Sea Life Centre Hunstanton

One of the first things we noticed when we moved to our new house was that on the main turning for our road was a little brown sign pointing the way to the local Sea Life Centre.

We knew once we'd settled in and after Christmas had been we would head over to check it out.

I took the boys to London SeaLife in the summer for a review but because it was so busy it just wasn't that enjoyable for any of us, so we were hoping this one would be a better experience for the boys.

It was great as soon as we got in, the staff were friendly and it was pretty empty, which was good as Ru was in one of his mood where is someone touched him he would scream bloody murder.

The twins were on his attack radar, so they got screamed at more than id like to admit.

Lucky for us there wasn't a lot of people around to judge.

The boys were all able to get up close to the tanks and come face to face with the sharks, rays and giant turtle.

They absolutely loved it.

We were also there just in time to touch a star fish, they all gave it a go and came away with a medal, though I think Noah was the only one who actually gave the starfish a stroke.

Jon told me before we left (probably to contain my excitement) that they had a Seal Hospital on site.

I literally wanted to run straight there but I behaved like an adult and let the boys lead the way.

I have loved Seals since I was the twins age, for birthdays I used to be given adoption certificates for Seals in Cornwall, one year we even went to visit.

When we lived in Africa, my parents took me and my brother to a local Sealife park and I was kissed by a Seal and my love for the animal grew even more.

So I was in my element when we got to the Seals.

It's lovely to know that the Seals they rescue will be put right back into the wild and the Seals that they have in captivity are there because they aren't well enough to go back into the wild or that they were born in captivity.

One of the Seal's in the sea hospital striking a pose fit for Instagram!


We got to watch the very noisy otters be fed.
The boys thought they were hilarious, Smartie and Twix showed us how fussy they could be, and literally stood there until they were thrown they're favourite food.
The staff member told us all about them and answered all our questions.

You could tell she enjoyed her job and wanted to be there.

After seeing the Seals, Otters and Penguins we headed back inside to go and find the Sharks and Turtles.

Noah was most excited about the Sharks so was eager to get to the big tank and see if he could spot them!

The giant turtle was elegantly swimming around and Rupert loved watching it swim.

We also managed to complete our quiz and the boys all received a badge on the way out!

We are planning on buying an annual pass as I know I'll be wanting to go back to see the Seals and it will also give me somewhere to take Rupert once the boys are back at school.

Foggy Day In With My First JCB Toys

We spent this morning out at the Sea Life Centre and were going to have a game of football in the afternoon, but the fog hasn't lifted and the boys didn't want to go back out in the cold.

So that meant it was a perfect time to show them the new JCB kids stuff we were sent!

We were sent Digger Driver book,

Mega Machines Play Box and My Mega Digger Toolbox all from Igloobooks.

Oscar and Alex both loved the Digger Driver book, Oscar tried to perfect his driving skills, whilst Alex loved pushing all the noisy buttons!

It makes a fun and interactive bedtime story.

Rupert loved lining up all the road signs from the Tool box and Play box.

When I showed him how to use the play mat he was happy as pie.

He was very content in driving his mini Joey JCB around the track.

Both play sets.

The twins and Ru were kept quiet for the majority of the afternoon.

I don't think I've ever seen them play that nicely before.

The twins have each claimed an activity book and have told me they are going to solve all the puzzles without help tomorrow morning.

(I'll believe it when I see it!)

The play sets definitely a 5* rating just for me getting a five minutes to enjoy a hot coffee!

In the Mega Tool Box you got an array of road signs and a wind up Joey JCB along with an exciting hardback activity book.

The tool box is handy as you can store all the mini road signs from it plus from the Mega Play Box in it and have no worries of losing them.

I'm sure Rupert will end up filling it with his cars.

In the Mega Play box you array of road signs, a wind up Joey JCB, an activity book and a play mat.

*I was sent the products as part of my Brand Ambassadorship for JCB Kids

Clearing The Christmas Cobwebs Away

After being in for the last few days, we decided to go exploring and clear away the cobwebs!

We noticed a sign for Castle Rising on the way to Sainsbury's the other week, so I gave it a google and decided the boys would probably really like running around there.

The last castle ruins we took them too, they were less than impressed as it was only a wall that was left!

Frosty and cold we all made sure to wrap up warm, gloves, hats and cosy boots were definitely in order!

As soon as we got into the car park the boys got excited, they could see the castle and were desperate to get inside!

The frosty/misty weather really added to the atmosphere!

They all loved being able to get inside and climb the spiral staircases and find hidden rooms with little nook and crannies.

Castle Rising has been around since the 12th Century so its full of history.

The sun was hidden behind the fog and Rupert kept pointing it out asking if it was the moon!

After we had been inside the castle we went and walked where the old wall would have been.

It was very high and I'm sure if the weather had been clear, we would have been able to see for miles!

We all enjoyed getting out but we more than happy to get home to warm up with some hot chocolates and a big cup of coffee for me!

Christmas 2016

Our first Christmas in the new house was pretty awesome!!

My parents came up on Christmas Eve and we spent the day chilling out, my mum baked some cinnamon buns, I did some last minute wrapping and we took the boys to a Chris-tingle service at the local church .... a church that back in the day the one and only Pocahontas used to worship with her husband John Rolfe.

It was a fun service where everyone was encouraged to take part.

The twins spent most of the service giggling away!

The boys all went to bed at normal time, even my little non sleeper was asleep by 9.30!

Rupert woke at 5, but I was able to keep him In bed by laying on the floor next to his bed, the twins and Noah woke around 7.

We waiting until 8 for my parents to turn up before we went into the lounge to see what Father Christmas had left!

All the boys were truly spoilt and they love each and everyone of their presents.

