Activities Archives | Page 4 of 8

Spice Up Your Life with HelloFresh’s New Venture

If you aren’t familiar with HelloFresh, you must have been growing your own food for the past few years. So many of my friends use Hello Fresh which delivers ‘cook from scratch’ meal plans straight to your door, with easy-to-follow-recipe cards and high quality, pre-portioned fresh ingredients. The key thing here is there is no food wastage and the cost is much less than you think it would be!!

Anyway, they have just launched FreshMeets, a series of fun, informative and interactive
culinary experiences to get your foodie juices flowing.

The first in the series, Spice Up Your Life, which my husband and I went along to.

Patrick Drake, Head Chef and co-founder of HelloFresh said

“We’re really excited to launch FreshMeets and it’s really fitting that we’ve chosen Spice as our first theme. At HelloFresh, we’re focused on delivering delicious dishes with a twist that take the customer around the world on their plate, using a medley of spices and interesting ingredients. We don’t think spice should be something to be scared off – it can add so much variety to a dish. We hope through this event we’ll be able to share our passion for all things spice. Plus we get to support one of our favourite charities, The Felix Project at the same time.”

Below I was waitressing, not hogging the lot!

The Order of The Night

Expert cooking demo: where food meets theatre with Middle Eastern food queen Sabrina
Ghayour. From breakfast to Roast Lamb, Sabrina has it covered.

Spice Q & A: spice pairings, ingredient combinations, recipe ideas, techniques, tricks and tips from the experts.

These spiced cucumber nibbles were incredible!

Cocktail masterclass: award-winning mixologist and Executive Bar Manager of The Gilbert Scott, Dav Eames conjures up spice-inspired cocktails from Thailand to Morocco.

Authentic, tasty food: from one of London’s favourite street food stall, The Cheeky Indian.

It was fantastic evening with flowing drinks and food to make your taste buds go ‘oh hellooooo’. We combined it as a date night and left with full hearts (for spicy food 🙂 and exploding bellies.

hellofresh.co.uk

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Activities Gift Guides Spotlight

My Pocket Money Toy & Giveaway – Plus Winners Announced

I dream about being that mother who remembers to give their children their pocket money on a Saturday morning and then we waddle off to the shops to choose something, most likely educational and great quality that my child doesn’t put down as soon as we get home… Reality, when I remember, I chuck them the change that is floating around in the bottom of my bag and we rush to Londis in between football and lunch to buy sweets or Match Attax!!

However, if things rings true, I bring you My Pocket Money Toy.

Shirley is a mummy who has made a move from Financial Crime & Risk to children’s toys! She has just launched a new subscription box for children called My Pocket Money Toy.

The monthly box will be filled with 2-3 quality, durable, fun (and often educational/STEM) toys every month. In the first box, the child will receive an old fashioned style stamp book, a new toy sicker stamp each month (children can collect stamps for a free toy) and a themed colouring insert.

My idea has grown out of two main problems that I have faced as a mother. The first problem is a lack of time and the second problem is the increasing lack of availability of good toys.

Her son Alasdair is now 7 and his life is packed at the weekend with tennis, swimming and skiing as well as parties and play dates throw in from time to time. We all know that feeling of not having enough time.

If we factor in shopping, caring for ageing grandparents and spending quality family time together, we quickly find researching and finding good toys just falls off the list of things to do! I hope my box will fill a need and create some quality family time playing with toys and games in the box.

She is delighted to be working with great companies such as Brainbox (The Green Board Game Co), Brainstorm, Galt, Orchard Toys, Keycraft, Mibo, Rachel Ellen, Gibsons, Melissa and Doug, POM, Wicked Toys. The list keeps growing and will continue to grow as she researches, sources and tests the best toys.

How does it work?

Choose 1 from each category below.

3 Age Ranges –

3-5 years
6-7 years
8-10 years

Gender

Boy
Girl
Gender Neutral

4 Types of Package

One-off box (perfect for Easter, Holidays or Birthdays)
3 month subscription
6 month subscription
1 year subscription.

If indicated as a birthday gift, she will include a bespoke (oohKatieQ) birthday cards.

Shirley very kindly sent us two boxes, 1 for my eldest (6-7, boy) and one for my second son (3-5 box). She also included a little box for my 2 year old as she didn’t want her to feel left out!!

I can genuinely say the presentation and of the toys was beautiful The box arrived with the toys individually wrapped and swathed in green tissue paper.

Many of the toys were new to me – a mix of educational and fun. The quality was at the top end and none of the goodies were disposable!

