Jawsome Sharks & Friends - Top Trumps - Weymouth SEA LIFE

We love a day out at Weymouth SEA LIFE Adventure Park and in the half term holiday we headed down to check out the brand new Jawsome Sharks event. Running from 15th February - 26th April, visitors can take on a brand new quest for 2020 by helping Professor Finn find the missing Top Trump cards hidden around the park.

"Guests will learn fun facts along the way about the species of sharks and other amazing creatures that call the aquarium home. This latest activity marks an exciting new partnership with family favourite Top Trumps card games, which many of us know from the endless hours of fun provided as children" 

We are huge fans of Top Trumps and Elliot and Erin were very keen to start on this challenge!

As we headed into the park, we picked up our challenge sheets and pencils from the front desk and excitingly, our first Top Trump card of the day. As part of the quest, children can challenge any member of staff to a quick game of Top Trumps to see if they can win another card. This is a fantastic way of learning about the sea creatures and who doesn't love a fact!

We had a bit of a false start with our Top Trumps as the first member of staff we encountered didn't have any cards on him but this didn't dampen Elliot's enthusiasm as you can see from the pic above :)

We had lots of fun exploring the park zones and looking for the hidden Top Trumps. Some were easy to find but we had a bit of a tricky one which was being hidden by a stingray - he really didn't want us to see the info and we had to wait ages for him to move!

It was also really fun getting to challenge the staff - I think this was Elliot's favourite part of the day and he got some really interesting cards from different staff around the park. The staff are brilliant at Sealife Weymouth and it's something I always notice every time we visit - they are passionate about the park and always so friendly.

Of course we couldn't visit and not spend some time in Caribbean Cove - one of the best playgrounds in Dorset. The kids love it and could easily spend all day here!

Erin's still a bit too young to go on the big climbing frame but there's plenty to keep her occupied and she loved the toddler pirate ship.

The park is going through a bit of an update at the moment and the popular Ocean Tunnel display inside the Turtle Sanctuary is currently being redeveloped into an exciting new experience called Night and Day. This opens in April 2020 and we can't wait to see what they've done!

Once you have found all the Top Trump cards around the park and filled out your sheet, you will receive a special reward to take home...

We had a fab day out at Weymouth SEA LIFE and the kids were really chuffed to come away with a selection of Top Trump cards. I think having the staff there to swap cards with is a great way of getting the kids chatting, especially if they are a little shy.

The Jawsome Sharks and Friends event is now on until 26th April - for more information and tickets, please check out the Weymouth SEA LIFE website .

*Disclaimer: We are Weymouth SEA LIFE Ambassadors and received an annual pass in return for regular reviews, but all thoughts and opinions are my own

Top Tips for Taking Better Photos of your Kids

Before the kids came along, my camera was never far from my side and I loved snapping pictures of my friends on nights out, or stunning scenery on our holidays. These days I still adore taking photos but like most parents, my shots are generally of the children. The nights out have turned into playdates and days out and the holidays are filled with family fun and less cocktails!

Taking photos of children can be tricky because firstly, they don't stay still and secondly, if you have more than one child to photograph, it's a mission in itself getting them both to look at the camera at the same time

Tip#1 - Keep Things Natural

Asking my children to say cheese for the camera can bring out a variety of different smiles, and usually they can look a little forced! I much prefer a less staged shot where it's more likely to be a natural smile. Not like this one....!

"Say cheese!"

Tip#2 - Using the Camera Correctly

Technology has have moved on massively since my first camera and there are so many different options out there. You might prefer something basic like a point and shoot, or you might want to go top of the range with (Professional) Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras  . As with any new tech, it's good to have a play around with the settings and not rely on the automatic function - whilst the automatic setting is convenient, it doesn't guarantee the best photo. If reading the instructions isn't your thing, check out YouTube for how to videos and tips. 

Tip#3 - Get Down to Their Level

It's amazing what a difference this one makes. You can miss so much detail if you're higher than the subject and bringing the camera down to the child's eye level can help you see the world from their eyes. 

Tip#4 - Think About Your Background

My kids love bright outfits and usually wear tshirts adorned with their favourite characters. Combine these bright outfits with a busy background and your photo will just have too much going on to appreciate the subject. Simple backgrounds are the best and this can really make the colours pop! 

