Raspberry Crumble Slices

If you haven't been out to fill your baskets with berries yet this summer, now is the final time to do so - you can make your own jam! Although you can of course use shop bought if you prefer so that you can dive straight in to make this delicious recipe. Our preference of filling has to be raspberry for a beautiful burst of deep red but feel free to use whatever you have to hand or prefer. Blueberries and strawberries are great alternatives and they too create a sweet and sticky centre to contrast nicely with the the crisp yet flaky exterior of these slices.

We like to pop a batch into some plastic pots to take on day trips or when visiting friends as a tasty afternoon treat. The Mini Mes enjoy making these themselves, they are great for tweens to bake, and they get great satisfaction from layering the ingredients nicely before popping them into the oven to turn golden.

Chocolate Chip & Rolo Blondies

If you're looking for a chewy and gooey treat that is incredibly simple to make then your search stops here. These slices ooze with chocolate and caramel when cut and they are bound to satisfy any sweet tooth. They are great served warm with ice cream, wrapped in ribbon as a gift or devoured at home by the family as a delicious dessert.

Calypso Holiday Hacks #3 - Family Photography at Woburn Safari Park

Calypso have created the Holiday Hacks app which is a collection of great ideas, gathered from parents in the know, to keep the kids busy all summer until school restarts in September. We've already spent time reading some new books and enjoying time outside as a family which were super boredom busters suggested by the app, and now we've picked a third activity to keep the Mini Mes entertained - it was perfectly timed for our trip to the zoo!

"Take a disposable camera wherever you go - the kids love to see how the photos turn out at the end of the holiday, it's creative, and a lovely afternoon when we all sit together to see how the photos have turned out."

Nutella Cookie Cups {Creative Summer 11}

Thick smooth chocolate and warm chewy cookies - is there a more satisfying combo for your sweet tooth? What's even better is these delicious puds are incredibly easy to make and they can go from mixture to mouth in around 20 minutes flat.

Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake {Creative Summer 10}

This recipe has very quickly become a family favourite and Minxy loves to bake this delicious cake by herself - she has made two in the past week alone!

The lemon provides a nice citrus kick without being overpowering and the icing seeps into the sponge to keep it soft and moist. It's so simple and ideal for afternoon tea with friends.

Jam Tarts {Creative Summer 9}

These are quite a classic afternoon treat and one we hadn't made in some time so we decided to change that by making a batch at the weekend. The pastry on these is crisp on the outside with a nice crumbly centre and they are deeply filled with sticky raspberry jam - you could even make your own if you have been out picking berries this summer.

Cress Heads {Creative Summer 6}

One of the things I love about the summer holiday is the lazy mornings. There are no alarms to set so I can go at whatever pace I like and enjoy a relaxed breakfast without any rush. When we have more time on our hands the Mini Mes often request pancakes or waffles when they get up, instead of cereal and toast, so with lots of egg shells available I thought that we could use a few for a nice little activity - especially as we received some cress seeds in the children's packs from Harvester during our recent review visit!

These cress heads are not only fun to create but they teach little ones about growing food at home.

Chewy White Chocolate Cookies {Creative Summer 5}

The Mini Mes love to whisk up a batch of warm and chewy cookies at the weekend and this quick and easy recipe has become a firm favourite. They are crisp on the outside with a soft centre and the white chocolate adds a little extra sweetness. 

We do however like to add in some raspberries or raisins on occasions, just so they feel a little less naughty!

DIY Phone Holder {Creative Summer 3}

The Mini Mes are now both tweens and it seems to get harder to keep them entertained and away from technology each summer. Finding activities that they will enjoy and appreciate can be tricky but as they both have mobile phones this craft is ideal for keeping them off their handsets to be creative by making something they will both find useful!

There are two different versions that you can try; one to hold your mobile while it's on charge, the instructions for which follow later this summer, and one to display your mobile on a bedside table or desk, which is below. Both use items you will probably have in your recycling tubs already so you won't need to pay out a penny either - it's frugal!

Cooking with the Kids this Summer

When sports day is over, the end of term reports are handed out and the school gates close for the final time this academic year, you may be left wondering how you can keep the kids entertained for the 6 weeks of summer. Cooking is a valuable life skill, and not to mention great fun too, so it may be worth investing in some bakeware and getting creative in the kitchen.

This low cost set is ideal for your little beginners so there is no better time to begin mixing up some treats for family and friends.

This British made starter set has a Whitford non-stick coating which is an affordable alternative to enamel or Teflon versions - it's ideal for the occasional cook or children in particular.

Creative Summer Project - Daily Activities for the Holiday

With the summer holiday on the horizon and our purses already in panic mode I thought it would be a nice idea to put together some posts to keep the kids entertained - for free or very little cost! 

