Day Two Discovery Cove...

What we took with us in our rucksack today: 

*Mobile phone charger.

*Waterproof case for phone.

* Change of clothes.

*Discovery cove cup.

When entering Discovery cove the walk is so peaceful and care free.

Booking is a must and I would recommend to anyone to go. 

The price of the ticket weather you pay to swim with the dolphins or not, includes 14 consecutive  day tickets to Seaworld and Aquatica (you can also pay to upgrade and include Busch Gardens) with free car parking. I fyou choose to go with out discovery ticket passes it costs $18 - $20 a day.

Meet and greet with Lucy the sloth.

 Again this morning we were up super early and got to Discovery Cove for 8.15am. 

There is a buffet that is through out the day providing various foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The food is served from 8.30am - 4.30pm every day.

Not only is there a buffet restaurant there are snack area's  throughout the park which serve snacks and drinks.

First to be in the pool.

We ate breakfast and headed to the locker area's to get sun creamed up and to place the important things in the lockers. These are also free of charge. The sun cream is animal friendly and very thick to put on but works a treat. 

Once the water was tested and we were allowed into the lazy river there was no stopping us.

Bird aviaries here we come. 

Although I loved just sitting and floating and just relaxing through out the day. TJ started to get bored. ( There's only so many times a 9 year old child can go round the lazy river by himself).

After the first attempt to get TJ to come in the ray lagoon with me, where he freaked out really badly and ended up hurting my arms. We gave it a miss till he'd calmed down.

 After another trip around the lazy river it was lunch time.
Now this I've been looking forward to for months as I love their cheesecake and strawberries!

After Lunch there was lots more time to relax and venture around the whole park including a slow walk / swim over the reef. 

 Such an amazing day was had at Discovery Cove and we cannot wait to go again but until then I have so many brilliant memories that I won't be forgetting in a hurry.

Day One, Our first full at Disney World

We took in the rucksack today: 

*Poncho's - always carry these no matter what the weather!

* Two frozen water bottles - yes you can get it free in the parks but you have to queue.

*Snacks in pots -strawberries and raspberries.

*Plasters. 

*Sun Cream. 

*Two Autograph books - carried ours in a zip lock bag in case it rained.

* Two sharpies Pens different colors.

Also made a note of where we parked and took a photo from the rear of the car (for the plate and car make and model for if we got lost). Trust me it's horrible if you get lost at Disney World car park!

 I don't think we've ever been so excited to be anywhere as much as we were today. TJ and I were up and out of the hotel room by 7am, arriving on Disney Property before anyone else! I think there were about 15 cars in the parking lot which all belonged to security or cast members i'm assuming.

We got to the parking lot before the ticket booths had opened and very naughtily skipped paying the entrance fee. $20 saved to buy a special treat for TJ for the day. 

  We parked near to the preferred parking area in the row 204 which worked out as being less then 100 steps to the little under pass.

 We slowly walked to bag check at the entrance of the monorail and boat dock area at the ticket and transportation centre. 

The security officers were still setting up for the day ahead. we chatted to a family of 6 that were originally from Utah and discussed the 9 hour flight from Gatwick to MCO compared to their 2 hour flight. It was nice chatting to them and whenev er we saw them throughout the day we'd wave and say hello to each other.

Before the Grand Floridian of the Lake and Contemporary Resort. 

Once through bag check we headed to the docks to be told the boats weren't open for another hour so we hopped on the monorail that goes to all the hotels.

The views from the monorail were lovely. 

The Grand Floridian and wedding chapel.

By the time we'd gotten to the park entrance scanned our wrist bans and took a few photos before the park opened there were around 5 families waiting along side us.

TJ found a nice shady spot near the maps and we relaxed for 10 minutes before being told that we could walk down Main Street USA. 

TJ and I skipped down Main Street to take a few selfies with no one else in the way of the castle, it actually brought tears to my eyes that we were finally here!

At this point of the morning we both decided we were hungry so I checked the Disney App to see if there were any spaces for breakfast at Crystal palace. I love This restaurant not only because of the all you can eat buffet but for the character meet and greet. 

Again we were among the first families in the park, which was brilliant as we were the third in line to be sat down at the restaurant. 

When you arrive be sure to get your autograph books and pens out ready as the characters will sign and take photo's . 

