One of the things we soon learn however is that beaches, mountains and parks dont cost. We also find places where we pay an annual subscription and use them loads – RSPB, springs to mind on this, CADWA, and National Trust. Museums are nearly all Free to enter as well.

Since last year I have thought of a few ideas to make life a bit simpler and less expensive.

Any child old enough to carry there own packed lunch has there own small ruck sack / bag to carry it in!   Unless were going to somewhere where its ride based. / or at the beach.  We have used a Little life backpack for Asha since she was two.

As a mum, i make sure my bag can carry all the small bags, if need be. (I use a couple of climbing clips for this But that isnt the plan! If I know the little one wont want to eat once were at the place, we make sure we have a extra bit to eat before we leave home (crumpets or toast and butter spring to mind)

Every child has there own water bottle, which the child fills with water before they go out.  I find the sports bottles the best for this, purely because they dont spill as much and sand dosnt get into them the same. Before we leave the car we always have a drink of water, and before i drive off, for the drive home. (parents may have to check this before each child gets into car though)

Packed lunch ideas : rice, with sweetcorn, tuna, majonaise.  either in individual or large bowls to dish out. Wraps, make an easy alternative to bread on occasion, i tend to purchase these when reduced and freeze!

BEFORE we leave the house in the morning, we know what were going to have for tea. The slow cooker is our friend.. as is our chest freezer!

apples, pears, grapes, oranges, bananas, melons, pineapples, are all great fruits for when out and about.. the last two you need to either slice before you leave, or take a knife and a chopping board with you to dish out.

Bread.. and peanut butter, sliced cooked meats, eggs, cheese, cold fish, mixed with tuna, cucumber, lettuce, basil, humus, all make easy lunch items.  If your going to use tinned items, remember a tin opener, and a surface to slice them on! (we have actually got a knife, cutting board and tin opener which used to live in the car.. I must put them back on it!)We used to put all the sandwiches in boxes, but i have found that plastic sandwich bags work best, in a small cold bag, or just in a ruck sack for Asha.. This stops us carrying extra bulk around with us.

We also take cooked sausages, chicken legs, sliced peices of pork and steak have gone with us as well, and cold jacket spuds, make a long day, work a bit easier.  (espeically if cut into 1/4  or 1/6 before we leave home, and just shared out for the picnic)

A small bar peice of chocolate can help keep a child from tears just before your heading home. to keep the hunger at bay on the way home.. dried fruits and nuts will also help this period. We have used sweets here, but i find the sugar hit from sweets counter productive.  Also  toilet and thirst check before we get in the car helps!

It is worth taking a flask with hot water / hot chocolate in it. I have found this especially useful on days to the beach.. for me, not for Asha.. she has hot Ribena for when she is back in the car, in her own flask, but before we head home.   If i am going to be with a group, i normally put an extra flask of hot water in, and some extra tea bags.

Every child needs to have a complete spare set of clothes, and a wooly jumper on the car. a couple of spare dry towels can also save a lot of wet cold children on the way home!

Ice creams.. we try not to buy them when were out just as a family, but keep bought ice creams in the freezer for when we get home. If were out with a group, it depends on the day. But were happy just having ice cream at home..

Plastic containers from home make great buckets for at the beach.. you can get a selection of cheaper large spades from the likes of B&Q which are great for the pre-teens  / teens who want to do more than dig small castles..

Well there my thoughts.. oh and the MUST have item? A first aid kit with RESCUE Remedy in it and TEA TREE oil…

Anyway she did really well, although she didnt think she was brave because she didnt like having her blood taken.. We tried to explain that she didnt have to like it to be brave!

I have to say the childrens ward at Bangor hospital is VERY well equipped!

After a trip to the hospital we went into bangor, and bought Asha some hair things from Claires, she thought they were brilliant, I tend to agree. We had pizza for lunch, as a big treat.

Once home she soon settled for the night, after a big dinner of pasta and sausage and luckily slept through as i was exhausted.

Asha also started eating wheat and gluten today and for the next 2 weeks. This is so the doctors can work out if she is Coeliac.

4 oz butter

4 oz sugar

1 egg beaten

8 oz G.F Self Raising Flour.

Pinch of salt.

