Tag: eating out

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Mama Shelter:The Kidzcation

by thejoyoffive1 Comment on Mama Shelter:The Kidzcation

Stepping out of the cab with the blistering sun burning down on us, we could have easily been on an LA strip and not in the centre on Hackney when we arrived at Mama Shelter.

The grand, black building and striking canopies gave the hotel that immediate ‘wow’ factor, which also fills me with dread when it comes to travelling with kids! Little did I know though my worries were soon to be quashed.

We made our way past young couples sipping cocktails in the sun and entered the entrance hall where we were greeted with a ecletic mix of clashing, colourful prints and luxurious fabrics that were a feast for the eyes; but I think the game changer for us all was the arcade game sitting right by the reception; which imedietly put my mind at ease about the children being there and gave them something to do whilst I checked in, in peace.

I couldn’t have asked for a warmer welcome. I was told everything I needed to know and the children were asked what they were looking forward to during thier stay.

Our stay was going to see us experience Mama Shelter’s ‘Kidzcation’ which means that when you book one room you get one half price which is interconecting if avaliable so the family are all still together.

Our rooms consisted of a double bed and two singles which worked perfectly for us. There was plenty of room to move around and all the little essentials you need such as an area to make drinks and gorgous own brand bathroom goodies.

Screen addict Frankie homed straight in on the TV and was over the moon with the huge array of free movies on offer…I think he would have been happy to stay there all weekend. Another lovely little extra were the sweets on the kids beds and the super cute Looney Tunes masks that the boys kept on for the majority of their stay .

All settled in we made our way down to dinner. The restaurant was buzzing and had a fantastic atmosphere. There was a heated debate over who was sitting on the sofa which resulted in a full on meltdown from Oscar. Normally this would make for a fraught evening, but thanks to our wonderful waiter the crisis was divered and his kinds words telling me what a fab job I was doing with the kids meant so much!

We feasted on the best burgers I have ever tasted and finshed off with a variety of puddings from cookies and milk to brulee’d pain perdu.

The children’s menu mirrored that of the adults which is always somthing I like, instead of the usual beige offerings. Mine all wolfed down their meals and I had the chance to sit and enjoy a G&T in peace while the boys played on the super cool football table.

A check out time of 12pm meant that we could have a really lazy morning which is always welcome when you have numerous little ones to get ready. A few coffees, a bit of TV watching and a long relaxing shower later we went to fill our bellies once more. Children under 12 eat free for breakfast and they get to choose from the main menu which has a great variety. We are definitely a pancake loving family and couldn’t turn down the fluffy panckes dripping with syrup and covered in crispy bacon.

Full to the brim the boys made full use of the arcade machines before we headed to the karaoke room. Tucked away at the bottom of the hotel are two karaoke rooms where Oscar was in his element. The disco lighting and iPads to select your favourite tunes were a fantastic addition to an already wonderful stay.

If you are looking for a stay that caters perfectly for the kids whilst still giving the parents something special then Mama Shleter is the place to be!

Cafes, Children, Families, Family Life, Food, Holidays, Large Families, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Parks, Seaside, travel

An Overnight Escape To The Hut – Deal

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on An Overnight Escape To The Hut – Deal

Lowdown has meant seeing a lot of our own four walls or taking trips to out local green spaces. I am extremely grateful that we have a lovely home and plenty of places to choose from when it comes to getting out and about, but after months of end not going to far afield and not seeing friends I was delighted when the lovely Hanna from The Savvy Mummy asked to meet up at her beautiful hut in Deal – Kent.

It’s only just over an hour from us and I was so happy to see a beautiful, smiling face greet us and the peaceful Kingsdown Holiday Park.

The park is home to a collection of stunning wooden huts, set in the middle of a beautiful green space just a stones throw away from the beach.

The park has so much to keep the children busy from mini golf to tennis, a well equipped play area to table tennis and the ability to allow you to let the kids roam free and find their own fun.

The Hut itself is a real home from home with a warm feeling as soon as you step in. The ground floor has a well equipment kitchen and a living space with a dining area which you sometimes don’t find in places such as this. There is also a good sized bathroom a double bedroom and a super cute children’s room complete with bunk beds and a disco ball light that kept the boys very amused!

