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February 2017 Round Up

Blog

24 Feb

I feel that I blinked and the end of February has come around so very quickly. I really don’t like how quickly time passes, but I am equally enjoying watching our beautiful boy reaching new milestones, and seeing our gorgeous girls growing up right before our eyes. I started to write a monthly round up last month and I am really enjoying writing it; it is a chance to sit back and remember memorable moments, and look at what adventures we have squished into our precious weekends and holidays.

February 2017

  • February 2017
  • Top posts I have published  this month..

If you have been following our blog, you have probably gathered that we absolutely love the outdoors. We are looking forward to the weather warming up and I am really excited to have started to make our summer road trip plans in our campervan, Otis (yes our camper really does have a name … and I am crazy enough to have named our blog after it !)

February has seemed particularly wet, windy and cold, and the winter germs still seem to be lingering in our house, particularly for babyS. Febuary is considered the last month of Winter and I do love how the mornings are getting lighter, and the flowers are starting to bloom – particularly those beautiful snow drops. We have grabbed those rare milder days and dodged the rain and have still managed to get out and about, having the opportunity to visit some wonderful places. On another note…BabyS can now roll over and has sat up for the first time 🙂  He continues to wow me every day with his smiles and his blue eyes. February has also bought with it half term, and I have loved having my biggest girl at home with us every day.

So continuing the theme of Wellington boots, jumpers, snowsuits and tutus…. The month was packed with visiting friends, woodland walks, Rode Hall Gardens, scooter rides at Trentham Gardens,  butterflies in Stratford-upon-Avon, monkeys at Trentham Estate, and a dance around giant willow pottery at the World of Wedgwood.

 

 

Top posts I have published  this month..

Days out with the kids in Staffordshire

Winter Walks, Scooters and introducing our little adventurer

The Butterfly Farm

Tips for Travelling with Kids by Road

 

How has February been for you? Did you manage to take a winter break or get outside and enjoy some fresh air?

I am linking up this week for #MyFamilyAdventures with the lovely Kerri-Ann from Life as Our little Family, and for #CountryKids with the lovely Fiona from Coombe Mill

Thanks for stopping by!

I alway love to hear what you think of the blog –  You can also find me on Instagram, Facebook, pinterest and Twitter.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

life as our little family

Country Kids

21 Comments

Previous Post: « Family Day Out – World of Wedgwood
Next Post: Family Day Out in Staffordshire I Monkey Forest review »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Claire @ The ladybirds adventures says

    February 26, 2017 at 2:27 pm

    Looks like you have had some great days out. We’ve only managed trentham gardens this month. Trentham is great for scooting. Love the look of monkey area at trentham. #myfamilyasventures

    Reply
  2. Sonia Cave says

    February 26, 2017 at 2:33 pm

    You’ve had a busy fun month!! We are looking forward to the warmer weather too now…ready for a change of season #countrykidsfun

    Reply
  3. Kerri-Ann says

    February 26, 2017 at 5:53 pm

    I love the sound of the butterfly farm and we are yet to visit the Wedgewood centre, its definitely on the list. Thanks so much for joining in with #MyFamilyAdventures again – we’ll be back on the 26th March. Have a great month x

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 1, 2017 at 9:50 pm

      We had such a lovely day at the world of Wedgwood a great visit on a rainy day. Thanks so much for hosting – it’s a really lovely linky x

      Reply
  4. jenny says

    February 26, 2017 at 7:59 pm

    I love your outings and what a great month of adventures you have experienced all together. So beautiful. #myfamilyadventures

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 1, 2017 at 9:47 pm

      Thanks so much for stopping by – it’s lovely to look back and see what adventures we have had. Xx

      Reply
  5. Sherry says

    February 26, 2017 at 8:34 pm

    Sounds like a fabulous month, we adore the outdoors and have only been to Trentham Gardens once but definitely want to go back #MyFamilyAdventures

