WIN Tickets To Spectacular Summer Shows At Warwick Castle

This summer, guests can marvel at daily shows to wow all of the family, from epic battles and horseback stunts in Wars of the Roses LIVE to avian aerial acrobatics over the River Avon.

Alongside the 1,100 years of history and exciting activities, this year new displays like The Falconer’s Quest, the UK’s biggest birds of prey show, means there is more than ever to
experience at the Castle.

A Family Weekend Away at Alton Towers

The Mr and I have been to Alton Towers a number of times over the years as we are a pair of thrill seekers and love the adrenalin rush from the large roller coasters there. We were really excited however to be invited for a weekend break, along with the Mini Mes, to check out the Enchanted Village Woodland Lodges and Splash Landings Water Park along with the family friendly rides the Staffordshire theme park has to offer.

Upon checking in at the reception we received all of our VIP passes for the duration of our stay and we were able to view the menus electronically for the various restaurants and make our meal reservations there and then. This enabled us to drop off our bags and explore immediately without worrying about our dinner and breakfast bookings later on - such a great idea as not a second of our escape was wasted.

My Sunday Photo

You can follow me here:

Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest

Linked with:

The WotWots to appear at Lollibop *Giveaway*

The WotWots Zoom into Lollibop Festival

The Big Bash for Little People

The WotWots will zoom into this year’s Lollibop Festival to meet and greet all of their special little fans at various intervals throughout the three day event and we were lucky enough to receive some super soft plush characters to cuddle at home too!

Individually wrapped these make a great gift idea for pre-schoolers although I would quite like one myself too...

The WotWots have come from outer space in their steam-powered spaceship to explore and marvel at the extraordinary diverse life on Earth. In season one of the television series, SpottyWot and DottyWot arrive in the middle of a zoo and in the second season, they land on a farm and meet strange and friendly farm animals as well as travel to the seashore. 

Channel 5's Milkshake will welcome the adorable SpottyWot and DottyWot back for Series 2, narrated by British broadcasting legend Nicholas Parsons OBE, on 19th August which is perfectly timed to follow on from Lollibop for DottyWot and SpottyWot fans!

*** WIN ***

For your chance to win a plush set you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway closes on 26th August 2013.

Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find out more information about Lollibop and purchase tickets here:

http://www.lollibopfestival.co.uk/tickets-and-info

We have some great FREE WotWots printables. If you wish to be sent these via email please send a message to emma@theminimesandme.com with the subject 'The WotWots'.

Family fun - planning for the summer

With the sun finally high in the sky I've been thinking alot about the summer holidays and where is best to go for some family fun days out.

 Here are some of my top attractions to visit with children:

Drayton Manor
With a variety of rides, a zoo, Thomasland and even a Dinosaur Trail, Drayton Manor has something to offer for the entire family. There is a hotel and camp site on the grounds so you don't have to worry about travelling all in one day and with several resturants on site and discounts available online it's definitely worth a visit.



Pennywell Farm
The best interactive farm I've had the pleasure of visiting, Pennywell is great when it comes to hands on fun. Kids (and grown ups) can handle newborn lambs, rabbits, goats and even miniature pigs and learn through play on a wonderful variety of outdoor equipment including trampolines, ride ons and slides. The staff are friendly and informative and there is a lovely gift shop to pick up a souvenir on the way home.



Twinlakes
Bringing the beach to the Midlands with their huge splash zone complete with waterslides, a farm and lots to do and see, Twinlakes is a great and affordable day out. The Gauntlet Falconry Centre has an array of birds of prey and with creepy critters and rides galore you will be thoroughly entertained.



Legoland
With a resort hotel and up to 30% off ticket prices at present, you can book a stay at Legoland and enjoy Miniland, DUPLO Valley and the Kingdom of the Pharoahs at a leisurely pace. There are many rides including ones all of the family can appreciate, a chance to earn a driving license on L-Drivers and the chance to put out a 'fire' at the fire academy too!

