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Family Day Out -Sunshine and Snowdrops on a Saturday – Rode Hall & Gardens, Cheshire

Days out

4 Feb

So if you have been following my posts lately, you will see that we are a great lover of the outdoors. Walking… exploring…….camping……fresh air….we L O V E it.  Weekdays can be so busy and rushed, with early mornings, never ending ‘to do’ lists, and frantic “we are going to be late!!!’ school and nursery runs.  When the weather warms up I love to sneak in an ad hoc late picnic or a mini adventure after school – and therefore I am not proud to say that we are that family that often completes forgotten spelling practice in the car on the way to school.

I really try to make every weekend special and memorable. Even if it involves sitting in our pjs all weekend and watching films with a bowl of crisps.  I can’t say I will remember that day when I cleared all the washing, or tidied the house, or washed my car -(ok dad if you are reading this I know I have never washed my car!) but I know I will remember that precious family walk in the mud, or a sunny bike ride, or a walk to the park.

We awoke today to glorious sunshine, so decided to head out  to Rode Hall Gardens, Cheshire to visit the monthly farmers market and find the snowdrops.  Rode Hall is a Georgian Country manor,  surrounded by beautiful parkland and gardens. The snowdrop walks are from 4th Feb 2017 – 5th March 2017 and is a beautiful walk to mark the start of Spring.

We arrived a little late (surprise surprise!) and only caught the end of the market, so we headed straight into the gardens to explore the grounds and admire the beautiful snowdrops. What a gem of a place. The gardens are exceptionally beautiful and well maintained, and the snow drops and daffodils were evident throughout the walk.  The girls donned their favourite tutus, wellies and sunglasses (!) and babyS slept for more or less the entire walk.

Although we didn’t stop by today, the tea rooms are well worth a visit. They have a lovely selection of cakes, snacks and drinks. The tearooms were a little busy today with it been the first day of the snowdrop walks and the farmers market so we grabbed a chocolate brownie from the farmers market to eat on our journey home.

Visitor Information

Admission:
Hall & Gardens: £8 adults, £7 concessions, Children £2/Under 5’s free
Gardens Only: £5 adults, Children £2/Under 5’s free/RHS & HHA Members free*.
Except special events i.e Snowdrop & Bluebell Walks

Rode Hall Farmers Market:
First Saturday of each month (except January)

 

So as another weekend ends, I will leave you with a few photos from our sunny walk in the gardens.

I love to read all your comments – and I would love to hear what you had planned?

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend, see you next week for another outdoor adventure.

MrsS xx

*This trip was paid for by myself and I have reviewed the attraction with no benefit to myself *

 

Country Kids

10 Comments

Previous Post: « January 2017 Round Up
Next Post: Winter Walks, Scooters and Introducing our Little Adventurer »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sylvia says

    February 5, 2017 at 2:02 pm

    Delightful photo gallery. Your two little ones are so precious. They look like woodland fairies in their sweet outfits. 🙂

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      February 5, 2017 at 2:17 pm

      Thank you so much for stopping by. Our woodland walks very often involve wellies and tutus 🙂 🙂

      Reply
  2. Pamela Agar says

    February 5, 2017 at 2:37 pm

    Love the tutus and wellies! Just like my daughter! Looks like a beautiful spot and such stunning weather. #countrykids

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      February 6, 2017 at 7:38 pm

      Thanks so much for the lovely comment. You can’t beat a tutu and wellies- long may it continue ! Xxx

      Reply
  3. Sonia Cave says

    February 5, 2017 at 5:38 pm

    What a lovely place. I can’t wait for our spring flowers to finally appear here. Keep up the rebellion against spellings 😉 you’ve definitely got your priorities right!!! They need nature and the outdoors, spelling will always happen at some point #countrykidsfun

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      February 6, 2017 at 7:41 pm

      I quite agree – children can learn so much from an afternoon walk in the woods! Spellings can definitely wait! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting xxx

      Reply
  4. Josefine says

    February 5, 2017 at 9:10 pm

    Beautiful photos! I can’t relate to the school run stress yet, but I can completely relate to the need to get outdoors. Weekends are outdoor adventure time for us too and I can’t wait for E to be older and truly start enjoying the outdoors xx #countrykids

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      February 6, 2017 at 7:43 pm

