Category: Flowers

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Not A Holiday Without A Trip To Hever Castle

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I actually can’t remember when we last had a hoilday without a trip to Hever Castle. Our love for it never falters and I would find it hard to tell you what season there I love the most…well actually that’s a little lie as it has to be Christmas. With that said though whatever time of year you visit you are in for a treat and for us the other day was no different.

As I’m sure you have noticed the weather this summer hasn’t exactly been the best, but there is always something to see and do at Hever. We headed straight for the playground as this is always one of the boys favourite areas. Frankie is reaching the age where is sometimes gets a little bored of playgrounds now, but we spent a huge amount of time in here with the boys playing chase and making new friends in a huge game of hide and seek.

Next up we plotted up by the water to feed the ducks and have something delicious from the BBQ. Hever is perfect for picnicing and we normally do a mixtutre of both. Taking snacks and drinks to keep us going and then treating ourselves to something nice – which always includes an ice-cream!

We didn’t go inside the castle on this visit as the children were keen to stay outside, but it is definetly a must if you are planning a visit. Instead we ignored the weather and went straight to the water maze. For me this is such a pretty feature to the already stunning grounds, and something I have never seen anywhere else quite like it.

There are still covid restrictions on this attraction, but the queue was short and we still had a heap of fun.

We sadly missed the times for the falconary exebitions that run twice a day, but we spent the rest of the day enjoying all the little hidden walks around the grounds whilst the boys tried to spot as many naked statues as they could – something else they never seem to get bored off and mananged to meet one of the birds of prey on our way round.

We had yet another fantastic day and can’t wait until our next trip.

Beauty, Families, Family Life, Flowers, Gifts, Memories, Reviews

Valentines Big Night In With Moonpig

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[AD] As with most things at the moment Valentine’s Day is going to be a little different this year. There won’t be any candlelit dinners in cosy restaurants or celebrations over cocktails in swanky bars, but this doesn’t mean the celebrations have to stop – we can have just as much fun indoors and I have got some fantastic ideas from Moonpig to help with the fun.

Moonpig cards are a staple for any celebrations in this house and they couldn’t be handier than they are right now. From humour to romance they have it covered and the abitltiy to personalise your cards with your own photos or even handwriting make them all the more special.

Valentine’s Day and flowers are probably one of the most traditional ways to celelebate and Moonpig offer a fantastic range, with my favourite being the dozen red roses – simple and beautiful.

With the flowers to set the mood then a gorgous sented candle is the perfect accompaniment to set the mood for your date night. Yankee Candles are always a winner and the fresh cut rose scent works so well alondside the bouquet.

Next up would actually be a little treat I would buy myself…we all need to treat ourselves sometimes don’t we! The Valentine Beauty Gift Set from Birchbox has a great selelction of gifts such as lip gloss, nail polish and pillow spray to pamper yourself with.

For something a little different then the At Home Date Night gift card is a great way to plan a night of quizzes, puzzles, musical challanges and more. This alongside a few gin and tonics like the Edinburugh Pink Valentines Gin will make this somewhat different Valentine’s Day go with a bang!

Children, Families, Family Life, Flowers, Gardens, Kids Days Out, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Parks, Picnics, Reviews, Summer, Surrey

Good, Safe Fun At Hever Castle

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[PRESS TRIP] For those of you that follow me regularly you will know that we are all big fans of Hever Castle and we were delighted when they opened their doors again after lockdown.

As with anything we have done since restrictions have been lifted, we approached our first visit back with caution, but from the get go I needn’t have worried.

Pre-booking is essential, and time slots need to be selected to allow for small streams of people to enter at one time. This worked really well and we were able to get in quickly and easily.

Once we were inside the grounds there was plenty of room to run free and take in the beauty of the gardens.

All of the usual attractions aside from the maze are open with limited numbers allowed in for 30 mins at a time. Once your time is up there is a clean down before the next group of people are allowed in.

