Elba Castillo San Jorge Review

This is an advert for December 2022. Any shares / edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. This review is based on our personal holiday which we paid for in October 2022. As always, check with venues direct for the most up-to-date information. 

We stayed at Elba Castillo San Jorge in Caleta de Fuste (Fuetaventura) with a 16, 13 and 11 year old in October Half Term 2022. My main reasons for booking this holiday were: 

• Weather (usually 25-28C per day) 
• I managed to get a good price   
• 15 minutes from the airport 
• Small resort where I could allow the kids some freedom
• Convenient all inclusive hotel with a room which sleeps up to 6 
• Good reviews  

Drummohr Glamping & Camping near Edinburgh

 This is an advert for December 2022. Any shares / edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. 

Overview & Location 

Drummohr Glamping and Camping is a sister site to Herding Hill Campsite on Hadrian's Wall which I know is a super popular staycation destination amongst this blog's readers. Located just off the A1 near Edinburgh and just over a 2 hour drive from Newcastle, you can expect the same high quality and warm welcome.  

It is a 4* Scottish Tourist Board Site and I was pleased to see that they're a living wage employer. 

Dummohr is a quiet site, meaning you need to be out of your hot tub by 10pm and cannot play music outdoors. Ideal for those with small children or who are looking for a good night's sleep but if you're looking for a party site, this isn't the one for you. 

Tips For A Good Night's Sleep

This post is an advert for December 2022. Any shares / edits beyond this date have not bee asked or paid for. 

One of our priorities when Steve joined North East Family Fun as a partner back in May was for us to both improve our overall health and wellbeing. 

We have made a number of changes over the past few months including joining a gym and lifting weights/completing cardio workouts three or four times per week, taking out a spa membership and eating more nutritious home cooked meals. 
 

But did you know that a good night's sleep plays a huge part in your overall health and wellbeing too? Good sleep improves brain performance, mood, health, attention span, reaction times and clear thinking.

It can also help to reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and heart problems, keep your immune system strong and reduce stress / look after your emotional health and wellbeing. 

Visiting Santa & Christmas at Beamish

Thanks to our writer Gaia for this post. Photo credits Toon Fun Club and Andy Hudson. This post is based on a visit in December 2022. Please check with Beamish for the most up to date information before visiting. 

• One of the best value Santa visits in the North East at £6 (plus entry to Beamish) 
• Santa was very chatty, had lots of time for the kids and really put them at ease
• Good quality traditional toys
• Beautiful traditional grotto
• Lots of other fun festive things to do
• Tickets don’t sell out immediately
• Entry ticket to Beamish lasts a year so if you time it right, you can use it for two festive visits  
• Under 5’s get free entry to Beamish

Believe Christmas at Hardwick Hall Review & Tips

AD - Thanks to our writer Cat for this post based on a visit in December 2022. Any shares / edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. Believe is set in the grounds of Hardwick Hall Hotel at Sedgefield. It's an immersive, premium Christmas event suitable for the whole family.

There is plenty of free parking in the hotel car park and the walk from the car park to the event space is very short. The grounds and teepees were all accessible and we did see someone using a wheelchair and quite a few pushchairs being used.

Disney On Ice Newcastle Tips

AD - Thanks to our writer Gaia for this post based on a visit to Disney On Ice at Utilita Arena on 7 December 2022. Please check with venue direct for up to date info regarding 2023's show.

We had a brilliant time at Disney on Ice tonight, it was a magical experience for the little ones aged 4 and 6 and for us grown ups too! It was all so well organised and we didn't have to queue for ages which is a big plus when you've got little kids staying up past their bedtime. Here are our top tips.

Nightfall Festival - Review, Tickets & Tips

 AD - This is an advert for December 2022 and based on a visit in December 2022. Any edits / shares after this date have not been asked or paid for. 

What is Nightfall Festival? 

Nightfall is a family friendly light trail by Stellar Projects. The event takes place in Stewart Park in Middlesbrough on 1-4 December 2022. The theme changes every year. This year's theme is 'Brighten Our Northern Skies'. 

You can expect almost two hours of light shows, interactive elements, live music, storytelling, poetry, art work and installations based around the theme. It's playful, magical and lots of fun. The festival is super inclusive and accessible - all are welcome. 

My Top 5 Christmas Films

 Welcome to my next '12 Days of Blogmas' post. Today I'm going to share a little about my favourite Christmas films and why I love them. 

If you missed yesterday's post, you can read it here (it's a real nostalgia trip): My favourite Christmas Gifts from the 90s

My tastes have definitely changed over the years - when I was younger I always loved Santa Claus the Movie and Miracle on 34th Street but although I still like them, they no longer make my top 5 films. It's also interesting that although I do enjoy some of the newer films like The Christmas Chronicles, they aren't my absolute favourites either. 

My Top 5 Christmas Films

It's A Wonderful Life

Homemade Festive Bakes Recipe

This post has been published by Steve. 

Everyone is always excited when a certain North-East Bakery starts selling the Festive Bakes. It is the new signal for the start of Christmas. 

This year I decided to make my own to see if I can make one just as good. I've used a few short cuts and this has made them super easy to make. This recipe will make 6 large bakes or 12 small bakes.

6 Reasons to Visit The Woodmans Arms this Winter

This is an advert for November 2022 and based on a visit in November 2022. Any edits / shares after this date have not been asked or paid for. 

The Woodmans Arms in Whickham is one of our favourite restaurants / pubs in North East England. It is one of our go-to places to dine as a family where we consistantly receive great service and I know there is something on the menu to suit everyone. 

Here are six reasons to visit this winter: 

1 - It's a Beautiful Festive Setting 

My Favourite Childhood Christmas Presents

 Happy 1st December! You may have noticed that some bloggers take part in Blogmas. It's usually 24 different prompts that you have to write about, one for each day between 1-24 December. I do love the idea of Blogmas but I know for a fact I won't stick to it so I won't be taking part officially. 

However instead, I'm going to share a different kind of Christmas post in December - ones where I just sit down and write a little about Christmas and then just publish straight away. I'm hoping to publish 12 posts like this altogether so I'm going with the original series title of '12 Days of Blogmas'.  They won't be in any order and sometimes there may be more than one per day and other times there may be a few days between posts. 

5 Places to Visit in Northumberland in 2023

Thanks to our writer Bethanie for this post.

As we swiftly make our way out of 2022 and head towards the new year, I thought it might a nice idea to share a few places we have enjoyed in the last year across Northumberland.

As well as this there is also a brand new, exciting venture which has slowly been coming together the past few years and is nearly ready to be opened. Find out more in this blog post of 5 exciting places to visit in 2023 so you can start looking forward to the year ahead. 

These are all locations that we have enjoyed as a family, within Northumberland. 

Lilidorei: new play adventure at The Alnwick Garden 

The highly anticipated “Lilidorei” is set to be opening in Spring 2023. This brand new adventure playground has cost in the region of £15million so there are going to be some high expectations for it.

Credit : Monstrum 

However, from the photos that are currently being released it does look very impressive. You can also catch a glimpse of the progress when driving past the Alnwick Garden.