As a part of a family weekend, we visited Monopoly Lifesized, and this is what we thought.
We had good fun and played on the city board but…
Price for six was £307 and we discussed at the end and decided it was expensive for what it was. In total there were four teams of six so 24 people in the room with four staff for the entire game. If you were a group of less than six you may be put with another group. Each team had a playing piece, our playing piece was great throughout the game. Some rooms were small and tight for 6 adults standing. The game lasted 90 minutes and we were kept busy the entire time. We did really well (we won) but some families with young children didn’t do so well with winning properties by completing the activities set. Some of the tasks would have been too high up for smaller children to read and complete.
The decor was great, and the game could be absolutely amazing if some adjustments were made.
The prize for winning was £5 to spend on pictures only, they take the pictures and are £20+, this seems a little pathetic and tight considering the cost and we didn’t use it.
Staff on entry and in the shop were ok but I felt like just a number to them and that they just wanted us in and out, a real shame as the characters were brilliant.
I booked a table at the Top Hat the restaurant and bar and I spent £57 for, 3 Pepsi, 2 cocktails, a glass of champagne and a red bull.
It was good fun we just felt it was expensive for what it was, and I was then sent a link to get 25% off my next visit the day after we visited!
With our fast-paced world where we are at the end of the phone or email in an instant connecting with nature is something that we should give time to.
Sunita and the team at Out to the Woods are based in Bicknor Kent and have created just that a woodland school in ancient woodland that is offering experiences to all ages.
What is Out to the Woods?
Out to the Woods is a Community Interest Company (CIC); they are a social enterprise, and their aim is to promote well-being and resilience by reconnecting the local community with nature.
What is Forest School?
“Forest School is an inspirational process that offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve, develop confidence and self-esteem, through hands on learning experiences in a local woodland or natural environment with trees.”
Forest School is a specialized approach that sits within and compliments the wider context of outdoor and woodland learning.
-Forest School Association-
Experience the Outdoors
Yesterday I was invited to experience some of the experiences that they offer, and I learnt how to make and cook chapatis and dahl; I also got to try the spiced potatoes which were delicious.
I was also lucky enough to make flower crowns with Avril and it was great fun playing and learning how to create my very own flower crown.
Woodfired Chapatis Experience – If you’re looking to book this experience, you get to choose to make Indian flat bread (chapatis) and lentils (dahl) OR you can choose to make stuffed Indian breads (parathas) from spiced cauliflower or spiced potatoes. Next date Sunday 10th July.
Flower Crowns – please contact the team at Out to the Woods to discuss having this added to an experience or if you would like to visit them to enjoy the woodland and just make flower crowns.
Friday Woodland Tots – enjoy some time with your little ones with these sessions each being themed around a well-loved toddler book. You will get the chance to build dens, cook on the fire, make crafts, play in the messy kitchen and more. Next term starts 9th September.
So why not take a bit of time out to enjoy nature and the tranquility of one of the woodlands of Kent and enjoy one of the Out to the Woods experiences.
We have been to Mercedes Benz World located in Surrey a few times over the years it’s free and there is no need to book, unless you want a guaranteed driving experience. You can pre-book a driving experience or take a chance on the day and see if they’ve got anything available, but be aware things do get booked up quickly.
Based at the Brooklands Race Circuit Mercedes Benz World has Displays of F1 cars, classic cars and modern cars. They showcase the history of Brooklands Race Circuit and house an AMG performance centre. And if you want to get more involved you can try out the race simulator which accommodates many ages or as mentioned previously take on one of the experiences they offer (these will incur a cost).
There is a cafe with a great selection of cakes and sandwiches or alternatively you could visit the bistro where you can sit and have a meal with views of the race circuit.
No matter your budget it’s a great place to visit, as if you want you don’t have to spend a penny and can have a fabulous time.
We visited this time as we had an event not too far away and decided to use the Brooklands Hotel as a base. I often use Booking.com as I find them excellent for finding local places to stay wherever you are looking to visit or if preferred you can book directly with The Brooklands Hotel.
We got our first family dog a beautiful Siberian Husky we named Kojak in November 2020. I knew that he would change our lives and the way we travel and explore. We have been away without him and been lucky enough to have had excellent care for him whilst we were away. But we would like Kojak to also come away and enjoy travelling with us.
One thing that we consider when looking to go away is – will we spend lots of time with Kojak?
Our first trip abroad with Kojak and we have took him out every day finding dog friendly places to visit and eat. This time in France we have not left him at all, however we would leave him if we wanted to eat out at a restaurant, go food shopping or for a couple of hours max to do an activity he could not do. My rule would be at least one night before we would leave him somewhere new on his own – this is to make him know he is safe, secure and knows we will come back in a strange place.
I was worried as this was the first time abroad with a dog but I need not have worried the Le Shuttle was great and had excellent processes in place. The time in the train was quick and Kojak wasn’t fazed one bit.
There will be times that Kojak will not come away with us but knowing it’s an option is great as he is a wonderful part of our family.
