Winter Wonderland Christmas Light Show | A Wynyard Hall Garden Event - A Review

*This is a collaborative post - we received complimentary entry to the event

Wynyard Hall on the outskirts of Durham is somewhere we'd never visited before and we were delighted to be invited along to experience their Winter Wonderland Christmas Light Show in their beautiful gardens. This event runs on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings until 30th December (excluding Christmas and Boxing Day) and tickets can be pre-booked online (tickets are also available on the door).

Our first impressions were good - Wynyard Hall is stunning and the (free) car park was well sign posted and friendly staff helped us to find a spot and directed us to the garden entrance. We've been to Christmas events in the past where you have to pay for parking, it's been difficult to find a spot or there haven't been any staff around so you aren't exactly sure where to go so this was a welcome change. 

You enter through the garden cafe/shop and my first impressions were 'WOW'. The garden looked so beautiful all lit up and very magical. We were provided with a map but it was fairly dark so we couldn't really use this however the trail is pretty self-explanatory and well sign posted.

The first part of the trail takes you past the most beautiful illuminated reindeer and Christmas trees.....

Which leads to a giant 25 foot Christmas tree which plays music and is surrounded by swans. I don't really think my photographs do this any justice if I'm honest - it was really spectacular.

Visiting Santa Claus at Wynyard Hall Garden's Winter Wonderland

We walked through a beautiful arched tunnel of fairy lights (I say walk - Jack and Heidi ran as they were so excited) and were greeted by a short queue to visit Santa Claus. We visited at around 4:45pm and there were only around 4 families in front of us in the queue so it wasn't much of a wait at all. You'll find a few chalets selling mulled wine, craft beers, hot chocolates, hot dogs and hog roasts and let me tell you - the smell as we waited in line was delicious. Almost everyone in the queue wasn't able to resist and I have to say, it all looked delicious. If we hadn't have just enjoyed a rather fabulous afternoon tea at Wynyard Hall, we definitely would have indulged. 

A very smiley elf was at the front of the queue helping Santa Claus and Santa himself was very cheery - laughing with the kids, posing for photographs and playfully making jokes about my camera. He reminded the kids to tidy their room (thanks Santa), posed for pics and then handed the children a colouring set each. I wasn't expecting this as it states on the event website that no gifts will be handed out so it was an added bonus! We probably only spent around 1 minute with Santa but that's all that was needed to be honest and it didn't feel rushed. I would say if you are only visiting one Father Christmas this year, the 'visit Santa' experience in the gardens isn't the most magical or memorable that's out there but as a second or additional visit, it is perfect.

Teacup Rides 

After your visit with Father Christmas, you'll find some spinning teacups. All children are given a voucher for one free ride at the attraction entrance. I like that this is included in the cost of the visit as for most places it would have cost us an extra £6 for my three to have a turn. The teacup ride gives parents enough time to finish off their mulled wine and kids loved it. 

The Ice Queen & Winter Fairy

Our final walk through the gardens was past more illuminated swans and giant teddy bears before we had the chance to meet and pose for photographs with the Ice Queen & Winter Fairy in their sleigh. 

We then ended our visit with a quick nosey around the Wynyard Gardens gift shop which is the ideal place to pick up some last minute gifts. 

Our Honest Opinion of the Winter Wonderland Christmas Light Show

Before I visited, I had reservations. Our ticket was £30 and I thought this was expensive to just see some lights. However, I have to say after visiting I actually think this Christmas attraction offers very good value for money. We spent around an hour here so it works out at £6 per person for an hour's entertainment. I thought the event was magical and very Christmassy, it was well organised with minimal queuing and I love how a visit to Santa Claus and a ride on the teacups were included. Heidi (7) and Jack (6) had a lovely time too and they were entranced by the lights, Christmas music and were really excited by the whole experience. They walked around the gardens with wide eyes and saying how beautiful everything was. They especially liked the swans and the giant musical Christmas tree. 

However, the event just wasn't Harry's (aged 10) cup of tea and he walked around with a moody face on the whole time saying it was boring and he refused to visit Santa Claus. Sob!!! He is getting to that age though where he's not a fan of being dragged away from his laptop and I think he would have acted like this wherever we visited. 

Steve (I won't disclose his age) just said the event was 'ok'. He didn't love it but he didn't say it was rubbish either.  

