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Days Out Food

T Rex Grill : A New Restaurant To Take The Kids

It is always a delight taking the kids to restaurants where kids are the majority. I have written about our ability to restaurant clear in the past so a place that is aimed at kids is preferable. There wasn’t a table without a little nipper at The Natural History Museum’s newly opened T Rex Grill.

 

This family-friendly eatery is the perfect place to take your little grillers for a burger, mini pizza or ice cream sundae with a triceratops twist.

 

T Rex Grill is nestled near the Dinosaurs in the Green Zone.

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The entrance has a few ‘live’ dinosaurs which kept the kids amused if there is a little bit of a queue.

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At 1230 when we went there wasn’t much of one, but by the time we left a short one had built up.If you are really organised, you can book a table.

Drop them an email here to book (open 11-4pm)

The kids menu has a sweet prehistoric take on the words, although the choice is mainstream. This works for us though!

Kids Menu

The adults menu is all freshly prepared in the vicinity. I (greedily) went for spare ribs that I had to wrestle off the kids and Alex (obviously) went for T bone steak.

The particular highlight was the pudding – to share. It included mini eggs and handmade dinosaur shaped chocolates!

T Rex Grill Pudding

If you are planning a day out at The Natural History museum, which if you haven’t done for a while – you should get down there. Yes it is majorly busy at the weekends but totally worth it.

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As your kid gets older it becomes even better – you aren’t just going to see the ‘real’ T Rex!

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If you like trying new places and need refuelling whilst you are at the museum, T Rex Grill is the restaurant to go to!

T Rex Grill

 

Days Out

6 Destination ‘Farm Shops’ From London For All The Family

Whenever we are staying with family in Suffolk, I always try to squeeze in a visit to Wyken Vineyards. It has been called the ‘Daylesford of East Anglia’ and rightly so. Not only does it have an acclaimed restaurant, upmarket gift shop and a beautiful garden to peruse, there are are alpacas, sheep and peacocks to give your children their farm fix!

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I started thinking about places similar to this close to London.  It is easy to find theme parks or straightforward farms (see my previous post on 6 Farms Close to London)  within throwing distance of London, but a place to visit away from the humdrum of London that can satisfy every member of the family (with a bit of shopping and top nosh for example) are few and far between.



The good thing about these ‘destination farm shops’ (that I am bracketing them them all under) is that, excuse the cliche, there really is something for everyone.

Whether it is being inspired by new interiors, stocking up your present draw, eating ‘farm to fork’ produce or getting some fresh air – I just think they are a great destination to go with a friend in the holidays or all the family at the weekend.

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Priory Farm, Surrey 

Not only does Priory Fram have all the jazz mentioned above, it’s USP for me Discovery Walk. Meander through tunnels, peak into little houses and a try to conquer the sunflower maze – this is a wonderful walk (don’t take a push chair though!!!)

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GOOD IF YOU HAVE ENERGETIC CHILDREN


Cowdray Estate House, Midhurst, West Sussex

Not only farm shops and cafe’s – why not have a golf lesson on their famous course.  If it was all a bit too much excitement you could also extend your stay in one of their little cottages!

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GOOD IF YOU APPRECIATE A BEAUTIFUL SETTING


Gog Magog Farm Shop, Cambridge 

Not only does this place have a playbarn (son good winter destination too), it is famous for the Shack. Bring the great outdoors indoors, enjoy delicious food in an unusual and relaxed setting. Perfect after a dog walk!

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GOOD IF YOU HAVE A DOG


Fox Holes Farm, Hertfordshire 

This is a great place for a rural day out near Hertford and if you are looking to amuse the little ones in half term and want something completely different what about the ‘sausage linking‘ workshop? You won’t find that in London!

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After you have learnt to string sausages, tuck in to  Granny Smith’s high tea for two! So English!

GOOD FOR STOCKING THE FREEZER


Middle Farm, South Downs, Sussex 

Not only do they have a newly laid out ‘Hay Playbarn’ there are numerous ways to get involved with the animals. With entrance to the farm only £5 per person, you will be able to fill the day easily and also stock up your cupboards with a bit of shopping at the gift shop and take some plants back from the lovely nursery.

