If you follow me on Twitter on know me on Facebook then you might have guessed that I am very very excited to be attending Playfest and Fairy Fair this week. I will be documenting our adventures at mini Norfolk festivals.
EEEEK!
Saturday 28 May 2011
Saturday 21 May 2011
Sleeping.
I bought this for MFF Toddler Ready Bed to take when we go to Camp Bestival.
I have been trying to get her used to all things to do with festivals and camping ( have the "camping" and "festival" episodes of Something Special on the Sky + box) I inflated the bed for her to investigate. She was very excited and kept jumping and down and wanted to help pump the pump (which is a rubbish handpump as the battery pump has er run out of batteries) she was so thrilled with it that she demanded to sleep in it that night. In fact she slept better on that than she has been in her half converted cot bed and loves it so much that I don't think I will be able to put it away.
Still, keeping it up for a few days will test it to see if it stays inflated for the duration!
I am really struggling with which sleeping bag to get her. The Vango Baby Nitestar will be too small for her (Thanks Romany from Festival Kidz for helping me with this) so I am wondering whether to get her A Sleeping Pod but I hate the hideous pink camoflageness of it, bleurgh.
The main thing is though for her to be warm and cosy at night but I must admit I am bricking it and these scenarios keep popping in my head.
1.What if she tries to escape the tent when we are asleep especially as she is learning how to do zips.
2. What if she gets too hot/too cold?
3. What if we wake her up by rolling on her?
Or is it best just to go with the flow?
Think it's best I opt for the latter- I mean to get in the spirit and all that...
I have been trying to get her used to all things to do with festivals and camping ( have the "camping" and "festival" episodes of Something Special on the Sky + box) I inflated the bed for her to investigate. She was very excited and kept jumping and down and wanted to help pump the pump (which is a rubbish handpump as the battery pump has er run out of batteries) she was so thrilled with it that she demanded to sleep in it that night. In fact she slept better on that than she has been in her half converted cot bed and loves it so much that I don't think I will be able to put it away.
Still, keeping it up for a few days will test it to see if it stays inflated for the duration!
I am really struggling with which sleeping bag to get her. The Vango Baby Nitestar will be too small for her (Thanks Romany from Festival Kidz for helping me with this) so I am wondering whether to get her A Sleeping Pod but I hate the hideous pink camoflageness of it, bleurgh.
The main thing is though for her to be warm and cosy at night but I must admit I am bricking it and these scenarios keep popping in my head.
1.What if she tries to escape the tent when we are asleep especially as she is learning how to do zips.
2. What if she gets too hot/too cold?
3. What if we wake her up by rolling on her?
Or is it best just to go with the flow?
Think it's best I opt for the latter- I mean to get in the spirit and all that...
Tuesday 3 May 2011
Food- Picking up bargains
Now this is a bit more of a general post for regular festival goers, not necessarily ones with kids. Still in the financial crisis many of us are thinking how we can do things for as cheaply as possible.
Here are my tips:
1. Visit "cheap shops"- QD, Poundstretcher and Poundland have some fantastic deals on food products that would be suitable to take festivalling.
I got a pack of the MaxPax style just add water teas- 8 cups in a pack with the milk already added £1, thats about 12p for a cuppa, a HUGE saving when you think that many stalls sell cups of tea for about a £1 a pop. Ok so the quality of the tea won't be as good as what you can get at home and by all means bring a box of teabags and a pint of milk but this is just as easy.
My husband got some of those 3 in 1 Nescafe sachets, great if you like your coffee white with one.
In QD I saw they had hot chocolate, cappacinos and cuppa soups, 8 in a pack for 99p. I got some of the cuppa soups, for a quick snack they are brilliant and save a few pounds on buying something.
In QD and Poundstretcher they had sachets of dahl and rice, 69p a packet. These feed two and they don't need refrigerating so thats always a bonus. Just boil the rice for 3 minutes and heat the dahl through and you have a really filling lunch or dinner for less than a pound a head.
2. Collect sachets of sauces/sugar etc.
When we have been out having lunch or a coffee we have kept on the lookout for free sachets. So when getting the sugars for the coffee grab a few extra, if they do those little pottles of UHT milk (yeah I know a bit grim but beggars can't be choosers) get a few of them.
