Homemade Laundry Soap aka Gloop

My husband suffers quite badly from eczema and recently he's had a really painful flare up. He's tried all sorts of remedies over the years but none of them have had lasting benefits and now he's been told his only option is some drug that has a whole lot of potential side effects so I'm looking at what changes I can make that might help and make that unnecessary.

One of them is laundry soap. We always use hypoallergenic non-biological type ones but I wanted to try something even milder that didn't cost a fortune just because it didn't have all the perfumes and "gentle" stuff in it. This will surprise you, but I didn't get the recipe from Pinterest! Nope, I remember seeing it on Superscrimspers last year so I looked up the recipe (on Claire Gay's site) and here it is:

1 x grated bar of 100% vegetable soap.
I couldn't see any in the shop I was in (Wilkinsons) so I got a box of Dri-Pak Soap Flakes
250ml Soda Crystals (the sort you'd normally use to clean your drain)
20 x drops of essential oil. I used chamomile because it's supposed to be good for eczema.

1) Boil 560ml (a pint) of water and add grated bar of soap or 100g of soap flakes (a quarter of the box).
2) Reduce the heat a bit and stir it a lot until all the soap has dissolved (5-10 minutes). Take it off the heat.
3) Measure 250ml of Soda Crystals and add water to make it up to 560ml (1 pint) with hot tap water.
4) Pour this into the soap mixture, add your essential oils* if you're using them, then stir until it's combined.

It will go all gloopy but it does thicken and harden slightly so it's easy to scoop and not sloppy. I store mine in a plastic tub and use an old scoop from a tub of Vanish which is around quarter of a cup - scoop and all on top of the washing in the drum.

* there is some suggestion that lavender and tea tree oils can have a negative effect on the hormones in young boys so it's best to avoid these.

The oil cost me £6.88 from Holland & Barret, but if you have any lying around you can save on the cost. The soda crystals were 90p and the soap flakes £1.20 so £2.10 will get me four pretty big batches of washing gloop. Not sure if it will help with the eczema but it's certainly not going to do any harm.

Random Likings - 30 January 2013

It's been a bit of mixed week's work this week and in the process I have unearthed a few new sites I could waste a lot of time on.

1. The first is Huntfun (www.huntfun.co.uk)

If you want a reason to get out for a walk and Geocaching isn't your thing, or you're just looking for something different to do these maps could be the key. You can download them to print out or download the app, select a suitable type of hunt (kids, groups, corporate team building, hen/stag parties) and go. They aren't free but you can usually find a code of sorts kicking around on sites like moneysupermarket.com
 
2. Searching for the perfect full skirted shirt dress led me to Modcloth (www.modcloth.com). *warning* don't go here unless you're happy to be tempted to spend a truckload of cash. Unfortunately the dress I wanted is totally out of stock in all colours but they have so many nice items for sale I am sure I'll find something to replace it in my affections

3. I am sure I have seen this site before and forgotten about it until this week when I re-discovered 80s Tapes (80s-tapes.blogspot.co.uk). This is an awesome labour of love where you'll find a trip down memory lane with your name on it, especially if you grew up in Australia or New Zealand in the 1980s.

4. Take Them a Meal (www.takethemameal.com) appeals to my love of warm fuzzy stories about people helping others. It's a site that lets people schedule a plan to help out someone who needs it, either because they're ill or lost their spouse, have a new baby, or whatever. It has a lot of nice stories and a pretty big bank of recipes of meals which are simple to prepare and freeze well whether or not you're making them for someone else. 

5. James Campbell (www.thejamescampbell.com) Has anyone seen this guy? I read about him in an old Time Out article as a "comedian for kids" but checking out his site indicates he does a bit more, like hosting theBig Book Babble (www.bigbookbabble.co.uk) which I need to investigate further when I get the chance to watch things online without being constantly asked questions about what I am doing/watching/can I have a snack.
 

And just because I'm feeling generous I'm going to leave you with a funny video from the talented and hilarious Umbilical Brothers. You might know them from the Upside Down Show which was possibly the best thing Nick Jr ever broadcast but this clip is not child friendly!

 

Meal Planning Monday - 28 January 2013

Woo hoo, check it out - Monday again! That means the weekend's almost here, right? Actually I don't want to wish my week away because I have my fingers firmly crossed the kids will be in school for ALL FIVE DAYS (yes snow, I'm talking to you!) and I can do exciting things like finish a cup of tea in peace.

