Keeping little ones amused in Summer

Wonderful Wonderland Telford Review

 

Disclaimer: This review is based on a trip we took to Wonderland in August 2014. This review is not endorsed and I paid for the tickets from my own pocket.

 

Fairytales; a place you escaped to as a child. A place that was not only magical but a safe haven from the harsh world of being a child with strict parents who wouldn’t let you stay out late, you weren’t allowed unlimited amounts of fizzy pop like your friends. It was a place you wanted to go. You wanted to climb into the book and sit and watch the dwarfs sing their way to the mines. But as you grew up that world was pushed to the back of your mind as other thoughts started to develop. Nursery rhymes no longer appeal as your musical tastes morph quickly.

 

Your world became cluttered with make up, boy bands, latest fashion trends and gossip from the playground and later college canteen. Sometimes though when the world became a daunting place some of us wanted to escape to that place in the Fairytales. The place where the woodlands were full of small cottages, Rapunzel lived up a tower and Snow White spent her days cleaning and cooking for her 7 little friends. As I became an adult my love of Fairytales never faded.

 

I still love Disney movies and believe it or not I believe in the type of love Rapunzel shares with Eugene in Tangled. The love that makes you fuzzy. I also believe in a love that is pure-the love that a Mother feels for her newborn; the feeling that never ever goes away.

 

So fast forward to be being a parent of a 3 year old. A three year old that owns a lot of glittery pink princess like stuff-dolls, books, fancy dress costumes...crowns everything. Little one happily lives in a world where Mother Gothel lives in the castle near us (the castle being a church). Her dresses come from the same shop as where the princesses would shop-in her world she is a Princess in training. So what would be the best thing ever for a child who loves Princesses and Fairytales? Well that was the question and we decided to look into a place called Wonderland.

 

Which way; this way. That way.

 

 

 

Wonderland Telford is a place where Snow white lives in the woods and you can pan for gold. The Mad Hatter can be seen wondering around. Alice can be seen wondering around in between tea parties. It’s a place where Fairytales are brought to life. Yes you read that correctly-Fairytales come to life.

 

After a bit of research I came across a Groupon offer for Wonderland and started planning our visit. The idea of brushing shoulders with fairies and characters out of world famous Fairytales had me giddy; and when I explained to little one where we were going I no longer had a child I could persuade to calm down. We planned the trip as I always do; packed the bags, bought the snacks/food supplies and we got the car ready to make the hour long journey to Telford.

 

After reading varying reviews I was hoping that the magical appeal would outweigh the old, battered and tired venue I was picturing. I hoped my 3 and a half year old would run into enough of her Fairytale friends to be excited about being at Wonderland.

 

When we got to Wonderland we found the car park which is currently experiencing some work. It was quite packed to say the least; possibly because it was free parking on the day and Telford Town park is also quite close by. After five minutes we managed to find a slot. We parked up, got the pushchair in order and loaded on the supplies for the day.

 

　

 

The first member of staff we came across was a young man at the main who was very cheerful and friendly. Clearly he liked his job; he chatted away to little one who explained she was here to see the fairies. We exchanged our voucher for our admission stickers and away we went. The first thing I noticed was the venue wasn’t noisy; there was a genuine happy buzz of children laughing in the air.

The park was clean with ample bins dotted about to help keep Wonderland clean. Little one became memorised instantly as we walked around.

She came across the Giant who she wanted to ask if he’d seen Jack lately. Quickly she joined a queue to go on the white rabbit ride and became excited at having a cart to herself. Queuing time was less than five minutes and soon we were walking around Wonderland discovering the world of Fairytales through the eyes of a child. There wasn’t just exploring to do and cottages and houses to find; there were also rides (yes rides) to experience. And like any good attraction aimed at families of young ones these rides were suitable for little one.

The idea of being in the woods and seeing Snow Whites house for the first time was magical. Little one was not aware of the fact that Mama found the robotic movements of Snow White extremely scary; she was more concerned about the fact the dwarfs were not opening the door. And as we manoeuvred around Wonderland we came across:

 

• The Gingerbread Mans House
• Humpty Dumpty & the Kings Soldiers
• The Mat Hatter
•  Alice (from Alice in Wonderland)
•  Woodland Fairy (we kept calling her Tinkerbell)
•  Snow White-who in my opinion suited the role so well
•  The Gold Mine where the dwarfs work (and you can pan for gold and even buy gems for a couple of quid. But you will need to find a couple of white pieces of *gold* whilst panning for gold too).
•  Little Red Riding Hood
•  Goldilocks and the Three Bears  
• The Three Little Pigs-plus Mr Fox who was preparing to cook the pigs
• The Shoe House-complete with lots of children
• The crooked house-with the little old man having a cup of tea 
• Ben 10 (yes I accept that is fairly random. What is intriguing is he was hanging out with Alice)
• Santa's Cottage-but he was on Holiday
• Dinosaurs

 

Before anyone points out that Humpty Dumpty is from a Nursery Rhyme I know. Wonderland also features Nursery Rhyme characters but they didn't really appeal to a 3 year old obsessed with Fairytales.

 

We also noticed a Maze but didn’t get the chance to try it as oldest became very tired.

 

And there was also Crazy Golf-again we didn’t get the chance to try this although my two don’t really understand the concept of golf; yet.

 

Indoor soft play-which I think was enjoyed more by the youngest. It was a small-ish area however was well maintained and clean.

