Cookhouse And Pub Holystone Family Meal - Review

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I love autumn time, it is definitely my favourite season, I enjoy wrapping up warm, crunching through leaves and being cosy. Autumn is always a time for craving comfort food and I always think pub meals are proper comfort food that you just can't beat at this time of year. So at the weekend, we headed to our local Cookhouse and Pub in Holystone, North Tyneside.   

We have visited the Cookhouse and Pub Holystone a few times over the last couple of years but this was the first time we have visited with all three children. After a busy morning of swimming lessons and shopping, we headed to the Cookhouse and Pub with rumbling tummies on Saturday lunchtime, along with my dad who was joining us (my husband was at work). We were warmly greeted and shown to a seat in the conservatory area which is bright, modern and perfectly cosy on a crisp autumn day. 

Activity sheets and crayons were provided for the children along with little pots of popcorn for them to nibble on whilst we pursued the menu. They were also offered vegetable sticks but they passed on these. 

Alnwick Castle

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As part of our magical stay at Macondland Linden Hall experiencing the Harry Potter Package we were given a family ticket to Alnwick Castle as this is where part of the first two Harry Potter films were filmed. Alnwick Castle is somewhere that I have visited before but it has been around seven years since my last visit and my youngest two children had never been before so they were very excited. 

Alnwick Castle is located in Alnwick, Northumberland in the town centre and right next to Alnwick Gardens and the famous treehouse restaurant. We had a family day ticket as part of our Harry Potter package but you can buy tickets for either just the castle or the castle and the garden combined on the day or in advance online (and save 10%) and they will last for the full year - making them really good value. 

Our Wedding - The Venue Backworth hall

When we got engaged back in June 2016 we knew we wanted to start planning the wedding straight away as we knew if we didn't get things booked quickly then we would never get around to it. We had been together for almost five years when we got engaged but we didn't actually know where we wanted to get married. I had always wanted to get married abroad as I loved the idea of getting married in the sunshine and having a holiday as well as a wedding. The other half really didn't want to get married abroad, it was important to him that certain family members were there and eventually after a few heated arguments he talked me out of it. 

Leaving us with no idea at all where to get married. 

Snapstar Dolls Review

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My six-year-old daughter adores playing with her dolls, she likes fashion dolls and spends hours changing their clothes, making up imaginative games with them and playing happily on her own or with her friends. Now there is a new fashion doll in town for children to play with called Snapstar dolls, a squad of six 'influencer dolls' with their own app - yep really. 

There are six Snapstar dolls to collect and each doll looks different and likes different things such as music, make-up, travelling, animals, fashion and crafts. The dolls are a similar size to other fashion dolls and they have moveable limbs and look really appealing for children with lovely sparkly eyes and nice outfits. 

Pop Pop Hair Surprise Toy Review

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Like most children, my six-year-old daughter is really into collectable type toys and blind bags (thanks YouTube). Whenever a new collectable comes out she is eager to try them out, well there is a new one around called Pop Pop Hair Surprise but this one is a bit different to other surprise toys on the market, so let me tell you all about them. 

Pop Pop Hair Surprises are rather cute looking hairbrushes - that you can actually use, inside each hairbrush is some hidden surprises. The hairbrush can be opened and inside you will find a fabric wrapped up surprise, you have to spray the fabric surprise with water from the spray bottle provided (it is part of the hairbrush) and the fabric pops off revealing a surprise roller character. Inside the roller character, there will be another surprise - the hair surprise toy pet. 

Things I Loved September 2019

I love September, I think it stems back to the start of the school year as I always see September as a fresh start and a month for making positive changes to my life. I also really like autumn time, wrapping up in warm, cosy clothing and having lazy days at home with the heating on - it is definitely my favourite time of the year. September has been a pretty good month for us with lots of positive changes and some nice days out, and the return to a routine now the children are back at school after the summer break. 

So here are some of the things that I have loved in September. 

How Stress Affects Your Eyes

Guest Post

There's no point in denying it, life can be stressful sometimes. Whether you're moving home, starting a new career, or rushing to take the kids to school on a morning, the smallest act can often cause the largest amount of stress. Everyone has the capacity to deal with stress in different ways, while some are more affected by it than others. However, there are many effects of stress that often go unnoticed, especially for those that suffer from chronic stress or anxiety. From mental health issues to cardiovascular problems, stress can be hidden as an underlying cause, which is why it's important to monitor and deal with your stress where you can. 

Stress also impacts one of the most crucial organs in your body. Your eyes. Many people take their eyes for granted, but stress can cause strain and other conditions that could result in a serious long-term issue. Newcastle Family Life has partnered with the experts at Optimax to find out just what stress can do to your eyes, and how you can help yourself stop any long-term conditions before they appear. We're grateful for this partnership and hope that you (the reader) find our content useful.