My travel checklist for Kojak:
Insurance
Check vaccinations are all up to date
Animal Health Certificate
Return journey – appointment at the vets for tapeworm treatment administered 1-5 days before travel back to the UK. Treatment must be administered by a vet not less than 24 hours (1 day) and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before the dog’s scheduled arrival time in the UK. Treatment date and time must be recorded by the vet in the pet’s documentation.
Food – what can we take and what we can’t
Water
Teddies and Toys
Dog leads
Check the rules around dogs for the European country you are travelling in.
Kojak’s Travel Bag
Kojak has a travel bag that we can pick up at any moment and go with him, with many hotels dog friendly they can enjoy a mini break too.
Puppy Pads – these are excellent if your dog becomes unwell or if you want to use as a door mat for muddy paws.
Hair Brush
Spare Leads
Treats
Small teddy
Towel
Collapsible Drinking Bowl
Food Bowl
Poo Bags
Bottle of water
Please note this is my travel list for a dog travelling into Europe using Le Shuttle and you will need to ensure that you have fully checked what is required for your pet to travel.
Animal Health Certificates (AHC) replaced Pet Passports and to be honest they are a pain and you have to get one each time you travel. I advise you speak with your vet to find out if they do them or if you need to get one from another vet. My vet does not do the AHC but provided me with somewhere that could Animal Health Certificates Online I filled in the form paid and then took Kojak to collect it on the agreed date.
The certificate can be used to enter the EU & NI for up to 10 days from the date of issue.
Once inside the EU a pet can travel within the boundaries of the territory for up to four months.
Once the pet exits the EU a new Animal Health Certificate is required to re-enter the EU as the AHC is single use.
Sitting on the Kent coastline are the iconic Reculver Towers, the towers were a part of the remodelling of the church in the 12th century. Reculver was one of the earliest Roman Forts built to defend Saxon raids. Later becoming a Anglo Saxon monastery and then the parish church for Reculver.
The site can be viewed from the outside all year and has wonderful coastal walks both ways from the towers. One from Reculver to Birchington along the sea wall and the opposite direction will take you to Herne Bay.
There is a chargeable car park, this does get busy especially at weekends and holidays.
Located by the car park is Hat Hats Coffee shop, they have a variety of drinks, ice creams, cakes and more which is all very delicious.
Past times exploring has given me so many special memories, this one seems so apt right now too far for me to reach and hold you my darling husband.
The children and I have grand plans for our lives and hold you in every thought.
St Michael’s Mount had been on our list for so long and so glad that we made it. With something a little special planned soon tied in with this beautiful place.
Love is holding on to the memories only the heart can see. 💙 I can remember so much of our road trips, from working out what budget I had to play with to planning what we could do when we got there. I will never change that, making memories so we can remember with laughter when things didn’t go so right or when we ordered food that we didn’t really know what it was or the stunning scenery and so much more. My heart hurts so much that I now don’t have the other half of me but I have the wonderful children to continue to explore the world with. 🌍 We have some great trips planned so I’m hoping that most of them can go ahead with the ever changing world around us.
Black Rock Sands in North Wales holds many precious memories for us as a family. You can drive on the beach in your car with all your kit and enjoy a fantastic day at the beach. We are looking forward to visiting this beautiful beach again soon.
So half term is here and if your looking for something extra special to do last minute then check out Today Tix great priced tickets for top London Theatre Shows, I can highly recommend The Lion King 🦁 and so many others too, I currently have my eye on Frozen ❄️ maybe I should take my beautiful niece? 👸🏼
I get asked a lot about how I travel to London so here are some tips for you if you’re going for a day trip to London.
Having used the train on many occasions and experiencing the rising costs I wanted to share with you alternative ways to that you can travel to London (I travel from Canterbury in Kent).
Drive, Park and Uber Boat – Park & Glide
This is a cost efficient way to take the family. You can purchase a ticket online for parking at the O2 car park 3 and the Uber Boat from Greenwich Pier. Included in the price is the River Roamer Ticket to hop on and off all day across all of the Thames Clipper Piers. It’s a great way to start exploring London along the River Thames – keep your eyes open for iconic landmarks.
Parking at the O2 is something that I have done many times, I normally used the Station Car Park but currently this is closed or was the last time I went a couple of weeks ago. You can still park in the O2 car parks they will just direct you to an alternative car park often the Car Park for events is used in the day. You will get a ticket as you enter the car park and pay on exit.
Parking at the O2 – non-event parking charges detailed at the bottom of the page.
A short walk to North Greenwich tube station where you can get your tube to anywhere you wish. Tube Map available here.
I use the Tube Map app to plan my journeys when I am in London.
There is now a emissions charge for vehicles that don’t meet the required standards to drive in London and surrounding areas (the area keeps expanding). So you will need to check if your vehicle meets emissions and safety standards required to drive in London, or if you need to pay a daily charge. The zone have extended and I would recommend checking each time you visit to avoid being caught out and receiving a penalty. Check your vehicle.
My Jones Life 