TJ had a home made atougraph book with each characters picture and name on so all that needed to be done was find the page and take the photograph.

Tigger is still the best character to meet in Crystal palace as he always seems the most energetic and interacts with bouncing and playing whist he is greeting guests.

After  eating we ventured our way to Adventure land to get to Pirates Of The Carribean, Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain. I'd used the Disney App to book fast passes for Thunder Mountain, Speed way and Buzz Lightyears space blast rides. 

Managing to go on the busiest rides all before 11am is such an achievement in Magic Kingdom. So we were both really happy.

Taking time out from the hustle and bustle we queued for the transit authority ride which is so relaxing and noticed Buzz Lightyear signing autographs below - our next stop.

Our stay on the Queen Mary ship.

From the docks this magnificent boat looks amazing for an 86 year old thats seen over 800,000 passengers and troops on board and traveled a distance of over 600,000 miles in the 31 years in the maritime life.

She was purchased by the City of Long Beach CA. In 1967 and has remained here for over 40 years.

Along the promenade deck there was various rooms to go to which included the children's playroom exhibit. this room is fully blocked off by windows but as you can see its a replica of back in the 1940's. Although the toys and chairs have not been used or played with for many years they are still in pristine order.

Whilst being on board we felt the sudden urge to eat and as we were on the promenade desk the Chelsea chowder house seemed to be the only one that was open. 
Within minutes of walking in the waitress had served us and got our drinks order, which at this point was lovely and very much needed as we'd not been anywhere after getting our hire car. 
Once we ordered our food it was served within 20 minutes steaming hot and tasting absolutely fantastic. I ordered the Chicken Pasta Alfredo in a white wine sauce, this tasted and smelt magnificent but I could not finish the meal even with my massive appetite I ate as much as I could and I still had over 1/4 of the bowl left to eat.

My Father ordered the Fish and Chips.... such a typical English man. I was a little surprised when the waitress had asked if he wanted vinegar as this is the first time I've been asked in the USA on holiday about vinegar. 

The view from our table was amazing we could see as far as the eye could see. 

From one side of the boat the view of Long Beach and the Skyline were clearly visible throughout our stay. We watched the a few boats pass by and asked our waitress if the building that was in plain sight was the aquarium,  turned out it was the convention centre and the aquarium was past the little village that could be seen next to the marina.  

The room were kept in the condition they would have been when the ship was still being used as a cruise liner. 

Our room had two single beds in that were against the wall, both had bedside cabinets and air vents close to the beds also. 

The room was very out dated but looked as it would have during her sailing days except for the flat screen television in the room.

The bathroom on the other hand I would not recommend flushing the toilet in the middle of the night due to the loud bang when flushing with the foot bar. 

If you are tall please be aware that the shower in our room was very low. I am short but I still found that I had to bend at the knees a little when  washing and rinsing my hair as the shower is positioned around about 5ft high. 

 Staying on the Queen Mary Ship was amazing and I would do it again if given the chance. 

I did not find any problems or hear any noises throughout my stay, nor did I see any ghosts but each to their own as I do not believe this may have clouded my judgement as to whether the ship is haunted or not.

Perhaps in your visit you can tell me what spooky goings on you heard or saw to change my mind on whether ghosts exists. 

One Day Holiday Challenge

Over the Summer holiday I was set the challenge by a Ocean Finance to stick to a strict budget of £100 for a day out or days out. This was named the 'One Day Holiday.' The reason the challenge has been set is to help show that its not needed to spend a fortune to have a great day out.

With the money I originally intended to go to Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. I filled my car up with fuel, brought snacks and hit the road. By the time we got to the balloon fiesta the hot air balloons had already taken off and landed so that scuffled our plans for the day.

The view from the road.

After taking a few moments and a google search for what points of interests were nearby we ended up heading to Bristol Zoo.

Bristol Zoo

Once at Bristol Zoo it felt like we were the only people there. We weren't, but it was very quiet till about lunchtime and then the crowds were flocking in. 

TJ and I started looking at the lion area, to begin with we didn't see the lions until we got to the second half of the enclosure. Once at the glass the lion was at the front of the enclosure observing all the people passing by and watching them closely.

So close to this one amazing animal.

 The next animal we went through the enclosure and looked at the flamingo's. 