 

And the excitement didn’t stop there. Oh no. There were rides to try.

 

Our favourites included:

 

• The Mad Hatters Tea Party (both bambinos loved this ride) 
• White Rabbit Ride
• Santa’s Sleigh (both children went on with an adult)
• The carousel (which both children loved)
• Alice’s Bouncy Castle-not sure if there are many 3 year olds who don’t like bouncy castles?
• The Fairy Disco-yes it's not a ride but it kept little ones amused with games for around 30 minutes!

 

So as you can see there was plenty to keep little ones amused. Then at PM a disco started. Yes a disco with games. And the children were more than willing to dance and sing along.

 

Food:

 

We bought our picnic from a Supermarket as I was pushed for time. We noticed plenty of clean places to enjoy our picnic. If the weather is good and you can fit a picnic blanket in the grassy area which hosts the stage and maypole would be a great place to enjoy your food. You may find insects hovering about as there are trees dotted about.

 

We didn’t use the food facilities so in all honesty cannot review them.

 

First Aid:

 

We didn’t need to use this facility but as always I was carrying a small First Aid kit.

 

Merchandise:

 

Little one was so tired that we didn’t actually get to go in the gift shop.

 

Toilets:

 

The toilets were actually clean. No horrid smells. No puddles of mysterious liquids. Plenty of soap and taps that work-hooray! I like the idea that there are signs promoting hygiene in the baby changing facilities. You are asked to spray the changing mat and wipe it after use-great stuff. I did notice that they had run out of blue towels by PM.

 

Ticket pricing:

 

I used a Groupon voucher which we purchased for £12.00 for a family of four. Considering that I found this day out as a bargain as both children enjoyed it. There were plenty of photo opportunities as the characters were more than happy to stop and pose for a photo or two.

 

Under two’s are free to enter Wonderland.

 

Standard prices are:

 

Adults £7.45

 

Children £7.95

 

OAP: £6.45

 

Now I know a lot of parents will be up in arms about the price but please keep in mind that you are getting an outdoor adventure, rides, soft play and even a disco for the price. If you look at it like that the price is fabulous. I pay around £4.00 for just soft play so an extra £3.95 seems a bargain to me. So even at full price Wonderland is simply wonderful.

 

What to pack:

 

The usual really.

 

• Food if you plan to take your own picnic.
• Picnic blanket
• Nappy changing bag-with supplies
• Bottles/formula/baby food  
• Mini first aid kit 
• Spare clothes
• Raincoats, wellies and other weather appropriate clothing
• Camera

 

　

Would I go again?

 

It’s about the little ones-and they loved it. Yes the park does look a bit dated and some of the paths seem to have seen better days. However finding an attraction that is stroller friendly and caters for the needs of little ones can sometimes prove impossible. Plus the park wasn’t full bursting at the seems-even in summer holidays which is a blessing. The staff were friendly, the park was clean. There was more than enough to keep little ones amused.

 

There’s a Pirates and Princesses event on the August Bank Holiday Monday (25th). I may go back-you never know. Maybe Wonderland will want us to come back and try the Maze and Crazy Golf?! We will return to the enchanted woodland of Wonderland.

Gulliver's Warrington review

The wonderful world of Gulliver’s-Warrington

Note: I am writing this review based on my own experiences. I paid for our own tickets-this review is not endorsed by anyone.

When you have children your idea of entertainment and a day out are no longer a an afternoon of shopping followed by dinner at a fancy restaurant. Oh no. Soft play will be your ultimate destination and if you are lucky a leftover Happy Meal will be your five star lunch (as voted for by kiddies). Your DVD collection will be replaced by Scooby Doo, Disney and random films that your little cherubs have developed a thing for (Minions anyone?). And a day out starts with military planning. You check the weather, stroller access, what food outlets are on site and how much it will cost to keep your bambinos entertained. You then buy tickets, plan wardrobes and pack your nappy changing bag like you are off into the Sahara dessert or Antarctic depending on what time of the year it is. You then pack a bag of snacks and drinks. Then and maybe then you can sleep easy and leave the house by a reasonable hour. Okay so now that you understand that you are not the only parent who runs around like a loony on redbull let’s get cracking (by the way Mamas-I have a list that I use when I am packing for days out-if you would like it please let me know).

My three and half year old have developed a thrill seekers streak. She wants everyone to drive faster, and wants to go down slides head first. I do wonder if my love of adrenaline rides has worn off on little one but that’s a different story. After our semi-disastrous trip to Alton Towers I decided that I should look for a venue aimed just at kids. No really these places exist outside the world of soft play zones. The venue also needed to be within at least an hours drive-after all my 1 year old doesn’t enjoy audiobooks the way the older one does (oh yes, your CD collection will consist of Disney soundtracks-altogether now "the cold never bothered me annnnnyyyyywaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy). So with that we decided to give Gullivers World in Warrington a go.

Cost wise I must admit we had a strike of good luck-the park had discounted tickets for their Ben and Holly weekend and as some parents will know a lot of little folk are madly in love with these lovable fairies and elves. So I booked tickets at £9.00 per person. I checked the weather *sunshine-wow* and did some research online to access what was worth potentially queuing for. Some of the reviews slated the park no end. Other reviews were glowing (easily pleased perhaps?). Either way I was going to experience this place for myself.

