PRETTY YOUNG THING : outdoors

LIFESTYLE: GETTING OUTDOORS WITH NATIONAL TRUST

27 January 2020

Croome

If you follow me on Instagram you might have noticed that we've joined National Trust. It's only £6 each or £10 for a couple a month which I think is a bargain. Some of the National Trusts are up to £12 each and some are even more depending on where you go. You also get discounts into other local attractions.

We've had some wonderful days out. We only joined in January and have been to 5 National Trusts so far! It's such a fab day out, Amelia loves being able to run around the grounds and exploring the houses. It's nice to get outdoors and try some new places! They are so clean and have loads of walks and trails to choose from. The staff are all wonderful, so friendly and helpful. They have great facilities and the cafes do lovely cakes!

I'm so excited for it to warm up and for us to explore our local National Trusts. We are really lucky to have quite a few in the surrounding area. Baddesley Clinton and Packwood House are literally up the road.

If you are doing the 1000 hours outdoor challenge then you should really look at National Trust membership, it's just lovely being outdoors! Getting some fresh air and exercise and I love that Amelia is so comfortable and loves being outside and exploring. Kids are free up to 5 years old and the some of the sites have playgrounds and woodland play areas for the kids to get involved. They also have trails and activities for the kids to take part in and during the holidays they have even more fun going on.

They also have beaches and forests which you can visit using your National Trust membership which I'm looking forward to checking out!

Baddesley Clinton

Charlecote Park

Hanbury Hall

Packwood House

[AD] LIFESTYLE: HOW TO UPDATE YOUR GARDEN ON A BUDGET

14 August 2019

With summer underway I thought i'd share a few ways you can update your garden on a budget. We don't have a garden right now as we live in an apartment but we love to chill in our parents gardens. Sometimes it's nice to add a few little bits to your garden to spruce it up a little and bring it back to life after the cold winter months. I thought i'd find some affordable but effective ways to update your outdoor space.

First up look at updating your garden furniture! This doesn't have to mean buying new, you could paint your existing furniture. A fresh lick of paint will make it look brand new, you can buy so many different colours of garden paint too! If you are in the market for a new garden set then why not look at building your own Pallet garden furniture. It's super simple and easy to do and so effective. Pop a few throws and cushions on and your good to go..

That brings me onto my next thing, Cushions! Cushions are a super easy and cheap way to add a pop of colour to your garden. You can get proper outdoor cushions but I find normal cushions are just as effective and cheaper too! Just remember to take them inside or pop them away incase it rains.

Lighting is another super easy way to update your garden. These outdoor LED decking lights from lightsupplier.co.uk are fab. They can update drab decking in the flick of a switch and much cheaper than replacing all of your decking.

I also think a few hanging lights around your patio area can brighten up a garden, especially on those warm summer nights when you spend more evenings outside.

Colour! Adding pops of colour can be super easy but effective. Like I mentioned above using cushions, throws and other soft furnishings can really stand out. Try painting your plant pots or buy some new ornaments. These are really affordable ways to freshen up the garden this summer.

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REVIEW: GO APE CANNOCK

29 April 2017

A few weeks ago I was invited along to Go Ape in Cannock, I've wanted to go to Go Ape for so long so I was super excited to go along! I went along with Clint, My mom and My moms friend.

We arrived at Cannock chase and parked the car, i've never been to Cannock chase before, it's a big massive park / woods with loads of space for picnics, bike trails, walking so we will be going there again in the summer. We headed over to the Go Ape hut and got signed in.

We were then taken through a safety demo and the staff got us into our harnesses and ready for the day. We had to each demonstrate what we had been taught on a small course and got to have a practice using the equipment.

Once the team were happy we were left to our own devices to make our way through the courses, the team were never far away and were on hand if we needed any assistance at all.

We made our way through the course which is up in the trees, it's high but not too high and you
feel really safe with your harness on and you are always attached to something. We had to climb up ladders, make our way across tiny walkways, around trees, swing from tree to tree and to get down to come down a zip wire which is really fun, they also have Tarzan swings where you swing into a net which is also really good.

If your not a fan of heights but not petrified or not too sure if you could handle it they do have a junior course which is smaller but Clint is quite scared of heights and did it without any fuss at all. I would say it's worth giving it ago if your unsure because you are adrenaline fueled and its just so much fun.

I wasn't too sure what to expect but we had such a good day, all the staff (especially Phil at Cannock) were amazing, we had an amazing experience and would love to do it again!