Reasons to Love Living in Milton Keynes #12 - Gulliver's Land Theme Park

Review

There's a theme park in Milton Keynes, practically on our door step.

Gulliver's Land is almost Lilliputian, compared with it's bigger, noisier, well-known, busier cousins. It may be small, but it is perfectly formed. Still, there are over 70 rides and attractions. That's enough to keep me and my children occupied all day and we got to do everything we wanted.

The park is officially opened at 10.30, with a ribbon cutting ceremony, but you are let in the entrance before then. There is a carousel to get you warmed up, and a cafe with fairly decent coffee too.

Rides

Once inside everyone headed for the new ride, the Twist and Joust. I think there were logistical issues getting people on and off the ride as the queue moved very slowly. I guess there would be teething problems when a new ride opens. This put us off a little and we didn't try the Twist and Joust this time.

There were plenty of other big rides - with tiny queues -  to keep my 5 and 6 year old thrill-seekers happy. They LOVE the log flume and the Python roller coaster. Me, not so much. If it was up to me I'd stick with the gentler rides, like the wonderful, gentle Jungle River ride and the tea cups. I may have closed my eyes and screamed on the big rides, but I am proud that I didn't swear.

We have a new fridge magnet. It's a photograph of my children enjoying the log flume, and me screaming my head off. No, you're not seeing it.

This is more my style, being chauffeur driven in the Vintage Cars.

It is difficult when you go to a theme park with two young children. There are only a few rides (like the Tug Boat) where you can take them both on with you. Mostly there is space for one adult and one child and nowhere to leave other children. On some of the rides (like the one pictured below), six year old Presley was tall enough to ride alone, with me accompanying five year old Cash in the chariot behind him.

I'd recommend taking one adult per child under 140cm tall. Luckily we were joined today by my friend and her son. We were able to take it in turns to go on everything, with one adult left to hold the bags and watch the children.

The signs indicating who could and who could not go on a ride were excellent and perfectly clear. The staff measured each child and were clearly enforcing the rules. They were vigilant and safety-conscious. This gives you confidence, even though some of the staff looked quite young. Having said that, I am 44. A lot of people look very young to me.

Attractions

As well as the rides for all ages, there are other attractions that the children all enjoyed today. There is a massive ball pond for smaller children, a very good rope climbing frame, as well as traditional adventure playground equipment.

We had fun in the maze.

The small soft play area kept the children occupied while my friend and I sat on a comfy sofa drinking coffee.

Eating

There are many places to eat at Gulliver's. In the food court there is a good choice of food from around the world, including a fresh tasting tuna salad (not sure where in the world it was supposed to be from...). There is also a pizza and pasta restaurant.

Slushies, cold drinks, coffee, crepes and ice creams are sold all around the park and the prices are reasonable.

Presley enjoyed his £2.50 hot dog.

There are plenty of picnic tables and a grassy area at the far end of the park where we spread out our picnic blankets. There are bins galore and Gulliver's have addressed the problem of the wasps that were quite a nuisance when we visited last summer. They have hung fake wasp nests in the trees and we didn't see a wasp all day.


Facilities

The park is pretty well maintained, although the boys were disappointed that three of the four mechanical diggers were out of order. Some areas could do with a lick of paint, but it would seem that there is an ongoing upgrade happening.

The toilets were clean and they were evenly spaced throughout the park.


Want to go to Gulliver's?

There are Gulliver's Land theme parks in Matlock Bath and Warrington, as well as in Milton Keynes. Also in Milton Keynes is a Dinosaur and Farm Park, a Splash Zone, a campsite and a new Nerf Zone. We went to a birthday party in the Nerf Zone last week and all the children there LOVED IT.

For up to date prices and all information check out the Gulliver's website.

You can find also Gulliver's on Twitter and Facebook




Disclosure: I was given free entry for myself and my two children in exchange for this review. I have not been told what to write.




Other reasons to love living in Milton Keynes:

MK International Festival
MK Dons Football Club
The sausage and cider festival
The Stables at Wavendon
Milton Keynes Museum
The wildlife
The well-planned new city
Furzton Lake
The Concrete Cows
The 'Beach'
The green open spaces

Reasons to Love Living in Milton Keynes #12 - Gulliver's Land Theme Park

Review: Breema

What is Breema?