We got to the park at around 11:30 (with oldest dresses as a Princess) and there was ample parking available-on a grassy area. We noted that if we wanted to park on the official car park we needed to arrive earlier. We decided to arrive late as my children can only really last between 3-4 hours before their batteries run flat.

We noticed a queue for tickets and bypassed them with our printed out online bargains. The staff were friendly and told us what time we could expect Ben and Holly to make an appearance on the main stage.

As soon as we got into the park the oldest was happy-very happy. The type of happy were children scream with delight. The park was clean with enough bins dotted around to keep it clean. We had a brief sit down whilst little ones had an early lunch of sandwiches (we took our own packed lunch based on the reviews of the eateries at the park-I won’t risk eating horrid food I have to pay silly money for). After lunch we waited in a small queue to have our photos taken with Ben and Holly. There was no pushing or shoving-the kids were very well behaved and the parents too.

We got our photos taken and quickly moved onto the rides. The first thing I noticed was-NO QUEUES for the rides. You read that right! No queues! And...most of the rides were suitable for a three and a half to ride-across the whole park. Not only that but a lot of rides were under cover so if rain did appear it wouldn’t spoil the day. And the icing on the cake? There were rides the oldest could ride alone and rides we could take littlest on too.

Best rides & some worth avoiding:

The best bits:

• Tree top Swings
• Carousel
• Leonard’s flying raft
• Caterpillar Rollercoaster
• Runaway train coaster
• Mad hatters Tea party (cups)
• Barrel ride
• Ellie’s Animal Merry Go Round
• Pirate ship

Avoid

• Adventure Canyons (especially in damp/hot weather-insect overload)
• Tomb raiders-I’ve never seen a more bored 3 and a half year old in my life *enough said*
• Water rides-unless you have a poncho to protect clothing as wet kids tend to be grumpy. I’ve seen some cheap ponchos around so buy before you go.

Okay it’s rant time....

Hygiene of the toilets and baby changing facilities

The smell of wee drives me insane. For crying out loud how hard is it to maintain clean floors when you claim to check the toilets every hour?! I used the toilets near Ellie’s Animal Merry Go Round and there was enough water on the floor to provide a group of barbie dolls with a lake. There were two toilets that needed a good clean (why do some people NOT flush toilets?!). The smell? Bloody awful. Baby changing facilities were okay-but still needed a good clean to be up to my standards (sorry there Gulliver’s).

I also had the misfortune of using one set of toilets that had net curtains in them that looked like they needed binning. Yuck. The rest of the park was clean and tidy.

I would suggest that you do not sit near the bins or pedalos to have something to eat. The wasps will drive you insane (that’s if you have any sanity left with being the parent of a toddler/pre-schooler).

　
Food:
We only purchased a bottle of water and ice creams on site. The prices were reasonable.
As mentioned before this was due to reviews we read. Plus let’s face it-food is generally overpriced at Theme parks. We did see a parent complaining the fresh doughnuts she had purchased were rock hard. Not sure if they are meant to be inedible. A new diet trend perhaps? We took our own food and found plenty of suitable places to sit down and enjoy food. There is also sheltered picnic areas for when the weather is less than sunny.

First aid:
We didn’t require it however I always carry a small kit with me. I have three kits made up and left in changing bags and in the bag we take with us to the local park. Plasters, a few antiseptic wipes, antiseptic cream and dry antiseptic spray and we are usually good to go.

What to pack:

• A picnic (if you are looking at a frugal meal)
• A small cool bag to keep drinks cool in. I froze a couple of boxes of juice and took them out in the morning. Not only did we have cool drinks but the boxes kept the food cool too.
• Hats, glasses, sun cream
• If you are visiting in potential wet weather take wellies
• Your camera-unlike places like Alton Towers Gulliver's
• have limited on ride photography
• Wipes-ideally the antibacterial ones you use around the home. For use on chairs, baby changing and even toilets.
• Your usual baby changing supplies
• Your usual baby feeding stuff. I recommend that you take food pouches for little ones as they are easier to transport.

　
Ticket pricing
Buying in advance like many other things is more cost effective than buying on the day. There are plenty of special events at Gulliver’s Warrington-from weekends dedicated to Grandparents to Father’s Day events which often include special discounts (e.g. Daddy goes free).

Would I go again?
Well we did. We visited twice in June. We attended the Ben and Holly Weekend and then a Toddler Thursday where we paid £5.00 per person. The only ride we noticed closed was the pedalos. Would I pay full price? That’s a hard one. Yes I would only because this place made little ones happy.

Merchandise:
We went into the shop to have a little look around and walked out with a Princess Gully mouse. She cost us less than £15.00.

　
　
Final thoughts:
Yes the park would do with a bit of a makeover. A lick of paint would be lovely. The park does look tired however let’s be realistic; kids love this place. Children can ride the majority of rides-which is the appeal of this place. Not many three year olds will notice how the paint in chipped and some of the gazebo fabric needs repairing/replacing. What matters is the little one have fun-and they did.

The hype was the best bit-a review and rant about Cbeebies Land @ Alton Towers

Disclaimer: This review expresses my own personal views and is not endorsed by a third party. These opinions are based on my visit to Cbeebies Land on the 2nd of June 2014. The Merlin passes we own as a family were bought with our own hard earned money.

