Our 'Just for Tots' Break at Butlin's Bognor Regis

30.4.16


A few months ago I got one of the most exciting blogging emails ever - we had been chosen as Butlin's Ambassadors in the vlogger category! So last week we packed up the car (and I mean that literally haha) and headed off to Bognor Regis for a Just For Tots break. I daily vlogged our whole holiday, but wanted to share some pictures too.

Neither Jack or I had any experience of Butlin's. I'll be very honest and say I wasn't sure what to expect. I had visions of dingy rooms, run down buildings and I dread to say it, but I thought it would be... tacky?

But honestly, I take back every thing I ever thought! It was fantastic, and far exceeded our expectations. I'll probably even go as far to say it was one of the best weeks away - even with a trip to the hospital with Parker (he's fine it was just conjunctivitis so he needed to see a doctor).



Accommodation

We stayed at The Wave Hotel, one of the three hotels at the Bognor Regis resort. Despite arriving before check-in we were able to get our room keys before 3pm, and just played in the games room until our room was ready. The hotel was modern, beautifully decorated (the theming was fab) and so bright and airy. Our room absolutely blew us away too - there's a full room tour on my YouTube Channel, including our first reactions.

We stayed in a Wave apartment - a two bedroom suite with a wrap around balcony that gave you a view of the whole resort and the sea. The kitchen had all the amenities you could ever need, including a dishwasher (a luxury for us!), kettle and toaster. There was also a little welcome package that included washing up and dishwasher supplies. There were also tea and coffee supplies that were replenished everyday.

All the rooms had TVs with built in DVD players, there was Wi-Fi throughout the whole hotel (although this never worked on our phones it was very fast on our laptops), and even a little wash bag full of goodies in the bathroom! It was a lovely home-from-home; amazing to relax in during the day, and especially nice to wake up to the gorgeous sea view. I will also say the housekeeping team were AMAZING. Always so friendly, polite and very good at their job. They went above and beyond and even loaded our dishwasher for us (including Parker's bottles), something we did not expect at all.






Food

The food was something else I worried about. A lot of places only offer chicken nuggets and chips for kids and don't even think about babies at all, but Butlin's have it right! We were on the Premium dining package, so got breakfast and dinner included in our break - as well as unlimited soft and hot drinks with each meal. 

Our restaurant was called The Deck and served buffet style breakfast and lunch. It's not your average buffet restaurant though, as there's also 'live' stations where you can get made to order burgers and pastas at dinner and omelettes or bacon triple layer sandwiches at breakfast. There are starter and pudding sections, and LOTS of fruit - a big tick with us.

Kid's have their own section, where the counter is lower to the ground so they could serve themselves. Of course they had the usual chips and chicken nuggets, but they also had more unusual dishes, and they can obviously eat from the adult buffet too. Plastic plates were provided, and every highchair had a bib, plastic cutlery and napkin in when you arrived at your table!

Babies had their own room which provided jars and pouches by Heinz and Ella's Kitchen, as well as a microwave and bottle warmer. Although Parker doesn't eat jars both kids loved the fruit pouches! Both kids loved the food and ate so well all week. The staff were also fantastic and one even told Jack of for tidying up Parker's mess!

As part of our dining package we had the option to dine at a number of other restaurants on site. We just spoke to reception and they provided us with vouchers towards our meal - £15 per adult and £3.95 for Indiana (Parker as a baby didn't receive anything). We thought this was fantastic as it gave us some variety, as eating buffet style all week could have got boring. We tried out Papa John's which was lovely, and the vouchers covered all four of us eating, including drinks with loads to spare!



Activities / Entertainment

We stayed Monday to Friday and still don't think we covered everything we wanted to! There is literally SO much to do, there is absolutely no need to leave; although the beach is right on the door step if you want to. Everyday there are shows in the Skyline Pavilion - featuring characters such as Thomas The Tank Engine, Mike The Knight and Bob The Builder. We didn't actually watch many of these as Indie doesn't really know the characters. The ones we did catch she loved though (the magic show featuring the Skyline Gang was a favourite), although for me they were WAY too loud, and I find it odd that the floor where children sit to watch is hard concrete, a carpet would be nice!