My 'Creative Summer Project' will run daily with a new idea being shared between 23rd July and 5th September to provide inspiration and keep little ones occupied. As a parent I know that it can take time to search for fun things to do, and then find the materials to do them, so I've already created, tried and tested 44 (yes, I may be insane) recipes and crafts with the Mini Mes to prevent boredom from striking. 

These use store cupboard essentials and items from around the home, or recycling boxes, so you won't need to spend much at all, if anything, to be give them a go. 

When - daily from 23rd July - 5th September 2016

Where - www.TheMiniMesAndMe.com

What - a variety of crafts, recipes and activity ideas to keep your little ones occupied all holiday

Why - to inspire parents and give them some fun suggestions to try throughout the 6 week break

You can sign up to our newsletter to receive a reminder when the Creative Summer Project begins or follow us via social media using the icons below.

Angry Birds at Thorpe Park

If you have an Angry Birds fan in the family it's likely you've already been to the see the movie now but why not pop along to Thorpe Park this summer and experience a land dedicated to those furious feathered friends!

King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems

Take the driver's seat and ride this classic which sees Red battle against the Bad Piggies

Detonator: Bombs Away

This 100ft tower of terror lifts you high into the sky for a bird's eye view over the park before plunging back down to the ground at around 50mph!

Bike Riding at Sunset

The shed is generally a no go zone for me. It's filled with spiders and that alone is reason enough not to enter! The sun was shining however and the Mini Mes wanted to go for a ride so I put on my bravery hat, entered and exited with their bikes as swiftly as possible (there may have a been a few shrill noises from me), and headed out to the nearby fields.

Grabbing a Last-Minute Holiday before the Summer Crowds

So many people experience wanderlust, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed as every new trip yields more and more ideas for places you still want to see. It’s especially hard when your work gets in the way, leaving less and less time to fit in all your explorations - when you find yourself trying to travel over major holidays and long weekends, you can find yourself paying more than anticipated.

 

If you find yourself trying to travel over the upcoming summer holidays, here are some of the best ways to snag a deal without a lot of forward planning:

 

 

Source http://bit.ly/1KmRQJD

 

1. Choose your destination wisely.

If you’re looking for sunshine and cocktails rather than pools full of inflatables and an overload of families, you need to choose your destination with care. The crowds will generally be heading to popular resorts for beach breaks, so why not look for somewhere a little different? You won’t really know the best deals until you start looking, so it’s worthwhile to remain flexible and open-minded about your destination.

2. Consider all-inclusives.

Most of the cost of a holiday comes in the airfare and lodgings, and that’s part of the growing appeal of package getaways. That’s why there are massive savings to be found by considering all-inclusive options, which can often still be found close to your departure date (those hotels don’t want their rooms to sit empty!). Flights and accommodation all in one neat little package? Panic over.

 

3. Prepare (what you can) in advance.

Since you’re booking last-minute, you’ll want to be ready to dash on a moment’s notice. You can shop for holiday toiletries and essentials at any time, and learn a few key phrases before you go away. Sites like Duolingo (which also has a handy app) are fantastic if you’re heading to Europe.

 

4. Shop around.

Don’t get distracted by sales and lowered prices—ultimately, the final price you pay is the price that matters. Stay calm while you compare your options, and consider looking beyond the big websites. Sometimes an airline operating out of the country you’re visiting will have better deals than your local airline, and if you’re waiting until the very last second, it’s always possible that hotels and airlines will be desperate to unload unsold inventory, landing you a solid deal.

 

 

It’s completely possible to bag a reasonably-priced holiday without planning months in advance, though it can take a little creativity.

 

What are your top tips for saving on travel? Are you going anywhere fun over the summer?

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*Collaborative Post*

Dads Go FREE This Sunday And Your Chance To WIN

If you love outdoor play, family fun and being active BeWILDerwood is the place for you! With treetop treehouses, rope bridges and zip wires galore it certainly is an energetic day out.

BeWILDerwood love dads and to celebrate Father's Day they are letting them in for FREE this Sunday 15th June. Just pop along for a day of adventure where you can race on the Slippery Slops, get lost in the Muddle Maze and enjoy story telling time. If you go along dressed like a bumble bee in

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

BeWILDerwood *Review and Giveaway*

If you go down to BeWILDerwood today you're sure of a big surprise - with a Scaaaaary Lake, Mildred the Crocklebog and a tiny Twiggle Village to feast your eyes upon! There is plenty of outdoor play equipment, picnic space and even a maze that the whole family can enjoy at this enchanted treehouse adventure.

 

 

We recently travelled to Norfolk and received tickets to BeWILDerwood for a fun packed day of climbing, jumping, swinging and running.