Breema is difficult to describe. It's a new age kind of a cross between partner yoga and Thai massage. The idea is you feel fully present. This appealed to me as my head is all over the place. I'm never doing less than seventeen things at once. I have also been trying to eat mindfully, but struggling. You can have Breema done to you or you can practise Self-Breema.

Why have I never heard of it?

It's new to the UK. It's been around elsewhere for some time. For more information do check out the Breema website.

What happens during Breema? What does it feel like?

You know when you go to a spa, or a salon, and you have a treatment? You get an orange 17 year old making you feel more tense during a terrible massage because you know she is pulling disgusted faces behind your (fat, oily) back. Well, Breema is NOTHING like that.

There are no oils. In fact, it's not a massage. You are fully clothed. You feel safe, warm and loved. There is no judgement, no competition, you're just being.

Eva Brauner from Core Inspiration makes you feel at ease as soon as you meet her. You lie on a padded floor as Eva touches you with her hands, body and feet. She holds you, pulls gently, taps and rubs.

I have never experienced anything like it. I have never felt so relaxed. Afterwards, I didn't want to move. I felt utter bliss.

Where?

Luckily for me, Eva is based in Milton Keynes.

How much?

£45 per session. As a treat for yourself, or a friend, it's totally worth it. I really can not recommend Eva more highly. I LOVED my Breema session.

What else do I need to know?

Eva runs weekly Breema classes in Milton Keynes. For more information click on Eva's page in the Breema Directory.

Eva is also a qualified psychotherapist, specialising in the body.





Disclosure: Eva is a friend of a friend and offered me a free Breema session in exchange for this review. 

Review: Breema

Review: Lucky Voice Online Karaoke

When I was asked whether I would like to review Lucky Voice Online Karaoke I expected to have some fun with it.

What I didn't expect - but what I got - was fun for all the family.

I was over the moon to see just how interested my children were in singing into the microphone.

They were able to practice their reading and have a sing and dance. We chose simple songs for them - mostly ones they hadn't heard before - and soon they were singing with gusto.

You can watch the lyrics, streamed over the internet, on full screen and they are clear and very well done.

Presley, 6, and Cash, 5, have been going to bed later than normal every night as they ask for just one more song please. Andy and I have then had to wait until they're in bed and asleep before we can have a go.

Lucky Voice Karaoke Kit - £49.95

You get a mixing box. There's reverb for instance, to make your voice sound better - I don't need it, obv. The kit comes with one good quality microphone and it's possible to add another. It's easy to set up, you just attach it to your internet connected laptop or PC, and speakers, and off you go.

Lucky Voice Online Karaoke Subscription - £4.99

For just £4.99 per month you can access thousands of decent karaoke versions of songs. If you want to belt out 'I believe in a thing called love' or 'Wuthering Heights' at full blast on a Saturday night you can. And I did. With just about any song you can think of just a few clicks away, the hardest thing will be deciding what to sing next. Fancy yourself as the next Adele? You can sing the whole of '21' in the privacy of your own kitchen. There's no time restriction, other than your need for sleep. New songs are being added all the time. You can sign up for regular email updates if you don't wanna miss a thing.

Not sure if it's for you? Try it for a month for nothing, there's a 31 day free trial. Register here for your online karaoke experience.

Our verdict

It's easy to use, great fun and would make a fantastic family Christmas present.

Positives - there are so many songs to choose from.

Negatives - there are so many songs to choose from.




Disclosure - we were given a Lucky Voice Karaoke Kit and a year's subscription to Lucky Voice Online Karaoke free of charge for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own, blah blah blah.

Review: Lucky Voice Online Karaoke

How's the weight loss going, Sandy?

Very well, thank you for asking.

That there is a Slimming World 4 stone award. I'm a whopping 4 stone lighter than I was last year.

My 5 year old son weighs slightly less than that and I can't carry him very far at all, but I used to carry that weight around all the time. No wonder stairs were a struggle. Not any more. I have spent the summer holidays this year chasing the boys around farms, zoos and theme parks.