The most exciting news this week is that I have created a shared board for putting tried and tested family favourites to aid in weekly meal planning. You can follow it here and if you want to be able to Pin your favourite recipes to to it just leave me a message on one of the more recent pins, or add your Pinterest name in the comments here and I will send you an invite.

So, onto the good stuff. Only 5 meals to plan this week so I am going with

Boursin chicken with wilted spinach, carrots and new potatoes
Fridge frittata

to use up some goat's cheese, fresh herbs and other bits
Double crunch honey garlic pork chops

 (only had these a fortnight ago but they are so tasty and have been requested)
Roast Chicken 

with all the trimmings, and Yorkshire pud
Chicken and vegetable pie 

which will probably turn into stew with dumplings since I have no pastry in the freezer and probably will forget I need to make it until it's too late.

Don't forget about the new board - leave your Pinterest name below if you want to join in the fun. Remember to check out Mrs M for more Meal Planning Monday inspiration.

If you like this, why not stay up to date easily by following via Google or bloglovin', and thanks for reading! 

Silent Sunday - 27 January 2013

Raspberry and Chocolate Blondies

All this playing in the snow has worked up big appetites. The cinnamon roll cake I baked disappeared in less than 24 hours so I searched for something new to back to fill up the cake tin and found this recipe over on BBC Food. It calls for 150g of white chocolate and I only had 100g (less the bits filched while I was chopping it) so I adapted the recipe to suit what was in my cupboard. They don't look anywhere near as perfect as the BBC's, but they taste gorgeous and I can't imagine they'll last long

• 200g Stork
• 75g white chocolate , roughly chopped 
• 100g milk or plain chocolate, chopped
• 300g light muscovado sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 200g self raising flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 125g frozen raspberries 
• 1/3 bag of mini-marshmallows (optional)

Method

1. Grease and line brownie tin (mine is 9x13in) and preheat oven to 180C (160C fan forced) or Gas mark
2. Melt margarine. Take off the head and add chopped white chocolate. stir gently so it melts and mixes in nicely
3. beat sugar with eggs until light and frothy
4. fold in flour, sugar, vanilla and salt. 
5. pour in margarine mix and stir in gently with spoon or spatula
6. pour batter into tin and sprinkle over chocolate, raspberries and marshmallows evenly
7. bake 50 minutes and leave to cool in the tin

Gives around 15 squares.

These are wonderfully squidgy with the chocolate and raspberries sinking to the bottom and the marshmallows all gooey on the crispy top.

If you like this, why not stay up to date easily by following via Google or bloglovin', and thanks for reading!

Random likings 22 January 2013

Sleepy Time Bedtime Calculator - www.sleepyti.me

If you're anything like me in winter, you need all the help you can get with feeling human and being able to function when there's so little daylight. This site is great for working out what times you should aim to go to sleep or wake up to have the most energy in the morning.
sleepyti.me

Upcycle That - www.upcyclethat.com

I am loving upcycling at the moment, and have even created a new Pinterest board for it. It appeals to my thrifty side and I like the whole idea of creating something unique out of an unappreciated item so I wind up with a characterful item that hasn't been mass produced. Upcycle That is packed with ideas ranging from making a bubble blower from a plastic bottle to a garden water feature from a piano.

Flannelette Sheets

Mmm... cosy brushed cotton sheets are bliss to snuggle into at bedtime but so hard to crawl out of in the morning (and not because I'm usually woken by my 5-year-old climbing in at 6am). Unfortunately the cost of a flannelette quilt cover is ridiculous but I've got around that by buying two flat sheets and making my own. I know, simple right? I love these Scandinavian style ones even thought they don't go with my room. But if I was willing to bankrupt myself ordering from Pottery Barn I'd go for this Jenny Stripe set

Frozen Veg Casserole Mix

Ok, bit of a pedestrian like this week but I love this casserole mix for (carrots, swede, turnip, onions & celery) veg. I'm a fan of frozen veggies and some fruit anyway (last longer and are usually cheaper) but with the weather so cold my slow cooker has been working overtime. It's only £1.10 for 1kg, making it thrifty, healthy and easy - I'm sold!

Handbag

This bag was featured on How Do I Love Thee? but I have no idea where it's from. It's listed as Holly clutch in Tiffany Blue but that's not right. If anyone please could you tell me because I need to know where to send my soul in order to purchase one. The Holly clutch is also gorgeous.

