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Happy Mummy helps busy parents find out about amazing family days out and holidays so that they can create magical memories that will last a lifetime.

We are an energetic, enthusiastic and fun loving family who always try to see the positive in life.  We love days out, travel and having good old fashioned family fun!

Image Credit: Lucy McAlpine Photography

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happymummyblogs

🙋 Maria - Family, Lifestyle & Travel Blogger
🎩 Mike
💖 Daughter Lily, 5
💙 Son George, 1
🏖🍫🎤🎭👙👩‍💻🍦🌈

Instagram post 2194587802788135281_1513308813 [AD - PRESS TRIP] We went back to where it all started today. Mike and I met at the Potters Arms in Harlow on Christmas Eve in 2008. We always try to go back on Christmas Eve for a drink, but this year we celebrated early. Cookhouse & Pub invited us to go and celebrate our anniversary early with them and they spoilt us rotten with a 3 course dinner & lots of gifts; they gave us heart shaped balloons, roses & Mike got a bottle of prosecco too. The Potters Arms has changed over the years (though I'm sure if the building could talk it would say the same about us 🤣). It has been renovated and has a new menu which is really varied and delicious 😋. I am dairy and egg free and they had lots of choices for me - I had leek and potato soup to start, gammon, pineapple, chips and peas for main and vegan apple pie and custard for pudding 🥧. Mike had Prawn Cocktail to start, Steak, chips, peas, mushroom & grilled tomato for main and after eight Sundae for pudding 🍦. Lily had some bread and butter to start, hot dog, chips and beans for main and chocolate brownie and ice cream for pudding 🍫. The food was amazing, the restaurant has been renovated and the staff were really friendly. I can see us going back a lot...especially in the summer as its just down the road from Mike's outdoor bowls club! 🌞 @cookhouseandpub #cookhouseandpub #pottersarms #harlow #whatsonmyplate
Instagram post 2190794372983243718_1513308813 Happy 1st Birthday to my gorgeous George who makes me smile and laugh all day and tear my hair out all night 😂
Instagram post 2188840999618818532_1513308813 [AD - PRESS TRIP] Today we went back to my North London roots! We visited the Jackson Lane Arts Centre in Highgate to watch Goldilocks and The Three Bears 🐻. The show was brought to life and made fun with lots of puppetry, singing and live instruments. It really was a great way to bring the story to life on stage. Both kids really enjoyed the show and it was funny listening to them both shout out at the audience participation bits, obviously Lily knew what was going and on and was saying the right things but George was just shouting AHHHH AHH very loudly 😂. It's such a joy to be able to take them to things that they can both really enjoy and get involved with in their own way. They were both dancing alond to the music in their chairs too. The set is all upcycled encompassing Daddy Bears make do and mend ethos. There is everything from tea pots tipping water to blankets made from bubble wrap and crisp packets. It was simple but so effective. The theatre itself is beautiful. It has a very relaxed, family feel about it. The auditorium is small and intimate and the whole building is surprisingly very modern on the inside. The theatre had lots of nice touches from baby change facilities being in both the men's and womens toilets to serving dairy alternative milks at the theatre cafe. We were able to park for free on the street adjacent to the theatre as the parking restrictions were weekdays only. The theatre has a lovely community feel and they are even opening on Christmas Day to provide a free meal to 80 invited local guests who would otherwise be alone. We've all had such a lovely time and I would definitely recommend the show. I really loved the theatre and will definitely visit again. Goldilocks and The Three Bears is running at Jackson Lane until Christmas Eve 🎄 @hiccuptheatre @jacksons_lane #lovetheatre #highgate #london #londonmums #londonmumsnetwork
Instagram post 2187072543428840655_1513308813 Biscuit Smash 🍪 Spontaneous photoshoot as I gave George a biscuit and he was getting in a right mess so I pulled out my backdrops and camera and let him go wild 🎂 Cake smash alternative ❤️