I would recommend this event for families with children aged 8 and under and think it is especially magical for toddlers, pre-schoolers and smaller children. There were a lot of babies there too who seemed to be having a lovely time. I loved it and if you are a fan of Christmas, lights and a bit of sparkle, I think you will too. 

I was trying to find an event to compare this to and the only one I could think of would be The Paradise Tree at Alnwick Garden where a family ticket for us including parking would cost us £11 more at £41. I appreciate it might be a larger scale event but it does not include a visit to Santa Claus or teacup rides like the event at Wynyard Hall so taking this into account, I think a Winter Wonderland at Wynyard Hall Gardens offers very good value for families with young children. 

Pin Me For Later

How to get out of a wine rut & trying something new with The Pip Stop

*This is a collaborative post

Weekends in my late teens and early 20's used to be about heading out to town and spending the night drinking probably a little too much, dancing the night away and having fun with friends. Three kids and 10 years later and you could say that things have changed slightly. Steve and I still love a good night out when we get the chance (I don't think we'll ever stop enjoying a good pub crawl to be honest) but these are now few and far between.

We are strong believers that just because you're married with kids, it doesn't mean the fun has to stop. We really look forward to our Saturday nights in now and Steve will usually cook us a special meal or we'll get a takeaway and play board games with the kids watching X Factor. Yes it's no Saturday night out on the tiles but our Saturday nights in are the perfect time for us to relax and unwind after the busy week with no laptops, working or jobs to do. It's also the one night of the week that will always involve a bottle of wine (or two).

It's weird how your wine drinking habits change as you mature. I seriously cannot imagine drinking a bottle of Lambrusco now but I couldn't get enough of the stuff when I was 18 and I would say over the last 3 years or so, Steve and I have definitely started to take our wine more seriously. Back in the day I would just pick up a bottle of the cheapest wine on offer with my weekly shop but again, you won't catch me doing that now. We know what we like and don't mind paying a couple of £ more for something we'll really enjoy.

With the whole 'staying in is the new going out' ethos, we joined a wine club for a few years and were able to sample lots of different wines. After 2 years though, we decided this wasn't for us as there were too many wines in there that just weren't for us and we realised that we would be far better off spending cash on wine we knew we'd enjoy rather than taking a risk with 6 random bottles that weren't tailored to our taste every month.

Here lies the issue though - we know what we like so we are in a complete wine drinking rut! I will nearly always buy a Sauvignon Blanc or Chilean Merlot. We are huge fans of fizz too and if we see a bottle of English Sparkling wine at a good price, we'll rarely be able to resist buying a bottle. After enjoying far too many bottles at Gidleigh Park a few years ago, we have developed a bit of a passion for English wine but it's something that's pretty hard to get your hands on. Sometimes I might buy something like a Chenin Blanc but I definitely only have around 4-5 types of wine that I always stick to. Although we love all of these wines, things were getting boring and it was time to mix things up a little.

Where do you go for advice though? Although I know what I like, I'm definitely no expert and I didn't want to head to one of the large chains that have a 6 bottle minimum order. I just wanted a little guidance with what to try next and definitely did not want to be talked down to or sneered at for liking something as 'unsophisticated' as a Sauvignon Blanc (this has actually happened to me before). This is where the lovely team at the Pip Stop in Lanchester, Durham stepped in to help.

Photo Credit | New Girl in Toon

The Pip Stop are a predominantly a wine and craft beer shop/online store but also sell a nice selection of spirits, ciders and gifts. They are my kind of shop! Not at all intimidating and I honestly feel as if they have been created for people just like me. The Pip Stop is quirky, friendly and definitely worth seeking out. There is a wealth of information on their website and I would highly recommend signing up to their newsletter (you'll also receive a 10% off discount code). Their prices are very reasonable too and personally, I find them cheaper than our local Sainsburys.

Onto why I really love The Pip Stop though and it's their knowledge that sets them apart. We asked for some recommendations based on what we like and the staff were absolutely spot on with their choices. It's actually scary how they just managed to just 'get' us and never have I been given such good recommendations - even when asking the help of a sommelier at a top restaurant.

