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#BlogCampOnBoard – MSC Cruises – Preziosa

Blog Camp On Board – a lovely blog conference on MSC Cruises Preziosa

#BlogCampOnBoard was hosted by Tots100 and was a bloggers day out and mini-conference on board the MSC Preziosa whilst docked in Southampton. The day was interesting and it was really lovely to meet up with Laura from Savings 4 Savvy Mums, Emma from Island Living 365 and Bridget from Bridie By The Sea. It was a really beautiful venue and I absolutely loved viewing the ship. I love cruises – it’s my absolute favourite way to travel and I’ve written previously and passionately about how much I love them. Our trip to Bruges was just so lovely and our week long venture to Norway cruising along the fjords was breathtaking. I am determined to spread the cruise love and show why I think cruises are the perfect way to travel as a family.

The day started with top security processing which was completely understandable and really did give you that feeling of being off on an exotic holiday. Sadly, we had to stay in Southampton but exploring the ship and socialising with fellow bloggers made it a really worthwhile experience. I did feel there was a lack of water (and coffee) through the day and sadly left with a bit of a headache. With cruise ships, there’s no cash on board so I imagine it’s very hard to organise an event like this and predict the needs of the group – I would recommend more refreshments for the future just because conferences always require lots of information and it can be a bit much when you’re feeling thirsty! A lot of people also travelled down that morning without being able to stop for a drink or breakfast, myself included. I do appreciate though that with every unique venue there are always teething issues and I think feedback is important. There were families disembarking that day and also passengers onboard as a stopover so we did have to be mindful of those when taking photos and walking around the ship.

I love that MSC Cruises ships Preziosa and Magnifica sail from Southampton to Northern Europe which is a beautiful place to cruise around. Destinations include France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Italy and they have really competitive prices as well as the chance to upgrade your cabin, child prices from £99 and so much more. MSC Cruises are absolutely worth comparing against your usual cruise line company if you’re a cruising pro and the prices are very desirable for beginner cruisers.

We started off by making our way to the theatre which was incredibly impressive. I could just imagine the shows that must go on there at night! Not only did the theatre have great stall seats but an upper circle and balcony seats circling the venue. Plenty of space for all the passengers to enjoy a nightly show or talent act. We listened to a talk by the director of children services on board and got so much useful information about the kids club onboard Preziosa. I was amazed that it was open right the way through until 11 pm and there were five category age groups from babies through to 17. It seems every member is catered for onboard an MSC Cruise Ship which is amazing. I think my daughter would have a lot of fun in the kids club, swimming pools, splash park and all the other fantastic family activities that happen from talent shows, quizzes and games. There’s also an arcade and bowling alley which give it a really nice family feel and little-hidden gems. It’s nice to find these activities onboard a cruise ship because it shows you just how much there is to do.

We then headed onto the Cruise Ship activities for the first part of the day. I have to say I was a little disappointed by this as it was not what I expected. We headed up to Deck 15 to a little seating area. It’s with a lovely big pool below with jacuzzis and water features. It’s a covered pool, which is brilliant, but the room was incredibly warm and it was really hard to hear the information being given even with a microphone. Also, we’d been at the venue, checked in and on board for a while by this point and a request for water was badly needed. We watched a hairstylist and makeup being done by the members of staff from the spa and salon. This was very nice but I would have preferred to be shown the spa, talked through all the treatments, the products used, what services are available, if there are any spa packages you can buy and perhaps being given a demonstration of a little hand massage might have worked better. With the noise from the pool and the way we were sat, I couldn’t really see anything so I didn’t get that much from the session. We were then whisked off for a bit of a ship tour although we kept losing the guide and we didn’t actually get any information about each place we went to. I don’t think I would be able to tell anyone where anything was on board because we didn’t really get told anything which was a real shame. It was very glamorous however and there were lots of lovely facilities. It was really lovely to meet and explore with Naomi from Me Becoming Mum too.