Instagram post 2184422918695741029_1513308813 [AD - PRESS TRIP] When you are 5 and nearly 1 and both CBeebies obsessed I don't think a day out can get any better than being invited to the Leicester Square Premier of the new CBeebies Christmas Show! These two have both had an absolute ball today. The CBeebies Christmas Show this year is Hansel & Gretel and was filmed in front of a live audience in Edinburgh. The show is captivating for kids, even George sat still watching it! It is very interactive with lots of opportunities to shout out 'hello' & 'It's behind you' and plenty of catchy tunes to sing along to too. You can catch the CBeebies Christmas Show Hansel & Gretel in over 300 UK cinemas next weekend so don't miss out! Lots of the cast were at the Premier and the kids really loved meeting them. Waffle The Wonder Dog was a huge hit with both of them as you can see. Sheer joy on their faces having both watched him every morning and night for nearly a year (on I player and on CBeebies!) Thanks to all the very friendly CBeebies Team for photos and making the kids day so special @cbeebieshq @gemma__hunt @wafflethewonderdogtvshow @jenniedale_actress #tbcsmiles #cbeebies #cbeebieschristmasshow #hanselandgretel
Instagram post 2183573443722936716_1513308813 [AD] Today we were invited to Paradise Wildlife Park for the arrival of Santa! Santa arrived in his grand sleigh with real reindeer and horses. Everyone was allowed to queue and have a ride in the sleigh (swipe through to see a video of our sleigh ride). We absolutely loved our sleigh ride - Lilys face was a picture, the whole experience was magical 🎅 After seeing Santa arrive, having our sleigh ride and meeting Santa and the Reindeer we then headed in to see the World of Animals and the Epic World of Dinosaurs. So many highlights, but our favourite was the Gibbons who we spent ages watching as they were jumping and swinging away & generally having fun! The world of dinosaurs was brilliant as ever and we had such a laugh as a few of them made my mum jump including the one that squirts water at the end! 💦 We then headed to the Paradise Christmas Market which was beautiful and had lots of craft stalls and amazing gifts (see stories to see my purchases (unless your my husband, in which case look away now 😂). We've had such a lovely at Paradise Wildlife Park as always and will definitely be back again soon 🐯 @paradisewildlifepark #santa2019
Instagram post 2179104637919218461_1513308813 Out Out! Last night we went to Mike's Bowls Presentation night and Mike and his pairs partner Sandra were presented with their trophy 🏆 He has worked so hard at his Bowls and it's nice to see him getting rewarded for it 😍
Instagram post 2177590461384303328_1513308813 Our babies both dressed up for Children In Need... George's hat lasted about two seconds 😂 @bbc @bbccin @children_in_need_official #childreninneed #childreninneed2019 #tbcsmiles
Instagram post 2175016018535487326_1513308813 When you go out for lunch with your cousin and she captures the most gorgeous photo of you and your boy on her phone ❤️ @debsmeddings
Instagram post 2174296939591689969_1513308813 [AD - PRESS TRIP] We were invited to Marsh Farm today for their Father Christmas Experience 🎅 On arrival we were directed to the barns at the rear of the site and told to check in at 'passport control'. The children were each given passports with stickers at the back that they could fill in after each activity. Stop one was the holding area waiting for everyone to arrive. The Elves were so welcoming and friendly and made the wait while everyone arrived really fun; and hopefully they all learnt something new as Mike taught them all to 'Dad Dance' 😂 Once everyone had arrived we were all taken through to a little mini theatre in the barns for a lesson at the ELF Academy. To use Lily's own words 'of course it was my Dad who ended up on the stage' 😂 Mike didn't have the Christmas spirit and couldn't make the bell ring so the Elves had to instill the magic of Christmas into him 🧙‍♂️. The children were all given magic wands to keep and use throughout the day. After ELF Academy we went through to meet the snow elf and the kids did a magic spell to make it snow. I always wonder with things like this is Lily going to work it out and I'm never quite sure if she's taken in, but this time she 100% bought it as when we walked outside she said "look Mummy I even made it snow out here too" when she saw the snowy outdoor scene that had been set up ❤️ Next up was Mother Christmas who did some more magic with the kids and then they got to decorate Gingerbread. After seeing Mother Christmas we were taken through to another room to wait to see Father Christmas. It was refreshing to be able to wait and see Santa sitting down whilst watching the children dance (or in our case dancing with kids 😂) rather than standing around in a long queue which dominates the santa experience at pretty much every other santa experience I have encountered so well done Marsh Farm! The kids are then called through by an ELF when it is their turn to see the big man himself. The kids loved seeing Santa. He gave the children hearts to stuff a Teddy & a voucher to choose a toy in the Toy Shop. We have all had such a magical day 🎅 #MarshFarm #IBelieve #TheFatherChristmasExperience @mars