It's also worth learning how to take photos with a blurry background with can be really effective. Most phones have a setting that does this and I have taken some of my favourite photos using this function. 

Tip#5 - Lighting

I love experimenting with different light settings and nothing beats natural light! I especially love the golden light as the sun is setting and this can look really pretty in photos.

Tip#6 - Burst Mode

As I mentioned at the start of this post, kids move fast! Most phones and camera have a burst mode, or continuous shooting mode which takes a series of photos in quick succession. I've found this really useful for getting some perfect shots - it does mean you end up with a ton of similar photos but at least these days we have the luxury of digital and can delete the ones we don't need! 

Just a wizard jumping in a puddle! 

What are your top tips for capturing those magical moments? 

*Disclosure - this is a sponsored post

Driving the Golden Circle in Iceland with Kids

If you're planning on visiting Iceland then the Golden Circle will most definitely be on your itinerary. Taking in some of South West Iceland's most stunning natural sights, it's easily accessible as a day trip from Reykjavik.

Whilst I was doing our holiday research I found lots of tour operators running Golden Circle tours but I wondered if these would be suitable for children. Although I liked the idea of having a tour guide, we decided that self driving would suit us more. Elliot and Erin are 6 and 2 and I thought it would be much easier and much less stressful doing things at our own pace!

We hired a car through Blue Car Rental and we used Google Maps on our phones to get around. The Golden Circle is very popular amongst tourists though so you could probably get by with just using signs/maps! We found the internet coverage excellent in Iceland and we were able to use it pretty much everywhere we went.

Thingvillir National Park

Our first stop was Thingvillir (Þingvellir) National Park which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It's the only UNESCO World Heritage site in Iceland and has a past steeped in history. The park is located in a rift valley, created by the movement of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. This makes for some jaw dropping scenery!

There is no entrance fee for the park but if you arrive by car you will have to pay a parking fee of 500 ISK, but this is valid for the entire day and at all parking areas.

There is a large visitor's centre with the usual cafe/shop/exhibits but we skipped this and headed straight for the lookout point. With it being a beautiful sunny morning, we could see for miles and it literally looked like a postcard!

We followed the main path that ran parallel with the cliff and were rewarded with more stunning views. The terrain was perfectly fine for the children however some of the lookout points just had a bar and were not child-friendly at all - Erin stayed on her reins the entire time (much to her disgust!) so we could keep a good grip on her.

There are several carparks dotted around the park so we decided that Paul should go back and get the car and drive onto the next carpark whilst myself and the children followed the path and enjoyed the views. This sounded like a good plan but we didn't realise that the further we got from the visitor's centre, the deeper the snow got on the paths!

We passed lots of people coming down a steep path (and most of them sliding down on their bums!) and my heart sank as it was the only way up to the carpark that Paul was parked in! (Little did I know that he was up top taking photos as you can see from the pic below...)

Can you spot us?!

With a bit of help from some passers-by, a few tears and rather alot of snow we managed to get to the top in one piece..well, maybe not my dignity. That was shattered after I face planted the snow on the clamber up! 

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss was our next stop on the Golden Circle and it was around an hours drive from Thingvillir. This was a good opportunity for the kids to have a bit of a rest after trudging through the snow - Erin was asleep literally minutes into our journey! 

A top tip if you're travelling along this route is to seek out the cheaper food options. Eating out in Iceland is notoriously expensive but a much cheaper option is to go for hotdogs which you can pretty much find everywhere in Iceland. We stopped at a service station (here) and discovered a really good grocery shop and the all important hotdogs!  We were able to have a quick lunch at a fraction of the price of any of the cafes and restaurants at the Golden Circle hot spots. 

Gullfoss is another of the most popular tourist spots in Iceland and this was evident by the amount of cars and buses in the carpark! There is a large gift shop and restaurant on site, and plenty of viewpoints to see the waterfall. 

If you were thinking about taking a buggy, you would only be able to view from the top as there were a number of steps going down to the lower viewpoints. There are rope fences which weren't really enough to contain a lively toddler so definitely keep little kids on reins if possible! 

The waterfall is impressive, and the roar of the water as we climbed down the steps was deafening! On sunny days you can spot rainbows above the waterfall like we did - although don't let the sunshine in our photos fool you. It was COLD! 

Geysir and Strokkur 

Next on our Golden Circle itinerary was Geysir, home to the famous erupting geysers - chance is if you've ever googled Iceland, you'll have seen a picture of the the water erupting out of the ground! 

