The great outdoors

There’s nothing like burning off energy in the open air so consider visiting one of the UK’s 15 National Parks. These protected areas of stunning beauty are great for bike rides, picnics, hikes, orienteering, nature trails or just enjoying the view.

The Lake District, covering 2292km², is the largest UK national park. Head for the visitor centre in Brockhole,  where there are free exhibitions, a wildlife centre and many great activities including an indoor soft play area, an aerial adventure playground and a traversing wall.

Worried showers may spoil your day? If there’s a chance of rain, you could go to the Eden Project in St Austell, Cornwall. There are more than a million plants housed there and best of all, you can remain dry and warm in the world’s largest captive rainforest.

Thrills and spills

Do the kids need excitement? Then whisk them to a theme park. Alton Towers, in Staffordshire, is the UK’s most popular, attracting 2.6m visitors in 2011.

For fearless older children there are five major roller coasters, including the Nemesis, the first inverted one in Europe and Th13teen, the world’s first vertical freefall drop roller coaster.

There’s plenty for younger kids, too, including inflatable heaven, Wobble World, and Squirrel Nutty, where you travel in acorn carriages through the treetops.

Animal magic

Visiting a zoo, wildlife park, nature reserve, animal sanctuary or aquarium is a great way to introduce children to the wonders of nature. But if you’ve got a car, go to a safari park where a drive-through adventure can take you unbelievably close to the animals.

 Longleat Safari Park in Warminster, Wiltshire, was thought to be among the nearest thing to the wilds of Africa when it opened in 1966. Today, you can cruise by elephants, rhinos, lions, cheetahs, pelicans, wolves and zebras. But perhaps the most memorable attraction is The Monkey ‘Drive-Thru’. Watch out, though – those little monkeys can cause mayhem!

Other highlights include giraffe, deer and lorikeet feeding, and at the Ranger animal shows, with expert supervision, you can touch a tarantula, stroke a snake or cuddle a guinea pig.

Historical hangouts

For children who enjoy playing princes and princesses there are hundreds of castles, palaces, forts and ruins to explore, but the ultimate venue has to be Buckingham Palace, London.

There you can wander the 19 State Rooms, which feature sparkling chandeliers, dramatic candelabras, priceless works of art, exquisite porcelain and the finest furniture. But no visit to Buckingham Palace would be complete without seeing the ceremony of Changing the Guard. It lasts about 45 minutes and usually takes place daily in the summer at 11.30am and on alternate days the rest of the year.

Take it easy on a beach

The UK boasts many brilliant beaches so, if there’s a rare day of sunshine, make the most of it by taking the kids to the coast. The Good Beach Guide has rated 754 beaches, and among those recommended is Watergate Bay on the north coast of Cornwall.

With a two-mile strip of glistening golden sand surrounded by cliffs, picturesque Watergate Bay is idyllic – plus it’s rarely overcrowded, offers safe swimming and there are rock pools galore. In addition, a watersports centre is right on the beach, offering everything from surfing to wave skiing.

What’s more, there are two great restaurants: Fifteen Cornwall has unbeatable views over the bay and serves a traditional British breakfast, followed by delicious Italian dishes for lunch. Then there’s a lower-cost alternative, the Beach Hut café, which has simple dishes and an all-day kids’ menu. For more information, visit www.watergatebay.co.uk.

Once you’ve decided where to go, try and buy tickets in advance and have a look around for deals online, as you can often secure a sizeable discount.

A final tip before you go: preparation is everything. Whether it’s checking your car insurance policy is up to date, you’ve left a contact phone number with the neighbours or booked accommodation, the holiday could seem a little sweeter if you’ve put in a little planning.

Disclaimer: This guest post was written on behalf of Sainsbury’s Bank’s Money Matters blog. The views are of the author, not Sainsbury’s Bank. It does not constitute professional advice and should not be used to make any financial decisions. Sainsbury’s Bank accepts no responsibility for the views of outside contributors and what’s written on external websites mentioned within this post. All information was correct at date of publication.