Today we were out for the day and picked up a few extra sauce sachets. You don't need to get many, just grab a few at a time and they soon build up. We now have a tea tin full of sauce sachets and sugar, that we have been collecting for the past 6 months. It won't take up much room and it's waterproof!
3. Pick up bits on offer- This mainly applies to "childrens" food. Every few months Sainsburys have a third off all baby products. This is now the time to buy those Organix and Plum baby meals that are generally quite expensive. I will be getting some of those Ella's Kitchens Smoothies so that the girl will get a few portions of fruit in her each day, maybe even a few of those Hipp 12 months plus meals which I find are always handy to have in anyway for days when you don't have time! As I am aware Camp Bestival do sell some baby food but I expect that they have put premiums on them.
4. Take advantage of deals- I saw an advert for Asda yesterday, and they are doing 2 boxes of beer for £16, now beer keeps so it's a no brainer in my eyes to stock up in advance. That is if they are in cans- you can't take glass in, but you don't need me to tell you that!
Wine boxes are another great buy, especially red wine which you don't have to worry about drinking warm. My husband and I wandered round Glastonbury with a box of red wine and two plastic wine glasses. Unfortunately since having my daughter I cannot drink red wine so will have to take some Rose.
If you know someone who is popping over to France ask them to pick you up some wine or if you have a memember of family or a mate who works in a supermarket ask if they can pick you something up and use their discount card, cheeky but if you don't ask you don't get.
Here are my tips:
1. Visit "cheap shops"- QD, Poundstretcher and Poundland have some fantastic deals on food products that would be suitable to take festivalling.
I got a pack of the MaxPax style just add water teas- 8 cups in a pack with the milk already added £1, thats about 12p for a cuppa, a HUGE saving when you think that many stalls sell cups of tea for about a £1 a pop. Ok so the quality of the tea won't be as good as what you can get at home and by all means bring a box of teabags and a pint of milk but this is just as easy.
My husband got some of those 3 in 1 Nescafe sachets, great if you like your coffee white with one.
In QD I saw they had hot chocolate, cappacinos and cuppa soups, 8 in a pack for 99p. I got some of the cuppa soups, for a quick snack they are brilliant and save a few pounds on buying something.
In QD and Poundstretcher they had sachets of dahl and rice, 69p a packet. These feed two and they don't need refrigerating so thats always a bonus. Just boil the rice for 3 minutes and heat the dahl through and you have a really filling lunch or dinner for less than a pound a head.
2. Collect sachets of sauces/sugar etc.
When we have been out having lunch or a coffee we have kept on the lookout for free sachets. So when getting the sugars for the coffee grab a few extra, if they do those little pottles of UHT milk (yeah I know a bit grim but beggars can't be choosers) get a few of them.
Today we were out for the day and picked up a few extra sauce sachets. You don't need to get many, just grab a few at a time and they soon build up. We now have a tea tin full of sauce sachets and sugar, that we have been collecting for the past 6 months. It won't take up much room and it's waterproof!
3. Pick up bits on offer- This mainly applies to "childrens" food. Every few months Sainsburys have a third off all baby products. This is now the time to buy those Organix and Plum baby meals that are generally quite expensive. I will be getting some of those Ella's Kitchens Smoothies so that the girl will get a few portions of fruit in her each day, maybe even a few of those Hipp 12 months plus meals which I find are always handy to have in anyway for days when you don't have time! As I am aware Camp Bestival do sell some baby food but I expect that they have put premiums on them.
4. Take advantage of deals- I saw an advert for Asda yesterday, and they are doing 2 boxes of beer for £16, now beer keeps so it's a no brainer in my eyes to stock up in advance. That is if they are in cans- you can't take glass in, but you don't need me to tell you that!
Wine boxes are another great buy, especially red wine which you don't have to worry about drinking warm. My husband and I wandered round Glastonbury with a box of red wine and two plastic wine glasses. Unfortunately since having my daughter I cannot drink red wine so will have to take some Rose.
If you know someone who is popping over to France ask them to pick you up some wine or if you have a memember of family or a mate who works in a supermarket ask if they can pick you something up and use their discount card, cheeky but if you don't ask you don't get.
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