmas

A few people have asked for suggestions of places to feed reindeer this Christmas so I've put together a little guide. If you know of anywhere else, please add the details as a comment on this post. We're heading to Azure this week and I can't wait. Visiting Reindeer is a lovely festive outing for the family and it's usually pretty low-cost too. I like visiting in a garden centre as you get the chance to see all of the festive lights and displays too.

Pirates Village Santa Ponsa | Jet 2 Holidays Review

We stayed at Pirates Village during the first week of October in 2018. The holiday was to celebrate my brother's 30th birthday (and first holiday abroad in 5 years!) plus it was my toddler nephew's first holiday abroad. We travelled in term time as it's the only time Mark could get off work. Steve and Harry stayed at home for this trip (I'm not planning on taking Harry out of Secondary school to go on holiday) and I took Heidi and Jack out of school for the trip (I don't mind taking kids out of Primary School to go on holiday for 5 days). My mam also came along with us so there were 6 of us in total.

Pirates Village Exterior

10 Magical Christmas Events to Book Now

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Has anyone noticed that as soon as we hit November 1, Christmas has hit us in full-force? I'm actually surprised at how quickly it's come around and now that the kids are back to school after half term, my planning is in full-force. Many Christmas events have already sold out (some as much as a year in advance) so today I am bringing you 10 Christmas events across Gateshead which either don't require pre-booking or still have tickets available (at time of publication). There are some fantastic events on the list - let me know if you fancy any.......

The Big Blue Hotel Blackpool | Pleasure Beach Package & Deluxe Family Room Review

Blackpool is generally somewhere you love or hate. For me, I can take it or leave it but I am always drawn to the fact that it's not far to drive and there's absolutely loads to do for families there. I also enjoy visiting the illuminations. We've visited Blackpool as a family 3-4 times now and have previously stayed at the Premier Inn Bispham (good if you're on a budget), the Hilton (lovely) and a couple of B&Bs. I've always wanted to visit The Big Blue Hotel which is joined onto the Pleasure Beach so this October half term, I treated us all to an overnight stay. 

Marvel Universe LIVE! will visit Newcastle in 2019 - here's how to sign-up for priority tickets

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Marvel Universe LIVE! will make its Newcastle debut in 2019. A brand new UK tour featuring the stars from Guardians of the Galaxy and 20 favourite Marvel Super Heroes and Villains will visit Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena from 21-24 November 2019 (note 2019 - not 2018, I've made the mistake of turning up a full year ahead of a show before and would hate for you to do the same).

Santa on the Rooftop at Fenwick Newcastle | A Review

Yes, we are that family who visited Father Christmas before Bonfire Night but when my friend messaged me to ask if I wanted her spare tickets to see Santa on the Rooftop at Fenwick Newcastle, how could I resist? We sadly missed out on Fenwick Window's launch this year as we had already booked into Matfen Hall that night to celebrate our wedding anniversary and a trip to visit Santa on the Rooftop seemed like a very good alternative way to experience some of that special Fenwick Christmas magic.