And just like that, Christmas is here! Our tree is And just like that, Christmas is here! Our tree is up, the Santa hats are out and the first doors on our advent calendars are open.

I love this time of year. It is my favourite. And it’s one of the few times still full of magic even as an adult. I’m going to be soaking up every minute of joy the next few weeks bring and I hope December is full of moments of joy for you too.

Happy December! 🎄
AD | Christmas has arrived at @thelexiconbracknell AD | Christmas has arrived at @thelexiconbracknell and there’s so much to entertain the whole family whilst you do your Christmas shopping! 

Visit The Lexicon Glow Room for a magical light experience that will dazzle you with 20,000 LEDs. It feels like the room goes on forever! Then, take a dip in the Light Pool, a magical ball pool with golden balls to be found and prizes to be won!

If that wasn’t all, have a photo in the giant Christmas bauble ‘sparkling selfie station’ and follow the Twinkle Trail, spotting baubles in shop windows to collect the clues and enter to win fabulous prizes this Christmas. Plus, share your sparkling selfie station pictures, tagging #thelexiconbracknell or email them to marketing@thelexiconbracknell.com and you will automatically be entered in a competition for the chance to win a restaurant gift card too. 

There are also special performances from local choirs, bands and singers and even the chance to meet Bluey, Hey Duggee and Chase from Paw Patrol! You can be sure that a trip to The Lexicon will have something for everyone over the festive season this year. We loved our visit to The Lexicon last weekend and know we’ll be back again before Christmas!

Find out more on @thelexiconbracknell website.

#TheLexiconBracknell #Merry&Bright
AD - Press Trip | What a lovely evening that was! AD - Press Trip | What a lovely evening that was! We had our first Glow Marwell experience tonight - and we loved it. It may even be the best light trail we have been to.

We spent well over two hours at @marwellzoo, enjoying the light installations, indulging in the food stalls and cafe, toasting marshmallows and even meeting Father Christmas! 

Glow Marwell was such a nice way to kick off the festive season - and it’s on all the way through December! If you’re looking for a really nice festive activity the whole family can enjoy, this could definitely be it!
AD | Are you looking for gifts for the grandparent AD | Are you looking for gifts for the grandparents this year? @famileo_uk is a wonderful gift, giving the recipient a personalised gazette of family news regularly throughout the year - and it costs from just £5.99 a month. 

Multiple family members can use the same subscription, all posting messages to be added to one gazette - and sharing the cost of the subscription too! It’s great for parents, siblings and children to all share their news with grandparents each week, fortnight or month. 

We’ve been sending my dad Family gazettes for a while now and he absolutely loves them. It means we tell him all the little things that are happening and not just the big news you remember to mention in phone calls. The children get to upload their own messages to their grandad and it’s definitely made them feel closer, building a stronger relationship despite living far apart.

Find out more about Family over on the blog - link in bio - and buy a subscription for your nearest and dearest this Christmas. It’s a gift they will definitely love to receive.
Two weeks of Fred & George! I won’t be doing the Two weeks of Fred & George! I won’t be doing these updates every week but I like having somewhere to put all these photos!

They’re now three months old, super loving and happy, making biscuits and purring constantly.

They stay in ‘their’ room overnight but explore the house during the day, getting more confident as time passes. They even got to the point of relaxing on the sofa with us last night.

Fred & George are now very much part of our family and I can’t imagine them not being there now - even at 7am when they’re miaowing at the door for breakfast!
AD | Stuck for screen-free entertainment that your AD | Stuck for screen-free entertainment that your kids will love? Claim your FREE Banjo Robinson activity pack today!
 
Reading for pleasure is a key indicator of a child’s future success, but if your child doesn’t love to read, what can you do? We know it’s not always easy keeping kids entertained and away from screens, so we’ve partnered with the award-winning @banjorobinson to gift you a FREE activity pack, worth £9.99.

Here’s a little look at the Banjo Robinson subscription - Troy loves it! Travelling to world with Banjo is so much fun! You can read our full review over on the blog and claim your free activity pack too - link in profile.
A whole week of Fred & George. We weren’t meant A whole week of Fred & George.

We weren’t meant to get more cats just yet but sometimes the universe sends you things when you don’t expect them.

These little guys needed a home and a family to love them. And we had a home and a lot of love to give. We still miss Leia but this pair are definitely helping make me feel whole again.