My oldest loved his so much, he carefully put everything back in the box and squirrelled it up to his room.

I urge you to head over to My Pocket Money Toy to set up your subscription and also if you are looking for a present for child that you need to post – you won’t be disappointed!

GIVEAWAY

To win a 3 Month Subscription for a box of your choosing, head over to Instagram.

WINNER OF THE 5 SPRING TIME GIVEAWAYS ARE…

Pack of Time Tokens

Selina Ridsdale

Charlie Tattersal

Hollyhock Home Rabbit Bag

Suzi Lloyd

The Little Art Collection Butterfly Swaddle

Samantha Milner

Kiddiewinkles Grey Star Laundry Basket

Mira Da Silva

Four Fairies & a Prince Ebbe Fleece

Laura Thomas (On Instagram)

Congratulations! I will be in touch to organise delivery xx

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Activities

Free Tennis Sessions With The LTA For 5-8 Year Olds

If you can’t beat them join them. Never has this rung so true since having two boys with a father who is determined to turn them into sportsmen whether it kills him or not (talent prevailing or not – it doesn’t matter). The sports on the drawing board are football and cricket. I have made a concerted effort to get up to speed on them so I am can understand where the passion comes from – yet to happen with football, but I actually love a good cricket match! So, what about tennis?

So whilst I am left at home with ‘the baby’ (as we still call her) whilst they go off to Fulham Football Club and Lords, it has me thinking. I need to pull them in a direction of a sport I enjoy, so I am not just the packed lunch maker and washer woman. And this sport will be….. tennis!

I am no pro (obviously) but it is one sport that I can do. Now I have a daughter who (presumably, but she can if she wants to) won’t be playing football and cricket, I want to give us a sport to do together too.

So with Wimbledon round the corner, is time to hop skip and jump back into my tennis whites and dust off that old Head.

How Am I Going To Do This?

Nothing like having an energetic 6 year old to keep me on my toes and The Lawn Tennis Association has just launched a series of tennis sessions, #tennisforkids across the country. The LTA’s sessions take place from 22 April 2017 and anyone can sign up their 5- to 8-year-old for free lessons via the ClubSpark website, so I am signing my 6 year old up at Putney Lawn Tennis.

At the end of the #TennisForKids lessons, children receive a free tennis racket that is theirs to keep!

The #TennisForKids programme is specially tailored to keeps kids engaged, even if
they’ve never picked up a racket before. It includes ball games to help with hand-eye
coordination, softer balls well-suited for beginners, playing on a more-manageable mini-tennis court (smaller footprint, lower net), and coaches trained in getting young novices excited and having fun.

So, why not type in your postcode and see what venues are near you that have opted in to this brilliant program. Don’t delay, there are only 20,000 places!

This is a paid relationship with the Lawn Tennis Association on their #TennisForKids campaign.

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Activities Events

Easter Holidays Covered with London’s Little Thinkers

With the Easter holidays imminent, London’s Little Thinkers is on hand to fill your ‘Little Thinker’s’ time with educational and engaging activities. Below are some of LLT’s top tips of things to do both in London and at home to get your little ones thinking! They always have fantastic ideas and I know you will enjoy this post that Rebecca (from London’s Little Thinkers) has crafted for you… Wow, that sounds like a bit of tongue twister but the tips are as clear as a bell!

Activities in London

We are incredibly excited to introduce you to Bubble Kids Yoga, London. This impressive new venture will immerse your Little Thinker in both yoga and mindfulness in a fun, stress free and interactive way. Bubble Kids offer age appropriate classes for children aged 4-12 during holidays and in term time – our favourite being the storytelling through yoga.

Are you Looking for an Easter Holiday Course for your Little Thinker? Sign up to one of their Easter workshops (2 hours per day) for a bouncy, fun, dynamic and imaginative yoga and mindfulness course. Location: Parsons Green (4, 5, 6th April) or Wimbledon Village (11,12,13th April). Price: £65 (sibling discount applies). Email here for more details.

Events at Discover Children’s Story Centre are both educational and fun for Little Thinkers. Check out their range of literacy inspired events on offer over the Easter Holidays. Why not head over for their Dr Seuss inspired Easter egg hunt. Head out into the Story Garden for a Green Eggs and Ham inspired egg hunt, dreamt up by our Children’s Forum. Your Little Thinker will have to complete the literacy focused challenges before winning their chocolate goodie!

The Robot Zoo at The Horniman Museum will give your Little Thinker the chance to discover the mechanisms which give animals their unique abilities. Why do grasshoppers jump so high? Why do chameleons change colour? All of these questions and more will
be answered through the use of larger-than-life animals that have been “innovatively
recreated using a variety of familiar machine parts and gadgets to reveal how their real life counterparts see, eat, hunt and hide”.