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GOOD FOR A COUNTRYSIDE DAY OUT


Trading Boundaries, Uckfield, East Sussex

This place is like no other I have visited! With a large courtyard full of boutique shops, there is a fab play area for the kids (with a vast area for the kids to run free) and a really lovely cafe / restaurant. They have a fantastic kids menu and also a Jazz Sunday Brunch if that takes your fancy!

They also sell furniture!

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GOOD IF YOU LIKE SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT


All of these places may seem like a hike, but they are all worth it once you get there!! Hopefully the kids will doze on the way back into London! I am going to visit a couple in half term, so if you want to see how we get on, head over to Instagram and click follow! 

Do you know of any other destinations from London? Please let me know as I would love to visit!

Also, if you are looking for some day other types of trips from London, you might find these 9 Day Trip Ideas helpful.

Have a lovely day xx

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.

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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.

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

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

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We had Forrest Gump which was fun.

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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!

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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

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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.

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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

Days Out Family Life

A Gift From Me To You With Uber

Are you at the forefront of discoveries or do you get to the party a long time after other people? I totally missed the Uber phenomena until a friend made me download it in the middle of the night in Piccadilly as there were no taxis around… and the rest is history.

(OK not the type that will be bound and preserved in a museum but you get what I mean)

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So when Uber asked me to help with a little collaboration, I was more than happy to oblige.

The fab team at Uber are giving you £15 off your first ride (or free if your first ride is under £15) if you use the code TLMUBER (No catch!) IOS or Android 

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PS. In case my mother is reading this – IOS is Apple/Ipad/Iphone etc & Android is Smart Phone (Samsung etc)

What’s So Great About Uber?

I have been known to take a bus back on my own at 2 in the morning, trek through rush hour on a freezing night and not drink a drop at a friends  dinner party as I knew I had to drive back. Oh yes, I was that person.

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I don’t like to call myself tight, just careful. Hey, I would prefer to spend money on other things. Nails are my ‘thing’. This is my next look. Strong isn’t it?

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Mustn’t sway from the subject in hand.

So when I finally downloaded Uber – actually the friend downloaded it for me (despite in hindsight it being uber (!) simple and ordered my first car.

Not to be dramatic but my (social) life changed in an instant.

I didn’t get that sinking feeling as soon as I put the kids to bed  that I had to do public transport to a destination nowhere near any public transport.

For the price of a Donner kebab (yes, we have been known too – especially if we are walking home!) I could arrive at my destination in the cool calm and collective way that I envisaged how I would at the ripe old age of 35 years. I could even where high heels!

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You know what’s even better though, have you tried Uber Pool?

If you pool your ride with someone else, it is even cheaper. It may mean a little divert and being dropped off slightly before your destination but if  it saves you a fiver – win! One more Martini Expresso.

I ordered an Uber for my parents from the River cafe in Fulham to Oxted in Surrey. The car and friendly driver arrived in 5 minutes. It took 50 minutes to get home (super speedy) and it was only £30.

My husband took an Uber from Heathrow to home and it was also only £30 – usually it would be about £70.

As you can see, I am genuinely excited. Uber is going to transform my Silly Season!

So, what are you waiting – Download the app here and book that first trip!

This post was written in collaboration with Uber (obviously!) 

 

Days Out Family Life Food

My Thyme Away With Nestle Breakfast Cereals

Sitting at my computer with the rain pummeling down, it feels like a distant memory that I was actually away for 3 days only a week ago. And what a 3 days it was. Firstly, it was lovely to go away independently of family (!) and secondly to a beautiful place (the spelling of Thyme in the title is not a typo).  I was accompanied by fantastic group of other bloggers from around the world to learn about Nutrition, Food Styling & Photography with Nestle Breakfast Cereals.

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NUTRITION

Our time started with a talk on Nutrition by Constanza on the importance of breakfast – especially for growing children.