 

Meal Planning Monday - 21 January 2013

I thought this week's meal plan might be a little, um, egg-based but thankfully the snow seems to have done it's worst and I was able to get to the supermarket yesterday to stock up on essentials like wine and fruit, so we don't all get scurvy (does scurvy still exist? I think that would be taking my youngest son's love of all things pirate a little too far)

Slow cooker pork stroganoff

Meatloaf with wilted spinach, cauliflower, carrots and new potatoes

Slow cooker beef and vegetable casserole

Chicken and crunchy veg stir fry with egg noodles
Honey lime chicken with basmati rice
Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pizza (because I have Alfredo sauce in the fridge and how good does this look!)

 Leftovers

I am most looking forward to the pizza because it just looks like the best combination of all that is bad for you and chicken pizzas are my favourite. I am saving this one for after a fast day - yum, yum! I made the condensed milk cupcakes but didn't get around to making the cinnamon roll one. I think I'll do it tonight because it's really, really good.

Editing this because I have just made the cake and it's even better now I've adjusted the recipe a little (original recipe too greasy for me, so I halved the butter used in the topping and now it's perfect!)

Remember to check out Mrs M for more Meal Planning Monday links. Thanks for all your comments last week. I love hearing from others and reading your blogs about food.

If you like this, why not stay up to date easily by following via Google or bloglovin', and thanks for reading! 

Silent Sunday - 20 January 2013

10 Fun Ways To Keep the Kids Amused and Stay Sane on a Snow Day

Snow! I love it. I grew up in a part of Sydney where it has never snowed in the history of snowflakes, ever. In fact, I don't even recall getting frost on the car and if the temperature dropped below 15C (60F) we'd huddle around the heater (singular, in the living room) and talk like the world had gone mad.
So to have a snow day (currently -1C) and see the weather in my home town is presently 38C at 5.30pm makes me laugh and shake my head a little at the difference.

So, snow days are cool, right? My kids think so, anyway. I can handle one day off school, possibly two at a pinch as long as it's midweek and they're getting along nicely so I can still work. If your kids are bored of building snowmen, throwing snow at each other and sledding, here are some activities to help keep them amused and keep yourself sane.

1. Painting in the snow - a squirty bottle filled with water and a bit of food coloring lets you make not just yellow snow, but red, blue, green and whatever other colour you can mix up for them to squirt a masterpiece on that massive white canvas
2. Depending on how packed the snow is, make your own miniature golf course
3. Build snow-castles with buckets and spades
4. Build an igloo or fort. This is great if you have a lot of snow and it looks set to stay for at least a few days. It makes for much better snow fights.
5. Go for a walk and take photos of everyday things disguised by the snow. I have a cheap digital camera my 5 year old loves to use.

If they're fed up with playing outside why not

1. refuel them with hot chocolate and ice-cream. Fill your mug three-quarters full with hot chocolate then add a big scoop of ice-cream and a spoon. Marshmallows are so 2012.  

 
 2. Make snowflakes (these instructions are from Let Kids Create)

3. Build a den or indoor fort
4. Use masking tape to set up a race track for cars around the floor of your house (and over soft furniture)
5. Have an indoor picnic (unless you're serving soup)

I have to leave it there because it's now light enough to see so I'm being badgered to help find the 5 year old's waterproofs so he can go play.

If you're out today, post a link in the comments to your snow photos so we can see them!

Family Things To Do in 2013

This is NOT my family - we are not this good looking and I don't think anyone really looks this happy on a family outing

This is my 2013 list of family outings I would like to do. I am very good at seeing things that thinking "oh, that sounds great!" then forgetting about it completely so I am writing things down here and will try to remember to update it with details of what we have done as well as adding things when I think of them so I don't forget this year.

