Life behind the SQUARES with Sarah Anderson
-
Breakfast with Santa in Leigh on sea, Essex
Each person attending will require a ticket and the experience includes a savoury bun or sweet treat elf-endorsed sugary breakfast plate (or lunch box) at our eatery. Included in the ticket price is a chocolate themed (of course) reusable gift, a NICE list certificate, activity sheet with colouring, and of course your private photo opportunity with the big man himself in our fully decked out, cosy Christmas grotto. You can take as many of your own photos as you want.
During your session the shop will also be closed to the general public, but open to you, so if you wish to use your hour to stock up on last minute gifts or to get those bits and bobs to add to Christmas Eve boxes, we will have the tills on and be ready to serve.
This would be an amazing opportunity to relight the magic in older children who are on the cusp of believing - we had overwhelmingly positive feedback last year, with everyone who attended telling us he encompassed everything you'd imagine the real Santa to do so... real beard included! He has the voice, the glasses, even the twinkle of fairy lights in his eyes (this might be a reflection of the decor in the shop, but still 👀🤣)
-
Thermal Spas, what are they?
Have you ever been to a thermal spa?
We recently visited two different ones in Austria - not particularly because that's what we wanted to do, but because the weather forced us into it, being so severe it left little room for anything else.
Anyway, I digress.
In hindsight I'm quite pleased we ended up with no other options because the experiences were just amazing. Alfie absolutely loved being there, spending three hours in each one. We all really benefitted from it, and came out of them feeling so, so good... body, mind and soul. Being completely immersed in and surrounded by water, it was a given that our phones and technology was kept well away, so we really had the chance to switch off and be in the moment, enjoying it together.
What is a thermal spa?
Think outside of the British box with this one, where a "thermal spa" might describe some hot or cold treatments you receive as part of a spa experience, or a soak in an artificially heated chlorine-filled pool. A traditional thermal spa is a spring water pool, naturally heated to above 20°C
Where does the heat come from?
It actually comes from the Earth itself. Now, I'm no scientist so I'm not going to go into great detail here and speak way out of my scope, but the springs are heated by activity within the Earth... no heaters in sight.
The benefits of a thermal spa
Because of the higher temperature of the water, a thermal spa pool can hold more vitamins and minerals in the water in comparison to its cold counterparts - soaking in the water for such a prolonged period of time really gives your body the chance to soak up all that goodness. I don't think I've ever had skin so soft as it was when getting out of the pools there.
The heat of the water can also significantly help relax the muscles in the body - reducing stiffness and relieving those aches and pains.
Social aspect
One of the things that became really apparent to us when we were there was the way the pools are used for socialisation. There were people there on date nights, a group of a few female friends, mixed groups, groups of men ... some swimming, some relaxing, some just breathing it all in and taking a moment. Conversations being had by everyone, connecting. Nobody sat on their phones. It was so refreshing to see this way of living. That "getting together" means doing something to benefit your mental and physical health, and not drowning in alcohol, spending loads of money to regret it the day after.
It's a real shame there aren't more of these places accessible in this country though I imagine, like everything else, they'd end up becoming a massive profiteering money-making scheme ran by people with already deep pockets 🤦♀️
Sat talking to Michael now about how I wish I had millions in the bank to create one, free of charge for people to attend, just to relish in those benefits of being in one.
-
Holidays when younger
For me those Butlins and Pontins holidays are like the pinnacle of British childhood, I think anyone who's never experienced one is missing out! It's almost like a rite of passage. There are more of these types of places popping up now - with options such as Haven, Parkdean Resorts, Hoseasons, and many more... each one seems to have something extra to offer and those traditional UK family park holidays have gone from standard seems and craft clubs to horse riding, rock climbing, paragliding, you name it, someone does it! All of the activities you would once only access elsewhere is now available on your doorstep. -
Afternoon Tea in Leigh on sea, Essex
There's nothing quite like sitting outside in the summer sun, enjoying an afternoon tea. Quintessentially British, it's a part of our culture and h... -
Age of Independence
My worry if we don't choose to give Alfie that freedom and flexibility to do his own thing and make his own mistakes is that he will do exactly what I did as a child/teen and rebel. The way I see it, having lived it, and I'm sure you have to, is that he's going to do it anyway! It's a part of human nature to take risks, to test boundaries, to live through experiences and learn from them. He's going to do it with or without our say so, so we'd rather have that open dialogue and him be able to tell us. E.g. if he decides to have a drink at a party at 16, I'd rather him be able to be honest about that with us so we know where he is, who he's with, and can pick him up when he's ready to come home so we know for certain he's safe. -
What's on locally in Essex
The six weeks summer holiday break can be so daunting for families, especially with an ever-increasing number of bills to pay that are being hiked higher than ever.
It can be difficult to find days out that fall within budget, or days out at all, with so many seeing closure over the last few years post-covid, Brexit, and bills.
-
Visiting outdoor Lidos in U.K. - no 1 - Bathurst Pool
We visited here whilst on a mini holiday staying in nearby Bristol. The sun was shining and I literally found it on Google an hour before we arrived. We travelled 30 mins in total to visit Bathurst Pool. The best outdoor lido so far in the U.K. -
Decisions decisions… paddle board or kayak
I'm not the spring chicken I used to be, nor am I sporting a size 10 wet suit like I was back in the day either. I'm not phased by either of these things (love yourself for who you are, and all that) but I am aware that my waistline and age *might* have an impact on which is better for me to start up. I've considered doing both but it feels a bit like "all the gear, no idea" to be doing that 🤣 -
Stop the scroll
How about you join me on this challenge? Set yourself a goal specific to you based on your own life circumstances, and see if you can get to your goal before the year is up. Granted, life often gets in the way, but wouldn't it be nice if we could all give ourselves a little bit of grace and love by doing something just for us? -
Visit Stonehenge for FREE!
Visit Stonehenge for free To visit Stonehenge for free, you want to park in Larkhill area, which is just north of Stonehenge. I used the post... -
Christmas in summer
"Why are you selling Christmas stuff already?" We've had this question recently more times than we care to admit. We get it, we really do! It's ... -
Where do I fit in now....
I've always been a social butterfly, recharging in my own company but enjoying socialising and being around other people. I always made it a point to host. I loved the planning, buying in all the wine, beer and spirits to make sure people had a good time, the music, the games... the evenings outside in the garden under a setting sun, dancing and talking into the night with a drink in hand and fairy lights giving that all important back ground glow for cute pictures and so we can just about make out faces in conversation.