Of course this meant there was some waiting around and we didn’t get to spend as long as we usually would at each section. But I was happier to know that we were going into a place with limited numbers that was clean rather than having to stress about trying to social distance the children like I have at other places we have visited.

The play area is actually split into two sections and we manage to fit in two trips to both whilst we were there, with a cooling of session in the water maze in between which is always a favourite of ours.

We didn’t go inside the castle on this visit as the weather was just to glorious to miss so unfortunately I can’t comment on how long it was to get inside. However we did sit for a good while watching and feeding the huge fish!

Along with lots of other people we took a picnic and plotted up next to the water so the children could enjoy feeding the ducks whist we ate.

There were still plenty of food options if you prefer to eat there and of course lots of ice cream stops which we had to partake in!

It’s become a bit of a tradition for us to finish the day with a stroll through the wooded area which we always fine super quiet and the boys love as the can go off track, play by the steam and of course get covered in mud!

I can honestly say I was more than impressed with all the measures that have been put in place at Hever Castle to allow you to still have so much fun, whilst keeping you safe.

The castle will be getting its coating of autumnal leaves now and we can’t wait for our next visit to see this!

Flowers, Gifts, Reviews, Reviews

My First Virtual Event With Moonpig

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[AD] The world is a pretty funny place at the moment and we are all having to adapt to a new way of life. This can be hard and there are definitely things that I am missing more and more as time goes on.

With my line of work the majority is done online and I predominately work from home so this isn’t to much of a change for me; but a fairly large percentage of work is also event based which I have to say I am really missing now.

Meeting new people, discovering new brands and simple face to face interaction has completely gone and I’m definitely missing this side of my work. So when an invite to a ‘virtual event’ from Moonpig popped into my inbox I was very excited albeit a little a sceptical as to how this was going to work.

A night of cocktail making and flower arranging had been planned and the running order of the evening was exactly what you would expect from any other event, and when the bits and pieces started to arrived at the front door the excitement started to build and I was eager to get started.

With the children shut in the front room with bowls of sweets and a movie for bribery to keep quiet I transformed my dinning room into a flower arranging/cocktail masterclass area and waited patiently for the Zoom meeting to begin.

The screen started to fill will faces – some familiar and some not so, but all super smiley and welcoming.

We started of the evening chatting a little about the Moonpig App. Now I have been a customer of Moonpig for many years now and I hadn’t even realised there was an app available.

It was super easy to use and allows you to access 10,000+ cards and filters from wherever you happen to be.

They have also added something new and exciting, so now not only can you personalise your cards with your own words and pictures, you can also add your own handwriting in a few easy steps. This was a real bonus for me and something I know the little ones will love to be able to join in with.

This service is available on all iOS devices and will be coming to android soon.

Another thing I didn’t know about Moonpig was the extent of gifts they have on offer to add to your cards, with the gin and flowers we were going to be using being just a few of the things on offer.

Next up was our cocktail masterclass with James from Mix and Twist. We had a step by step guide on how to make a Gin Garden, Elderflower Colin and a Strawberry Gimlet with a few games thrown into the mix too which got so competitive it ended up with lots of spillages, a broken glass and plenty of belly laughs.

It was a brilliant way to discover something new but I think it should have been saved until last as I went into the flower arranging more than a little tipsy!

I had been sent an amazing bouquet of flowers from Moonpig and one of their experts Roxanne was on hand to give us some tips on how best to arrange these bouquets.

For me a bunch of flowers will always brighten up my day and it’s just what so many people need right about now!

I came away from the flower arranging with a lot more tips than I was expecting. For years I have moaned about the leaves in the water going gunky and it was a complete surprise to me that I should have been trimming these off before putting them in a vase…pretty obvious if you think about it!

I also hadn’t realised the importance of the size of the vase and I soon came to the realisation I don’t own any that are suitable for displaying flowers well.

All these tips come inside the flower box which is something I’ve never seen before, but for someone like me it would be of great help.

I came away from the event having learnt new skills, met new people and super happy that my first virtual event had been one to remember, so thank you very much Moonpig!