Interactive exhibits also give your Little Thinker the chance to try jet-propelled squid racing, shoot a chameleon’s ‘tongue-gun’ and even design their own ‘mutant’ robot creature.

Child ticket £4.

The Little Art Society was set up by two specialist Art teachers. They run Art, Craft ad Design workshops for Little Thinkers during weekends and the school holidays. Their 3 hour long sessions expose children to new techniques and a diverse range of new skills and materials.

Book your session for the Easter Holidays here

At Home

Shaving Foam Fun: simple yet effective, this is an excellent way to encourage emergent writing or letter/number formation. Cover a big tray in shaving foam and let your Little Thinker get messy whilst practicing their school work. When I taught Reception, the children’s increased enthusiasm to write (especially boys) when shaving foam was involved was amazing to see. My biggest tip would be to keep learning fun, interactive and sensory; when you do this the results are amazing! It’ll leave your house smelling delicious too!

Download Virry : children can discover a world of animal adventures through wild animal live cameras, interactive videos and countless hours of captivating entertainment and learning! Created in collaboration with leading child development researchers and world-renowned wildlife experts, Virry is specifically designed for animal lovers aged 2–7 years olds with a hunger to explore and discover the animal kingdom. Trusted by parents and educators around the world, you can download their app via the App Store.

Mrs Wordsmith: We are a big fan of Mrs Wordsmith vocabulary cards here at LLT. They are hilariously illustrated vocabulary cards which will nourish, support and develop your Little Thinkers vocabulary bank. This subscription-based programme has been academically researched by specialists and will be delivered straight to your door. Your Little Thinker will enjoy vocabulary exercises, daily placemats, flashcards and rewards too.

Order here

If you have enjoyed this post – I certainly have! please sign up to London’s Little Thinkers for information on what’s on and what to do with little ones.

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Activities Events

9 Outings To Book Now

Now the dust has settled and they are back to school & you have finally managed to paint your nails, it’s time to start thinking about what you are up to this year. If like me, you can see gaping holes in your diary then why not be really organised and book an outings you have something to look forward to.

Grab that cup of tea and take a look.

There are so many fun things in London in 2017, from sleepovers at a museum to classic books that will come to life in the theatre.

FOR LEGO LOVERS

Giant Lego Brick Animals at London Wetland Centre

Now until 28th January

The giant Lego figures have been touring around the various Wetland Centres and are in Barnes until 28th.

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Magic Lantern Festival at Chiswick House

19th January – 27th February

The theme this year is Along The Silk Road so it will no doubt be as spectacular as last year.

FOR 2- 6 YEAR OLDS

How To Hide a Lion at Polka Dot Theatre Wimbledon

19th January – 25th February

FOR BABIES -12 YEAR OLDS

Babe with Cini Mini Film Club in Battersea

11th February

Cinemini is a new business that offers a fully immersive experience to their little cinema goers. Expect crafts, face painting, fancy dress before and throughout the screening. No need to keep them pinned to the seats during this show.

FOR 2 – 6 YEAR OLDS

Mr Bloom Live in Richmond

18th February

FOR 2-8 YEAR OLDS

The Very Hungry Caterpillar at the Arts Depot

1st – 6th April

If you missed this at Christmas – don’t worry they are coming back to London during the WORLDWIDE TOUR!

FOR 7 AND UP

Harry Potter in Concert at The Royal Albert Hall

11th – 14th May

Ok this is ages away but when people get wind of it, it will sell out pretty quickly!

FOR 7-11 YEAR OLDS

Science Night at The Science Museum

13th May, 3rd June, 8th July

A giant sleepover at the Science Museum with experiments and interaction throughout the night and a hearty breakfast. £55 pp (I really want to do this but bedtime is 1130!!)

If you want to see a short video of the newly opened Wonderlab – click on the video below. I took it last weekend!

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3QHQxK6nLo[/embedyt]

FOR 3-10 YEAR OLDS

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt at Cadogan Hall

3rd August – 3rd September

Let know if you stumble upon other things to do this year. I always love to hear!

Have a lovely day xx

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Activities Days Out Family Life Food

Review of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co

Restaurants that really welcome children? Few & far between. I am always on the hunt for fun, relaxed & reasonable restaurants to take the kiddies where we won’t be looked upon like we have taken a bunch of leprechaun’s into the restaurant. So when newly opened Bubba Gump Shrimp Co asked us to come and visit them, we were delighted to.

