Kid’s Eat for £1 at Carluccio’s

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If there’s one thing we like doing as a family it’s having dinner together; we enjoy it, even more, when it involves going out to a restaurant and not having to cook or wash up. So naturally, we were delighted to be invited along to Carluccio’s to review the menu and find out more about kids being able to eat for just £1 this summer.

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Running from 25th July to 31st August, every Monday to Friday and between the hours of 12 noon to 5pm children aged 10 years and under can enjoy a main, dessert, drink and activity for just £1 with an adult main. I love the idea of feeding these two little foodies for a total of £2 when the man and I eat!

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The kids were given their own little menus to choose from with a pretty impressive variety of kids Italian meals to choose from. Oli picked the lasagne (his favourite), and Charlotte went for the build your own pasta option and picked the Spaghetti with beef Bolognese.

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I went to Carluccio’s with the full intent of having a pasta dish, but after browsing the menu the Chicken Milanese caught my eye, and I just had to give it a try. The man was the same, and he decided on having the Beef Steak Alla Griglia instead.

Safe to say we were not disappointed with our meals, my chicken was delicious, and the mustard dressed on the salad was perfect, I had it with a side order of Garlic Focaccia which complimented it well. I’ll let the man give you his own words for his dish ‘The steak was cooked to perfection. Juicy medium rare that melted like butter in the mouth. Deliciously seasoned and was the star of the show.’

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The kid’s meals came with the choice of Carluccio’s Ice Cream or Fruit Sorbet. Now Oli couldn’t decide what flavour ice cream he wanted and was struggling to choose (we’ve all been there) and the waitress kindly checked with the chef and was able to give Oli both vanilla and chocolate, nice touch from them.

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It would have been rude for us not to have a nosy at the dessert menu, and this menu did not disappoint! Charlotte went for the Chocolate & Salted Caramel Sundae, while I went for the Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding and the man went for the Tiramisu. Let’s just say it’s food torture for me writing this review and seeing this image of this scrumptious dessert and not having it actually in front of me to consume. I have a new favourite dessert ladies & gentleman, and it is indeed this scrumptious chocolate bread & butter pudding. It melted in my mouth which is how the man also described his tiramisu.

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We thoroughly enjoyed our meals at Carluccio’s, and we fully intend on making the most of the kids being able to eat for £1 when we eat. Just think the other pounds saved could go towards a family day out!

Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017

The husband has always said that if we were ever to go and watch a sports match together as a family that it would be cricket. It’s one of those sports we play down the park with the kids and one of the few that they can actually watch on TV and not hear any naughty words being shouted. It’s a real game of sportsmanship and thanks to Nissan we got the chance to watch a game of cricket together at Lords.


It wasn’t just any old game either; it just happened to be the sold out England vs. India Women’s Cricket World Cup Final. The idea of taking my cricket loving 3-year-old daughter to watch women play was one which filled me immensely with joy. Oli loved the idea and was quite excited about attending his first cricket game, and the man could not wait to tick ‘a visit to Lords’ off his bucket list.

We had a slight hiccup at the start of our day as our babysitter cancelled on us, so we had the choice between cancelling or bringing Dylan with us. Nissan and ICC went out of their way to change our seats to disabled ones when we found out we couldn’t keep Dylan in his pram and sit in the family stand. His autism means he just about copes with the environment around him as long as he’s in the comfort of his pushchair so we cannot thank them enough for doing this!

Before we went and sat down for the match, we had some fun in the Nissan family area, and Charlotte got match ready with some flags face paint. There are lots of screens all over the place, so we didn’t miss any of the game while we were here having some fun and chill time away from the main area.

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The kids were indeed amazed by the sight of watching this game they enjoy playing themselves being played right in front of them. They cheered, they clapped and really got into the spirit of spectating. Everyone around us was so friendly and this only added to the family friendly atmosphere we felt the moment we walked into Lords.

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The great thing and the man pointed this out to me was our ability just to get up and go and do something else with the option of returning at any point to our seats. So when the children started to get restless, we were able to change the scenery and go and check out what else was on offer around the ground for the kids to do.

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After grabbing some lunch (kudos for the kid’s range of hot dogs & wedges) we headed back to our seats to watch the rest of the match. The sun had come out to play too which was welcoming, it one of those typical British weather days where one minute we were reaching for the raincoats and the next we were rubbing in the suncream!

