AD - Press Trip | I had such a great weekend at @p AD - Press Trip | I had such a great weekend at @pottersresortsfivelakes with @slwilson84. It was an action packed three nights with a full activity and entertainment programme, great food, lovely drinks and beautiful surroundings. 

The staff go above and beyond to make everyone feel at home and they ensure that everyone has the best time possible. I don’t think I stopped smiling all weekend.

The best thing about Potters holidays is that everything is included in the price you pay. Four meals a day, all your drinks - including wine, Prosecco, most spirits and soft drinks - great accommodation and so many activities. 

I’ll write a full review soon but for now here’s a little Reel of our weekend
I always have a lot of questions about accommodati I always have a lot of questions about accommodation when we stay anywhere as a family so I thought I’d share this little tour of our room at @windjammerlanding which was a pretty perfect place to stay.

It’s the ‘Ocean View Two Bedroom’ which was like a little house, with an upstairs and downstairs, built into the hillside. Both rooms had outdoor space and their own shower rooms. Such a great option for a family.
A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. We’ve been back a few days now but still miss the heat, the food, the pool, the constant sounds of wildlife and the lovely people. It was such a great holiday and I’m sure we’ll be back one day.
And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is watching her grow and what a wonderful young woman she is becoming. We could not be more proud. Love you Pickle, have a great birthday.
We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in S We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in St Lucia staying at @windjammerlanding and it was just the holiday we needed. Two weeks of sunshine and relaxation in what must be one of the most beautiful islands in the world. 

We can’t wait to go back again in the future. Here’s just a little snippet of our trip.
AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @na AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @national_motor_museum despite the rain! The children loved the Little Beaulieu play area and we loved exploring the National Motor Museum and Top Gear exhibit before having a ride on the monorail! We went on an old open topped bus, explored the Beaulieu Manor House and loved the gardens. 
Beaulieu is always a great day out - whatever the weather. This summer they have a whole ‘Summer of Fun’ planned, with activities most days - parades, bird shows and hundreds of sculptures within the grounds too. If you’re looking for a day out this summer definitely think about heading to Beaulieu.
AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to t AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to their first concert - but it was so much more than just a concert! @abbavoyage is incredible. With CGI ABBA and a live band, it’s like being at an ABBA concert 40 years ago but with modern lighting, effects and sound. ABBA look and sound real, it’s a mind blowing experience.
The set includes all the songs you know and love as well as a few less familiar ones.
You can’t take photos during the show which actually made a refreshing change. A whole arena focused purely on the show and soaking up the moment. It’s definitely something the four of us will always remember.
Now, I’m off to sing Dancing Queen all the way home.
AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdo AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdockyard today. They have a fantastic Ultimate Explorer ticket that lets you visit all the attractions as many times as you like for 12 months - and after a day at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard we can see that you need more than one day to really do everything!

We explored HMS Warrior, HMS Victory and the Mary Rose Exhibition - which is incredible! We also saw where ships are built and restored and spent time in Action Stations where the kids climbed and did an assault course.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is such a fun, educational day out with something for all ages - we can’t wait to go on their harbour tours next time we visit!
AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To cel AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To celebrate #100YearOfARoads National Highways have launched their #ARoadsToSummer competition! It's all about celebrating summer holiday moments, time together, fun in the sun, days out and more.

So why not be in it to win it? To enter, all you have to do is send @nationalhways a DM on here with a photo or video of your favourite holiday moments. You can also comment on their Facebook or Twitter #ARoadsToSummer posts with your holiday photos. I've shared a few of our favourite photos to give you some inspiration.

The best six entries will each win a £500 @nationaltrust holidays voucher! SO what are you waiting for? Dig out your favourite holiday photos or take some new ones to share!

The #ARoadsToSummer competition runs from 24 July to 10 September 2023. Winners will be announced in September 2023.

Good luck!
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Collaborative posts · September 6, 2016

Working Towards a Better Family Life | AD

*This is a paid post

When Dave and I got married we knew we wanted to make the best foundations possible for when we had children, living in an area with low crime rates, good schools and many public amenities nearby. It was at this point that we moved out of London, outside of the M25, and into somewhere a bit greener, to a house that we couldn’t have been able to afford in London, with a big garden and a nice town just a few minutes walk away.

But now, over five years later, I realise that the choice we made, to buy this house, and move to this area, was actually luck rather than a conscious decision. We fell in love with the house and it happened to be a short drive from Dave’s parents. It’s only since having children that I’ve started to appreciate everything that we have on our doorstep.

We’re able to walk to school, to the park, to the doctors and the dentist. I’m even able to walk to work which I know is such a luxury and something I really appreciate. Our basic quality of life is pretty good – we’ve so much available to us, most of which we take for granted.

But when I read the uSwitch Better Family Life Index, I realised that not everyone is so fortunate. It shows how much aspects of family life can vary from one end of the country to the other. It’s hard to think that some parts of the UK still don’t have phone signal, let alone good internet download speeds, with Cornwall having just 13.9% mobile phone coverage!

The Index also covers the more basic aspects of day to day life – from average salaries to the cost of nursery places. Although we don’t pay for childcare, and both Dave and I work, there are times when I would like to have more time with the children, when I would like to cut out some of the stresses of everyday life and where I would like to, simply, save money.

We can’t easily change our annual salary, the cost of childcare or the amount of time we have as a family. But we can make the most of the time we have, the things we have available to us and the budgets we have too.

Batch Cooking

Some days there just isn’t enough time to cook from scratch. Ever since LP was born we have batch cooked and frozen meals to give us quick, balanced family dinners when we’re short of time. They’re great to get out of the freezer in the morning, ready to have for that evening’s meal, often just cooking pasta or potatoes to go with them.

Bath Time

Children don’t get that dirty, and they don’t need a bath every night. Over the last couple of years, we’ve started to save water – as well as some of that bath time stress – by doing bath time every other night instead.

Working Towards a Better Family Life

Grow Your Own

We love to save money over the warmer months and get outside with the children by growing strawberry plants. They don’t need much space and are really quite self sufficient as well as giving the children something to take care of – and harvest when the time comes.

Working Towards a Better Family Life

Days Out

We love to go on big family days out but always take a picnic to save money, and make the day more relaxed too. We know the children will love that picky, snack type food and it saves time finding somewhere to eat when we’re out and about as well.

The School Run

We walk to school as much as possible. The children can scoot or ride a bike which gives them that great sense of independence, they’re so much happier and we all feel better for it. Plus, it saves on petrol – and that school drop off/pick up traffic jam too!

Working Towards a Better Family Life

Holiday Activities

We don’t worry about spending a lot over holidays – the children are happy with a paddling pool in the garden, a trip to the park or flying a kite on the beach. Simple family entertainment doesn’t have to cost a lot and sometimes the simplest things make for the best days.

To find more ways to improve your own quality of life or for more information about the uSwitch Better Family Life Index, visit the uSwitch hub. How do you feel about where you live? Do you think you would consider moving to improve your own family’s quality of life?

In: Collaborative posts

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Comments

  1. Lauta Warner says

    September 6, 2016 at 4:31 pm

    Love your tips! Your photos are so sweet your children always look so happy! Xx

    Reply
  2. Natalie Ray says

    September 6, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    Fabulous tips. I especially need to do more batch cooking, it would definitely save us some time!
    Nat.x

    Reply
  3. Laura - dear bear and beany says

    September 8, 2016 at 10:24 pm

    Great tips! I agree that kids love the simple things in life, a trip to the park and playing in our garden always makes them happy. A picnic is a must for us to. I need to get better at batch cooking x

    Reply

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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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