A Family Meal At Frankie & Benny's Metrocentre

As a family, we often dine out and one of our go-to places has always been Frankie & Benny's. When my eldest (now almost 16-years-old) was younger I always took her to Frankie & Benny's for breakfast or lunch during the school holidays and we have celebrated many of her past birthdays there too. My younger children have been visiting since they were toddlers and always think it is a treat when we visit for a meal as they love the food and laid back atmosphere, perfect for family dining. 

Last weekend we were invited along to Frankie & Benny's in the Metrocentre to try out the new menu and to see what we thought of the restaurant after its recent refurb. Arriving at lunchtime on a Sunday the restaurant was fairly busy, we were showing to an upstairs table and managed to bag one of the coveted corner booths. The restaurant was bright and welcoming with a more modern look since we last visited. 

A Pizza Party At The Astley Arms

Recently my little boy turned four and as part of his birthday celebrations, we headed to our local Stonehouse Pizza & Carvery pub The Astley Arms, in Seaton Sluice. Stonehouse Pizza & Carvery have recently launched Pizza Parties which are the perfect way to celebrate a child's birthday as it is something a bit different and lots of fun and we were asked if we like to go along and try them out - perfect timing.

As a family, we often visit The Astley Arms for a carvery and my brother visits often for buffet breakfasts, it is a lovely pub opposite Seaton Sluice beach and play park. 

Disney On Ice presents Dream Big

Like a lot of families, Disney On Ice is something we look forward to each year. Every year the show tours UK arenas and it is once again heading to Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena this October. I have been taking my children to see Disney On Ice for over ten years now, I used to take my eldest when she was small and now I take my younger children who love it just as much as their big sister did. Each year the show is different and this year it sounds like it is going to be extra special as Disney On Ice presents Dream Big.

This year Moana takes to the ice for her European debut and we are super excited, my children (like so many we know) are huge Moana fans. Taking to the ice alongside demigod Maui I am sure she will have the audience captivated and we can't wait to see how she manages to swap the ocean for the ice rink. It sounds like it will be spectacular and not only will the show be featuring Moana but it will also feature eight tales of courage and heart, including Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Tangled. 

Things I Loved August 2018

September is a month of big change in our household as my youngest will be starting school, for the first time all three children will be in full-time school. I have mixed emotions about this as Jacob has only just turned four so will be one of the youngest in his year group, however, I think he is ready for full-time school and that he will hopefully enjoy it. He is doing two weeks of half days to settle in and get used to his new teachers and classroom and then he will start full-time. My eldest has also started year 11, her final year in school and her GCSE year so she also has a big year ahead of her and Sophia has gone into year 1. Hopefully, I will have more time to blog and keep the house tidy now the children will all be in school. 

Anyway, let's have a look at some of the things that I have loved from the month gone by.

Sorting Out Our Finances To Save For More Holidays

Recently we suffered an unexpected bereavement in my family and it has made me realise just how precious and short life can be. It has made me want to grab life with both hands, follow my dreams and stop waiting for the right time to do things, as that time may never come. As a family our dream is to travel, myself and my partner always said once the children were a little bit older and of school age, we would travel more as a family, we want to show our children the world. Now that our youngest has turned four and will be off to school in a matter of days we have realised now is the perfect time to start following our dreams. 

We took the children on their first holiday abroad back in May, only to Majorca to see how they would cope with a change of routine and with flying. They both loved it and adapted well and this only ignited our desire to travel more. Like a lot of families, money holds us back when it comes to travelling.

10 Months Until I Say I Do

It is now only ten months to go until my wedding date, I really can't believe how fast it is coming around! We booked our wedding with two years to go and naively thought that we had loads of time so didn't really do much and now I am majorly regretting that as we still have so much to save up for and I am panicking about losing weight to fit into a dress! 

This month we have done a little bit of wedding planning, we have booked the last of our suppliers which is a relief. I really wanted a videographer for the wedding and I finally talked the other half around into booking a one, yay! I spent hours looking online at videographers and eventually found a one that was in budget, that I liked the style of and where you actually got lots of footage of the day as some you only got a very short video from. So I have managed to get that sorted and booked and deposit is all paid, I think I will feel nervous being on camera all day but hopefully, I won't notice after a while as I think it will be nice to have a video of our big day to look back on. 

Teen Talk With Gabby Logan

 My eldest turns 16 in just a few short weeks, she is entering her final year at school and will be sitting her GCSEs in the summer. Parenting a teen over the last few years has been a lot different from parenting a younger child, it is something that I am still learning about as we are constantly faced with new challenges. The latest challenge is to get her to spend some time at home (she is always out) and concentrate on her school work ready for her exams in the summer. Parenting a teen, like any kind of parenting has its good and bad days, luckily mostly good in our house.

I may not mention my teenager much on my blog, mainly because she is older and is always out with her friends so rarely comes on days out with us. However last year you may remember I wrote about Teen Talk with Gabby Logan, well Teen Talk is back again this year with #TheTeenTalk Guide. This includes tips and advice to help parents and children feel confident as they journey through puberty. The guide is free to download from the Boots website and is sponsored by well know P&G brands such as Gillette, Aussie, always, Tampax, head & shoulders and Oral B.

Gabby Logan is taking part in this campaign once again as she is Mum to teenage twins, Lois and Reuben. I was asked if I would like to interview Gabby as part of the campaign and here is what she had to say.