Geysir is the original geyser but this one doesn't erupt as much these days. Strokkur however, goes off every 5-10 minutes so you will never have to wait long to see an eruption. The water is blasted to around 30 metres high! I found it so fascinating - it was brilliant to see it afar like in the photo above but once we got up close we could actually see the water bubbling in the ground. It would bubble into a dome and then kind of get sucked in and then at that point you knew the eruption would be any second! 

The kids thought it was brilliant and we spent ages wandering around looking at all the smaller geysers and waiting for the big one to erupt. It did take us by surprise at first though - we thought we'd found a really good vantage point to watch it erupt. Little did we know that the reason no one was stood there was that it was in the splash zone! Poor Erin looked like she'd been in the shower but they thought it was hilarious!

The pathways are mostly paved and definitely suitable for buggies although we left ours in the car and just had the reins. With steaming vents, hot springs and boiling mud pits you definitely need to keep an eye on little ones - there are roped fences but it would be easy for a child to slip under these.

On site opposite the main geothermal area there is a large gift shop, cafe, restaurant and hotel. We stopped for a hot chocolate and ice-cream and it was nice to escape the cold for a bit!

It's free to see the geysers and there is a large carpark but it does get VERY busy. Most bus tours seem to come and go pretty quickly but we actually spent a few hours here and it did get much quieter towards late afternoon. I'd probably say this was our highlight of the Golden Circle!

Kerið Volcanic Crater Lake

Kerið is a 3,000 year old volcanic crater lake located along the Golden Circle route. It doesn't really look much from the road but as you climb nearer the rim, you can look down and see the spectacular colours. The water is usually bright blue although it was iced over when we visited. However we could clearly see the red volcanic rocks of the crater wall beneath the ice and snow. The crater is 270m long, 170m wide and 55m deep and is very impressive! 

There are two options for a walk - you can take the steps down to the bottom of the crater or you can walk up and around the crater rim. We chose to walk around the crater rim - it was quite uneven in places and a little muddy/icy but Erin was on her reins and we managed it with no issues. There are no fences and you are up quite high so I didn't let go of her hand! The views are worth it though and it felt like we were walking on top of the world!

Elliot and Paul took the steps down the bottom of the lake whilst Erin and I headed back to the car to warm up. It looked pretty slippery so I'm glad we left them to it!

Northern Lights

We decided as we were out in the car we may as well try and get a glimpse of the elusive Northern Lights. We had a bit of time before it got dark so we took a slow drive back to Reykjavik, taking in the impressive scenery. Iceland is so beautiful and it was even more special to see if at dusk when the sun was setting. 

The kids fell asleep in the back of the car so we parked up at a quiet spot with little light pollution. As the sky fell darker and darker, we excitedly kept our eyes peeled for any activity.

We did spot some unusual light - it seemed to get brighter and wispy but it came and went within around 20 minutes. It wasn't until I looked more closely at the photo once I got home that I spotted the green tinge!

Our Golden Circle day was mega long and we didn't get back to our apartment until gone 10pm but having our own transport made it so much easier with the kids. It meant we could take our time and not be on someone else's schedule.

We all had a brilliant time and the kids really enjoyed the day - they certainly slept well that night!

WIN 1 of 50 BAILEY'S CHOCOLATE TWISTS

What says Christmas more than Baileys and Chocolate?! If you'd like the chance to win a box of these yummy Bailey's Chocolate Twists, head over to Wow Free Stuff and follow the simple instructions.

There are 50 boxes up for grabs and the giveaway finishes on the 21st December 2019. All terms and conditions can be found on the Wow Free Stuff's website.

*Disclaimer : This post is in collaboration with Wow Free Stuff. 

Bunch O Balloons Party Range - Review

Elliot has recently celebrated his 7th birthday and this year he decided he wanted a party for his friends. I love organising parties but I do have to make sure I'm super organised not to forget any of the smaller details!

We recently got the chance to review a party bundle from Zuru Bunch O Balloons and this was a fantastic help with my party preparation.