After arriving in the West End slightly early, we killed some time Lillywhites for old times sake (which I might add is still pretty cheap despite being in the centre of tourist mecca). After that brief interlude of looking at junior cricket bats (I am outnumbered) we headed to the restaurant, where we found the neon lights of Bubba’s pretty easily.

It is a stone’s throw from Piccadilly tube, based in the classic Trocadero. Be warned there is a shop at the entrance though. We say in advance ‘Just so you know, this is a treat in itself. We are not buying anything extra,’ which now seems to do the trick if they know ahead of time.

The restaurant is a tribute to the film ‘Forrest Gump’ and features a menu of comfort food from the American South that reflects the film’s setting in Alabama. Shrimp is of course the specialty but there’s something to delight everyone on the menu.

After an excitable wait downstairs, we were led upstairs past all the original memorabilia.

I especially liked all the words of wisdoms that were sporadically placed over the walls in amongst costume’s and prop displays.

We were given a booth opposite the a large TV that aired rolling repeats of all the Tom Hanks movies he had been in.

We had Forrest Gump which was fun.

First things first, we ordered drinks. Not usually one for cocktails – I entered the spirit of things and went for their Alabama Southern Punch. That definitely chilled me out!

We ordered their signature dishes such as ‘After The Storm – Bucket of Boat Trash’ and ‘Dumb Luck Coconut Shrimp’ which were vast and delicious.

The kids had the ‘Bus Bench Burger & Hubba Bubba Popcorn Shrimp which kept them quiet for a considerable amount of time.

For pudding, I ordered Chocolate Chip Cookie Sunday. It was basically the size of my face and I thought there is no way I will be able to eat it all… Will leave it your imagine whether I did or not! ha

The children’s pudding was pretty unbeatable. Move over Build a Bear, this was ‘Build Your Own Sundae!’ A trio of toppings and a mountain of ice cream.

We had a great time and will definitely head back for a special occasion. If you are looking for a fun place to take the family one weekend, I highly recommend Bubba’s.

Not only is it an education in deep South American history (!) it is relaxed – you want have to be shhhhing them every 5 seconds! (or is that just me!), easy to get to and pretty reasonable.

Make sure you book though as it is very popular!

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co

13 Coventry Street, London W1D 7AB

0203 7 635 288

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Activities Family Life Spotlight

How To Drop a Dress Size In Two Weeks with Amanda Stotesbury

Crash dieting/exercise is frowned upon by (mothers!), nutritionists & fitness gurus as it is deemed unhealthy and unsustainable. ‘You will only put the weight back on…’ blah blah blah Perhaps this is true (we will wait and see!) but if you are like me, you need a kick-start to see results quickly. Therefore you feel encouraged and hence it is easier to continue… So, how can you drop a dress size in 2 weeks?

Basically, it started as the stars aligned. I didn’t think, ‘oh December is going be my month to get healthy!’ (Why would anyone choose this month?)

I haven’t eaten breakfast for a long time, but when a nutritionist from Nestle Breakfast Cereals said

‘If you don’t put fuel in a car, it will stop suddenly, so why would you not put fuel in your body at the beginning of the day?’

I really felt she was talking to me! I always crashed at 11 and made unhealthy choices, so since then in November I have started having breakfast with the kids (usually porridge)

This helped me energy levels enormously.

When I heard about Amanda from Bella Bello and her two-week kick-start course, I jumped at the chance to give it a go. Amanda is a personal trainer and pilates teacher and works throughout London.

She came to my house 3 times a week and either trained me at home, interval training in the park or on an actual jog. I must say, I loved the boxing the most – might have to get some gloves!

Amanda may even bring her dog Goose!

She also enlightened me about a common problem woman have after pregnancy. No, not weak pelvic floor (although that is super important!)

Diastis Recti

It is basically the gap in your abdomen after pregnancy and unless you close it through breathing and pilates exercises, normal sit ups will futile and only make the problem worse, hence never getting your abs back. We worked on this and she showed me some exercises to narrow the gap.

If you would like her to check your Diastis Recti, drop her an email and she will very happily swing by for 10 minutes and give you a quick prognosis!

Anyway, usually at this time in December, my face is puffy, I am grabbing a croissant for breakfast due to a permanent hangover and I am tucking my tum into Spanx.

But not this month!!

I actually went for a jog this morning. This is a view of the Thames from Hammersmith Bridge.

She also recommended two great apps Gym Boss for interval training and Nike Training for prompts & encouragement whilst you train.