Alton Towers how I used to love thee. Then a magical change happened in 2010 and I became a parent. At first I wondered if I would ever love theme parks the way I loved them before. Then I discovered that those rides which I thought were a waste of precious theme park space were actually for little people-game on!

Fast forward to 2014 and I now have two bambinos. The little one who is under 1 clearly at this stage doesn’t understand the delights and thrill of the theme park setting whereas the three and half year old does. And team her understanding with the Merlin adverts for ‘Cbeebies land’ that is hard to avoid on channels such as Nick Junior and a day at Alton Towers is an instant smash hit-or so it would seem.

We planned our visit with military precision. I have a list of items I take on day trips which includes a spare set of clothes per child, plasters, more than enough spare nappies and healthy nibbles. I checked the weather and with a chance of rain I packed my little ones wellies. Sun cream was slapped on, kids strapped in. Pushchair tyres checked. Everyone present. Merlin Passes packed. It was time to go (of course my husbands check list for a day out consists of: having car washed, mini valet and topping up fuel).

The excitement built up the closer we got to Postman Pat and friends. Our little one kept asking if we were there yet. Saying that though she actually asked that before we pulled out of our street.

We got to Alton Towers and hit a bit of a queue on the way in. No biggie I thought. Maybe they are families with teenagers. But as he got closer to a car parking space it dawned on me that a lot of parents had the same idea as me-they brought their children to cbeebies land the first day Schools were open again to make the most of the park. After all under 4’s maybe free however parents/guardians pay nearly £50.00 for the joy of tagging along to the place where the magical allegedly never ends.

We were still extremely excited. We ended up joining a very long queue for the Monorail to the park (really who in the right mind would want to walk with toddlers/preschoolers for 15/20 to get to the park?).

After getting to the pay kiosks the queues dispersed as people filtered themselves to the queues with less customers. We still queued as we needed a ticket for little one and we also wanted to get our car parking ticket on the way in rather than later when the park exists would be very busy. As usual there were people attempting to sell tickets to the park by the kiosks at a heavily discount price.

Parking is £6.00 which personally I think is a lot when you think your car is left at it’s own risk. Has anyone ever seen any security on the car parks? No, neither have I. I do think Merlin Pass holders should be offered a discount on parking-but that’s a different rant I shall save for later.

We went through the turn stalls and were officially in the park. We quickly made our way to Cbeebies land. And as soon as we got there my disappointment started. There were no ‘characters’ to be seen anywhere. Cbeebies related music and sounds were being blasted. Yes the area is covered with familiar looking images but it had the feel of a fairground. Cheap. Almost tacky. But our little ones were excited so we played along. We found a seat for my husband to wait with the little one whilst I took the older one on some rides. Now please prepare yourselves as I am about to shout:

A 70 MINUTE WAIT TO GET ON THE POSTMAN PAT RIDE AND It’S NOT EVEN SCHOOL HOLIDAY?!

Sorry the shouting isn’t over:

DO YOU REALLY EXPECT A 3 YEAR OLD TO WAIT IN A QUEUE THAT IS OVER AN HOUR LONG?!

Nope I’m not done guys:

It’S AN ABSOLUTELY NOT ACCEPTABLE to believe 3 year olds or 4 year olds will wait for 70 minutes to get on a ride! Who came up with limited number of rides in Cbeebies Land should face the axe (okay so I'm getting a bit emotional-still someone needs to look at the problem here).

Oh and instead of doing something logical to keep children entertained they were selling their BBC theme balloons for £5.00! Blimey Merlin empty out parents before home time won’t you? And for a fiver you could get your face painted outside of Cbeebies land however the stall was chained up. Plenty of vendors were offering ice-cream. The cheapest I noticed was the Walls ‘feet’ ice cream lollies from the 80’s at £1.50 each in Cbeebies land and at the ice-cream van situated outside of Cbeebies land towards Mutiny Bay.

Ice-cream near Wobble World is in my opinion over priced. £1.95 for one scoop of carte dor ice cream?

Listen up Alton Towers bosses-you need to soften the blow of shocking long waits. How’s about the following:

Balloon modeling (and give the balloons to children waiting in the queues).

Face painters-you shockingly charge £5-7.00 for this service. You need to offer quick face painting at a reduced price if not free to children in the queues. Also where are the characters? Surely kids will be able to meet postman pat? That adds to the atmosphere. May a photo opportunity can help kids in the queues too. And lastly BUBBLES! Bubbles distract children like no ones business.

What about general entertainers? Entertainers to keep children happy. How about jugglers? Actually I think I have given you enough ideas for free.

Also-the parent and toddler ticket should also be offered in Summer. Parents with little ones are highly unlikely to tackle the bigger rides when they are visiting with children so please be reasonable and offer a ticket price that is affordable for this audience.

Please someone tell me the bosses at Alton Towers have young children and they understand how they work?!

Okay so there were 70 minutes queues to go on the Postman Pat Ride. So we couldn’t get on. Then there was a 70 minute queue to get on the in the night garden boat right. And then there was an 45 minute wait to get into Justin’s pie making factory. Okay Merlin. Let’s talk. These rides I assume as targeted at Cbeebies viewers-yes? How many of these viewers do you think will wait in excess of an hour to get on a ride?