My favourite part was the mezzanine floor that had bunting draped from each and every banister and had two good sized double beds. The cute triangular windows also have toy a gorgeous view of the grounds and the sea!

The Hut really is a tardis and is deceptively more spacious than than it looks. We are a big family and it could house us all with ease.

After exploring everything the park had to offer we jumped back in the car and took a short drive into Deal town centre to get some chips and have a dip in the sea before Hanna and the girls headed home.

If we had more time we could easily have made the walk into town as there is a wide a flat promenade that is perfect for the kids to scooter on and is definitely on our list for a return trip.

After a sad goodbye we headed back to the hut for the evening and the boys were eager to head out on their own around the park. This kind of thing always fills me with anxiety – not so much because I am worried about their safety as I felt completely space there, but I know how my youngest two have an extreme ability to annoy and I don’t want them to impose on others!

After a while and with regular checks from their big sister I relaxed a little and was able to have a cup of tea in peace whist they enjoyed their new found independence.

I’m not one to sit still for to long though and I was getting itchy feet, so I took Oscar on the few minute walk down to the sea front. This section of beach had a row of pretty cottages and two pubs which I have heard serve great food and have benches on the beach where people were enjoying a glass of wine whilst watching the sunset.

Me on Oscar however headed( pj’s on) down to the sea to see what we could find in the rock pools. My ever inquisitive youngest had a bit of a shock though when he got a sea urchin sucker onto his finger!

A little bit wet and weary we went back and enjoyed chocolate dipped marshmallows and got an early-ish night!

The next morning Frankie was up by the front door at the crack of dawn trying to spot his new found friends. For me lockdown has meant he has wanted to do very little aside from be stuck in front of a screen, so seeing him back to his old self and wanted to get out and about was amazing.

We brought a few of our own supplies for breakfast, but Hanna has left the kitchen well equipped with all the essential such as tea, coffee and cereal which was most unexpected and very welcome.

Toast, and a tidy up and it was time to say fair well to our over night home and head back into Deal to see what else there was to offer.

I had come across Deal Pier Kitchen whilst having a look online and had made it my mission to visit before we left.

I didn’t even realise Deal had a pier and unlike the usual fairground filled piers this was just home to the restaurant that sat right at the end.

The pier has a brutalist feel to it which I love and the restaurant has been built in keeping with this, keep the exterior dark, with plenty of glass to take in the stunning sea views.

There were lots of delicious choices on the menu, but being early we grabbed skinny fries and cake…great for the waistline!

Izzy was desperate to have mooch around the shops, I was not so much so with all the COVID regulations in place, but we window shopped and Deal had a good variety of your usual suspects as well as some pretty homeware and gifts shops in a pretty lame type setting.

I really felt we made the most of an overnight stay and packed in as much as we could with The Hut being the perfect place for us to do this.

The location was perfect to relax in and just let kids be kids and it allows you to do as little or as much as you want.

We had a wonderful stay and hope to be back very soon!

Children, Families, Family Life, Food, Large Families

Prezzo #LaFamiglia Challenge 

by thejoyoffive2 Comments on Prezzo #LaFamiglia Challenge 

Meals times are a battlefield in this house and there is always some sort  of issue that turns what should be happy family time into something less than enjoyable.

If we are eating at home or out there are no exceptions and the only difference to being out is that my stress levels increase as I am all to aware of everyone else around us.

For me the biggest problem is waiting. I have the most impatient children and having to wait between courses is something they are not to keen on.

This is where the La Famiglia from Prezzo is a fantastic option and something we could wait to try out for ourselves.

We were asked to take up the #LaFamiglia challenge with Britmums and were more than happy to take up the challenge.

We headed of to our local Prezzo in Reigate and were settled by out super friendly waitress who immediately kept the little ones amused with a spot of colouring.

 

While the little ones were busy creating I looked over what La Famiglia had to offer.

The set meal consists a large sharing bowl of pasta and there is the choice of the classic spaghetti bolognese, spicy penne arrabbiata or a penne alla rusticana.

Two mouthwatering garlic breads, two side dishes of either fries, oils infused fries, mixed salad or rocket salad.