We also watched a couple of shows on the Centre Stage - Buffalo Billy, Treasure Island (with Sid and Rebecca from CBeebies) and Aladdin Rocks. Every one was fantastic and well put together. Jack and I laughed so much at Aladdin (it was definitely made for the adults that one), and we all danced and joined in. Indie even got to meet Sid and Rebecca which made her day! Of course they didn't let you take your own pictures so we bought it. £10 for one photo I do think is very pricey, especially as the quality isn't fantastic, but it was a memory we definitely wanted to remember.

The Skyline Pavilion was also home to arcade games and penny machines, an older games area where you could play bowling or watch sports, a number of shops and places to eat, a huge soft play (and a dedicated one for babies), the toddler fairground rides, face painting, and one of our favourite places the Usborne Cosy Book Corner - a comfy spot full of books and bean bags! We spent a lot of time here, and although busy it never felt too crowded.


As well as the shows there are activity sessions held every day in the 'Beach Hut' (located just outside the Pavilion near the shops). We missed the Play-Doh one and the music and movement class but did make it to the craft activity! Indiana had loads of fun making her funky fish and was extra excited when the Redcoats added a stick and tissue paper tails. All of these sessions are completely free and run at different times throughout the day.

This area was also home to a range of shops, a theatre (this is an extra charge), restaurants, a Spar and Billy's play park. There are also plenty of seating areas dotted around if you need a rest! Butlin's have also made the resort a smoke free area (a HUGE positive for us), there are of course smoking areas, but it felt so good to wander round without having to worry about the kids and smoke.

Just around the corner was the Funfair. Unfortunately Indiana was still a bit too short for most of the rides, but it was still fun to explore. She did manage to go on the helter skelter one day, although was refused the next day. She loved the carousel too, and we all loved playing the fairground games!





The fun didn't stop there though! There's mini golf (extra charge), a sports ground where the little ones can learn football, climbing walls and the Little Tikes Town. Even Parker got to have fun on the Little Tikes toys - a range of cars, scooters, houses and more. We didn't spend as much time there as we would have liked, there's just so much to do it's hard to fit it all into a mid-week break.

Even when there wasn't a show there was always a little something to amuse the kids. I spotted the 'Emergency Entertainment' team a few times who were great! They came and played games with the kids and talked to you when you queued for the Centre Stage. Indiana especially loved the pirate that did some magic with her while waiting for Treasure Island.

We visited Splash Waterworld a couple of times on our trip too. I was expecting a little pool with a couple of slides, but it's absolutely huge! They had special tots sessions in the morning (the wave machine is off and they hold swimming lessons), and it was always quite busy in there. Indiana loved it though and was up and down the slides with so much confidence by the end.

They had lots of toys and floats that you can play with free of charge and a number of slides. Jack and I both noticed larger slides but these appeared closed throughout out holiday. The viewing area was not so great! It was hotter than a sauna up there and I had to basically strip Parker down to nothing to stop him over heating. I understand the pool is heated, but I'm not sure why it had to be so hot in the viewing area.












There is so much more I could write about Butlin's but I think our vlogs captured it all - and this post would be far too long if I did haha. We had the most amazing week, and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to visit. If you are sceptical about visiting Butlin's like we were at first, my biggest advice would be to just go for it. And if you have little ones then the Just for Tots breaks are absolutely fantastic!

Disclosure - We are Butlin's Ambassadors so received this holiday and dining package in exchange for an honest and open review. All opinions are honest and my own. 

Lascal Maxi Buggy Board | Review

25.4.16


Indiana is coming up to 2.5 now and recently has really enjoyed walking when we go out. When Parker was born we opted for a double pushchair - with a 20 month age gap, me walking lots as I don't drive and Indie just being a bit lazy, it was the best choice.

We realised though we were using the second seat less and less, and most of the time didn't bring it at all. Indiana still can't walk too far though, and as we didn't take the second seat Jack ended up carrying her a lot. We needed an alternative - somewhere for her to rest when she was tired, but not be on the buggy all the time. 

The Buggy Board by Lascal ticked every box, so we've been testing it out over the last few weeks! We opted for the 'Maxi' version as it's to fit onto our iCandy Peach 3, and we felt the larger board would be better for Indie who is still quite young. They do have a 'Mini' version which is better suited to umbrella style or smaller pushchairs.




The website has a HUGE list of prams and pushchairs (including doubles!) that the board fits. It's designed to fit 99% of buggies, and even if you don't find yours on the list it'll most like fit (just pick the closest one to yours) - I would check with your pushchairs brand just in case though. There are videos and full fitting instructions on there too which I found really handy when it came to fitting the board!