4 oz currants

4 oz sultanas

Milk (i used long life soya milk, sweetened)

( I also use what ever dried fruit i have in)

Set oven to gas mark 4 / 350 F.

Cream butter and sugar together, once fluffy beat in egg.

Sift in flour and salt, fold in.

Stir in dried fruit,

add sufficient milk to give a dropping consistency.

Turn into a greased cake tin. The recipie states a 6″ cake tin, but I tend to double up the recipie and cook in a few small loaf tins :d

The instructions also say bake for 45 mins to an hour, but I find with LPG and gluten free it takes slightly longer, but well keep an eye on it!

Enjoy!

I never realised how easy this cake was to make, or how cheap! I use the cheapest dried fruit mix I can get hold of, as you are soaking it overnight in tea!

10 oz Mixed dried fruit.

2/3 pint of hot tea. I made it in a pyrex jug. No milk!

3oz Soft brown sugar.

Grated rind of 1 lemon

12 oz of gluten free flour. (I added a tsp of gluten free baking powder as well)

1and a bit of a  large tsp of mixed spice.

1 large egg.

Soaked dried fruit overnight in tea.

Next day, set oven to gas mark 4, and greased some small loaf tins (I doubled up recipie again)

Strain the fruit, and keep the liquid.

Mix fruit and other ingredients in a bowl. Add liquid untill a soft dropping consistency. Pour mixture into tins, and bake for about 45 mins (depending on cooker, ingredients and stuff)

Cool and serve sliced and marged :d

I went to my first cheshire show today. I missed it the year I was born, and mummy and daddy were busy the following two years.
It was in tabley which is near knutsford, so we had to leave the house at 8am. So rarely these days, daddy had to wake me up!

After what seemed like minutes in the car, I fell asleep. We arrived there. Mummy then got me dressed, and we had a sandwich.
Mummy had parked in the disabled area, and we slowly trundled over the the kiosk. Where we bought our tickets. We then met granny
by the cheshire hounds. The dogs were noisy. Granny then paid for me to have a go on the bouncy slide, but a boy tripped me up and I fell
down the steps. Shaken we went for a walk around. After some time, we found some fun things to look at, sheep, goats and apache. They were cute
I also saw big horses, cows and baby calfs. Mummy took me into the poultry tent, and we looked at the flat bills of the ducks, the small hooks
of the pigeons, and there wonderfull chests which puffed out. Mummy also told me when she was little she held a baby chick at the cheshire show.
I was watching them with my mummy. We looked at an array of egg yolks, the range in colour yellow was fascinating.

I spent some time playing on the fair ground, I went on the carosel, and train. I also climed into an Airport fire engine, it was a lot bigger than
the one which toppled over in portmadog recently. After making mummy a bouquet with granny, we had pork butties whilst listening to the school band.

I am sure i have missed a lot out of this.

Asha

thanks to a kind lady at trefor beach yesterday.

We did try catching some, but it never happend. There is only so much activity you can do at once on a beach with a toddler!

I love living in wales.

In case your wondering how we cooked them.. In the george Fornby, is an easy option

Made a card for mummy.

Then off to the soft play area as Glasfryn. We then came home, and played outside.

Asha enjoyed herself today. We had pork and cabbage for tea.. (sounds worse than it was. It was actually really nice)

Played on the trampoline, Played on bikes, played football, played with dolls, and read stories,.

Martin Jeffries from Deganwy, Conwy, says the last straw was a four-fold increase in the rent for the Black Cat cafe at Glynllifon.

now whilst I agree such a substancial increase in rents is unacceptable, so is a cafe this day and age not being able to provide anything which is gluten, wheat and milk free suitable for a child!

I have taken Asha here three times, on one occasion I was told  all our products are bread based. On another occasion I was asked not to give her our own food, after being told that they dont sell anything she could have.  The third time I was offered ploughmans lunch for her, yes cheese, pickled onions and bread :d

Its a pity as we would use the whole area a lot more if we could get something there for Asha, instead we tend to drive past it now days, after all, we have tried!

Quite simple really, no wheat no milk = buscuits and happy tummys!

Now I really dont know what to do as they have decided to add milk to Asha’s staple buscuit. We are in for big tears, as she even goes and looks for them when we go shopping these days, as she knows she can have them! Last time she chucked 4 packets of both in her basket

Link to there page