And lastly four soft drinks with the option to swap for house wine for an extra ÂŁ7 and not forgetting pudding, there is either the choice of ice cream or sorbet.

The meal is aimed to feed two adults and two children so even with a large family such as mine at the great price of ÂŁ30 for  everything if we order double it would still work out a great deal cheaper then a meal out ordinary costs us.

Whist we chatted over our drinks it wasn’t long before our pasta arrabbiata and garlic bread arrived.


The children loved that they were able to help themselves to as much or as little as they wanted and to me this saved the whole argument about everything being eaten.

Pretty full there was of obviously sill room for desert.

There was a great selection of ice creams and sorbets to choose from but the salted chocolate sounded way to tempting for any of us to pass up on.

I would highly recommend trying out this great addition to Prezzo’s already fantastic menu.

The relaxed atmosphere and family friendly vibe put me at ease whilst we were there and I think tun would find it hard to beat the quality of food at such areasonable price. 

Banstead, Cafes, Cakes, Chocolate, Diet, Families, Family Life, Food

Kiddie Free Evening At FEGO

by thejoyoffive2 Comments on Kiddie Free Evening At FEGO

A while ago now I went along to FEGO in Banstead with Frankie and Oscar to see what they had to offer in the way of family dining.

We were hugely impressed with everything they had to offer…so much so that when I was asked to come back and sample their evening menu I couldn’t wait.

I’m sure I’m not the only parent who craves a little adult time away from the daily routine of taking care of the family, in fact I think it is important to take a break from it all, give yourself a little headspace and enjoy some adult conversation.

I hadn’t had a night out with my younger sister since Christmas so we were both really looking forward to some uninterrupted chit chat over dinner.

We arrived at FEGO and were taken to our table where our super friendly waitress guided me through the drinks menu and helped to pick out a cocktail she thought would take my fancy.

I went for a pornstar martini that I sipped on whilst we perused the menu.

It was a tough decision and I flitted from burgers to salads, pizzas and steaks until I finally settled on a succulent piece of salmon coated in lemon and olive oil served with a sweet potato side salad that was covered with a whole grain mustard dressing.

My sister went with the veggie curry that was a gorgeous combination of cauliflower, spinach, sweet potato, aubergine and butternut squash in a mildly, creamy curry sauce served with fluffy basmati rice and a really different mango salsa that made a pleasant change from the usual chutney.

The desert menu was then shown to us and although every part of me wanted to opt for the fruit plater to save my waistline, my willpower was not strong enough to resist the sharing platter of mini puddings.


This was probably not the best choice for sisters who still have that childlike tendency to argue over who has had the biggest portion!

Each and every pudding was a taste sensation with something different with each mouthful.

The lemon posset gave you that bit of sharpness, the chocolate brownies and ice cream were there to satisfy the love for chocolate and the pasteis de nata filled the want for something creamy.

But my favourite had to be the peppermint crisp pudding that was a combination hard to describe so I will leave it down to you to try for yourself.

Pleasantly full we remained at the table and chatted for ages with another cheeky cocktail.


At no point did we feel pressured to leave and were more than happy taking in the great atmosphere, relaxing and making the most of some rare time out.

Never before have I visited a restaurant at serval different times of day and have been able to enjoy completly different yet equally as wonderful experiences.

FEGO really have covered every base and I have to say that evening dining has been my favourite experience and one that will be having me coming back time and time again.
*Collaborated Post

Allergies, Cafes, Cakes, Children, Families, Family Life, Food, Kid Bloggers, Kids Days Out, Photography, Reviews, Surrey

Checking Out Little Lambs Softplay

by thejoyoffive3 Comments on Checking Out Little Lambs Softplay

A while ago I was asked by the lovely Sophie to bring my little ones along to her softplay cafe Little Lambs in Sutton.

So today mine were in desperate need to let off some steam and I was in need of a good coffee so we popped along to see what we thought.

  
We parked easily in the St Nicholas centre car park which took us straight to the cafe.  I didn’t bother to get the buggy out but there is ample space to leave your buggy outside and the full glass frontage allows you to easily keep an eye on it.