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The game had started to heat up, and as the final was coming to an end, it looked at all odds that India had the world cup in the bag.  Negotiating the run rate with ease it would take something special to lose it. Enter Shrubsole.  The England pace bowler bowled a spell worthy of legendary status taking wicket after wicket,  stumps crashed and catches taken as India crumbled under the pressure she exerted. Believing until the end, England had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Charlotte & Oli’s excitement has gone to a whole new level, joining in with the crowd chants and Charlotte’s shouts of ‘You can do it England’ had us mega proud of our patriotic little girl.

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The atmosphere around the ground was fantastic; the kids were ecstatic and joyfully celebrating with all those around them. It was one of those moments that I’m glad we shared as a family.

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The best part (after winning) was watching the England ladies get their medals and lift the cup. We were so proud of these women, and by this point, they had certainly captured the heart of my sports mad children.

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It looked like the lades were doing a victory lap and Oli said it would be pretty cool to high five and congratulate them. We explained how they were very busy and how they could wave at them if they walked past. What happened next made what was already an amazing day even more memorable and priceless.

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Anya Shrubsole saw the kids and came over for a high five and if that wasn’t enough Katherine Brunt came over with the cup in hand and asked Charlotte if she wanted to hold it! I was already emotional at witnessing and being with my daughter as England win the world cup for the 4th time, but this just finished me off, through tears I watched as my three year old got to hold the ICC Women’s World Cup trophy.

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As if that wasn’t  enough of a treat for the kids, all under 16s were given a free cricket bat and ball on our way out. We ended the day in applause of how well the children were treated from start to finish and how they catered for families.

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We can not thank Nissan enough for inviting us to come along, and so many more thank yous go to Lord’s cricket ground, ICC, England cricket and especially all the ladies that took the time to talk to my children and letting them be a part of their celebrations.

Since we got back home it’s all Charlotte’s talked about, my cricket fan interest in cricket has exploded, our living room has turned into a cricket cage, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Here’s some video highlights including photos from our day at Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017…

Disclosure: Nissan kindly provided us with our tickets for the day.

Go Wild at Crickley Hill

Go wild at Crickley Hill

I’ve discovered a nifty little feature on Facebook which has been helping us find days out in the local area. You know that events tab? Well, it can be used for more than just inviting friends to something and being invited to something. There’s the option of looking up what is happening in your local area that day or in the future, and this is how we found out about ‘Go Wild at Crickley Hill’ hosted by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust in the nearby town of Cheltenham.

Crickley Hill is one of those hills I use to visit back when I lived in Cheltenham, it’s a blissful place with fantastic views, and I cannot believe I’ve never thought to take my kids up there. There is a pay and display car park on site and a cafe at the top which is where we found the Go Wild event happening.

The kids first stop were the fossils, always the fossils for these little dinosaur lovers.  With the help of the Gloucester Geology Trust, they made some of their own fossils to take home with them.

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kids always do like the grossest of things don’t they, ask them if they want to root around in owl sick to find some bones of the animals they’ve eaten and they jump at the chance.

After the kids had their fill of mice bones, they headed off into the woods on a bug hunt. There were plenty of creepy crawlies to be found under twigs and rocks which kept Charlotte & Oli amused. Dylan enjoyed just exploring the area, and we found sensory objects for him to discover and touch.

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After we had finished our bug hunting, we found some history re-enactment guys who dressed up the children and explained to them what various tools did once upon a time in battles.

There was so much to and all they asked of us was a donation which I thought was reasonable considering how much they had going on to keep the kids entertained.

The welly wanging was enjoyed by all the children; we even got Dylan who struggled with the concept of throwing to wang a well a few times. We had no choice but to make him go without his comfort of his pushchair, it did cost us a pack of haribo though (think Hansel taking that slice of bread and leaving that trail of bread crumbs for them to follow home!)  it was such a good afternoon and we’re looking forward to seeing what the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust has in store at the ‘Evesham Goes Wild’ event.

 

So Bowling Went With A Bang!

Our first family bowling session at Hollywood Bowl and Charlotte’s first time bowling went with a bang, and by bang I mean my bottom hitting the floor as it slides down the alley!