Being a bigger girl and having a major confidence crash post-baby, I wasn’t sure what to wear. I’m a jeans and hoody kind of lady as I’m all for comfort but I can’t really go to a massive blogging conference with hundreds of fellow blog-stars milling about. In steps my fabulous clothing sponsor, Yours Clothing. The lovely Charlotte at Yours Clothing has sent me a gorgeous outfit to wear for the event and having tried it on I feel really good in it. I feel comfortable, look pretty decent and I know it’s just me.

I’ll be wearing a very pretty blue dotty print tunic with cropped denim leggings and if the weathers a bit cool I’ll be wearing the cropped denim jacket. I’m hoping to wear the outfit with a pair of pretty sandals or even my converse depending on how my feet are coping on the day. I can’t wait to wear it.

So, that’s what I’m wearing to BritMumsLive, what do you think?

Disclaimer: I have been sent the 3 pieces of clothing above for review purposes and to wear at BritMumsLive2013

Carbon monoxide leakage can prove fatal so it is vital you ensure the gas appliances in your home are functioning correctly. Why not follow some of the following tips to keep yourself out of harm’s way?

Call in an expert

If you have boiler cover then you may be entitled to a free check-up on your appliances by a Gas Safe Register approved engineer. Only professionals on this list are approved to carry out such work so make sure that anyone coming to your home has the right credentials by asking for identification and jotting down their serial number. It is also important to check they have the skills required to do the specific job you need carrying out as all work is different. Annual checks should make sure everything is working as it should be, harmful emissions are leaving the home and your appliances – such as your gas cooker or fire – are functioning as efficiently as possible.

Get a carbon monoxide alarm

If you want a little extra peace of mind on top of your annual boiler service then a carbon monoxide alarm could provide it. They can be purchased from your local DIY store and will make you aware if gas is detected in your home. It is worth remembering that carbon monoxide is almost impossible for us to detect as it is odourless, colourless and tasteless , so make sure you remain as safe as possible. There are, however, some symptoms to be aware of, such as breathlessness, nausea, dizziness and loss of consciousness.

Only use appliances for their intended purpose

It may seem obvious to some but it’s not advisable to use an appliance for anything other than its intended purpose. As an example heating a room with a gas oven or using a barbeque indoors could be dangerous.

Stay vigilant

If you suspect something is wrong or are suffering from any of the symptoms then don’t sit in silence as this could prove deadly. The National Gas Emergency Service should be your first port of call and can be contacted on 0800 111 999. It is also wise to switch off appliances and ventilate the room as best as possible by opening doors and windows. If you suspect the problem has affected your health then contact a doctor immediately and explain the situation.

Always call an expert

No matter how handy you are around the home it is never worth trying to fix a gas appliance yourself. Perhaps surprisingly the Gas Safe Register found that a third of people would attempt to resolve a problem on their own. If work is not carried out by a qualified professional then it may result in carbon monoxide poisoning, leaks, explosions or fires so don’t take the risk. It is also worth finding out where your gas pipes are located so you don’t accidently damage them while conducting other DIY work.

Disclaimer: This is a guest post

Little Mr’s definitely found his voice. He will happily chat away to the monkey or elephant on his play mat and he’ll sometimes chat back to us if we try and get him to engage. He likes to squeal too, he’s obviously realised it’s him making all the noise so he likes to carry on and raise the volume.

He’s still struggling to drink all his milk. He has 4 bottles throughout the day of 8oz and some days he struggles to drink it all. I don’t think he’s suffering as he always have a wet nappy and he doesn’t appear to be dehydrated but will speak to the health visitor tomorrow. Not really sure how we can get him to drink more even if they do suggest he’s not on enough milk.

He’s still sleeping really well (touches wood before I jinx it) we take him up to bed around 7:30pm and he usually wakes around 6/7am. He’s a right wriggler in bed and often wakes up on the diagonal to where we put him down. He’s got the most gorgeous gummy grin in the morning, it’s a pleasure to get up to.