1- We like bubbles and English wine

Owner Ben recommended something a little special - Bolney Cuvee Rose Pinot Noir which is a fizzy rose from Sussex. The Bolney Estate have been producing wine for over 35 years and have won lots of awards. I am going to be open and honest here and say that I haven't tried this wine yet as we are saving it for Christmas Eve - I just know it is going to be perfect though and it just the sort of wine I would have picked out but I like that we've been challenged to try something new as I don't think I would have tried a fizzy Pinot Noir and would have stuck with a safer option. I'll share my thoughts on Christmas Eve over on Instagram if you're interested. I am honestly sooooo excited that I have my hands on a bottle of English Sparkling Wine! Christmas Eve can't come quickly enough.

2 - We like Chenin Blanc

We were recommended to try Running Duck Chenin Blanc which is an organic, vegan and fair for life wine. It was very easy to drink and the sort of wine that could easily have led to a second bottle. This recommendation was spot on for us and we'll definitely re-purchase. It is nice to buy something that guarantees fair working conditions for it's producers and I love that the name of the wine comes from the Indian Runner Ducks that are used within vineyards as a natural pest control - I googled this and yes, these are actual ducks that run around vineyards! I love the image this creates in my head.

3 - We like Chilean Merlot

The Pip Stop love this wine so much that they've put their own label to it. Grease Monkey Merlot is very easy to drink and we loved it. I can't believe it is currently on sale for just £5.59. This is an absolute steal! This wine is also Vegan friendly. We like a nice glass of red with cheese and paired this with our cheese board from Matthew's Cheese Shop. It was a match made in heaven!

You'll find The Pip Stop in a converted 1950's garage in Lanchester, Durham. They have Mini Coopers embedded in their walls and stock over 300 varieties of wine and over 120 types of beer. They believe that wine tasting should be fun and recognise that wine is subjective. What is perfect for one person, might not be for the next. They also offer a selection of tasting evenings and tickets are available from just £10. My friend Chloe went along to their Christmas tasting evening - Chloe also mentions some of The Pip Stop's top recommendations for Christmas in her post) and I am insanely jealous! It's times like this I wish I had a babysitter on tap and a private chauffeur!

Photo Credit | New Girl in Toon

I have been seriously impressed by The Pip Stop and it is so nice to find a local business that really understand what their customers want and just get it so right.  I ordered online and chatted via email on this occasion but in the New Year Steve and I will certainly be making the trip to Lanchester to meet these guys in person and pick their brains for a few more recommendations for 2017.

Pin Me For Later

Creating a perfect Cheese Board with Matthew's Cheese Shop | The Grainger Market, Newcastle

*This is a collaborative post

We love our cheese here at North East Family Fun HQ and we're definitely not one of those families who only save it for special occasions - life's too short to deprive yourself of nice things! We have passed this love of cheese onto our children and after visiting Northumberland Cheese Farm and taking a tour around their cheese factory where we learned all about the process of cheese making, Jack (aged 5) is now absolutely obsessed with nettle cheese of all things! He's a funny one!

We don't manage to get to the Grainger Market as often as we would like (why can't it be on our doorstep) but we probably visit once every 3 weeks or so to stock up on ingredients and our trip nearly always involves a visit to Matthew's Cheese Shop. You'll find them tucked in the corner of the market next to the French Oven and the plant stalls. We will always buy our parmesan from here and you will honestly not find a better selection of cheese anywhere else in the North East. 

Matthew's Cheese Shop sells over 200 types of cheese from around the world from the humble cheddar to something more exotic and even seasonal flavours. I was delighted with some of their special Christmas cheeses when I popped in this week. How nice does Mince Pie Wensleydale sound!

The beauty of buying your cheese from a specialist shop is that it has that personal touch. You can buy as much or little as you need and ask staff for recommendations. The staff are so lovely and very personable. Nothing is too much trouble. You might be shocked by the prices too - they are very reasonable!

Creating a Cheese Board with Matthew's Cheese Shop

We have a festive tradition of creating a Cheese board to enjoy for supper every Christmas Eve (and on Christmas Day night). This year we even went as far as creating a Cheese Board Pinterest Board for inspiration. Yes, it's serious business! Nothing makes me sadder than walking past the cheese boards you find in the supermarket at this time of year. I've tried these before and the cheese is never anything outstanding. They all just look very 'samey'. We're all about creating a unique cheese board that we will both love. For us, food at Christmas time is a big deal and not the time of year to be buying something generic.

The lovely staff at Matthew's Cheese Shop prepared us our very own cheese board this Christmas. At this time of year you do need to give them 2-3 days notice as they're pretty busy but pop by and have a chat and they'll always do their best to help. 