Instagram post 2174012314910948320_1513308813 My little snowman all wrapped up ❤️
Instagram post 2169206838977257941_1513308813 Every year there is a huge fireworks display in our town park & every year we debate taking Lily. We never have yet. One of the problems is that the roads are all closed from ours to the Town Park for the display so we would have to walk there and back and Lily is always so tired at the end of the display that I don't think she would make the walk home. The other reason we don't go is that we can see the fireworks from our bedroom! With a view like this from bed all tucked up and cosy under a quilt rather than standing in the freezing cold I honestly don't think we will ever make it there ✨
Instagram post 2167750003980217803_1513308813 This morning I asked Lily what she wanted to do today and she said "visit an Art Gallery". Lily has a flair for and a love of art. I don't know where she gets it from as I can barely draw stick people! 🎨 We walked around the small local gallery in town and Lily drew on their kids activity sheet on her way around; excitedly adding to her picture as and when she saw a piece of art she liked or took inspiration from. As we were leaving I said I would roll Lily's picture so that it would keep safe on the way home. Lily looked at me as if I was crazy and said "Mummy it will stay here. It will hang in the gallery". In that moment I knew...I HAD TO MAKE IT HAPPEN! I spoke to the member of staff in the gallery and explained that Lily had made this picture for the gallery and he was so kind that he actually found a spot in the gallery and hung it up for her. Lily was so excited to have a piece of her artwork hanging in a real gallery 🖼️. I am so grateful to the kind staff member who made Lily's dream happen 🙌 @thegibberdgallery
Instagram post 2167061587487526144_1513308813 My little ghost and ghostbuster ❤️❤️
Instagram post 2164869843102505145_1513308813 [AD] With Halloween fast approaching, my insta feed is turning very orange! I am sure yours is too with Knorr research showing that one fifth (19.2%) of Brits will visit a pumpkin patch this Halloween. Of these, nearly a third (28.8%) of the nation stated they plan to take home more than two pumpkins, and two fifths (41.3%) will scrap excess pumpkin innards, which are perfectly edible.  Let's read that again...41.3% of people will throw an edible, healthy and delicious food in the bin 🙈 Why? Statistics also revealed that a quarter of the nation (23.81%) didn’t know they could cook with their leftover pumpkin innards. As a result, Knorr is urging families to discover the delicious taste of pumpkin with ‘frightfully’ tasty Halloween recipes. We visited Foxes Farm in Basildon to pick up a pumpkin. Knorr have partnered up with Foxes Farm and you can pick up tasty Knorr stock cubes and free Knorr Pumpkin recipe sheets along with your Pumpkin. I really hope the recipe sheets on the pumpkin patches raise awareness that you can eat Pumpkin! Pumpkin soup has long been a favourite of mine 🎃 I also hate to think of all the unnecessary food waste if all those delicious pumpkin innards end up in the bin 😏 Check out the Knorr website for amazing Pumpkin recipes: LINK IN BIO #knorrrecipes #knorrstocks #foxesfarm #pumpkinrecipe #knorr @knorruk @foxesfarmproduce
Instagram post 2158248831451887189_1513308813 [AD - PRESS TRIP] Loving the Halloween Festival 🎃 @marsh_farm #halloweenfestival
Instagram post 2158248016104169777_1513308813 [AD - PRESS TRIP] Loving life on the farm @marsh_farm #halloweenfestival
Instagram post 2158190396777458751_1513308813 [AD - PRESS TRIP] We have had such a fun day at Marsh Farm. We have danced at the Monster Mash Disco, Lily and Mike went in Soft Play, we went in the outdoor park, saw the animals, the kids and Mike went on the carousel, Lily walked an Apaca and went on the mini tractors. We visited the pumpkin patch on the way out and the kids chose a pumpkin each to bring home and carve or paint. We could have carved it at the farm but I didn't fancy the pumpkin mess in the car it seemed easier to take them home in one piece 🎃 @marsh_farm #halloweenfestival
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Paradise Wildlife Park – World Of Dinosaurs Launch with Emma Bunton and Emma Willis
Baby Annabell Learns To Swim Launch with Rebecca Adlington
Mike, Lily & Rebecca Swimming

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