CARFEST - THE BEST FAMILY FESTIVAL IN THE UK?!

 We love taking our kids to festivals and we usually try and book one in every Summer. Over the years, our favourites have been Camp Bestival, Gone Wild and Lamer Tree Festival but this year we wanted to try something different. 

Step forward...Carfest! Billed as the UK's biggest family fundraising festival, Carfest successfully blends motor shows with live music and entertainment for the whole family. It was founded by radio DJ Chris Evans and has raised millions of pounds for children's charities. It ticked all our boxes - lots of fast cars for Elliot to see, a huge kids area for Erin, plenty of yummy food and drink for my husband and an amazing line up of live music for me. We were excited to experience it all! 

Day 1 - Saturday

We had weekend tickets but decided to stay in a local hotel rather than camp. It just meant having to take way less stuff and who doesn't love a comfy bed after a busy day at a festival! We left bright and early from Poole and arrived at the festival site around 9am. We found it nice and straightforward to find the carpark and it was well sign posted from the main roads into Overton. Unlike Camp Bestival, the walk from the carpark wasn't too bad and it probably only took us around 10-15 minutes. 

We were soon picking up our weekend wristbands and deciding where to explore first. The festival is split into different areas including Starfest, Spafest, Adventurefest, Kidsfest, Foodfest, Retrofest and then of course the card and music! 

Our first port of call was the Costa area - Costa are one of Carfest's sponsors and we had heard great things about the giveaways! Paul was happy - coffee for him whilst the kids tried their luck on the digital spin the wheel. We didn't win the Nintendo switch but we did come away with bubbles, lots of coffee, brownies, biscuits and even a really nice travel mug. I'd definitely recommend visiting this bit with kids! 

One thing about the music/stage area at Carfest that we quickly realised was people pitch up in the morning with their chairs/wagons/flags etc and just leave their stuff for the day. This seemed to be a bit of a contentious subject on the Carfest Buddies FB group but for us, it made sense to leave our festival wagon. It gave us a central base to return to throughout the day if we needed to and saved lugging everything around! It also meant we were guaranteed a good spot for the evening music. 

We spent the next few hours exploring the cars and there was so much to see. We caught some fantastic displays and the roar of the engines and being up close to the race track was something else! Elliot is car mad so he was in his element. We even bumped into Richard Hammond at the Smallest Cog workshop which was exciting although Elliot got confused and thought it was Ricky Gervais 😁

Richard Hammond - The Smallest Cog Workshop

When we're at a festival we don't like to be too strict about timings and prefer to explore and see what we stumble upon but one of our must sees was kids favourite Andy and The Odd Socks in the Kidsfest area. We've been fans of Andy's since Elliot was a toddler and it's always great to see his band and their live show. And of course we had to get some selfies after the show 😎 

Andy and The Odd Socks - Carfest

The Kidsfest area was home to Pudsey's Spot and there were lots of chances to meet some familiar faces there over the weekend. We met Bluey and Bingo and I'm not sure who was more excited, me or Erin!

The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the food festival area and there was something for every taste bud at the Farmers Market. Packed full of stalls selling everything from gourmet brownies to spicy sauces, we managed to pick up lots of yummy treats including some amazing scotch eggs. We also caught a few demos by Candice and Bryony from GBBO which was really interesting. There seemed to be a lot going on in this area such as foodie workshops, book signings, chef talks, cocktail making - even a pop up pub with live music. We could have spent lots more time here and feel like we only scratched the surface but there was so much more to see...

We spent some time checking out the cars - there are regular track shows through out the day and it's nice and easy to find a good viewing spot along the side. Even for a non car-fanatic like me, it was exciting seeing some gorgeous cars up close and the kids loved the theatrics of the skids and hand brake 360s! There are lots of car brands at the festival and many opportunies to pick up freebies...which, lets face it, who doesn't love a freebie. The kids were buzzing to win hats, air freshners, tote bags, mints and even a few pens along the way. 

Soon it was time to head back to the main stage for the evenings musical entertainment. There are plenty of food stalls near the stage for when you get hungry and although it was busy, we never really had to spend long queueing. Prices were quite steep however (think it was almost £30 for two lots of burger and chips) but it's a festival and you do expect this. We shared a couple of meals between us, plus I took lots of snacks to keep the kids happy. I did get talked into a very expensive milkshake though! 

The music for the evening was brilliant, kicking off with the Bootleg Beatles. I loved hearing the crowd singalong to Hey Jude! The star of the evening for us though was undoubtedly Rick Astley. Never realised just how talented he is - he doesn't just sing but plays a multitude of instruments. Elliot really likes his songs so he was so excited to see him live and Rick didn't disappoint! It was such a great atmosphere with the lit up funfair behind us, and families of all ages singing along. 

We headed back to the car after a long day of festival fun but couldn't wait to do it all again in the morning. 

Day 2 - Sunday

After a quick charge of the car and a Mcdonalds brekkie at nearby services, we were heading back to Overton and looking forward to seeing what was in store for the day. We had no set plans but did want to explore the areas that we didn't visit yesterday. 

