The LNER Family Return Ticket

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London North Eastern Railway (LNER) runs trains between London King's Cross and key destinations such as Edinburgh, York, Leeds, Wakefield, Newcastle, Darlington and Durham. We first travelled with LNER to London Kings Cross during our trip to LEGOLAND this summer. We have travelled along this route a few times now and I have to say, I've been impressed. I was even more delighted to learn that LNER is the first operator on this route to offer families a dedicated money-saving ticket for east coast journeys.

Confession time | Days out are not always fun at the moment

There's no doubt about it, parenting three kids who are close together in age is a tough task. Steve works full time/shifts and as I am self-employed and working from home, I would say that 90% of our day-to-day childcare falls onto me. Yes, I get a break when the kids are at school (thank god) but with little in the way of support from family/childcare providers, being responsible for keeping three kids happy and alive is a pretty full-on task (single parents I take my hat off to you as that's a different ball game altogether).

Holiday inspiration for May half term 2019 | Eurocamp's five best-selling parks

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We absolutely loved our first stay with Eurocamp this year and would highly recommend this holiday company to families who are looking for a laid-back holiday with good facilities. Eurocamp holidays offer fantastic value for money and they're especially great for larger families who may struggle to fit in one hotel room. Below are links to the five most popular Eurocamp parks which are ideal for a May Half Term break. All of the holidays mentioned can be booked with a £99 deposit and are priced at under £800 for the week (accommodation only). What a bargain! 

Fish and Chips with Kids at Trenchers, Spanish City - A Review

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Whitley Bay has turned into a bit of a foodie hot spot recently. I love that the town has received so much investment and there are now so many fantastic places to dine out when visiting the seaside town - we really are spoilt for choice. Nowhere is quite as grand and imposing as The Spanish City Dome though and it's re-opening has caused a bit of a buzz across the North East. We popped down one evening after school to try out their fish and chip restaurant Trenchers. Parking is plentiful in Whitley Bay and free after 6pm in the car park directly behind the dome. This was the first time I'd walked along this part of the promenade since it's makeover and it really is stunning  - walking along the seafront filled me with pride and I love that I get to call the North East my home.  I am biased but the North East coast is simply the best the UK has to offer. 

Pirate Swimming Pools and Mermaid Lessons at Pirates Village, Majorca

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When staying in hotels abroad, the swimming pools can make or break a holiday for us. As a rule, I like it when pools are around 1 metre deep as this is perfect for Harry, Heidi and Jack - they can touch the bottom and the water is deep enough for them to practice their swimming too. When they were younger, I preferred shallow water up to their knees with little slides they could play with. During our recent stay at Pirates Village in Santa Ponsa, Majorca, I'm pleased to say that there were multiple types of pool for all ages and abilities. 

Slide/toddler pool 

Visiting Palma Aquarium from Santa Ponsa

During our recent stay at Pirates Village in Santa Ponsa with Jet 2 Holidays, we decided to book a trip to Palma aquarium. We love visiting aquariums and had heard good things about this one - plus it seemed to be the perfect place for our group ranging from ages 3 - 50+.

The Lovely Bones at Northern Stage | Review

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Every time Steve and I visit Northern Stage, we leave dreaming of the day where babysitters are no longer required and we can buy a Northern Stage season pass and visit the theatre on a more regular basis. Nothing fills my soul more than a night at the theatre and I like to watch everything from the classics to modern and contemporary. I would say that Northern Stage is probably our favourite theatre in Newcastle and performances here always inspire, encourage conversation, are progressive and break boundaries. We still talk about performances we watched at Northern Stage five years ago - they generally leave a lasting impression.