Lunch was the best part of the day being given three courses, wine and water. I chose the menu rather than the buffet and really enjoyed my food. The salad was a little heavy on the dressing but my roman sandwich was delicious and I loved the pudding. House red and white wine were offered and very nice as well as a chance for still or sparkling water. We sat on a table of four and were joined by Faye from mama dot gang – it’s always lovely to get to know new bloggers! The restaurant as really lovely and I was just thrown back to meals I’ve had before and really enjoyed. Cruise food is always very tasty and there is always a great variety.

We then headed into the session lead by Alison Perry on Podcasting which was really informative. It’s something I’ve not thought of before but I really do enjoy listening to podcasts. Perhaps in the future you’ll see some sort of podcast from me, perhaps it will be all things cruising…who knows! It was lovely to meet and sit with Ami from Through Ami’s Eyes. Then I went over to the chef demo where they made a swordfish spaghetti. We were given the recipe afterwards which could be easily adapted at home for chicken or another type of fish I think. MSC Cruises are really proud of the diverse nationalities of both their staff and passengers so they really want to try and have world recognised brands available on board to reflect that and bring everyone together. Many of the staff members speak multiple languages which is incredibly impressive and something I think that’s needed especially in areas like the kid’s clubs. They had a strong Italian influence on board which is really lovely because I am a fan of Italian food. An MSC Cruise sounds like a great backdrop for a sail around the Med drinking fabulous wines and eating all the pasta. A few brands I recognised were Samsung, Lego and Nutella which was lovely to see and familiar, I think, around the world. Cruise ships are like floating hotels and in my experience, the best hotels have a hint of home with them.

The day ended with some drinks and a Q & A session in the Safari Lounge which was very informative and it was great to see how passionate the team and staff are about their cruise liners. I can imagine a holiday onboard would be full of fun and give you the ideal opportunity to make plenty of family memories. I love cruising and I can’t wait to do it all again! Hopefully, soon! Here’s a little video of all my photos taken during #BlogCampOnBoard – having a look at my YouTube channel you’ll find a few of our other cruise and holiday videos.

October 6, 2017
Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This is a collaborative post.

October has come along so quickly, hasn’t it? It’s that time of year to where lots of people really consider their health because of so many awareness-raising activities going on. For me, October always means Breast Cancer Awareness Month so here, my lady (and lad – men can get breast cancer too, they have breast tissue!) friends, here is your reminder to check your breasts. You don’t need to raise awareness by putting a heart or a status on facebook, you need to check them. You need to give your breasts some firm but tender squeezings to make sure they’re exactly how they usually are. Don’t make this a yearly thing because it should be done regularly. If you want to go that step further if you’re someone at risk of developing breast cancer, it runs in the family or you’re just concerned about it then you might want to consider breastlight which is a breast cancer screening device that can be done in your home. Breastlight gives you clear view inside the breast tissue to view any abnormalities developing over time.

Getting to know your breasts, their shape and size will really help you to understand your body and also make you aware of any changes. Make yourself aware of the signs and symptoms and if you’re worried about anything at all, if you feel something different then get in to speak to your GP straight away. It’s not just your boobs you need to feel either, the tissue goes right up to your collarbone and under your pits so get feeling all over. It’s something that will only take a few minutes of your time. If you want to help raise awareness for Breast Cancer then why not share something really valuable like the infographic below? Encourage your friends and family to check their breasts too. Something so simple as getting to know your body can help save lives.
PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.pinkribbonfoundation.org.uk/2017/07/13/breast-cancer-self-check-guide/

October 1, 2017
Evie’s Bedroom Makeover – Part 2

We have gradually been trying to improve Evie’s room. By improve I mean throw away a lot of old toys that do not work and do not get played with. This has been a big success and we’ve now got a nice big toy storage unit to keep everything together. Everything now has a proper place and the room is, most of the time, pretty easy to keep tidy. I say pretty easy, but children are very good at making a big mess out of not a lot of stuff!