Whilst other babies of his age are rolling and sitting up, Little Mr is trying to master it but it still needs work. He hasn’t rolled over yet but he turns the top half of his body in the direction he wants to roll but it’s just the bottom half that stops him going over. He likes to be sat upright if he’s on your lap and hates being held to be fed. It appears I’ve already got a Mr Independent on my hands.

I love how I’m getting to know him and his little quirks. When he sneezes, he always sneezes 3 times in a row and when he’s bored of having the milk, he pushes the bottle out with his tongue. When he’s tired, he always turns his head to the side and starts to rub his eyes. He sleeps with both his arms up by his head and when he’s tired during the afternoon he loves a Mummy snuggly nap on the sofa and can fall asleep on me in seconds! I can’t wait to discover more out about him but I wish time would just slow down.

I certainly wasn’t disappointed. As soon as you walk in to Cosatto HQ, you soon realise that there’s a whole lot of fun to be had here; that’s probably why they’ve very recently been selected as runners up in the Great Place to Work Award – well done Cosatto! There’s bright arty walls, framed captions, cartoons and a fantastic display of all the Cosatto goodies in their true form. There’s even an actual slide to play on. It’s a feast for your eyes. True to their slogan, the products are definitely saving the world from boring baby stuff.

We were treated to an Afternoon Tea with yummy sandwiches and delicious cakes and time to browse the products, get hands on and see how the new products performed.

We were introduced to the Ooba, a new 3 in 1 travel system. Suitable from birth this pushchair will be available in swanky leatherette with punched out detailing in duck egg blue and marzipan yellow lined with retro inspired patterned lining. The system combines a pushchair, matching car seat (sold separately) and carrycot all thrown together in a bundle with a gorgeous matching changing bag. The Ooba has a multi directional handle, large shopping basket and 4 position recline when in pushchair mode. James, the designer, showed us how to assemble the pushchair and it looks really easy to use. Very stylish and practical too! Personally, I’m not sure I would buy the package if I’d already had a baby as the carry cot would be wasted on Little Mr, but the bundle would be perfect for new mummies with newborns using it in carry cot mode. Due out September.

One of my personal favourites coming out from Cosatto is the new Yo! Pow Pushchair, it’s bright, it’s super and it’s definitely Pow-tastic! Perfect for your little superhero, walking to the shops with a mini superman in tow certainly won’t be boring. Due out mid July.

I was keen to have a nosey at the new range of high chairs for Little Mr as this is on our shopping list in the next few months. The Noodle Supa Highchair is available in 4 bright and funky patterns perfect for any little monster or cheeky madam. I’ll be taking Little Mr to a stockist really soon to try them out for size.

I also really liked the new Story 2 in 1 cotbeds available from September. Choose from Babushka or My Robot designs, these cotbeds are very trendy. There’s a matching cot top changer and undercot drawer to complete the look so again, they’re very practical and will last some time in your little ones bedroom.

We were also treated to an exclusive insight into how the #Patterntastic designs were born. Inspired by designer trends, Cosatto style patterns were created with fun and fabulous products in mind. I particularly LOVE the new red and white spotty print on the 3Sixti highchair, it would look awesome in my kitchen. I don’t have the space but it would look amazing!

Finally, we were allowed a sneaky peek at the new Daddy friendly urban chic Koochi brand designs. Koochi Revolution (#GETINGETOUT) is set to shake up the baby travel market with it’s range of pushchairs and car seats ideal for any Dad about town. Although I can see how appealing these pushchairs are with their bright neon colours (Spectrum Red, Mix Magenta and Primary Yellow) and bold patterns are for urban street trendy type Dads, I’m not sure they’re to my taste. The collection is reasonably priced and is launched 8th July 2013

Cosatto fans are in for a real treat this AW and I’m sure the new designs are going to be a massive success! Thanks for a lovely afternoon Cosatto, the yummy cake and hearing Fi (@Childcareisfun) squeal like a 5 year old on the slide was priceless!

Disclaimer: I was invited along to the launch of the Cosatto AW collection and received a goodie bag for my time. All words and images are my own.