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It was a wonderful insight to things I didn’t know and facts that I had ‘forgotten’.

  • Nutrients missed at breakfast, such as calcium, fibre and certain vitamins and minerals, cannot be made up later in the day.

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  • A balanced breakfast should represent around 20%-25% of total daily calorie intake (although can vary with different National dietary requirements)

A well balanced breakfast should consist of –

  1. Some dairy
  2. A piece of fruit
  3. A glass of water for hydration (tea or coffee is ok!)
  4. A wholegrain based food
  5. An source of protein (or if that is too much at breakfast, a bit of protein mid morning)

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What does 1 serving of wholegrain look like?

  • a 30g bowl of wholegrain breakfast cereal
  • 1 medium slice of wholemeal bread
  • 2 whole wheat crackers
  • 2-3 cups of plain pop corn

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We each had to describe our breakfast routine – let me tell you, mine was the least glamorous!

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The other perception that I had of breakfast cereal was that it is full of sugar. Not so! There is no more than 9 grams od sugar per serving which is a lot less than I thought there was.

The other great thing to note is that there is more wholegrain than any other ingredient in their cereals (you know the boxes with the green banner across the to?)

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DECONSTRUCTED RECIPE MAKING

Next up, we cloaked ourselves in an apron and set to work making a breakfast recipe with the same ingredients that make up Nestle Breakfast Cereals.

I chose Smiley Oat Cookies which are the basis for Cheerios.

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Straight from the oven.

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I even took them home and they got the massive thumbs up!  Next we learnt how to style them for a photo for a recipe book for example.

FOOD STYLING

I didn’t really have a clue and the first thing I did was pack it all onto a tray with a few raspberries and it looked like I was whacking it down for kids tea.

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So under the careful guidance of Lou I was given a few tips. This goes for products & flat lays as well.

  • Natural light. Move your product into the light.
  • If there are shadows, bounce them off with a piece of silver card.
  • Reflect the recipe with the accessories. (I.e there no raspberries and blueberries in the Oat Biscuit recipe so why include them in the photo!)
  • Brush oil on the biscuits to make them shine.
  • You don’t have to include everything in the photo. You can zoom in.

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Lou & the photographer Ellis at work.

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After a bit of tinkering,  this is what we came up with – my first ever food photo!

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COMPETITION TIME

On the last day, we had to make a Nestle Cereal. From scratch. Ouch. It was between these three.

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Then the winner would be picked from who took the best photo.

Guess which one I chose – Cheerios!  (I was told it was the simplest to make but it wasn’t easy – the piping was a killer).

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Once the Cheerios had been double baked with a coating of honey glaze, I left them to cool and got started on sourcing the props I wanted.

Here is a little video of me in action. [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T4nsngou_E[/embedyt]

There is no way to share this without sounding boastful, but for purposes of recounting my story it would be weird not to tell you – I actually won!

Collecting my prize – a Polaroid camera.  (Can you see my genuine look of delight – I haven’t one anything for years!)

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Here was my shot. I am sure it was the lime matching the Nestle logo…

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Here are some of the other photos.  Hearts from bananas – cute!

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The lovely team. From Mexico, Poland, Romania, Indonesia and the UK!

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Relaying my few days to the cameras.  Need to turn the enthusiasm…

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All these wonderful events and classes were interlaced with delicious meals cooked on site at Thyme.

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I whole heartedly recommend it away for a weekend away. They also host a cooking school and cookery lessons!

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Follow Nestle Breakfast Cereals on Instagram!

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Activities Days Out Events

Flat White Masterclass With Costa Coffee

I have converted! Having been a plunge coffee kinda girl, after creating my own Flat White on last week , there is no turning back.  Perhaps it is like getting your children to cook their own food – they are more inclined to like it, however the creamy texture, strong kick AND expertly created florette (that all the Costa barista’s have mastered to perfection), will now be my regular.

