And it was worth it!  The animals have left us with so much to talk about ever since.

Max was totally mesmerised by the Siamang monkeys playing in their enclosure. I think this was the first time he’d properly paid attention to animals in his surroundings.  He’s jaw dropped as he watched them play.

The Siamung monkeys were great entertainment

We saw Alan the baby colobus monkey playing cheekily with the older monkeys in the group. Alan, who was named after the park’s electrician, is just changing into the colobus monkey colours. He is very sweet.
A pair  of  colobus monkeys groomed each other just the other side of the window, inches away from us. Amazing!

The baby zebra was my favourite …till we got to the giraffe house.

Since we were last here, 2 years ago, the park have built  a high-level walkway, so you get up to giraffe head height. One of the younger giraffes in the group found something fascinating about Angelina, so kept following her. This curious beast gave us the opportunity to stroke him when he kept leaning over the barrier.

At one point he got drawn to the shimmer of Max’s pushchair raincover….and leant all the way in to try to taste it. Luckily, I pulled the pushchair away before he could nibble Max’s nose, as Cheeky Giraffe leaned in through the vent of the raincover! I was just in the process of trying to take a picture and freaked. Max was not phased at all, but loving the experience.

The walled garden with the meerkats and penguins is always a hit. The otters put on a little show for us- juggling stones, making a right racket and perching up onto the lookout for us.  We could’ve watched them for hours!

There are 2 walk-through experiences which we hadn’t seen before- one with birds and one with bats and a sloth. They are both nicely done.  I like that you can sit down and quietly observe in the bat and sloth tropical house.

The lemur walk-through has been the talking point for the kids, especially Hugo for a couple of days. Absolutely gorgeous baby lemurs hanging onto their mummy’s back; a rude teenager sitting on the rail just in front of us and doing a dump by our feet.

The lemur walk-through is amazing- especially when a mummy shows up with two babies clinging to her

I adore capybaras and to see their little babies is a real treat. Too cute!

It’s a pity the weather was so bad, we could’ve spent so much longer: The Littlins hardly got to play on the playground because  Max and I had had enough of the weather. They would’ve happily braved the cold longer as they were keeping warm running around.

A huge positive about this wildlife park is that, besides having its own restaurant, it provides lots of places to enjoy packed lunches under shelter and more or less sheltered from the wind too. There are also a number of warmer, indoor spots for when the weather gets to you.  These made the miserable day not even half as miserable.

Picnic in the rain- enough shelter to avoid even the driving rain of the day

Thank you to the Cotswold Wildlife Park for the fantastic day out, despite the weather!  We will be back soon to visit the animals again, come rain or shine!

What’s your favourite animal? Do you have a wildlife park near you, that you like to visit?

PS My camera SD card packed up right after our trip, so in my attempt to share some of the great pictures of the day with this account I have postponed this post while I tried to recover my pictures.  No such luck!  Hence theses picture, which are Angelina’s first attempt at photography with a very basic camcorder/ camera.

Nagybánya © Debreczeni Mihály

Born in Nagybánya, a town lying at the foot of beautiful mountains, I was influenced by the beauty and unique creations of nature from an early age.

At the age of 11 I learnt the knit and I still hold onto my first project- a short-sleeved jumper.  I’d always be on the look-out for new, interesting designs in magazines, take those, adapted them slightly to fit my tastes. I’d strive for practicality too in the things I’d make.

I qualified as a nursery and primary school teacher and started adult Life not alone, but at the side of my husband. We have been a great team ever since, expanding our family with three children.

My husband’s a theologist, serving in different parishes, meaning we have moved around depending on where he’s service was required.  This meant I experienced teaching different age groups in different villages and towns across Transylvania.

In 2005 we moved to Oxford, where my husband was offered the opportunity to do a Masters in Theology. We got „stuck” here.  8 years on, he is finishing his doctorate.

Restarting life in a new country, in a different language has had its challenges. Striving to integrate, yet retaining one’s roots is a delicate balance.

I’ve found a lot of pleasure from indulging in crafts over these years.

As my children have grown, I’ve found a route back into teaching part time as a teaching assistant. Then in 2011, there was a sewing course that caught my attention.

I was hooked!  The old passion for creating something new, something beautiful bubbled to the surface.