      It’s only a stress as we are always late! 🙂 🙂 I love a little outdoor walk on a weekend- there is nothing better. Enjoy your weekends – thanks for stopping by xxx

      Reply
  5. Fiona Cambouropoulos says

    February 6, 2017 at 12:52 pm

    Tutus and wellies, I just love this and what wonderful photos. This makes me want to jump up from my desk this morning and plan our next weekend adventure, I just wish my kids were still young enough to dress up in something other than designer ripped jeans! the snowdrops are amazing this year, our farm is covered just like Rode Hall gardens, though I’m looking out at rain today which isn’t nearly so pretty. Shame you missed the farmer’s market, but looks like you made up for it with time in the gardens. This is my perfect kind of day out.

    Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      February 6, 2017 at 7:45 pm

      Thanks so much – I apologise now Fiona – you will be seeing a lot of the tutus and wellies combo over the weeks as they seem a permanent fixture in our house just now. It is so lovely to share our little outdoor adventures… Thank you for hosting #CountryKids. Xx

      Reply

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Vanlife Family • Travel


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


🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages a
🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages asking “where do you all sleep” and where did your toddler or baby  sleep in the camper ?

We bought our #t5 when our eldest was just 2, and we have had to adapt as our family has grown. We didn’t have the roof converted until much later so we tried a fair few sleeping options! 

I thought It might be helpful if I listed all of the sleeping options we have tried in our vwT5 because I often get questions about sleeping options with young kids.

⭐️Our new born baby slept in a sleepyhead in the camper as it was easily transportable and worked as  crib.

⭐️ We then found a deluxe travel cot that fit perfectly at the base of our rib bed and this worked from about 6 months 

⭐️We then moved on to a toddler inflatable air bed placed again at the bottom of our bed. We  found the toddler beds fit perfectly across the width of the van 

⭐️moving on we purchased a hammock that fitted over just the driver and passenger seat  and this worked great from about 3+

⭐️ Finally as our family grew... We  had our pop top roof added and the children slept well in the roof. We had a safety net fitted to the opening  of the roof and this allowed all our children to sleep in the roof safely and gave us some peace of mind - particularly as our son was young.

I’ve linked my post in my stories but do let me know if you have tried any other options that work for young children, particularly if you don’t have an elevating roof! Always here if I can help with anything or if you have any questions.

🌈


A vintage rainbow 🌈

Mucho love tonight - hope
A vintage rainbow 🌈 

Mucho love tonight - hope you are all doing okay x


💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫

💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 

Just popping on to wish all of you a Happy New Year 💕

Here we are .... Still hanging out in tier 4, (but hey I have three lovely days off 🤩) we have all got this🙌🏻

For now I’m going to keep dreaming, planning, doing a bit of vanlife shopping and redesigning our campervan 😂 (so if any of you lovely vanlife peeps can share and tag me in a picture of your interiors I would be eternally grateful). 

Hey I may even get this dissertation done 🤣

If it’s okay I’ll keep sharing the little bits in between, and of course our van life tips and tricks over the new year, until we can explore once again. 

Thanks for sticking with us - happy new year to my faves, lots of love and stay safe 

The Otis and Us tribe xxx


🌲 And that’s me signing off for Christmas. 🌲 

Let’s hope 2021 brings some sunshine, plans, adventures and a glimmer of hope. 

To all my lovely friends, family and wonderful vanlife peeps, thanks so much for all the love and support this year. 

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and New year from Otis and Us xxx

Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing fram
Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing frame, and so grateful to have this wonderful play area in our garden for the kids since the lockdown number two. 

It’s my last day of annual leave today. So we have spent the afternoon adding a few fairy lights to the MultiFlyer climbing frame - sprinkling a bit of magic and festive cheer out in the garden....

Moving on to the the camper next :) it definitely needs some fairy lights and a tree - Don’t you think? 🌲 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #vimage


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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
🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐 I often get messages a 🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages asking “where do you all sleep” and where did your toddler or baby  sleep in the camper ?

We bought our #t5 when our eldest was just 2, and we have had to adapt as our family has grown. We didn’t have the roof converted until much later so we tried a fair few sleeping options! 

I thought It might be helpful if I listed all of the sleeping options we have tried in our vwT5 because I often get questions about sleeping options with young kids.

⭐️Our new born baby slept in a sleepyhead in the camper as it was easily transportable and worked as  crib.