They are both used to us now, and love us. They’re less nervous, give us cuddles and let us pick them up. They’re still living in our spare room but starting to explore the rest of the house under supervision. 

They play fight constant. Love toys, especially a crinkly feather thing on a string attached to a stick, and love being up high. They are an awesome pair and we are so glad to have them.

Thank you @millbrook_rspca @rspca_official for trusting us with ‘Lonestar and Starfish’. We could not love them more. 

#catsofinstagram #catstagram #catsofig #catsofinsta #catlovers #adoptdontshop #rspcarescuecat #kittensofinstagram #kittens_of_instagram
[AD - Press Trip] I’ve just finished writing abo [AD - Press Trip] I’ve just finished writing about our half term break at @pottersresort and it’s over on the blog if you want to go have a read.

I wanted to put some of my favourite photos on the grid too as the kids did so many fun activities - they had THE best time. 

Giant swing, segways, climbing, archery, laser clays… there was so much to do that we couldn’t fit it all in - we need another trip!
And there ends our October half term - well, apart And there ends our October half term - well, apart from Troy who has a bonus week off!

This half term has been pretty lovely. Troy had his school residential the first weekend and then we had a really lovely few days in Norfolk before heading home and picking up two new members of our family - Fred and George. 11 week old rescue kittens who have pretty much stolen our hearts.

It’s been so nice to have a chunk of quality time with this pair and now I’m looking forward to the Christmas holidays. These two are the best company and I really do live for the school holidays. 

How has your half term been?
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Holidays & Accomodation, Reviews, Travel · September 26, 2023

A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel

At the start of the summer we planned a weekend away in Kent to visit Port Lympne Safari Park, somewhere we hadn’t been since before having the children. When researching hotels I came across the Orida Hotels in Maidstone that cost about the same as a budget hotel but looked so much better.

A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel

Where is the Orida Maidstone Hotel?

The Orida Maidstone Hotel is just north of Maidstone to the north of Kent. It’s situated not far from the M20 making it easily accessible from London and the surrounding counties. With plenty of parking on site – at just £5 per night – it’s a great base for a family weekend away.

A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel

Staying at Orida Hotels Maidstone

When we arrived at the hotel we had a really friendly welcome and out room was ready straight away. We’d booked a Two Queen Bed Guest Room which was great for us as a family, with two big beds, a seating area and a good size bathroom.

A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel
A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel
A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel
A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel

The room came with tea and coffee making facilities, plenty of towels, complimentary toiletries and free wifi. Plus, there was a fridge in the room if you wanted to bring your own drinks along too.

A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel
A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel

Food and drink at Orida Maidstone Hotel

The hotel does have a restaurant on site, as well as a little Starbucks kiosk, but we ventured out to eat during our stay – finding a lovely Chef & Brewer pub just a little further along the main road.

A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel

Our room included breakfast which was a really nice buffet with all the usual cooked options as well as a continental spread. There were meats and cheeses, fruit, yogurt and pastries as well as plenty of bread products.

A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel

The breakfast offering was great but the service at times wasn’t the best. We found parts of the buffet weren’t replenished very quickly and we spent a lot of time waiting for things to be refilled. That said, when we did get our breakfast it was lovely and a great start to the day.

A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel

Orida Maidstone Hotel facilities

As well as the restaurant, bar and main reception lounge area, Orida Maidstone Hotel also has a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and gym that is free for guests to use. We went in the pool twice across our stay and really enjoyed our time there.

A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel

Towels are provided and there are plenty of lockers to use in the changing rooms which also have showers, toilets and spinny things to dry your swimwear in. Really, there was everything you needed to enjoy a nice swim during your break.

A Weekend at the Orida Maidstone Hotel

We spent two nights at the Orida Maidstone Hotel and slept so well both nights. the beds were comfortable, the hotel and area were both nice and quiet and the room was lovely and dark too. It was a great base to explore some of Kent and perfect for a family weekend away.

You can find out more about Orida Maidstone over on their website and we booked through Hotels.com. For reference, the address is: Bearsted Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 5AA

In: Holidays & Accomodation, Reviews, Travel

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Hi everyone! I'm Donna. Mummy. Blogger. Social Media Manager. Traveller. Lover of stars, rainbows and gin. Firm believer that tea and cake can fix most things.

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