So I know Alton Towers will say queues are the fairest way to get people onto rides; I agree. However I think you need to take a look at this system whereby no ride has a queue that’s longer than say 30 minutes. Maybe the ride queue can be ‘closed’ at the 30 minute mark and reopened once it gets to 3 minutes? And rides that are less busy should be ‘pushed’ by the staff. Other areas of the park should also be ‘highlighted’ for those who do have children who are able to go on a small selection of other rides. More needs to be done about these queues in Cbeebies Land.

We managed to get onto the Numtums ride (10 minute wait-acceptable for a pre-schooler). And Charlie and Lola’s house which little one loved. It’s awfully small though. We loved the projected ‘sea’ with ‘fish fingers’ swimming in it. Once little one set food on the water the fish swam away and ripples formed. Good entertainment for crawling babies too.

The queues spoiled the day. My husband was intrigued by where the older children came from (‘don’t they go School?’). There was sadly no way our little one would be able to queue that long. So we made our way to Mutiny Bay for a bit to eat at Eastern Spice.

The mini review on this place is the prices are reasonable and of course as I was looking for somewhere that did burgers (as little one requested one at 8 in the morning) the only halal place at Alton Towers is this. We have chicken burgers and chips which were £4.99 per person. Burgers are served in a pitta. Chips are chunky. Nothing to write home about however I do have some suggestions for these guys:

How’s about a dressing on the lettuce in the burger?

And is the possible to have some seasoning on the chips? I mean yes you have salt and vinegar. I’m talking something spicier.

Also summers here. How’s about something lighter? Chaats (Indo/Pak salads) are filling and great in summer.

The prices for the food in my opinion were reasonable. £2.00 for a bottle of diet coke was a bit too much though. But I guess that’s what you pay across the park and businesses need to break even.

After dinner we headed to cloud cuckoo land as there were a few rides we felt little one would love to go on and hopefully the queues would be less too. After a lovely journey via the sky ride we managed to go on the carousel, driving school, wobbleworld (which is a giant bouncy castle.

It was bloody good however I wasn’t allowed on-actually no parents were allowed on) and our little ones favourite the froghopper. The queues were almost non-existent in this part of the park-there was a slight wait for Ice Age-4D however I put that down to people wanting an easy ride after lunch.

I do have a bone to pick in regards to the cost of the ‘driving licence’ which is an optional extra you can purchase after you’ve attended the driving school. It cost £10.00 for a piece of card placed in a cover. Okay yes, it’s nice and pink for little girls however there’s no discount for Merlin pass holders. That doesn’t seem fair considering it does contain a photo which are discounted via the pass. But £10.00? Seriously I think the price would be better at £5.00 per child. What if you have two or three children wanting licence?

We headed back to Cbeebies land and found queues were still around but were now at 45 minutes .That is still a long wait. Little one went on the numtums ride again and wanted to go see Charlie and Lola too. According to the staff the rides should have closed at PM but were extended to 5:30. Alton Towers bosses that simply isn’t enough!

More needs to be put in place to make this Cbeebies land a hit as it should be. I’m not a person that constantly complains-however I am fully aware that if enough customers complain that the service being offered is simply not acceptable something will need to be done. I am not saying boycott the venue-I’m saying let Merlin/Alton Towers know the service being offered via Cbeebies land is a shambles. I’m sorry to keep repeating this but the idea of a 3/4 year old waiting 70 minutes to get on a ride is flawed. Someone needs to go back to the drawing board. It doesn’t bare thinking about what the queues will be like in August. Shudder at the thought of those queues.

Will I be going back? Well we have Merlin passes so actually I will be going back to see if Alton Towers have wised up to the fact they have possible misunderstood their clientele for Cbeebies Land. Will I review Alton Towers again? Yes, as I do hope they buckle up soon.

I think realistically though you need a lot of spending money because there are too many 'extras' aimed at little ones. To keep costs down you could take a picnic in disposable containers so you wouldn't need to carry the empty items around. Ice-cream prices start at £1.50 so depending on the heat you may purchase two during the day per child. Then there are balloons. Oh and don't get me started on the games you 'could win' a minion on. Plus photos. Oh and 'driving licences' at £10.00 a pop. Balloons at £5.00 each. Face painting at £5-7.00. Shocking prices make a very expensive day out. You could be frugal but you would need to get your children on side before you go and explain the situation. My three year old is a bit too young to understand how items in Alton Towers are more expensive then elsewhere as it's about making money. But hey, if you do manage to get your kids on board with the idea of a frugal trip to Cbeebies Land and beyond I say kudos to you.

Let’s hope Alton Towers take note and something is done about bedlam that is Cbeebies Land. In the meantime my little one thinks Postman Pat is poorly and Justin’s factory was closed due to Monster being naughty. Those are the lies I told which I plan to stick to Alton Towers! I won’t let my little one cry because a load of bigwigs didn’t quite understand the mentality of their target audience.

Do I think Cbeebies Land is a value for money day out? Absolutely not-sorry Alton Towers. Under 4’s maybe free but just think of the cost of the parents/guardians. Then there's the various cleverly placed 'extras' children want and parents usually give into pressure as it's a day out for their children.

　
As I write this I am thinking about this weekend coming. We are off to Gulliver’s World for a Teddy Bears Picnic and to meet Ben and Holly and if their service is not up to scratch I will let you know.

　

　

End of rant...I mean review.
　

Let's prepare for Ramadan!