 

BeWILDerboat Junction

Here you board a small boat that takes you on a journey across the Scary Lake to the centre of the wood; where your adventure really begins. Along the way you can hear about (and see) the Crocklebog Mildred and learn about the Boggles and Twiggles. This short ride really sets the scene if you haven't already read the books by Tom Blofeld that BeWILDerwood magic is based upon.

 

The Broken Bridge

The first stop for us was the Broken Bridge where you head high into the trees to climb across the transparent planks! There are lots of steps, a cargo net and slides to experience and back down on the ground there are swings and logs to balance on too.

 

Slippery Slope

With several ways to get up the top of the slides even the climb itself is fun! There are different sized logs to clamber up, a wall with grips, a slope with a rope and a cargo net up to the two slides, one of which is split into three lanes. There are mats available for a super slippery ride and other apparatus nearby to keep you entertained.

 

Muddle Maze

We raced, girls vs boys, to the centre of the maze where there is then the look-out and bridge to conquer. The maze itself is made from panels around 6ft high and you can look out across it from above to help others through (or look for the lost!).

 

 

Wobbly Wires

There are plenty of staff to ensure the zip wires run smoothly and even baby and toddler editions too! They vary in length and height and queueing time minimal as they are spread out well across the wood, again with fun climbing obstacles to reach them and a soft floor below for a safe landing.

 

Twiggle Village, Boggle Village and The Far Tree

These little extras give the magical touch of BeWILDerwood. The tiny homes in the branches and the spare shoes hanging from the tree of the Thornyclod Spider are great to find and lovely discussion points for the whole family.

 

 

Toddlewood on the Hill and Toddlewood Valley

There are several areas aimed at the younger generation in particular which are perfect for toddlers that wish to explore without the height of the trees. Toddlewood on the Hill and Toddlewood Valley have lower climbing frames and slides and is more suited to preschoolers.

BeWILDerwood is a great location for outdoor play and as there are shelters and the trees above, it's virtually an all weather attraction. There was slightly less there than I had expected but still plenty to remain entertained for several hours, if not a full day for the very energetic, and I was pleased that adults can go on absolutely everything!

If you want to rest for a while or try something different there is face painting, den building and storytelling too so there is a lot of variety.

 

For those with prams or in wheelchairs there is a pathed area to get across the lake to the centre of Bewilderwood as an alternative to the boat. All of the toilets have disabled and baby changing areas and there is even a special area for breastfeeding which I thought was a great idea!

 

Munch bar has a mixture of hot and cold food available and is reasonably priced. The Mini Mes had Swampy's Much Boxes which contained a roll, crisps, mini muffin, yogurt, fruit and a drink and cost less than £5. There is a ice cream stall with some really delicious flavours to try too.

 

 

You can book a birthday party at Bewilderwood and there are reserved pods for your guests.

There is a fantastic gift shop at the entrance/exit which has pocket money items as well as more luxurious products available to purchase.

We really enjoyed our visit and we would return.

 

 

 *** WIN ***

For your chance to win a family pass to BeWILDerwood you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below.
The giveaway closes on 29th June 2013.

Good luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cookie Surprise

These are a twist on your standard cookie as we popped in some Revels too for some random flavour combinations. Simple to make and delicious to eat - with a surprise in each bite!


Ingredients

100g butter
60g light muscovado sugar
75g caster sugar
1 medium egg
120g plain flour
100g of dark chocolate
Half a bag of Revels (70g)



Method

• Line your baking tray and preheat the oven to 170 degrees
• Melt your chocolate in the microwave (carefully so it doesn't burn, do 40 seconds then more if necessary) or on the hob.
• Add the butter, sugars, egg and flour to the melted chocolate and combine.
• Finally add the Revels in and stir.
• Split the mixture evenly into 12 and place on the tray.
• Cook for around 12-15 minutes.
• Scoff!

Have you been crafty this week or enjoyed baking with kids? You can link up your posts here to share!

Mini Mess is a weekly Wednesday link up to share all your fun activites that may have involved mess - be it mud, water, sand, chalk, paint or food!


If you would like to grab the badge you can use the code  in the sidebar on the right (highlight, press ctrl and c then paste).

A woodland walk

Sunday was a beautiful, warm day so we decided to head to Salcey Forest for a family walk in the afternoon. I hadn't been there in years so I thought it would make a nice change from our local fields and parks. 

It's far more than just a forest, it has a tree top walk, play area and a lovely cafe too there.

Tree Top Way is considerably higher than I remember! Raising to 15 metres above the forest floor and with steps up to a crow's nest platform at 20 metres I did feel a little giddy at times. The Mini Mes jumping on the way didn't help my fear of heights, as it made the walk wobble quite a bit (eek), but I plodded on trying to remain calm awaiting the wonderful views from the top.

And wonderful they were...

There are rest stops every 24 metres which is the perfect opportunity to look out at the wildlife and take pictures.