As well as going to Slimming World I am also having Weight Loss Coaching with Dawn Walton. I'm 10 weeks into the 12 week programme and it's not an understatement to say that working with Dawn has changed my life.

This is my post from the start of the Weight Loss Coaching.
This is my post from 6 weeks into the Weight Loss Coaching.

I will update you in full at the end of the 12 weeks as I have so much to tell you.


Disclosure: Dawn is providing me with her Weight Loss Coaching services free of charge, in exchange for my honest feedback via Baby Baby.



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How's the weight loss going, Sandy?

Review: LEGO Duplo Photo Safari 6156

When our new LEGO Duplo Photo Safari set arrived, we didn't even bother to finish getting dressed before we opened the box and every bag inside. A new Duplo set is always exciting.

Having freed all the animals (and the plane, jeep, trees and bridges) both boys started to build the set using the instructions and the picture on the box as a guide.

Presley and Cash are 5 and 4, and can now make models from the LEGO City and Creator ranges, but they still love Duplo. Sets like the Photo Safari one fuel their imagination. There is so much to play with.

They particularly loved the crocodile with its working jaws. They laughed their heads off as they made it eat everything in sight, including my dressing gown. 

When they finally grew tired of this (about two hours later) they asked to play with their stash of Duplo. We have quite a collection now and they used it to make other animals.

Presley said 'Look, Mummy, I made Elmer.'

They then moved on to make a family of robots:

The Photo Safari set is a welcome addition to our Duplo stash. Yes, the RRP is quite steep at £49.99, but you can keep an eye out for offers. In the run up to Christmas I took advantage of the Sainsbury's toy sale, the 20% off weekend at Toys R Us and the 3-for-2 on toys at Argos.

Duplo, as with all LEGO, is such a well-made toy. It is as versatile as a child's imagination. Although we are moving over to LEGO now, I hope it will be a little while before the boys stop playing with Duplo altogether. The bricks are compatible after all.

We have had Duplo in our house for almost four years and it is played with all the time. I've watched my boys go from putting bricks in their mouths, to stacking them, to making simple models, to building complex villages. I love it.


Disclosure: We were sent a LEGO Duplo Photo Safari set to review.

Review: LEGO Duplo Photo Safari 6156

Review: Kirstie Allsopp Bedding From Palmers Department Store

The last time I bought new bedding was shortly after we moved to our new house. I was absolutely convinced that our bedroom carpet was brown, so I bought beige bedding. The carpet is actually blue, so the bed always looked out of place - even when I bothered to straighten the duvet.

So you can imagine my relief when Palmers Department Store asked me if I'd like to review some bedding from from one of their quality ranges (think V&A, Cath Kidston, Kylie at Home and Kirstie Allsopp).

I chose this Kirstie Allsopp set, mainly for the colours. I now have a coordinated bedroom. This pretty bedding feels luxurious and completely brightens up the room. It would look even better if I could be bothered to run the iron over it...

Did I tell you about the time I met Kirstie at a party? Of course I did.

I have to say I hadn't heard of Palmers Department Store before they contacted me, but I'll definitely be browsing there in the future. As well as duvet cover sets they also sell many other great value items for the home, including towels, tableware, glassware and gifts. If you order by 12pm on Monday 17 December they guarantee delivery by Christmas.

Disclosure: Palmers Department Store sent me a duvet cover and pillow cases to review

Review: Kirstie Allsopp Bedding From Palmers Department Store

Oh no, not again...

I only wrote my Dear PR letter a couple of weeks ago, but it hasn't made any difference. I complain about being sent free cake and now they've moved onto free chocolate.

Oh, alright, if I must. I'll review a monster chocolate Christmas wreath from Hotel Chocolat. You've twisted my arm.

Basically, the Festive Wreath from Hotel Chocolat is a huge (450g) slab of chocolatey gorgeousness. It arrived very well packaged and there was only a tiny chocolate chip that had broken off.