It started off so well with us taking that brave step of taking Dylan bowling with us, we were armed with his iPad and a bag load of snacks, but it’s always nerve wrecking taking him into a new environment, especially one we cannot control and maybe busy and rather noisy. We explained to the man at the reception desk when booking in that Dylan has autism, and off the back of this information, he put us in an alley which would be the quietest.  What he did next had me wanting to hug him, I think I must have had a look on my face which he could read, the music was just so loud that I knew it would have an effect on Dylan. I didn’t have to say anything as he said he was going to turn that down for us and he did. I could never applaud Hollywood Bowl enough in that moment.

We had such an enjoyable time, Charlotte loved her first time bowling, and we discovered that Oli really does have a competitive streak. I wanted to get Dylan involved, so I used my last turn to take him out of his pushchair, lift him up and let him push a ball down the ramp. He liked it, and we did it a couple of times, and then I put him down, and that’s where it became a blur.

Obviously not understanding the danger and not being able to read the ‘slippery do not pass this line’ sign on the floor, Dylan ran towards the pins so naturally, I had to run after him. This is where both my legs went from underneath me, and I fell as I’ve never fallen before. It was so painful but caught up in adrenaline, I had Dylan somehow and passed him to the man as I crawled back up. We then had the problem of Dylan’s drink having leaked all over his pram seat; all Dylan wanted now was to be strapped into his comfort seat, so Gav had hold of him as I wheeled it to the toilets to try and dry it. I was gripping that pram handle for life as my bum and back felt like it was on fire.

Typically the toilets had those dryers which you pop your hands straight into so no drying the pram that way. That kind man from earlier at the reception desk passed me some of that handy blue roll which I doubled into a pad to pop underneath Dylan’s bottom. The topic of conversation led to me telling them what happened and of course, I had to fill in an accident form with them. They were so nice to us and even threw in some free games for when we next visit, even though this was not their fault.

Sadly over a week later, my back is still giving me grief, we popped a cold compress straight on my coccyx when we got home as it had swollen and now I’m treating it with my new best friend, Mr hot water bottle. Stubbornness has me avoiding the doctors ( gah waiting rooms), but it may call for something stronger than the ibuprofen I’m currently taking for it. I need it for feel better soon; the kids cannot wait to go bowling again!

You Have Been Officially Autistic For One Year

You Have Been Officially Autistic For One Year

Unofficially it’s been a few years now, you’re 5, and it was around the age of 2 that we knew you were different to the other children your age.  Facebook memories kindly reminded me this morning that one year ago today we got that letter which officially confirmed you had autism. At the time I started to draft a blog post about it like I have done so many times about autism, I’m pretty sure 100 of the 459 drafts I have on my blog dashboard is on the subject of autism. I find blogging about it difficult, somehow writing it all down makes it feel even more real than what it already is. I read so many brilliant blog posts from autistic parents which put it perfectly into words what I would like to say. So the last year I’ve become more of an autism blog reader than an actual autism blogger.

With the anniversary of his diagnosis, I’ve decided that this is going to change and I’m going to make it my mission to go back through my drafts and finish off those posts. The one’s that I cried over as I tried to put into words what those first few doctor appointments were like to what it was like taking him to his first day at a SEN (special educational needs) school instead of a mainstream one.

So what’s changed in the last year? Honestly? Everything and nothing. Dylan still has autism and always will be, this won’t change, but he will change, as he gets older the way the world seems to him will change, despite his current non-verbal state we know that much without him telling us. He has come on leaps and bounds at school, and I’m so happy he’s there, he’s somewhere where they understand him and cater to his needs. I’m grateful that I have this facility just down the road from us and right opposite Oli’s school which makes the school run so much easier in the morning.

Meltdowns have been rare in the last year, and he copes well with whatever difficult situations we put him through, including a trip to a busy city like New York. His comfort is that pushchair of his when he’s strapped into that he can face whatever the world throws at him. Without it he doesn’t do very well, this means as he outgrows this we’re now looking into the Maclaren Major Elite for him. Distractions work wonders 99/9% of the time, sadly the other weekend when we attended the Asparafest Festival he didn’t do so well at first as we were in a busy stage area. His brother and sister wanted to see Mr Bloom, so we bought out the snacks and the iPad as a distraction, he eventually calmed down as long as the snacks kept coming and there was battery on the iPad, to be kind to him we didn’t stay in that area long and found some bubbles which made him happy.

