Top Things to do in Windsor and Maidenhead

Windsor has long been one of my favourite places. When I was a teenager I would often shop there and have a wander around the castle grounds on a Saturday afternoon. However, there is more to offer in Windsor and the surrounding area than shops (and trust me they have some really good shops.)

Top of my list of visiting Windsor and Maidenhead with children would have to be Legoland Windsor. We are so lucky to have the theme park on our doorstep. You can read my top tips for peak season. If you need to travel then the Legoland hotel is a small person's dream. Accommodating families of 5 the themed rooms are every little explorers dream.

If you are looking for some history then Windsor Castle should be on your list. The tickets provide you with an annual pass to visit. You are able to pick up free audio guides on your way round and when we took the boys the staff were all very helpful and got them interested and looking for knights and dragons.

A short distance from Windsor is Ascot Racecourse. We were lucky enough to go to one of their family days last year which was lots of fun. With children admitted free of charge, and free fairground and pony rides it really was a day that the whole family could enjoy.

Savill Garden is a lovely place to visit all year round, with free admission in December - February. You can walk to the totem pole at Virginia Waters and we have also had a pleasant horse and cart ride. It is even nice in the rain, and that makes a great excuse to stop in the cafe for hot chocolate and cake.

With Christmas on the way there are lots of events coming to Windsor and Maidenhead. From the Reindeer Parade through Windsor High Street, Breakfast with Santa and the outside ice rink, you really can't help but feel festive. Last year I particularly like the regal Christmas lights in town.

If you are looking for something extra special this Christmas, then Lapland UK is by far the best Christmas attraction that I have visited. Located just outside Ascot, you are transported into a magical wonderland of elves.

Your children get to help the elves make toys, decorate gingerbread with Mother Christmas and then head outside to see huskies and ice skate. This is all before you get to meet the man himself! We had a magical time there last year, and by entering the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead's Facebook giveaway, you could win a trip there yourself. Below are more details on how to enter and the other fantastic prize's up for grabs.

Win a luxury Windsor Weekend!


Discover your ideal break in the Royal Borough and enter to win a luxury weekend! They have got four fabulous prizes from some of their top attractions and accommodation providers including:

- A relaxing one night weekend stay at the Runnymede-on-Thames including dinner and breakfast
- A weekend stay Bed and breakfast at the Macdonald Windsor Hotel, just two minutes’ walk from Windsor Castle
- A luxury Bubbles & Jazz Sunday lunch for four people at the Sir Christopher Wren Hotel & Spa on the Thames
- 4 x tickets to the Lapland UK Christmas event in the Windsor Estate forest


Simply take our fun quiz to discover your ideal Windsor Weekend and you could win it! Enter here


Open to residents of the UK aged 18 and over. Ends Oct 31st 2014.


More info about things to do in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead can be found here.




I have been compensated for advertising this giveaway but as always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

You Could Win A Banger With Cadbury

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. 

All opinions are mine alone.

We love a competition in this house and love Cadbury chocolate. To celebrate their Win a Banger Competition, we decided to have a competition all of our own thanks to a #CollectiveBias campaign. There is no way that my boys are ever going to turn down a chance to have some chocolate and this party game is a winner. I headed off to Sainsbury's to gather my ingredients. Some squirty cream and Cadbury chocolate. I decided the Cadbury Twirl would work well. If you want to try the game too you will also need a blindfold.

The idea is simple. Make a cream "pie" with the squirty cream and add half a twirl to the middle.

Then blindfold your first competitor. Middle man was keen to have first go. Once blindfolded, a team mate directs them where to go to pick up the chocolate with just their mouth.

Big man was the winner he just dived in, middle man came a close second.

Little man was disqualified for refusing to wear the blindfold and then using his fingers.

I may have slowed Daddy down a little by pushing the chocolate a bit deeper into the cream.

In last place was me! It seem's I have trust issues and was worried that I was going to have my head dunked. (Possibly my own fault by being slightly evil to Daddy.)

We had lots of fun and it is a great party game. Maybe you could use it if you are planning Halloween party next month. The boys love it as at the end of the day everyone wins, as they get some tasty Cadbury chocolate.

If you love competitions too, with no purchase necessary, why not enter the Cadbury Win a Banger competition. The main prize is to take part in a rally to Barcelona, but there are thousands of other prizes to be won, including some yummy Cadbury chocloate. You could have a go at this game yourself. All you need to do to enter is to be over 18 and fill in your details. The hardest part is answering the question: which is your favourite bar? After a lot of deliberation I chose the Twirl, although I do love a Boost too.

Do you love a competition? Have you got any great ideas for kids party games that you can share?

Mexican Prawn Wraps

When I heard that Discovery foods were launching their Instagram page this July, it gave me an excuse to make some Mexican food again (we love it so it is not much of a hardship and they sent us some products too.) Here is my recipe for Mexican prawn wraps - perfect for a light summer evening meal.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

200g Raw prawns

Discovery tortilla wraps

Half a red pepper

2 cloves of garlic

1cm cube of ginger

Half a red chilli

3 spring onions

1 lime

Discovery garlic and herb sour cream

Finely chop the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry in a pan.

Add the raw prawns and cook until pink.

Chop the spring onion and red pepper

Arrange this on a tortilla and add the Discovery garlic and herb sour cream

Add the juice of one lime to the prawns

Add the prawns to the tortilla

Wrap it up and enjoy!

Discovery Foods are currently asking for you to share your photos of your Mexican dishes via instagram. Each week for the next 4 weeks they will be giving away 10 prizes - so what are you waiting for? All you need to do is share your photo on instagram with the photo caption:

My #deliciousdiscovery entry for a chance to win £25 Amazon voucher with @Discoveryfoods

Good luck!

Disclosure: I was given a goody bag containing a variety of Discovery foods products in order to create some Mexican dishes.

Big man's hero

When I saw that Tots 100 and Moneysupermarket were running a "That's my hero!" competition, I really wanted to enter. As in, I wanted to enter not the kids! When I was little I loved doing drawing competitions.  Big man, however, isn't great at drawing and has a very limited concentration span with anything involving holding a pencil. I didn't think any more about entering.

This weekend hasn't gone quite to plan. Baby man has been ill, and our exciting first day of half term has been rearranged. Cue Mummy thinking how am I going to entertain big and middle man? Well here is big mans last minute entry to the competition.

I explained to him that a hero is someone, who is brave, has a great achievement and might have a special power.

 "Like Batman?" 

"Yeah that's the kind of thing" I replied.

"Can I draw baby man?"

"Yes - but why?"

"He can walk.

His special power is walking. Normally little people can't walk that easily but baby man can. 

I've drawn muscles. The muscles help your legs walk. I tried to draw a muscle in his head - but it didn't work very well. He has big ears so he can hear and so you can see them quiet well. He is lifting one leg up and balancing on one toe like I can do. But he can't do hopping yet, cause that's quite hard. Nanny can't hop.


You might not be able to see it very well so I will highlight it."

So here is big man's hero - baby man - with the special power of walking.

Today I have learn't that just because big man (aged 5) isn't the best at drawing, it doesn't mean I shouldn't let him have a go at competitions. His explanation of his picture is worth recording for him to look back on when he is older, and once again I am reminded of what a caring, sensitive little man I have.

This post is an entry into the Tots100 Moneysupermarket That's My Hero competition