We found ourselves a table and went over to the counter where we were greeted by the super friendly staff who served me my much needed coffee.

  
The boys spent a good few hours jumping on the bouncy castle, slipping down the slide, leaping into the ball pit and balancing on all the soft bricks.

   
     

Once they had built up a good appetite we sat down to a wonderful lunch.  I was extremely impressed with the large range of healthy choices that were on offer, including Slimming World options.  You can also choose from some yummy homemade cakes if you fancy something a little naughty!

The children’s menu was perfect for number four as I was able to choice from the lunchbox menu so that all  his allergies could be catered for.

     
     

Before we headed home the boys popped round to the quiet corner to do some pictures on the chalk boards and play with the toy kitchen.  This is a great addition as sometimes little ones like a change from the hustle and bustle that softplay brings.

   
 

All in all we had a fantastic trip.  The staff were super friendly and more than helpful, the play areas were well kept, safe and had plenty to amuse my youngest two, number three was more than happy to have a snack and play on her iPad whist the boys played, and finally the food menu was vast, tasty and extremely good value for money.

I would highly recommend Little Lambs to anyone with under 5’s and will be returning there very soon myself.
We were given a free day out at Little Lambs in return for this review.  All opinions are my own honest thoughts.

Allergy Free, Children, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Food, Holidays, Large Families, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Parks, Photography

Center Parcs:The Perfect Family Holiday

by thejoyoffive15 Comments on Center Parcs:The Perfect Family Holiday

I first visited Center Parcs twenty one years ago when Longleat was opened and have been there nearly every year since.

It is the kind of place you simply can’t tire of and had something to offer if you are 1 or 101!!

If you were to ask any of my children what their favourite hoilday is they will always pick Center Parcs as the top of their list, well baring Disney (sorry)!

Over the years we had had trips where we have taken part in lots of activities and others where we have relaxed more and made use of exploring the wonderful surroundings Longleat is set in.

  
We always hire bikes when we go as it is the easiest way to travel from place to place, and much more fun than walking.  It’s a great place to practice your cycling as the roads are car free once everyone has checked in and there is not the worry that you would get riding a bike at home.  If cycling is not your your thing then there is a land train that you can hop onboard.

We always get a trailer for the youngest ones which doubles up perfectly as a shopping cart!

 
  
We usually grab our bikes and head off to our favourite resturant, The Pancake House.  This year was made extra special by an allergy free pancake being put on the menu so number four was not left out.

   

  

  

  

Tummies now full we made our way to our lodge to get settled in.  This year we were greeted with the usual open plan, cosy lodge nestled in the woodland with all the things you need from any self catering accommodation.  To our delight our lodge was set right onto a beautiful large pond which was perfect for on tap duck feeding.

   
     

     

The children were now champing at the bit to get to the pool which is a favourite for everyone.  They have a well set out area for babies and toddlers, a large pool area that has a wave machine on the hour that leads into a great lazy river, several water slides, jacuzzis to relax in; but our firm favourite is the Rapids.  It is an outdoor slide adventure that I love more than the children!

  
This year the children picked one activity each and we filled the rest of our time with bike riding, swimming, playing on the beach and making use of all the playgrounds on offer.

   
  

         

Number four had his first outdoor activity this year which was the Mini Trek.  He had a fantastic time and thought he was on ‘Ninja Warrior’.

   
    

 

‘Super Grandad’, hubby, number two and number three all took part in the High Ropes Challange.  This was a two hour activity and they loved every minute of it.

   
       

Last of the activities was the Arieal Adventure. This has changed slightly this year but was still the firm favourite.

   
       

As far as eating goes at Center Parcs we have always found the restaurants really good value for money and there is plenty of choice.

   

We usually eat in a lot as it is easier with a large family with young children and ours love to make use of the barbecue area at the lodge.  There is a supermarket on site with mini trollies which are always a highlight.  The supermarket has everything you could want but is very pricy so I would suggest bringing your own good if you were trying to save money by making use of the self catering.

   
 

   
 

We always have tears when we have to end of trip and I can hand on heart say that Center Parcs can’t be faulted.  It is the perfect family holiday and the fact we have visisted for over twenty years should just show you what a truly fabulous place it is.