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He copes so well with his sister now and any noises she makes, she’s learning that at the same time as being a typical toddler that her screams can upset her brother and she needs to have her tantrums away from him. She’s a pretty well-behaved child if we’re honest and is more cheeky than anything, I can already see that’s going to be a brilliant sibling carer as she gets older.  Dylan dotes on his big brother and their relationship over the last year has been as good as it always has been. Dylan’s relationship with us is of one we never thought we would have, the last year has seen him go from no eye contact with people to now wanting to sometimes stare at people directly in the eyes. He will hug us and snuggle up to us and understands us when it comes to things like wanting a kiss goodbye in the morning; he’ll give us one.

Socially yes he wants to be in the comfort of his pram most the time, but he does get out of it now and again, especially for the park, we do usually go to a village park where it’s just us which he loves but he is slowly integrating into busier parks, and he will find something that he likes to play with (mainly swings) and happily go about his own business. I am finding that I’m talking to other parents more and explaining why I’m running like a crazy lady to stop my child going in front of a swing, I’ll tell them Dylan has autism and has no sense of danger as if I’m ordering Chinese. I’m not afraid to us the ‘A’ word anymore, and I now know what to say, and I won’t apologise on behalf of my boy, but I will explain on his behalf.

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There’s so much more I could go into about Dylan such as his food, that has not changed in the last few years. Dry and cold foods such as yoghurts pretty much rule his diet, but this conversation is enough for a blog post itself. Here’s hoping that one makes it beyond the drafts folder.

The #PrezzoLaFamiglia Challenge with Prezzo restaurants

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We were invited by Britmums & Prezzo to go along to our local restaurant to try the new Prezzo La Famiglia sharing dish. If there’s one thing, this family loves its food, especially Italian food! We visited our nearest branch in the Cotswolds medieval market town Tewkesbury and here’s both our review of that dish along with our entry for the #PrezzoLaFamiglia Challenge.

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We were quickly seated upon arrival, given a couple of adult menus (obligatory drinks menu included) and the children given menus which double up as activity sheets. Our first task as a family was to decide which La Famiglia sharing dish we wanted. We had the choice of Penne Arrabiata, Spaghetti Bolognese, Spaghetti Carbonara or Penne Alla Rusticana. We went with the Penne Alla Rusticana (Seasoned chicken, pancetta, peppers and rosemary in a creamy pomodoro sauce) as it sounded incredibly appetising.

Oli is a fussy eater when it comes to Italian food, and won’t eat spaghetti or pasta unless it’s plain, so we ordered him a pizza off the older kids food menu. Our side order consisted of 2 large garlic bread for the table, and our drinks consisted of a couple of coke cola’s, and water’s for the children, Oli’s meal came with a capri sun which his sister consumed.

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We weren’t disappointed with what was served, our sharing bowl was HUGE and I can why it recommended for four people. The taste didn’t disappoint either, the chicken melted in my mouth and the yellow peppers added a burst of flavour alongside the sauce. We thoroughly enjoyed this dish, and I’m already looking forward to going back to try it again.

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The sharing bowl may have been our main reason for coming, but I left Prezzo with a major crush on its large garlic bread. The balsamic onions added something different to the flavour, and it has totally rocked my garlic bread world. I’m glad we ordered 2 for the table as there could have easily been a battle between me, the man and Charlotte over how many slices we got.

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When we had all the pasta, we could consume we were left with some leftovers which they kindly boxed up for us which was perfect for Charlotte’s lunch the next day. Then we were passed the dessert menus to browse; it was a case of being full until we saw what was on offer for pudding. I knew the man wouldn’t be able to resist the honeycomb smash cheesecake while I went for the dolcino option and had a Nutella hazelnut spread and banana mini calzone with a latte. The kids had ice creams; they picked the two scoop option with 1 being chocolate and the other strawberry.  We all rather enjoyed our desserts and found them the perfect ending to our meal.

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Eating together as a family is one of my favourite times of the day, it’s even more enjoyable when eating out and not having to worry about the cooking and cleaning. Our love of food is one thing that brings us together as a family. I loved having the sharing bowl in the middle of the table and being able to divide the portions between us, handy when you have a small child who one day will eat a whole plate, and the next will leave some. This option avoided any of us having leftovers on our plates.