⭐️ We then found a deluxe travel cot that fit perfectly at the base of our rib bed and this worked from about 6 months 

⭐️We then moved on to a toddler inflatable air bed placed again at the bottom of our bed. We  found the toddler beds fit perfectly across the width of the van 

⭐️moving on we purchased a hammock that fitted over just the driver and passenger seat  and this worked great from about 3+

⭐️ Finally as our family grew... We  had our pop top roof added and the children slept well in the roof. We had a safety net fitted to the opening  of the roof and this allowed all our children to sleep in the roof safely and gave us some peace of mind - particularly as our son was young.

I’ve linked my post in my stories but do let me know if you have tried any other options that work for young children, particularly if you don’t have an elevating roof! Always here if I can help with anything or if you have any questions.

🌈
A vintage rainbow 🌈 Mucho love tonight - hope A vintage rainbow 🌈 

Mucho love tonight - hope you are all doing okay x
💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 

Just popping on to wish all of you a Happy New Year 💕

Here we are .... Still hanging out in tier 4, (but hey I have three lovely days off 🤩) we have all got this🙌🏻

For now I’m going to keep dreaming, planning, doing a bit of vanlife shopping and redesigning our campervan 😂 (so if any of you lovely vanlife peeps can share and tag me in a picture of your interiors I would be eternally grateful). 

Hey I may even get this dissertation done 🤣

If it’s okay I’ll keep sharing the little bits in between, and of course our van life tips and tricks over the new year, until we can explore once again. 

Thanks for sticking with us - happy new year to my faves, lots of love and stay safe 

The Otis and Us tribe xxx
🌲 And that’s me signing off for Christmas. 🌲 

Let’s hope 2021 brings some sunshine, plans, adventures and a glimmer of hope. 

To all my lovely friends, family and wonderful vanlife peeps, thanks so much for all the love and support this year. 

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and New year from Otis and Us xxx
Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing fram Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing frame, and so grateful to have this wonderful play area in our garden for the kids since the lockdown number two. 

It’s my last day of annual leave today. So we have spent the afternoon adding a few fairy lights to the MultiFlyer climbing frame - sprinkling a bit of magic and festive cheer out in the garden....

Moving on to the the camper next :) it definitely needs some fairy lights and a tree - Don’t you think? 🌲 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #vimage
If this year has taught us anything, it’s defini If this year has taught us anything, it’s definitely to not take anything for granted. To take each day as it comes and to enjoy the simple things in life, finding  joy in those ordinary moments. 

I don’t need reminding of this but family and friends are everything. As are good old hugs. (I miss hugs!) And plans. Blooming love a plan. 😍

So ill keep on bobbing on here if that’s okay? I’ll keep planning, writing about our campervan adventures and sharing our van life love and outdoor life. Because we have to have hope and we have to keep dreaming.... 

Hope you are all doing okay, sending a virtual hug if you need one this weekend. My inbox is ALWAYS open, always.
🚐 4 years! 🚐 4 years blogging!! Wowzers tha 🚐 4 years! 🚐

4 years blogging!! Wowzers that has flown by!! 

I’ve had lots of new followers lately so thought I would pop on and say hello and tell you a little bit about us.

I’m Katy and I am behind Otis and us travel blog. I started the blog during my maternity leave - really because I love taking photos and wanted  a place that the kids can look back on and to document our van life adventures. I  am a full time specialist nurse and also currently working on an MSc. I am a whirlwind and life is definitely jam packed but I wouldn’t have it any other way :) 

We love our beautiful T5!! We have made so many memories and taken some wonderful roadtrips over the years. We haven’t managed to get out in the van much this year, but hey I’ve still been dreaming ... hopefully next year🤞🏻🤞🏻

We have three free spirited kiddies who love nothing more than a road trip,  sleeping in the poptop roof, exploring, beach life and toasting marshmallows. 

Mr Otis and Us, what can I say? The chilled one who has so much patience😆. He drives the many miles, lives on coffee and never ever says no to my crazy road trips and ideas. 

So here we are - the Otis and Us tribe, popping on to say hi. 
 
Thank you so much for following along, for all your interaction and love. It means the world. I love to hear from you all, every message and every comment. Thank you 🙏🏻 

Hope you will stay with us for 2021 , 

Stay safe 

Katy xx 🌈

📸 credit @canonuk

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