Hastings

Last week myself, a few friends and the kids took a day trip to Hastings. We were very fortunate that we chose a day that had really good weather as both the previous and next days were pouring with rain and probably would have ruined our fun!

I hadn't been to Hasting since I was at school and learning about the battle of Hastings in History class but I had some expectations of there being really sandy beaches, not sure where I got that idea because as far as I could see the whole beach was just covered in stones! We didn't let the stones bother us, it was not sunny enough to be laying around sunbathing and there were so many other things to do anyway.

We started off with a ride on the Go carts (the kids, not me) they felt very grown up with the helmets and petrol race cars although I thought the price at £10 each was pretty steep considering they only had about 5 laps around the short course.

A short walk up from the Go carts is the funfair, it is no Thorpe park but there are a fair few rides. I would say it is mostly aimed at younger children. The fair runs on a token system and they cost £20 for 40 tokens which is pretty reasonable considering each ride is around 3 tokens each. The tokens can also be used on the the lake to take a ride in the swan boats.

After tiring ourselves at out at the fair we enjoyed a meal from one of the many chip shops along the seafront, with the seagulls flying over us looking for their lunch. We then spent quite a bit of time (and 2ps) in the arcades winning lots of tat that we didn't need but it is my favourite thing to do!

We couldn't take a trip to the seaside without having a little paddle in the sea so before going home we enjoyed the views and the weather while the kids got their shoes off and went for a dip.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable day and would definitely go back, although next time we would leave the bucket and spade at home! 

Going ape with Vimto

Last weekend we were lucky enough to take a trip to Go Ape in Tilgate park, Crawley thanks to the Vimto team. Go Ape is a forest adventure where you get to climb across obstacles and slide down zip wires while up in the trees.

Not to be outdone by the kids, the dad and I also had to get our safety gear on to brave the heights, although dad wasn't too brave and dropped out after the first hurdle!
It doesn't look too high when you are on the ground but is actually quite terrifying when you are up there!

The kids were a bit reluctant when they started and Kieron especially needed some encouragement but after about ten minutes they were flying around like professionals and left me behind!

After an hour in the Junior tree top adventure the kids received their certificates and stickers to prove that they're the king of the jungle. It was quite a warm day and the kids worked up a thirst so they were pleased to have their big bottles of water and Vimto squeezy water enhancers to hand.

Tilgate park is a lovely setting to have a Go ape, there is a beautiful green to sit and have a picnic and this very picturesque lake where the kids enjoyed looking at the ducks and boats while drinking their Vimto.

The little squeezy Vimto bottles were perfect to bring with us on the train as we were able to buy the bottled water at the station on arrival and didn't need any heavy bags to carry. The drinks come in three flavours and are sugar free so great for all the family. I think strawberry was the overall winner on the taste test. Not sure that I would use the ultra concentrated drink (each bottle has 25 servings) at home as I think they are a bit of a novelty for the kids and caught them pouring the Vimto straight onto their hands to taste it but they are perfect for keeping in your bag and using while out and about or on day trips like Go Ape.

disclaimer: We were given samples of Vimto squeezy and a family ticket for Go Ape junior tree top adventure for review purposes but all opinions are our own.

This post is linked up with #countrykids over at Coombe mill.

My summer project - shed

Throughout the year I have been trying to make my garden a bit more presentable so that we can spend more time out there. You may have seen my previous posts my mess of a garden and my cleaned up garden.

Well cutting down all the Ivy from around the shed just revealed how dirty the shed looked so I thought it would be a great summer project to give it a bit of a makeover.

I gave the shed a good scrub with a scrubbing brush, warm water and a little cleaning spray. When it dried I used sand paper to smooth it down and remove any loose bits ready for it to be painted.

I bought a small tin of Cuprinol paint in the Pale Jasmin shade. I thought, as the paint is designed to be used on wood, that it would be thick like a gloss but it was very watery and when first applied it seemed to just soak into the wood and fade. After finishing one side of the shed I ran out of paint and had to go and buy another, so it would have worked out cheaper for me to just buy a big tin in the first place!

Once painted I hung some bunting across the top which I purchased from Amazon and hung a picture on the door. The paint looks a little patchy but overall I am very pleased with how it looks.

So that's the shed done but it doesn't end there! I have loads of other jobs that still need doing in the garden and the neighbour has plans to cut down the whole of the Ivy as it's on both sides of our garden and growing out from between the fences.

What have you been doing in your garden over the summer? Come and link up with #HDYGG over at Mannaskjur on the icon below.

My Prime 5 - Things to do in the sunshine

This week has been gloriously sunny and it has made me think of all the things I would like to be doing other than working. I am quite fortunate that I get to go out in the sunshine and top up my tan while at work but it is not very relaxing when there are 300 children to supervise while I'm out there! So this is what I will be daydreaming about...

1. Barbecue - There had to be something that involved eating on the list and I love how BBQ's are so much more than just eating...there's drinking too! No seriously it's a very social thing, relaxing and chatting in the garden with the smell of the food tingling your tastebuds. I fancy one right now except I don't actually have a BBQ!

2. Gardening - Nobody wants to go out into the garden and enjoy the sun when it's a mess but personally I steer clear from doing anything out there in the cold winter months! It is lovely and can be quite a workout to go out and mow, trim, plant and generally clear it out but as I have found out from experience it is very satisfying to sit and admire all the hard work once it has actually been done.

3. Swimming - Another thing I hate to do in the winter is swimming, it is just too cold to plunge yourself into a big pool of equally cold water and have any chance of enjoying yourself. In the hot sun however there is nothing more refreshing and we spent nearly our whole holiday last year just lazing about in the pool.

4. Sunbathing - The first day back at work after last years summer holiday we had our photos taken for our identity badges. At this time I had a glowing tan and looked very healthy. I know this because a few weeks ago a boy from my class was looking at the picture on my badge and actually asked me why I was brown in the picture but I was grey in real life? I mean really, grey??... definitely time to get my tanning on!!

5. Reading - I love reading at anytime but on those long sunny afternoons there is nothing better than sitting down with a good book and an ice cold drink and just relaxing.

As you can see from my list I am quite lazy and don't like to do anything too energetic but I am sure there are some adventurous individuals out there who have lots of exciting activities planned...or maybe you are already doing them! So come and join in with #myprime5

Just write your top 5 list of things you like to do in the sunshine and link up. It will be open for 2 weeks so no need to rush your post!