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Our visit was spot on; the sharing dish was worth reviewing as it’s giving us a new favourite family meal, the staff were friendly and were accommodating when I explained Dylan had autism and how we needed a table where he could stay in the comfort of his pushchair. The prices are reasonable, and I couldn’t get over how cheap Oli’s meal was considering it included a reasonable size pizza where he got to pick his topping, a side order where he picked salad, pudding and drink. Prezzo gets a huge thumbs up from Me, The Man & The Kids.

 

This post is an entry for the BritMums #PrezzoLaFamiglia Challenge, sponsored by Prezzo

 

Asparafest Music & Food Festival

Asparafest Music & Food Festival Worcestershire

I remember when I first read about the Asparafest Music & Food Festival I thought it was crazy that we had a festival dedicated to celebrating this strange looking vegetable. Then I found out we, the Vale of Evesham is the largest producer of Asparagus within Northern Europe and then I decided actually to try the stuff. It transformed my morning poached eggs, and I couldn’t imagine breaking that soft gooey yolk with anything other than my asparagus tips.

So this year we decided to attend the Asparafest Festival to see for ourselves what this vegetable loving festival was all about.

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We weren’t disappointed with what we found over at Ashdown Farm, Badsey in Evesham. Entrance was £10 each on the gate which would of been £1.50 cheaper if we bought online, under 10s went free, this included a free programme. So we paid £20 for what a jam packed day full of entertainment and free activities.

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There were lots to do for the kids, and after having joined in with the street dance over by the asum stage, we had some ball fun, gooey autism mum moment but Dylan actually got out of his pushchair and joined in with this activity. Super rare for someone who usually finds comfort in staying strapped in his pushchair when there are crowds of people nearby.

He didn’t cope so well when we joined the crowd in front of the stage, but with his iPad and a bag full of snacks, it kept him happy enough for us to watch Mr Bloom while consuming some yummy pulled cajun chicken and skinny fries from one of the food stalls. Check out our video below to see Mr Bloom live in action.

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After we had our mind blown by Mr Bloom’s veggies, we decided to explore the area, but we were instantly greeted by some big bubbles, queue three very excited children!

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We continued our walk and came across the Clik Clik Asparalympics, watched some cookery classes, checked out the falconry,  saw some ferrets and so much more. There were even a  funfair and pony rides, but with our new family frugal pact, we managed to steer the children away from these and back to the free activities.

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My favourite area for the children was the Junkfish Family Crafts area which had lots of activities for the kids to join in with as well as a play area for the smaller children. We made spoon people, crowns and then made shields and swords. Dylan even joined in which made us smile lots.

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Just before we headed home for the day exhausted and happy, we managed to grab a photo with Gus – The Asparagus Man.

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As I was drafting this post, I saw someone had commented on the Asparafest Facebook page about how as adults they had come along, paid £10 on the gate (would have been £8 for the Sunday if they paid online) and was disappointed with what they saw stating that it was aimed more towards children. Quite the contrary, if we had come childless we would have had just as good as time, we would have hit the bar for starters (duh) and checked out the cocktail van. We would have spent longer at all the food exhibitors checking out new flavours, and we would have spent the day listening to the bands and watching the entertainment provided. We might have been a bit of envious of friends who were there last night doing exactly this.

It was the most enjoyable family fun day, and I’m kicking myself for not checking it out in years gone by. We are even thinking about checking out the camping option for next year. Here’s a video snippet of our day at the Asparafest festival.

 

This Morning Live

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Charlotte’s getting to that fun age now where we can have conversations and enjoy activities together. We took advantage of her brothers being at school and spent a Friday visiting this Morning Live which was happening at the NEC in Birmingham.

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It had a 4-day schedule jam packed with the presenters like Holly, Philip & Rylan live on stage, cookery demonstrations and hundreds of stalls to discovered. There were various make-up and skincare giving free makeovers and advice, health workshops and even a pets corner where we got cuddles with the most adorable guide dog.

Mine & Charlotte’s weakness has to be food, and we had so much fun trying out some new foods from the different exhibitors. This salted caramel dessert pot from Bonne Mamam was soooo delicious. I didn’t get a look in once I let Charlotte try it!

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There were some right quirky shopping stalls which gave us so much to browse, we shopped for my best friends birthday presents and treated ourselves to some jewellery, Charlotte got a necklace, bracelet & ring to add to her forever growing collection.

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We ended our day by watching Gino D’Acampo cooking live, he so funny and such a charmer as you can see in the video below. Charlotte & I had such a fun girly day and if it’s on again next year then sign us for tickets!

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