　
The Ramadan planning Guide

So as we all know Ramadan is the Holiest month of the Muslim calendar. Muslims are basically expected to be on their best behavior, fast from dusk til dawn, give to charity and spend time in religious thought and reciting the Quran. These duties of course come with the Muslim territory.

As I write this article there is a predicted 112 days left until Ramadan 2013; InshAllah.

In today’s modern world we also have the following to contend with: work, charity commitments, sister circles, children’s school work, their after school schedule etc. Life is busy, it’s getting busier as our families get older. But to be honest, all of the above is a blessing. Go ask anyone who is unable to have a child and they will tell you they will give everything to have a piece of your hectic and sometimes scary life.

Okay so let’s get cracking.

HOLD A FAMILY meeting. Explain to members that during the Holy Month you need to all pull together and take on tasks that are usually done by just Mama. This can include older siblings reading stories to younger siblings at bedtime or checking up on Grandma on the way home from School. It’s about family communication-make sure your family are aware of what is expected of them.

Look at your family calendar and ensure your children do not have sleepovers booked during Ramadan-save the tears by rearranging them now.

Get all your family to check their diaries and see what everyone has scheduled during the month and organise transport/childcare as needed.

I’m a firm believer in organizing. The key to a stress free life is somewhat in the organisation of what you have to do and the time you have to do said tasks in.

Make a list of Duas you wish to make-NOWIt’s easy to forget a Dua and kick yourself afterwards. If it’s not too much work look up supplements and Duas, print them and laminate them ready for the Holy Month.

Let’s get straight to it. You need to make a list of what you wish to achieve during Ramadan.

An example of this could be:

• Recite the Quran completely twice during the Holy Month

 

• Spend an afternoon every week at a soup kitchen helping the needy

 

• Volunteering 2 hours a week at an elderly peoples home

 

• Donating as much money as you can to your chosen charity

• Organise a charity Iftari

 

• Learn three new Duas by heart

 

• Read the biography of the Prophet

 

• Spend time with family you don’t get to see regularly

Now you need to calculate how much time you need to complete your tasks and see if this is possible.

For example to read the Quran twice during the month you may need to spend two hours reading a day-can you fit that in? What tasks can you cut down on to fit in more reading? Look at your schedule now and get organising. Taking a look at your daily tasks and errands may mean you have to rewrite your tasks; but fret not! This is good that you know in advance your tasks may not be furfiled during the time you have so you can look at achievable goals which will leave you happy and content with what you have managed to achieve.

Take a look at your daily to do list/schedule/errands.
Do you really need to wash your car every week and clean the inside too? If your car gets really dirty maybe you can have it washed at the carwash to save two hours that could be spent doing something more productive during Ramadan.

What about things like food shopping. Apart from the perishables such as bread, milk, fruit etc all other items such as tinned goods can be bought in bulk. For this to work you will need to look at your meal planning and list what you need and the quantities. Do this shopping in advance. The same goes for Butchers orders. I place an order once in a while and freeze in managable portions.

Limit the activities and errands you can get away with not doing during Ramadan. Seriously you will be thankful for the planning come Ramadan.

Get your health in order-NOW

• Are you overdue a Medicine review? Are you a diabetic? Do you need to consult a Doctor about Fasting? Do this now.

• Advice for those who have no medical complaints:

• Vitamin C is a great supplement for protecting against cost viruses (google will provide you with more information)

• B vitamins are crucial for keeping up energy levels so start taking them now if you suffer from fatigue.

• If you live in Britain Holland and Barrett’s staff are generally friendly and open to giving suggestions if you give them a list of your problems.

• If you suffer from sleep issues speak to a Medical professional now.

• If you smoke or drink too much caffeine now is the time to CUT DOWN or STOP!

• If you have got into the habit of sleeping late and rising late now is the time to fix the habit.

If you ‘owe’ fasts from last year now is the time to consider repaying them now. Fasting on a Monday and Thursday is a great way of preparing your body for the upcoming 30 fasts.

Declutter and Spring clean-NOW!
  It goes without saying that a clean and decluttered home provides a good foundation for the Holy month as you only have to ‘spot cleans’ during the Ramadan.

Now is the time to:

Declutter the living room, wash the window dressings, clean the carpet/rugs, wash the skirting boards, clean the suites and clear away magazines and other clutter.

Declutter the kitchen cabinets-remove all the items that are coming up to their best before using dates and use them up asap. Make a list of items you are running short of and buy them. Clean all the surfaces, and clean all the appliances. Clean your fridge and freezer. Create space in your freezer if you plan to bulk cook and utilize this space.

Clean and keep up the repairs to the front of your homeVarnish the front door or repair the trellises now rather than allowing the ugly sight to greet Ramadan!

Clear out your Bathroom cabinet and medicine Cabinet/draw. Bathrooms are renowned hotspots for clutter building. Check all your medicines use by dates and throw out the ones that are out of date. Technically you should be in the habit of doing this on a regular basis.

Children’s rooms are in my opinion a minefield especially if your child is around the stage that they don’t wish to part with anything. Children outgrow clothes quicker than adults and toys and books can accumulate quicker than you can shout Iftars ready.

My advice for tackling this room in particular is:

• Keep a basket/bin/box in your child’s room into which you can place outgrown clothes as you discover them. Then once you have enough go through them and decide which will be given to charity/stored for other siblings/thrown out

• If you are purchasing wardrobes/closets or fitting them consider sliding doors-these need less space in regards to opening them whereas standard doors need to be given plenty of space to open them.