The process couldn't be easier - you just need to tell them your budget, which cheeses you would like or if you need any recommendations they'll happily help you choose the perfect cheeses for your very own bespoke board. There is no order too big (they had just finished a corporate order for 100 cheese boards when I popped down) or too small.

Matthew's Cheese Shop will go that extra mile and as well as properly wrapping each cheese individually for you, they'll also wrap the whole board with cellophane and top with a bow. I just LOVE that their logo has pride of place in the middle too - a nice reminder that you're shopping local. I think you'd have to agree that a cheese board from Matthew's Cheese Shop would also make a wonderful gift. If you've been invited to somebody's house over the festive period, I bet you'll earn huge brownie points if you turn up with one of these.

Our Cheese Selection

Steve and I are at oppostite ends of the spectrum when it comes to cheese. He loves anything blue where as I prefer something with a nice crumble. I did try some stilton again during our trip to Edinburgh last week when we shared a Scottish cheese board and a bottle of wine. Nope, it still definitely isn't for me. Seriously all I can taste is mould! Cheese is such a personal thing isn't it! Steve absolutely adored the Stilton from Matthew's Cheese Shop and said it was pretty much one of the best he'd tried. If you like Stilton, give it a go.

Over Christmas, my favourite cheese is Wensleydale and Cranberry. I can't get enough (I recommend cutting yourself a wedge and serving with a slice of Christmas cake - you won't regret it). I mentioned this to the staff and they recommended I try their Wensleydale with Cranberry and Kirsh. Wow - cheese just stepped up a level, it was very indulgent and a perfect recommendation for me.

I could rave about the cheeses we tried all day - I love that there are so many unusual flavours to choose from and a lot of the cheeses on offer I just haven't seen anywhere else. 'Garlic Green Thunder', 'Afterburn', 'Lemon Crumble', 'Orange and Champagne' and 'Cranberry & Kirsh' were my favourites where as Steve loved 'Blackstick Blue', 'Blue Stilton' and 'Dulce de Bourgogne'.

Cheese and wine go hand in hand and we teamed our cheese with a nice bottle of red from the Pip Stop (another local trader we love). We went for the classic Pip Stop Merlot which was a perfect pairing we thought.

We picked a large cheese board with 10 types of cheese and I am confident it is going to last us throughout December. It's the perfect treat to have in your fridge and dip into when you're peckish or have friends over.

Before you pick up a cheese board with your supermarket shop this Christmas, please remember this post and consider supporting our local cheese shop instead. I always worry that if enough people don't use these services, we'll be left with only the supermarket as an option and nobody wants that.

Pin Me For Later

Elf's Christmas Wish - A Christmas Performance for the Under 5's at the Gala Theatre

Today we have a guest post from the lovely Debbie who blogs over at Country Heart and Home - a fantastic blog featuring crafts, recipes and family life. Debbie went along to enjoy Elf's Christmas Wish at the Gala Theatre Durham with her daughter. There are still tickets available and they are very reasonably priced with family tickets being priced at £24-£28 for 4 people. Elf's Christmas Wish is a 30 minute performance with simple yet engaging storytelling, original music, movement and puppets aimed at children aged 5 and under plus their families. Over to Debbie..........

During the holiday season everything seems to revolve around Santa and visits to see the big man himself which can be slightly scary for teeny ones. It was nice to go to an event that was for under 5s and focused on the elves, there is nothing scary about those considering we have friendly ones visiting us for the full month of December!

We arrived at the Gala theatre and were seated on large PE style mats around what looked like an elves workshop.  There were an awful lot of little ones present and everything ran smoothly, we weren’t left hanging around for a long time before the event started and considering there was only one lady working the door and seating we were impressed with the whole process. 

Elf and Elfie appeared quite quickly after the doors were closed and for the first 5 minutes acted out the night before Christmas Eve in complete silence!  You could almost feel the ‘uh-oh’ in the air at the thought of it being a completely silent programme, the kids would have gone wild!  Thankfully Elf ‘woke up’ and started the narration of what they were doing and where they were etc.  Both Elf and Elfie were very animated, much to the kids amusement, the audience participation was very much welcomed from little ones and parents.  