The Festive Wreath contains chocolate, cookies and caramel and serves 8 - allegedly. Perfect as a pudding or a treat when you've got friends round. It would make an excellent Christmas present. At £20 it's a little more than I would normally spend on chocolate for myself, but at Christmas it's a perfect gift.

Hotel Chocolat is known for it's quality, so you know that you're getting something pretty wonderful. It's a substantial block of creamy chocolate, crammed full of florentines and cookie pieces. We had to cut it with a knife to get at it, but oh my it's delicious. Somehow I knew it would be.


Disclosure: I was sent a Festive Wreath from Hotel Chocolat to review. The things I do for my readers. Tsk.

Oh no, not again...

Dear PR, I'm sorry...

I've never asked you for anything to review, ever.  I decline 99.9% of products that you offer me for review, sometimes I'm even polite enough to email you back to tell you 'thanks, but no thanks'.

It's not me though, it's you. It's your fault I have to apologise. It's your fault I've been such a slacker.

You see, you've been emailing me with offers of free cake. I mean, who on earth turns down free cake?

Oh, you wanted me to write about the free cake? Oh, okay. This is why I've been rather sheepish lately and not replied to your chasing emails. This blog post is my thank you for all the free cake that I've scoffed this year and not written about.

Dear PR, I'm sorry I'm late with my review, but I was too full of cake to get to my laptop. Love, Sandy x

Mr Kipling

CAKE! Individually wrapped cake slices that you can kid yourself you're only going to eat one of as a treat, but then you rip open pack after pack until they're all gone... ahem... maybe that's just me.

No only did Mr Kipling send me some yummy cakey goodness (that I didn't share with my family), they also sent an M&S gift card (that I didn't share with my family). What I did share with my family was the day out they also gave us. And what a gorgeous day we chose for our treat. Thanks, Mr Kipling.

Aunt Bessies

My children love to bake. I've only got to mention the 'b'word and they're got their aprons on. Sometimes all they want to do is mix something. Aunt Bessies cake mixes are perfect for this. They are quick and easy, especially if you lack confidence in the baking department or don't bake regularly. The instructions are clear and you only need to add the odd ingredient such as an egg, oil or water. My boys made the cookies first and they turned out really well. My mum and I shared the rest of the mixes. She loved the Victoria sponge, but wasn't so keen on the Yorkshire tea loaf.


Cadbury

Free chocolate? YES, PLEASE. Over the last few months I got to try some new Cadbury chocolate. My favourite was the Dairy Milk Bubbly, but I still happily scoffed the Toffee Popcorn and Golden Biscuit Crunch. The things I have to do for my readers. Welcome to Joyville, indeed.

Heinz

Heinz Five Beanz, what's that got to do with cake? Well, not only did Heinz send us some new Five Beans and old skool Alphabetti Spaghetti to try, they also send a bag of food shopping to go with them - including a tower of profiteroles. We ate well that weekend, I can tell you.

I wasn't sure I'd like the Five Beanz, because I associate kidney beans with chilli, but they tasted great - just like regular Baked Beans, but with more texture. I now use them in chilli and veggie pasta dishes, as well as on toast. I'm a Five Beanz convert.


Angel Delight Ice Cream

Mmm, Angel Delight AND Ice Cream? That's a match made in Heaven, surely? Angel Delight Ice Cream is lovely stuff, it's cheap and easy to make. You whisk milk into the packet mix and freeze. The butterscotch flavour is my favourite. No, you don't have to thank me.

Hovis

I know, I know, it's not cake, but bread is pretty good too. Thanks, Hovis, the Seed Sensations loaf is delicious.

Disclosure: all of the above items were sent to me for review, all opinions are my own.


.

Dear PR, I'm sorry...

Win a Tassimo Coffee Machine with Costa at Home and Baby Baby

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

I'll admit it now, I mostly drink decaf instant coffee.

There. I said it.

This doesn't mean I don't appreciate good coffee. For me a proper coffee is a treat, something to be savoured. My school-gate mates and I go to our local Costa once a week for lattes and laughs.

When I was asked if I would like to try Costa at Home I jumped at the chance. Since my shiny new Tassimo T40 coffee machine arrived Andy and I have been enjoying Lattes and Americanos every day. What a treat.