My friend Jess and I headed to Great Marlborough Street in Soho for a preview of the ‘Flat White Masterclass‘ that Costa is hosting in 170 Costa Coffee’s across the UK on Wednesday 21st September 7-8pm THIS WEEK!  (They are FREE too! Get a babysitter – it’s all about interractive ‘dates’ nowadays anyway!) Sign up here

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We were given a bit of background into Costa and how it was started by two brothers in 1977.  We learnt how & where they are grown, about the types of beans, how & when they are picked, roasted, transported and delivered. It was fascinating! The most interesting topic was the different types of coffee’s you can order. Great for the novice’s amongst us who usually just say ‘cappuccino!’

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All Costa’s beans are 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified and in 2006 Costa set up a foundation to provide coffee growing communities, 70 countries along the ‘Bean Belt’ (above and below the Equator) and to date they have set up 40 schools.  Then it was time to have a try ourselves. It is easier than it looks!

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How a florette on a flat white is meant to look…

How mine looked… (We thought like a sad, fat, genie!) Free pouring isn’t that easy though!

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If you are a coffee lover or simply want to do something other that sitting in the pub, grab a friend, sign up and head along. See who can make the most beautiful florette.  It wasn’t me that’s for sure but don’t judge until you have tried!

Costa Masterclass

 

 

Days Out Events

Theatre For Kids : 3 Shows You Should Book Now

A few shows I have my eyes on between now and … Christmas (I did whisper that by the way). If you want to get ahead of the herd and nab the best seats, don’t guffaw at the thought of booking a theatre show now (you don’t have to tell anyone!)

 

Mrs Armitage and The Big Wave  – Gaga Theatre Company

5th October – 30th October

This established theatre company are visiting several Theatres including the Royal Albert Hall, The Tabernacle, Hackney Picture House, Clapham Picture House and the Chelsea Curzon in London between 5th October and 30th October. We are going to the Tabernacle in Notting Hill and now the children are faniliar with the book, we can’t wait. It looks so fun!

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Image credited to Quintin Blake 1999

 

Cinderella – Chiswick House

17th December – 3rd January

Brought to you by Humdalila Productions, specialists in Immersive Theatre, this thrilling version of the classic tale combines an eclectic mix of first-class performers. Expect dancing mice, acrobatic lizards, ballerina snowflakes and a crazy magician. Set ot be spectacular.

The Snowman & We’re Going On A Bear Hunt Orchestra – Cadogan Hall

17th December ONLY

What a combination! A great way to introduce children to classical music with a familiar story.

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Stay cool everyone, it’s set to be the hottest September day on record today!

Activities Days Out Family Life

Port Lympne Safari Park & Dinosaur Forest

Yesterday, I went on Safari to the African Plains followed by a trip through a Dinosaur Forest. We were even back in London by wine o clock. No, the summer holidays haven’t made me completely bonkers (yet), this was all on a day trip to Port Lympne Reserve in Kent.

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It was mega! Port Lympne is the ‘sister’ of Howletts, yet much larger – 600 acres to Howletts 100.  The reason we headed there was that I had heard on reliable grounds that it is a must for any budding dinosaur fans as it has of the most extensive displays in the UK.

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This sight won’t be erased from one little guy’s mind for a long time!

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We then hopped on one of the Safari trucks. (No queues and if there were, each station has a playground next to it so the kids won’t hang off you whist you are waiting). As you can see from the photo below it was incredible and we were so close to the animals – rhinos, giraffes, zebras, bison, bears & lions.

 

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We decided to walk back to basecamp via the Gorillas and primates so these complimentary  buggy’s came in use!

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And a little photo that will go down in history… #tripletsnottriplets

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Port Lympne also has 6 different types of accommodation ranging from a beautiful Hotel to tree houses and my favourite were the camping pods. definitely adding a stay in them to my bucket list!

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As we were heading back to the car, we made a slight detour as we saw a sign ‘Tigers’.  Thank goodness we did – we were the only people within a couple of metres of beautiful & happy healthy tigers. That was my highlight! The excellent coffee and friendly staff are also worth a mention as so often both are rubbish. We left a coat down by the dinosaur cafe and they willingly went on a 15 minute round trip to collect it for us. We love Port Lympne!

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