Once out of the forest we stopped off for ice creams...

I'm linking this outdoor fun post with Country Kids

Lollibop Family Fun

We were thrilled to be offered tickets to Lollibop. With such an amazing line up I'm not sure who was more excited to be attending, the Mini Mes or Me!

We travelled via car to Edgware, parking at Sainsbury's commuter car park, and caught the train to Camden Town Station. There we jumped off and walked towards the Gloucester Gate of Regents Park and to the Lollibop entrance, which took about ten minutes by foot. Picnic in tow we arrived around 9.50 just as the event opened.

There were a lot of friendly staff around to guide you to the correct queue and a great brass band playing for entertainment. We only queued for about 5 minutes and once we received our bright green wristbands we headed straight to the rear of the event to the Skylander's arena, what the Mini Mes wanted to see the most!

As the arena was just opening we stopped off at the Ella's Kitchen tent next door to use their new children's vending machine to pick up some free healthy snacks - yummy! The vending machine has large child friendly buttons and was packed with goodies to sample. They were handing out money off coupons too which are always nice to receive.

Outside the arena was a giant Skylander which the Mini Mes had their picture taken with before heading straight inside. At this point there was no queue at all, it was still quiet and we were glad to arrive early. We received 2 wonderful bags filled with posters, stickers, tattoos, t-shirts and Dark Spyro figures to use with the game at home. The Mini Mes were thrilled! Also in the arena was the chance to play a pairs game, play on consoles, have Skylanders painted on your arm and have your photo taken and printed with a Skylander background. It was well thought out with a good layout for access.

Next up was face painting sponsored by Little Bird. Again we went straight in without waiting and got seated. Jamster had a green snake on his arm, Minxy a flower and butterfly design on her arm and I even joined in too with some flowers and glitter on my face! Staff were friendly and provided information on their website, www.littlebird.co.uk , which offers family savings and deals. The Mini Mes posed for a picture as a prince and princess then we headed to the next stop, picking up some free orange and apple juice drinks from an open marquee on the way - a great idea, especially in the 30+ degree heat!

Moshi Monsters had quite a large area of the festival with the Moshi Bus Shop, picture posing stops, a mini stage for fun and games and the Moshi Monster tournament tent. Furi and Poppet were just coming out so we went for photos with the characters and then had a go in the tournament. Jamster was a bit too shy to join in but Minxy managed to get into the final. She then got knocked out with a final card turn after a match draw which was a shame, but both of the Mini Mes received some packs of Moshi Cards to take home and we managed to receive a sheet of stickers too. The staff were very patient and friendly teaching the children how to play the fun yet simple game which was lovely to witness.

At this point the ZingZillas were on stage so we watched them for a while before moving on. We managed to get to the front to watch with ease and had a little dance to their songs. Everyone seemed to be smiling, enjoying the show and lapping up the sunshine and atmosphere.

The Mini Mes love experiments, exploring and being creative so the science tent was ideal for them. They held carbon dioxide filled bubbles first and then wandered around the other desks picking up leaflets and stamps as they went. We skipped the tween workshops as it was hula hooping when we passed but everyone appeared to be having fun. We couldn't go in the under 4's area where we spotted the lovely WOW toys and other tents too. I think having a younger area is a great idea though as it gives them some space from the crowds which were now starting to form (11.25am).

There were a lot of buggy bays for pit stops in the shade and the open sided marquees provided a well needed break from the sun. We went to the Flora kitchen next and luckily it was perfect timing to do some baking! Minxy joined in, with apron and utensils provided, to make banana and chocolate muffins in a 45 minute workshop. I stayed with her while Jamster and the Mr went for a sit down on Flora's giant beanbags with some yummy roast potatoes and Thai curry before joining in with the circus skills. Jamster is quite a performing monkey!

As it was now lunch and starting to rain we made our way to the Blogger Lounge for some refreshments and a quieter location to enjoy our picnic. There were scooters and Trunkis available to play on and we picked up colouring sheets, bookmarks, pencils and goody bags to take home.

We spent the next few hours wandering around. We visited the Haribo tent where we played games and picked up sweeties too, we watched and controlled the fire breathing dragon, saw Titan the robot perform, saw the Transormer truck and watched some great shows on stage. Stavros Flately was really amusing, Katie and Alex from CBeebies were great with Hagrid and the Mr Men Roadshow was wonderful for the kids. At around 3pm we grabbed ice creams and headed to Mornington Crescent station ready for our journey home... the Mini Mes fell asleep as soon as we got back to the car!

I would highly recommend going to Lollibop for a great value family day out. There was a wonderful variety of entertainment to suit every taste and the Mini Mes were mesmerised by being so close to the celebrities and characters that they adore. We will definitely be returning next year!