Donating Christmas in a Box to a local family in need with Feeding Families

I first came across Feeding Families last year when one of their volunteers asked me to share their page from my Facebook page which I did but then shockingly kind of forgot about them.

Then one of the mams at school started a volunteer role with the charity and messaged me and again, asked if I could help to spread the word. This time, I took the time to read more about the charity and the work they do and decided it's something we'd like to get involved with.

The following post is my own experience of helping Feeding Families in 2018. There are different ways to help, you should always follow official guidelines and there are many ways to get involved. My experience will be different to others but I really wanted to share my story.

Majorca - A Perfect Holiday Destination for Families

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With a flight time of less than 3 hours, a huge range of activities available and temperatures averaging between 23-31 degrees celsius between May-October, Majorca ticks a lot of boxes for families looking for a summer getaway. It's a destination which definitely deserves including in my ultimate guide to visiting Spain with kids. 

Aln Valley Railway Santa Specials Train Review

Today we have another guest post by Amy who took a trip on the Aln Valley Railway during their Santa Specials event. I've always wanted to visit this heritage train ride in Northumberland and after reading this review, think it sounds like fantastic value for money. I love that adults are only charged £3.50 too. Over to Amy: 

10 Reasons Why North Shields Christmas Market is the Best Christmas Market in North East England

The North Shields Christmas Market takes place during one weekend in December (usually around 7/8 December) in Northumberland Square. It's FREE to visit and is loosely Victorian-themed although I think as the years have gone on, the tradition of stallholders dressing up has declined a little. It's free to visit and I think it's the best Christmas Market in the North East. We've been visiting for over 15 years now and it's always one of the highlights of the festive calendar. Keep an eye on the Visit North Tyneside events page for details of upcoming events. We visited last weekend (apologies if you missed this years and now have to wait a whole year to visit) and thought it was better than ever. My top tip is to get there early and avoid the crowds for your shopping, pop your bags in your car then return and soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the entertainment/a bite to eat. Here are 10 reasons I love this market:

A Grown-Up Festive Weekend in Ouseburn

Ouseburn is one of my favourite areas of Newcastle. I would say it's where all the cool kids go but if I'm honest, I don't think that's true. I think it's better to describe this area of Newcastle as somewhere those in their 30s and 40s like to come to pretend they're cool. So in celebration on my 35th birthday, we decided to spend a child-free weekend here and pretend we were one of the cool kids.

Review & Top Tips | Northern Stage Newcastle Christmas Show 2021

Northern Stage Christmas Show 2021 | Overview & tickets

The Christmas Show at Northern Stage is always something I really look forward to. It's completely different to anything else in the North East and is a fantastic alternative for those who aren't too keen on a traditional panto.

The production is always magical with incredible staging and live music. We still talk about previous shows from years gone by to this day (with Get Santa being a particular favourite).

Review & Top Tips | Theatre Royal Newcastle Panto 2021

Disclosure: Ad - We have press tickets 

Theatre Royal Newcastle Panto | Overview & tickets

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will start it's run at Newcastle Theatre Royal for 7 weeks from 23 November 2021 - 9 January 2022. 

Newcastle favourites Danny and Clive are always super popular with many people snapping up tickets as soon as they're released year after year.

Tickets are available from £14.50 and although it can be one of the more expensive pantomimes in the North East, I think is reflected in the production quality.

You can find out more and book online here

Alnwick Garden Santa Review

Visiting Father Christmas at Alnwick Garden has always been something I've wanted to do. The photos always look fantastic so this year I decided to splash out and book tickets for Heidi, Jack and Evan to visit after school.

There are different ways to visit Father Christmas at Alnwick Garden. We decided to visit after school when the garden was closed. This was advertised as being in the Alnwick Garden Treehouse which is the largest treehouse in Europe and such a magical setting. I paid £16.99 per ticket for the kids and grown-ups were free (charges do apply if you visit through the day etc... My review is based on the after-school weekday experience only).

Review & Top Tips | Playhouse Whitley Bay Panto 2018

Disclosure : We were kindly invited along to press night and provided with complimentary tickets. 

Playhouse Whitley Bay Panto | Overview & tickets

This year's panto is Peter Pan. Brought to you by Blue Genie Entertainment and starring Antony Costa as Captain Hook and Whitley Bay favourite Steve Walls as Smee, this show runs from 1 December - 5 January. Tickets are available from £10.70.