Children, Christmas, Families, Family Life, Flowers, Gardens, Kids Days Out, Large Families, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Photography, Summer

A New Adventure At Hever Castle

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[GIFTED] Hever Castle has been one of our favourite places to go over the Christmas period, but for some reason until the other week we had never visited during the summer so I was very excited to see what it would hold at this time of year.

We arrived in the blistering heat with some friends and I was amazed at how stunning the gardens were in full bloom and as always the boys loved running off through each and every pathway that connects them.

We had a pretty swift walk as the children were eager to get to the new adventure playground that was a new addition to us.

As we arrived the mixture of wood and sand immediately appealed to me and the children took off within seconds to explore.

There was a huge sandpit with areas to climb and hide and in and as we walked through we discovered rope bridges, slides and a huge castle at the top which the boys absolutely loved.

Mine tend to get itchy feet pretty much anywhere we go and I was asked we spent a whole three hours there without a moan or groan…well aside from a couple of sand throwing incidents!

There is a coffee hut inside the play area which allowed me to have a natter over a drink whilst the children played.

We filled up on ice cream at the main cafe before heading into the maze which is always a big hit.

Next up was the water maze which again isn’t something we have had the pleasure of enjoying before.

It was so much prettier than I was expecting and was formed of a huge rock formation covered in foliage with pathways running around the outside with water squirting out at different times to surprise the children.

I wasn’t prepared so my lot went in fully clothed but I think that was half the fun!

Our last port of call of the day was to take a look out over the lake and to make some wishes in the fountain.

I love the serenity of this area and a row in one of the boats in on our list for our next visit.

Hever really does cater for all ages and because of this it is one of my favourite places for a day out with the whole family. There is action and adventure for the kids whist the chance for the adults to take in the beauty and the amazing history the whole place is steeped in.

There is always something new to see and experience and a whole activities that run throughout the year such as the Knights And Princesses School that is running right now.

A trip here would make the perfect treat to end the summer with.

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Our March…

by thejoyoffive2 Comments on Our March…

March seems to have come and gone in the blink of an eye and as I still here going over what we have been up to I think it’s probably the fact we have been so busy it has just flown by.

Archie started off the month with landing himself his first real part time job. It is on a church retreat and he had the job of cooking, cleaning and serving the guests. He seems to be thoroughly enjoying the more tasks he is set and meeting new people who all seem to have sixth amazing stories to tell.

I have to admit when he first told me about where it was(down a load of country lanes with no public transport) I was moaning like made as I knew this was going to fall back on me to get him there and back. But it wasn’t until someone said instead of moaning you should be proud of him for taking the time to find himself work and apply himself that I realise I should suck it up and praise him for his drive and want for independence.

Frankie has one of his routine trips to the hospital for an eye check and the good news is he is nearly done with patching. There has been a huge improvement in this sight and they have got it to a leave that is now remaining stable, so the daily battles with the patch I’m am happy to say are now over!

I fast forwarded the year and stepped straight into summer at the Next Happy Hotel event where I got to look at a whole host of products from homeware, clothing and beauty that are set to make for a pretty great summer. There were some fantastic pieces in each and every section but I think I was most surprised by the amount of other beauty brands that are available through next. I had no idea they stocked Benefit…did you?

From a event on my own to one with all the family at Chessington World Of Adventures. For those of you that regularly read my blog you will know that I have been an ambassador for them for the past few years now and absolutely love watching the changes each and every year. This year the have a new interactive attraction based on the much loved book – Room On The Broom. The children loved it and it’s a must see for any fans of the story.

I have been up and down with my exercise but Jemma’s Health Hub has kept things pretty constant for me so I’m hoping to feel a lot healthier and less self continuous this summer.

Whist we are in the subject of health I had a little bit of a scare with some chest pains that I was referred to the hospital for. My blood pressure isn’t really what it should be and I am waiting on a scan just to check that everything is ok and it’s actually given me more of a push to shift these pounds and get my exercise back to being an everyday routine rather than a chore.