I totally fell in love with sewing!  Starting with a dress for myself, the obligatory curtains, then got adventurous with a little dress for a bridesmaid. It was truly beautiful, if I may say so myself.

Last spring I stumbled on some designs for handbags and made a couple as presents for friends.  They were very well received and my friends then started asking me to make some so they can buy them for presents for their friends and encouraged me to create a store.

That’s how Maribor Accessories was born.

I am passionate about practical designs for the day-to-day life that are just a bit different.

So now for the exciting bit.  I have twisted Marta’s arm and asked her if we could do a giveaway of one of her handbags.  And she said YES!  Not only that: you can choose which design you like most from her site and you can choose to have your name, blog name or blog logo embroidered onto it.  How’s that for a blogger perk?

Not a blogger?  No problem!  You can still choose a little something to embroider on there- a name, a copy of a small tattoo you have, the choices are pretty wide, though you’ll need to agree it in advance.

Here’s how you enter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

PS If there’s anything you spot in the pictures on the homepage that you can’t find on the product pages yet, you can request that style too. 

I’m not sure about the army-like image, but I love the concept that guides their products:  They produce ready made kits to make it easy for adults and kids alike to get outdoors and start having adventures. It all started with the founder and her adventure seeking son, who still tests all the kits.  Their boxes take the hard slog out of creating the adventures. I reckon they are a small start-up that’s going places!

Tonight their product shall be appearing on BBC’s The Apprentice.  Watch how the girl’s team does in marketing their product… I won’t spill the beans.

In looking through their range my favourite so far is the Go wild kit.

I was sold on: Finding poo just got interesting!  This kit will help you know what you’re looking at and find what you’re looking for!…..

BattleBox Kits for Heroes are great little kits designed to spark an interest in the great outdoors! Compact and portable they are the take anywhere Kits ideal when space is at a minimum, but imaginations are not! The Go Wild Kit helps children see and recognise the wealth of wildlife that inhabits Great Britain & Europe, from your garden to the local park and beyond. The book also has some top tips for encouraging wildlife into your garden.

The kit retails for £30 (not cheap) and contains

• a book on Wild animals, a super pocket-sized guide to all there is to see in the wild.
• a pair of binoculars - Tough and rugged essential kit for discovering unchartered territory and lost treasures as well as bird watching and getting up close to some of this country’s wonderful wildlife.
• and a chocolate bar - The original Marching Chocolate given out to British Troops during the Great War. Support “Help for Heroes” whilst enjoying this delicious chocolate bar. 5p donation from BattleBox with each bar sold.

I’ve been offered one of these for review and am looking forward to writing about it and seeing if it really is the bees knees.  :-)

Pop back to read more and there maybe some surprise in store for you too.

Do you think kits like this make sense?  Would they get you and your kids out to have an adventure more?

Today you turn one.  I am amazed by how this year has flown past.  We have crammed so much in and yet seems it has been no time at all!

Max, as we call you on this blog,…a most fitting name!

You loved the French sunshine and heat, splashing in the pool at just 5 weeks old

You’ve grown from a big baby into an even bigger baby. In this first year you’ve slotted into the family so well- acknowledging your place and making sure your needs are acknowledged.

You are a joyous, easy-going baby, until you have a need- hunger, thirst, nappy, sleep or just a cuddle.  You scream the moment you see Papa walk into the room after work, until he picks you up for a cuddle.

Special smiles and adoring looks for those close to you have always been a reward.

You love to laugh and play with your sister and brother; with Hugo you share an extra special bond. In the mornings the two of you will sit in our bed laughing and messing about together.

You are not one to be left alone.  Though as long as there is someone else in the room, you have a tummy full of food and drink and a clean nappy you will play happily in your playpen.  If you are playing happily for too long we know there is a stinky present waiting for us… or in the mornings, after the school run, you have slumped over and fallen asleep during play.

You love to dance- the moment you hear music you start to sway and bop.  Even to the tune of your baby monitor’s lullabies sometimes.