New bedding has really helped make the room look like a new room and we recently received this gorgeous set of Owl bedding set from Room to Grow. It’s a single duvet cover and pillow case which goes really nicely with her pink and cream (well, magnolia) walls. I love the cute Owl design and think it’s pretty age appropriate now that she is 7! The bedding feels really nice and has buttons to do it up in the end rather than poppers. I usually prefer poppers because making beds is something I want to get over and done with but the buttons are nice and big and can be done up very quickly.

Evie still has a lot of soft toys which I’m kind of reluctant to get rid of because she really does play with them all. I think we might have to say goodbye to a few of the more threadbare or opening at the seams ones though because, well, she has about 500 of them. Honestly, soft toys are such a popular thing with Evie. She is currently collecting the little Disney Tsum Tsums which are super cute. I’m glad we’ve had a good sort out, especially with Christmas coming up. She now has so much more space in her tiny box room and now I have a much better idea of the toys she actually loves to play with rather than stuff I think she’ll love to play with.

Disclaimer: We were sent a single set of bedding in exchange for this feature. All opinions are my own.

September 28, 2017
Our #HealthyRedMeat Challenge
This post is an entry for the BritMums #HealthyRedMeat, sponsored by the Meat Advisory Panel.

Our go to meat is usually chicken as it’s a firm family favourite however we do also enjoy red meat from time to time too. Working with Britmums and the Meat Advisory Panel I was provided with a £10 voucher to go and grab some read meat and get cooking. I felt quite inspired and wanted to make some really tasty meals for the family. I decided on our meat and purchased some lean diced casserole beef and a lovely big portion of lamb for a roast dinner. I very rarely make a roast dinner because I’m not really a fan but Evie absolutely loves them and Adam and I both enjoyed the change to our usual Sunday food.

Using the beef we made a big tasty beef stew with lots of vegetables, lentils and dumplings. I seared the beef first and then cooked up onions and garlic. I added the beef back into the onions and cooked for a few minutes before moving over to a big pan of beef stock that I had been simmering. I then roughly chopped our vegetables and added a portion of lentils. The dumplings were added fifteen minutes before I dished everything up.

Using the lamb we had a lovely big roast dinner with roast potatoes, stuffing, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, brocolli, cauliflower and a mint gravy. It was really lovely and filling and the lamb was nice and tender. I do really quite like lamb when it’s roasted and it’s not a meat we have very often. Evie wasn’t convinced but I was proud she did actually try some. The beef stew was much more to her taste. We really did go all out with our roast because all the trimmings really make it a tasty, filling and fun meal.

I’ve always enjoyed eating meat and don’t really remember a time without it. I love making chilli, burgers and burritos with mince but it was nice to try making something new this week. I am really trying to educate myself about nutrition and what we put into our bodies to act as fuel, what gives us a boost in vitamins and essential nutrients that we need to function optimally. I really believe that there should be a healthy balance of flavours, textures and colours on every plate and red meat is a good source for this. Some interesting points to consider when thinking about food and what we eat:
Red meat provides a range of important nutrients that are often low in toddlers and children – including iron, zinc, and B vitamins, selenium and potassium.

Red meat has been in the spotlight recently, and experts fear that the nutritional benefits have been overshadowed by misleading negative views. To cut through the confusion, the Meat Advisory Panel, an independent group of health and nutrition experts, is partnering with BritMums to promote red meat in the diets of children.

