Family Fun - Turtle Feeding at Sea Life

With Jamster being a huge Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan and Minxy loving all animals in general, we were thrilled to be offered the chance to feed the turtles at Sea Life in Great Yarmouth.  It's the moments like this that become treasured memories to look back on and I'll admit I was keen to get stuck in too with this exciting new experience too!

We were greeted at reception and led upstairs to the top of the walk through tank where the Mini Mes were provided with life jackets and instructed on what to do if they did fall in, however unlikely this was. Safety first! The marine biologist Darren was really friendly and made us all feel at ease above the shark infested waters. He also answered all of our questions about the turtles that we had in relation to their diet, lifestyle, habits etc which was a great way to learn about these amazing creatures. 

We all learnt some interesting things about the turtles.

The water was tapped to create noise that would attract the turtles to the surface and it wasn't long before the Mini Mes (and I) were feeding them lettuce using the pick up tool.  I think they were in

Swell UK AquaEL Aquarium *Review and Giveaway*

I've always felt having pets is important. They are a great way for children to learn about animals and caring for others with the added bonus of providing a little responsibility too. When we recently received an AquaEL Classic 40 Bow Aquarium Kit from Swell UK Minxy was keen to have it in her own room! 

We already have an established 240l tank in the lounge so it was quickly decided that it was the perfect location and home for all of our fry.

The kit includes everything required to start up an aquarium of your own and is very quick and simple to do so with full instructions supplied. Within the kit is the bow fronted tank complete with a hood which has a useful feeding hatch and 11 Watt light. There is an internal filter, 25w heater, food, water treatment and filter bio starter fluid. We made a dash to a local pet shop to grab some bright pink gravel and ornaments and after that it wasn't long until everything was installed, the water was added and set up was finished. 

The Mini Mes really loved being involved with the entire process.

After a few days and some water checks we transferred our fry upstairs into the AquaEL Aquarium. The lighting really illuminates the aquarium well and the bow style front is a more attractive alternative to the standard rectangular shape. It has a sleek and modern look and being black in colour will match any decor.

Feeding the fish was made easy with the hinged hatch in the hood as it stays up while you add flakes and other food. The heater maintains the temperature well and the filter is reasonably quiet so sleep isn't disturbed. I've been really pleased with the AquaEL Aquarium and feel that it is really good value especially for how much is supplied. Minxy has loved having her own fish in her room and currently has 9 tiny guppies ...all of which she has named

The set has a 2 year guarantee for your peace of mind although the 22 litre aquarium seems to be really durable. Fish are an ideal pet for children with plenty of health benefits and they even have the ability to calm those that are hyperactive or restless. 

At only £42.99 this set would make a lovely gift this Christmas!

*** WIN ***

For your chance to win a £50 voucher to use at Swell you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway closes on 1st November 2013.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*We received an aquarium for the purpose of this review. The opinions given are honest and our own*

Salmon and gnocchi bake

This has become a firm favourite for the Mr and I. It's rich in flavour and filling plus we both love eating fish.

Ingredients

Serves 2/3

500g gnocchi
2 salmon fillets, diced
1 tbsp tomato puree
200g Philadelphia/soft cheese
Chilli powder (I add 1 heaped teaspoon but you can add more or less to suit your taste)
Handful of chopped parsley
Squeeze of lemon
Grated cheese for on top


Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
• Bring a pan of water to boil and add the gnocchi. Cook for a few minutes (it raises to the surface when done)
• In a seperate pan add the tomato puree, soft cheese and chilli. Warm gently
• Add the gnocchi, approx 100ml of the boiled water and the salmon. Stir.
• Add the lemon and parsely then remove from the heat. Pour into an ovenproof dish, sprinkle on cheese and bake for around 20 minutes until the cheese is browning nicely.
• Scoff!

You could have a serving by itself, enjoy it with some fresh warm bread or it would go lovely with a salad. It's also quite versatile as you can add a few of your fav veg in with it too (I recommend broccoli or leek!).

Project 366, 141/366 - Babies!

One of the guppies gave birth a few days ago and 7 babies soon turned into a wooping 25... imagine giving birth to that many at once - I'd rather not! Most have been caught and put into the fry net but there are still a few that I haven't got yet and here they are! You can just about see 6 of them.