• Ikea offer a range of furniture that can be adapted to suit a child’s room. Their light collection is fantastic as is there photo frame collection. We use a ‘safe’ as a art supply cabinet.

• Have designated boxes/baskets/bins for your child’s hobbies/activities/toys. This can be a problem is small rooms. If your child has a small room utilize the height of the room and fit shelving that can host clear boxes with toys and clothes too.

• Get your older children into the habit of going through their own toys and donating the ones they no longer play with or cherish to charity. This is a great way of encouraging charity in a child from a young age. Ask at your local Masjid to find out if they are hosting a table top sale where you can donate such items to.

• If you have wall space the following are great in a child’s room: chalk board, cork notice board (to display artwork) and book shelves to home books and other items on.

• A soft toy hammock can home a fairly large toy collection without taking up bed space.

• Utilize under bed space efficiently-do not allow it to become an obilivion where you don’t even know what is living anymore.

• The back of a door can host many items-from notice boards to back of door organisers to home art supplies.

• If you have attic/loft space store out of season or larger sized clothes there rather than in your child’s room.

• Check pinterest for inspiration.

• Treat your child’s room as a space that is constantly changing and access the needs of your child on a regular basis to maximise the usage of it.

If your home is anything like ours you will have plenty of incomplete D.I.Y projects. List them all NOW and complete them before the Holy month. Don’t start projects that you won’t be able to complete during the Holy month and the reminants will simply clutter up your home.

ORGANISE family wardrobes

Is getting ready in the morning a chore for you and all the family? If that’s the case I suggest you organise the wardrobes of your loved ones in such a fashion you don’t spend half an hour in the morning looking for matching items.

• An idea that works for young children is to put a complete outfit on a hanger. A weeks worth of outfits is a time saver for rushed parents.

• For men if maybe worth putting shirts with ties/sweaters/tops and hanging them together. Then all they need to do is grab a pair of trousers.

• If you have a busy wardrobe you could consider cutting back on the clothes and donating suits to the needy especially during Ramadan or just before.

• Store out of season clothes away to make space in the wardrobe so you can see what you have in your wardrobe.

• If you have a large family consider using an ironing service during Ramadan to cut down on the chore.

An extra note:
Ask the men and woman of the family to got through their wardrobes and donate the clothes they no longer wish to wear. One persons cast offs are a poor persons treasure.

Sort out Zikaat-NOW

How much do you owe? Which Charity will you donate to? Calculate it now, make notes and donate when you need to.

Brothers:

Does the local Masjid need a makeover? Does the front entrance need a good wash and polish? Perhaps the interior needs a lick of paint? All these tasks should be done beforehand and if you feel repairs of paintwork are overdue discuss it with other Masjid attendees and get a group together and split the costs and get the work done. Ramadan can often bring new faces to Allah’s house; make it presentable and a true representative of your beloved community.

Do you attend Ramadan talks/speeches/Iftars? Find out about them now and work out which ones you can attend. Discuss childcare arrangements with grandparents/your partner if necessary.

　

Food:

• If you plan to bulk cook and freeze now is the time to plan things. Items I’ve successfully frozen include:
• Chicken tikkas
• Aloo tikkis
• Tandoori chicken
• Egg rolls
• Samosas
• If you are limited on freezer space I suggest you freeze those items are are time consuming to make e.g. samosas.

• Ready made items are great substitutes too.

• If you have elderly relatives don’t forget about them. Bulk cook for them and fill up their freezers.

• Consider using disposable plates etc during Ramadan if you will be stuck with doing the washing. This is very important especially if you are considering holding Iftars and wish to cut your workload.

Plan your Iftar ‘party’ diary in advanceIf you plan to have guests over. Enquire a month before Ramadan commences (or two weeks beforehand) and ‘book’ the Iftar with your guests in advance. Avoid Iftar’s in the last 10 days. Ideally the first 10 days would be the perfect time to host an Iftar.

PLAN your menus in advance. Go to trusted recipes and keep menus as simple as possible. An example of a menu is:

Starters (before Salaat)

Fruit salad with vanilla cream or chaat masala-can be prepared on advance

Baked tandoori chicken -can be prepared in advance

Potato skins with sour cream dressing-can be baked in advance or if you are pushed for time you can replace with pre-made potato wedges.

Mains:

Mutton meat curry (meat curry can be cooked in advance and reheats extremely well. It also keeps well in the fridge. Cooking it the day before allows the spices to develop further)

Plain pilau rice-you can make the onion masala in advance and keep sachets in the freezer. Or you can make the masala 48 hours beforehand as it’s an oil based recipe so will keep well in the fridge too. OR replace with store bought Naans-but this will mean you need to allocate the task to someone to purchase these at the last minute.

Raita-I go for a ‘pink’ jewelled one. The recipe is: red cabbage, red onion, pomegranate, squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Ideal for children too.

Dessert:

Pineapple upside down cake-made with premixed cake mix and canned pineapple rings. Served with ice-cream

Or serve ice-cream with jelly or fruits.

Drinks:

Lemonade

Ice-coffee (for adults)

Hot Tea/Coffee if requested

As you can see the above menu allows for advance prep and there’s no frying in the cooking which is a bonus. Utilising baked recipes is a great way of cutting down cooking time. Just don’t forget that you’ve placed something in the oven to cook (set alarms/reminders). You can even buy appliances for your phone these days so really there shouldn’t be a burnt meal in sight.