Boxes and music two things that will always make you giggle with glee

You’ve always liked your food.  From the moment you were born you’ve been my easiest to breastfeed. This is probably why we are still enjoying our morning and evening cuddles and feeds now.  You took to baby led weaning like a duck to water and enjoy different tastes and textures.  Your favourite by far are bananas.  Your first sounds were “ba ba”, indicating that you’d like a banana. Pasta and rice are the second contenders on your favourites list.

Baby led weaning suited you from the moment go! You love mess and mess loves you.

Max, you are a good sleeper and have been pretty good since birth. The buggy is your favourite daytime sleeping place.
You used to fall asleep in my arms each evening.  Now I put you in your cot and sit beside you; you make a fuss, but eventually settle.

You love your Stokke Xplory being high up to look at the world and then lie back comfortably for your midday nap

I love how you start pulling your ears the moment you feel sleepy.  On the other hand, you are your mummy’s boy, not one to be left out of a party and can keep up with the fun for amazingly long all the while remaining your cheery self.

Whatever time you go to bed you are up at 4, just for a short while though, just until you are taken into our bed, where you will fall back to sleep for another 2- 2.5 hours, but only in our arms.  You crave the heat and the embrace of your Papa or I.

You are a fast developer- sitting, doing your über fast commando crawl for quite some time before crawling and taking your first precursory steps early. You stand confidently and get to anywhere you want.  That includes climbing up stairs, down from a bed, over the pouffe that’s there to keep you in the playroom. You are a little monkey really.

Sitting at just 5 months… you’ve always wanted to keep up with your brother and sister

We tried early potty training with you too, but you have proved much more of a challenge than your brother and sister were.

Chubby cheekiness!

At one, you don’t have many words- which is understandable, considering you are bombarded with three languages at once.  You point and you have started signing; you love our Saturday morning baby signing classes with your Godmother!

I am told, by our parents, that we have spoilt you… but who else will spoil you with cuddles?!  The moments when we sit and you cling on like a little monkey are so precious!

Over the past year it has been an absolute pleasure to watch you grow and develop. I am continuously amazed by how flexible and adaptable you are:

You weren’t phased by being taken to France when you were just 5 weeks old;

Enjoyed the hot, sweltering summer days on our holiday in Hungary;

You were the perfect camper at just 3 months old- not a peep out of you, then you repeated that last week;

The theatre mesmerised you and you silently sat through the long show of Andy and Mike’s travels in a time machine at just 3 and half months.

You made your Granddad so proud that he could teach you to clap and gave you your first ice cream 3 months ago.

I love how you enjoy the great outdoors, not daunted by the new textures of grass, mud, soil, different sights and sounds.

Your amazement at discovering the animals at Cotswold Wildlife Park a couple of weeks ago and then at Paradise Wildlife Park just made those trips extra special.

You draw the attention of ladies wherever you go and you relish it

Max, you have a special bond with your Godfather too.  He has taught you many things, including finding the pen he hides.  You also took your first steps into his arms.  I must admit I was a bit jealous, but ever so proud!

My little Cable Guy, we love you so and wish you a very Happy 1st Birthday! With many-many-many happy returns.

Happy 1st  Birthday my darling Littlest Littlin

Love all your Family and friends!

I hurried across the campsite field with Little daughter

“Mummy where are we going?”, she asked.

I had little time to think:   “We are meeting a very special man. He’s called David Bellamy. He knows all about flowers and trees and all sorts of things. Tell me if you see someone who looks like Father Christmas…”

‘Father Christmas’ was bent double, jumping from one patch of grass and counting “six, seven, eight…look there’s one too and there.”

I thought there must be an invasion of some rare and wonderful creature, but no! Just an exuberant botanist explaining to his enraptured audience about special sugar-producing blades of grass.

The adventure had begun. We were on a wildlife walk with one of my childhood heroes as part of National Camping and Caravanning Show at the Hertford Caravan Club campsite. It was a personable and engaging tour with David and his wife alongside and in every sense a partnership, her gently meandering through undergrowth and passing him findings for comment.

Little daughter stood with a crowd of kids at the front of the group, listening to a selection of mini botany stories about how climate change is producing more vegetation than ever before due to the increase in carbon dioxide (gosh I’d never thought of it that way round before!); about how the oak tree in front of us is incredibly and most unusually in flower; and how grasses don’t go clunk, clunk, clunk when you roll them between your finger and thumb, whereas other stalks do.

