How I'm Keeping my Digital Assets Safe with Tilly Bailey & Irvine

*This is a collaborative post

What happens to your Facebook page, YouTube videos, Paypal account & Instagram photographs when you die? It's a subject that nobody likes to talk about but as someone who shares a lot of my life online, I think it's a really important issue that definitely needs to be discussed more.

Download your FREE Digital Assets Keepsafe here

According to Mashable.com, Twitter can start deleting accounts after 6 months of inactivity! Yikes! I have sent almost 40,000 Tweets and it's sad to think that this part of my life can just be wiped out like that. I was also really saddened to learn that up to 10,000 deceased people are wished Happy Birthday on Facebook every day. This actually happened with one of my family members recently and was very upsetting for all involved. You can memorialise an account on Facebook but until I looked into this, I didn't know anything about it.

In most families, it's mum (ie me) who posts the majority of photographs of our children on Facebook. I am the one who shares little family videos on YouTube and stores our family photographs on Flickr. Steve rarely does this (it would probably be a bit weird if we both uploaded the same family photographs) and it would absolutely break my heart if something happened to me and Steve and the kids weren't able to access these precious family memories.

Likewise, Steve is the one who has Netflix, Amazon Prime and Spotify accounts set up in his name. I have no idea what his logins are and if anything happened to him, I wouldn't have the first clue how to cancel these subscriptions.

I already have over 100 photo albums on Facebook covering everything from our Honeymoon to Pregnancies and Family Holidays

There's also my blog to consider - I know it's my business but primarily it's an online diary of our family life. I love looking back on old posts and photographs of days out with the kids when they were younger and want this online legacy to last forever and for my children's children and their children to be able to look back on our life together. It is shocking to think about this but I have absolutely zero protection or plans in place for my blog. Nobody knows my google login and if anything happened to me tomorrow, my family wouldn't be able to access or continue writing my blog which really upsets me.

When we complete our wills or think about the future, it's usually our house, family heirlooms, jewellery and other assets that are at the front of our mind but what about our digital assets? There are expected to be 33 million Facebook accounts in the UK by 2018 - that's a lot of digital material and I am glad law firms such as Tilly Bailey & Irvine are urging us all to think about what will happen to our digital assets in the future, as well as out physical ones.

Tilly Bailey & Irvine are really on the ball and have created a Digital Assets Keepsafe which is FREE for anyone to download and complete. You can download your own FREE Digital Assets Keepsafe here - just scroll to the bottom of the page and add your details. It takes around 20 minutes to complete and I think it is definitely worth setting some time aside today to do this.

The Digital Assets Keepsafe has been designed to be a safe place where you can keep the logins and passwords for your online accounts together in one safe place. This simple form will make life a lot easier for the executors of your will and provides extra peace of mind. Obviously, common sense should be applied and you should not share passwords with anyone or leave this list lying around the house for all to see. Once you have completed the form, Tilly Bailey & Irvine suggest storing in a safe place and can even store a copy for you (see here for details).

Download your FREE Digital Assets Keepsafe here

The Digital Assets Keepsafe is a simple four page document. I would suggest completing a separate Keepsafe for every member of your family - yes even your kids and teens! There is a column to add your log in and passwords and then another box to add your instructions/wishes.

I have downloaded, printed and completed my own keepsafe this week and it really provides food for thought. I would like my email accounts to be closed (who would need these??), would like my Facebook profile to me memorialised and would like my blog to be continued between Steve, Harry, Heidi and Jack. There are some things that I hadn't even considered such as our laptops - I have no idea how to access Steve's MacBook and he would like to pass this onto the kids if anything happened. Writing the login and password down will really help to minimise stress if we ever find ourselves in this situation.

I feel so much happier now I have completed my own Digital Keepsafe and no longer feel guilty about being the only person in our family to upload family videos or photographs. I now know that Steve will be able to access them in the future if needed. I am pleased I have a plan for my blog now too and my wishes have been expressed. It's not something I've ever discussed with the kids before and it's a relief to have something in writing now.