Plan as many menus you need plus a few extra ‘just in case’. Ramadan in my humblest opinion is not the time to show your Delia Smith skills. For this reason I say check out pre-made items in your local store and consider menus that are less time consuming. Here’s another one as an example of a Med-medley:

　

Starters:

Hummous with pitta bread chips or tortilla chips

Marinated olives

Feta cheese and watermelon salad (this is awesome-trust me!)

Garlic bread-at your own discretion

Mains:

Lasagne rolls baked in tomato sauce sprinkled with cheese (you make the meat sauce as usual, pre-cook the lasagne sheets. Place the sauce in the sheets, roll up and place in a greased oven proof dish. Cover the lasagne with a jar of pasta sauce

or remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle on cheese and bake for half and hour-done!

Bread rolls

French bread pizzas (use pre-made if you are pushed for time)

Green leafy salad

Desserts:

Store brought Baklava

Fruit juice based granita

Lemon flavoured ice-cream with store bought meringues (a love texture).

As you can see this is another menu you can prepare in advance is more suited to those who do not wish to submit their taste buds to spicy food due to complications such as heartburn which isn’t pleasant at anytime of the year.

Plan as much as you can-NOW.

The sad departure of Ramadan is followed by Eid-ul-Fitr which usually means (for many not all) new clothes, decorating the house with lights, a large Eid meal and presents. All of the above take time to put up/put together/buy. So let’s break down the list now:

Plan your families outfits-NOWLeaving it to the last 10 days is a disaster as those days should be used towards more productive activities. Plan outfits, order what you need to, look around the stores and get the best value for money too by not leaving it last minute. It’s a myth that the best clothes come into store during Ramadan.

Decorating the houseThis year we shall be thinking big but keeping it simple. We usually use fairy lights dotted around the house which add a touch of magic to the Holy month for our little girl. We shall do the same this year but we shall Inshallah be adding things such as confetti filled balloon garlands as well as tissue paper garlands, and balloons with Eid money in them for little one to ‘pop’ (which will release the confetti and glitter). I’ll also be purchasing wooden letters to spell Ramadan to put on the mantel place.

Eid MealPlan it beforehand. Order the meat beforehand. Prep as much as possible before Ramadan. This could include making the curry and rice base and freezing it. Or planning a meal that includes using a slow cooker to cook the meat in halving the time you need to spend at the stove (It do this). Or you may wish to try a completely different menu to previous years. Now is the time to plan and practice!

Perhaps you want to eat out on Eid-look into restaurants that offer Eid meals now and see if you need to pre-book. Places like Nawaab in Manchester are extremely busy on Eid so find out beforehand if you need to have a back up restaurant in mind.

　

Presents/gifts. This really is a minefield with little ones but it can be done with careful planning months in advance. Ask older children to make a list of items that would like to receive and explain the situation that they won’t get everything on the list (you may find you can purchase the whole list but in case it goes over your budget make children aware that you may not be buying everything on the list). Then once you have set your budget and know which presents need to be purchased buy them and wrap them up in advance. Label them and store them in a place you won’t forget. Or write down in a diary where you have stored the presents-I’ve placed presents in a ‘safe place’ before and forgot all about them.

Another idea that is worth looking into is homemade presents. I love the look of hot chocolate jars, homemade cookies and even things like home made quilts (if there is anyone who has the skills to do sewing work). You can find plenty of inspiration on Pinterest.

Kids/Playdates/the usual stuff with pre-Schoolers
Little ones don’t really understand the idea of Ramadan or how it means Mama has less energy. For this reason you need to carefully consider how you plan to keep toddlers and pre-schoolers busy during Ramadan. If you host Playdates in the morning maybe you can adjust the time so it’s later so you don’t have to rush and get things ready.

Children like to be outdoors and InshAllah Ramadan falls during the warmer time of year which means you can make use of the great outdoors. Repair outdoor toys now and prepare the garden as required. You may wish to invest in an outdoor toy e.g. a sandpit to keep little ones entertained whilst you recite the Quran outdoors.

You can organise activity bags’ in advance. The concept is you place all the items needed for a certain activity together in a bag and bring them out as and when needed.

Look into outdoor ‘recipes’ for older children. Pinterest is great for these (I shall try and remember to link my Pinterest profile links to this entry so you can find these with greater ease). These include giant bubbles, pavement (sidewalk) chalk and other items that make too much mess inside. These activities will keep children amused for hours (or at least they should).

How about making:
Eid cards

Ramadan decorations

Edible gifts

As crafts during Ramadan? It maybe worth making cards during the first week if you need to post them to foreign countries.

IF your children will be hosting an Eid party plan the venue, menu and guest list now. Considering when Eid will InshAllah be why now plan a ladies/children outdoor picnic to mark Eid?

Buy or loan ‘Ramadan Moon’-it’s a beautifully written Ramadan story.

Look through your Islamic literature books and CD’s and update as required. Lots of books are out of stock come Ramadan.

That’s about it for my Ramadan list for you all. The most important thing is to utilize your time and get the most of the precious month.

If there is something I have missed please let me know.

Until next time Mamas (and non-Mamas)

Take care.

PS: If you need further advice and suggestions look at my 2012 Ramadan preparation guide which is in the older blog enteries.