How To Spend 48 Hours in Blackpool with a Merlin Annual Pass (Itinerary and Tips)

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Blackpool is the kind of place you love or hate. It can be tacky and is a little rough around the edges but if you stick to the sea front, there is absolutely loads going on for families. I've visited with the children a handful of times now and our most recent trip was over Easter when we decided to make use of our Merlin Annual passes, spend an evening at Coral Island and soak up some traditional seaside fun. We already have a return trip planned for July - can't wait!

Spending May Half Term in Holland (on a budget)

Disclosure: We have paid for this trip ourselves with the exception of our accommodation at Duinrell which has been provided by Eurocamp. This post contains affiliate links.

We're spending May Half Term exploring Holland with the kids. We're trying to do the trip on a bit of a budget. I'll be sharing daily tips and what we've been up to over on my Facebook page and Instagram stories across half term so if you're interested, please make sure you're following along.

Holiday Ideas for Families with Tweens

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Over the years, our holidays have gradually changed. When the kids were toddlers and I needed a lot of pairs of eyes, we favoured big family holidays - usually a package deal where everything was taken care of or a big villa/apartments with the grandparents coming along for the journey too.

St Michael's Mount | The Best National Trust Castle in Cornwall

St Michael's Mount reminds me of our own Holy Island. Like it's Northumberland counterpart, the island is cut off from the mainland twice per day, is full of history and there's a bit of a climb up to the island's castle. Holy Island is one of my favourite places in the world and I knew that I had to visit St Michael's Mount during our trip to Cornwall and see how the two compared. 

Our Guide to Visiting Spain with Kids

I sometimes feel like Spain gets a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to discussing holiday plans but it is probably our favourite place to visit in the world. I love the laid back vibe, the wonderful cities, beautiful beaches, friendly people and of course the tapas and sangria. This post shares some of our favourite places and recommendations for places to visit in Spain with kids. Let me know in the comments if you have anywhere to add. 

The Seasider Open Top Bus Tour | Tickets, Prices, Timetables & Where To Visit

This is an advertisement feature from 2019. Please check with Stagecoack for up to date info for 2022. This bus was not in service in 2020 & 2021. 

The Seasider is an open-top bus (operated by Stagecoach) running along the North Tyneside coast between Whitley Bay and North Shields Ferry Terminal across weekends and school holidays from now until September. If you're looking for a family day out in North East England, I can highly recommend a trip on this bus as a starting point.

I love, love, love visiting the North Tyneside Coast but trying to get parked here on a sunny weekend can be an absolute nightmare (plus the area is known for its enthusiastic parking wardens - you have been warned) and as much as I love visiting the area, I try avoid on sunny days due to parking stress.

5 Party Ideas for Tweens in North East England

Disclosure - I have worked with some of the businesses in this post in the past but they have not asked or paid to be included in this post.

I don't book a birthday party for H, H and J every year but over the years we have tried a few different options between us so today I thought I would do a little round-up and share some of our favourite party experiences for tweens and hopefully give you a few ideas. Let me know your ideas in the comments too.

What's On For Kids & Families Across North East England - May 2019 (including Half Term)

Hello May! Love, love, love this month as we have not one, but two bank holiday weekends plus half term too. As always, there's lots going on. Make sure you join our North East Days Out Facebook group for more ideas and recommendations by other local parents. As always, this guide is published well in advance so please always double check event details before setting off.