Our first port of call was to set up our chairs and area in front of the main stage. We then spent a bit of time exploring the Retrofest area. You can find all sorts here, like retro clothing stalls, cars, games and we even stumbled upon some energetic aerobics displays featuring lots of lycra! Some of the highlights of Retrofest included an area set up with old war vehicles and weapons. The kids were allowed to sit in the landrovers and even hold the guns, Elliot was living his best Fortnite life! We also found The Deloreon which was pretty impressive - the owner was so knowledgeable and we loved all the little bits of memorabilia inside such as a hoverboard and hologram photo.

We caught a few car displays and especially loved seeing the Ghostbusters car doing the laps! The track winds throughout the festival so it's not hard to find a spot to watch the live shows. 

We found ourselves in the Adventurefest field and this was probably one of our favourite areas. There was a large scouting section run by Hampshire scouts and the kids made a bee line for the climbing wall - rather than than me! We had a go at archery, and the kids added their Beaver/Scout troop to the Scouting map. 

We were also very fortunate to catch Tim Peake who was chatting to the scouts - Elliot managed to say hello and shake his hand which made his day! My husband was rather envious that he missed him but he did get to watch a Q&A with Tim later on in the afternoon at the Discovery Hub stage. 

Meeting Tim Peake at Carfest

Adventurefest was also home to Bugfest which as the name suggests, was a great place to get up and close to lots of creepy crawlies. This was one of the few paid for activities we did, and I think it was £5 per person to enter the Bugfest tent but the kids loved it and it was money well spent. There was no time limit and they were able to hold a tarantula, millipede, stick insect and many more. 

BugFest

We dipped back into the Kidsfest for a quick bounce on the giant bouncy castle and we made sure to pick up some freebies from the Capri Sun and Pip Organic stalls. We also headed back to the farmers market where we couldn't resist another scotch egg! 

With the afternoon almost over, we decided to spend some time exploring the Motorsport Paddock where Elliot was in his absolute element! It was a chance to get up close to some of his favourite cars and he thoroughly enjoyed spotting lots of Aston Martins. Aside from seeing Rick Astley, I think this was probably his favourite part of the weekend. 

Back at the main stage, we grabbed some food and settled in for the evening. There was a real variety of acts including Alex Horne's Horne section, Ricky Wilson from Kaiser Chiefs, The Feeling and The Village People. Unsure of how many of the original Village People line up were left but it was entertaining nonetheless! (Even if they did take an awful long time to start their performance)

The Village People - Carfest

Texas were the headliner for the Sunday night and I would have loved to have stayed to see their entire set but we decided to call it a night a few songs in with some very tired children in tow. We did  however stumble across a silent disco at the Bp Pulse tent so of course we had to stop and have a little boogie! 

We had such a brilliant weekend at Carfest and there were so many memories made - too many to mention in this blog. Highlights included meeting Tim Peake, dancing to Rick Astley, and hearing the roar of the engines on the track. 

Carfest certainly lived up to it's reputation and I feel like we only scratched the surface of the activities on offer. The kids are already asking if we're going again this year. We might even be brave enough to camp 😃

Ticket are already on sale for Carfest 2024 and can be found here

*Disclaimer - We were gifted weekend tickets for Carfest but all thoughts and opinions are honest and we genuinely had a fantastic time! 

THE BON BON BOYS PICK 'N' MIX DELIVERY - REVIEW

Sometimes emails drop into my inbox and it takes me less than a second to hit that reply button....."Would we like to review a box of pick 'n' mix from a new local company?".....er, yes please!!

Pick 'n' Mix takes me back to my childhood, going into Woolworths and choosing from the vast array of sweets and chocolates. It's just not the same these days, and especially since Covid came along, pick 'n' mix sweets seem to have disappeared.

This is where The Bon Bon Boys come in! Spotting a gap in the market in the middle a pandemic, Kalem and Joe launched their brand new pick 'n' mix delivery service and have been getting rave review ever since. They handpick and test all the sweets themselves...I mean, that's gotta be a tough job?!

We received a "Classic" box (£10.95) -  a 9" pizza box stuffed full of sweeties. The kids eyes nearly popped out of their head when they unwrapped the tissue paper and saw the selection in front of them. It was a mission getting any photos because they were so eager to dive in!!

With over 25 different sweets, there was something for everyone. Featuring classics such as fried eggs, fudge, foam bananas, chocolate mice, fizzy dummies and even a giant worm sitting happily on top!

There was such a good selection, I don't think there was a bad choice in there! Personally I love the chocolate mice and anything fizzy so these were the ones I went for first but the kids loved all the strawberry cables and sour apple belts.

Priced at £10.95, I think the boxes are really reasonably priced and would make perfect gifts for anyone with a sweet tooth. Alongside the 'Classic' one, you can also purchase the 'Vegan' one and 'Retro' one (£11.45). Delivery starts at £3 and you can ship one of these yummy boxes to anywhere in the UK. However if you live in Dorset, you may qualify for free delivery which is brilliant - have a look at the FAQS for more info.