Tj commented on the color of their wings and body as they were such a brilliant pink.

On to the Gorilla enclosure. Again it was amazing to be so close to these beautiful and powerful primates. When we arrived at the enclosure they had just been let back into the house for their breakfast. It was amazing to see the 32st Silverback Gorilla picking at bugs and what looked like large nuts off of the floor.

The Gorilla house has recently had £1 million over haul and the fantastic 180 degree views.

The penguin enclosure was beautiful, its been a long time since I've been up close to one but this little one definitely stole the thunder from all the rest. I named him Dudley although that's not his official zoo name. 

He was such a lovely character and even poked his beak through the cage allowing me to stroke his head and bill. I don't recommend doing this to anyone as they can have a nasty nip.

The above animals were just a select few in the zoo. Every enclosure was well kept and well looked after. 

The shots below are a select few of some animals within the zoo that I found interesting and one which I've not seen before.

This seal was yelling and posed for a photo!

A very rare TJ turtle 

Another rare human Joey

First time camping since I was 16...

Over the last few months I've been thinking of going camping with TJ and I finally bit the bullet. 

I looked at a few different campsites but ended up choosing one that wasn't to far from home in case our first camping trip went wrong.

I booked via the official camping and caravaning site which was easier then I thought.

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/wiltshire/salisbury/salisbury?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=Salisbury&utm_campaign=google_places

When I packed the car I just put in the basics of everything in the car.

• Blow up mattress
• Blanket
• 2 x sleeping bags 
• Small gas bottles 
• Cooker
• Small amount of food
• Electric cool box ( plugs in to car lighter)
• Spare change of clothes 
• Torches 
• Deck of cards 
• Tent 

The tent erected.

Once we arrived at the campsite the tent was erected in our pitch which was a lot bigger then I thought it would be. 

With the car parked next to the tent, we went for a walk down a path that took us to Salisbury town. The path ran past a housing estate and near a field where there's a river running around the edges and a play area in which the smaller kids were playing in. 

The walk took a total of 25 minutes and was along flat terrain and paths so it made quite a nice little stroll.

The shops near the play area were Morrisons, sports direct, Smyths toy store and a few other shops. After buying some bread rolls we headed back to the river where children were swimming and playing, so I let TJ paddle in the river to cool down for a few minutes before scooting his way back up to the campsite.

When we arrived back at the campsite there was 3 x color coordinated VW campers. 

Seeing the different tents and camper vans was amazing. and the mini community that is built once you pitch your tent.

There was two different bathroom blocks with one having washing facilities. These blocks were immaculate and with an entry code which was easy to remember to be used after 5pm it helped keep the campers happy. 

There was 4 shower cubicles, 6 toilet cubicles. and 6 sinks in one shower block. 

When we started cooking on the BBQ we were asked to use a few bricks underneath to stop the grass from being burnt which I could understand why as the grass was kept very nice.

The only downside about this campsite was the noise after the sun went down although the other neighbors didn't seem to mind to much. 

When the sun came up we were up and ready packing the tent and heading out before 8am. 

The play area in the garden..

Cutting the grass in my house is always left to me and lately it seems to be the only place I can get peace and quiet.

The Grass grows very quickly in my garden which it seems like we've been putting miracle grow on as yesterdays length was ridiculous and up to my knees in two weeks.

Once the grass was cut and tidied up the next task was to move TJ's play equipment so it could hidden by this amazing camouflage net.

TJ requested for the slide to be facing the fort, instead we had to face it in the opposite direction towards the back fence.

We then attached the rope with steps to the middle of the climbing frame so TJ could climb up and down the middle as well as swing around the inside of the frame.

From the side of the climbing frame TJ can climb on to the front deck of the fort without touching the floor. 

The next step in preparing his area in the garden is to add a basket ball post and a few paving slabs possibly 3x3 and a fence to keep the dogs out of his area.
As this happens I will post up and review but as I've been such a busy bee lately I'm sure it will be step by step.

I guess I'm the person that loves to take pictures of nature in the family....Why not?!

I love taking photos when I'm on a dog walk and I guess now that its spring weather I'm loving the plants more.

The plants in the pictures below are ones I've taken either in my back garden or along the woodland walk with my galaxy s7 which in my opinion takes fantastic pictures. 

