Category Archives: Travel

Keeping the kids occupied in the car – Guest Post

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bigstock-Vacation-Travel--kid-with-do-30044288Cars, travel and time. If only my ‘mini me’s’ had even a vague concept of them. What can appear like 30 minutes to us time-worn adults can seem like an eternity for those knee-high to a grasshopper. A time machine would be handy.

Last Christmas, faced with mission impossible: a 500-mile car journey with a five-year-old and a six-month-old baby the thought of it brought us out in a cold sweat. To add to the gloom were another 18 million drivers hitting the roads during nearly the wettest winter on record. Yikes.

I had visions of my wife and I packing a pair of wigs in case our hair fell out or some ‘industrial-sized’ ear plugs to blot out the back seat bedlam. The end result? Not needed. With a little planning and lady luck on our side, it was plain sailing. Here’s some tips on how we tackled the epic pilgrimage:

Preparation…

Plan the great escape well in advance by:

● Taking the day before off work to pack and to make sure the car is fighting fit – for example, checking tyre pressures, fluid levels and giving it a good clean. Double check all paperwork is up-to-date, including MOT, car insurance and breakdown cover

● Arrange to stay at friends or family, if possible, half way along the journey, not only to give the children a break – but also mum and dad.

One’s for the road: On the day itself, it might appear like you’ve packed everything but the kitchen sink to keep the nippers out of mischief but it’s worth it. Consider packing the following to make the trip more bearable:

For him:

● A portable DVD player with headphones; a lifesaving gadget, providing hours of non-stop play with a choice of DVDs more than you could throw a stick at.

● Light reading – books: The traditional Mary Poppins approach. If you can drag them away from the DVD player, a book is a great way to keep them occupied and offer some quiet time.

For her:

● Aged six months there is little they would do with a DVD player other than try to eat it or at least short circuit it with copious amounts of dribble.

● Teething ring, rattles and electronic-sounding toys; these might end up the passenger footwell but they also might send the nippers off to the land of nod for three hours. Bliss.

For both:

● Food with thought: There is no substitute for bringing snacks on long car journeys. Above all it helps break up the boredom; secondly it helps fill little tummies to prevent any belly-aching.

● Dress to impress: this is a must since there will be a strong likelihood of spills and thrills not to mention potential damp clothing due to little accidents.

● Lotta bottle: Depending on the age of the passengers, cartons of baby milk and bottles are vital, along with water or fruit squash for the older kids to keep them hydrated.

Bon voyage…

Any trip starts with a single footstep; and here are some helpful words of wisdom when planning a long car journey with your sprogs: plan early, take plenty of breaks and, above all, take your time. After all, as the saying goes, better late than never…

OD3G_Guest Post

Winter Driving

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This past week the temperature has really dropped and the gritters have been out so its important to change our driving according to the weather.

Below are a few tips to remember during the winter months.

Before you set off make sure all the windows and clear and if its been snowing make sure the roof is clear too.

If the lock is frozen use a cigarette lighter to warm the key, don’t breath into the lock as the moisture will add to the problem.

Don’t reduce tyre pressure to get more grip its a myth and doesn’t work.

Try to pull away in 2nd gear as it will help avoid wheel spin.

Try to avoid stopping part way up a hill. Where possible wait at the bottom until its clears.

Apply the brakes gently and release the breaks and de-clutch if you start to skid.

Avoid sudden movement and keep to a steady speed.

REMEMBER STOPPING DISTANCES ARE 10 TIMES LONGER IN ICE AND SNOW

WIN a family trip to Centre Parcs

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WIN a family trip to Centre Parcs up to the value of £1,000

With NEW Sudocrem Mousse

Sudocrem Mousse is asking you to take their Mascot, Bruce the Moose, on the tour of his life this summer, capture a moment on camera and share your funny or original picture with the community! Only 100 lucky applicants will receive a toy and make it to stage 2, then have the chance to WIN the grand prize of a trip to Centre Parks up to the value of £1,000.

Stage 1 entry – For all entrants wanting to apply for their Bruce The Moose

To be in with a chance of receiving your Bruce The Moose toy

  • Step 1 – Go to www.facebook.com/SudocremMousse and ‘Like’ the page
  • Step 2 – Click on the Bruce on Tour application, register your details and complete the sentence “I am going to take Bruce The Sudocrem Moose to…..”.  Make it fun, make it original, and you could be one of the lucky 100.
  • Step 3 – We will select the best 100 applications for a Bruce toy and send him to you to take on your travels over the summer.

Stage 2 entry – For the 100 successful applicants

  • Take a photo of Bruce  and upload it to www.facebook.com/SudocremMousse (remember to make it entertaining, inspiring and original)
  • Sudocrem will select the 5 finalists and shortly afterwards announce their winner.

If you are the lucky winner, you will WIN a stay at one of the UK’s leading holiday parks, Centre Parcs up to the value of £1,000. Four runners up will win a family day pass to Chessington World of Adventures.

Key Dates

Duration

Part 1 launch date (application for a Bruce)               Tuesday 10th July 2012

Part 1 closing date                                                      Monday 13th August 2012

Bruce sent out to successful applicants                     Thursday 16th August 2012

Part 2 launch date (upload pictures opens)                Monday 20th August 2012

Part 2 closing date (upload pictures closes)               Wednesday 19th September 2012

Finalist selected and winner announced                     Monday 24th September 2012

The Prizes:

  1. 1st Prize: Long weekend trip for a family of 4 to Centre Parcs up to the value of £1,000
  2. Runners up: 4 x Chessington World of Adventure Family Day Passes

Around the World in 80 words…Bansko

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This post is part of a brilliant idea by SAHDandproud to create a linky for bloggers to write about various places they have been to, the catch…it has to be done in 80 words or less.

This is my second entry so please have a look at my first attempt for Around the World in 80 words…Paris

Bansko in Bulgaria was more of a fact finding and what did I find? It’s very much poor or rich. Poor seems to be honest, rich seems to be erm dishonest. (Mafia…who said that?)

The older parts remind me of Borat with animals roaming the streets but the new part is lovely. Also venture out slightly and you’ll see some lovely things on the menu such as grilled kid and wolf which actually tasted very nice.

Around the World in 80 Words…Paris

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This post is part of a brilliant idea by SAHDandproud to create a linky for bloggers to write about various places they have been to, the catch…it has to be done in 80 words or less.

I’ve been to Paris 3-4 times, normally to EuroDisney but the memory I have of Paris is the time I went with the college. Now Paris is meant to be romantic and historic but what I remember is the dirty streets and more importantly the pikey French kids running up to us and knicking our food while their trampy mum was clapping them and laughing in the background.

Romantic Paris I think not!