Plant whisperer, story teller, encyclopaedia of fascinating facts, he turned common plants and trees into superheros, and unlocked mysteries into cheating nettles not to sting, making aspirin from willow trees and the source of nature’s first velcro. Laughter, shock and amazement rippled through his audience as he covered his big white beard in sticky willies, grasped nettles leaves in his bare hands and ate willow leaves, despite telling us in advance how utterly horrible they taste.

By the time we got to the pond, little daughter was as smitten as I was . So much so that when a frog jumping out at us in the undergrowth caused her to drop the green furry oak leaf given her by David, we had to leave the tour behind to go back and find it, she was so grief-stricken to lose her precious prize.

“I’m just a boy who never grew up”, David confided to me afterwards as we sat enjoying the sunshine at the picnic tables.

I’m so glad he hasn’t ‘grown up’ – he must infuse a love and wonder of nature into every person who is privileged enough to spend time with him.

Was David Bellamy one of your heros too when you were growing up? Has he inspired you to enjoy the great outdoors?

Pop over to the A Residence and Hello it’s Gemma to read how much fun they had last weekend.

Saturday

A long day at a blogging conference, Cybher. As I has a very stressful start to the day I gave up worrying about what I ate or drank. Indulged in some biscuits, chocolate mousse, enjoyed the different bites that were served for lunch and with evening drinks, and even had 3 cocktails before switching to water.

Sunday

New day! I know I’ve lost fat, but not sure whether I’ve lost weight, so I’m going to be a lot more conscious about what I eat. I started the day with eggs for breakfast. As the family were having egg-fried noodles for lunch I spared some eggs for myself and had it on its own. You must be thinking I’m overloading on eggs, but I love them and could have them for all my meals.
Dinner- I couldn’t avoid the pasta- spinach, chorizo, tomato and mushrooms on broken up sheets of lasagna. Yummy!

 My exercise for the day? Packing up the tent and our campsite. Exhausting!

Monday

Continued with the protein bias: eggs, frankfurters, burgers… all with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber.

Ran about after kids a lot, walked up and down the stairs a lot.

Tuesday

Started by breaking my cardinal rule- I missed breakfast!

I didn’t intend to, time just ran away with me and having a coffee sort of took away the immediate impact, compounding the cravings for sugars till later.

I had a chat with Sandra from Thinking Slimmer who, in her lovely way, gave me a gentle kick up my back side. As we talked I realised I had just hoped the slimpod would magic away the calories consumed.  I had hoped that the slimpod would do it to the extreme level that I need to loose weight to do this skydive.

It doesn’t!

What the past month has proved to me is that it does help gently guide one to better confidence and gradual lifestyle changes, therefore has the power to help make these changes permanent. It will help me get to my long term goal in a nice comfortable gradual way, but not this short-term kick-start goal.

So my mantra for the next 46 days is-

There’s no time for complacency!

I can do this, but only if I get behind it full-heartedly and not just going along for the ride and the gentle weight loss that the slimpod gives.

Time for action!

I’ve already started cutting out refined carbs from my diet. This, I feel is a big step towards my success.

The other thing I said I’d do was walk and swim. Sandra has guided me to try a high intensity training (HIT) approach instead. Just 3 times 1 minute of heart raising exercise daily to start.

Here it goes!

Wednesday

Running around like a headless chicken all day. A couple of times I remembered to do the high intensity training, each time while I decided what to do something interrupted- a baby woke up, the postman rang, the phone went. How can it be so difficult to get 10 minutes to myself?! I swear I’m just going to lock myself in the loo and pretend I’m doing a crap!

Thursday

We spent the day travelling.  Finding the right snacks for a road trip is not easy at all! I ended up munching on sausages- probably too fatty, but hopefully better than biscuits or crisps.

Then in the evening: how do you tell friends who are awaiting you with lovely food, that you’ll only have the meat? It seems rude! So you take as little rice as you can get away with and stack up the topping off veg and meat.

 Then to top it all I fall asleep during the evening breastfeed, probably quicker than Max. So much for a quick set of push-ups when Max is asleep!

Friday

A day of wedding decadence.