As far as we can tell they taste pretty similar to the coffees you get at Costa. The Latte (above) is soooo good, it's creamy and full of Costa Coffee flavour. The Americano (below) is rich and strong. I use the manual setting on the machine to add more water, and a splash of milk, to make my perfect drink.

The Costa at Home T-Discs are available at major supermarkets, RRP £4.29 for 16 Americano discs, £4.29 for 8 Cappucino discs and £4.99 for 8 Latte discs. You can also buy Costa at Home Roast and Ground coffee for filters and cafetieres.

If you would like to try Costa at Home, Costa have kindly offered to send a Tassimo coffee machine and some Costa at Home T-Discs to one lucky Baby Baby reader.

Entry is via the Rafflecopter widget below. Usual conditions apply. The prize will be sent out by the PR. No cash alternative is offered. Only valid entries will be eligible for the prize.

Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was sent a Tassimo T40 coffee machine and three boxes of Costa at Home T-Discs to review.

Win a Tassimo Coffee Machine with Costa at Home and Baby Baby

Review: Keycamp - La Croix du Vieux Pont, Berny Riviere, France

On the first night of our Keycamp holiday we sat in the evening sunshine, on our decking, overlooking a lake, with a cold beer in hand. I said to Andy "This is the Life". It really is.

This was our first overseas family holiday. We had survived the drive to Dover, the ferry crossing and the 150 mile drive through the French countryside. All we had to do for a whole week was relax and have fun. Bliss.

About Keycamp
Keycamp Holidays are self-catering specialists in Europe and the USA. They have 99 hand-picked parcs across ten countries in Eurpoe. They have something for everyone, whether you're looking for an action-packed holiday, full-on rest - or a bit of both - you're bound to find what you're looking for. Accommodation ranges from Supertents to fully equipped mobile homes via chalets, lodges and tree houses.

We were looking for a parc that was fairly close to Calais with plenty to keep the children occupied. The Keycamp website isn't perfect, but we managed to get most of the information we needed. We couldn't decide which parc to try. In the end Keycamp suggested La Croix du Vieux Pont, mainly for the Kids' Clubs. Although it was a little further than we wanted to drive, we decided to go for it.  I'm glad we did. Driving in France is a whole other blog post, but I thoroughly recommend spending a few Euros on the (almost empty) toll roads.

La Croix du Vieux Pont, Berny Riviere
90 miles North East of Paris, close to the Compiegne forest and the pretty village of Vic-sur-Aisne is La Croix du Vieux Pont. This large parc is clean, well-maintained and covered in flowers and trees. In fact, my children collected 541 hazelnuts from just one tree on the parc. Yes, we counted them. Yes, we bought them home. Yes, we put them in the garden for the squirrels. Yes, the squirrels took them ALL. Yes, I'm expecting hazel saplings to appear in the garden next year.

On the parc there are three lakes; two for fishing and one for swimming. We paddled, dug holes, filled them with water, made streams for the water to return to the lake and built sandcastles at the man-made sandy beach by the swimming lake. The boys called this part of the holiday 'watery adventures'.

There is an enormous, spotlessly clean, swimming pool complex. The children loved the kids' pool and we were perfectly happy to splash about in there for a few hours. We said 'this is the life' to one another quite a few times in the pool.

There are many play areas with facilities for all ages. The boys loved the adventure playground. Presley learnt how to use a fireman's pole. This made him very happy.

There were electric cars, trampolines, a bouncy castle and canoes and pedalos that you had to pay for. We bought a pre-paid card and got 30 rides for the price of 20, otherwise it's 2 euros a pop.

The staff at the parc and the Keycamp couriers were great. I got to practice my French too. I was disappointed to see a few British holidaymakers not making any attempt to even say 'bonjour' or 'merci' to the local staff. Yes, they all speak English, but come on. Make. An. Effort.

There are two restaurants, both offering traditional French food. We went to the Farmhouse near the parc entrance. The food was perfectly fine, but nothing special. We also had a couple of meals from the on-site takeaway. The pizzas are excellent.