Passwords, accounts and logins change over time and your Digital Keepsafe should be updated regularly. I have decided to complete a new Digital Assets Keepsafe every time my car goes through it's MOT.

Have you considered what will happen to your Digital Assets when you die? If you do one thing today, I urge you to download, print and complete your own Digital Assets Keepsafe. It only takes 20 minutes or so to complete and will provide you with reassurance and extra peace of mind. You just don't know what's around the corner, so please don't put it off.

Download your FREE Digital Assets Keepsafe here

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Ouseburn Farm Newcastle | A FREE Place to Take the Kids

Ouseburn Farm is a FREE community farm and registered charity based 1 mile from Newcastle's city centre. There is free car parking in Foundry Lane Car Park (NE6 1LH) or it's a lovely walk along the Quayside from Newcastle city centre. For details of other car parks, public transport and detailed directions, scroll to the bottom of the Ouseburn website here. 

Ouseburn Farm is generally open 9:30am - 4:30pm weekdays and 10:30 - 4:30pm on weekends, check the Ouseburn Farm website for up to date info.

The farm is small but perfectly formed. Entry is completely free but donations are welcome (remember this is a charity). You'll find the entrance just opposite the Cluny pub. I always love how you are greeted by this scarecrow and every time we visit he is different - in October he's usually surrounded by pumpkins and I love that in Spring his is standing in a bed of Daffodils. He always puts a smile on my face. 

There are three main parts to the farm I would say - an outdoor garden/allotment area, a farmyard containing animals and a building featuring indoor animals, a cafe and various other community spaces.

You can never guarantee which animals are going to be in the farm yard but I think that's all part of the charm. During our latest visit in February we found lots of happy pigs, sheep, cows, goats and guinea pigs. You'll often find chickens wandering around too.

There is a fantastic community cafe and shop based on the farm where you can buy various plants and stop for a bite to eat. The cafe serves children's meals for £3, various cakes (£1-£2) and paninis plus homemade soup with big wedges of bread for £3.50. Their cakes are all baked on site and highly recommended. You can even try fresh mint tea that has been created using mint from the farm. We didn't stop for anything to eat this time but you can check out a sample menu here.

There are more (smaller) animals to discover inside the farm centre. I must admit, I have a real soft spot for the turtles and tortoises! Too cute!

As an added bonus, Ouseburn farm usually runs FREE school holiday activities. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for future events, here's an idea of what to expect:

The outdoor area of Ouseburn Farm always inspires us to make more use of our own outdoor space at home. There are various plants and vegetables growing and we stumbled upon a fantastic little sensory garden too (now I want to build one!). 

We normally spend around 20 - 30 minutes wandering around Ouseburn farm, longer if we stop for lunch. If you combine it with other attractions in the Ouseburn area, it's a nice little add on to make more of your day. I will be honest when I say that we never set out *just* to visit the farm - our favourite city farm is still Jesmond Dene (as it has a play park too) but if you're nearby I would definitely pop in and show your support.

A trip to Ouseburn always includes a little trip to Ouseburn Coffee (just across from Ouseburn Farm) where you can pick up bags of coffee or order coffee to take out - I swear the Espressos from here are the strongest I have tasted! Definitely worth £1.50 before heading home.

Let me know if you've visited Ouseburn Farm before.

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Seven Stories Newcastle | Bears! | Exhibition Review

We are huge fans of the Ouseburn area of Newcastle and are always recommending a visit to this area of town when people call upon our advice. Seven Stories (The National Centre for Children's Books) sits right in the heart of Ouseburn and we are super lucky to have this multi-award winning attraction on our doorstep.