The fitting I did find a little fiddly and took me some time. There instructions aren't too clear, and I found that I had to change things around a few times to get it to work. Once I worked it out though it was SO simple, and I couldn't believe I found it tricky.

Now the connectors are on it's so simple to use. Simply click the board into the connectors and you're away! I love that the board can be hooked up when not in use too, as it means that Indiana can't just jump on when she feels like it, but the board is there when she needs it.




When walking I never feel as if the board is in my way, it's small enough that I don't kick it, and it's just as if it wasn't there. I do have to have the handle higher to make room for Indie, (which is luckily so simple to do with our pushchair), but I've got used to it now. Indiana also absolutely loves that she can interact and be so close to her brother, a feeling definitely mutual with Parker.

The board can be used when the seat is up, reclined, with a carrycot or even if we wanted to use the pushchair as a double again (amazing!). Of course it does make the pushchair harder to push but the ride is smooth and comfortable for Indiana. And honestly it feels like a breeze to push compared to pushing a double pushchair!

The board does makes turning slightly harder, and be careful when going up and down curbs - I usually tell Indiana to get off for these. Also be wary of going backwards with the board attached. We've found the wheels spin and then lock - stopping the buggy from moving at all! Again this is fixed by Indie getting off, but it caused a few problems when coming out of lifts.

Overall though we have been loving our Buggy Board. Of course we'll still use the double for long days out, but for day-to-day use and quick trips out, it's making our lives so much easier! Indiana loves going on 'her scooter' as she calls it, and I have a feeling the only problem we're going to have is getting Indiana off of it haha. The Maxi board currently retails at £65 and can be purchased from Amazon and many other retailers.


We were sent the Buggy Board for the purpose of this review, however all opinions are honest and my own. Some links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage if you purchase through this link. 

Potty Training at 2 Years Old | Tips & Tricks

18.4.16

When I first started thinking about potty training I was filled with absolute dread. It seemed scary, daunting and honestly it was something I kind of wanted to avoid! Obviously I couldn't do that, and in early March, just after she turned 27 months (2 years 3 months) Indiana's potty training journey began.

Now, just over a month later, I can say that Indiana is fully potty trained in the day - obviously she still wears nappies at nap time and bed time, but that's a whole new journey we'll tackle later on. Looking back it only really took her around a week (probably less) to crack it, and it wasn't the scary task I first thought!



She tells us when she needs to go. The potty lasted about 2/3 days until she shunned it and went straight to the toilet. She's really good at holding her bladder too, although obviously it's still the size of a pea haha.

I thought I'd share some of our top tips (mostly provided by Jack), as I found other people's blog posts about the subject really helpful. Obviously these are just my personal opinion, and Indie's my first potty training experience (although Jack sees potty training kids everyday at work), and I just know Parker's going to be completely different haha.
  1. The most important thing of all. Wait until your child is ready! Honestly if you try to potty train before it will take much longer, and be harder for both you and your child. We listened to Indie and watched for the signs, to definitely know she was ready.
  2. Be prepared! Make sure you have a potty close by (more than one if you feel you need one upstairs / downstairs / on the go). Stock up on knickers/pants. If you're going to use them get some pull ups.
  3. Praise the good and don't focus on the bad. We used chocolate buttons as a 'prize' every time she did a wee/poop on the potty or toilet. This obviously is just how we did it, and I know a lot of people use sticker charts instead. We didn't focus on accidents either. Of course we told her it's not what you do, but we didn't make a big song and dance about it - it happened, we mentioned it, tidied up and moved on!
  4. Go straight to knickers or pants! Honestly there's no point taking them out of a nappy and putting them into a pull-up, they simply won't learn. Of course we used them for trips in the car, or if we had to walk long distances. But once home or where we were going we whipped it off and she was back in knickers!
  5. Don't forget the socks!! You'll of course need spare clothes incase there are any accidents, but this isn't just knickers and bottoms - remember their socks will most likely get wet too!

In my next potty training post I'll talk about the products we used and loved. Let me know if you have anything you'd like me to cover!

The Siblings Project | April

15.4.16

After last month's worry with Indiana's behaviour towards Parker, things have really improved this month! She's been extra loving and always wanting to play with him. The second I go in to get them up in the morning, she wants Parker to snuggle in her bed with her, and is always very concerned if they don't go for their afternoon nap at the same time!