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 1, 2017 at 9:46 pm

      It’s a lovely place to visit isn’t it ! We spend so much time there – we need to pop back now the new toddler outdoor playground has been built! Thanks for stopping by x

      Reply
  6. Coombe Mill says

    February 27, 2017 at 9:19 am

    What a lovely February you have had. It is the tutus and wellies that I love the most, so girly and Country Kids looking. If you have this much fun in February I can’t wait to see all the things you get up to in spring and summer. Butterflies are my secret love, you took such beautiful photos there too. I really like this monthly round up idea, it’s a lovely way to capture your family time.

    Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 1, 2017 at 9:46 pm

      Thanks for hosting this wonderful linky – it really makes me think what adventures we have , and sometimes it’s the most simple outing that they enjoy the most. The girls love a woodland walk, and the little man seems to aswell. Thanks again- I love this community xxx

      Reply
  7. Claire at Tin Box Traveller says

    February 27, 2017 at 4:35 pm

    I love the tutu and wellie combo – so cute! And thank goodness this is the last month of Winter. I hope March gets the memo! It sounds like you had such a busy month with lots of wonderful trips and milestones for the little man 🙂 #countrykids

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 1, 2017 at 9:43 pm

      Thanks so much Claire, they do love the tutus and wellies at the moment (I secretly do to!) looking forward to some adventures when the weather warms up, and we can all enjoy camping again 🙂

      Reply
  8. Helena says

    February 28, 2017 at 5:04 pm

    It’s lovely to see tutus teamed up with wellies. Looks like lots of fun has been had despite February having a fair bit of rain. Stopping by via #countrykids and #myfamilyadventures

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 1, 2017 at 9:42 pm

      Thanks so much Helena they love those Tutus! Thanks for stopping by – hoping for more adventures in March 🙂 xx

      Reply
      • Helena says

        March 2, 2017 at 6:57 pm

        My girls have one each but I can already see it would be lovely to get them in bigger sizes. They grow so quick! #CountryKids

        Reply
  9. Hayley @hayleyfromhome says

    March 1, 2017 at 10:16 am

    Rode Hall and Trentham are still on my list of places to visit! It sounds like a fun month and lovely photos of your adventures! I’ll look forward to seeing some more of your campervan in the summer, I’ve always wanted one 🙂 #myfamilyadventures

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 1, 2017 at 9:40 pm

      Aw you really must visit them they are lovely days out ! Thanks so much for stopping by, we are waiting for that weather to warm up hoping to enjoy some lovely adventures 🙂

      Reply
  10. Lauren M says

    March 1, 2017 at 9:06 pm

    Looks like you’ve crammed a fair bit in! I’m putting the butterfly farm on our list, I think my little boy would love it. Can’t wait to see what you get up to in the summer! #CountryKids

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 1, 2017 at 9:38 pm

      Sometimes when you look back you wonder how you ever managed to squeeze everything in! Looking forward to the weather warming up! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

      Reply
  11. Annette, Four Acorns says

    March 3, 2017 at 5:19 pm

    Love that first photo of the snowdrops, and also those tutu shots – they are so sweet and magical! I am fairly new to your blog and I hadn’t realised that Otis is your campervan – how very cool is that? It’s funny cause we rented a campervan to tour Norway back in 2010, and I’ve just been through the photo book with my two oldest. Now they want to repeat the experience, obsviously! Looking forward to reading all about your summer plans, and your other adventures until then 🙂
    #MyFamilyAdventures

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 4, 2017 at 9:44 pm

      Wow I bet that was absolutely amazing!! We are yet to venture abroad in the camper but hopefully next year when the little man is a bit older and will cope with the long journeys ! Really looking forward to sharing our summer adventures – let’s hope we have a good summer weather wise! Thanks for stopping by xxxx

      Reply

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Vanlife • Camper Family • VWT5


Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕

Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)

🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx


Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my ne
Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?


Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography

Happy Sunday!!!

So I have decided on a Sunday fo
Happy Sunday!!! 

So I have decided on a Sunday for the next few weeks I am going to do a little campsite share. Sharing our favourite campsites that we have stayed in our #t5camper over the last two or three years. I wanted to (hopefully) give you some inspiration for all those dreaming and planning for when we are able to hit the road in the future. 

My first campsite is @love2stay in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK. Set in 22 acres of grounds with touring and Glamping on-site. 

Love2stay is a beautiful resort and an absolute gem of a site. We have booked again for this year and have stayed more than once over the last two years.

Facilities

Love 2 Stay  has serviced pitches and a  glamping village. The toilet block is modern and clean.  There is so much to do on site you won’t want to venture far. 

➡️ swipe for pictures 

There is a natural swimming pool, restaurant and pizzeria, fitness suite and thermal bath, assault course, children’s adventure play zone, barefoot trails, mini and junior craft activities, cinedrome for movie nights, yoga and Pilates classes, paddle boarding and kayaking....... the list goes on 

What we loved 

⭐️So many activities on site for everyone 
⭐️restaurant/pizzeria on site 
⭐️Swimming pool 
⭐️Spa/gym on site 
⭐️Dogs allowed (with separate dog walking area and dog agility course )
⭐️Brilliant size serviced pitches
⭐️Glamping available 
⭐️Usually Open all year round (covid restriction dependent) 

Things to consider 
 
⭐️it gets booked up so book in advance 
⭐️No tents allowed 
⭐️No on-site grocery shop
⭐️it is the most expensive campsite we have ever stayed when you factor in all the additional activities that do -but it’s a wonderful experience and we absolutely love it here and it is a place that we will keep on returning to. 

Please do ask if you have any questions or if you have stayed here too? 

I’ll be back next Sunday with another gem !


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Ad/ Oh the places we will go ....... I’m reall Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕 My next campsite to 🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx
Camping with kids 🏕 I was going to share my ne Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography
Happy Sunday!!! So I have decided on a Sunday fo Happy Sunday!!! 

So I have decided on a Sunday for the next few weeks I am going to do a little campsite share. Sharing our favourite campsites that we have stayed in our #t5camper over the last two or three years. I wanted to (hopefully) give you some inspiration for all those dreaming and planning for when we are able to hit the road in the future. 

My first campsite is @love2stay in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK. Set in 22 acres of grounds with touring and Glamping on-site. 

Love2stay is a beautiful resort and an absolute gem of a site. We have booked again for this year and have stayed more than once over the last two years.

Facilities

Love 2 Stay  has serviced pitches and a  glamping village. The toilet block is modern and clean.  There is so much to do on site you won’t want to venture far. 

➡️ swipe for pictures 

There is a natural swimming pool, restaurant and pizzeria, fitness suite and thermal bath, assault course, children’s adventure play zone, barefoot trails, mini and junior craft activities, cinedrome for movie nights, yoga and Pilates classes, paddle boarding and kayaking....... the list goes on 

What we loved 

⭐️So many activities on site for everyone 
⭐️restaurant/pizzeria on site 
⭐️Swimming pool 
⭐️Spa/gym on site 
⭐️Dogs allowed (with separate dog walking area and dog agility course )
⭐️Brilliant size serviced pitches
⭐️Glamping available 
⭐️Usually Open all year round (covid restriction dependent) 

Things to consider 
 
⭐️it gets booked up so book in advance 
⭐️No tents allowed 
⭐️No on-site grocery shop
⭐️it is the most expensive campsite we have ever stayed when you factor in all the additional activities that do -but it’s a wonderful experience and we absolutely love it here and it is a place that we will keep on returning to. 

Please do ask if you have any questions or if you have stayed here too? 

I’ll be back next Sunday with another gem !
Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟 Fairy lights dotted around a Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3

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