Here is what I have so far

1. Another trip to Folly Farm. It rained biblical amounts when we went in December and though we had a great time, we didn't see any animals or get to play outside.
2. Horse riding with the youngest. I have found a place near us and will book this soon
3. Techniquest in Cardiff Bay - youngest and I have a season ticket so I definitely want to get there a few times over the year.
4. The Great Western LEGO exhibition in Swindon in October
5. family bike ride. Youngest is off his stabilisers so now we can all ride together - hooray!
6. family holiday to the Lake District and Scotland in summer. We've been talking about this for a few years but haven't actually got around to organising it but watch out Scotland, because 2013 is the year we visit!
7. holiday in the sun, if funds allow and if summer is rubbish again this year. I think I may be developing webbed feet
8. ice skating - oldest loved it when we went last year but despite having Planet Ice in Cardiff and the best intentions, we haven't actually gone again
9. Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset - the one on the Isle of Wight was a real hit last year, so will try this one closer to home
10. holiday at Coombe Mill
11. Disneyland Paris is a possibility if the price is right (is it ever?)
12. Doctor Who Experience
13. Legoland Windsor, maybe even in the Legoland hotel this time because it looks awesome!
14. The Harry Potter Studio Tour at Warner Bros
15. St Werburghs City Farm in Bristol
16. Bead Shop, 21A Towers St, Covent Garden, WC2H 9NS
17. Fortingall Yew
18. Roald Dahl Museum
19. Cheddar Bikefest
20. Bristol Slapstick Silent Comedy Festival (gutted just missed this. Will have to be 2014 now)
21. Bristol Balloon Fiesta
22. Snowdon
23. Thames Foreshore Dig in London
24. Caerphilly Castle on a re-inactment day
25. Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh
26. Big Pit, Blaenavon
27. Barrafundle Bay
28. Portmerion
29. Wales Wetland National Mud Festival
30. Loch Ness
31. Culloden
32. National Museum of Scotland
33. Cadbury World
34. Pontefract Liquorice Festival
35. Woodland Skills (maybe just for the boys)
36. Bath Pump Rooms
37. Singleton Boating Lake
38. Fossil Finding
39. Dawn Chorus event
40. Venture Playground Wrexham
41. Pick Your Own (bit of a cheat, we usually do this a couple of times a year)
42. Low Sizergh Farm Kendall
43. Gloucester

Leave me a comment if you have any other suggestions, especially if they're in South Wales or the South West.

If you like this, why not stay up to date easily by following via Google or bloglovin', and thanks for reading!

Don't Miss These Top 5 Favourite Time Wasting Sites!

Do you like my heading? I'm trying to make procrastination sound important to give it some legitimacy in my working day. Now the kids are back at school I am back to work with a vengeance. Still, I am very easily distracted and this is what has been doing it for me lately.

1. Looking up Richard Amitage on Pinterest.
I am slightly ashamed about this one because after all, I am 38 and not 12 (thought if I was 12 I guess I'd been perving on Justin Bieber or someone). My shame doesn't last long, because it seems there are many people who are even more taken with foxy Richard Armitage than I am, and looking on Pinterest allows me to indulge a little while feeling that I can't be that bad because there are people with entire boards dedicated to him for goodness sake!
Anyway, I especially liked this video (and the reverse one is also quite funny)

2. Good Reads (www.goodreads.com)

 Once upon a time I was a voracious reader. Now my free time is more limited I don't get the chance to read as often as I'd like, or the type of books I'd like. I mainly stick to fluff that can be easily interrupted without losing the train of the plot. (It seems that not only is the toilet lid lifting an invitation for my youngest to want something, but the sound of a book opening). Good Reads is a great site where you can find new books to try based on your interests and authors whose work you have read and liked. I don't want to waste the time I do have to read on something I can't into or won't like so you could say this site is a time saver instead of a time waster, maybe?

3. Tiny House Blog (tinyhouseblog.com)

If you ever feel like your house is a bit too small, or you're drowning in crap that has no place to "live" check out the innovative use of space in the houses on this site. Storage is an integral part of design and I always feel like the woman at the end of A Squash and a Squeeze  after looking at some of the amazing houses on there.

4.  Purseblog 

Specifically the CND Shellac swatches. I also like searching Google for similar sites and swatches where I can see what the colours look like when they are mixed. If you don't follow me on Twitter you may have missed that I had a Shellac manicure the other week as part of my New Year's Resolutions (you know - solve the crisis in the Middle East, donate to charity, have nice nails, all very worthy goals) and I am hooked. I'm about to book my second one but am not sure what colour to have. Since it's going to be on my nails for at least two weeks I want to like it.

5. Four Seasons

Yep, I've been wasting time planning fantasy holidays again. I don't know about you, but my perfect holiday doesn't involve a Travelodge - it's luxury all the way!  Today it's a toss up between Bali and Florence.

If you have any sites you'd care to recommend - for research purposes only, of course! - please let me know.

If you like this, why not stay up to date easily by following via Google or bloglovin', and thanks for reading! 