The story is about a starry map that guides the sleigh on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes and the map is torn leaving Elf and Elfie to wonder how to make a new one.  With the help of the children in the audience a new one needs to be made with fabrics, tinkling bells and twinkling stars.  Seeing all of the children get to go up and place a star onto the map was lovely and they all enjoyed taking part so much, from the banging of tambourines for the tinkling bells to the picking of the night sky fabrics, returning to their seats with huge grins and yells of what to do next.

Not giving anything away about the starry map but it all turns out good in the end!  The lady and gentleman who played the elf characters were simply perfect, such charm and patience with the children, explaining everything as they went along and encouraging the audience to be vocal.

At the end of the show they even sat beside a huge Christmas tree next to the exit and spent time asking each child what they would like for Christmas, such a perfect finishing touch to a fabulous show!

Disclosure | Debbie was provided with press tickets in return for an honest review. 

How to Create a Magical Christmas Eve Box

Ad - This post features product placement & affiliate links

Families have different traditions around Christmas time and one of our main traditions is creating a Christmas Eve Box for the children to enjoy on Christmas Eve.

Some parents may find this excessive and that's ok (each to their own) but I love this tradition and I save money elsewhere in order to do it.

Christmas Eve is my absolute favourite day of the year and anything that can add to that magic gets the thumbs up from me.

The run-up to Christmas is such a magical time. There's a Christmas Cake to be made (we use a twist on Mary Berry's Christmas Cake recipe), lots of Christmas events for kids and North East Christmas Markets to visit.

I have spent time creating what I believe is the perfect Christmas Eve box. I usually put it together throughout the beginning of December and send it to the North Pole ready for our elf to deliver on Christmas Eve morning.

We spend most of Christmas Eve at home and I like our house to be filled with fun and laughter and I'm hoping some of the items in our box will help us with this.

A Bespoke and Personalised Christmas Eve Box

I just love these personalised Christmas Eve Boxes from GettingPersonal.co.uk. I have ordered the same design for each of my children and couldn't be happier.

The quality is fantastic and I can see them lasting a long time. I just wish I had bought something like this sooner! Boxes are available in two designs - the 'Special Delivery' option that I have ordered or Sleigh Mail Delivery. Priced at a very reasonable £18.99.

Please note - these boxes are not really big enough to include PJs but will fit a book, sweets and a few bits and bobs inside no problem. 

What to put inside your Christmas Eve Box - A few ideas

• The Polar Express DVD 
• Home Alone DVD
• Christmas Sticker Book 
• Reindeer Food
• Reindeer Hot Chocolate Cones 
• Hot chocolate sachets
• A Christmas Bath Bomb (I like the range from Lush)
• Christmas PJs 
• The Midnight Gang book by David Walliams 
• The Christmasaurus book by Tom Fletcher 
• Colouring pencils
• Christmas Sticker Book 
• Nativity DVD
• Santa cookie cutters
• Gingerbread House Kit 
• Chocolate coins
• Christmas cracker 
• A Christmas craft kit 
• Christmas socks 

Check out these posts for more inspiration:

• 24 Christmas movies to watch in December
• 50 Ideas for your child's Christmas book basket

I usually pick things up to add to our box as I'm out and about shopping or at home online if I'm short of time (or bored and fancy a bit of a browse).

Click the links below to browse & shop for items to include in your Christmas Eve Box online:

• Personalised gifts from The Studio 
• Trinkets, accessories and collectibles from Claires 
• Personalised chocolate and gifts from Cadburys
• Christmas PJs from M&S
• Stationery from Paperchase 
• Christmas PJs and Socks from Boden
• 3 for 2 at Boots.com 
• Poundland
• The Entertainer
• Books & Crafts from The Works
• Crafts, gifts and Cards from The Card Factory
• Home Bargains
• B&M Bargains

The boxes are an investment but once you have them, they can be used year after year and you really don't have to spend a fortune to fill them. I think my children will still receive Christmas Eve boxes for as long as they live at home - even when they are adults. 

My children will be receiving their Christmas Eve boxes in the morning this year (Elf on the Shelf - take note) as I want them to enjoy the contents throughout the day. 

I am so excited to see their faces and to spend the day watching movies, baking cookies for Father Christmas, reading and enjoying a few Christmas crafts together. Our elf will then visit one last time to deliver new Christmas PJs at bedtime.

Do you live in North East England and love Christmas? Why not join our dedicated Christmas group on Facebook here? We love a bit of Christmas chat!  

Let me know if you'll be making a Christmas Eve box this year and what you're putting inside. 

Pin Me For Later