Unlike last year where we kind of over did it and they got overwhelmed and didn't know what to play with.

The day was a full on Nerf war between everyone.

I'm still finding stray bullets everywhere from the fights.

Jon's parents and sister popped over for a little while which was nice.

In our other house that would never have worked but this house is perfect for big family gatherings.

Jon and my mum cooked the dinner and it was AMAZING!

They did themselves proud!

Boxing Day we had a lovely breakfast with bubble and squeak and then my parents headed back to Surrey.
In the afternoon we had Jon's parents over and then a nice relaxing evening.

How was your Christmas?

NumNoms #unboxing Day

The boys were sent the brand new NumNoms series 3.1 to unbox.

I love the cuteness of NumNom's but wasn't sure how much the boys would like them....I think I was secretly hoping they'd hate them so I could keep them all but unfortunately for me they loved them!

They were so excited when they unboxed a different one!

They even had a fight over the lip glosses!

We were sent two blind boxes and one light up blind box as well as

the lunch box deluxe pack!

Watch our video below to see how the boys got on!

Oscar's favourite was of course Oscar Orange,

Unboxing a toy with his name really was the best thing ever!

Noah's favourite was Peyton Peppermint and his Erase-it Nom Slice & Wedge (twins!!)

Alex loved his Light up Grape Gummy Num, which is a special edition with Orange light up Nom!

We also had another special edition which was stamp-it nom Peachy Stamp-It.

These awesomely cool NumNoms are out today!!!!

How To Survive After Christmas: The Four Step Guide

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The period of time just before Christmas is always one of the absolute busiest of the year. You’re running around buying gifts, planning meals and frantically trying to make sure that your home looks presentable enough to welcome guests to over the festive period. A lot of us love Christmas, but if we’re entirely honest, there’s often part of us looking forward to the calm period just after the storm of festivities is over, when we can relax again and our lives get back to normal. Here are some tips on how to put your life back together just after Christmas is over…

Your Home

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You might find that right after Christmas your home looks a little like a disaster zone, particularly if you have kids! That means that it’s time to clean and to declutter your house – after all, a clear space around you usually means that you have a clear mind too, and it’s the perfect time of year to start afresh.

If your surfaces are covered in your kids’ Christmas presents, gather them all together, put them in bags, and take them up to your kids’ rooms. Don’t tidy them up for them – just remove them from the communal spaces so they can learn to take responsibility for their own belongings.

If it’s your own clutter that’s the problem, it’s time to get that sorted out. Check out Marie Kondo’s tips on how to tidy up and how to declutter your life. She advises that you should get rid of all your belongings that don’t spark joy in you – and chances are, fragments of old wrapping paper and Christmas cards won’t spark that joy! 

Recycle all your trash, and put away your Christmas presents. If you got anything that you don’t want, for instance toiletries that you won’t use, consider donating them to a homeless shelter.

Christmas can also make you realise what the flaws in your home environment are. If you had problems getting enough space to cook in, consider how you can change your kitchen to suit your needs. The future starts here!

Your Finances

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January is often a tough month for your credit card bill. Although it’s a great idea to plan Christmas as much in advance as you can and start buying gifts through the whole year to store away, that often isn’t the way that it actually works out. December can be a huge rush, and also extremely tough on you and on your bank account.

It’s important not to get too carried away with Christmas. The same responsibilities that you have the rest of the year still apply! Any personal unsecured loans that you might have still need to be paid off at your agreed interest rate, and even though using your credit card might not feel like using real money all the time, you don’t want a sinking feeling in your stomach when you receive your bill. In order to effectively budget your hard earned money better, try withdrawing a certain amount from the bank in cash, and spending only that on your Christmas frivolities. When you’re trying to budget in January, it’s a good idea to do the same thing then.

Make sure that you’re fully up to date on what exactly your incomings and outgoings are, and – this is very important – make sure that you live within your means. Overspending and laying down more money than you actually have is the easiest way to get into debt.

Your Health

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Christmas is without doubt one of the unhealthiest times of the year! Not only do you tend to overindulge in delicious and unhealthy food, but it isn’t a time that you ever do much exercise. After all, it’d be pretty antisocial to get up and go for a run when you’ve just finished your Christmas dinner! But it’s important to get yourself in good health for the New Year.

First of all, take a good look at your diet. Chances are, by the time January rolls around, you’ll have spent most of the last few weeks snacking and drinking a little more alcohol than you should! From the start of 2017, it’s time to get a grip on yourself. 

Start meal planning: not only does this help you get more organised, but it also cuts down the money you spend on food and helps you to stop snacking in between meals. 

Drink more water – not only does this make your skin clear, smooth and flawless, but it will also decrease your appetite so you don’t eat more than you need to.

If you want to get more fit and toned, start going to an exercise class. If you’re an active person who likes to dance, try Zumba! 

If you’re a little more chilled and you’d like to give your mental health a helping hand, try out a yoga class. Pilates and tai chi are also great if you want some simple exercise that will help strengthen your core. Finally, put on your walking shoes and go for a hike! So long as you’re wrapped up warm, the cold weather won’t matter.

Your Relationship

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When you’re extremely busy, you often tend to let things slide a little, and your relationship is definitely one of the things that you pay less attention to. 

Because you assume it’ll always be there, you often don’t devote as much time to maintaining your relationship as you should.

But it’s important to make sure that you’re connected to each other. After the family oriented hubbub of Christmas and New Year, the next holiday is Valentine’s Day! Schedule a babysitter every two or three weeks so you can go out on a date together. If this isn’t possible, have a night in together at home. 

Watch your favourite movie and eat your favourite meal and make sure that you talk to each other. Communication is key to a happy and healthy relationship – if you keep talking honestly to each other, then chances are you’ll stick it out together for the long haul.

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