Golden Globes Fashion - Frocks and Shocks

Hooray! I just love a spate of red carpet events for the frocks and shocks that sashay past the cameras. Here is my pick of the best 5 dresses from the 2013 Golden Globes.

Clare Danes looks gorgeous, especially for a woman who's not long had a baby. The colour and cut of her Versace gown are perfect for her

Isla Fisher in Reem Acra. The colour is perfect and I love the sheer straps. It's pretty and sexy without overwhelming her tiny frame.

Helen Mirren's Badgley Mischka frock is so flattering. The cut and detail make her waist look tiny, the length is spot on and it's sexy. This is how to age stylishly. Madonna, take note.

Naomi Watts in Zac Posen. Love this colour, the way it's styled and the sheer quantity of gorgeous flowing fabric. The red carpet or your wedding is about the only place you could get away with a train like this.

There were a few women wearing this full style dress but I think it best suits younger women, like Jennifer Lawrence. The red of this Dior Haute Couture ball gown is perfect and the belt, hair and jewellery add just the right touches.

And the rest...

No No J Lo!
What an amazing figure J Lo has but I wish she'd do us a favour and leave it to the imagination. She's heading down the Madonna route of going OTT to prove that older women can still have hot bodies. We get it, already! She's just a nipple slip away from tipping over the edge into mutton.

Pictures courtesy of People.com

Normally I love the way Rachel Weiss looks. I think she's gorgeous and she usually wears something stunning. I am not a fan of this half sheer look though. She's not the only one to wear it, but because she'd normally be in my top five I was more disappointed with her Louis Vuitton number. Kerry Washington's dress would have been stunning if it didn't look (to me) like Miu Miu had run out of material.

Photo from guardian.co.uk

What do you think? Did you have a favourite frock or two from the Golden Globes?

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Meal Planning Monday - 14th January 2013

This week's meal plan is a little bit retro. Normally I look for new things to cook each week and the treasure trove that is Pinterest means that sometimes things I cook once and really like don't make it back on my list because there is so much to try. This week I'm going back to find them and will be making them over the next week or two.

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie from 19 March 2012

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken from 5 March 2012

Jambalaya from 28 November 2011

Lemon and Garlic Chicken with warm Potato Salad from 13 June 2011

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Pork Chops from 24 October 2011

Creamy Gammon and Vegetable Pie

Leftovers

Baking

Cinnamon Roll Cake - this should come with a warning, it's so good!

Condensed Milk Cupcakes 

Yum! I am not sure where I'll start this week, but let's just say I'll be enjoying dinner. Remember to check out Mrs M for more Meal Planning Monday links.

If you like this, why not stay up to date easily by following via Google or bloglovin', and thanks for reading!

Silent Sunday

Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup

Browsing the blogs taking part in Mrs M's Meal Planning Monday linky, I was hooked by the sound of Lifechanging Soup from Penelope's Pantry, aka Skye Gyngell's Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup - yum! It comes from A Year In My Kitchen. Penelope had mentioned she'd altered the recipe so I searched for the original version online.

 Skye Gyngell,  A Year In My Kitchen

2 large sweet potatoes
2 tbsp unsalted butter (I used olive oil as I had no butter)
2 red onions
1.5  tbsp grated fresh root ginger
1.5 litres chicken stock or water
150ml double cream
1tbsp tamari or normal soy sauce (I used unsalted because I only had stock cubes and they're already salty)
1 tbsp maple syrup.
juice of 1/2 lime.
Melt butter, soften onion with salt then add peeled and chopped sweet potatoes and grated ginger.  Add stock, boil until sweet potatoes tender and easy to mash, whizz, then reheat and add other ingredients.

I made similar changes to Penelope's Pantry in that I omitted the cream and added a chopped, de-seeded red chilli. I also had some sweet red peppers so they went in too. Not only did it taste divine, it had a stunning deep rich colour. The recipe gives 4-6 portions of soup and with the chilli and ginger it really warms you from the inside out. It's a very virtuous soup.

I served it with One Hour Rolls. I would have liked a sturdier, stronger tasting bread with it but I was short on time and these rolls are quick and delicious. Unsurprisingly, my husband immediately dismissed "soup" as not being filling enough but a reasonable sized bowl and two rolls later and he was happy, even complimentary!

Decorating a Bedroom The White Company Style

Fresh Design Blog have teamed up with one of my favourite go-to dream stores, The White Company, to giveaway £200 of bed linen. All you have to do is show them how you'd style a bedroom for the festive season using items from The White Company's gorgeous home collections to be in with a chance to win. Easy, huh! Here's mine.