Relaxing in the sun near the river spending family time

Last Sunday anyone that lives in Dorset would agree the weather was fantastic, the sun was shining the tide was steady. For me the company couldn't of been any better.

The day started with the children's water activities on the Quay. This is between 9:30 am and 10:30 am. Whilst the children are on the water the adults can either sit and watch or pop across to the opposite side of the bridge and grab a hot drink or milkshake from the cafe/ ice cream parlor in the corner. The prices are reasonable and the staff are so friendly, its like we've known them for years.

TJ and one of the instructors Ellie 

For those children who just like to mooch around or aren't quite comfortable in the water yet, then the instructors on the water are at hand to help. During the whole session there are always two instructors that are happy to have another rower on board.

Next was lunch at The Quay Inn, which is where the car park is on the water front.

There are benches out the front and out the back. 

Dogs are allowed indoors also as there is two separate areas to eat.

The side we sat on had a rather large party which blocked the majority of the tables behind it, which were the only ones that were free. 

As we squeezed our way past the party, dogs in toe.

Bonnie had to make her own space behind the seats while we choose our meals. 

The meals were served and honestly, for what we had the prices were pretty good. We ordered the hot rock steak ( where you cook it yourself to you on preference ) and TJ had pizza. 

TJ can be very fussy when it comes to his food but the food was eaten and not a single complaint left his lips.

 For pudding for myself I ordered a spiced syrup sponge with custard and a side order of creme brulee ice cream.

 TJ obviously wanted to have his own ice cream so he waited till I finished eating and asked to go to the ice cream parlor next door.

 TJ choose the ice cream Sunday which comes to just under £5 and for the size its a good price for what he had. Three scoops of ice cream in various flavors (of your choice), toppings (of your choice) the fan wafers and the chocolate whirls.

It took quite a while for him to eat this ice cream and we had to ask for a take away tub as time was getting on. If ordering this I would recommend to share it with someone.

If you can't tell we enjoy spending time in the Purbecks, not only for the sights but also for the food.

I would love to try a few more restaurants around there so any recommendations please let me know.

Wareham kids canoe club

As the weather slowly gets better, I'm determined to get out more and once ore visit local groups and support the local community.

Today's trip has taken us to Wareham in Dorset, which is a 15 minute drive from Poole.

With the beautiful scenery and birds chirping in the background this morning is becoming one of my must do on a Sunday morning. The sun is beating down on me with a little bit of a breeze and I can honestly say I love living in Dorset for these small but essential country life loves.

I'm currently sat watching TJ in a canoe by himself playing water football with 12  other children. It's highly amusing and not a single child has fallen in the water.

I have watched the children switch boats on the whilst being linked together in the water. One even jumped up and down several times to prove how strong the link was between the boats - a lot of trust going there between the canoe community. 

Tj switched from a single manned canoe to this wooden canoe for up to 4 people. I was amazed at how easily they made it look.

The two people that run the club are lovely and no matter how silly the question they are always willing to answer with a smile.

The club which TJ is attending runs between 9:30 and 10:30 and cost £4.50 per child. Within minutes the club owners have remembered every child's name, given the newbies help and are constantly at hand.

Blokpod - For all the Lego lovers

This week between the bugs and germs that have spread about my house' I was lucky enough to receive an awesome new product that's gone on the market called the 'Blokpod'. The product is available on Amazon currently at £44.99.

TJ is a big fan of Lego so this was a perfect gift for him to help sort out his many thousands of bricks out without having to do it by hand.

The main part of is made up of 4 round plastic chambers, 3 various sized grates and a lid.
the idea of this device is to empty a large amount of Lego into the top chamber with the largest grate, place the lid on and give it a little shake. The smaller pieces of Lego will fall  through the holes and go to the next level down, where once again when you shake it will fall through to the next level and if it's small enough to fit through to the base chamber.

Tj loved every second of this from the dismantling and looking at each piece to putting it back together bit by colored bit. We both liked the shape and found it was easy to maneuver with the handles being in built in to the lid. We've stored it under his desk with Lego pieces still inside and when he feels like he needs to have a little shake whilst doing his homework, well why not after all it was designed to be shaken and not stirred.

Disclaimer: I received a Blokpod in exchange for an honest review on the product. All opinions are my own.


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