If you fancy a longer break away perhaps a peaceful cottage stay would be the perfect getaway. Royal Cottages specialise in UK holidays and I recently came across a great competition on mumsnet run by Regional-Cottages.co.uk to win £350 towards a break too!



What is your favourite family attraction?

 

 

 

*This post is in partnership with regional cottages*

 

Reasons to be happy

My reasons to be happy

The Easter break fast approaches and I can't wait to spend a fortnight with the Mini Mes. Both of their birthdays are during this break so I'm looking forward to celebrating with them being at home rather than school! We have lots planned including a trip to Torquay with friends, a few cinema visits and days out at the zoo.

The school Easter fete is being held today and Minxy has offered to work on her stall, selling ice cream! She is always keen to help others and is very kind in that way which makes me a rather proud mummy. Hopefully we can win some eggs on the raffle while we are there!

We are going to Drayton Manor at the weekend and I'm really looking forward to a day out as a family. I'm hoping the weather improves a little though as it seems bitterly cold out there again but hopefully it will be a nice way to enjoy the Mr's birthday (yep, 3 family birthdays in the space of 14 days eek).

 

What reasons to you have to be cheerful this week?

Saturday Caption

Thankfully for Minxy cockroaches aren't on the menu this week!

 

 

Do you have a funny or witty comment for this picture?

I'd love to hear it!

You can link up your own picture or view more over with the Mammasaurus

Have a great weekend.

Family Fun - Warwick Castle

Exploring, learning and having fun as a family is something we love to do, come rain or shine, so when we saw an opportunity to review Britain's Best Days Out with MoneySupermarket.com we were keen to pack a picnic and head off on an adventure.

Warwick Castle is located in Warwickshire and is easy to reach by road or rail with several car parks to choose from. We arrived at opening, 10am, and I was more than pleased that there were no queues so we managed to get through the turnstiles straight away! 

There is plenty to see and do to spend an entire day at the castle and it's somewhere that is educational, interactive and fun for all of the family. After watching a demonstration on archery, visiting the Birds of Prey Mews and seeing the Sword in the Stone we decided to head inside for a journey back in time and to view some of the beautiful interiors.

First constructed in the 14th Century the Great Hall is the first room we visited and is the largest of them all. It contains a selection of weapons, armour (which includes equestrian) and a cauldron named Guy's Porridge Pot'. The castle has had millions of pounds invested into its restoration over the past decade and it appears in tip top condition with stunning decor and surroundings to view. We also looked at several drawing rooms, the state dining room, chapel and the Queen Anne bedroom which are wonderfully presented with life-like statues and informative description boards - perfect for photo opportunities.

Next we decided to climb the Mound which built in 1068 was used as the Norman defence system for the castle. There are quite a few steps up to the top but there is a hand rail to assist and the walk is definitely worth it for the views of both the castle and across Warwick. When we reached the top it was time for the Mighty Trebuchet demonstration, the largest working siege machine in the world, to take place so we joined in with the count down to see the giant catapult in action. The Mini Mes loved this being fans of Angry Birds!

We visited the beautiful gardens, Mill and Engine House and Pageant Playground next. The Mill and Engine House allowed the Mini Mes to get involved with some science experiments making bangers while the playground set as a mini-fortress has a variety of slides, climbing frames and equipment to play on.

With a Castle Tower where you can enjoy fairy tales and the chance to kiss a frog and a Dragon Tower where you can view the fire and smoke breathing beast, your little prince and princess will be thoroughly entertained. For those over 10 years of age there is the Castle Dungeon which features actors and special effects to bring the 18th Century justice system to life. 

To access some areas and activities there are additional charges so I'd advise taking some cash to enjoy the attraction fully and to prevent your little ones missing out on painting shields and having a go with a bow and arrow themselves.

There are different ticket prices available to suit your budget and requirements though which is a great idea!

MoneySupermarket.com offers days out vouchers  for fun family days out  - Be sure to check them out before your visit as it may save you some ££!

I'm linking this with...

*We received a family pass to Warwick Castle for the purpose of this review. The opinions given are honest and our own*