Peppa Pig is still very much a favourite in this house with the boys…even though Frankie wouldn’t let on to anyone; so we were very excited to go along to Leicester Square to see the new film that is put this Easter. The boys absolved it and I’m sure it’s going to be another big hit.

From this screening we went straight to the Royal Opera House to take a look at one of their family fun Sunday events. I was more than a little apprehensive about taking the youngest two as they don’t really scream Royal Opera house! I needn’t have worried though as it was such a relaxed atmosphere where they got to enjoy lots of crafts, storytelling sessions and witness the most amazing ballet and modern performances. It really would come highly recommend from us.

With Mother’s Day on everyone’s minds I was invited along for afternoon tea with Paperchase. We got to chat to lots of lovey mummies and take a look at all the amazing products Paperchase had to offer this year.

A highlight for me probably more than the children this month though was a screening of the new Dumbo movie. It is most definitely a childhood favourite for me and I was so pleased that Disney had worked their magic and managed to recreate a different but equally as thought provoking and heart warming movie as the last.

Spring definitely seems to have been making an appearance and we have been enjoying this with some time in the garden, plenty of hot cross buns and some spring flowers. I really do love this time of year.

The last few days of March will always be ones to remember as the day we were celebrating Izzy’s 13th birthday party my eldest daughter Alice decided to give birth to my beautiful second grandchild. We don’t like to do things by halves in this family and it was a whirlwind 24 hours but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.

After all the chaos it was time to celebrate Mother’s Day and this is traditionally a nightmare day and this year didn’t disappoint.

I think I have this ridiculous expectations that my children are going to turn into angels for one day and the arguing and bad behaviour are all going to disappear! Sadly of course this doesn’t happen and we started the day with two of them devouring my chocolates before I even sat down to breakfast, one then decided to throw the said breakfast as their sisters head and so the day started.

Next year I’m going to lower the expectations in the hope that this will help!

Bathtime, Beauty, Behavioural Problems, Children, Families, Family Life, Flowers, Reviews, Tolietries

A Restful Nights Sleep With Love Boo

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A restful nights sleep and children don’t really go hand and hand in this house, in fact its the complete opposite. My eldest three were all pretty good but the last two have been a different story and bedtimes are a battle ground to say the least.

You name it we have tried it and to be honest the only thing that helps a little is getting into a good routine. When things are all up the wall and there is no set routine then things are certainly that bit harder.

Our routine always consists of bath and a bedtime story to try and get them as calm and relaxed as possible; so I was extremely happy when I was asked by Love Boo to try out their Sleep & Snuggle Room Spray.  The 100% natural spay is a combination of chamomile, patchouli and lavender which makes form the perfect combination to aid a restful sleep for you little ones.

Before seeing if this worked its magic though the boys enjoyed a warm bath with the gorgeous smelling Soft & Splashy Bubble, bubble bath that comes from the vast collection of goodies that Love Boo offer. They boys both suffer from eczema and can often be irritated by bath products but this left their skin silky smooth and not an itchy patch in sight.

Super clean and ready for story time the boys excitedly took the Sleep & Snuggle Srpay and spritzed it around the room whilst I informed them it had magical powers to help them get off to sleep. A gorgeous smell engulfed the room and amazingly the boys settled with ease.

I think a combination of the spray and the promises I had implanted in their tiny minds allowed them to settle really well and has now become an important part of our bedtime routine.

Love Boo isn’t just about the children either and once they were all settled I treated myself to a long soak in the bath with their Splendidly Soothing Bath soak full of rose geranium oil, white water lily and mallow followed by soothing myself in their Body Smoother which has my favourite shea butter with its hugely mosterisiing properties it was just what I needed.

I also added a few squirts of the Sleep & Snuggle Spay to my own pillow as I often have trouble with switching off at bedtime and it was a great help.

So if you are in need of some help at bedtime or you want to give yourself a little treat then head over and take a look at the whole range as I can assure you there will be something there you will all love.