Dr Emma Derbyshire, a public health nutritionist and mother, says: “Including a small portion of red meat in the diet a few times a week after weaning can help to bridge nutrient gaps and so help to maintain good health through childhood and beyond.”
Do you eat a lot of red meat in your meals?
September 20, 2017
This Is For Girls, And That Is For Boys

I can’t even begin to tell you how much rage “that’s for girls, that’s for boys” makes me feel. Pretty angry to be honest, especially when it’s said to my daughter. I remember learning about gender stereotypes when I was 14 and it shook me then with so much anger. I was determined that if I ever had children, and at 14 I was pretty adamant I never would, never tell them something was for girls and something was for boys because it is a massive lie. A teacher got us to look through the Argos catalogue and see who was playing with trains and mechanic sets and who was playing with dolls and kitchens. It’s still done to this day. It is reinforcing that girls are the homemakers, the babymakers, the cooks, cleaners, the mothers and that’s all they are good for. It’s showing that boys will grow up to do and be, and girls will be left behind. Girls and boys can play, do, be whatever they want to be. They have choices. That is just a simple fact that so many people want to battle against. So many people say oh no you can’t play with that. But what really annoys me most is that it’s not really my daughter that’s told she can’t do this, that or the other but other little boys who are told they can’t play with “girls” things.

I mean, I have an incredibly pink daughter. She loves dressing up, collecting Shopkins and colouring. She also runs incredibly fast, is super strong and active, is fearless and eats so much food. I am talking all the food here. She isn’t afraid to throw a ball around, she gets filthy and have I said she runs fast? She has so much energy. She can be quite reserved at times and yes I suppose I would describe her as feminine. When I was growing up my sister was not the same as me. I was quite feminine growing up and my sister was not. She was boisterous, she threw things, she liked football and can I just say she’s was really good at it. She was a bit scruffy, she doesn’t really do makeup and the first time I saw her in a dress (where she didn’t negotiate carrying a toy gun and a sheriffs badge) was her prom at sixteen. I have never heard anyone say to her that she shouldn’t play football and she should dress nicer because she’s a girl. I don’t really think the issue is with girls.

Now I believe that every parent makes the right decision for bringing up their children. I also believe that children will pick the toys they want to play with. I know a lot of boys that choose cars over dolls and a lot of girls that do the opposite. I know some that do both. Neither option is wrong and children should be free to choose. I know that there are girls that like “girly” things and there are boys that want to hulk smash and play cars all the time. That is completely fine. What I absolutely hate is when my daughter hears that something is for girls, and something is for boys. That boys shouldn’t play with dolls, with makeup, with dressing up things. It doesn’t matter if they’re not interested in it, please don’t say that some things are for girls in front of my daughter. Please don’t say that boys can’t do this, that or the other. It is a horrible thing to say.

What you are effectively saying to my daughter when you say boys can’t play with this, is that only girls should. It’s reinforcing gender stereotypes. It’s so much bigger than just girls and boys playing with toys. Saying it over and over and over is going to make my daughter believe that if she ever sees a boy playing with something he shouldn’t she will feel it’s wrong. You are pushing your stereotypes onto my child and that is not how I parent. I never, ever tell her things are just for boys and just for girls because it is not true. I want my daughter to grow up confident in her own mind that she can do what she wants. If she wants to be a homemaker and raise loads of kids then I will love and support her choice, if she wants to have a city career I will help push her to the top and if she wants to do both then I will be there as her cheerleader.

If I ever have a son and he wants to play with dolls, dress up as a Disney princess and push prams I will buy him what he wants. If he wants to play video games, play football and run all the time I will support him and if he wants to do both then that is absolutely fine with me. I will never, ever tell him that he can’t have what he want’s because it’s “just for girls.” Just because he wants to do things that others might consider girly or feminine will not “turn him gay”. Do you know what it will do? It will lead him into a happy fulfilled life where he fully knows himself and isn’t at risk of suppressing how he feels. It will ensure that he is respectful to women and other men, that he will accept people for their choices that they make in their lives because he has been allowed to do so on his own.

The point is that there are some amazing men out in the world that are makeup artists, chefs, cooks and of course amazing fathers. There are women that are fantastic politicians, bankers, city careers and mothers at the same time. They became who they are because they were allowed to discover what they loved, hopefully free from stereotypes.

You can let your child play with whatever you want. But please don’t tell my daughter that this is for girls, and that is for boys.

September 4, 2017