Unfortunately Parker's at that 'I'm just going to destroy every game / toy you're playing with' stage. Indie's then still in the 'I'm not sharing' stage (does that ever end?! haha), so that's probably the only time these two fall out. It doesn't last long though, as Parker's usually off onto the next toy soon enough!



We've had so many lovely days out and adventures this month! I love nothing more than watching these two play and giggle together. They had their first joint trolley ride together (above), which although didn't last long, fascinated Parker!

Everything Indiana does seems to capture his attention these days. She just has to talk to him and he gives her his biggest cheesy grin! He's even started clapping when she talks to him too, so clearly he likes what he's hearing haha.





The Me and Mine Project

Parker's 8 Month Update

6.4.16


Wow, 8 months! Where did the time go beautiful boy? Every month I read Indiana's updates from the same month. Not to compare but just to see how she was, as honestly I have completely forgotten. Every month I'm then blown away how similar they are with their milestones and development. They are SO similar it's a bit scary!

Parker is the chunkier of the two though. At 31 weeks he weighed 18lbs 3oz - so goodness knows how much he is now. He fits nicely in 6-9 month clothing, although some bits are 9-12 (Primark and Zara always seem to come up small). He's in size 4 nappies during the day and size 5s at night as he seemed to be leaking; thankfully that's stopped though.


This month has been huge for Parker. He's changed SO much and really is a different little boy to the one we saw a few months ago. It may sound silly, but he's just so happy now. He doesn't wake up crying, but will happily play in his cot shouting 'da da da da' until we go get him. He will actually sit and play and keep himself amused instead of crying to be picked up after a few minutes. And the biggest change of all is that he is finally sleeping!!

We both decided some of these changes were because of his eating. We have been doing baby led weaning for a few months now, but it was only a few weeks ago he properly started swallowing, and now he just doesn't stop! He eats as much and sometimes even more than Indiana, and is very vocal that he loves his food haha.


Our routine has been refined now he's eating and sleeping so well. He's up around 7am and has 8oz of milk, followed by breakfast around 7.30/8. He has a morning nap anytime between 9 and 10am which is usually an hour. Lunch is at 12/12.30 and I usually try and get him to have an afternoon nap around 1ish with Indiana (double nap days are my favourite days haha), which can be anything between 1 and 2 hours. He then has another 8oz between 2 and 3pm and dinner is 5.30pm. He's then in bed at 7pm after another 8oz bottle (although this is a very hit and miss bottle). We are still dream feeding him at 10pm, but I'm not sure if he needs this out of habit, or whether it's still one he really needs! He then sleeps through until morning - sometimes waking for his dummy.

Milestones this month include learning to pull himself up, climbing, getting up on his knees (hopefully we'll have proper crawling soon!), putting in his own dummy (that's a good one for during the night haha), and waving! He gives slobbery 'kisses', sleeps on his tummy mostly instead of his back and absolutely loves playing and giggling with his big sister.


I'm so happy I get to stay at home with my two now. I was back at work at this age with Indiana, so it's going to be amazing to never miss a moment with Parker! 

Things Only Parents Would Say!

2.4.16


Do you ever say something and then think to yourself "that's something I'd never thought I'd say!"? I think since becoming a mum I have this happen at least once a day, and even more now I've got two little monkeys. I even find myself saying these things in public and not feeling embarrassed one bit.

It definitely seems like it's not only me though! I asked my lovely Facebook followers if they feel the same and wanted to share. Here are just some of their examples:

"Please stop hitting your brother over the head with a cabbage!"

"Which one of you has pooed?!"

"I'm going to the toilet, are you coming?"

"No, we don't eat the cats tail!"

"Stop licking the TV/mirror/window/door/daddy/mummy"

'Please don't lick the bottom of your shoes!!'

"No we don't pick up poo"

"Stop drinking bath water"

"No don't rub your soup in your hair!"

'Darling it would be much better if you didn't eat the fluff off the floor'

"Don't pull your brothers wink!"

"Are you telling a fibaroonie?"

"Do you need a wee?!" - which is then repeated every 2 seconds!

"Why are you licking the sofa?"

"Please don't hit your sister with Peppa Pig!"

I loved reading all of your comments and was giggling for ages, so thank you to everyone who helped out! Do you have any you would add to this list? Tweet me yours with the hashtag #parentphrases and I'll share them!