Valentine's Weekend

We had a lovely weekend just the four of us. We normally tend to spend a fair bit of time travelling at weekends to visit family i.e my dad or hubby's parents. I love to get out and about and visit people but I also love spending time with just hubby and the boys and this weekend was really nice. On Saturday I got my first National Trust fix of the year at Ickworth house in Suffolk. My sister-in-law introduced us to the NT a year ago with a yearly membership as a Christmas present and I have probably already said this in a previous post but I think it is one of the best presents I have ever received (apart from the rocking horse when I was a girl or my first car or my engagement ring of course!). Anyway, I am totally into NT places now and only wish there were more in our area. This is what I like about them:

• It makes you feel good to have a walk outside in lovely landscapes and scenery and there are normally sheep roaming the fields and wild deer in woodland areas


• It is educational for adults and children - learning about the history of the old buildings


• It is a great photo opportunity - beautiful architecture and landscaped gardens


• There is frequently a play area for children: outdoors and sometimes a small indoor area


• There is nearly always a tea shop or restaurant that serves locally-produced produce: food is fresh and yummy and they cater for children. Sometimes we have lunch if it is a good-sized cafe or we will take a picnic in the summer and then go to the tea shop for a cream tea and ice cream for the boys in the afternoon


• They frequently have a gift shop that sells local produce and pocket-money toys and good books: I have found some good children's books in these shops before


• And with a membership entrance is free to all NT places in the UK - this is especially useful for us when we go on our annual summer holiday to Cornwall as there is an abundance of NT sites down there.

Anyway, enough plugging of the NT! On Sunday it was Valentine's Day. Hubby surprised me with a dozen beautiful pink roses and a lovely bottle of Cabernet Sauvingnon (I'm still having the occassional class even though I'm pregnant - I am not as pedantic about things as I was with my first pregnancy - this time around I feel I need my daily cappuccino and weekly glass or two of red, everything in moderation is what I say). I gave hubby a chocolate fondue set which I thought would be fun for us all to use as a family as we all love chocolate! The boys gave Daddy a big Toblerone which was so heavy Jacob could hardly carry it! We went out for a walk and then enjoyed the rest of the day pottering aroung the house; Finn and I baked a yummy chocolate cake and hubby and Jacob watched Ice Age 3 on DVD. The only problem with weekends is that they are over too fast.

BBQ time

We had a great action-packed weekend. Even though I love my house I cannot stay in all day and I much prefer to get out and do things. On saturday we went to Wimpole Hall - I just love going to National Trust places (in case you hadn't already guessed!). We all had a lovely time, tot got to play on the play tractors and we also discovered a hidden adventure playground that we didn't see before, and hubby was happy as there was beer tasting!

Yesterday we went to Wicksteed park and then in the evening we had a BBQ in our back garden. We cooked some salmon and tot looked at the fish lying on a plate and said, "Fish gone to clouds". I knew what he was talking about as just the other day I was telling him about Nana dying and going to heaven up in the clouds. So I just agreed and then he said, "Where's Nana?" and it almost made me cry. We explained how she was in heaven in the clouds and that it was like a long holiday where you never come back.

National Trust - Trelissick Gardens, Cornwall

Lovely gardens, unfortunately the rain came down and we had to retreat to the tea room, which was delightful and it was worth the visit just to have lunch there!

National Trust - Stowe Gardens, Buckinghamshire

Lovely expanse of land dotted with monuments of interest. Good for walks and picnics.

National Trust - Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire

Wimpole Hall is on the Wimpole Estate that comprises of the hall, gardens and a working farm. My 2-year old loved the farm and we flew his kite on the lawn outside the hall (see pic). Plenty of park land for walking and tea room and shop. There is also a cafe at the farm along with an outdoor children's play area with toy tractors.

National Trust - Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk

The park and gardens were lovely although no children's play area. The courtyard which houses the cafe, restaurant and shop is lovely. We never made it into the hall itself as our boys were asleep in the buggy (which cannot be taken through the buildings).

National Trust - Canon's Ashby, Northamptonshire

Lovely house and church (not suitable for buggys). Picturesque landscaped gardens, but not much for children, a great tea room selling cream teas though.

National Trust - Calke Abbey, Derbyshire

Lovely house with a bizarre collection of stuffed animals. My two-year old loved exploring the house - especially the cellar tunnels which you are lead through at the end of the tour. Plenty of opportunity for walking in the lovely gardens, and also a welcome edition of an outdoor play area as well as a courtyard tea room and shop.

National Trust sites we've visited so far...Lyveden New Bield, Northants

Lyveden New Bield, Nr Oundle, Northamptonshire.

My sister-in-law was kind enough to give us a yearly membership to the National Trust as a Christmas present this year. We are really enjoying the tranquility of the gardens and feel the house tours are quite educational too! Am also loving the second hand bookshops some of the sites have and the tea rooms where a cream tea is always in order after a good walk, and of course I am enjoying lots of photo opportunities!