The food was lovely and it was relatively easy to avoid the refined carbs. The only thing I couldn’t resist was the wedding cake. I had no alcohol though, just lots of water. It became a fun thing for the waitresses to keep my glass of water filled.

In the evening I even hit the dance floor for a while. At one point my knee buckled forcing me to go for the more gentle songs, rather than the old favourites that make me want to really boogie.

Saturday

Food was quite difficult today- the choices all included bread, rice, and other refined carbohydrates. Sticking to a specific meal plan when travelling really is hard, especially going as a guest to friends you’ve not seen for ages. It tried sticking to smaller portions instead of not having things.

On the other hand we walked a couple of hours, sightseeing in Gouda.

Weigh-in again will be on Monday.

…

So I’ve stepped on the scales.

…

2.1 kg!

that’s 4.6 lb!

I’ve lost a 7.1 kg in the past  5 weeks

 …which is a fraction under 40% of my target loss so far!

Over the weekend friends and family who haven’t seen me since February were commenting how much better I look. I’m starting to feel the difference… just easier to get up and go.

Target for next week-

• Daily session of high intensity training
• Drink enough water
• Listen to my slimpod daily
• Go swimming twice this week, especially as I have my parents staying with us.

Can I please ask for your support?

And here’s how:

If you feel you’d be able to sponsor me,  please leave a pledge in the comments

• Tell me how much you will sponsor me by… and seriously even £1 is amazing!
• Tell me when I can claim the sponsorship? What do I need to achieve? Do I need to loose X kilograms/ X pounds?
  Do I have to dive from an aeroplane first?

All sponsorship goes to the Lullaby Trust in the memory of Matilda Mae.

Other ways you can support the Lullaby Trust and my fundraising are:

• Buy Barefoot Books via my account… there’s 30% off Father’s Day titles

• Join me on my slimming journey

Saturday

I was very disappointed with my lack of progress in the right direction. Though it is totally understandable, no slimpod will magically make the intake of those serious excess calories of custard and ice cream disappear! The slimpod is fabulous, it’s a miracle worker, but it is not magic, voodoo in any way! ​

Lunch and dinner at friends’. I was good.  Although, as we were staying up late, I didn’t say no to the offer of a midnight snack of cheesecake… I just cannot say no to that. It is an absolute favourite of mine! ​

Sunday

Broken uncomfortable night. Late breakfast of toast and a lunch of ice cream … not a good start. We had a lovely BBQ chicken dinner though.

The day consisted of moderate activity enjoying the lovely weather in the garden, mostly gardening and keeping kids entertained. ​

Monday

Another crap night. Max up very early to top it. I had very bizarre, vivid dreams that have left me feeling very unsettled, almost panicky.  I find it amazing how much the state of the mind controls us, the lack of regular sleep really messes with our state of mind too. I can see how sleep deprivation can be used as a form of torture. ​

Tuesday ​

I slept so much better and felt better for it all day. Consciously ate better and less, resisted the chocolate in the cupboard and I was very proud of myself for it!

I took on Ana’s comment from last week and at lunchtime I had lettuce with my eggs instead of bread and steamed vegetables with my bolognese instead of the pasta.

Exercise zilch! …I’ll make up for it tomorrow though! ​

Wednesday

It seems my life revolves around my sleep patterns. One night good, then the other atrocious and I can’t even blame it on any of the Littlins.

We were out of the door before 10am today for various activities and I’m not planning on getting home before Friday.

Today I really don’t know what I ate. We had no real meal times, ate randomly as time allowed between our fun program at Waddesdon Manor.

I was offered chocolate digestives, but chose only to have one for the flavour. I also held back with pasta at dinner time.

Today had been an active day. Walked a lot, played with kids, set up a 6 man tent on my own, …what good work out that last one is! ​

Thursday

Another active day of walking loads and I’m not sure what I’ve eaten; the day just sort of flew by.
I said no to a couple of sweet things today and also had a biscuit, fruit bread and pasta. That’s the problem with camping: carbs are easier to prepare! ​

Friday

A day of standing around a lot, kids running miles at a family event.

My main exercise of the day was a rowing sprint on a rowing machine. I did 100m in 23.6 seconds, being the best female of the day. Unfortunately only the top overall score won a prize of going on a white water rafting experience in Lee Valley.  That ended up being Dadonthebrink. I’m dead proud and dead jealous.