I have also just bought a Nutri Bullet from a friend who is moving back to the States and I have got the kids on board too. They are loving the concoctions.

Amanda gave me so many top exercise and nutrition tips over the course of two weeks and has left me with a little plan to continue what we started.

Amanda’s 5 Nutrition Cheats

Replace pasta with butternut squash spaghetti (spiralized butternut squash) M & S is my favourite
Freeze blueberries as a delicious snack and you are far less likely to eat the whole punnet if it’s frozen.
To battle my mid-week chocolate craving I keep a low-calorie chocolate powder in the cupboard or have a matcha latte.
Instead of ice cream, slice up bananas and freeze. Then put in a blender with anything you’d fancy to make healthier ice cream!!
Eat from smaller plates and bowls this is an old trick but it really works!!

Amanda’s 5 Training Cheats

If you’re struggling to get out and run, just say you’re only going to do 10 minutes. I find the moment you get to 10 you always want to carry on for another 10!
If you really can’t get motivated for the gym put on YouTube at home and find a workout. I love Fitness Blender but there are tons of workouts on there to choose from.
Buy new fitness clothes! This always inspires me to workout.
Not really a cheat but get a personal trainer! No self motivation needed we do all the work for you!
If you don’t fancy running one day then don’t force yourself instead do a 30 minute hiit workout! Similarly if you can’t face lifting weights go for a jog! It’s all about consistency so whatever gets you up off the sofa go for it!

Amanda’s Favourites

Restaurant : Kurobuta Kings Road / Marble Arch or Nama Vegan 222 West Kensington

Hotel : Costes in Paris

Website : Net-a-porter

Shop : Maje, Sandro, Baar and Baas, Sweaty Betty

Holiday Destination Tough one! Our villa in Majorca, Ibiza or Tulum Mexico!

So the real test will be Christmas. With the help of My Fitness Pal I will be able to spread out the calories and if all else fails, I will just book some more sessions with Amanda!

Why don’t you book her for January?

£240 for 6 1 hr sessions.

Now that would be a great Christmas present!

amanda@bellabello.co.uk

bellabello.co.uk

Amanda is also giving away 2 FREE sessions. She will come to your home/office/park and put you through your paces. (Don’t worry, she is firm but fair!)

Email me hello@thelondonmummy.com with Amanda in the subject to be entered into the draw. Draw will close on 21st December.

Good luck! xx

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Activities Food Places

Mummy & Mini Tea, Urban Meadow Cafe

Last Sunday the kids had a fab time at the Princess Diana Memorial playground in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park. A little tip if you are heading there – I didn’t realise you weren’t allowed in the playground without kids with you, so after letting the rest of them go on ahead (I was taking photos…) I was stumped when they wouldn’t let me in! Don’t make the same mistake…

Once we were reunited and the tummies started rumbling, we hopped across Bayswater Road (lots of pay and display parking btw) to Urban Meadow Cafe for a special family afternoon tea that they are currently offering, Mummy & Mini Tea.

Urban Meadow is a cafe/bistro attached to the Double Tree Hilton Hotel. The entrance is spacious and there are lots of outdoor tables as Urban Meadow attracts a lot of dog walkers and there are heaters and water bowl for your fury friend. Here is a little video.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pskMkek7ISY[/embedyt]

We were greeted by friendly staff who showed us to our table and gave us the Mummy & Mini Tea menu. The interiors are slightly American Diner meets Daylesford!

We ordered 2 adult teas and 3 children’s. The food arrived quickly so there was little time to crack on with the craft packs that they gave the children – not that they minded when they saw the cupcakes! To our delight we were each given a small wicker basket with our tea in, including scones and clotted cream!

It was a tasty as it looks and everyone likes food served a novel way! What a lovely way to finish off the weekend.

Rating 0-5

Ambience : 3 It wasn’t very busy as it was their quietest time of day and they were clearing tables before the rush of dinner guests, so the atmosphere wasn’t electric.

Service : 4 At the beginning the service was a bit slow, but once the kids started kicking off and there were a few tuts from the other patrons, the service hotted up and we were served like kings!

Value : 4 All fed for £30. Not bad! There was so much food it doubled up as the kids tea.

Taste : 4 Soft & tasty sandwiches & large selection of specialist teas.

Overall : 4 It is a great place if you are in the area. Next time you are in Hyde Park and fancy something to eat, don’t go to the cafe’s in the park #ripoff, head to Urban Meadow Cafe. It is a lovely family outing or also a great place to go with friends (or your dog) midweek. We will definitely visit again!

urbanmeadowcafe.com

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