Fun & Easy Magic Tricks with MAOAM Mischief Hub

This is an advertisement feature with MAOAM. 

MAOAM is a fun confectionery brand which includes a range of popular treats, such as Stripes, Pinballs and Bloxx.  We are delighted to be partnering with MAOAM this year and will be sharing some of the tricks and mischief they have up their sleeves to help families make the most of their time at home. 

This summer, we are spending most of our time at home. We have now fallen into a nice routine and we are very much used to the new norm. 

I will level with you though, sometimes the days can feel super long and monotonous and often the days all roll into one. Anything that can add a little mischief and excitement to our day or break it up gets the thumbs up from me. 

Thali Tray Date Night

Over the past few months, Steve and I have been enjoying little date nights at home. With no babysitters or inclination to visit a restaurant, you have to do what you have to do. We started off weekly but now I would say we plan something for just us every couple of weeks. 

Sometimes we cook and other times we order from one of our favourite restaurants. I love how many places have adapted to provide an at-home service and I am so thankful for this. One such place is Thali Tray in Ouseburn. 

30+ of the Best Cycle Routes for Kids around North East England

Over the years,  I have been asked a lot for ideas where families can ride their bikes with kids. I am not an expert in this - we just ride our bikes along the cycle path near our house or at the coast.

It is something I have been asked more and more during the past few weeks though so I decided to ask my readers for suggestions for their favourite routes so I could put them all together in one list for others to use. I hope you find this resource helpful. 

Life Lately (June 2020)

Welcome to another little catch up. Here is what has been going on this month...... 

Heidi is back at school 

The biggest change for us this month is that Heidi is back at school now. She is in Year 6 and transitioning to a new school this year. We weighed up the pros and cons and decided it was best for Heidi to return. She attends school two days per week in a small class of 8 with her teacher and absolutely loves it. 

Heidi has really enjoyed being back with her friends and is enjoying some fun activities at school such as designing a fairground, coding a ferris wheel, making pin art, school games and making space doughnuts. Honestly when I dropped her off on the first day I was so nervous, it was worse than the first day of school in reception but she was beaming when I picked her up later that day and it was the happiest I have seen her in days. 

15 of the Best Parks & Playgrounds in North East England

Please note, due to COVID 19, some of the facilities (especially water play areas/cafes/toilets) may be closed. Check details with venue direct for up to date info before setting off. In England, parks are permitted to open from 4 July but not all will open on that date.  Always check venues direct for up-to-date details before setting off. 

Please respect the local area, observe social distancing, use alcohol hand gel / wash hands regularly (especially before eating), leave no trace, park responsibly and if somewhere is busy on arrival, consider leaving and returning another time. 

If you have symptoms of Coronavirus, please stay at home and follow NHS advice/guidelines. 

Dinosaur Crazy Golf & Dobbies Garden Centre Morpeth

Like many people during lockdown, we have taken to gardening this summer. We have visited Dobbies Morpeth (aka Heighley Gate) a few times over the years but it had been well over a year since our last visit. 

The garden centre is just off the A1 - exit onto the A697 towards Coldstream and it is less than half a mile up the road on your left (use postcode NE61 3DA). There is a huge free car park for customers. 

A Pizza Picnic from Di Meos Ouseburn

Ouseburn is my favourite part of Newcastle. I just love the vibes in this area of Newcastle plus it is home to some of my favourite restaurants, pubs and places to visit. 

Back in February Half Term, we were going to visit Di Meos for Pizza and ice cream after a street art trail but the queue was too long, there were no spare seats and it was freezing cold so we popped to Gingerinos instead (which by the way is fantastic and I would also highly recommend) . 

As Steve's payday treat this month though, I was craving a trip to Ouseburn and this time was a little more organised and phoned ahead to pre-order our pizza at Di Meos.