Inside the party box we received the following:

• Zuru Bunch O Balloons Self Sealing Party Balloons and pump
• Refill Balloon Pack (blue/yellow/red)
• ROBO Alive Dino
• 12 x Smashers Dino

Bunch O Balloons Self Sealing Party Balloons and Pump

I don't think you can have a children's party without balloons so I was excited to see how I could inflate 40 balloons in 40 seconds. I hate blowing up balloons but I hate tying knots in them even more so the fact the Bunch O Balloons were self sealing was a revelation!

The pump couldn't be more simple to use - there are three different slots and you rotate to top to match the amount of balloons you are inflating. Simply attach the balloons, switch it on and that's it - 40 seconds later you will have perfectly sized balloons on ribbon. The self-sealing part is fantastic and such a time saver! 

The pump can also be used with helium which would be really useful if you wanted floating balloons for a special occasion. The balloons are lovely and bright and a decent size. They also didn't seem to pop as easily as some of the cheaper balloons I've purchased in the past. 

I cannot stress how useful this gadget is for parties! The fact the balloons are inflated, knotted and on ribbon in 40 seconds is just incredible. All the parts are also recyclable which is brilliant.

Bunch O Balloons can be found at Smyths Toys and the starter pack normally retails at £14.99 but is currently on offer at £7.49 which is an absolute steal. The refill packs are on offer at £1.99! 

Smashers Dino 

It can be abit of a hassle sorting out party bags and I have to admit, the last few years I've just given a book and sweets. But my kids love a party bag and these Smashers Dino's would be the perfect thing to pop inside!

The dino egg can be smashed on the ground and inside you will find a dino character. Elliot is a massive fan of collectable toys like these and he was excited to see there were 100 different characters to collect!

The smashed egg can even be rebuilt to smash again so it's a fab little toy to keep the children entertained. I think any child would be happy to receive one of these in a party bag.

ROBO Alive Dino

The Bunch O Balloons party box has even thought about a present for the birthday child and our box contained a ROBO Alive Dino. For a dinosaur obsessed soon to be 7 year old, this was a BIG DEAL!

The dino stomps along like a real T-Rex and even bites! We have a couple of the Robo Alive toys already and they are really popular with Elliot and Erin. The T-Rex is well made and seems durable enough to survive the clutches of an enthusiastic child!

For more info on Bunch O Balloons, check out their website or you can find the BOB party range at your local Smyths toy store.

Thank you Zuru for sending us the party box and helping with our party prep - we genuinely loved the Bunch O Balloons pump and will definitely be resuing it for Erin's birthday party!

*Disclaimer - We were sent this item in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own

Halloween at Mapperton House Dorset

Back in the Summer we visited Mapperton House and it was definitely one of the most picturesque places we have ever been to. I was keen to return later in the year to see the Autumn colours so in the recent half term we made the 1 hour journey over to West Dorset to take part in the Halloween Fun Day. The drive down to Mapperton was really foggy which definitely added to the spooky feel of the day!

We bought along some friends and the children were excited to explore, dressed in their scariest Halloween costumes! We picked up our trail sheets from the shop and we couldn't wait to start. The trail was nice and easy for the children and it was very straightforward for them to follow the arrows.

  The trail led us around the gardens which were decorated fantastically for Halloween. Giant spiders, pumpkin heads, witty gravestones, shrunken turnip heads with teeth, floating skeletons, concluding with a visit to the witches house for a spidery treat.

The only one brave enough to knock on the witches door was surprisingly Erin. We weren't actually expecting the door to open so it made us jump when the door swung open and the witch greeted us!

 Once we had completed the trail we headed back up to the Coach House cafe for some warming hot chocolates and spooky cupcakes. As we were visiting on the Halloween fun day, there was the bonus of free face painting in the cafe. Unfortunately, there was only one face painter so we ended up waiting over 90 minutes until it was our turn which was a bit frustrating.

Erin passed the time by jumping in puddles!

Whilst the addition of a free face painter was good (and she did do a fab job!) the queue just didn't move quick enough unfortunately. Instead it would have been great to see some Halloween themed crafts in the cafe, or even in a marquee like they had set up in the Summer.

Never the less, we had a really fun time at Mapperton and luckily managed to finish the trail before the rain arrived in the afternoon. I loved how the grounds were decorated and the mist really added to the Halloween atmosphere!

Mapperton is now closed for the Winter months but I'd highly recommend a visit in March when they reopen. The gardens are well worth a visit and the hot chocolates in the cafe are some of the nicest I've had!

*Disclaimer - We received a free entry in exchange for an honest review