I have reviewed various exhibitions at Seven Stories in the past if you fancy a trip down memory lane:

• The Tiger Who Came to Tea | October 2013
• Moving Stories | May 2014
• Grand re-opening | July 2015
• Michael Morpurgo | July 2016 - present

I can hand on heart say that every exhibition we've visited has been engaging with lots of hands on fun. We were invited along to review the new 'Bears' exhibition which is open until February 2018. 

Seven Stories Newcastle | Parking & Admission

We usually park in the Foundry Lane car park (NE6 1LH) which is FREE and home to around 60 spaces. This car park can get busy during weekends and school holidays so I'd advise arriving early.

Alternative car parking:

• Ouseburn South Car Park | FREE | NE6 1BU
• Ford Street, Albion Road & Stepney Road are all within a 5-10 minute walk of Seven Stories

Check the Seven Stories Website for public transport details here.

Admission Prices (checked February 2017):

• Adult | £7.70
• Baby (under 12 months) | FREE
• Toddler (1-3 years) | £2.50
• Child (4-16 years) | £6.60

Family Tickets and Annual Passes are available. Check website for details. Admission is valid for a full day and you can come and go as you please, just make sure your hand is stamped.

*From 24th April 2017, Seven Stories will be closed on Mondays during term time*

Seven Stories Newcastle | Bears! Exhibition

We visited the exhibition on a rainy day in February Half Term and this new exhibition had been open less than a week. I am always honest in my reviews and I will say that I would never advise anyone to visit Seven Stories on a rainy day in the school holidays - it gets super busy and I have know the centre have to close to new admissions on occasion. I would recommend visiting after school during term time (the centre closes at 5pm) or on a super sunny day when it is likely to be less busy to make the most of your experience.

You will find Bears! on level 5 and the exhibition does not disappoint. The exhibition focuses on various Bears! that have featured in various children's literature over the years. Expect everything from Paddington to We're Going on a Bear Hunt, The Bear Under the Stairs and more.......

The exhibition is super hands on with lots of opportunities for fun. I loved the sensory wall featuring various types of real bears and explaining their habitats, what their fur feels like plus a few fun facts. My favourite bear on the wall is the 'Spectacled Bear' - what a name!

Every corner of the exhibition and every single piece of space has been used up. There is something to look at or read wherever you look. I love that there are baskets upon baskets of books featuring bears across the exhibition and I imagine if your children are aged 3-5 years and you can visit during term time, you would have lots of fun sharing story after story together.

The attention to detail in the exhibition space is fantastic and we enjoyed following the paw prints around the room.

Back in 2013, we listened to story time in the attic and one of the books that was shared was called 'I Want My Hat Back'. We hadn't heard of this book before but we immediatly fell in love with it. It appeals to a very particular type of humour but it really tickled us. We bought our own copy from the Seven Stories book shop that day and since then it has been one of our favourite ever stories. We still laugh at it now. Anyway, we were delighted to find a whole corner of the Bears! exhibition dedicated to our much loved story, along with multiple copies of the book for you to enjoy for yourself. If you visit the exhibition, you must read this book. I promise you will giggle.

This is a Seven Stories exhibition so of course it features lots of dressing up opportunities. You'll find lots of Bear costumes dotted about and of course lots of places to improvise and act out your favourite stories.

There is a bear trails throughout the exhibition and children are invited to bring their own teddy bears along to share the fun. If you forget your bear like we did (oops), there are plenty of teddy bears available for you to play with around the exhibtion.

The Bears! exhibition was lots of fun and we enjoyed spotting characters from some of our much-loved stories plus meeting some new bears too. Harry (aged 10) enjoyed the exhibition but I think he is at the upper age limit. I would definitely recommend for toddlers and pre-schoolers during term time when it's not so busy - Seven Stories is a fab place to meet for a play date with your mum friends.  Children of Primary School age will also enjoy the exhibition.

There are a whole Seven Stories of fun to be had and the Bears! exhibition just forms one part of your day at Seven Stories. From crafts to regular story time, various exhibitions, sensory back backs, a story station plus one of the best bookshops in the North East and a coffee shop, you can easily spend half a day here.

www.sevenstories.org.uk

I am linking this to Mummy Travels & Wander Mum 'City Tripping' 

Disclosure | We were provided with Press Tickets to review this exhibition. 