There are shops on the parc selling a range of groceries, alcohol and toys. The bakery was particularly fabulous. The prices are pretty reasonable, but the local Carrefour supermarket in Soissons is bigger and cheaper - especially if you're cooking for a family. I love mooching around supermakets on holiday. We found some brilliantly named beers. A Lord Darren, anyone?

Also at the parc, but not visited by us, was bike hire, a spa, a bar, a disco, tennis, table tennis, archery, mini-golf, football and a zip wire.

Accommodation
We stayed in a two-bedroom Villagrand mobile home. Our home from home was clean and had everything we needed, including a full size fridge-freezer, cooker, shower and bottle opener. There was plenty of storage space and the beds were comfortable.

We had our own decking with a table, parasol and chairs, and a garden with sun-loungers. We ate most of our meals al-fresco. There's nothing finer in life than baguettes and a cheese board (and butter and jam if you're five years old). Check me out with my designer Diet Coke and the beginnings of a tan. Ooh la la:

We were very lucky with the weather, but as August turned to September we needed the additional blankets that were provided as the temperature dropped at night.

Kids' Clubs
Our children (who turned five and four while we were on holiday) would not have been comfortable being left in a kids' club. We saw a few groups of children being led around the parc or taking part in activites and they all looked happy, but it's not our thing.

What we absolutely loved though was the Mini Fun Station. Becky and Tommie ran both morning and afternoon sessions suitable for children aged from six months to five years. Parents stay as the children paint and stick, play in the sand pit or the ball pond, try to hula hoop, throw, catch, do jigsaw puzzles or collect hazelnuts (see above).

The best part of our holiday, without a shadow of a doubt, was the free Learn to Ride classes at the Mini Fun Station.

In the first session of the day children are taught how to ride balance bikes. The next session is pedals...

There are several major milestones in a child's life. One of the biggest is learning to ride a bike, without stabilisers. Both my children managed this at Keycamp. Becky and Tommie were excellent teachers. We were proud of the way our boys joined in with the Learn to Ride classes. They ran across the parc to get to the Mini Fun Station each morning. And they leaned to ride bikes. Happy days.

Around Berny Riviere
You can get a coach from the parc to Paris and Disneyland Paris. Tickets are also available from Reception if you want to drive to Disney (these tickets are cheaper than buying from the UK before you go). The French Parc Asterix is also nearby. We decided not to take a day out from our holiday to visit one of these as there was so much to do at our parc that didn't revolve around queuing.

We did spend a wonderful afternoon at Chateau du Pierrefonds, a short drive from the parc. This magnificent fairytale castle has to be seen to be believed, it looks computer generated. The BBC's Merlin is filmed there.

We loved the windows, the gargoyles and the creepy crypt. Don't blink (Doctor Who reference).

After we'd explored the castle we ambled around the beautiful town of Pierrefonds and stopped for an ice cream. Pierrefonds is well worth a visit.

Our Verdict
We thoroughly enjoyed our Keycamp holiday. When all you have to do for a week is enjoy yourself, you quickly feel pretty chilled out. We were so relaxed that when, on our return journey, the ferry broke down and had to be towed into the port at Dover, we were happy to open a bag of crisps and watch the tugs at work.

Our holiday was excellent value for money and we would wholeheartedly recommend a Keycamp holiday. In fact, I've already been on their website looking at 2013 holidays.

Facts and Figures
Seven nights from 13 April 2013 for a family of two adults and up to four children staying in a two bedroom Villanova mobile home with decking at La Croix du Vieux Pont will cost from £301, including a return Dover to Calais ferry crossing – and a saving of £31. Fly-drive and alternative ferry packages can be arranged though Keycamp at a supplement.

For the latest deals, further information or to make a booking, visit www.keycamp.co.uk or call 0844 406 0319. Keycamp are also on Twitter and Facebook.

Disclosure: we were given a seven night break in a mobile home, including return ferry crossings, linen and towel hire. I write reviews based on my personal experience. I always think about the value of any activity as if I had paid for it myself, to determine whether I think it is good value for money.

Review: Keycamp - La Croix du Vieux Pont, Berny Riviere, France