*I was gifted these products for the purpose of this review.

art, Families, Family Life, Flowers, interiors, Uncategorized

Bringing A Colour Splash To A Bare Wall With Desenio

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A few of you will know that we have recently moved and I have been really excited to be able to start a fresh and put my own stamp on it. We are lucky enough to have really high ceilings which make for a wonderfully light and airy space but on the downside it has left us with huge expanses of bare walls to fill.

The lounge for us is the hub of the home and the place we spend the most time so it was important to get this room ready first. Our sofas are a neutral cream colour as are the walls so i needed to add some colour as neutral really isn’t me.

I have been lucky enough to work with Desenio who offer a huge range of posters and prints that offer something to incorporate all tastes.

The fact that they have thousands of pieces to offer was a little overwhelming to begin with, especially as I had no idea what I was really after. But with the help of their themed sections and amazing gallery wall that allows you to choose exactly how you would like to see the pieces on the wall it wasn’t long before I had made my selection.

I went for a few motivational quotes which I hope will encourage the children to think positively by seeing them everyday, a little bit of abstract art and of course a big splash of colour with a small palm print and one of my favourite ladies – Freida Kahlo.

The prints all arrived promptly and were beautifully packaged and took no time to put into the frame and get onto the wall. The fact that you can select the frames at the same time as the prints was a massive pull for me as it saves dragging from the shops trying to get frames to fit.

If you are looking to create a gallery wall of fill a small space with something beautiful then Desenio is the place to look.

If you have been as taken with Desenio then please feel free to use the code “THEJOYOFFIVE” at the checkout which gives you 25% off posters between 27th and 29th November. This excludes frames and handpicked/collaberation posters.

Families, Family Life, Festivals, Flowers, London, Memories

Brightening Up Your Workspace With Flowers Of Colombia

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Who doesn’t love the sight and smell off beautiful fresh flowers. As humans we are automatically drawn towards their beauty and their sheer presence immediately gives us a lift.

This is not the only thing that we need to be grateful to them for though; they can in fact be a huge benefit to people when they are housed in the work place. Believe it or not they can increase work productivity, improve memory, help concentration, reduce anxiety, relieve depression and improve negative thoughts.

My workplace being the home means that I love to have a vase of beautiful flowers on the side to look beautiful and aid my motivation.

Some of the best flowers come from the beautiful city of Bogotá in Colombia where Flowers Of Colombia produce gorgeous and hardy chrysanthemums and carnations that can last for up to four weeks if kept watered. Making it a very affordable way to create a beautiful and motivating display.

It’s not often that I think about the back story behind how these flowers make the their way into my home but it has been great to find out that the trade association Ascolflores that look after the production of all the flowers of Colombia and who do a fantastic job of taking on and making the workforce up of 65% woman who use this job to escape poverty and better themselves.

What could be better than brightening your day with a burst of colour that has somehow gone towards bringing some colour and happiness into other people’s lives.

Flowers Of Colombia actually wanted to spread their love further back in June and mixed the beauty of flowers and music to create the London Flower Tribute right here in London.

Take a look HERE at what they created by merging these two wonders.

*collaborated post

Children, Families, Family Life, Flowers, Food, Large Families, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Shopping

Celebrating The Small Things:Week Thirty Two

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This week one ‘celebrating the small things’ I really am talking about very little things that bring me lots of joy.

Tea – I think growing up with a father as a builder who drank ‘builders’s tea’ by the gallon it was instilled in me to become a tea drinker. Whilst I was out the other day have a delicious cream tea it made me realise just how much I love a good strong cup of tea and how it really is a cure for everything!

Stationary – Since I was little I have had a love for pretty stationary and I certainly share this love with Izzy. We love nothing more than walking round stationary stores, selecting our favourite shinny new pens and fresh pages in new note books. The only problem is I tend to hord notepads in fear of messy them up with my terrible handwriting!

Why, Why, Why – I have a love hate relationship with the relentless ‘why’ questions I still get from the youngest two. It can be massively draining when they are in full swing but equally as indering that they have such a thirst for knowledge and what to know about absolutey everything that is going on around them.