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Meet and Treat Cafe Newcastle | A Perfect Spot for Pre-Theatre Drinks & Cakes with Kids

*This is a collaborative post 

We visit Tyne Theatre & Opera House quite a bit but I always run into the same problem - where to visit with the kids beforehand for a quick drink or bite to eat. I am not a fan of the usual Chinese restaurants on Stowell Street and trying to negotiate a hot all-you-can-eat buffet whilst supervising three kids is not exactly my idea of fun. So when Meet & Treat invited us along before this week's performance of 'So you think about Dinosaurs' at Tyne Theatre & Opera House this half term, I had my fingers and toes crossed they would be the answer to my dilemma. 

You will find Meet & Treat on Bath Lane, wedged between the Fujiyama and Hana Hana and just a stone's throw away from the Tyne Theatre. They are open from 11am - 9pm and children are welcome at all times. Their menu is fairly eclectic featuring everything from Eggs Benedict to Mexican Chicken Burrito and their signature Asian small plates, soup and noodle dishes. Check out this post from Raspberry Kitsch if you'd like to get a feel for some of the stunning Asian food they serve up. They also serve an impressive range of hot drinks, shakes, smoothies and cakes which are what we had in mind for our visit. 

The first thing I will say about Meet & Treat is just how welcoming it is and fully inclusive to everyone. It truly is a cafe for young and old. They have highchairs for little babies, room for pushchairs and the staff helped an elderly couple in with their wheelchair and offered to store it by the counter rather than outside. Lovely. There's a variety of seating to choose from including comfortable armchairs and sofas, bright tables by the window or cosy tables nearer the back. We were chuffed to find a stack of board games, books and even craft materials for us to help ourselves to. SUCH a good idea! I can see us sitting here as a family for a few hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon over lunch and a game of scrabble.

The kids immediatly spotted Guess Who and set up a tournament as I ordered coffee and browsed the cake counter.

Heidi and Harry both ordered their favourite Sticky Toffee Pudding which was an epic portion and a bargain at £4.50. If your kids like sweet treats, there are also a selection of American style waffles to choose from. They thoroughly enjoyed their chocolate milkshakes too and at £3.50 they are very reasonably priced. Jack selected a Daim bar cake from the counter.

I am pretty sure the desserts and cakes are bought into Meet & Treat and not homemade but my three don't care about this and are only interested in if their cakes taste good - I am pleased to say they all thoroughly enjoyed their treats with their shakes and Daim bar cake proving especially popular.

Meet and Treat is an Instagrammers paradise! From the perfect lighting to the beautiful tiled floor, branded mugs, chalkboard signs and even a few props on your table too. If your kids/teens love taking photos, they'll thank you for taking them to Meet & Treat.

So with the kids happy eating their cake, drinking their shakes and playing Guess Who, I was left to actually enjoy a coffee and a slice of Oreo cheesecake in peace. Seriously with the kids entertained I could have brought along a magazine and enjoyed a bit of proper 'me time' - something I am really not used to in the school holidays.

The coffee at Meet & Treat is decent too - there's an extensive menu featuring everything from Espresso to Macchiato. There's a long list of iced teas and coffees too and even a Greek Frappe on the menu. I have my eye on their S'mores Hot Chocolate next time.

We adored our visit to Meet & Treat and it is now going to be our new go-to place for pre/post theatre treats/drinks/food. If you're looking for a child-friendly cafe to catch up with family or friends in Newcastle or meet before a trip to the Tyne Theatre, I can certainly recommend a trip.

I recommend following Meat & Treat and drooling over their foodie pics on Instagram here

Disclosure | We received complimentary food/drinks in return for this post. All thoughts are always 100% honest and our own :-) 

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