I could have chosen a very obvious word of the week this week and gone with “poorly” but I feel I have written more than enough on that subject already. So I decided instead to look on the more positive side, and to look forward. The rest of this week has all been about our “preparations,” because, we are going on holiday next week! Wahoo!! 🙂
As you can tell I am ever so slightly excited, and after the week we’ve just had we are very much in need of a break!
We aren’t heading to the most glamorous of destinations this year. We loved our all inclusive holiday in Majorca last year and loved the heat and the sun, but when we were planning this year’s holiday we were very much hoping that I would be pregnant and had to take a few things into consideration. While there is nothing to say you can’t go abroad when you are pregnant, because of the troubles I had with SPD in my last pregnancy (and ending up on crutches), we were wary of what was to come this time. As it is I am managing the SPD a lot better for the moment, but even then I cannot carry anything heavy, or push anything around. This would mean that at the airport it would have been up for Hubby to do everything, t0 push all the luggage and take care of Monkey. Neither of us fancied the thought of that much!
So we decided to stay in the UK, and initially I wanted to head south to Cornwall or similar. I love it down there and hubby has never been. I even thought about visiting the wonderful Coombe Mill. But, Hubby reminded me how much I suffered with car journeys in my last pregnancy, sitting for hours isn’t great with SPD either, so we eventually decided to limit the journey to only a couple of hours. I think a Cornwall trip takes over 5 hours from us and we decided that was just too far for a preggo me. A real shame but we will have to save that for another time!
After a bit of searching we found a lovely place on the east coast – I have been saying Norfolk but it is actually technically Suffolk. We are staying in between Great Yarmouth (Norfolk) and Lowestoft (Suffolk) so right on the edge of both. It’s a little 3 bedroom holiday home on a purpose built resort, so it has a heated swimming pool (under a cover so can be used in all weather), a big childrens play area, and is very close to a lovely sandy beach. We are hoping for a least a bit of sun some days, but also have a few days out planned in the areas nearby for what I feel are some guaranteed rainy days!
I had hoped to spend some of the bank holiday weekend getting organised for the holiday, but as that went well and truly out of the window I have been feeling a bit pressed for time to get organised and packed up! The good thing about taking the car is that we can load up with all sorts of bits and bobs, and lots of Monkey’s favourite things to help keep him entertained. My list for packing is a good few pages long! I will probably go overboard, I usually do, but I’d rather take things and not need them, than forget something and wish we had it with us!
Clothes are the hardest thing to plan for this holiday I am finding. As we don’t know what the weather will be we need to plan for all eventualities. Jumpers, jeans, raincoats and wellies, plus shorts, t-shirts, sandals and sunhats! We are going in hubbies go – as though it is older and slightly less reliable, it does work, and it has a MUCH bigger boot than my car :).
I’m also thinking about taking some foody bits – as it’s self catering. We will probs eat out a bit though certainly not every mealtime and I also don’t want to waste time on holiday in local shops or finding supermarkets and trying to figure out what to eat. So I may take some of the regular bits – the porridge monkey loves, a couple of tins of soup. I’ve been self catering before, we went a lot as kids, but I’ve never had to plan it all for the family and with a toddler to think about before and again I will probably end up taking too much!
If anyone has any useful tips for what to take, and what not to take, it would be very much appreciated!
We’ve done a couple of self catering holidays in the last year. Make sure you remember things like a bin bag, and sponges for washing up, we always forget them!
ooh, thanks for the tip, I had not packed those! xx
Great post, have a fab holiday. what ever you forget (I’m sure there will be something there always is) remember you can always buy it on holiday if you really need it.