The Bon Bon Boys Pick 'n' Mix boxes get a big thumbs up from us...and the kids are already asking about when our next one is arriving 😄

For more info and to order, have a look at The Bon Bon Boys website where colourful pictures of all the sweets will tempt you into ordering your very own box.....!

"Just one more Mummy!" 

*Disclaimer - We received a complimentary box of sweets in return for an honest review. I think the speed of how fast the sweets disappeared is a testament to how yummy they were!

Getting Creative in the Summer Holidays with Made By Me Craft Parties

I dread rainy days in the Summer Holidays and the inevitable chorus of "I'm boooooooored!" followed by "Can we do some arts and crafts?!" I am #notapinterest mum by any means, my idea of arts and crafts is a bit of play doh or a ready to go craft kit from Hobbycraft!

Fortunately for us, there are people out there who are amazing at arts and crafts and we met one last week - Lexy who runs Made By Me Craft Parties. We were invited along to her Summer Craft Camp and we were excited to do some proper crafting!

When we arrived, the children were set up at the table with a colourful paper bag and asked to decorate it however they liked - there were a variety of different stickers and felt tips and they got to work creating a mini masterpiece. It's worth noting that this particular craft event was for children 6-13 years old however Lexy very kindly let Erin join in too with a bit of assistance from me :)

Once the bags were decorated we moved onto the 3D cardboard letters. Lexy bought out a big box of colourful wool and lots of washi tape. I've never used washi tape before but its a type of colourful masking tape that can be used to decorate pretty much anything and is perfect for children as it's really easy to tear off.

Elliot couldn't wait to get stuck into this activity and he decorated his letter at such speed however he did need a bit of a hand making it neat! Erin just wanted to stick on all the sparkly embellishments so I did the bulk of hers but I found it really relaxing winding the wool round and making it pretty. It was a really fun activity enjoyed by all!

After a quick squash and biscuit break we moved onto the pom pom making. I've actually made pom poms before but by using the old fashioned technique of a cardboard circle. Lexy showed the children how to create pom poms using a speciliast bit of a equipment that made it 100 times easier than the way I know! I was so impressed that I came home and ordered my very own pom pom gadget from eBay - you never know when you're going to need pom poms! :)

The final activity was creating wooden mobiles which I think was Elliot's favourite thing - his eye lit up when Lexy bought out a big box of buttons and he spent ages choosing the ones he wanted for his mobile.

 Lexy had a variety of different beads and buttons for the children to use and Erin really enjoyed theading these onto her wire. Although she's a lot younger than the minimum 6 years, this was an activity that she could really get involved with!

At the end of the hour and a half, the kids were so chuffed with what they had created and I couldn't believe how fast the time had gone. It was great to have Lexy on hand for guidance with the activities and I have to say, she is so patient with the children!

As well as dedicated craft parties, Lexy also runs Dorset based events alongside another lady who has a fantastic biscuit decorating business. Some of the Mini Makes and Bakes events are also suitable for pre-schoolers so I'm definitely going to be looking at attending some of these with Erin

For more details about Lexy's parties and events, you can check out her website or you can find her on Facebook . 

Thank you, Lexy for bringing out the creativity in us! 

*Disclaimer - We were invited along to the event in exchange for an honest review - all words are my own and the smiles are 100% genuine! 

Canvas Prints with Tesco Photo - Review

I love taking photos and I don't go far without my phone or my digital camera. I do try and get a big batch printed a few times year so we have physical copies rather than lots of folders online but I am guilty of putting these away and soon forgetting all about them! 

This year one of my resolutions is to display more of our photos - the children grow so fast and we have so many lovely trips so it seems silly not to document this in our home. 

Tesco Photo contacted me to see if I would like to review a personalised gift or canvas and I immediately opted for canvas based on my resolution! There are some brilliant gift options though so this is something I will bear in mind for next time, you can have photos printed on mugs, phone cases, bags, placemats and coasters, toys and even on engraved gifts. 

Ordering

The Tesco website is really simple to use and the Canvas Prints page features 6 different styles of canvas to choose from. There is the traditional gallery print, plus collage prints, panoramic prints, template prints, word cloud prints and even retro style prints. 

There are 12 different sizes too so you shouldn't have any issues finding one that is suitable for your needs. 

I decided to go for a standard gallery canvas in size 20x16" - I think this is a really great size for displaying those extra special photos. The hardest part was choosing a photo! We have so many lovely ones that would have looked brilliant as a canvas but in the end I decided on something for Elliot. We have a really nice photo of him and his favourite band, Andy and the Odd Socks and I thought it would look fab up in his bedroom! 

Delivery

Some of the canvas prints can be collected directly from instore, but larger ones and ones shipped to home take approximately 8 days. I opted for home delivery and I was pleasantly surprised when the canvas arrived less than a week later. It was well wrapped with an abundance of bubble wrap. 

Thoughts

The canvas was great quality and I am really happy with how it looks. The frame is well made and the colours on the print are sharp and bright. Would I order again and recommend? Yes definitely, the fast delivery was a big plus point and the prices are very comparable. 

For more information on the canvas prints, check out the Tesco Photo Website. 

**Disclaimer - We were offered credit on the Tesco Photo website in return for an honest review of the canvas prints - all views are my own