Started the day with bacon baps, then had splendid hog roast twice: for an early dinner, then seconds for a proper dinner later. I ate the hog roast without a big bun! ​

Saturday

Early start after an exhausting day yesterday.
As I’m camping and didn’t bother to bring scales. I am going to weigh myself  first thing Monday. ​

So Monday has come and I’ve stepped on those dreaded scales.

Will they show what my jeans are showing?

You see everything is fitting ever so much better. My jeans which I couldn’t squat down in for fear of ripping them are loose on my thighs.
Yippee!

Some of it is showing in weight too! ​

I’ve lost
… 0.6 kg that’s 1.3lb ​

Way off my weekly target, but in the right direction.
I am 2.5 kg behind, so need to get more focused if I’m going to do this. I really don’t want to let anyone down! … Least of all myself!!! ​

This week I will: ​

• Adjust my meals to be more protein based
• Walk 20 minutes at a quick pace 4 times and swim 30 lengths in our local 25m pool
• Carry on with my effort to drink 2 liters of water everyday
• … and I will still allow myself to ice cream, with limits.

​ Thank you if you have sponsored me so far! If you like to help me, please make a pledge in the comments section below at what point and by how much you will sponsor me. I still have 13kg to loose in the coming 7 weeks. ​ ​

Will you help me? Will you join me? ​ ​

To join me on my slimming journey pop over to http://mumonthebrink.com/2013/05/come-slim-with-me-and-support-the-lullaby-trust/ and find out more.

PS I’ll write more about each of the sessions, so do come back.​

​
Aldi talked about their principles of having special events at certain times of the year when they extend the range for a special sale and showed us some of the things that will be included.
​
One of the items that caught my attention was a digital ear thermometer.  I have to admit I blagged it and brought it home to test. 
​
I was a bit sceptical, as we have 2 other ear thermometers, one being a Braun, and they are rubbish! They do not show anywhere close to what a traditional thermometer measures underarm.  I’ve resorted to using those forehead strips instead.
​

Ear forehead thermometer at Aldi

This thermometer is a revelation though-
- The readings match that of the traditional thermometer closely.
- It gives you a reading very quickly, which is a must with a wriggly baby.
- I love that you can use it as a forehead thermometer or an ear thermometer- there’s a little button on it to switch between the two.
- What I initially thought was a gimmick, a talking thermometer, telling you the temp, I have found very useful in low light with a snuffly child.
- As a bonus the thermometer also displays the time and the room temperature.
Do you know what the best bit is?
It’s only £12.99!
​
I really like this product and have subsequently recommended it to family in Hungary, who’ve bought it in Aldi there.
​
Check out some of the other baby and toddler products hitting Aldi stores this week for a limited time.

I know I’m going to try to get down to a store to pick up some bargains myself! I’ve added dummies, some cups, nappies and those cool patterned muslins to my shipping list. And another thermometer for sure for friend expecting.
​
​
​Disclosure- as I said, I got the thermometer for free, got coffee and lunch in return for chatting to their buyer and other blogger mums. However, I genuinely believe their products are great value and stand by all opinions expressed.

The kids have been nagging me to go to the swimming pool, but I can’t go on my own with the 3 of them- adult to child health and safety ratios don’t allow.

So I’ve created water fun at home in the bathroom, while Max sleeps upstairs:

I added lots of bubble bath into an almost full bathtub. (We only usually fill the bath a third to half full for safety and water conservation reasons.)

I added 2 children and lots of hydrated water beads.

We experimented to see if we could turn the children into smurfs… We added blue food colouring to the water… It didn’t work! I still have 2 children.

I extended the water play area beyond the bathtub with our tuff spot aka cement mixing tray.

Introduced a number of beach toys- sieves, spades, buckets and bowls.

… and left them to play. Sitting outside the bathroom, listening to their imaginary play. 

They’ve been in there for over an hour. The bathroom is steamed up and nice and warm for them to be popping in and out. No fighting thus far! And I’ve actually been able to make some phone calls.

They are now enjoying a picnic of dried fruits and pink milk by the “rock pool”.

In a bit I will put on some music with Beach Boys.

So what are you doing today?