Thank you and I really do need to remember that! xx
How funny, we are going off to North Norfolk for a week on 14th June after seriously considering the South West too! One of my prime factors was having the excuse to stop off at the home of one of my best friends who lives in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk along the way (and on the way back!). I think there is bags to do up there though and to be honest – we have only had stay-cations since 2010 and they are a *lot* easier and more manageable with small children. Being able to pack half a tonne of stuff in the boot of your car is absolutely key! I look forward to reading about what you all get up to. #WotW
Sounds like a good reason to go that way to me 🙂 The boot will definitely be full and it definitely feels nice being able to take so much stuff! Sounds like we will be having very similar holidays!! 🙂 xx
We do self catering all the time, so much easier with kids 🙂 Take things like salt/pepper, oil, tea bags, coffee, sugar – you don’t want to go and buy new of all of them once you get there, when you have them all at home – pack a little box of essentials. Washing up liquid etc can be a good idea too, just in case. We generally take a cool bag with stuff from the fridge too, to get us started, always good to be able to make a cup of tea when you arrive without having to go shopping, and in the same vein we often take ingredients for a simple pasta meal for the first night too, so that if everyone’s tired we don’t have to do much! Have a lovely time 🙂
Aww thanks for the tips! You can tell you are experienced at this 🙂 xx
I am sooooooooooo jealous Caroline! We looked at Coombe Mill for our holiday this year, but with three kids and no car we just couldn’t make it work 🙁 Have a FABULOUS time lovely xxx #WotW
Aww such a shame, and I can imagine that would be really tricky! We hope to get down there at some point too, will have to wait till I am not pregnant though I think! 🙂 xx
North Norfolk is great, have a fab time. I’d echo taking the basics with you – I often forget oil and then there’s rarely any there. A couple of store cupboard staples are always handy too (mine are rice, pasta, tinned tomatoes, chickpeas and a selection of spices & stock cubes) and I have been known to take a frozen lasagne and let it defrost on the journey, the other bonus is this acts as a cool block in your cool bag too!
Have fun x
I really wish i had thought to make a lasagne to take with us! Thanks for all the tips! Hopefully the weather won’t be too terrible and we will have a lof of fun 🙂 xx
Have a great holiday, we’ve done self catering with our three quite a bit. We general take some bits to get us going and then we go and shop buying what we need for the week. We also use the Hoover bags to pack take up much less room in the car especially when you have to pack for all seasons and eventualities x
Ooh I really need to get some hoover bags for future holidays as we are taking a loot of stuff! Thanks for the tips and I will tell you all about it when we are back! xx
Enjoy your holidays! Self-catering sounds good with children. We did that when we went to Ireland a couple of years ago. You always end up taking too much, but you never know what the weather is going to be like, so I would do the same as you, really! Mel #WotW
Thank you and I am accepting the fact I am taking too much, and I am now embracing it! I would rather that than regret not taking something! (though I am bound to forget something!!) xx
Hope you enjoy your holiday. I do actually have a packing post on my blog which I refer to when packing. We always look how far away supermarkets are from where we are staying – rather than taking it with us. I am even thinking about getting an online shop delivered on our summer holiday.
Ooh that sounds handy! The online shop would have been a genius idea – wish I had thought of that! xx
Hope you have a great time! We go to cottages as it is easier than finding a hotel to accomodate all 5 of us together! Got to admit I get so stressed when packing x #WotW
Thank you, I am starting to feel a little less stressed now but it can get a bit much! Can totally see SC being easier when there is 5 of you, we used to do it a lot when I was a kid for the exact same reason! xx
Firstly, I’d missed the poorly posts so just caught up on those – hope you’re better now? I had a sick bug when pregnant with Little Man which is horrid and worrying, and it made my bleeding worse. I had one when he was a few weeks old, too, which was a nightmare as I was breastfeeding so I couldn’t just lie there and get better, as I had to keep feeding – the very life was being sucked out of me!! That bug sounds vicious, though – we had an awful one here at Christmas, and it’s not nice at all. So hope that you’re all feeling good now and looking forward to your holiday? At least the bug’s gone in time for that. We always go SC in the UK since having the kids, and have stayed near Great Yarmouth – beautiful. As for food, I pack things like tea, coffee, sugar, snacks, and then I research the area for the nearest supermarket on route and go in and grab everything else on the way to our accommodation. The kids are happy to have the stop off and mooch about the shop choosing their fruit and treats anyway! I never pack until the day we go, so you’re way more organised than me anyway! Hope you have a fab time, thanks for sharing with #WotW x
Have a wonderful holiday & I hope the weather is nice for you x
Have a great holiday. Could you make a list of meals you want to eat through the week and take what you need for the first few and then do one shop for the rest when you are there?
Get well soon lovely and have a fab holiday xx
I have heard so many nice things about them! Goodluck with your holidays =) #wotw
Loo roll and handy- wipes!
Have a fab time:)
Ah well I hope you have a lovely holiday! We were away last week at Butlins and like you, it was a nightmare thinking about what to pack. I knew the weather wasn’t going to be great but I still felt the need to pack very summery clothes ‘just in case’! #pocolo