To me, the festive season is all about putting aside everyday items and indulging in a little luxury, and what's more luxurious than 720 thread count sheets? I've started with the full Pimlico Egyptian-cotton percale collection (quilt cover, fitted sheet and pillowcases) in pure snow white, layering it with the versatile white cotton Channel Rib bedspread...

... and topping it off with a 100% premium cashmere throw in a soft grey

But a bedroom is about more than just the bed so I'd add

Clockwise from top left: Frosted wreath, Dulwich headboard and daybed; Portland Mirror; Antique Cut Glass lamp

One of the biggest parts of the festive season for me is the scents and fragrances, which is why I'd finish with the Pomegranate Signature Candle with mandarin and amber to soothe and relax.

You might think the festive season is over but you still have until Sunday to enter the competition and possibly nab yourself some luxe goodies from The White Company for your own bedroom.

Is Folly Farm Britain's Best Day Out?

Do you remember that Biblical rain we had around the country in early December? Well, on a day even Noah would have turned his back at in disgust we piled in the car and headed west to Folly Farm. MoneySupermarket.com have been running a campaign for bloggers to check out family days out around the country and report back. I was lucky enough to get the chance to visit Folly Farm in Kilgetty, which is not too far from Tenby in Pembrokeshire,West Wales. It's been a few years since we last went. Then, my kids were about 7 and 18 months. Now they are 10 and 5 - would they still enjoy it as much as before? We were about to drive 90 minutes in bucketing rain to find out!

Dressed for the weather. Even though it was raining lots the staff were still grimacing smiling!

Folly Farm is a great venue and a place you definitely want to visit when you're in Pembrokeshire (which has plenty to offer if you're considering a family holiday). It's well signposted and easy to find, has lots of parking, and is massive so even on a stinking hot summer day (which is only about 20C in Wales) it still feels pretty spacious and you're not getting bumped in the ankles by buggies at every turn. I deliberately chose a date to visit when their Winter Wonderland was open so we'd have the option to visit Santa if the youngest wanted to. In the end he was happy just to see the baby reindeer (so cute!) and the animatronic elves. We arrived at around lunchtime and headed to The Coffee Shop, where the lady behind the counter gave us a run down on what they were serving and (nicely) suggested we might want to go to The Ploughmans if we wanted a hot meal, which we did. The food was fine and the portions huge. I had a pasta bolognese bake made with local mince, my husband had Celtic Pride steak and ale pie with chips, and the oldest had sausage, chips and veg. The food was hot and pretty tasty though the portions were massive and we left about half of it which felt quite wasteful. 

Getting acquainted with the animals and the slides

The next couple of hours were spent trying our luck on the games in the Vintage Funfair (you have to pay for tokens) before settling down with the free WiFi while the kids ran riot on Carousel Woods. This is a great indoor play area with plenty of slides and things to climb and a quieter area for toddlers. There is a cafe there but Folly Farm is very picnic friendly with lots of places to eat your own food indoors and out. We also caught the free show which was Christmas themed and quite interactive with lots of audience shouting. The 5 year old particularly liked it, but even the at-times-jaded 10 year old enjoyed it and was laughing along. 

The heavy rain was really non-stop so we only got to see animals that were indoors, which still gave us plenty of variety with everything from massive rabbits to fish, snakes, and parrots. We did see a bedraggled head of some sort poking over the door of a stable when we ventured outside, and even a few hardy kids playing on the Pirate Ships. It's a testament to Folly Farm that even though we were confined indoors we still had a great day and both kids loved it. Folly Farm is as much about playing as about the animals, and you can see the list  of all they offer here. Though it's called a farm, it's actually a zoo with over 50 different species of animals ranging from zebras to kookaburras.

When it comes to days out, Folly Farm is up there in our family's favourites.  It costs £9.75 for adults and £8.75 for children 3-15 years, but keep your eye out for money-off vouchers because they come up fairly regularly. You can also save money by booking online as long as you can print your ticket in advance. It closes during the week in winter so look here for specific opening times and hours.

We've actually booked a short break in West Wales during the February half term and will be heading back to Folly Farm again, this time on a dry day with a massive picnic.

If you like this, why not stay up to date easily by following via Google or bloglovin', and thanks for reading!

With thanks to Moneysupermarket.com for providing family entry to Folly Farm.